cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SEISMIC SSI OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT STRUCTURES

Nuclear power plant structures are massive structures typically embedded at a considerable depth in a soil deposit. An important aspect in the seismic design of these structures is the evaluation of the dynamic interaction between the structure and the soil. This paper presents the results of a study conducted to evaluate seismic SSI effects for a partially embedded massive nuclear plant structure using the finite element method of analysis. The analyses were carried out using the finite element program LUSH which incorporates the use of variable modulus and variable damping in the soil. The high frequency ranges, which must be considered in the study of SSI for nuclear power plants, are also adequately accounted for in the computer program used. Several significant parameters that could affect seismic SSI are examined. Consideration was given to parameters affecting: (1)Accuracy; (2)core storage requirements; and (3)execution time.
Arguments of Augustan Wit

Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction 1. The character progress as an Augustan phenomenon 2. About wit: Locke, Jakobson, and Augustan ideas 3. On the matter of wit 4. Gravity, abstraction, and crackpot materialism 5. That satire is art, only more so Conclusion Index.
Correlations between sister chromatid exchange frequencies and replicon sizes. A model for the mechanism of SCE production.

Abstract Baseline sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) increase as a function of average replicon size in a variety of human and Chinese hamster cell lines. This observation is the basis for a model in which SCEs are generated by errors in the unravelling of daughter double helices by topo isomerases. These errors cause exchanges behind the replication fork, not at the fork as several current models assume. This model also provides an explanation for SCEs induced when residual DNA damage that has been replicated interferes with the normal processes of unravelling the daughter strands.
Trust and TAM in online shopping: an integrated model

A separate and distinct interaction with both the actual e-vendor and with its IT Web site interface is at the heart of online shopping. Previous research has established, accordingly, that online purchase intentions are the product of both consumer assessments of the IT itself-specifically its perceived usefulness and ease-of-use (TAM)-and trust in the e-vendor. But these perspectives have been examined independently by IS researchers. Integrating these two perspectives and examining the factors that build online trust in an environment that lacks the typical human interaction that often leads to trust in other circumstances advances our understanding of these constructs and their linkages to behavior. Our research on experienced repeat online shoppers shows that consumer trust is as important to online commerce as the widely accepted TAM use-antecedents, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Together these variable sets explain a considerable proportion of variance in intended behavior. The study also provides evidence that online trust is built through (1) a belief that the vendor has nothing to gain by cheating, (2) a belief that there are safety mechanisms built into the Web site, and (3) by having a typical interface, (4) one that is, moreover, easy to use.
Minimal FLAG sequence useful in the functional epitope tagging of H-Ras.

Epitope tagging can interfere with normal protein function, indicating the need for an unobtrusive epitope tag. The FLAG® epitope (DYKDDDDK) was examined for a minimal epitope useful in the tagging...
Knowledge lean word sense disambiguation

We present a corpus-based approach to word-sense disambiguation that only requires information that can be automatically extracted from untagged text. We use unsupervised techniques to estimate the parameters of a model describing the conditional distribution of the sense group given the known contextual features. Both the EM algorithm and Gibbs Sampling are evaluated to determine which is most appropriate for our data. We compare their disambiguation accuracy in an experiment with thirteen different words and three feature sets. Gibbs Sampling results in small but consistent improvement in disambiguation accuracy over the EM algorithm.
DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) Toxicity to Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, Sac Fry

The combination of open facilities, moisture, and warm weather during channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, spawning season causes mosquito-infestation problems. A common solution to mosquito problems in hatcheries is to use mosquito repellents applied to exposed skin and clothing. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is the active ingredient in most personal insect repellents. We determined the 24-h acute toxicity of DEET to channel catfish fry. The toxicity test consisted of 10 sac fry in three replications of six concentrations (range: 157–478 μL/L) and a control. In addition to toxicity testing, a trial was conducted to determine the amount of active ingredient dispensed from two different applicators: a pump sprayer and an aerosol can. The 24-h lethal concentration (LC10) was 274 ppm, and the 24-h LC50 was 345 ppm. The concentration required to kill 50% of the organisms was above the 100 ppm threshold to be considered practically non-toxic. The pump sprayer (98.11% active ingredient) dispensed 113.3 ± 0.57 mg (mean ± SEM) active ingredient per pump. The aerosol can (30% active ingredient) dispensed 526.8 ± 6.71 mg (mean ± standard error mean [SEM]) active ingredient per second. In hatcheries where air movement by fans is not sufficient to control mosquitoes, using insect repellent products containing DEET should be safe.
Fractal analysis for the development of chemical sensors for environmental monitoring

A fractal analysis is presented for the binding of pyrene in solution to beta-cyclodextrin attached to a fiberoptic chemical sensor. The specific (k1) and the non-specific binding rate (kns) coefficients and the fractal dimension, Df (specific binding case only) both tend to increase as the pyrene concentration in solution increases from 12.4 to 124 ng/mL. Predictive relations for the binding rate coefficient (specific as well as non-specific binding) and for Df (specific binding case only) as a function of pyrene concentration are provided. These relations fit the calculated k1 and Df values in the pyrene concentration range reasonably well. The fractal analysis provides novel physical insights into the reactions occurring on the fiberoptic chemical surface and should assist in the design of fiberoptic chemical sensors.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Structural Stability of Transparent Conducting Films Assembled from Length Purified Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films show significant promise for transparent electronics applications that demand mechanical flexibility, but durability remains an outstanding issue. In this work, thin membranes of length purified single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are uniaxially and isotropically compressed by depositing them on prestrained polymer substrates. Upon release of the strain, the topography, microstructure, and conductivity of the films are characterized using a combination of optical/fluorescence microscopy, light scattering, force microscopy, electron microscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. Above a critical surface mass density, films assembled from nanotubes of well-defined length exhibit a strongly nonlinear mechanical response. The measured strain dependence reveals a dramatic softening that occurs through an alignment of the SWCNTs normal to the direction of prestrain, which at small strains is also apparent as an anisotropic increase in sheet resistance along the same directio...
Grayscale median analysis of primary stenosis and restenosis after carotid endarterectomy

Background Several studies have reported that echolucent carotid lesions, as determined by grayscale median (GSM) analysis, are associated with increased perioperative embolic complications during carotid artery stenting (CAS). However, there is limited research of the predictive value of GSM analysis comparing values for primary atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid artery with those for recurrent lesions after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Methods Retrospective data were collected and analyzed from all patients undergoing CAS from November 2005 to August 2010. Available preoperative images amenable to GSM analysis were processed in Adobe Photoshop (version CS4; San Jose, Calif). Statistical analysis included t -test, Fischer exact test, and generation of a receiver operating characteristic curve. Results With at least 29 days of follow-up, 212 patients underwent 228 CAS procedures. There were 189 stents placed for primary lesions (CAS for primary stenosis group) and 39 stents placed for restenosis after CEA (CAS for restenosis group). GSM analysis was feasible for 47 patients, and the mean GSM was 45.6 (n = 34; 95% confidence interval, ± 8.3) for the primary stenosis group and 20.5 (n = 13; 95% confidence interval, ±9.6) for the restenosis group ( P P = .02). Conclusions A low GSM value was associated with increased perioperative risk when CAS was performed for native carotid lesions, but a low GSM value was not associated with higher procedural risk when carotid stenting was performed for carotid stenosis after CEA (restenosis). GSM analysis for restenosis may be altered by the time interval from CEA to restenosis.
Direct Measurement of Intranuclear Strain Distributions and RNA Synthesis in Single Cells Embedded within Native Tissue

Nuclear structure and mechanics play a critical role in diverse cellular functions, such as organizing direct access of chromatin to transcriptional regulators. Here, we use a new, to our knowledge, hybrid method, based on microscopy and hyperelastic warping, to determine three-dimensional strain distributions inside the nuclei of single living cells embedded within their native extracellular matrix. During physiologically relevant mechanical loading to tissue samples, strain was transferred to individual nuclei, resulting in submicron distributions of displacements, with compressive and tensile strain patterns approaching a fivefold magnitude increase in some locations compared to tissue-scale stimuli. Moreover, nascent RNA synthesis was observed in the interchromatin regions of the cells studied and spatially corresponded to strain patterns. Our ability to measure large strains in the interchromatin space, which reveals that movement of chromatin in the nucleus may not be due to random or biochemical mechanisms alone, but may result from the transfer of mechanical force applied at a distant tissue surface.
A geometrical interpretation of the unusual dynamics of fractals

Abstract The dimension of a fractal is written as the product of a length dimension and a thickness dimension. Arguments are given that this decomposition is physically meaningful, and it is shown that existing results about unusual dynamics on such structures may be derived very simply using these geometrical concepts. The method is illustrated in detail for singly connected fractals, and for the infinite cluster and the backbone in lattice percolation problems.
Urine aldosterone radioimmunoassay: validation of a method without chromatography.

Abstract A simplified radioimmunoassay of urinary aldosterone is reported. Acid-hydrolyzed urine was extracted with dichloromethane and the extract assayed without further purification. Urinary aldosterone values in patients with Cushing's syndrome, low and normal-renin essential hypertension, congential adrenal hyperplasia, and primary aldosteronism determined by this method agreed closely (r = 0.95, P < 0.01) with values obtained using a standardized chromatographic method. This simplified assay represents a significant advance in our capabilities for evaluating patients for abnormalities in aldosterone physiology.
Urinary Hydroxyproline in Pregnancy — An Index of Placental Function A Preliminary Report

Summary: The range of total urinary hydroxyproline was determined by 71 assays on 36 women with normal pregnancies. In addition, 103 assays were performed on 58 women with complicated pregnancies. There was a gradual increase in values up to 36 weeks in normal pregnancy, with a fall towards term. In patients with placental insufficiency due to such conditions as marked hypertension and diabetes, high values were obtained in those with a successful outcome of the pregnancy, which seemed to be indicative of compensatory increased vascularity of the placenta. A lack of this rise was seen in those in whom intrauterine death occurred. It is suggested that total urinary hydroxyproline assay may be useful as an additional parameter for assessing placental function.
The ultrastructure and connections of blood vessels supplying the rat carotid body and carotid sinus

The morphology of blood vessels supplying the carotid body and carotid sinus was analysed in 41 rats by using a combination of light microscopic, transmission electron microscopic and scanning electron microscopic methods. We found that a large sphincter-like intimai cushion was located at the orifice of thecarotid body artery, where the vessel arose from the external carotid or occipital artery. The sphincter contained circumferential smooth muscle and constricted the diameter of the orifice to less than half. After reaching the carotid body, the carotid body artery typically divided into three or four first-order and five or more second-order branches. Usually three or foursecond-order branches supplied the carotid body, but all other branches continued on to such structures as the superior cervical ganglion, nodose ganglion, vagus nerve and carotid sinus.Third andfourth-order branches gave rise toterminal arterioles that supplied the glomus tissue. Vessels resemblingprecapillary sphincters were located at the junction of terminal arterioles and capillaries. Precapillary sphincters had a wall comprised of protruding endothelial cells surrounded by smooth muscle cells or pericytes. Most terminal arterioles gave rise to two types of capillaries.Type I capillaries penetrated a glomus cell cluster and had an intimate association with glomus cells of that cluster had a luminal diameter ranging from about 8 to over 20 μm, but varied in calibre along their length. These vessels followed a winding course, made one or more U-shaped turns, and usually had multiple connections with venules. Type I capillaries had a thin fenestrated endothelium, an incomplete covering of pericytes, and a thin basal lamina. By contrast,type II capillaries did not penetrate glomus cell clusters, had a uniform diameter of about 7 μm, and had both straight and curved regions. Both types of capillaries were bypassed byarteriovenous anastomoses formed by terminal arterioles that joined small venules directly.Venules of the carotid body were interconnected with one another and joined major veins of the neck via several routes. Arterioles derived from the carotid body artery also supplied an extensive network of vasa vasorum in the adventitia of the carotid sinus. Short capillaries and larger shunt vessels connected arterioles with the numerous venules in the sinus wall; and the venules in turn were connected to the venous plexus at the surface of the carotid body. We conclude that the arterial branching pattern, intimai cushions and precapillary sphincters participate in the control of carotid body blood flow and also may influence plasma skimming. However, the existence of arteriovenous anastomoses in addition to at least two types of capillaries indicates that blood flow to the chemoreceptive tissue can be regulated independently of total blood flow. Furthermore, the redundancy of venous connections may be related to the sensitivity of carotid body chemoreceptors to changes in venous pressure.
Focused transducer beams in tissue-mimicking material.

A comparison is made between pulse echo response profiles obtained in water and profiles obtained in a tissue-mimicking (TM) material for clinical ultrasound transducers. The TM material is assumed to provide a more accurate indication of actual beam profiles in soft tissue because of the presence of frequency-dependent attenuation in the material. Pulse echo response profiles measured in the TM medium demonstrate a reduction in the focal distance and degraded resolution distal to the focal distance, in comparison to profiles obtained in water.
From 'mission-oriented' to 'diffusion oriented' paradigm: new trend of U.S. industrial technology policy

Abstract As post-World War II history shows, several ‘diffusion-oriented’ countries. Japan and Germany in particular, have performed better economically than some ‘mission-oriented’ countries, like France and the U.K. As the leading ‘mission-oriented’ innovator and ‘first mover’ country with three decades of economic and technological dominance and impressive ‘spin-off’ achievements, the U.S. has been eclipsed in its traditional competitive advantage by many ‘smart followers’ which have strong technical resources and complementary assets, and which could rapidly assimilate innovators technical advances and compete away innovator's economic rewards. In order to revive, the U.S. Federal government is undergoing a structural transition in its industrial technology policy toward a ‘diffusion-oriented’ paradigm. This new trend also reflects the growing skepticism and even disillusionment about the conventional ‘spin-off’ rationale. In the ‘diffusion-oriented’ policy framework, the U.S. Federal government's active participation in ‘generic’ and ‘precompetitive’ technology is a rather novel strategic movement in this country. However, there are still many delicate issues involved in, especially. ‘precompetitive’ industrial joint R&D remaining to be solved. Moreover, this new policy orientation in the U.S. may have some far-reaching implications. First, global technological progress may be slowed down because other countries cannot replace the U.S. in radical innovation. Second, the Japanese experience may be emulated widely because its ‘diffusion-oriented’ strategy constitutes the new ‘Japanese challenge’. Finally, the U.S. would face many challanges in this transition because the U.S. institutional framework will need to be modified and this will take time.
Neighborhoods matter: a population-based study of provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Study objective : Cardiorespiratory resuscitation (CPR) nonprovision—the failure of bystanders to provide CPR to cardiac arrest victims—remains a well-documented public health problem associated with significant mortality. Multivariate data on failure to provide CPR are limited. Given the established independent contributions of neighborhoods to explaining many behaviors, we asked the following questions: Do neighborhood characteristics affect the likelihood of CPR nonprovision? In particular, we sought to identify the characteristics of areas that have had the most success in providing CPR. Methods : We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis of a prospectively collected cohort of 4.379 cardiac arrests linked at an individual level to neighborhood data from the US Census. These arrests represent all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the City of Chicago in 1987 and 1988. Results : In multivariate analysis, patients who had cardiac arrests who lived in neighborhoods where cardiac arrests were more common were significantly more likely to receive CPR. Patients with arrests in racially integrated neighborhoods were most likely to be provided with CPR, followed by those in predominately white neighborhoods, with the lowest rates of CPR provision in predominately black neighborhoods. Neither the socioeconomic status, number of elderly, nor the occupational characteristics of the neighborhood appeared to influence CPR provision. At the individual level, in-home arrests and arrests among middle-aged black residents (relative to older black and all white residents) were less likely to receive CPR. Conclusion : Substantial variation in rates of CPR nonprovision exists between neighborhoods: the variation is associated with neighborhood characteristics. Combining individual and neighborhood data allows identification of important factors associated with the failure to provide CPR.
Exploring Automated Text Classification to Improve Keyword Corpus Search Results for Bioinspired Design

Bioinspired design is the adaptation of methods, strategies, or principles found in nature to solve engineering problems. One formalized approach to bioinspired solution seeking is the abstraction of the engineering problem into a functional need and then seeking solutions to this function using a keyword type search method on text based biological knowledge. These function keyword search approaches have shown potential for success, but as with many text based search methods, they produce a large number of results, many of little relevance to the problem in question. In this paper, we develop a method to train a computer to identify text passages more likely to suggest a solution to a human designer. The work presented examines the possibility of filtering biological keyword search results by using text mining algorithms to automatically identify which results are likely to be useful to a designer. The text mining algorithms are trained on a pair of surveys administered to human subjects to empirically identify a large number of sentences that are, or are not, helpful for idea generation. We develop and evaluate three text classification algorithms, namely, a Naive Bayes (NB) classifier, a k nearest neighbors (kNN) classifier, and a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Of these methods, the NB classifier generally had the best performance. Based on the analysis of 60 word stems, a NB classifier's precision is 0.87, recall is 0.52, and F score is 0.65. We find that word stem features that describe a physical action or process are correlated with helpful sentences. Similarly, we find biological jargon feature words are correlated with unhelpful sentences.
Abstract 541: The role of long noncoding RNA SChLAP1 in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common epithelial cancer and second leading cause of cancer death in men. Prostate cancers remain indolent in the majority of individuals but behave aggressively in a minority of patients. The molecular basis for this clinical heterogeneity remains incompletely understood. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as a prominent layer of transcriptional regulation implicated in various biological and disease processes, including several types of cancer. Therefore, we hypothesized that lncRNAs may play a role in mediating aggressive prostate cancer. Previously, our lab utilized RNA sequencing across a cohort of prostate tissues to discover differentially expressed lncRNAs in cancer versus benign samples. We identifed a novel transcript termed SChLAP1 (Second Chromosome Locus Associated with Prostate-1) overexpressed in a subset of localized and metastatic cancers. Clinical analyses showed that SChLAP1 levels independently predict poor outcomes, including metastasis and prostate cancer-specific mortality. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that SChLAP1 is critical for cancer cell invasiveness and metastasis. Mechanistically, we found that SChLAP1 binds to and antagonizes the genome-wide localization of the tumor-suppressive SWI/SNF nucleosome-remodeling complex. Given the scaffolding capabilities of lncRNAs, previous studies describing an inhibitory role of SWI/SNF on PRC2 function, and the known oncogenic role of PRC2 in prostate cancer, we hypothesized that SChLAP1 may mediate PRC2 activity in conjunction with SWI/SNF to promote aggressive disease. Here, we show that a SChLAP1-associated gene signature nominates PRC2-related concepts, and in vitro studies indicate an interaction between SChLAP1 and PRC2 that enhances PRC2 genome-wide localization as well as its histone methyltransferase activity. These results suggest a mechanistic model in which SChLAP1 simultaneously engages multiple epigenetic complexes, inhibiting tumor-suppressive functions of SWI/SNF while enhancing oncogenic activity of PRC2, which leads to aggressive prostate cancer. Citation Format: Anirban Sahu, Matthew K. Iyer, John R. Prensner, Arul M. Chinnaiyan. The role of long noncoding RNA SChLAP1 in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 541. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-541
Evolution towards equilibration in orbiting interactions

We have studied the evolution towards mass equilibration in {sup 24}Mg+{sup 16}O orbiting interactions. {sup 24}Mg beams of energies between 75 and 115 MeV were used to bombard targets of {sup 16}O. Targetlike particles were detected at forward angles to determine the yields from orbiting interactions. The ratio of the orbiting yields of {sup 12}C and {sup 16}O exit channels rises continuously with energy from values below unity to above. The data are interpreted as demonstrating a strong entrance channel dependence at low energies, and an evolution towards mass equilibration with increasing energy.
The Effect of Protein Source in the Diet on Zn65 Absorption and Excretion by Chickens

Abstract Available evidence indicates that the phytic acid present in isolated soybean protein may make the dietary zinc less available to chickens and swine (O’Dell and Savage, 1960; and Overleas et al., 1962). Zeigler et al. (1961) found that the zinc requirement of chicks fed a casein diet was 12–14 mg./kg. of diet, while the requirement of chicks fed an isolated soybean protein diet was 27–29 mg./kg. of diet. More recently Savage et al. (1964) presented evidence that fecal zinc excertion was increased by adding phytic acid to a casein-gelatin type diet. The feeding of a soybean protein diet caused an increase in the appearance of fecal zinc, as compared to the chicks fed the casein gelatin diet, and while the difference was not significant, the authors state “However, the data strongly suggest that more rapid zinc depletion occurs among chicks fed soy protein because of imparied zinc absorption …
Linoleic acid enhances mitogen response and survival of septic weanling rats

Abstract Immunologic responses to various dietary fats and concentrations remain controversial. The authors examined the effect of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the immune system of weanling rats. Male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed special liquid diets based on a standard enteral formula: (I) control: 2.2% calories as safflower oil (linoleic acid), (II) omega-3: 2.2% calories as safflower oil and 30% calories as cod liver oil (linolenic acid), and (III) omega-6: 32.2% calories as safflower oil. Body weight and caloric intake were measured daily. Rats were fed special diets for 18 days, at which time they were subjected to either septic challenge with 2 × 10 3 colony forming units of Streptococcus pneumoniae (eight rats per diet group) or killed and a splenocyte mitogen assay performed (four rats per diet group). Supplementation with omega-6 resulted in prolonged survival after bacterial challenge (control, 30.5 ± 0.5 hours; omega-3, 31.6 ± 0.5; not significant; omega-6, 39.8 ± 5.0; P P P
11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase antisense affects vascular contractile response and glucocorticoid metabolism

Glucocorticoids (GC’s) are metabolized in vascular tissue by two isoforms of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD). 11β-HSD2 is unidirectional and metabolizes GC’s to their respective inactive 11-dehydro derivatives. 11β-HSD1 is bi-directional, also possessing reductase activity and thus the ability to regenerate active GC from the 11-dehydro derivatives. In vascular tissue, GC’s amplify the pressor responses to catecholamines and angiotensin II and may down-regulate certain depressor systems such as nitric oxide and prostaglandins. We hypothesize that both 11β-HSD2 and 11β-HSD1 regulate GC levels in vascular tissue and are part of additional mechanisms that control vascular tone. We examined the effects of specific antisense oligomers to 11β-HSD2 and 11β-HSD1 on GC metabolism and contractile response to phenylephrine (PE) in rat aortic rings. In aortic rings incubated (24 h) with corticosterone (B) (10 nmol/l) and 11β-HSD2 antisense (3 μmol/l), the contractile response to graded concentrations of PE (PE: 10 nmol/l − 1 μmol/l) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared to rings incubated with B and 11β-HSD2 nonsense. 11β-HSD1 antisense oligomers also enhanced the ability of B to amplify the contractile response to PE. In addition, 11β-HSD2 and 11β-HSD1 antisense also decreased the metabolism of B to 11-dehydro-B. 11-Dehydro-B (100 nmol/l) also amplified the contractile response to PE in aortic rings (P < 0.01), most likely due to the generation of active corticosterone by 11β-HSD1-reductase; this effect was significantly attenuated by 11β-HSD1 antisense. 11β-HSD1 antisense also caused a marked decrease in the metabolism of 11-dehydro-B back to B by 11β-HSD1-reductase. These findings underscore the importance of 11β-HSD2 and 11β-HSD1 in regulating local concentrations of GC’s in vascular tissue. They also indicate that decreased 11β-HSD2 activity may be a possible mechanism in hypertension and that 11β-HSD1-reductase may be a possible target for anti-hypertensive therapy.
User effort in query construction and interface selection

This study was designed to examine user beliefs and behavior on the selection and use of search features and search interfaces. Five weeks of user logs were taken from a user-targeted collection and surveys were administered immediately before and after this time period. Survey results indicate a significant correlation between a user's level of effort and their perceived benefit from that effort.Reported search feature use increased by more than 35\% over the fiveweeks. This raises the question of how the behavior of an Internet user changes over time. Results from the log files were inconclusive but suggest a reluctance to use the advanced search interface.
The Na+ gradient and D-galactose accumulation in epithelial cells of bullfrog small intestine.

Extracellular and intracellular Na+ and K+ activities in epithelial cells of isolated bullfrog small intestine maintained at 25 °C in an oxygenated, isotonic sodium sulfate Ringer solution (containing 102.4 mM Na+ and 5 mM K+) were used to compute transmucosal Na+ chemical and electrochemical gradients (ΔμNa and ΔμNa) and the coresponding K+ electrochemical gradient (ΔμK) in these cells. These were compared with the reversible work (ΔμGal) required to achieve a steady state intracellular concentration of d-galactose in the same solution containing 2 mM of this sugar. The average value found for ΔμGal was 3700 J·mole−1. Corresponding values (in J·equiv−1 of Na+ or K+) for ΔμNa, ΔμNa and ΔμK were 2700, 5800 and 5700. These results indicate that, under the conditions of our experiments, ΔμNa alone cannot account for galactose accumulation unless the Na+/galactose coupling ratio is significantly greater than 1. The energy available from ΔμNa is theoretically adequate but requires an efficiency of the order of 60% for a coupling ratio of unity. ΔμNa and ΔμK together require about 30% efficiency.
Effects of N-methyl-L-arginine on cardiac and regional blood flow in a dog endotoxin shock model.

Abstract Purpose: Indirect evidence suggests a decrease in organ perfusion as a result of nitric oxide (NO) inhibition in endotoxic shock. Cardiac and regional hemodynamic responses to N -methyl- L -arginine (L-NMA), a nonspecific inhibitor of constitutive and inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS), were assessed in nine conscious dogs subjected to endotoxin. Materials and Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was titrated to a maximum of 200 μg/kg, IV, over 45 minutes. L-NMA was given in a dose of 20 mg/kg, IV. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded for 6 hours following L-NMA administration. Results: LPS induced significant decreases in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), first derivative of left ventricular pressure (dP/dt), coronary blood flow, carotid blood flow, mesenteric blood flow, renal blood flow, and a significant hepatic vasodilation. L-NMA fully reversed the effects of LPS on MAP, heart rate, dP/dt, coronary and carotid blood flow, and reversed mesenteric blood flow and hepatic blood flow at 1 and 3 hours, respectively. L-NMA partially overcame the LPS-induced decrease in renal blood flow at 30 minutes and 1 hour. Except for mesenteric and carotid circulation, L-NMA did not change regional vascular resistance. Conclusions: It is likely that constitutive NOS is implicated in immediate cardiac, carotid, mesenteric, and renal vascular changes, whereas inducible NOS accounted for delayed responses in hepatic and coronary circulation. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
A Note on an Ethnic Homogeneity Kuznets Curve

At lower levels of income, the authors find, nations are more ethnically diverse. As nations become industrialized, their populace becomes more ethnically homogeneous. Finally, as nations move toward the highest levels of income, their populace returns to a more ethnically diverse state. The result is what the authors call an Ethnic Homogeneity Kuznets Curve. And they argue that there are interesting policy implications.
Optical tracking using charge-coupled devices

The extraction of precise positional information from CCD images of point-source and extended optical targets is considered, and three examples of CCD optical trackers for space-based operation are described. For ideal point sources, a centerfinding accuracy of 1/100 pixel and a measuremet jitter of less than 1/250 pixel have been obtained using thinned, backside-illuminated devices. Tracker accuracy is shown to be limited by small variation in the optical image shape. Techniques for tracking, and methods for searching the entire field for the desired targets, are also discussed.
Ranking policies in discrete Markov decision processes

An optimal probabilistic-planning algorithm solves a problem, usually modeled by a Markov decision process, by finding an optimal policy. In this paper, we study the k best policies problem. The problem is to find the k best policies of a discrete Markov decision process. The k best policies, k?>?1, cannot be found directly using dynamic programming. Naively, finding the k-th best policy can be Turing reduced to the optimal planning problem, but the number of problems queried in the naive algorithm is exponential in k. We show empirically that solving k best policies problem by using this reduction requires unreasonable amounts of time even when k?=?3. We then provide two new algorithms. The first is a complete algorithm, based on our theoretical contribution that the k-th best policy differs from the i-th policy, for some i?<?k, on exactly one state. The second is an approximate algorithm that skips many less useful policies. We show that both algorithms have good scalability. We also show that the approximate algorithms runs much faster and finds interesting, high-quality policies.
A periodically forced piecewise linear oscillator

A single-degree of freedom non-linear oscillator is considered. The non-linearity is in the restoring force and is piecewise linear with a single change in slope. Such oscillators provide models for mechanical systems in which components make intermittent contact. A limiting case in which one slope approaches infinity, an impact oscillator, is also considered. Harmonic, subharmonic, and chaotic motions are found to exist and the bifurcations leading to them are analyzed.
Relative role of subinertial and superinertial modes in the coastal long wave response forced by the landfall of a tropical cyclone

Abstract A set of numerical experiments has been performed in order to analyze the long-wave response of the coastal ocean to a translating mesoscale atmospheric cyclone approaching the coastline at a normal angle. An idealized two-slope shelf topography is chosen. The model is forced by a radially symmetric atmospheric pressure perturbation with a corresponding gradient wind field. The cyclone's translation speed, radius, and the continental shelf width are considered as parameters whose impact on the long wave period, modal structure, and amplitude is studied. Subinertial continental shelf waves (CSW) dominate the response under typical forcing conditions and on the narrower shelves. They propagate in the downstream (in the sense of Kelvin wave propagation) direction. Superinertial edge wave modes have higher free surface amplitudes and faster phase speeds than the CSW modes. While potentially more dangerous, edge waves are not as common as subinertial shelf waves because their generation requires a wide, gently sloping shelf and a storm system translating at a relatively high (∼10 m s −1 or faster) speed. A relatively smaller size of an atmospheric cyclone also favors edge wave generation. Edge waves with the highest amplitude (up to 60% of the forced storm surge) propagate upstream. They are produced by a storm system with an Eulerian time scale equal to the period of a zero-mode edge wave with the wavelength of the storm spatial scale. Large amplitude edge waves were generated during Hurricane Wilma's landfall (2005) on the West Florida shelf with particularly severe flooding occurring upstream of the landfall site.
A new method for antibiotic sensitivity testing of bronchial flora.

Abstract 1. A new Direct Dilution Method, which is more rapid and permits a more accurate evaluation of drug effectiveness, is described for the sensitivity testing of bronchial flora. The steps of the procedure are as follows: (a) Homogenize one part of bronchial secretions with three parts 5 per cent dextrose water. Amounts may be varied depending on the viscosity of the secretions. (b) Incorporate up to 10 cc.’s of homogenate into 125 cc.’s of tryptose blood agar base containing 5 cc.’s of defibrinated blood at a temperature of 45° C. (c) Mix well and distribute into petri dishes (six for above amount). Allow to solidify and apply test discs (“Multidiscs”—Case Laboratories). (d) Incubate at 37° C. and read at 4, 12 and 24 hours. (e) Measure from the periphery of the test disc to the initial growth zone and report in mm. The reading is based on the visible indications of bacterial metabolism in the media (i.e., hemolysis, turbidity, etc.). 2. The method overcomes certain disadvantages encountered in routine methods of testing and has been found to be as economical for the patient as methods currently employed. 3. The data presented would indicate that penicillin is still a highly effective antibiotic in the treatment of respiratory infections. 4. Careful clinical observations have tended to corroborate the accuracy of the laboratory results.
White matter damage in preterm newborns —an epidemiologic perspective

Prior to 1980, white matter abnormalities of the preterm newborn were known exclusively as pathological entities, but now cranial ultrasonography can image white matter abnormalities in life. Ultrasonographic white matter echodensities and echolucencies in low birthweight babies predict later handicap (especially cerebral palsy) more accurately than any other antecedent. With the increased availability of high resolution cranial ultrasonography and the improved skill in obtaining and reading cranial ultrasonograms, rapid gains can be expected in our understanding of white matter disorders. These advances are likely to be made in the diagnosis and classification of white matter disorders and in their epidemiologic and prognostic features, topics explored in this review.
Inhibition of the response to nasal provocation with bradykinin by HOE-140: efficacy and duration of action.

The present studies were undertaken as a first step to evaluate the potential usefulness of the bradykinin antagonist HOE-140 in delineating the role of kinins in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinitis. Intranasal single-dose administration of HOE-140, at doses up to 500 μg, was safe and well tolerated. Bradykinin-induced symptoms and increased vascular permeability could be inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, by preadministration of HOE-140 5 min prior to kinin challenge. The results of dose-ranging experiments suggested that bradykinin and HOE-140 were approximately equipotent at bradykinin receptors. Preadministration of HOE-140 2 h before kinin challenge caused a significant but much weaker level of inhibition than that seen with 5-min preadministration. Comparison of data with those obtained during dose-ranging studies suggested that more than 90% of the administered HOE-140 was lost during this 2-h period. We conclude that topical HOE-140 is an effective inhibitor of the effects of bradykinin on th...
Structures and hydration enthalpies of cationized glutamine and structural analogues in the gas phase.

The structures of lithiated and sodiated glutamine, both with and without a water molecule, are investigated using experiment and theory. Loss of water from these complexes and from lithiated and sodiated complexes of asparagine methyl ester, asparagine ethyl ester, and glutamine methyl ester is probed with blackbody infrared radiative dissociation experiments performed over a wide temperature range. Threshold dissociation energies, Eo, for loss of a water molecule from these complexes are obtained from master equation modeling of these data. The values of Eo are 63 ± 1 and 53 ± 1 kJ/mol for the lithiated and sodiated glutamine complexes, respectively. These values are similar to those for the nonzwitterionic model complexes and are in excellent agreement with calculated values. In contrast, water binding to the zwitterionic form is calculated to be significantly higher. These results indicate that glutamine in these lithiated and sodiated complexes with a water molecule are nonzwitterionic. Complexes wit...
The effects of aversive conditioned stimuli on the timing of unsignalled avoidance responding in rats

Abstract Rats received unsignalled avoidance training in a shuttlebox. After acquisition, classical conditioning sessions were administered. The Excitatory Group received signals paired with shock, the Inhibitory Group received signals explicitly unpaired with shock, while the Random Control Group received signals and shocks randomly in time. When subsequently superimposed on the avoidance baseline, the excitatory signal increased response rate, the inhibitory signal decreased rate and the random signal had no effect compared to signal-only control data. Unsignalled avoidance generates temporal gradients of responding; the major purpose of this study was to determine how these rate changes were reflected in the baseline temporal behavior. Very clear and simple summation rules emerged: In the presence of the excitatory signal, rats acted as if they were ahead of their actual location in the response-shock interval regardless of where the signal occurred; the inhibitory signal had the opposite effect while the random signal did not change the temporal behavior relative to signal-only control data. These results were interpreted within a motivational framework.
Chemical Reduction of U(VI) by Fe(II) at the Solid-Water Interface Using Natural and Synthetic Fe(III) Oxides

Abiotic reduction of 0.1 mM U(VI) by Fe(II) in the presence of synthetic iron oxides (biogenic magnetite, goethite, and hematite) and natural Fe(III) oxide-containing solids was investigated in pH 6.8 artificial groundwater containing 10 mM NaHCO3. In most experiments, more than 95% of added U(VI) was sorbed to solids. U(VI) was rapidly and extensively (≥80%) reduced in the presence of synthetic Fe(III) oxides and highly Fe(III) oxide-enriched (18−35 wt % Fe) Atlantic coastal plain sediments. In contrast, long-term (20−60 d) U(VI) reduction was less than 30% in suspensions of six other natural solids with relatively low Fe(III) oxide content (1−5 wt % Fe). Fe(II) sorption site density was severalfold lower on these natural solids (0.2−1.1 Fe(II) nm-2) compared to the synthetic Fe(III) oxides (1.6−3.2 Fe(II) nm-2), which may explain the poor U(VI) reduction in the natural solid-containing systems. Addition of the reduced form of the electron shuttling compound anthrahydroquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AH2DS; fin...
Synthesis and Reactivity of NHC-Supported Ni2(μ2-η2,η2-S2)-Bridging Disulfide and Ni2(μ-S)2-Bridging Sulfide Complexes

The (IPr)Ni scaffold stabilizes low-coordinate, mononuclear and dinuclear complexes with a diverse range of sulfur ligands, including μ2-η2,η2-S2, η2-S2, μ-S, and μ-SH motifs. The reaction of {(IPr)Ni}2(μ-Cl)2 (1, IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene) with S8 yields the bridging disulfide species {(IPr)ClNi}2(μ2-η2,η2-S2) (2). Complex 2 reacts with 2 equiv of AdNC (Ad = adamantyl) to yield a 1:1 mixture of the terminal disulfide compound (IPr)(AdNC)Ni(η2-S2) (3a) and trans-(IPr)(AdNC)NiCl2 (4a). 2 also reacts with KC8 to produce the Ni–Ni-bonded bridging sulfide complex {(IPr)Ni}2(μ-S)2 (6). Complex 6 reacts with H2 to yield the bridging hydrosulfide compound {(IPr)Ni}2(μ-SH)2 (7), which retains a Ni–Ni bond. 7 is converted back to 6 by hydrogen atom abstraction by 2,4,6-tBu3-phenoxy radical. The 2,6-diisopropylphenyl groups of the IPr ligand provide lateral steric protection of the (IPr)Ni unit but allow for the formation of Ni–Ni-bonded dinuclear species and electronically preferred ...
Modification and Reactions of Aluminum Nitride Surfaces

The durability and oxidation behavior of polycrystalline aluminum nitride substrates have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction.
Primary intraventricular hemorrhage: yield of diagnostic angiography and clinical outcome.

Introduction Primary intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), bleeding in the ventricular system without a discernable parenchymal component, is a rare neurological disorder. To better define the features of primary IVH and the yield of diagnostic angiography in this condition, we retrospectively analyzed all cases of primary IVH evaluated at a tertiary referral hospital over a 6-year period and performed a systematic review of the literature.
Rape as a Function of Relative Sexual Frustration

Deviant sexual behavior has often been portrayed as a function of the frustration of legitimate sexual outlets. This study of a select group of 71 college date rapists finds that, although these ma...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques for Measuring Film Cooling Flow Velocity and Effectiveness

Film cooling of gas turbine engine components directly influences the efficiency and lifetime of the engine. Prediction of the film cooling surface effectiveness remains a problem area for engine designers. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) measurements of the surface film cooling effectiveness can be made using the analogy between temperature and passive scalar concentration in which the concentration of scalar marked cooling fluid is measured as it mixes with the main flow. The present work specifically addresses refinements to MR imaging techniques needed to accurately measure the concentration of a scalar contaminant at a flow-bounding surface. Anecdotal data are presented from experiments in which a single film jet exits into the boundary layer on one wall of a square channel. Data are presented for hole angles α = 30° and 60° and blowing ratios BR = 0.5 and 1.0. The Reynolds number of the main channel based on hydraulic diameter and bulk velocity is 400,000 and the jet Reynolds number at BR = 1.0 is 5300.Copyright © 2011 by ASME