cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Assembly Effective Mass from Two Component Effective Mass Models

Effective mass models are powerful tools that allow for a convenient means to calculate the energy associated with vibration response of a structure to a base input acceleration in a particular direction. This is useful for hardware qualification activities and margin assessment. Traditionally, these models are generated from purely analytical means such as a finite element model. However, experimental methods have recently been introduced as an intriguing alternative, particularly for applications where no finite element model is available. In this work, an effective mass modal model of a cable-connector assembly is desired, and neither component has a finite element model. Moreover, there can be multiple cable-connector combinations making analytical modeling as well as explicit testing of each combination impractical. This work develops the capability to combine an experimentally derived connector effective mass model with a simplified and easily extensible analytical cable model. The experimental connector effective mass model is generated through specialized modal testing. The simplified cable model is a Timoshenko beam finite element model whose properties are empirically derived from pinned-pinned cable modal data. The modeled length of the cable is appropriately adjusted for each configuration. Finally, the cable and connector component models can be combined to form the final assembly modal effective mass model for a given translational direction. This method lends itself to developing catalogues of connector and cable data, which can then be easily combined to form any number of assembly configurations without having to explicitly test/model them.
What affects students’ acceptance and use of technology?

Students’ acceptance and use of technologies introduced in their academic environments is an important factor in determining the success of these technologies. This research project used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), a prominent technology acceptance and use model, as a theoretical basis to conduct empirical research testing the factors that influence students’ acceptance and use of technology in their academic environment. Although several studies applied UTAUT in various organizational and cultural contexts, very few implement the full model and examine all of its constructs. By focusing on students in higher-education and technology that is new to them, and by using the full UTAUT model with no changes or elimination of constructs, this study places itself in the area where there are no exhaustive studies. Also, this research addresses the question of whether UTAUT is applicable in an academic environment for educational technologies introduced to the students. The study found a mixed support for UTAUT. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and attitude towards using technology were significant determinants of technology acceptance. All moderating variables had a significant moderating influence except for experience, which was surprisingly not significant. The UTAUT model is found to be applicable to some extent in the educational setting, but might need a few modifications to fit the context. The study provides recommendations to help prepare the appropriate environment and training before a new technology is introduced for students. It also provides recommendation for further research examining students’ acceptance and use of technology.
Prevention of Schizophrenic Disorders

Schizophrenic disorders are among the most extensively studied and least understood forms of psychopathology. There has been wide variation across investigators and over time in the clinical definition of these disorders, although it is generally accepted now that the active illness occurs initially before age 45, lasts at least 6 months, shows deterioration from a previous level of social and work functioning, and is characterized by disturbances in several areas: content and form of thought, perception, affect, sense of self, volition, relationship to the external world, and psychomotor behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 1980). Among professionals and even most lay people, delusions, hallucinations or serious disturbances in the form of thinking are considered criterial features.
Discovering Substantial Distinctions among Incremental Bi-Clusters.

A fundamental task of data analysis is comprehending what distinguishes clusters found within the data. We present the problem of mining distinguishing sets which seeks to find sets of objects or attributes that induce that most change among the incremental bi-clusters of a binary dataset. Unlike emerging patterns and contrast sets which only focus on statistical differences between support of itemsets, our approach considers distinctions in both the attribute space and the object space. Viewing the lattice of bi-clusters formed within a data set as a weighted directed graph, we mine the most significant distinguishing sets by growing a maximal cost spanning tree of the lattice. In this paper we present a weighting function for measuring distinction among bi-clusters in the lattice and the novel MIDS algorithm. MIDS simultaneously enumerates biclusters, constructs the bi-cluster lattice, and computes the distinguishing sets. The efficient computational performance of MIDS is exhibited in a performance test on real world and benchmark data sets. The utility of distinguishing sets is also demonstrated with experiments on synthetic and real data.
Translating Expertise: The Librarian’s Role in Translational Research, edited by Marisa L. Conte: Lanham: Rowan & Littlefield, 2016. 270 p. ISBN 9781442262676. $90.00 (hardcover).

In 2006, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program. The popular punchline to these grants is “bench to bedside and beyond.” Colla...
A Case of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis.

A 70-year-old man with a past medical history of hyperlipidemia presented with migrating polyarthritis involving both shoulders and his right wrist. His x-rays showed evidence of degenerative joint disease. He was prescribed ibuprofen and his pain improved. Four weeks later he developed acute
Mannose Phosphate Isomerase and Mannose Regulate Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Fibrosis in Zebrafish and Humans

The growing burden of liver fibrosis and lack of effective antifibrotic therapies highlight the need for identification of pathways and complementary model systems of hepatic fibrosis. A rare, monogenic disorder in which children with mutations in mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI) develop liver fibrosis led us to explore the function of MPI and mannose metabolism in liver development and adult liver diseases. Herein, analyses of transcriptomic data from three human liver cohorts demonstrate that MPI gene expression is down-regulated proportionate to fibrosis in chronic liver diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis B virus. Depletion of MPI in zebrafish liver in vivo and in human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) lines in culture activates fibrotic responses, indicating that loss of MPI promotes HSC activation. We further demonstrate that mannose supplementation can attenuate HSC activation, leading to reduced fibrogenic activation in zebrafish, culture-activated HSCs, and in ethanol-activated HSCs. Conclusion: These data indicate the prospect that modulation of mannose metabolism pathways could reduce HSC activation and improve hepatic fibrosis.
Pricing and Inventory Management

Recent years have witnessed phenomenal growth of successful deployments of innovative pricing strategies in a variety of industries. For instance, no company underscores the impact of the Internet on product pricing strategies more than Dell Computers. The price of a product is not fixed on Dell’s Web site; it may change significantly over time. Of course, Dell is not alone in its use of sophisticated pricing strategies. Indeed, scores of retail and manufacturing companies have started exploring dynamic pricing to improve their operations and ultimately their bottom line.
Case studies focusing on the most successful advanced methods/approach for the treatment of nanomaterials in wastewater

Abstract Textile production results in high levels of pollution due to the great volume of dyes disposed in effluents. Dyes are a serious problem when dealing with textile waste because they are water soluble and chemically stable. Effluents containing dyes cannot be disposed in natural waters because dyes can be environmentally problematic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic. So, it’s necessary to treat effluent or wastewater before discharging. Among sufficient solutions proposed to overcome these problems, advanced oxidation processes were defined as a powerful solution. In this study, we have interested to develop heterogeneous systems: Fenton and photo-Fenton-like processes using heterogeneous catalysts. Clay minerals have been studied as catalyst supports due to their textural and structural properties. Especially, pillared clays could be alternative catalysts on the industrial scale because of their porous structure and high catalytic activity. So, mixed pillared clays have been prepared by iron and alumina and evaluated in dye oxidation by Fenton process. Also, another type of material was studied; natural iron oxide extracted from locally iron ores deposit. Materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (MET/EDS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), and UV solid spectroscopy. FeAl-PILC showed an increase in basal spacing from 12.56 to 19.7 A confirming the formation of alumina and iron pillar and a decrease in specific surface area indicating the deposition of part of iron in the surface. For the natural catalyst, the iron phase identified by XRD was goethite and hematite with a little presence of magnetite. In the adsorption tests, FeAl-PILC displayed a good capacity for anionic diazo dye Congo red (CR) removal, reaching 80% at 30 min compared with iron oxide. Under Fenton conditions, both catalysts showed an excellent CR oxidation capacity, completely removing the color of the solution within 4 h but a partial mineralization. The presence of UV-light irradiations, catalytic performance of both studied catalyst was enhanced, reaching a total mineralization in 60 min. Stability tests showed that pillared clay present a good stability after four times of use with a negligible iron loss compared with natural iron oxide. The application of FeAl1-PILC and MF for real textile wastewater was investigated, and results show a good activity of both materials.
Invited Review: Applying fungicide on corn plants to improve the composition of whole-plant silage in diets for dairy cattle

ABSTRACT Purpose Published literature and data from the author’s group pertaining to fungicide application on corn plant used for whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) was reviewed to summarize the effects of the aforementioned strategy for fungi disease control in the corn plant on WPCS quality and dairy cattle performance. Sources The main source of data and information for this review was peer-reviewed literature. Synthesis Whole-plant corn silage is the most commonly used forage in diets of dairy cattle in the United States. The interaction of fungi and corn plants reduces yields, decreasing the efficiency of food production, and the nutritive quality and value of this material when fed to ruminants. When infecting the corn plant, fungi reduce its nutritional content available by metabolizing sugar compounds within the plant cell. Applying fungicide to corn plants can protect corn plants from fungal infection, therefore limiting yield losses and increasing the nutritive quality of the plant material. There is limited information regarding feeding dairy cows WPCS from corn plants treated with foliar fungicide. However, findings from previous research highlight the negatives of making and feeding WPCS from diseased corn plants. Conclusions and Applications Scouting corn plants for foliar disease is an important practice to determine fungicide application. Nevertheless, foliar fungicide application on corn plants used to make WPCS for dairy cattle seems to improve its nutritional composition. Mainly, factors attributed to it are increased milk components and feed efficiency, reduced fiber concentrations, and improved ruminal degradability, independently of visual identification of foliar diseases.
Government market power and public goods provision in a federation

In standard models of fiscal federalism, tax competition among subnational jurisdictions depresses government expenditures. Centralization therefore increases government spending, assuming that both local and central governments are price takers in the market for public goods. If the central government has greater market power than constituent jurisdictions, then centralization may be associated with reduced government spending. Whether centralization or decentralization provides more public goods depends on the relative strengths of tax competition and market power. In an illustrative example, decentralized public goods spending can range from 25 to 120% of centralized spending.
Tax Induced Divestments - Evidence from a Kink in Capital Gains Tax Rates

This paper presents evidence on differential tax related incentives for divestment in residential real estate markets. Assets that are held for at least a year are taxed at a lower capital gains tax rate. The paper exploits a discontinuity in capital gains tax rates around the one year holding period mark for residential property. First, the empirical results show that individual investors, relative to homeowners that hold property for consumption purposes, disproportionately time sales to avail such benefits. Secondly, experienced investors are more likely to capitalize on the discontinuous tax benefit. Lastly, the paper highlights a trade-off between timing sales and capitalizing on the differential saving between short and long term capital gains tax rates and depicts that returns are lower for divestment that occur immediately after the one year mark.
An FSS Based Stop Band Filter for EM Shielding Application

In this paper, a single layer frequency selective surface (FSS) having band stop characteristics is presented. It achieves at-least 39 dB attenuation to offer effective shielding in the frequency band of 8.7 GHz to 14.8 GHz (fractional bandwidth of 50%). The proposed FSS (circular shaped with etched square) is printed on in-expensive FR-4 (lossy) substrate having small unit-cell dimension 6.25 x 6.25 mm2. The proposed FSS also offers identical results for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) incident fields. Furthermore, the proposed structure is polarization independent and angular stable against variation in incident E-field up to 75o. The angular stability, size compactness and wideband operation make it strong candidate for electromagnetic (EM) shielding application.
Chemistry instructors’ intentions toward developing, teaching, and assessing student representational competence skills

Representational competence is one's ability to use disciplinary representations for learning, communicating, and problem-solving. These skills are at the heart of engagement in scientific practices and were recognized by the ACS Examinations Institute as one of ten anchoring concepts. Despite the important role that representational competence plays in student success in chemistry and the considerable number of investigations into students’ ability to reason with representations, very few studies have examined chemistry instructors’ approaches toward developing student representational competence. This study interviewed thirteen chemistry instructors from eleven different universities across the US about their intentions to develop, teach, and assess student representational competence skills. We found that most instructors do not aim to help students develop any representational competence skills. At the same time, participants’ descriptions of their instructional and assessment practices revealed that, without realizing it, most are likely to teach and assess several representational competence skills in their courses. A closer examination of these skills revealed a focus on lower-level representational competence skills (e.g., the ability to interpret and generate representations) and a lack of a focus on higher-level meta-representational competence skills (e.g., the ability to describe affordances and limitations of representations). Finally, some instructors reported self-awareness about their lack of knowledge about effective teaching about representations and the majority expressed a desire for professional development opportunities to learn about differences in how experts and novices conceptualize representations, about evidence-based practices for teaching about representations, and about how to assess student mastery of representational competence skills. This study holds clear implications for informing chemistry instructors’ professional development initiatives. Such training needs to help instructors take cognizance of relevant theories of learning (e.g., constructivism, dual-coding theory, information processing model, Johnstone's triangle), and the key factors affecting students’ ability to reason with representations, as well as foster awareness of representational competence skills and how to support students in learning with representations.
Risk Tolerance Profile of Cash-Value Life Insurance Owners

Life insurance, a risk management tool, generally provides ways to protect against the financial loss due to an individual’s death. This study investigates risk tolerance profile of cash-value life insurance owners and attempts to investigate the association between life insurance ownership and subjective attitude toward different domains of risk by comparing with two logistic models. Inconsistencies exist in risk tolerance in different domains, specifically, life insurance owners are risk-averse in general, but they are risk takers in other domains.
Joint Modeling of Longitudinal and Survival Data with Censored Single-index Varying Coefficient Models

In medical and biological research, longitudinal data and survival data types are commonly seen. Traditional statistical models mostly consider to deal with either of the data types, such as linear mixed models for longitudinal data, and the Cox models for survival data, while they do not adjust the association between these two different data types. It is desirable to have a joint modeling approach which accomadates both data types and the dependency between them. In this paper, we extend traditional single-index models to a new joint modeling approach, by replacing the single-index component to a varying coefficient component to deal with longitudinal outcomes, and accomadate the random censoring problem in survival analysis by nonparametric synthetic data regression for the link function. Numerical experiments are conducted to evaluate the finite sample performance.
Does Plato Have a Theory of Induction? Epagōgē and the Method of Collection “Purified” of the Senses

Although Socrates’ use of induction and epagogic argumentation in Plato’s dialogues is well studied, scholarship on Platonic methodology lacks a clear account of Plato’s own view of epagōgē. In this paper, I refute Richard Robinson’s claim that Plato had no awareness of epagōgē, arguing that the “method of collection” serves as Plato’s theory of dialectical induction. Using the evidence of both the Statesman and the Sophist, I maintain that the abstraction characteristic of collection may be ‘purified’ of its empirical origins in its dialectical application to the inquiry into forms. In addition to providing a unifying thread from Socratic to Platonic and, finally, Aristotelian epagōgē, this view also offers evidence for the consistency of dialectical methodology within the dialogues.
Virtual Special Issue Call for Papers: Teaching Changes and Insights Gained in the Time after COVID-19

The Journal of Chemical Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming virtual special issue on what has been learned about teaching and learning chemistry because of changes made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What aspects of change have continued with a return to educational environments similar to those prevalent before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2? What practices adopted during the pandemic have been jettisoned? The virtual special issue will collect scholarly distillations of the ways schools and courses move forward effectively as the emergency conditions ease. The timing for the collection’s release will allow articles published as part of issues over the next 18 months of the Journal to be considered for inclusion so that authors can collect and analyze evidence related to student learning.
[Value of heart rate-blood pressure product of multiplication for identifying compensated shock in children].

Objective: To estimate the predictive value of heart rate (HR)-blood pressure (BP) products of multiplication for compensated shock in children. Methods: The study population consisted of 99 children with shock who had lactate measured before receiving vasopressor agents in Department of Critical Care Medicine of Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from October 2015 to March 2021. The clinical data including the HR, BP, HR to BP ratio, HR-BP product and lactate at admission and after the correction of shock, as well as the 28-day mortality were collected. According to the outcome at the 28th day, the patients were divided into survival group and non-survival group. Comparisons between groups were performed with unpaired Student t test, or Mann-Whitney U test, or chi-square test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlations between lactate and HR, BP, HR to BP ratio and HR-BP product, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was analyzed to evaluate the predictive values of HR, BP, HR to BP ratio and HR-BP product for lactate greater than 2 mmol/L. Results: In these 99 children, 49 were males, and the median age was 3.8 (0.7-6.0) years. The most common type of shock was septic shock (61 cases, 62%), followed by cardiogenic shock (12 cases, 12%), hemorrhagic shock (12 cases, 12%), Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (8 cases, 8%) and anaphylactic shock (6 cases, 6%). Sixty-six patients (67%) survived, and 33 patients (33%) died. ROC curve showed that the area under curves (AUC) of lactate (optimal cutoff value 3.15 mmol/L, sensitivity 96.0%, specificity 54.4%, P 0.05). HR/SBP performed better than the other six parameters for predicting lactate>2 mmol/L, with the AUC of 0.872 and the optimal cutoff value of 1.4 bpm/mmHg (sensitivity 92.1%, specificity 70.9%, P 2 mmol/L than the other six parameters, with the AUC of 0.974 and the optimal cutoff value of 9446 bpm × mmHg (sensitivity 100.0%, specificity 90.9%, P<0.01). Conclusions: The product of HR and BP, especially the MBP × HR, shows higher predictive values for abnormally elevated lactate in children with compensated shock than the HR/SBP does. It is worth recommending for early identification of compensated shock in children.
SU-E-T-290: Dosimetric Accuracy of Acuros XB and Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm in Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy of Small Lung Lesions

Purpose: The accuracy of dose calculation for lung stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) of small lesions critically depends on the proper modeling of the lateral scatter in heterogeneous media. In recent years, grid-based Boltzman solvers such as Acuros XB (AXB) have been introduced for enhanced modeling of radiation transport in heterogeneous media. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dosimetric impact of dose calculation between AXB and convolution-superposition algorithms such as analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA) for small lesion sizes and different beam energies. Methods: Five lung SABR VMAT cases with GTV ranged from 0.8cm to 2.5cm in diameter were studied. For each case, doses were calculated by AAA, AXB (V11031) and Monte Carlo simulation (MC) with the same plan parameters for 10MV and 6MV. The dose calculation accuracy were evaluated by comparing DVHs and dose distributions with MC as the benchmark. The accuracy of calculated dose was also validated by EBT3 film measurement with a field size of 3cmx3cm in a thorax phantom. Results: For 10MV and GTV less than 1cm, dose calculated by AXB agrees well with MC compared to AAA. Dose difference calculated with AXB and AAA could be up to 30%. For GTV greater than 2cm, calculation results of AXB and AAA agree within 5% in GTV. For 6MV, the difference between calculated doses by AXB and AAA is less 10% for GTV less than 1cm. Based on film measurements, lung dose was overestimated 10% and 20% by AAA for 6MV and 10MV. Conclusion: Lateral scatter and transport is modeled more accurately by AXB than AAA in heterogeneous media, especially for small field size and high energy beams. The accuracy depends on the assigned material in calculation. If grid-based Boltzman solvers or MC are not available for calculation, lower energy beams should be used for treatment.
Inhibition of Gluconeogenesis in the Isolated Perfused Rat Liver by w-Phenylalkanoic Acids

Abstract Isolated perfused livers of fasted Sprague-Dawley rats produce glucose in linear fashion from pyruvate, l-lactate, l-alanine, glycerol, and d-fructose over a period of hours. Even-numbered, straight chain fatty acids enhance gluconeogenesis from l-lactate, pyruvate, and l-alanine by 25 to 35%, whereas gluconeogenesis from glycerol (20%) and d-fructose (10%) is inhibited. ω-Phenyl-substituted fatty acids inhibit glucose synthesis from l-lactate, pyruvate, and l-alanine to a progressively greater extent with increasing fatty acid chain lengths. Even-numbered, straight chain, unsubstituted fatty acids overcome these inhibitions, whereas ethanol does not. The rates of glucose synthesis from glycerol and d-fructose are inhibited to the same extent by ω-phenylalkanoic acids of different chain lengths. A fairly constant degree of inhibition of gluconeogenesis from these two substrates is also exhibited by even-numbered, straight chain, unsubstituted fatty acids but not their carnitine derivatives. The duration of action of the various inhibitors depends on their β-oxidation to benzoyl-CoA and phenylacetyl-CoA and the liberation of free CoA.
Incentives and Performance in Real Estate Brokerage

This article has two objectives. One is to offer a theoretical model to study how the difference in commission structures affects the performance of agents at full-commission firms (e.g., RE/MAX agents) relative to other agents. The other is to provide an empirical test of the relative performance of full-commission agents. We predict that in equilibrium the selling price and the expected time it takes to sell a listing through a full-commission agent are the same as they are with a traditional agent. Our theoretical predictions are supported by our empirical results.
Effect of the Flavonoids Biochanin A and Silymarin on the P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Transport of Digoxin and Vinblastine in Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of flavonoids biochanin A and silymarin on intestinal absorption of P-gp substrates by determining their effects on P-gp-mediated efflux in Caco-2 cells.
The Homology of Partitions with an Even Number of Blocks

Let \Pi_{2n}^e denote the subposet obtained by selecting even ranks in the partition lattice \Pi_{2n}. We show that the homology of \Pi_{2n}^e has dimension {{(2n)!}\over {2^{2n-1}}} E_{2n-1}, where E_{2n-1} is the tangent number. It is thus an integral multiple of both the Genocchi number and an Andre or simsun number. Using the general theory of rank-selected homology representations developed in l22r, we show that, for the special case of \Pi_{2n}^e, the character of the symmetric group S2n on the homology is supported on the set of involutions. Our proof techniques lead to the discovery of a family of integers bi(n), 2 ≤ i ≤ n, defined recursively. We conjecture that, for the full automorphism group S2n, the homology is a sum of permutation modules induced from Young subgroups of the form S^i_2 \times S^{2n-2i}_1, with nonnegative integer multiplicity bi(n). The nonnegativity of the integers bi(n) would imply the existence of new refinements, into sums of powers of 2, of the tangent number and the Andre or simsun number an(2n). Similarly, the restriction of this homology module to S2n−1 yields a family of integers di(n), 1 ≤ i ≤ n − 1, such that the numbers 2−idi(n) refine the Genocchi number G2n. We conjecture that 2−idi(n) is a positive integer for all i. Finally, we present a recursive algorithm to generate a family of polynomials which encode the homology representations of the subposets obtained by selecting the top k ranks of \Pi_{2n}^e, 1 ≤ k ≤ n − 1. We conjecture that these are all permutation modules for S2n.
Community composition affects the shape of mate response functions.

The evolution of mate preferences can be critical for the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation. Heterospecific interference may carry substantial fitness costs and result in preferences where females are most responsive to the mean conspecific trait with low response to traits that differ from this value. However, when male traits are unbounded by heterospecifics, there may not be selection against females that respond to extreme trait values in the unbounded direction. To test how heterospecifics affected the shape of female response functions, I presented female Oecanthus tree crickets with synthetic calls representing a range of male calls, then measured female phonotaxis to construct response functions. The species with the fastest pulse rates in the community consistently responded to pulse rates faster than those produced by their males, whereas in the intermediate and slowest pulse rate species there was no significant difference between the male trait and the female response. This work suggests that species with the most extreme signal in the community respond to a greater range of signals, potentially resulting in a higher probability of hybridization during secondary contact, and revealing interactions between mate recognition and other aspects of sexual selection.
Mitophagy in cells with mtDNA mutations: Being sick is not enough

Despite the emergence of autophagy as a key process for mitochondrial quality control, the existence and persistence of pathogenic mtDNA mutations in human disease suggests that the degradation of dysfunctional mitochondria does not occur widely in vivo. During macroautophagy, a double-membraned cup-shaped structure engulfs cytosolic content. This autophagic vesicle then fuses with lysosomes, allowing hydrolytic enzymes to degrade the contents. Mitochondrial autophagy, or mitophagy, is thought to degrade damaged or nonfunctioning mitochondria specifically. The Parkinson disease-related proteins PINK1 (a mitochondrially localized kinase) and PARK2 (PARKIN, a cytosolically-localized E3 ubiquitin ligase) are essential for targeting mitochondria for mitophagy. Upon chemical uncoupling of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψ(m)), PINK1 located in the mitochondrial outer membrane recruits PARK2 from the cytosol to the mitochondria, followed by delivery of the organelle to the autophagic machinery for degradation.
Lower Devonian Stratigraphy and Correlation, Northern Simpson Park Range, Nevada

ABSTRACT The Paleozoic section at Windmill Window along the northern front of the Simpson Park Range consists almost wholly of carbonate rocks ranging in age from Late Ordovician to Middle Devonian and includes the following formations listed in ascending order: Hanson Creek Formation, Roberts Mountains Formation, Windmill Limestone, Rabbit Hill Limestone, McColley Canyon Formation, and Denay Limestone. The uppermost beds of the Roberts Mountains Formation are shown to be of Early Devonian age, thus the Siluro-Devonian boundary falls within an essentially unfossiliferous sequence in this formation previously regarded as wholly Silurian. The Windmill Limestone, proposed as a new formation, contains interbedded graptolitic and shelly faunas, the brachiopods proving to be of Early Devonian, late Gedinnian or Siegenian age. The monograptids are assigned to M. hercynicus, also of late Gedinnian and possibly Siegenian age. The brachiopods of the Windmill Limestone constitute a distinctive fauna that occurs at a consistent stratigraphic interval within the faunal sequence and thus is given zonal status as the Quadrithyris zone. The overlying Rabbit Hill Limestone similarly contains a distinct, sequentially consistent fauna and is given zonal status as the Spinoplasia zone. The Spinoplasia zone is overlain conformably by the Trematospira zone at the base of the McColley Canyon Formation. The middle beds of the McColley Canyon Formation are unfossiliferous, but the highest beds belong to the "Spirifer" pinyonensis zone which in turn is unconformably overlain by the lower part of the Denay Limestone with the Leptathyris circula zone fauna. Faunas from the uppermost beds of the Roberts Mountains Formation, from the Quadrithyris zone, and from the "S." pinyonensis zone have their faunal counterparts in Arctic Canada.
Prediction of Natural Frequencies of a Sandwich Panel Using Thick Plate Theory

The vibration of a sandwich panel with two identical isotropic facesheets and an orthotropic core was studied. The governing partial differential equation was derived using a variational principle. Linear shear theory was employed to describe the transverse deformation of the panel, and the rotational effect was taken into consideration. The natural frequencies of a rectangular sandwich panel can be predicted on the basis of the proposed analytical model. Results from the proposed model were compared with those from thin plate theory. The effects of the structural and material parameters such as core anisotropy, core density, and facesheet thickness on natural frequencies were discussed.
The secondary internal ring : applications to surgery of the inguinal canal

AbstractPurpose: In 1975 the clinical importance of the preperitoneal fascial or secondary internal ring was noted based on procedures performed through the suprainguinal preperitoneal approach. The importance of knowledge of the secondary internal ring in the performance of inguinal hernia repairs, orchiopexies and operations for impalpable testes through the inguinal canal is shown, along with a description of the anatomy of the internal ring and subjacent retroperitoneal connective tissue.Materials and Methods: More than 250 consecutive inguinal canal dissections were performed during surgery for inguinal hernia repair, orchiopexy or impalpable testes by a single surgeon using 3.5 × magnification.Results: The intraoperative dissections clearly showed the existence of a secondary internal ring, which when opened provided wide access to the retroperitoneal space containing the internal spermatic vessels and vas deferens.Conclusions: Knowledge of the anatomy of the secondary internal ring is an adjunct to...
Direct measurement of nonuniform large deformations in soft tissues during uniaxial extension.

Understanding the complex relationships between microstructural organization and macromechanical function is fundamental to our knowledge of the differences between normal, diseased/injured, and healing connective tissues. The long-term success of functional tissue-engineered constructs or scaffolds may largely depend on our understanding of the structural organization of the original tissue. Although innovative techniques have been used to characterize and measure the microstructural properties of collagen fibers, a large gap remains in our knowledge of the behavior of intermediate scale (i.e., "mesostructural ") groups of fiber bundles in larger tissue samples. The objective of this study was to develop a system capable of directly measuring deformations of these smaller mesostructures during application of controlled loads. A novel mesostructural testing system (MSTS) has been developed to apply controlled multiaxial loads to medium (meso-) scale tissue specimens, while directly measuring local nonuniform deformations using synchronized digital video capture and "markerless" image correlation. A novel component of the MSTS is the use of elliptically polarized light to enhance collagen fiber contrast, providing the necessary texture for accurate markerless feature tracking of local fiber deformations. In this report we describe the components of the system, its calibration and validation, and the results from two different tissues: the porcine aortic valve cusp and the bovine pericardium. Validation tests on prepared samples showed maximum error of direct strain measurement to be 0.3%. Aortic valve specimens were found to have larger inhomogeneous strains during tensile testing than bovine pericardium. Clamping effects were more pronounced for the valve specimens. A new system for direct internal strain measurement in connective tissues during application of controlled loads has been developed and validated. The results from the two different tissues show that significant inhomogeneous deformations can occur even in simple tensile testing experiments.
The coverse of the Jordan Curve Theorem and a characterization of planar maps

We show that a compact set F in the plane R2 is the union of boundaries of a map if and only if each point of F is on the boundary of at least two arcwise connected components of R2∖F, and it is accessible from each of those components.
Digital sound spectrograms with simultaneous plotting of intensity and fundamental frequency for speech study

Program delay provides variable time delay between a?,~log-to-digital converter (ADC) input and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) output using a PD.P 8/L computer with 4K memory. The program is written for perceptual experiments that involve delayed auditory feedback. In essence, the program sets up a temporary storage buffer of variable size, depending upon the desired delay time, reads in data through an ADC, and starts outputting data through a DAC when the buffer is filled. Since the memory size available for the bUffe~ is .limited to about 3,900 computer words, some tradmg IS necessary to accomplish fairly long delay betwee?, sampling rate and delay time. For example, delay time less than 150 msec can be accomplished with approximately 25 kHz sampling rate, while delay time of 500 msec necessitates sampling rate to be reduced to 7.62 kHz. The program uses nominal 12.5 kHz sampling rate, with the range of delay from 0 to 300 msec. Other ranges are available simply by changing content of one location. Through the use of interrupt facility, the program also allows change of delay time during execution as long as the desired delay time is within the given range. This DAF system has advantages over conventional delayed auditory feedback devices (Fa~rb3:~ks, 1955; Fairbanks & Guttman, 1958) in its avall~blhty of .much smaller delay time and practically contmuous variable delay time.
Review of Electronic Computer Progress During 1954

The electronic computer field continues to expand at a rapid rate. New developments, applications, and publications are too numerous for one person to keep informed of all aspects. In this review a complete report will not be attempted, but some highlights and selected references will be reported.
The role of mindfulness and psychological flexibility in somatization, depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress in a nonclinical college sample.

The current study investigated whether mindfulness and psychological flexibility uniquely and separately accounted for variability in psychological distress (somatization, depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress). An ethnically diverse, nonclinical sample of college undergraduates (N = 494, 76% female) completed a Web-based survey that included the self-report measures of interest. Consistent with prior research, psychological flexibility and mindfulness were positively associated with each other, and tested separately, both variables were negatively associated with somatization, depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress. Results also revealed that psychological flexibility and mindfulness accounted for unique variance in all 4 measures of distress. These findings suggest that mindfulness and psychological flexibility are interrelated but not redundant constructs and that both constructs are important for understanding the onset and maintenance of somatization, depression, an...
The use of expiratory forced flows for determining response to bronchodilator therapy.

Two hundred seventeen patients were studied before and after administration of isoproterenol by IPPB. In 35 patients, lung specimens were examined within 12 months after the study. Patients with elevated bronchial gland-bronchial wall ratio (Reid index showed significantly more improvement in forced expiratory flows after bronchodilator therapy, as compared to patients with normal Reid index. There was no difference in response to therapy in patients with emphysema of less than 20 percent, as compared to patients with emphysema of more than 20 percent. Patients with severe reduction in lung recoil pressure had lesser improvement after therapy in forced expiratory flows, as compared to patients with moderate reduction in recoil pressure or normal recoil pressure. In 39 patients inspiratory pulmonary resistance and forced expiratory flows were measured before and after therapy. In all these 39 patients, airway resistance showed comparable improvement regardless of the value for recoil pressure. The lack of response in expiratory flows is attributed to the increased collapsibility of the large airways and not to lack of response to therapy.
NASAL SPRAY METHOD OF ADMINISTERING HORMONES OF THE OVARY AND PITUITARY GLAND

As is commonly known, the internal secretion of the ovaries and pituitary pass into the circulating blood almost continuously during the period of life in which these glands actively function. Even though there are cyclic variations in amount of secretion, activity of the glands is continuous. Accordingly, when it is indicated to use hormones from these glands therapeutically, a method of administration which approximates this natural continuity of supply is desirable. Consideration of the various methods of administration demonstrates many advantages for the nasal spray. Hormones may be introduced into the blood stream directly by intravenous injection, or indirectly by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Absorption is rapid when either of these methods is used and the effect produced is correspondingly transitory. Either method will produce quick action, but to secure prolonged activity another means of application is preferable.
Programmed cell death and adenine deoxynucleotide metabolism in human lymphocytes

Agents that cause the accumulation of DNA strand breaks are directly cytotoxic to non-dividing normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes, and to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. Activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (ADPRP), and the resultant consumption of NAD, play an essential role in mediating the toxicity of these agents. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes contain a substantial number of alkali-sensitive DNA sites, reflecting ongoing DNA strand breakage and repair. However, resting lymphocytes have a limited capacity to synthesize NAD. Pulse-chase experiments indicate that approximately 75% of their NAD turnover is due to ADPRP activity. Exposure of the cells in vitro to deoxyadenosine, or to 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (CdA, an adenosine deaminase resistant deoxyadenosine congener), caused an increase in DNA strand breaks, rapid NAD consumption, ATP depletion and cell death. Supplementation of the medium with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase blocks the fall in cellular NAD and ATP, and protects the lymphocytes from the toxicity of DNA damaging agents. Slowly dividing malignant lymphocytes from patients with CLL are also susceptible to lethal NAD depletion following DNA damage. 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (CdA) induced massive DNA strand break formation in CLL cells in vitro and a fall in NAD and ATP pools. In an initial clinical trial, several CLL patients, and two patients with hairy cell leukemia, have responded to treatment with CdA, with minimal toxicity. Thus, the suicidal activation of ADPRP in response to DNA damage has been rationally exploited in the treatment of chronic lymphoid malignancies.
Reduction of Phenol Interference in the Chromotropic Acid Method for Formaldehyde

A simple modification of the chromotrophic acid method that will give accurate air monitoring data for formaldehyde in the presence of a two-fold concentration of phenol is presented. This simple modification of a widely-used method sufficiently reduces the interference due to phenol within the limitations specified, so that formaldehyde monitoring data of acceptable accuracy can be obtained when the phenol to formaldehyde ratio is as high as 2:1.
Stimulus control of ovulation in red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi)

Reproductive function is under the control of stimuli mediated by the central nervous system in many species. In species classified as’ induced ovulators,’ ovulation is generally contingent on external stimuli, particularly the vaginal stimulation derived from males during copulation. However, although they are classified as induced ovulators, 7 of 17 female red- backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) ovulated when housed either across a mesh barrier from a male or in isolated cages in a room containing males. There was no appreciable difference as a function of housing condition. Thus, red-backed voles ovulate in response to a variety of stimuli and do not require copulatory stimulation. Unmated Clethrionomys appear to ovulate more readily than do Microtus. The category of “induced ovulation” requires refinement.
Contrasting Effects of σE on Compartmentalization of σF Activity during Sporulation of Bacillus subtilis

Spore formation by Bacillus subtilis is a primitive form of development. In response to nutrient starvation and high cell density, B. subtilis divides asymmetrically, resulting in two cells with different sizes and cell fates. Immediately after division, the transcription factor σ F becomes active in the smaller prespore, which is followed by the activation of σ E in the larger mother cell. In this report, we examine the role of the mother cell-specific transcription factor σ E in maintaining the compartmentalization of gene expression during development. We have studied a strain with a deletion of the spoIIIE gene, encoding a DNA translocase, that exhibits uncompartmentalized σ F activity. We have determined that the deletion of spoIIIE alone does not substantially impact compartmentalization, but in the spoIIIE mutant, the expression of putative peptidoglycan hydrolases under the control of σ E in the mother cell destroys the integrity of the septum. As a consequence, small proteins can cross the septum, thereby abolishing compartmentalization. In addition, we have found that in a mutant with partially impaired control of σ F , the activation of σ E in the mother cell is important to prevent the activation of σ F in this compartment. Therefore, the activity of σ E can either maintain or abolish the compartmentalization of σ F , depending upon the genetic makeup of the strain. We conclude that σ E activity must be carefully regulated in order to maintain compartmentalization of gene expression during development.
Cracklike surface instabilities in stressed solids.

The surface of an elastically stressed solid is shown to undergo an instability in which deep, cracklike grooves form by surface diffusion. These grooves sharpen and accelerate as they deepen. The resultant morphology is in excellent agreement with recent experimental observation in several disparate materials systems.