cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantum cascade laser FM spectroscopy of explosives

Polyisobutylene is an industrial polymer that is widely used in a number of applications including the manufacture of military grade explosives. We have examined the vapor emanating from a series of different molecular weight samples of polyisobutylene using high resolution Quantum Cascade Laser FM spectroscopy. The vapor phase spectra all exhibit a rovibrational structure similar to that for the gas phase isobutylene molecule. We have assigned the structure in the 890 cm-1 and 1380 cm-1 regions to the isobutylene ν28 and ν7 fundamental bands respectively. These spectroscopic signatures may prove useful for infrared sensing applications. Here we will present the infrared signatures along with recent GCMS data from a sample of C4, utilizing solid-phase microextraction vapor collection fibers, which confirm the presence of isobutylene as one of the volatile bouquet species in RDX-based explosives.
Characterization of Chaos Generated by Bistable Optical Systems with a Nonlinearity of the Form sin2(x)

Generation of chaos from nonlinear optical systems with an optical or electronic feedback has been studied for several years. Such chaotic signals have an important application in providing secure encryption in free-space optical communication systems. Lyapunov exponent is an important parameter for analysis of chaos generated by a nonlinear system. The Lyapunov exponent of a class of a nonlinear optical system showing a nonlinear transfer characteristics of the form sin2(x) is determined and calculated in this paper to understand the dependence of the chaotic response on the system parameters such as bias, feedback gain, input intensity and initial condition exciting the optical system. Analysis of chaos using Lyapunov exponent is consistent with bifurcation analysis and is useful in encrypting data signal.
Inhibition of human rhinovirus 3C protease by homophthalimides

Abstract Homophthalimides 2a and 3a were found to be inhibitors of Rhinovirus 3C protease through a blind screening effort. SAR studies resulted in compound 3g, which exhibited improved enzyme inhibition, in addition to whole cell antiviral activity. Molecular modeling studies suggest a preferred enzyme/inhibitor interaction, and LC/MS experiments confirmed tight/covalent binding of 3g to the enzyme.
18F-fluorocholine PET-guided target volume delineation techniques for partial prostate re-irradiation in local recurrent prostate cancer

Abstract Background and purpose We evaluate the contribution of 18 F-choline PET/CT in the delineation of gross tumour volume (GTV) in local recurrent prostate cancer after initial irradiation using various PET image segmentation techniques. Materials and methods Seventeen patients with local-only recurrent prostate cancer (median=5.7years) after initial irradiation were included in the study. Rebiopsies were performed in 10 patients that confirmed the local recurrence. Following injection of 300MBq of 18 F-fluorocholine, dynamic PET frames (3min each) were reconstructed from the list-mode acquisition. Five PET image segmentation techniques were used to delineate the 18 F-choline-based GTVs. These included manual delineation of contours (GTV man ) by two teams consisting of a radiation oncologist and a nuclear medicine physician each, a fixed threshold of 40% and 50% of the maximum signal intensity (GTV 40% and GTV 50% ), signal-to-background ratio-based adaptive thresholding (GTV SBR ), and a region growing (GTV RG ) algorithm. Geographic mismatches between the GTVs were also assessed using overlap analysis. Results Inter-observer variability for manual delineation of GTVs was high but not statistically significant ( p =0.459). In addition, the volumes and shapes of GTVs delineated using semi-automated techniques were significantly higher than those of GTVs defined manually. Conclusions Semi-automated segmentation techniques for 18 F-choline PET-guided GTV delineation resulted in substantially higher GTVs compared to manual delineation and might replace the latter for determination of recurrent prostate cancer for partial prostate re-irradiation. The selection of the most appropriate segmentation algorithm still needs to be determined.
Cooperative documentation: the patient problem list as a nexus in electronic health records

The patient Problem List (PL) is a mandated documentation component of electronic health records supporting the longitudinal summarization of patient information in addition to facilitating the coordination of care by multidisciplinary medical teams. In this paper, we report an ethnographic study that examined the institutionalization of the PL. Specifically, we explored: (1) how different groups (primary care providers, inpatient hospitalists, specialists, and emergency doctors) perceived the purposes of the PL differently; (2) how these deviated perceptions might affect their use of the PL; and (3) how the technical design of the PL facilitated or hindered the clinical practices of these groups. We found significant ambiguity regarding the definition, benefits, and use of the PL across different groups. We also found that certain groups (e.g. primary care providers) had developed effective cooperative strategies regarding the use of the PL; however, suboptimal usage was common among other user types, which could have a profound impact on quality of care and safety. Based on these findings, we provide suggestions to improve the design of the PL, particularly on strengthening its support on longitudinal and cooperative clinical practices.
New TPC benchmarks for decision support and web commerce

For as long as there have been DBMS's and applications that use them, there has been interest in the performance characteristics that these systems exhibit. This month's column describes some of the recent work that has taken place in TPC, the Transaction Processing Performance Council.TPC-A and TPC-B are obsolete benchmarks that you might have heard about in the past. TPC-C V3.5 is the current benchmark for OLTP systems. Introduced in 1992, it has been run on many hardware platforms and DBMS's. Indeed, the TPC web site currently lists 202 TPC-C benchmark results. Due to its maturity, TPC-C will not be discussed in this article.We've asked two very knowledgeable individuals to write this article. Meikel Poess is the chair of the TPC H and TPC-R Subcommittees and Chris Floyd is the chair of the TPC-W Subcommittee. We greatly appreciate their efforts.A wealth of information can be found at the TPC web site [ 1 ]. This information includes the benchmark specifications themselves, TPC membership information, and benchmark results.
Electron Heating due to S-Polarized Microwave (Laser) Driven Parametric Instabilities

Microwave experiments and simulation calculations for laser parameters are reported of electron heating and microwave (laser) absorption due to parametric instabilities excited in the strongly steepened density profile near the critical surface. An approximate theory is developed that shows that $\frac{{T}_{H}}{{T}_{e}}$ should be a function of only the variable $\frac{{f}_{H}I{{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{0}}^{2}}{{T}_{e}}$. The microwave measurements and simulation calculation results agree (\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20%) with this theory.
External limiting membrane and visual outcome in macular hole repair: spectral domain OCT analysis.

External limiting membrane and visual outcome in macular hole repair: spectral domain OCT analysis
The geriatrician and geriatric psychiatrist workforce in Texas: characteristics, challenges, and policy implications.

Objectives: This study provides a current analysis of the size and characteristics of the board-certified geriatrician and geriatric psychiatrist workforce in Texas, and thereby its capacity to meet increasing health needs of elders. Method: Secondary data on Texas board-certified geriatricians and geriatric psychiatrists from American Board of Medical Specialties database were analyzed. Results: The study found 1 geriatrician per 5,132 elders, and 1 geriatric psychiatrist per 21,327 elders, in Texas. Over 62% of geriatricians had active certification, 30% were females and the average age was 55.2 years. Rural geriatricians were disproportionately scarce (p < .001). Discussion: The study indicated a serious shortage of board-certified geriatricians and geriatric psychiatrists in Texas. This shortage is worse than that at the national level, and more marked along the Texas–Mexico border and counties lacking large health facilities. Addressing this workforce deficiency requires improvements in the geriatric...
Religion and politics in contemporary Iran

This article discusses religion and politics in contemporary Iran, with an emphasis on Shia radicalism, revolution, and national character. The relationship between religion and politics in Iran is analyzed in an historical context from the ancient time, the role of religious leaders in the Iranian political movements is discussed with a focus on the Iranian Revolution and on the Islamic Government, and aspects of Shia radicalism and Iranian national character are analyzed in some details. It is argued that the Iranian innovation in introducing Shi'ism as a minority, radical sect of Islam has been a manifestation of Iranian national character of independence and of her historical tradition as a great regional and world power. Shi'ism is a byproduct of the Iranian ancient traditions of state, religion, and politics, and of her cultural contributions to the Islamic and world civilizations; hence a remarkable continuity in Iran's past heritage of asserting her independence in the modem world of global transformation led by the superpowers. Iran is the motherland and springboard of Shi'ism and Shi'ism is an inalienable part of Islamic Iran, just as Zoroastrianism was of the ancient Sasanid Persia.
The meaning of work and the motivation to work

Abstract It was hypothesized that work motivation is, under certain conditions, a function of the meaning of work. Work motivation was measured by peer ratings, using a series of behaviorally anchored rating scales, and the meaning of work was measured by a set of semantic differential scales; the sample consisted of newly graduated engineers. Some support, although slight, is obtained for the hypothesis in general. The relationship is most likely to apply to a specific sort of employee: one who is task-oriented and low in general activity level. A secondary conclusion is that meaning of work, as measured by the semantic differential scales, is closely related to the more general concept of job satisfaction, although it predicts peer ratings of motivation better than does job satisfaction, as measured by the Job Descriptive Index.
Mining, Society and a Sustainable World. Jeremy P. Richards, Editor. Pp. 506. 2009. Springer: Heidelberg. ISBN 978-3-642-01 102-3. Price US $169.00.

During spring 2010, a flurry of newspaper articles touted the mineral resource potential of Afghanistan as a means of alleviating economic strains in that beleaguered country. However contrary to such notions, Mining, Society and a Sustainable World , edited by J.P. Richards, shows us that mineral wealth does not inevitably lead to general economic well-being, nor is it always possible to extract resources sustainably. Given that it deals with such a wide range of topics and consists of 16 chapters from 24 authors, Mining, Society and a Sustainable World is not light reading, but economic geologists will find much of interest. In the introduction, Richards points out the idea that Canada, the United States, and Australia owe their strengths to extraction of resources is not correct. The existence of resources may be helpful, but is not always necessary for economic prosperity (e.g., Japan) and in the end it is human resourcefulness …
Isolation of arterial-specific genes by subtractive hybridization reveals molecular heterogeneity among arterial endothelial cells

Arteries are distinguished from veins by differences in gene expression, as well as in their anatomy and physiology. The characterization of arterial- and venous-specific genes may improve our understanding of cardiovascular development and disease. Here we report the results of a subtractive hybridization screen for arterial-specific genes, and describe in detail the expression of a novel arterial-specific gene, Depp (decidual protein induced by progesterone), using a GFP-Cre knock-in that permits a comparison of both instantaneous and cumulative expression patterns in situ. Several features of Depp expression are noteworthy. First, Depp is expressed in endothelial cells of peripheral tissues, but not in atrial or ventricular endocardial cells of the heart. Very few genes have been reported to discriminate between these two cell types, and therefore this specificity may be useful in generating conditional mutations in other genes implicated in cardiovascular development. Second, Depp reveals an unexpected degree of molecular heterogeneity among arterial endothelial cells. Third, Depp is up-regulated in subsets of endothelial cells, in settings of adult neo-vascularization, including tumor angiogenesis. Taken together, these data reveal unanticipated temporal and spatial heterogeneity among arterial endothelial cells of various tissues and organs, raising new questions regarding the functional significance of this diversity.
Deep Sub-Wavelength Multimode Tunable In-Plane Plasmonic Lenses Operating at Terahertz Frequencies

We report on focusing of terahertz (THz) plasmons in two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at III-N heterostructures and in graphene by using planar circular grating lenses. Propagation of a broadband pulse of EM waves in 0.5-10 THz is studied by using finite difference time-domain (FDTD) approach. The results show that plasmonic modes excited by incident THz radiation are concentrated into λ/180 area localized under the central disc. Electric field intensity under the central point is found to be orders of magnitude larger than the outer grating area. Optimal geometries for enhanced radiation coupling and plasmon focusing are investigated. Plasmonic lens modes supported by system has the advantage of tunability by an applied voltage to gratings. The large field enhancement by plasmonic confinement presents the potential for sub-wavelength imaging.
Red−Green−Blue Emission from Tris(5-aryl-8-quinolinolate)Al(III) Complexes

A simple yet effective strategy for synthesis of 5-aryl-8-quinolinolate-based electroluminophores with tunable emission wavelengths is presented. Two different pathways for the attachment of electron-donating or electron-withdrawing aryl groups to the 5-position of the quinolinolate ligand via Suzuki coupling were developed. A successful tuning in the emission color was achieved: the emission wavelength was found to correlate with the Hammett constant of the respective substituents, providing a powerful strategy for prediction of the optical properties of new electroluminophores.
Embedded passive wireless sensors for detecting conductivity within RC structures

A passive, wireless and inexpensive sensor has been developed to monitor the conductivity of concrete and thereby provide information on the progress of chloride-induced corrosion of the embedded reinforcement in concrete structures. Sensors are designed to be attached to the reinforcement cages before placement of the concrete in new construction or in portions of rehabilitated structures. Sensors will then be interrogated intermittently over the service life during routine inspections. The results of two experimental investigations are discussed in this paper. In the first, conductivity sensors were submerged in liquids of increasing conductivity. In the second, conductivity sensors were embedded in concrete cylinders and interrogated over a 25-week period during initial set and curing of the concrete. Analysis of the measured data shows that the passive conductivity sensors were successful in detecting a variety of conductivity levels in the concrete.
A multimedia system for asynchronous collaboration using the Multicast Backbone and the World Wide Web

This paper describes a multimedia system called MWEB that is capable of recording and playing back classroom sessions over the Multicast Backbone (MBone) on the Internet. World Wide Web (WWW) clients are used as a front-end for the MWEB system. Offered media include audio, video and shared whiteboard. The goal of the MWEB system was to enhance the capability of an on-going virtual classroom project at North Dakota State University by providing a means for students to access previously recorded classroom sessions from any general purpose computer workstation attached to the Internet.
Use of the CEARXRF GUI‐Based Monte Carlo–Library Least‐Squares (MCLLS) Code for the Micro‐Focused EDXRF analyzer

The CEARXRF GUI-Based Monte Carlo–Library Least-Squares (MCLLS) Code is demonstrated with results from a micro-focused EDXRF analyzer, which can be used to calculate elemental weight fractions in metal alloys or rock samples accurately by library least-squares regression of the measured X-ray spectrum with computer-generated elemental library spectra. An elemental stratified sampling variance reduction technique has been implemented in the CEARXRF5 code, which equalizes the statistical precision of the elemental libraries within the measured sample independent of the relative elemental amounts that are present. Also, an improved Si(Li) detector response function (DRF) has been obtained for micro-focused X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers, and the DRF parameters are obtained based on regression from pure elemental experimental spectra. It is demonstrated that the resulting MCLLS approach can greatly improve the accuracy of elemental XRF analysis results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
UPDATE ON JUVENILE XANTHOGRANULOMA : UNUSUAL CUTANEOUS AND SYSTEMIC VARIANTS

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a well-recognized benign disorder of infancy and early childhood characterized by yellowish cutaneous nodules that spontaneously regress over months to years. In the vast majority of children, JXG is limited to the skin and requires no treatment. Over the past two decades, unusual cutaneous and systemic forms of JXG have been increasingly reported. JXGs have been discovered, usually unexpectedly, in every organ system of the body. Correct diagnosis is crucial to prevent unnecessary invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Unusual clinical and histological variants of JXG often require immunohistochemical studies and/or electron microscopy to establish the diagnosis. Nonlipidized, giant, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and clustered JXG are but some of the variants that are discussed in this article. The immunohistochemistry of JXG, current nosology, and hypotheses regarding the origins of JXG are also reviewed.
Activity and Thermosensitivity of Canine Cutaneous Veins after Inhibition of Monoamine Oxidase and Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase

The lateral saphenous vein of the dog was perfused with homologous blood at constant flow. Changes in driving pressure were used to measure active changes in venous tone. Administration of tranylcypromine greatly reduced the activity of monoamine oxidase in the vein and increased its response to electric stimulation of the lumbar sympathetic chain and to norepinephrine infusions. Administration of pyrogallol (a catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitor) also increased the response of the vein to adrenergic stimulation. These chemicals did not alter the increase in the sensitivity of the venous smooth muscle to sympathetic nerve impulses and infused norepinephrine produced by cooling the perfusate. Thus, the potentiating effect of local cooling on the response of the cutaneous veins to adrenergic stimulation cannot be explained by interference with the local enzymatic inactivation of catecholamines.
A Fast Nondominated Sorting Guided Genetic Algorithm for Multi-Objective Power Distribution System Reconfiguration Problem

Distribution system reconfiguration (DSR) is a multi-objective, nonlinear problem. This paper introduces a new, fast, nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (FNSGA) for the purpose of solving the DSR problem in normal operation by satisfying all objectives simultaneously with a relatively small number of generations and relatively short computation time. The objectives of the problem are to minimize real power losses and improve the voltage profile and load balancing index with minimum switching operations. Instead of generating several ranks from the nondominated set of solutions, this algorithm deals with only one rank; then the most suitable solution is chosen according to the operator's wishes. If there is no preference and all objectives have the same degree of importance, the best solution is determined by simply considering the sum of the normalized objective values. Also, a guided mutation operation is applied instead of a random one to speed up convergence. Radial system topology is satisfied using graph theory by formulating the branch-bus incidence matrix (BBIM) and checking the rank of each topology. To test the algorithm, it was applied to two widely studied test systems and a real one. The results show the efficiency of this algorithm as compared to other methods in terms of achieving all the goals simultaneously with reasonable population and generation sizes and without using a mutation rate, which is usually problem-dependent.
Analysis of Multiple Apoptosis Parameters Using a Microfluidic Chip-Based System

We have developed miniaturized assays for detection of phosphatidylserine exposure, caspase activity and DNA laddering using lab-on-a-chip technology. A readout system capable of two-color fluorescence detection was used to run disposable glass chips with various analytical functionalities. The chips contain an interconnected network of microchannels that permits either electrophoretic separations of biomolecules or simple flow cytometric analysis of cells.
Cooperative jamming to improve the connectivity of the 1-D secrecy graph

Consider a one-dimensional wireless network with n nodes uniformly and independently distributed at random in the interval [0,1]. In addition, m eavesdropper nodes are uniformly and independently distributed in [0,1]. For a randomly selected source-destination pair, we consider the problem of securely delivering a message from the source to the destination and we present achievable results on the number of eavesdropper nodes that can be tolerated by the network. Our constructions make use of cooperative jamming, in which nodes located close to the eavesdroppers generate artificial noise. For the one-dimensional network case, our results provide an improvement to the connectivity properties of the recently-introduced secrecy graph which is disconnected for any positive number of eavesdroppers without cooperative jamming. We consider cases of both known and unknown eavesdropper locations. For known eavesdropper locations, we show that a message can be securely delivered from the source to the destination with probability one as the number of nodes n goes to infinity, for any number of independent eavesdroppers m(n) satisfying equation. For unknown eavesdropper locations, we present a construction which can tolerate m(n) = o(n/ log n) under the assumption of independent eavesdroppers, but which is fragile in the face of collaborating eavesdroppers.
On the validity of characterizing eddy current phenomena by parabolic partial differential equations

Eddy current problems are commonly solved by neglecting displacement current. This assumption reduces Maxwell's equations to a parabolic partial differential equation [1]. It is shown that neglecting displacement currents entirely may reduce the space dimension of the problem and yields the magnetic and electric fields in the conducting regions accurately. However, the electric fields in the air regions are very inaccurate, and the charge distribution resulting on the conducting surfaces is absent in the standard solution, which neglects displacement currents and longitudinal field variations. The standard solution is found to yield the proper value of skin depth over a very wide range of conductivity, permeability, and frequency.
An improved deadlock prevention strategy for FMSs using theory of regions

The theory of regions has been recognized as the optimal deadlock prevention policy based on the marking/transition-separation instance (MTSI) or the event-state-separation-problem (ESSP) method for obtaining a maximally permissive controller in existing literature. All legal and live maximal behavior of the Petri nets model can be held by using above methods. However, its major drawback is all MTSIs (ESSPs) are required to indentify for solving the deadlock problems. For the reason, the crucial marking/transition-separation instance (CMTSI) is proposed in this paper to allow designers to deal with system deadlocks using few MTSIs. The advantage of the proposed methodology is that the computational cost can be reduced due to few MTSIs involved in. Importantly, the paper proves and demonstrates that our methodology is utilities.
Structural Determinants of Chemokine Binding by an Ectromelia Virus-Encoded Decoy Receptor

The EVM1 protein encoded by Ectromelia virus is a member of a highly conserved family of poxvirus chemokine binding proteins that interfere with host immune surveillance processes. EVM1 is abundantly expressed early during mousepox infection and is able to selectively bind CC chemokines and inhibit their interactions with host receptors. Here, we characterize the interaction between EVM1 and the human and murine chemokines CCL3 (MIP-1alpha), CCL2 (MCP-1), and CCL5 (RANTES). Each of these CC chemokines binds EVM1 with 1:1 stoichiometry and equilibrium dissociation constants ranging from 29 pM to 20 nM. The interactions are characterized by rapid-association kinetics between acidic EVM1 and generally basic chemokines with half-lives enduring up to 30 min. The 2.6-A crystal structure of EVM1 reveals a globular beta sandwich with a large, sequence-conserved surface patch encircled by acidic residues on one face of the protein. To determine whether this conserved cluster of residues is involved in chemokine engagement, a structure-based mutational analysis of EVM1 was employed. Mapping of the mutational results onto the surface of EVM1 reveals that a cluster of five residues (I173, S171, S134, N136, and Y69) emanating from one beta sheet is critical for CCL2 and CCL3 sequestration. Additionally, we find that the extended beta2-beta4 loop flanking this conserved cluster is also essential for high-affinity, lasting interactions with chemokines. This analysis provides insight into the mechanism of CC-chemokine inhibition employed by the poxvirus family of chemokine decoy receptors.
FaultTracer: a spectrum‐based approach to localizing failure‐inducing program edits

SUMMARY Detecting faults in evolving systems is important. Change impact analysis has been shown to be effective for finding faults during software evolution. For example, Chianti represents program edits as atomic changes, selects affected tests, and determines a subset of affecting changes that might have caused test failures. However, the number of affecting changes related to each test failure in practice may still be overwhelming for manual inspection. In this paper, we present a novel approach, FaultTracer, which ranks program edits according to their suspiciousness to reduce developer effort in manually inspecting affecting changes. FaultTracer adapts spectrum-based fault localization techniques, which assume the statements that are primarily executed by failed tests are more suspicious, and applies them in tandem with an enhanced change impact analysis to identify failure-inducing edits more precisely. We conducted an experimental study using 23 real versions of four real-world Java programs from the Software Infrastructure Repository. The experimental results show that FaultTracer localizes a real regression fault within top three atomic changes for 14 out of 22 studied real failures. When ranking only method-level changes, compared to the existing ranking heuristic, FaultTracer reduces the number of changes to be manually inspected by more than 50% on the data set of real regression faults, and by more than 60% on the data set of seeded faults. The fault localization component of FaultTracer is 80% more effective than traditional spectrum-based fault localization, and enables similar benefits when using either our enhanced change impact analysis or Chianti. The runtime overhead for FaultTracer to collect extended call graphs is 49.83 s for each subject on average and is only 8.26% more than that for Chianti to collect traditional call graph information. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Secondary Structure That Contains the 5′ and 3′ Splice Sites Suppresses Splicing of Duck Hepatitis B Virus Pregenomic RNA

Pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) plays two major roles in the hepadnavirus life cycle. It is the mRNA for two proteins required for DNA replication, C and P, and it is the template for reverse transcription. pgRNA is a terminally redundant transcript whose synthesis does not involve RNA splicing. For duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV), a spliced RNA is derived from pgRNA by removal of a single intron. The mechanism for the simultaneous cytoplasmic accumulation of unspliced (pgRNA) and spliced RNA was not known. We found that mutations within two regions of the DHBV genome reduced the level of pgRNA while increasing the level of spliced RNA. One region is near the 5' end of pgRNA (region A), while the second is near the middle of pgRNA (region B). Inspection of the DHBV nucleotide sequence indicated that region A could base pair with region B. The 5' and 3' splice sites of the intron of the spliced RNA are within regions A and B, respectively. Substitutions that disrupted the predicted base pairing reduced the accumulation of pgRNA and increased the accumulation of spliced RNA. Restoration of base pairing, albeit mutant in sequence, resulted in restoration of pgRNA accumulation with a decrease in the level of spliced RNA. Our data are consistent with a model in which splicing of the pgRNA is suppressed by a secondary structure between regions A and B that occludes the splicing machinery from modifying pgRNA.
Organizational Change and Stability in French Nuclear Power Operations

The French nuclear power system, owned and operated by Electricite de France (EDF), is renown for its use of a standard technology in the production of electricity. Despite the French use of similar, if not iden tical, systems in its 57 plants, change is also a recurrent phenomenon. This contrast between standardized technical systems and changing organizational systems is a critical element in EDF's effort to improve operational safety and efficiency This article describes selected aspects of EDF operations that reflect the historical emphasis on standardiza tion. It examines the various changes taking place at EDF that contrast with the apparent stability resulting from standardization, and it gives reasons for these changes and their implications.
Implementation of passive force control with redundant manipulators

An investigation is made of how physical quantities such as velocities, forces, and admittance and impedance matrices transform between task-space and joint-space of redundant manipulators. It is found that parallel redundant manipulators have joint-space force redundancy. The joint-space velocities are subjected to constraints, the violation of which would induce mechanical failure of the manipulator. Serial redundant manipulators, on the other hand, have a higher DOF only in joint-space velocities. The joint-space forces, in this case, are subjected to constraints, the violation of which would require infinite joint velocities. >
Multiscale Nest-Site Selection by Black-Capped Vireos

Abstract We used an information-theoretic approach to investigate nest-site selection by black-capped vireos (Vireo atricapilla) at the landscape and habitat-patch scales on Fort Hood Military Reservation in central Texas, USA, during 2003 and 2004. We used a use–availability sampling design and logistic regression to compare woody cover characteristics at nests to random points in the landscape to determine habitat selection at the landscape scale. At the habitat-patch scale, we used matched case-control logistic regression to compare habitat measures at nests and random non-nest points to evaluate support for hypotheses concerning the influence of woody cover, nest-patch, and nest-site characteristics on black-capped vireo nest-site selection. At the landscape scale, we found strong support (Akaike wt [wi] = 1.0) for a model with a cubic effect of percent woody cover and woody cover edge density. Sites with the greatest predicted probabilities of use had woody cover values between 30% and 60% and increa...
Four-Vector Potential for Point Charge Moving Arbitrarily in Cylindrical Drift Tube

Using the method of Green function, we have found expressions of the four-vector potential for a point charge moving along the arbitrary path in perfectly conducting cylindrical drift tube. The results obtained provide the basis for solution of rigorous self-consistent non-stationary problems on the propagation of relativistic electron beams in external electro-magnetic field by particle-in-cell method
Residency Training in Transition of Youth With Childhood-Onset Chronic Disease

OBJECTIVE: To assess the current medical school training of internal medicine and pediatric residents in transitioning youth with special health care needs from child-oriented to adult-oriented health care. METHODS: We surveyed internal medicine and pediatric residents to assess their preparedness to transition youth with special health care needs to adult-oriented health care. RESULTS: The survey results demonstrated that internal medicine residents felt unprepared to care for most patients with chronic childhood-onset illness; however, most pediatric residents were comfortable caring for such patients. CONCLUSION: Training in chronic childhood-onset illness should be included in internal medicine training programs.
Cleaning of Contaminated Channel Electron Multiplier Arrays

Polymerized organic materials found in vacuum systems frequently contaminate the individual channels (which can be as small as 15 microns) of an oil-pumped channel electron multiplier array used as a vacuum UV- to visible-radiation conversion device. It is shown that exposure to an oxygen plasma is an effective means of decontaminating the channels, thereby restoring the sensitivity of the device.
Client Control in Organizational Settings

This article, based on a study of a county welfare department, presents evidence that the "normal" process of waiting for service at a welfare agency leads to conflicts between clients and public officials. Organized clients usually generate conflicts because they are unwilling to accept long waiting periods as normal. Their resistance to bureaucratic norms modifies the traditional dominant-subordinate relationship between officials and clients.
Comparative assessment of (18) F-Mefway as a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor PET imaging agent across species: Rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans.

We have developed (18) F-trans-Mefway ((18) F-Mefway) for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies of serotonin 5-HT1A receptors which are implicated in various brain functions. Translation of imaging the 5-HT1A receptor in animal models to humans will facilitate an understanding of the role of the receptor in human brain disorders. We report comparative brain distribution of (18) F-Mefway in normal mice, rats, monkeys, and healthy human volunteers. Mefway was found to be very selective, with subnanomolar affinity for the 5-HT1A receptor. Affinities of >55 nM were found for all other human-cloned receptor subtypes tested. Mefway was found to be a poor substrate (>30 μM) for the multidrug resistance 1 protein, suggesting low likelihood of brain uptake being affected by P-glycoprotein. Cerebellum was used as a reference region in all imaging studies across all species due to the low levels of (18) F-Mefway binding. Consistent binding of (18) F-Mefway in cortical regions, hippocampus, and raphe was observed across all species. (18) F-Mefway in the human brain regions correlated with the known postmortem distribution of 5-HT1A receptors. Quantitation of raphe was affected by the resolution of the PET scanners in rodents, whereas monkeys and humans showed a raphe to cerebellum ratio of approximately 3. (18) F-Mefway appears to be an effective 5-HT1A receptor imaging agent in all models, including humans. (18) F-Mefway therefore may be used to quantify 5-HT1A receptor distribution in brain regions for the study of various CNS disorders. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:1457-1471, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bevacizumab as a treatment for radiation necrosis of brain metastases post stereotactic radiosurgery.

Background. Cerebral radiation necrosis (RN) is a difficult to treat complication of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) that can result in progressive neurologic decline. Currently, steroids are the standard of care treatment for brain RN despite their adverse effect profile and limitedefficacy.Thepurposeofthisstudywastoevaluate the treatment efficacy of cerebral RN to bevacizumab in patients with brain metastases previously treated with SRS. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 14 lesions in 11 patients treated with bevacizumab for brain RN secondary to SRS for their brain metastases. Steroid dosing, RN-associated symptoms, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were examined before, during, and after bevacizumab administration. Results. Of the 11 patients included, 6 had metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer, and 5 had metastatic breast cancer. The mean percentage decrease in RN volume seen on T1 post-Gadolinium and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI at first follow-up, at a mean of 26 days (range, 15‐43 days), was 64.4% and 64.3%, respectively. MRI changes were sustained on follow-up MRI scans, obtained at a mean of 33 days (range, 7‐58 days)afterbevacizumabdiscontinuation.Afterbevacizumabtreatment,allpatientsinitiallyreceivingsteroidshad areductioninsteroidrequirement, andallbutone hadan improvement in or stability of RN-associated symptoms. No patients experienced intratumoral bleeds or other adverse effects related to their bevacizumab treatment. Conclusions. Bevacizumab is effective and safe for the treatment of RN after SRS for brain metastasis. In this context, bevacizumab offers symptomatic relief, a reduction in steroid requirement, and a dramatic radiographic response.
Erratum to Observation and Prediction of Dynamic Ground Strains, Tilts, and Torsions Caused by the Mw 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California, Earthquake and Aftershocks, Derived from UPSAR Array Observations

Online Material: Corrected figures and strain, rotation, and displacement gradient time series.
COMMUNAL DIMENSIONS OF FORGIVENESS: LEARNING FROM THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MATTHEW SHEPARD

(1999). COMMUNAL DIMENSIONS OF FORGIVENESS: LEARNING FROM THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MATTHEW SHEPARD. Journal of Pastoral Theology: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 49-61.
Cerebral Circulatory and Electroencephalographic Changes in Aging and Dementia

A full understanding of senescent behavioral changes requires information from in vivo physiologic studies, including both the electroencephalogram (EEG) and cerebral blood flow (CBF). The purpose of the present paper is to review some of the recent findings on cerebral physiology in the dementias of old age. Earlier EEG and CBF findings have been extensively reviewed elsewhere (Obrist 1972; Obrist 1975) and will only be summarized here.
Obstetrical textbooks: recommendations about drinking during pregnancy.

Abstract Background: For the past 2 decades, public health authorities have recommended that pregnant women abstain from alcohol. We reviewed obstetrical textbooks published over the last 4 decades to identify trends in recommendations for drinking during pregnancy. The study was begun in 2000 and completed in 2001. Design: Eighty-one texts were identified from a national listing service (n =51) and local library shelves (n =30). Results: Only 14 (17%) of the texts contained a consistent recommendation that pregnant women should not drink alcohol. Although there was a slight upward trend toward recommendations for abstinence in more recent texts, only 24% of the 29 texts published after 1990 were in this category. Fifty-three percent of all texts and 52% of texts published after 1990 contained a sentence condoning drinking at some level. The remaining texts (30%) contained no recommendations. Conclusions: Many texts, even those published recently, have not embraced public health recommendations and, in some instances, contradict them.
Making and using DNA microarrays: a short course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

The conundrum is familiar. You are sent back in time to the Middle Ages with no artifact from the present, brought before the local ruler, and given 24 hours to prove you are indeed from the future, to impress the ruler and his advisors in some way, before you are executed in some suitably hideous fashion. What do you do? Toying with this conundrum reveals how little we know in a practical sense about the everyday items that surround us. Can you fix your carand your computer? My guess is that few, if any, readers can do so. And so it was with some trepidation that Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory agreed to host a short course in the Fall of 1999, funded in part by the National Cancer Institute, in which students, primarily biologists, would not only print, use, and analyze DNA microarrays but would start the course by building the machines used to print the arrays. For some time, Patrick Brown and colleagues (Chu et al. 1998;DeRisi et al. 1997; Lashkari et al. 1997) at Stanford had been advocating the idea that smaller laboratories could enter the fray and hype surrounding these emerging microarray technologies by building machines rather than by buying them, a self-help philosophy that was strengthened by the Brown laboratory's web-based publication in June 1998 of the MGuide, a step-by-step guide to construct the arrayer, complete with parts list. Indeed, a number of laboratories have gone ahead and built their own machines.
Precision medicine comes of age in nephrology: identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for chronic kidney disease

The goal of "precision medicine" is to characterize diseases based on the underlying molecular biology, in order to identify specific biomarkers and therapeutic targets that will ultimately improve clinical outcomes. The nephrology research community has developed a strong foundation for precision medicine, and recent publications demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in chronic kidney disease.
Dilemmas of Christian Pacifism within a Historic Peace Church

A review of the literature on peace movements and pacifism in America reveals a small but slowly increasing concern for replacing war and violence with peaceful methods of conflict resolution. Recently many Christian denominations have recognized the validity of the pacifist option for their members who are conscientiously opposed to participation in military operations. Since pacifism has come to be associated with left-wing movements, pacifists and conservative church members tend to locate toward opposite ends of the liberal-conservative socio-religious-political continuum.Although a majority of Mennonites adhere to their traditional pacifism rooted in a conservative biblicism, a minority do not. A major survey of Mennonite church members reveals their pacifist and political leanings. The hypothesis that conservatives would accept pacifism more strongly than liberals was rejected.
Role of the Pulsatile Thrust of the Aorta in Genesis of Gastric Ulcer.

Conclusions and summary1. Retroaortic placement of the fundus of the dog's stomach is followed by development of gastric ulcer at site of impingement of the aortic thrust upon the gastric wall. Perforation with formation of a gastroaortic fistula was a frequent sequel.2. It is not unlikely in man that the mid lesser curvature gastric ulcer owes its origin in part to the thrust of aortic pulsations.
Non-linear Characteristics Analysis of Gear Pairs with the Impact of Rotational Speed and Torque

A nonlinear two-degree-of-freedom dynamics model for a spur gear pair system is developed by considering the time-varying stiffness,mesh damping,backlash and transmission error. The differential equations w ere solved by the fourth-order variable step size Runge-Kutta algorithm. The statistics of the proportion of tooth contact states in the iterative process w ere acquired,and the impact of the rotational speed and torque on dynamic transmission error w as studied. It show n that the tooth mesh condition changes w ith the increase of rotational speed, w hich explains the cycle and chaos response of the dynamic transmission error and the error amplitude jump phenomena. With the increase of torque,jumping phenomenon of the rotational speed increased,the changes of amplitude also increased,but the tooth impact reduced.
Design and Realization of Real-time Vehicle Best Path Search Algorithm in CTI

In Critical Transportation Infrastructure (CTI) dynamic simulation,vehicle Agent behavior is a key factor of emerging macro-feature in CTI. Real-time best path search algorithm is one of the nuts and difficulties of vehicle Agent's behavior. In order to solve real-time vehicle Agent best path search algorithm,major best path search algorithms such as Floyd,Dijkstra,and A* were briefly analyzed. An improved Floyd algorithm was put forward through reducing the complexity of algorithm. The complexity of improved Floyd algorithm was also analyzed. Simulation results show the effectiveness and practicality of the algorithm.
477 EFFECTS OF NEUROSTERIOD PRENENOLONE SULFATE ON THE AMPA RECEPTOR TRAFFICKING IN THE DEVELOPING BRAIN

Neurosteroids are a group of endogenous compounds locally produced from cholesterol by neurons and glial cells of the central and peripherial nervous system without the aid of any peripherial nervous system. These compounds have numerous effects on neuronal function and physiology with a variety of potential neuropharmacological utilities. Pregnenolone sulfate (PREGS) is one of the most abundant neurosteroids in the mammalian CNS, which shows a role in memory and cognition The definitive characterization of the endogenous role and mechanism of action of this neurosteroid has not yet been elucidated. There is evidence supporting that the enchancement of cognition observed with PREGS is due to its modulator effects on neuronal ion channels and metabotropic receptors. PREGS have been shown to potentiate AMPAR mediated miniature excitory postsynaptic currents (mEPCs) frequency but not amplitude and decrease paired pulse facilitation of autaptic EPSCs caused by depolarization. We hypothesize that PREGS-induced increase of glutamate release induces postsynaptic upregulation of AMPA receptor subunits. The goal of this research is to determine if PREGS increases cell surface expression of GluR1, GluR2/3, and/or Glur4 subunits of AMPA receptors. We will use an approach based on cross-linking of extracellular proteins followed by Western immunoblotting to assess the surface expression of these subunits. The effects of PREGS will be demonstrated in Adult Sprague-Dawley rat pup at P3–4, handled according to protocol currently approved by the UNMHSC Institional Animal Care and USE Committee. We will demonstrate these effects through differential expression of intracellular to extracellular pools of AMPA receptors subunits in PREG treated vs control hippocampal neurons. Our initial studies have shown a difference in receptor pools expression. Comparison of receptor levels will be performed using paired student’s t-test. Statistical significance will be set at a p≤0.05, B=0.8. Our research alone will not be able to distinguish the effects of PREGS on localization of AMPAR subunits from extrasynaptic sites mediating observed biological effects or through protein phosphorylation and activation. We are conducting separate eletrophysiological experiments to provide further evidence that in combination with this research may prove our current hypthopesis.