cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF SETTING A LEVEL OF ASPIRATION ON STUDENTS' TEST PERFORMANCE IN A PSYCHOLOGY COURSE

The use of level of aspiration as a motivational variable as well as an outcome variable has many practical ramifications for educational psychology. Few studies have used level of aspiracion as the independent rather than the dependent variable. If the act of setting a goal for an immediate future performance affects that performance, then level of aspiration becomes a motivational tool and not just a reflection of past successes and failures. Several studies (Fryer, 1964; Klein, 1948; Hibner, 1977; Keller, 1952) have been promising in this regard. Fryer ( 1964) incorporated level of aspiration into the training procedure for acquiring skill in receiving International Morse Code. The group who mas asked to set goals for their performance during the training sessions had a significantly higher mean score than the group that had only knowledge of results. However, the significant difference held only for the code characters of high difficulty, not for those of low difficulty. The superiority of goal setting over knowledge of results alone may depend on the difficulty of the task. In an earlier study, Klein ( 1948) used level of aspiration to predict success in flight training. Hibner ( 1977) demonstrated the effect of level of aspiration on the performance of college women on the gross motor tasks of ball toss, ladder climb, and target throw. Combining goal-setting with knowledge of results was the most effective motivational technique. Level of aspiration was even used to predict success in a training program in a hosiery operation (Heller, 1952). Frank (1941) originally theorized that the level of aspiration is usually a compromise between the person's evaluation of his ability and his desire to achieve the highest performance. "It may be used to improve performance by being placed far enough above actual performance to act as an incentive" (p.
Short communication: Strict monotonicity and convergence rate of Titterington's algorithm for computing D-optimal designs

We study a class of multiplicative algorithms introduced by Silvey et al. (1978) for computing D-optimal designs. Strict monotonicity is established for a variant considered by Titterington (1978). A formula for the rate of convergence is also derived. This is used to explain why modifications considered by Titterington (1978) and Dette et al. (2008) usually converge faster.
Practical Guide to Laparoscopic Pain Mapping

Conscious laparoscopic pain mapping, a technique that has been described in the literature for more than a decade, can be a particularly helpful tool to assist with pelvic pain diagnosis and treatment decisions. Several factors, when optimized, increase the likelihood of a good outcome. Herein, we review the literature and address common questions about pain mapping including appropriate patient selection, standard technique, typical outcomes, and how the results might influence treatment.
Combination therapy of a solid murine tumor with cyclophosphamide and radiation: the effects of time, dose, and assay method

Abstract The combined effects of Cyclophosphamide (CY) and radiation on the EMT6/SF tumor growing subcutaneously in mice were studied using both the growth delay assay and an in vitro assay. When drug was given between 48 hr before and 48 hr after radiation, cyclic variations in response were seen with the in vitro assay, e.g. the response was always greater when drug was given 1 or 8 hr compared with 4 hr after irradiation, Combined CY and radiation using doses which reduced survival to approx. 10% when each agent was given alone (120 mg/kg CY and 800 rad) produced slight potentiation at some time intervals. With the growth delay assay at these doses apparent potentiation was seen but which was probably due to the slower regrowth rate of tumors after combined treatment. No potentiation was seen with either assay when a lower drug dose (50 mg/kg) was used. Potentiation was seen with the growth delay assay, however, when larger doses were used (150 mg/kg CY, 1500 or 2000 rad X-rays), indicating a marked dose dependence for potentiation.
Direct determination of fluoride in miscellaneous fluoride materials with the orion fluoride electrode

Abstract The Orion fluoride electrode was used to measure major concentrations of fluoride in samples containing aluminum, calcium and silicon without prior separation. Liquid samples were mixed with a total ionic strength buffer and direct potentiometric readings were compared to a calibration curve. Samples of AlF3, Na3AlF6, CaF2, and SiO2 (containing 20% fluoride) were fused with sodium carbonate and dissolved in water or a total ionic strength buffer. For samples containing alumina which may not be rendered soluble by a carbonate fusion, a borate-carbonate fusion was used. Interferences were masked by the addition of equal concentrations of the interfering ion during the preparation of the standards. Results are shown for various samples analyzed by this technique and by the Willard-Winter distillation and titration. The direct method is accurate to within ±3% of the amount present.
Clustered multihop transmission in underwater acoustic ad-hoc networks

We consider the performance of clustered underwater acoustic ad-hoc networks. We assume a uniform distribution of nodes over a finite area. The nodes in the network form clusters. The information is transmitted across the network from cluster to cluster with nodes in each cluster organized as virtual transmit/receive arrays. The cluster-to-cluster channel is modeled as a Ricean fading channel. We adopt a communication theoretic approach and study the interdependence of the sustainable number of cluster-to-cluster hops through the network, end-to-end frame error probability, power and bandwidth allocation. We assume an idealized scenario when there is no interference in the network. We present numerical examples that illustrate the results of the analysis. The results indicate that the network exhibits a bimodal behavior. For a given transmit power, bandwidth and cluster size, a certain minimum network density is required in order to guarantee full network connectivity.
Pharmacokinetic evaluation of hemodialysis in acute drug overdose

The contribution of hemodialysis to the removal of drugs in the overdosed patient continues to be questioned. Often the value of hemodialysis is judged on qualitative rather than quantitative information. The latter information can be obtained by applying pharmacokinetic principles. The primary pharmacokinetic parameters required to evaluate drug removal by hemodialysis are (1) apparent volume of distribution, (2) dialysis clearance, and (3) total body clearance. Eighteen drugs commonly encountered in the overdose setting are evaluated using this approach.
Kindaika in Japanese Urban-Rural Relations

Reports on a conference at Stanford on urban-rural relations in Japan, and summarizes a number of papers by an inter-cultural, inter-disciplinary group of scholars. (Cf. A. W. Burks' "'Kindaika," PROD, May 1959).
System-level analysis of graphene klein tunneling device

We analyze the system-level performance of graphene-based arithmetic logic units (ALUs) enabled by Klein tunneling. Although the proposed graphene device is idealized (many experimental hurdles remain), it is important nonetheless to assess graphene's system-level prospects for logic applications to provide context for device-level research (the focus of most graphene research to date). We evaluate latency, energy, and area of graphene-enabled ALUs for (i) a 64-bit Brent-Kung adder and (ii) a 64-bit Kogge-Stone adder, both at the 32 nm technology node. The benefit in latency and energy of an ALU realized with graphene-based logic in place of silicon-based logic anticipates a hybrid graphene-silicon microprocessor.
Combined structures-controls-integrated optimization using distributed parameter models

Distributed parameter methods can offer unique advantages in combined structures-control optimization, particularly in the preliminary design phase where at present complex computer programs based on large-dimension Finite Element Models are currently in vogue, replacing them by closed-form analytic expressions for performance criteria in terms of the structure/controls parameters. In this paper we present an explicit closed-form expression for a lattice-truss clamped at one end with co-located sensors and actuators at the other end, using an equivalent anisotropic Timoshenko beam model. Some generic controls/structures optimization problems are shown to be tractable analytically, exploiting this expression.
Ki-ras mRNA regulation in untransformed mouse lung cells

Although the Ki-ras gene is an often-observed transforming gene in lung tumors, little is understood of the factors that regulate the expression of the normal gene in lung cells. Therefore, we used untransformed mouse lung epithelial cells to determine the effect of serum, growth factors, and cell confluence on the regulation of Ki-ras mRNA expression. In subconfluent cells synchronized by 24-h serum deprivation, the refeeding of media containing serum resulted in the expression of both Ki-ras and H4 histone mRNA. No change in the expression of either gene was observed in cells refed with media alone. In confluent cell cultures, the refeeding of media with serum had no effect on the expression of these genes, suggesting that cell-density-dependent mechanisms can override the serum-induced stimuli for Ki-ras and H4 histone mRNA expression. Confluent cells expressed low but detectable Ki-ras mRNA levels consistent with constitutive expression of this gene independent of its role in mitogenic stimuli. EGF (10 ng/mL) and TGF-alpha (10 ng/mL) were found to induce transient increases in Ki-ras mRNA but large increases in H4 histone mRNA levels. Similarly, 48-h-conditioned media obtained from two transformed mouse lung cells containing activated Ki-ras genes and overexpressing Ki-ras mRNA were observed to increase both Ki-ras and H4 histone mRNA in the untransformed mouse lung cells. The expression of these genes in mouse lung cells therefore appeared to be linked to stimuli provided by specific growth factors as well as by autocrine factors elaborated by lung tumor cells. The studies reported here provide insight into the regulation of the Ki-ras mRNA in untransformed lung cells and the factors that may contribute to the elevated levels of Ki-ras mRNA often observed in transformed lung cells.
Ad perfectum eloquentiam: The “Spoils of Egypt” in Jesuit Renaissance Rhetoric

Beginning in the sixteenth century, the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, founded the first global rhetorical curriculum. Jesuit educators founded schools in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America—all ordered on their 1599 Ratio Studiorum. Yet this organizational and educational achievement faced several challenges. The Ratio reveals an attempt to reconcile the medieval education that shaped the early Jesuits and the classical humanism that excited later generations. The Jesuits articulated a reconciliation of humanistic and Christian virtue for the vita activa. These accomplishments mark Jesuit rhetoric as a distinct tradition worthy of deeper study by contemporary rhetoricians.
Monte Carlo Simulation Study of Water Adsorption in Activated Carbon

We present a Monte Carlo simulation study of adsorption and desorption for two molecular models of water in activated carbon, focusing on the temperature range for which the system exhibits hysteresis. The activated carbon is modeled using an adaptation of the platelet model developed by Segarra and Glandt (Chem. Eng. Sci. 1994, 49 (17), 2953−2965). The active sites in the carbon are modeled by placing interaction sites at the periphery of the platelets. To model water we have used two model potentials: the simple point charge (SPC) model and adaptation of the primitive model of water developed by Kolafa and Nezbeda (Mol. Phys. 1987, 61 (1), 161−175). We find that both models considered yield quite good qualitative agreement with the experimental data for water in BPL carbon obtained by Levan and co-workers (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1992, 31 (4), 1122−1130). In particular both the shape of the hysteresis loops and their temperature dependence are correctly described by the simulation results. The sensitivity...
Possibility of Thermal Corrections in Radiative Level-Shift Determination

We give an estimate, based on nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, of the thermal contribution to the Lamb shift in the blackbody approximation. We show that observable corrections may exist.
Topographical projections of the cerebral cortex to the subthalamic nucleus

Corticosubthalamic projections in the rat were investigated using the autoradiographic anterograde axonal tracing technique. After unilateral injections of tritiated amino acids in the cerebral cortex, projections to the ipsilateral subthalamic nucleus (STH) could be found arising only from the frontal agranular cortex and the zone of MI-SI overlap. Injections into granular areas of the cortex (e.g., somatosensory and visual areas) did not result in labeling in STH. Following injections in the frontal agranular cortex, labeling was present in the ipsilateral but not the contralateral STH. In general, injections that involved the lateral agranular field of frontal cortex, as defined by Donoghue and Wise (1982), resulted in a greater amount of labeling in STH than injections within the medial agranular area or the zone of MI-SI overlap. The projection from the frontal agranular areas to STH is topographically organized. The rostral part of the lateral agranular cortex projects to the lateral portion of the rostral two-thirds of STH, and the caudal part of this field projects to the ventral aspect of the middle third of STH. Injections in the rostral part of the medial agranular cortex resulted in labeling throughout the ventral two-thirds of the medial half of STH. The caudal part of the medial agranular cortex projects to the dorsolateral part of the caudal two-thirds of STH. The present results reveal projections from only the frontal agranular cortex and the zone of MI-SI overlap to STH in the rat. The cortico-STH projection is ipsilateral and terminates in a topographical manner in all parts of STH.
The emergence of potent and selective peptide leukotriene receptor antagonists.

Summary Leukotriene (LT) C4, LTD4 and LTE4 collectively comprise the constituents of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis. Based on their well-documented physiology, and a substantial body of circumstantial evidence, it has been hypothesized that they may be etiologic in allergic diseases, including asthma. Using various chemical approaches, a variety of chemically distinct, highly potent and selective LT antagonists have been disclosed including SKF 104,353, ICI 198,615, L 660,711 and WY 48,252. All are, or will soon, enter clinical trials for asthma. These compounds should provide a viable test for the hypothesis that LTs are etiologic in asthma. The complexity of the disease suggests that clinical expectations for these compounds, or any single entity, should be moderate.
Drug therapy of heart failure in the elderly.

Heart failure is a disorder that predominantly affects older adults, with more than 50% of heart failure hospitalizations occurring in persons over 75 years of age. Unfortunately, most of the major heart failure clinical trials have targeted middle-aged patients with systolic heart failure, and the applicability of these studies to elderly patients, particularly those with preserved left ventricular systolic function, remains uncertain. In this paper, current data on the pharmacotherapy of heart failure in older adults are reviewed, recommended approaches to managing systolic and diastolic heart failure are outlined, and the importance of preventive measures is emphasized.
The Role of Implicit Measurement in the Assessment of Risky Behavior: A Pilot Study with African American Girls.

With the aim of developing a novel strategy for identifying vulnerability for early sexual activity and adjustment problems, African American girls (n = 39) completed partially structured scenarios in which female characters of similar age faced circumstances characterized by varying levels of risk. Most girls indicated that they believed the characters would have sex, regardless of their own sexual history or the level of risk in the scenario. However, the combination of girls’ sexual history and girls’ predictions of characters’ behavior in the scenario provided more information regarding the girls at greatest risk for adjustment problems. Implicit techniques offer an additional strategy for identifying girls most vulnerable to adjustment difficulties in the context of early sexual activity.
Role of PPARγ in COX-2 Activation in Mycobacterial Pulmonary Inflammation

Preliminary studies show that intranasal (i.n.) administration of BCG in mice induces M1 activation of alveolar macrophages (M∅) that increase TNF-α production and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression but reduce constitutive peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression. However, COX-2 is catalytically inactive for prostaglandin E(2) release, unlike COX-2 that is active in M1 activation in vitro by BCG. In this study, we determined the role of PPARγ for BCG-induced M1 activation in vivo and in vitro. We found that treatment of mice with GW9662, a PPARγ antagonist, prior to i.n. BCG, partially restored PPARγ expression, and decreased TNF-α production and COX-2 expression. But COX-2 was still inactive. The decreased effects on TNF-α and COX-2 were also observed when alveolar M∅ were treated in vitro with GW9662/BCG, but COX-2 was still active. Our results indicate that PPARγ upregulates M1 activation of alveolar M∅, but inactive COX-2 formation is independent of PPARγ in mycobacterial pulmonary inflammation.
Lumbar Discectomy Outcomes Vary by Herniation Level in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial

Lumbar disc herniations are the most common cause of lumbar radiculopathy, and elective discectomy provides the most immediate relief of the symptoms1-5. The majority of lumbar herniations occur at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 intervertebral disc levels, affect the L5 and S1 roots, and result in sciatica6-9. Upper level herniations (levels L2-L3 or L3-L4) are less common, may affect the L2, L3, and L4 nerve roots, and may cause a femoral radiculopathy. Patients with upper lumbar disc herniations classically present with back and thigh pain, a negative straight leg-raising test, a positive femoral stretch test, a unilaterally depressed or absent patellar reflex, sensory changes in the thigh, and often quadriceps weakness7,8,10,11. Few clinical studies have detailed the characteristics or outcomes of patients with upper level lumbar herniations7,8,10,11. The largest prior study of which we are aware was a review by Spangfort of 2504 lumbar disc herniations that included forty-five patients with upper level herniations9. He found a greater improvement following surgery for L1-L2 and L2-L3 herniations than for L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 herniations. In a randomized trial by Osterman et al., operative outcomes were better than nonoperative treatment for patients with L4-L5 herniations but not for those with L5-S1 herniations2. Other, older retrospective studies found that the level of herniation had no significant effect on the outcomes of discectomy12-14. The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) provides a unique opportunity to analyze the effect of lumbar disc herniation level on clinical outcomes. The purposes of this study were to describe the characteristics of patients with lumbar disc herniations at different levels and to evaluate the association between disc herniation level and treatment outcomes.
Effect of knee angle and ligament insufficiency on anterior tibial translation during quadriceps muscle contraction: a preliminary report.

Additional information is needed regarding the effects of exercise protocols on the injured or reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of knee flexion angle and ACL insufficiency on anterior tibial translation (ATT) and patellar ligament insertion angle as subjects performed maximal isometric quadriceps muscle contractions. The subjects were two females and two males between the ages of 18 and 24 who had sustained injuries that resulted in unilateral ACL insufficiency. Each subject performed maximum isometric quadriceps muscle contractions with each leg on a Cybex® II dynamometer at each of three positions: 15, 45, and 75° knee flexion. A lateral knee roentgenogram was obtained as each subject maintained each isometric muscle contraction. A roentgenogram also was taken as subjects rested each knee in each of the three target positions. Anterior tibial translation for each isometric muscle contraction was assessed by measuring the anterior...
Secondary Hypertension: Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

The epidemic of obesity in the United States and around the world is intensifying in severity and scope and has been implicated as an underlying mechanism in systemic hypertension. Obese hypertensive individuals characteristically exhibit volume congestion, relative elevation in heart rate, and high cardiac output with concomitant activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. When the metabolic syndrome is present, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia may contribute to hypertension through diverse mechanisms. Blood pressure can be lowered when weight control measures are successful, using, for example, caloric restriction, aerobic exercise, weight loss drugs, or bariatric surgery. A major clinical challenge resides in converting short-term weight reduction into a sustained benefit. Pharmacotherapy for the obese hypertensive patient may require multiple agents, with an optimal regimen consisting of inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, thiazide diuretics, β-blockers, and calcium channel blockers if needed to attain contemporary blood pressure treatment goals.
Revisits to emptied cache sites by Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana)

Abstract During cache recovery experiments, Clark's nutcrackers ( Nucifraga columbiana ) often revisit cache sites that were emptied during previous recovery sessions (Kamil & Balda 1985). In the current experiments, nutcrackers were allowed to cache pine seeds and recover them in several recovery sessions. The results of two experiments demonstrate that neither leaving signs of previous digging activity nor leaving many pine seeds in the caches affects the tendency to revisit.
Charting patients' course: a comparison of statistics used to summarize patient course in longitudinal and repeated measures studies.

Investigators conducting longitudinal studies of psychiatric illnesses often analyze data based on psychiatric symptom scales that were administered at multiple time points. This study examines the statistical properties of seven indices that summarize patient long-term course. These indices can be used to compare differences between two or more groups or to test for changes in symptoms over time. They may also be treated as outcome measures and correlated with other clinical variables.The performance of each of the seven indices was assessed using data from two large ongoing studies of psychiatric patients: a longitudinal study of affective disorders and a longitudinal study of first-episode psychosis. These two datasets were subjected to bootstrapping techniques in order to calculate both type I error rates and statistical power for each summary statistic. Of the seven indices, Kendall's tau performed the best as a measure of patients' symptom course. Kendall's tau appears to offer more statistical power to detect change in course, yet its average type I error rate was comparable to the other indices.
Transition-State Model for Entropy-Limited Freezing

A brief review is given of transition-state theory, both for the case of unimolecular reactions in the gas phase, and for reactions in condensed phases. An argument is made that, within the context of this theory, heterogeneous freezing in Si is limited to rates much lower than collision rates by the difference between the entropies of the solid and the liquid.
Origins of porosity and velocity variations at Cascadia Accretionary Prism

At Cascadia accretionary prism, log-based porosities exhibit complex lateral changes in response to variations in cementation, horizontal compression, and fracturing. Porosities at the prism toe are lower than in reference sediments, whereas porosities landward of the toe are slightly higher than those of reference sediments. Ideally, a porosity/velocity relationship can be used to determine two-dimensional porosity structure from seismic velocities. Porosity is the major control on velocity at Cascadia, but variations in grain framework strength (frame bulk modulus) cause deformed and undeformed rocks to have quite different velocity/porosity relationships. Within the prism, cementation can raise velocities substantially above those for unconsolidated reference sediments of the same porosity; also, compression-induced compaction and fracturing may affect this velocity/porosity transform. Because these factors vary both within and between prisms, velocity/porosity transforms are local, not universal.
Postischemic hyperthermia exacerbates neurologic injury after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Abstract Background: Aggressive surface warming is a common practice in the pediatric intensive care unit. However, recent rodent data emphasize the protective effect of mild (2°-3°C) hypothermia after cerebral ischemia. This study evaluates different temperature regulation strategies after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with a survival piglet model. Methods: Fifteen piglets were randomly assigned to 3 groups. All groups underwent 100 minutes of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest at 15°C. Brain temperature was maintained at 34°C for 24 hours after cardiopulmonary bypass in group I, 37°C in group II, and 40°C in group III. Neurobehavioral recovery was evaluated daily for 3 days after extubation by neurologic deficit score (0, normal; 500, brain death) and overall performance category (1, normal; 5, brain death). Histologic examination was assessed for hypoxic-ischemic injury (0, normal; 5, necrosis) in a blinded fashion. Results: All results are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Recovery of neurologic deficit score (12.0 ± 17.8, 47.0 ± 49.95, 191.0 ± 179.83; P = .05 for group I vs III), overall performance category (1.0 ± 0.0, 1.4 ± 0.6, 2.8 ± 1.3; P P 3 recovery determined by near-infrared spectroscopy in group III animals ( P = .0041 for group I vs III). No animal recovered to baseline electroencephalographic value by 48 hours after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Recovery was significantly delayed in the hyperthermic group III animals, with a lower amplitude 14 hours after the operation, which gradually increased with time ( P Conclusions: Mild postischemic hyperthermia significantly exacerbates functional and structural neurologic injury after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and should therefore be avoided. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;116:780-92)
Current concepts on monoclonal gammopathies

: This is a review of the monoclonal gammopathies, including a discussion of cause. The role of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes is presented. The recognition of a monoclonal protein in the serum and urine is presented in detail. The frequency of benign and malignant monoclonal gammopathies is provided. A long-term follow-up of 241 patients with apparently benign monoclonal gammopathy is examined closely. In this series, multiple myeloma, macroglobulinaemia, amyloidosis, or related disorders developed in 22% of the 241 patients with long-term disease. The median duration from the recognition of the monoclonal protein until the development of serious disease was approximately eight to ten years. The differentiation of benign from malignant monoclonal gammopathics is examinad in detail. The point is made that paticnu must be folld indefinitely because malignancy may develop more than 20 years later. The association of monoclonal gammopathies with other apparently unrelated diseases discussed. (Aust NZ J Med 1992; 22: 291–302.)
DEFECTIVE ACTIVATION OF THE TERMINAL COMPLEMENT '(c') COMPONENTS IN NEWBORN SERA

Activation of the terminal C' components, C3-9, plays an important role in host defense against infection. The following study was performed in order to determine if the activation of C3-9 is normal in newborn sera. E coli, isolated from newborn blood or CSF, were incubated in sera at 37° for 30 min and the percent of available C3 that was activated was measured. Using one strain of E coli, 32%(mean) of the C3 was activated in sera from 18 newborns, as compared to 85% in sera from their mothers and 79% in sera from 13 normal adults (P<.005). In contrast, using another strain of E coli, the percent of C3 activated in newborns(83%) was the same as in their mothers (81%) or in normal adults (73%). The inability of some E coli to activate C3 in newborn sera was unrelated to the presence of the K1 antigen; in studying 7 additional strains some K1 positive strains activated C3 in newborn sera while some K1 negative strains did not. The defect in newborn sera appeared to be due to a deficiency of a serum component (s) rather than to the presence of an inhibitor. Thus, activation of the terminal C' components in newborns is defective when tested with some, but not all, strains of E coli. However, the defective activation is not related to the presence of the K1 antigen.
Single photon detection of degenerate photon pairs at 1.55 μm from a periodically poled lithium niobate parametric downconverter

The performance of a communication system that uses 1.55 μm correlated photon pairs is analysed experimentally in terms of achievable coincidence rates, optimal pump rates, and the performance of c...
An Approach for Improving Design of System Variants

In the past decades, firms have increased automated assembly operation to improve productivity and reduce human errors; however, manual assembling is still a necessary operation for complex and large-scaled systems that require high reliability. Furthermore, since customers demand more variety in systems, firms increasingly assemble variants of a system in a single assembly line. In this mixed model assembling operation, there are higher chances of assembly errors due to interchanging of geometrically similar parts between system variants. Design for Assembly (DFA) is a design guideline that assists engineers to design systems that are easier to assemble; however, DFA does not provide any guideline for simultaneously designing variants of system being assembled in mixed model operation. Furthermore, incentive schemes for assembly operators that may influence both assembly productivity and errors have not been the scope of DFA research. In this research, the authors conducted assembling experiments with students to investigate how non-geometric part information and incentive schemes affect the assembly productivity and quality in mixed model assembling operation.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Spatial and temporal relationships between cell death and tissue overgrowth in imaginal wing disks of the Drosophila mutant I(3)C43hs1

The temperature-sensitive mutant l(3)c43hs1 is lethal at the restrictive temperature late in the last larval instar and has wing disks that show excessive growth when larvae are reared at 25 degrees C. Such mutant disks give rise to defective wings showing duplications and deficiencies. Abnormal folding patterns are localized to the region between the wing pouch and the area where adepithelial cells are found; the disks retain an epithelial morphology. Apoptotic cell death is distributed throughout the wing disks without any obvious concentration of dead cells in a specific area. Cell death is seen as early as 12 hr after a shift to the restrictive temperature. Temperature shift experiments also show that cell death precedes the onset of overgrowth, but since the spatial distribution of death is not localized to the regions of abnormal folds, it is unlikely that cell death and overgrowth are causally related.
Anomalous Duplication of Inferior Oblique Muscle

During an operation for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, an anomalous right inferior oblique muscle was found incidentally in a 59-year-old woman. The patient showed no muscle imbalance and had no clinical history of muscle imbalance. The anomaly consisted of parallel muscles (apparently originating from a common origin) inserting separately intothe sclera. No other muscle anomalies were noted.
An MHC-I Cytoplasmic Domain/HIV-1 Nef Fusion Protein Binds Directly to the μ Subunit of the AP-1 Endosomal Coat Complex

BACKGROUND The down-regulation of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) from the surface of infected cells by the Nef proteins of primate immunodeficiency viruses likely contributes to pathogenesis by providing evasion of cell-mediated immunity. HIV-1 Nef-induced down-regulation involves endosomal trafficking and a cooperative interaction between the cytoplasmic domain (CD) of MHC-I, Nef, and the clathrin adaptor protein complex-1 (AP-1). The CD of MHC-I contains a key tyrosine within the sequence YSQA that is required for down-regulation by Nef, but this sequence does not conform to the canonical AP-binding tyrosine-based motif Yxxphi, which mediates binding to the medium (micro) subunits of AP complexes. We previously proposed that Nef allows the MHC-I CD to bind the mu subunit of AP-1 (micro1) as if it contained a Yxxphimotif. METHODS AND FINDINGS Here, we show that a direct interaction between the MHC-I CD/Nef and micro1 plays a primary role in the down-regulation of MHC-I: GST pulldown assays using recombinant proteins indicated that most of the MHC-I CD and Nef residues that are required for the down-regulation in human cells contribute to direct interactions with a truncated version of micro1. Specifically, the tyrosine residue of the YSQA sequence in the MHC-I CD as well as Nef residues E62-65 and P78 each contributed to the interaction between MHC-I CD/Nef and micro1 in vitro, whereas Nef M20 had little to no role. Conversely, residues F172/D174 and V392/L395 of the binding pocket on micro1 for Yxxphi motifs were required for a robust interaction. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that the MHC-I cytoplasmic domain, Nef, and the C-terminal two thirds of the mu subunit of AP-1 are sufficient to constitute a biologically relevant interaction. The data also reveal an unexpected role for a hydrophobic pocket in micro1 for interaction with MHC-I CD/Nef.
EasyScale: Easy mapping for large-scale network security experiments

Network emulation enables network security evaluation using unmodified implementations. Experimental fidelity with emulation is higher than simulation through the integration of real hardware and systems, but the scalability of emulation testbeds is limited. Scaling techniques such as virtualization and real-time simulation enable larger scale experiments. Using scaling techniques for network security experiments can, however, require considerable expertise in order to avoid overloading resources. In this paper, we propose a new framework, EasyScale, that aims to bridge the current gap between emulation testbed users and large-scale security experiments possibly using multiple scaling techniques. Our results from distributed denial of service and worm attack experiments demonstrate that EasyScale can easily allocate testbed resources to the critical components in an experiment, lowering the barrier for testbed users to conduct high fidelity yet scalable network security experiments.
Women as Mendelians and Geneticists

After the rediscovery of Mendel’s laws of heredity in 1900, the biologists who began studying heredity, variation, and evolution using the new Mendelian methodology—performing controlled hybrid crosses and statistically analyzing progeny to note the factorial basis of characters—made great progress. By 1910, the validity of Mendelism was widely recognized and the field William Bateson christened ‘genetics’ was complemented by the chromosome theory of heredity of T. H. Morgan and his group in the United States. Historians, however, have largely overlooked an important factor in the early establishment of Mendelism and genetics: the large number of women who contributed to the various research groups. This article examines the social, economic, and disciplinary context behind this new wave of women’s participation in science and describes the work of women Mendelians and geneticists employed at three leading experimental research institutes, 1900–1940. It argues that the key to more women working in science was the access to higher education and the receptivity of emerging interdisciplinary fields such as genetics to utilize the expertise of women workers, which not only advanced the discipline but also provided new opportunities for women’s employment in science.
Effects of heater length and orientation on the trigger mechanism for near-saturated flow boiling critical heat flux. I: Photographic study and statistical characterization of the near-wall interfacial features

Abstract Experiments were performed to explore the trigger mechanism for critical heat flux (CHF) on 10-, 30- and 110-mm long heaters which were mounted along one wall of a rectangular channel. The channel was oriented vertically, horizontally, and at an intermediate 45° angle with liquid FC-72 flowing above the heater surface. Using photomicrographic methods, still photographs and high speed video images were obtained normal to the heater surface through a transparent cover. The photographs revealed the formation of a wavy vapor layer on the heater prior to CHF with surface wetting occurring at the wave troughs. The vapor waves formed on the upstream portion of the heater and had wavelengths characteristic of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The distance between wetting fronts increased in the stream-wise direction because of wave stretching and merging of adjacent waves. Eventually, midway down the long heater, the distance between the wetting fronts reached a constant asymptotic value. The overall impact of the stream-wise increase of wavelength was a reduction in the number of wetting fronts available for liquid replenishment of the heater surface causing a decrease in CHF with increasing heater length. Critical heat flux was triggered by lifting of the most upstream wetting front spurring a cessation of wetting front formation and a catastrophic cascading of wetting front lift off along the entire heater.
X-ray detection by direct modulation of an optical probe beam—Radsensor: Progress on development for imaging applications

We present a progress report on our new x-ray detection technique based on optical measurement of the effects of x-ray absorption and electron hole pair creation in a direct band-gap semiconductor. The electron–hole pairs create a frequency dependent shift in optical refractive index and absorption. This is sensed by simultaneously directing an optical probe beam through the same volume of semiconducting medium that has experienced an x-ray induced modulation in the electron–hole population. If the wavelength of the optical probe beam is close to the semiconductor band-edge, the optical probe will be modulated significantly in phase and amplitude. We have analyzed the physics of the imaging radsensor, developed modeling tools for device design, and are cautiously optimistic that we will achieve single x-ray photon sensitivity, and picosecond response. These predictions will be tested with Cu Kα xrays at the LLNL USP facility this spring and summer, with a cavity-based radsensor detector suitable for use i...
Compensation for encoder geometry and shaft speed variation in time interval torsional vibration measurement

Abstract Digital time interval techniques for the measurement of torsional vibrations in rotating shafts have been used in a variety of applications. The techniques use high-speed timers to detect the passage times (often referred to as “zero crossings”) in a carrier signal from a multiple pulse per revolution encoder on the shaft. Next, a reference array is created by computing the passage times for an encoder with geometrically uniform segments rotating at a constant speed. The measured times are compared against the reference array and the time difference processed to yield the shaft torsional vibration. If the reference array differs from the encoder passage times, the calculated torsional vibration will be subject to bias errors manifested as high-level order content. There are two potential causes for inconsistency in the reference signal: (1) geometric variation in angular encoding device and (2) a non-constant shaft speed. Procedures to handle these situations are addressed. An in situ encoder calibration method is presented that creates a reference array representative of the actual encoder angular intervals. The method uses time synchronous averaging of the encoder zero crossing over many shaft revolutions. The process causes the time passage variations induced by the torsional vibration to average to zero, ultimately yielding the time stamps caused by the passage of each respective encoder segment. The synchronous averaged encoder passage times are then used to correct the reference array to calculate the torsional vibration. Variation of the encoder geometry and changes in shaft running speed cause the torsional vibration be sampled on a non-uniform time interval basis. The non-uniform time sampling would cause errors if used with fixed sampling interval algorithms such as the DFT. A resampling algorithm is applied to create an array sampled with a constant time interval basis to minimize the error. The background and implementation details of time interval torsional vibration measurement enhancements are first presented. The capabilities are then demonstrated with experimental results from several pieces of rotating equipment. The tests show the successive improvement in the torsional vibration data as the proposed compensation methods are sequentially applied.
Magnetic-field dependence of the low-temperature specific heat of some high-Tc copper-oxide superconductors evidence for an H12T contribution in the mixed state

Abstract Measurements of the magnetic-field dependence of the low-temperature specific heat of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and Ca and Sr doped La 2 CuO 4 are reviewed, with an emphasis on recent measurements on a YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 sample in a number of applied magnetic fields ( H ) between 0 and 7 T at temperatures ( T ) between ∼ 0.4 and 10 K. The major field-dependent components of the specific heat of that sample are a T proportional term an a contribution attributed to Cu 2+ magnetic moments. In contrast with most earlier results, or their interpretation, the T proportional term is not linear in H . Within the experimental uncertainty it agrees with the H 1 2 T dependence predicted by Volovik for a superconductor with lines of nodes in the energy gap. In that respect, the results are similar to those obtained in a recent Stanford/University of British Columbia collaboration. However, there is no convincing evidence for the presence of the T 2 term in the zero-field specific heat that is also expected for lines of nodes in the gap. Possible reasons for this apparent discrepancy are discussed. Less detailed data on other samples are consistent with these findings. For H = 0, the contribution associated with the Cu 2+ moments, the “zero-field upturn”, is the high-temperature tail of a broad anomally produced by internal interactions. With increasing H it evolves into a form more closely approximated by simple Schottky functions. The H dependence of this contribution to the specific heat is consistent with that expected for a low concentration of rmspin- 1 2 moments with a distribution of internal fields that is progressively narrowed with increasing H . It is not consistent with the H proportional prefactor associated with the Schottky anomalies that has been reported elsewhere.
Intermedia synchronization management in DTV systems

Intermedia synchronization is related with spatial and temporal relationships among media objects that compound a DTV application. From the server side (usually a broadcaster's server or a Web Server) to receivers, end-to-end intermedia synchronization support must be provided. Based on application specifications, several abstract data structures should be created to guide all synchronization control processes. A special data structure, a labeled digraph called HTG (Hypermedia Temporal Graph) is proposed in this paper as the basis of all other data structures. From HTG, receivers derive a presentation plan to orchestrate media content presentations that make up a DTV application. From this plan other data structures are derived to estimate when media players should be instantiated and when data contents should be retrieved from a DSM-CC carousel or from a return channel. If the return channel provides QoS support, another data structure is derived from the presentation plan, in order to determine when resource reservation should take place. For content pushed by broadcasters, HTG is used in the server side as the basis for building the carousel plan, a data structure that guides the order and frequency that media objects should be broadcasted.The paper's proposals were partially put into practice in the current open source reference implementation of the standard middleware of the Brazilian Terrestrial Digital TV System. However, this reference implementation is used just as a proof of concept. The ideas presented can be extended to any multimedia document presentation player (user agent) and content distribution server.
Evolution of the dusty rings of Uranus

Abstract We present high quality images of the uranian ring system, obtained in August 2002, October 2003, and July 2004 at 2.2 μm with the adaptive optics camera NIRC2 on the Keck II telescope. Using these data, we report the first detection in backscattered light of a ring (which we refer to as the ζ ring) interior to Uranus' known rings. This ring consists of a generally uniform sheet of dust between 37,850 and 41,350 km with an equivalent width EW = 250 ± 20 m (in 2004; or μ EW ≈ 50 m ), and extends inward to 32,600 km at a gradually decreasing brightness. This ring might be related to the Voyager ring R/1986 U 2, although both its location and extent differ. This could be attributed to a difference in observing wavelength and/or solar phase angle, or perhaps to temporal variations in the ring. Through careful modeling of the I / F of the individual rings at each ansa, we reveal the presence of narrow (few 100 km wide) sheets of dust between the δ and e rings, and between rings 4 and α . We derived a typical anisotropy factor g ≈ 0.7 in the scattering behavior of these particles. The spatial distribution and relative intensity of these dust sheets is different than that seen in Voyager images taken in forward scattered light, due either to a difference in observing wavelength, and/or solar phase angle or to changes over time. We may have detected the λ ring in one scan at μ EW ≈ 15 m , but other scans provided upper limits below this value. A single detection, however, would be consistent with azimuthal asymmetries known to exist in this ring. We further demonstrate the presence of azimuthal asymmetries in all rings. We confirm the eccentricity of ∼0.001 in rings 4, 5, 6, which in 2004 are ∼70 km closer to Uranus in the north (near periapse; lower I / F ) than in the south. We find a global optical depth of τ ∼ 0.3 in the main rings, and of τ = 0.25 ± 0.05 in the e ring.