cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Automated Copywriter: Algorithmic Rephrasing of Health-Related Advertisements to Improve their Performance

Search advertising is one of the most commonly-used methods of advertising. Past work has shown that search advertising can be employed to improve health by eliciting positive behavioral change. However, writing effective advertisements requires expertise and (possible expensive) experimentation, both of which may not be available to public health authorities wishing to elicit such behavioral changes, especially when dealing with a public health crises such as epidemic outbreaks. Here we develop an algorithm which builds on past advertising data to train a sequence-to-sequence Deep Neural Network which “translates” advertisements into optimized ads that are more likely to be clicked. The network is trained using more than 114 thousands ads shown on Microsoft Advertising. We apply this translator to two health related domains: Medical Symptoms (MS) and Preventative Healthcare (PH) and measure the improvements in click-through rates (CTR). Our experiments show that the generated ads are predicted to have higher CTR in 81% of MS ads and 76% of PH ads. To understand the differences between the generated ads and the original ones we develop estimators for the affective attributes of the ads. We show that the generated ads contain more calls-to-action and that they reflect higher valence (36% increase) and higher arousal (87%) on a sample of 1000 ads. Finally, we run an advertising campaign where 10 random ads and their rephrased versions from each of the domains are run in parallel. We show an average improvement in CTR of 68% for the generated ads compared to the original ads. Our results demonstrate the ability to automatically optimize advertisement for the health domain. We believe that our work offers health authorities an improved ability to help nudge people towards healthier behaviors while saving the time and cost needed to optimize advertising campaigns.
Legal Concepts for Biomaterials Engineers

Abstract Medical device professionals are exposed to numerous situations throughout their careers that require familiarity with various legal concepts. This chapter introduces various situations and transactions in which medical device professionals typically will have the opportunity to exercise judgment regarding legal matters, including employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, intellectual property and management of inventions, contract negotiation and drafting, sponsored research and license agreements, and litigation support. The authors provide a foundation and framework for how to approach and evaluate such situations, and offer guidance for how medical device professionals can partner with attorneys to optimize outcomes.
Lubricin in experimental and naturally occurring osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

Summary Objective Lubricin is increasingly being evaluated as an outcome measure in studies investigating post-traumatic and naturally occurring osteoarthritis. However, there are discrepancies in results, making it unclear as to whether lubricin is increased, decreased or unchanged in osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to review all papers that measured lubricin in joint injury or osteoarthritis in order to draw conclusions about lubricin regulation in joint disease. Design A systematic search of the Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, and EBSCOhost databases for papers was performed. Inclusion criteria were in vivo studies that measured lubricin in humans or animals with joint injury, that investigated lubricin supplementation in osteoarthritic joints, or that described the phenotype of a lubricin knock-out model. A methodological assessment was performed. Results Sixty-two studies were included, of which thirty-eight measured endogenous lubricin in joint injury or osteoarthritis. Nineteen papers found an increase or no change in lubricin and nineteen reported a decrease. Papers that reported a decrease in lubricin were cited four times more often than those that reported an increase. Fifteen papers described lubricin supplementation, and all reported a beneficial effect. Eleven papers described lubricin knock-out models. Conclusions The human literature reveals similar distributions of papers reporting increased lubricin as compared to decreased lubricin in osteoarthritis. The animal literature is dominated by reports of decreased lubricin in the rat anterior cruciate ligament transection model, whereas studies in large animal models report increased lubricin. Intra-articular lubricin supplementation may be beneficial regardless of whether lubricin increases or decreases in OA.
Use of allergen immunotherapy for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.

Purpose of review The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the literature pertaining to the use of allergen immunotherapy for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis with an emphasis on recent developments. Recent findings Both subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual (SLIT) immunotherapy continue to show efficacy in treating allergic conjunctival disease, subcutaneous more than sublingual. Adverse effects of sublingual therapy continue to be reported since the FDA's approval of SLIT tablets in 2014. Initial SLIT studies reported high rates of adherence, while real use reports identify rates of nonadherence/discontinuation ranging between 50 and 80%. Studies in polyallergic patients evaluating the efficacy of SLIT combination therapy report encouraging results. Summary Both SCIT and SLIT offers improvement in allergic conjunctival symptom scores and decrease medication utilization. Although SCIT has a higher likelihood of systemic reaction, SLIT has a very high rate of mild-to-moderate adverse events - especially in the first month. Cost-benefit analyses tend to favor SCIT (greater efficacy and less impacted by discontinuation rates).
High-Performance Single-Stage Universal-Input Isolated AC-DC Converter Utilizing an Impedance Control Network

This paper introduces a single-stage universal-input isolated ac-dc converter based on the impedance control network (ICN) architecture. This single-stage converter can perform power factor correction (PFC) and output voltage regulation, while maintaining high efficiency over its entire range of ac input voltage and output power. By using appropriate inverter and rectifier phase-shift control strategies, this converter achieves soft-switching of all inverter transistors with minimal circulating current, throughout the line cycle. The ICN converter also allows all its inductors to be integrated and realized in a single magnetic structure, reducing the number of magnetic components in this converter to two. A design methodology for ICN-based ac-dc converters is also introduced. A universal-input, 20-V output, 400-kHz GaN-based prototype ICN-based ac-dc converter, designed for a maximum output power of 330 W, is built, and tested. The prototype achieves a full-power efficiency of 92%. This paper is the first reported work on the architecture, design, and control of ICN-based ac-dc converters.
How enzymes harness highly unfavorable proton transfer reactions.

Acid-base reactions that are exceedingly unfavorable under standard conditions can be catalytically important at enzyme active sites. For example, in triose phosphate isomerase, a glutamate side chain (nominal pKa ≈ 4 in solution) can in fact deprotonate a CH group that is vicinal to a carbonyl (pKa ≈ 18 in solution). This is true because of three distinct interactions: (a) ground state pKa shifts due to environment polarity and electrostatics; (b) dramatic increases in effective molarity due to optimization of proximity and orientation; and (c) transition state pKa shifts due to binding interactions and the formation of strong low barrier hydrogen bonds. In this report, we review the literature showing that the sum of these three effects supplies more than enough free energy to push forward proton transfer reactions that under standard conditions are exceedingly nonspontaneous and slow.
Corrosion of lithium metal anodes during calendar ageing and its microscopic origins

Rechargeable lithium (Li) metal batteries must have long cycle life and calendar life (retention of capacity during storage at open circuit). Particular emphasis has been placed on prolonging the cycle life of Li metal anodes, but calendar ageing is less understood. Here, we show that Li metal loses at least 2–3% of its capacity after only 24 hours of ageing, regardless of the electrolyte chemistry. These losses of capacity during calendar ageing also shorten the cycle life of Li metal batteries. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy shows that chemical corrosion of Li and the continuous growth of the solid electrolyte interphase—a passivation film on Li—cause the loss of capacity. Electrolytes with long cycle life do not necessarily form a solid electrolyte interphase with more resistance to chemical corrosion, so functional electrolytes must simultaneously minimize the rate of solid electrolyte interphase growth and the surface area of electrodeposited Li metal. Batteries keep degrading even when they are not in operation, but their calendar life is rarely studied in advanced batteries that are still in the development stage. Here the authors quantify the calendar ageing of Li metal anodes and report its underlying mechanisms.
Lifestyle Interventions for Diabetes Prevention in South Asians: Current Evidence and Opportunities

This review summarizes the burden of diabetes in South Asian populations and reviews recent evidence for diabetes prevention through lifestyle modification among South Asians worldwide. We indicate important gaps in the current literature and point to opportunities for additional research in this area. Randomized, controlled, efficacy studies and implementation research show that lifestyle intervention can be an effective, cost-effective, and feasible method for reducing diabetes risk, improving cardiometabolic health, and improving lifestyle behaviors in South Asian populations, a population at high diabetes risk and elevated rates of diabetes risk factors. Additional research is needed to address diabetes risk reduction in normal-weight South Asians and individuals with impaired fasting glucose; improve community-level implementation, individual uptake, and dissemination of proven programs; and assess long-term outcomes of interventions.
Analysis of Oval Rings by Fourier Series

The distinguishing feature of this method of analysis of thin oval rings is the representation of the shape of the ring by the use of Fourier series. By means of standard computational schemes, the coefficients of Fourier series of sine and/or cosine terms may be so selected as to cause the graph of the function represented by the series to approximate closely the shape of the ring under consideration.
Vertically-integrated InGaAsP/InP two-wavelength all-optical latch/AND gate

A novel optoelectronic device which functions either as an optically controlled gated latch or as an optical AND gate is demonstrated. This device utilizes two different wavelengths (2 lambda ) of input light and is composed of two heterojunction phototransistors with different bandgaps vertically integrated with a light emitting diode. The device structure was fabricated from InGaAsP/InP epitaxial layers grown by gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy. The single-mesa structure of the devices is amenable to large-dimensional array fabrication and the 2 lambda approach makes the input alignment to such an array easier. >
B2B Procurement and Marketplace Transformation

Emerging web technologies and systems have started a revolutionary path that will have a profound impact on procurement processes and systems, especially in the area of indirect procurement and the management of operating resources. In fact, what started as more narrowly focused procurement systems only a couple of years ago, has transformed into a web of technologies, markets, and business strategies that have ramifications well beyond the purchasing function. The focus of this paper is on the marketplace structure, functionality and capabilities of systems, and key factors that buyers need to take into consideration when transforming their procurement processes. Contents management, markets, standards, and outsourcing are important problems that are discussed in this paper.
Social Factors That Predict Fear of Academic Success.

Fear of academic success is ultimately a fear of social exclusion. Therefore, various forms of social inclusion may alleviate this fear. Three studies tested the hypothesis that social inclusion variables negatively predict fear of success. In Study 1, middle and high school students (n = 129) completed surveys of parental involvement, parental support, and fear of success. Only parental support negatively predicted fear of success. In Study 2, college students (n = 184) completed surveys of school connectedness, social isolation, and fear of success. Only school connectedness negatively predicted fear of success. In Study 3, college students from two universities (n = 605 total) completed surveys of family support, school connectedness, and fear of success. Both family support and school connectedness negatively predicted fear of success. To solve the problems of fear of success, school resources should focus on enhancing family support and school connectedness.
Micromirrors with electrically tunable curvature

Micromirrors with current-controlled curvature have been fabricated and tested. The principle behind the devices is that resistive heating changes the temperature of the micromirrors, causing a change in optical coating stress. For highly symmetric mirrors, the variable stress induces a uniform and reversible change in curvature. The mirrors used in this study were surface-micromachined from polysilicon and had gold coatings. The radius of curvature of a typical mirror could be tuned from 2.5 mm to 8.2 mm over a current-induced temperature range from 22/spl deg/C to 145/spl deg/C (estimated). The corresponding change in focus over this range, as measured by the Seidel parameters of the wavefront, was 0.38/spl lambda/ while the largest aberration (astigmatism) varied from its zero current value by less than 0.02/spl lambda/. These results should be readily extendable to tuning or correcting flat mirrors by changing the design stress of the reflective coating.
Compact Graph Model of Handwritten Images: Integration into Authentification and Recognition

A novel algorithm for creating a mathematical model of curved shapes is introduced. The core of the algorithm is based on building a graph representation of the contoured image, which occupies less storage space than produced by raster compression techniques. Different advanced applications of the mathematical model are discussed: recognition of handwritten characters and verification of handwritten text and signatures for authentification purposes. Reducing the storage requirements due to the efficient mathematical model results in faster retrieval and processingt imes. The experimental outcomes in compression of contoured images and recognition of handwritten numerals are given.
Microflora of Soil as Viewed by Freeze-Etching

Abstract The indigenous microflora of soil were released from the soil materials and concentrated without the occurrence of growth by use of a blending-simple centrifugation procedure. The cell concentrate was then frozen-etched and viewed by transmission electron microscopy. Criteria were established for detecting microbial cells among the residual soil debris. The freeze-etching of the soil cell concentrate provided results on cell size distributions in agreement with those obtained by thin sectioning. However, the blending-simple centrifugation procedure for cell release and concentration from soil allowed the observation of large cells (≥1.0 μm in diameter) which apparently are missed by the “exhaustive centrifugal washing” cell separation-concentration procedure. The procedure of blending-simple centrifugation combined with the viewing of frozenetched preparations allowed evaluations of the soil microflora for cellular diameters, length-width ratios, shapes, and structure.
A supplier's perspective on gate-level system simulation

In 1988, a small group of avionics module vendors volunteered to supply detailed PI-Bus interface models to ZYCAD for a demonstration of gate-level system simulation (GLSS). This initial effort, titled GLSS Experiment Zero, was designed to demonstrate the benefits of multivendor simulation early in the procurement process. The experiment provided JIAWG (Joint Integrated Avionics Working Group) and industry with a proof of concept for using gate-level system simulation as a tool for achieving interoperability. The authors describe TI's view of the GLSS demonstration. They suggested that the accomplishment of Experiment Zero was mostly one of education on what is required to achieve interoperability. >
Rebuilding Zion: The Religious Reconstruction of the South, 1863-1877

Both the North and the South viewed the Civil War in Christian terms. Each side believed that its fight was just, that God favored its cause. Rebuilding Zion is the first study to explore simultaneously the reaction of southern white evangelicals, northern white evangelicals, and Christian freedpeople to Confederate defeat. As white southerners struggled to assure themselves that the collapse of the Confederacy was not an indication of God's stern judgment, white northerners and freedpeople were certain that it was. Author Daniel W. Stowell tells the story of the religious reconstruction of the South following the war, a bitter contest between southern and northern evangelicals, at the heart of which was the fate of the freedpeople's souls and the southern effort to maintain a sense of sectional identity. Central to the southern churches' vision of the Civil War was the idea that God had not abandoned the South; defeat was a Father's stern chastisement. Secession and slavery had not been sinful; rather, it was the radicalism of the northern denominations that threatened the purity of the Gospel. Northern evangelicals, armed with a vastly different vision of the meaning of the war and their call to Christian duty, entered the post-war South intending to save white southerner and ex-slave alike. The freedpeople, however, drew their own providential meaning from the war and its outcome. The goal for blacks in the postwar period was to establish churches for themselves separate from the control of their former masters. Stowell plots the conflicts that resulted from these competing visions of the religious reconstruction of the South. By demonstrating how the southern vision eventually came to predominate over, but not eradicate, the northern and freedpeople's visions for the religious life of the South, he shows how the southern churches became one of the principal bulwarks of the New South, a region marked by intense piety and intense racism throughout the twentieth century.
Photoresponse Beyond the Absorption Edge in Silicon p-n Junctions

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes photoresponse beyond the absorption edge in silicon p–n junctions. Silicon p–n junctions have found extensive applications for many types of photoelectronic image devices. The response of these devices when used with an optical input is usually given only for wavelengths shorter than 1.1 μm—that is, photon energies greater than 1.12 eV. The present investigation was concerned with studying the response of p–n junctions at these longer wavelengths. The measurements were made on several junctions formed by diffusion or by epitaxial growth. The thickness of the diffused layers was about 2 μm and that of the epitaxial layers was 15 μm. The substrates were about 250 μm thick. The wafers were irradiated with chopped light from a Spex 1400 double-grating monochromator. The voltage drop across an external load resistor connected across the junction was measured by a lock-in amplifier. Results for a typical wafer show the normalized response as a function of photon energy for a 10 Ωcm phosphorus-doped, n-type Si epitaxial layer on a 10 Ωcm boron-doped, p-type Si substrate. At 0.99 eV, the response rises very sharply with photon energy.
Reliability and Functionality of Repairable Systems Using a Minimal Set of Metrics: Design and Maintenance of a Smart Charging Microgrid

The definition of reliability may not be readily applicable for repairable systems. Our recent work has shown that multiple metrics are needed to fully account for the performance of a repairable system under uncertainty. Optimal tradeoffs among a minimal set of metrics can be used in the design and maintenance of these systems. A minimal set of metrics provides the most information about the system with the smallest number of metrics using a set of desirable properties. Critical installations such as a remote microgrid powering a military installation require a careful consideration of cost and repair strategies. This is because of logistical challenges in performing repairs and supplying necessary spare parts, particularly in unsafe locations. This paper shows how a minimal set of metrics enhances decision making in such a scenario. It enables optimal tradeoffs between critical attributes in decision making, while guaranteeing that all important performance measures are satisfied. As a result, cost targets and inventory planning can be achieved in an optimal way. We demonstrate the value of the proposed approach using a US Army smart-charging microgrid installation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Understanding without formality: augmenting speech recognition to understand informal verbal commands

Verbal command and control systems are fairly common; almost all off-the-shelf speech recognition packages come with a way to perform various tasks through a voice command. Unfortunately, these systems require that the user utter the commands precisely in the format that it is expecting. These systems have a small number of grammar rules defined that are used to match against incoming utterances. Here, we present a method of using these same grammar rules to expand the capabilities of command and control engines to include semantically similar utterances. Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) is used to connect specific grammar rules with the meanings underlying matching phrases resulting in utterances being matched to grammar rules even though the exact phrase did not match any specific rule. Experiments are described that determine the extent to which this method can be used and how accurate it is.
Multiple stars: Anathemas or friends?

Abstract Multiple systems are generally divided into two groups: Trapezium systems and hierarchical systems. Trapezium systems consist of three or more stars whose separations are roughly equal. These systems are expected to be dynamically unstable. In hierarchical systems successive separations increase by large factors. The multiplicity of such hierarchies may be detected by a number of different techniques including astrometry, spectroscopy, photometry and speckle interferometry. Photometrically, an eclipsing system orbiting a third star will have periodic changes in eclipse timings as a result of light travel time effects. This manifests itself as an apparent change of the eclipse period. Another detectable effect is the precession of the line of nodes, resulting in a change of the inclination of the eclipsing pair. Such nodal precession may also be detected spectroscopically as a change in the semiamplitude of the orbit. Also, unexpectedly large and/or systematic radial velocity residuals often indicate a change in the center-of-mass velocity of the short period system due to orbital motion about a third component. Observational examples of such occurences are discussed. Finally, preliminary theoretical work on multiple star stability and formation is discussed and compared in some cases with observations.
On the logical relationship between natural selection and self-organization.

Most evolutionary biologists cherish Darwin’s theory of natural selection (NS) as the process of adaptive evolution more than 140 years after publication of his first book on the subject. However, in the past few decades the study of self-organization (SO) in complex dynamical systems has suggested that adaptation may occur through intrinsic reorganization without NS. In this study, we attempt to describe the logical framework that relates the general process of SO to the specific process of NS. We describe NS as a mechanism that coordinates the coevolution of species in an ecosystem to effectively capture, process and dissipate solar energy into the earth’s shadow. Finally, we conclude that NS is an emergent process founded on the same thermodynamic imperatives that are thought to underlie all SO. This perspective suggests that the theory of self-organizing systems offers a broader physical context in which to understand the process of NS, rather than contesting it. It even suggests the possibility that there may be a physical basis for understanding the origin of the process of NS. Rather than being merely a fluke of nature, the origin of NS that may be driven by energy flows across gradients.
Study of electrical polarization hysteresis in ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride films

Abstract Electric properties of polyvinylidene (PVDF) films fabricated using the Langmuir–Schaefer method have been studied. Films of different thickness were deposited on silicon substrates and analyzed using several techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data showed that PVDF films crystallize at an annealing temperature above 130 °C. Polarization versus electric field (PE) ferroelectric measurements was done for samples prepared with electrodes. PE measurements show that the coercivity of the films increases as the maximum applied electric field increases. The coercivity dependence on the frequency of the applied electric field can be fitted as f 0.6 . The results also show that the coercivity decreases with increasing the thickness of PVDF film due to the pinning effect.
Using Spiritually Modified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Help Clients Wrestling with Depression: A Promising Intervention for Some Older Adults

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective method for treating many older adults with depression. Efficacy may be enhanced for some clients, however, by modifying cognitive behavioral therapy with beliefs and values drawn from clients' spiritual narratives. Potential enhancements include faster recovery, improved treatment adherence, lower posttreatment relapse, and reduced treatment disparities. In light of the lack of training many gerontological social workers have received on spirituality, this paper orients readers to spiritually modified cognitive behavioral therapy. Toward this end, the research on this modality is reviewed, rationales for its suitability with older adults are provided, the process of constructing spiritually modified cognitive behavioral therapy self-statements with older adults wrestling with depression is illustrated, and ethical guidelines are discussed.
Role played by the interfacial shear in the instability mechanism of a viscous liquid jet surrounded by a viscous gas in a pipe

The role of interfacial shear in the onset of instability of a cylindrical viscous liquid jet in a viscous gas surrounded by a coaxial circular pipe is elucidated by use of an energy budget associated with the disturbance. It is shown that the shear force at the liquid–gas interface retards the Rayleigh-mode instability which leads to the breakup of the liquid jet into drops of diameter comparable to the jet diameter, due to capillary force. On the other hand the interfacial shear and pressure work in concert to cause the Taylor-mode instability which leads the jet to break up into droplets of diameter much smaller than the jet diameter. While the interfacial pressure plays a slightly more important role than the interfacial shear in amplifying the longer-wave spectrum in the Taylor mode, the shear stress plays the main role of generating the disturbances of shorter wavelength.
Control of DNA Strand Displacement Kinetics Using Toehold Exchange

DNA is increasingly being used as the engineering material of choice for the construction of nanoscale circuits, structures, and motors. Many of these enzyme-free constructions function by DNA strand displacement reactions. The kinetics of strand displacement can be modulated by toeholds, short single-stranded segments of DNA that colocalize reactant DNA molecules. Recently, the toehold exchange process was introduced as a method for designing fast and reversible strand displacement reactions. Here, we characterize the kinetics of DNA toehold exchange and model it as a three-step process. This model is simple and quantitatively predicts the kinetics of 85 different strand displacement reactions from the DNA sequences. Furthermore, we use toehold exchange to construct a simple catalytic reaction. This work improves the understanding of the kinetics of nucleic acid reactions and will be useful in the rational design of dynamic DNA and RNA circuits and nanodevices.
4-(1H)-Quinolones and 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroacridin-9(10H)-Ones Prevent the Transmission of Plasmodium falciparum to Anopheles freeborni

Malaria kills approximately 1 million people a year, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Essential steps in the life cycle of the parasite are the development of gametocytes, as well as the formation of oocysts and sporozoites, in the Anopheles mosquito vector. Preventing transmission of malaria through the mosquito is necessary for the control of the disease; nevertheless, the vast majority of drugs in use act primarily against the blood stages. The study described herein focuses on the assessment of the transmission-blocking activities of potent antierythrocytic stage agents derived from the 4(1H)-quinolone scaffold. In particular, three 3-alkyl- or 3-phenyl-4(1H)-quinolones (P4Qs), one 7-(2-phenoxyethoxy)-4(1H)-quinolone (PEQ), and one 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9(10H)-one (THA) were assessed for their transmission-blocking activity against the mosquito stages of the human malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) and the rodent parasite (P. berghei). Results showed that all of the experimental compounds reduced or prevented the exflagellation of male gametocytes and, more importantly, prevented parasite transmission to the mosquito vector. Additionally, treatment with ICI 56,780 reduced the number of sporozoites that reached the Anopheles salivary glands. These findings suggest that 4(1H)-quinolones, which have activity against the blood stages, can also prevent the transmission of Plasmodium to the mosquito and, hence, are potentially important drug candidates to eradicate malaria.
Transduction of bitter and sweet taste by gustducin

Several lines of evidence suggest that both sweet and bitter tastes are transduced via receptors coupled to heterotrimeric guanine-nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins). Gustducin is a taste receptor cell (TRC)-specific G protein that is closely related to the transducins. Gustducin and rod transducin, which is also expressed in TRCs, have been proposed to couple bitter-responsive receptors to TRC-specific phosphodiesterases to regulate intracellular cyclic nucleotides. Here we investigate gustducin's role in taste transduction by generating and characterizing mice deficient in the gustducin alpha-subunit (alpha-gustducin). As predicted, the mutant mice showed reduced behavioural and electrophysiological responses to bitter compounds, whereas they were indistinguishable from wild-type controls in their responses to salty and sour stimuli. Unexpectedly, mutant mice also exhibited reduced behavioural and electrophysiological responses to sweet compounds. Our results suggest that gustducin is a principal mediator of both bitter and sweet signal transduction.
A Single-Unit Decomposition Approach to Multiechelon Inventory Systems

We show the optimality of state-dependent echelon base-stock policies in uncapacitated serial inventory systems with Markov-modulated demand and Markov-modulated stochastic lead times in the absence of order crossing. Our results cover finite-time horizon problems as well as infinite-time horizon formulations, with either a discounted or an average cost criterion. We employ a novel approach, based on a decomposition of the problem into a series of single-unit single-customer problems that are essentially decoupled. Besides providing a simple proof technique, this approach also gives rise to efficient algorithms for the calculation of the base-stock levels.
Growth limitation of BHK-21 cells and its relation to folate metabolism.

The role of folate metabolism in growth control in monolayer and suspension cell cultures was studied in three related cell lines: BHK-21, polyoma-transformed BHK-21 (PyBHK), and an aminopterin-resistant derivative of BHK-21 (A5). BHK-21 cells had extremely low levels of dihydrofolate reductase, PyBHK had higher levels, and A5 had extremely high levels. Hypoxanthine and thymidine together, but not individually, induced BHK-21 to grow in agar, and stimulated its growth in agarose and monolayer culture. PyBHK and A5 grew spontaneously in agar, and hypoxanthine plus thymidine had little or no effect on their growth either in suspension or in monolayer cultures. We found that exogenous folinic acid, a derivative of folate metabolism that bypasses the function of dihydrofolate reductase, mimicked the gowth-stimulatory effects of exogenous hypoxanthine plus thymidine BHK-21. We conclude that the growth limination of BHK-21 in suspension culture is due, in part, to a deficiency of dihydrofolate reductase. This enzyme deficiency limits nucleoside synthesis and can be overcome by supplying end products of this pathway.
Two-flavor staggered fermion thermodynamics at N-t=12

We present results of an ongoing study of the nature of the high temperature crossover in QCD with two light fermion flavors. These results are obtained with the conventional staggered fermion action at the smallest lattice spacing to date, approximately 0.1 fm. Of particular interest are (1) a study of the temperature of the crossover, an important indicator of continuum scaling, (2) a determination of the induced baryon charge and baryon susceptibility, used to study the dissolution of hadrons at the crossover, (3) the scalar susceptibility, a signal for the appearance of soft modes, and (4) the chiral order parameter, used to test models of critical behavior associated with chiral symmetry restoration. From our new data and published results for ${N}_{t}=4, 6, \mathrm{and} 8$, we determine the QCD magnetic equation of state from the chiral order parameter using O(4) and mean field critical exponents and compare it with the corresponding equation of state obtained from an O(4) spin model and mean field theory. We also present a scaling analysis of the Polyakov loop, suggesting a temperature-dependent "constituent quark free energy."
Some physical properties of infective ribose nucleic acid isolated from tobacco mosaic virus.

Abstract Ribose nucleic acid (RNA) prepared from essentially monodisperse tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) by heating dilute salt solutions of the virus to 90° for 1 to 3 minutes, was found to be infective. The RNA displayed a quite narrow distribution of sedimentation constants, 50% of the molecules sedimenting between 27 and 30 S, even though a slower sedimenting component (∼ 20 S) was usually observed. The molecular weight determined from both light-scattering and sedimentation-viscosity measurements was 1.94 ± 0.16 million and the radius of gyration (6°, ionic strength of 0.06) was 316 A. The latter was extremely sensitive to temperature and ionic strength, indicating that the polynucleotide chains of the RNA molecules were flexible, and not at all rigid or rodlike in character. Prolonged standing, even at 5°, invariably resulted in a loss of infectivity, a broadening of the distribution of sedimentation constants, and a molecular weight decay. As the latter was quite irreproducible quantitatively, even under identical experimental conditions, it would appear that the instability was due to an impurity, possibly leaf ribonuclease, carried along in the preparations, rather than an inherent property of the RNA molecule.
OBSTACLE IN CLEANING DRAWING COMPOUNDS FROM ENAMELING IRON

Under certain conditions of storage, some drawing compounds (die lubricants) form or deposit a material on the surface of sheet enameling-iron parts which is insoluble in water and alkaline cleaners but is made soluble by organic solvents. Moisture and time seem to be necessary to the mechanism, and fatty acids, or the salts of fatty acids, may be the offending materials. A method of reproducing these conditions is described and some discussion of possible remedies is offered. The use of the test method described should aid in the development of improved drawing compounds and more effective cleaning methods.
Organisational databases of personnel information: Contrasting the concerns of human resource managers and employees

Computerisation, networking, and electronic surveillance and monitoring have individually and conjointly affected the practises of human resources (HR) management in work organisations. These technologies enhance the ability of HR professionals to gather, store, and process information about employees. We report results from two semi-structured interview studies - one of HR managers (n = 5) and one of employees (n = 15) - that contrast the concerns of these two groups on issues of personnel data, privacy, and technology. We used qualitative data coding techniques and quantitative analysis of code assignments to uncover patterns in interviewees' responses. Our findings revealed concordance between HR managers and employees in regard to the criticality of trust and justification in relation to the collection of personnel data through technological and non-technological means. Results also revealed divergences between managers and employees in knowledge of human resources policies and legal constraints as we...
Dynamics of heteropolymers in dilute solution: Effective equation of motion and relaxation spectrum.

The dynamics of a heteropolymer chain in solution is studied in the limit of long chain length. Using a functional integral representation, we derive an effective equation of motion, in which the heterogeneity of the chain manifests itself as a time-dependent excluded-volume effect. At the mean-field level, the heteropolymer chain is therefore dynamically equivalent to a homopolymer chain with both time-independent and time-dependent excluded volume effects. The perturbed relaxation spectrum is also calculated. We find that heterogeneity also renormalizes the relaxation spectrum. However, we find, to the lowest order in heterogeneity, that the relaxation spectrum does not exhibit any dynamic freezing at the point when static (equilibrium) ``freezing'' transition occurs in heteropolymer. Namely, the breaking of fluctuation-dissipation theorem proposed for spin-glass dynamics does not have a dynamic effect on the heteropolymer as far as the relaxation spectrum is concerned. The implication of this result is discussed. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Characterization of functional groups on oxidized multi-wall carbon nanotubes by potentiometric titration

Abstract Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNT), this material has been recognized as an attractive material because of its exceptional physical and chemical properties. CNT must be functionalized for most applications. However, the functional groups on the CNT are very complex. Here a simple acid–base titration is introduced to characterize the functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). By using the principle component analysis (PCA) of a titration data set of 21 independent curves, we can calculate the density of Bronsted acid functional groups for each differently functionalized MWCNT.
Homicidal deaths in infants and children

H o ra I c i D E generally is not regarded as an important cause of death in the pediatric age group. Yet 349 children under 15 years of age died in this way in 1957 in the United States and 426 more between 15 and 19 years of age were murdered. Of special interest are the deaths during the first year of life. In 1957, the last year for which data are available, 127 infants lost their lives by homicidal violence. Forty per cent of these perished during the first day of life and more than half during the first 28 days. In the United States infanticide is defined as slaying of the newborn infant immediately after birth, up to the moment when the birth is recorded2 There were 51 such deaths in 1957. Included in this category are babies found in trash cans, public toilets, parcel rooms, railway waiting rooms, and the like. Deaths for medical purposes, as in the case of craniotomy for hydrocephalus, are not included. Infanticide is classified as a form of homicide and has the same legal implications. The most frequent method of infanticide is some variety of asphyxiation. Stab wounds through the fontanel, the heart, or the neck, and fractures of the skull, as a result of re-
The attitudes of Philippine family planning physicians towards sterilization.

Abstract A study of a randomly selected sample of Philippine family planning physicians revealed that they were in general quite favorably disposed toward sterilization as a family planning method. Physicians with more favorable attitudes toward sterilization had a greater degree of concern about population growth and wanted fewer children than physicians with less favorable attitudes. No association could be shown between attitudes toward sterilization and degree of religiosity.
Endometrial biopsy in the office setting

In the past few years, endometrial biopsy has become a procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis, causing relatively minor discomfort to the client. It is frequently used as a method of dating the endometrium but has also become an important tool in screening for endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. It is also recommended by some as a part of the routine screening for women on hormone replacement therapy. This article presents the indications, contraindications, and technical procedure for performing endometrial biopsies in the office setting. In addition, complications and follow-up care are discussed.
Classification of solid dispersions: correlation to (i) stability and solubility (ii) preparation and characterization techniques

Solid dispersion has been a topic of interest in recent years for its potential in improving oral bioavailability, especially for poorly water soluble drugs where dissolution could be the rate-limiting step of oral absorption. Understanding the physical state of the drug and polymers in solid dispersions is essential as it influences both the stability and solubility of these systems. This review emphasizes on the classification of solid dispersions based on the physical states of drug and polymer. Based on this classification, stability aspects such as crystallization tendency, glass transition temperature (Tg), drug polymer miscibility, molecular mobility, etc. and solubility aspects have been discussed. In addition, preparation and characterization methods for binary solid dispersions based on the classification have also been discussed.
Selectivity of μ-opioid receptor determined by interfacial residues near third extracellular loop

Abstract We hypothesized that the selectivity profile of the rat μ-opioid receptor for opioid receptor-selective ligands is determined by the nature of the amino acid residues at highly divergent sites in the ligand-binding pocket. To determine which characteristics of these residues contribute to opioid receptor ligand selectivity, we made various mutant receptors that replaced the Lys 303 and Trp 318 residues near the extracellular interface of transmembrane domains VI and VII, respectively. Ligand binding determinations using transiently transfected monkey kidney epithelial (COS-1) cells show that Lys 303 mutations cause little change in the receptor binding profile, whereas the Trp 318 mutant receptors have considerably lower affinity for μ-opioid receptor-selective ligands and greatly increased affinity for δ-opioid receptor-selective ligands. The nature of these mutations show that this effect is not due to sterics or charge alone. [ 35 S]guanosine-5′- O -(3-thio)-triphosphate ([ 35 S]GTPγS) activity assays show that these residues may influence functional, as well as binding selection. We conclude that a primary role for Trp 318 is to form a basis for ligand selectivity.
Experimental proof for the intermediacy of zwitterions in the pathway leading to lumiketones upon irradiation of 2,5-cyclohexadienones

Abstract Details are presented of kinetic studies which demonstrate that a zwitterionic species is an obligatory intermediate in the photochemical rearrangement of a model 2,5-cyclohexadienone to its isomeric bicyclo (3.1.0)hex 3-en-2-one (lumiketone). In these studies, the zwitterionic intermediate has been successfully intercepted by lithium chloride present in the mixture. In addition, studies of the temperature dependence of zwitterion-derived processes suggest that cycloreversion of the zwitterion to the starting dienone by a symmetry-forbidden process is the main source of energy wastage in this system, and that this reversion becomes increasingly efficient as the temperature is raised.
The National Animal Germplasm Program: Challenges and Opportunities for Poultry Genetic Resources

In the United States, poultry genetic resources have consolidated because of economic pressures. Such consolidations can potentially jeopardize the poultry industry and the ability of research communities to respond to future challenges. To address the loss of genetic resources for all livestock and aquatic species, USDA established the National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP) in 1999. Since the initiation of NAGP, population surveys have been conducted on nonindustrial chicken and turkey breeds. These surveys not only provide insight into breed status, but also serve as a benchmark for future comparisons. The survey results revealed that 20 chicken breeds and 9 turkey breeds were in various stages of being lost. The NAGP has initiated an ex situ repository for cryopreserved germplasm and tissue that already contains 59 chicken lines and 2,915 tissue samples. As the NAGP, along with its industry and university partners, continues developing the ex situ collection, there are research opportunities in cryopreserved tissue utilization and studies of genetic diversity. For cryopreserved tissues, several key research areas include improving the cryopreservation protocols for rooster and tom semen by using cryoprotectants other than glycerol and utilizing embryonic cells. Although surveys have been conducted on public research lines and rare breeds, there is a void in understanding the level of genetic diversity present in U.S. poultry populations. Therefore, an opportunity exists to perform a series of genetic diversity studies using molecular- based approaches. Such an evaluation can help clarify population differences between research lines and rare breeds and, thereby, facilitate conservation strategies. There appears to be growing consumer interest in poultry products derived from heritage breeds and/or poultry raised in nonindustrial production systems. Although the depth of such market trends is unknown, such an interest may provide an important niche for rare poultry breeds and, thereby, strengthen the genetic base.