cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Spin-Unrestricted Density Functional Theory for Redox Properties of Rubredoxin Redox Site Analogues

Quantum chemical calculations of metal clusters in proteins for redox studies require both computational feasibility as well as accuracies of at least ∼50 mV for redox energies but only ∼0.05 A for bond lengths. Thus, optimization of spin-unrestricted density functional theory (DFT) methods, especially the hybrid generalized gradient approximation functionals, for energies while maintaining good geometries is essential. Here, different DFT functionals with effective core potential (ECP) and full core basis sets for [Fe(SCH3)4]2−/1−10 and [Fe(SCH3)3]1−/0, which are analogues of the iron−sulfur protein rubredoxin, are investigated in comparison to experiment as well as other more computationally intensive electron correlation methods. In particular, redox energies are calibrated against gas-phase photoelectron spectroscopy data so no approximations for the environment are needed. B3LYP gives the best balance of accuracy in energy and geometry as compared to B97gga1 and BHandH and is better for energies than...
Developing and assessing lower-ses Hispanic children's inferential thinking through a museum-school program

An interpretive tour of an ecology exhibit was integrated with classroom lessons to develop scientific observing and inferring skills in lower socio-economic status (SES) Hispanic children. Fourteen fourth-grade teachers were trained to use the program. One hundred twenty-one (121) Hispanic children experienced the program over six weeks and 128 children experienced the same program in a two-week intensive format. Two classes totaling 34 children served as controls. Open-ended pretests and posttests were used to examine student use of descriptors and logical inferences. Neither group excelled in using descriptors, but the six-week treatment group produced more and/or better inferences than the two-week or control groups.
Changes in muscle morphology and histochemistry produced by denervation, 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile and epineurial vinblastine.

Three types of muscle fibers are present in the normal triceps surae of the rat; they are designated large, pale; intermediate; and small, dark. Following denervation, these fibers undergo changes which cause the muscles to become less distinctive with respect to fiber types. The fibers atrophy preferentially, round up, lose their angularity, and lose their staining capacity for succinic dehydrogenase, mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase, and the periodic acid-Schiff procedure. Intraperitoneally administered 3,3′-iminodipropionitrile produces no change in muscle histochemical characteristics. Injection of vinblastine into the epineurium of the sciatic nerve results in a histochemical picture similar to that of denervation, while destruction of the nerve occurs distal to the site of injection.
Hard x-ray microimaging techniques based on phase zone plates

Phase zone plates of high focusing efficiency and submicron resolution have been demonstrated in the hard x-ray region. A scanning microscope based on these focusing optics will create many new applications. Preliminary results in the applications of the microscope are reported here. In the area of imaging, we have utilized absorption contrast to clearly identify the locations of Au and Ni constituents in a sample of two interleaved grids. Micro-EXAFS spectra has also been obtained on a Ni foil. Fluorescence from a nuclear fuel sample, as an example of microanalysis, has revealed the elemental distribution at the interfaces. Lastly, microdiffraction from AgBr crystallites has been studied. 5 figs, 7 refs.
Micromachining 3D hemispherical features in silicon via micro-EDM

This paper presents an investigation of micro electrical discharge machining (µEDM) as a viable method for micromachining 3D shapes in silicon. The approach integrates a two-step µEDM process with standard silicon microfabrication techniques to create smooth and axisymmetric 3D hemispherical structures with eccentricity, e ∼ 0.11 and a radius variation < 2%. Through the selection of ultrahard polycrystalline diamond as the µEDM electrode, the low tool wear allows for high throughput machining of 200 wells in silicon within a short total processing time of 80 min. Feasibility of the approach is demonstrated in the fabrication of millimeter scale hemispherical shell structures using the machined silicon features as a mold.
Evaluation of an Articulation-Index Based Model for Predicting the Effects of Adaptive Frequency Response Hearing Aids

The Articulation Index (AI) was used to evaluate an “adaptive frequency response” (AFR) hearing aid with amplification characteristics that automatically change to become more high-pass with increasing levels of background noise. Speech intelligibility ratings of connected discourse by normal-hearing subjects were predicted well by an empirically derived AI transfer function. That transfer function was used to predict aided speech intelligibility ratings by 12 hearing-impaired subjects wearing a master hearing aid with the Argosy Manhattan Circuit enabled (AFR-on) or disabled (AFR-off). For all subjects, the AI predicted no improvements in speech intelligibility for the AFR-on versus AFR-off condition, and no significant improvements in rated intelligibility were observed. The ability of the AI to predict aided speech intelligibility varied across subjects. However, ratings from every hearing-impaired subject were related monotonically to AI. Therefore, AI calculations may be used to predict relative—but ...
The Distributional Effects of Uniform Air Pollution Policy in the United States

Pressures for uniformly applied emission standards come from local political leaders who fear that industry will be lost to areas with a more-efficient policy of adjusting environmental controls to suit local conditions and preferences; but analysis of the cost distribution shows that the results are neither uniform nor economically efficient. Standardization is found to create an income redistribution, however, which is consistent with current social policies of shifting net benefits to low-income groups. A cost-benefit analysis of the impact of uniform regulation by income groups reveals the bias toward minority residents of polluted urban areas. The overall effect of the Clean Air Act is that polluters, but not the general public, are treated uniformly. 13 references.
Drawing on Funds of Knowledge and Creating Third Spaces to Engage Students with Academic Literacies

The articles in the first section of this special issue contribute to a blurring of the boundaries between well-established binaries in education: between students’ home life and school life, between teachers and students, between academic essays and more informal modes of discourse, and between researchers and those they study. Grounded in specific local and historical contexts, these papers generate inspiring connections to two theories - funds of knowledge (Moll et al., 1992) and third spaces (Gutierrez, Rymes, and Larson, 1995) - that have much to offer research in academic literacies by pushing beyond traditional binary oppositions. In the funds of knowledge project (Gonzalez, Moll, and Amanti, 2005), teachers are trained to research the resources and practices of students’ home communities and to draw on these resources in curriculum development and teaching. This approach complements the notion of the Third Space in which students’ unofficial discourses (or ‘counterscripts’) are ratified and incorporated into the work of the classroom alongside official school discourses and practices.
Ethics in Professional Nursing Practice

With expanded roles in nursing comes increased responsibility, often without clear authority. Understanding professional ethics and their practical application is essential to professional practice. The authors review the concept of ethics and discuss examples for application of ethical judgment from OGN nursing practice.
Radiative and Auger rates of high doubly excited states of multiply charged heliumlike ions.

The radiative and Auger rates of doubly excited states of positive ions where the principal quantum numbers of both electrons are large ({ge}6) are studied using a restricted-configuration-interaction method. The partial radiative and Auger rates to final states are calculated for doubly excited states of Ar{sup 16+}. It is shown that the propensity rule for both the radiative and Auger decay is {Delta}{ital v}={ital v}{sub {ital f}}{minus}{ital v}{sub {ital i}}=0, where {ital v} is the bending vibrational quantum number of the doubly excited state. Systematics of the radiative and Auger rates along different sequences of doubly excited states are also investigated.
A Two-Dimensional Model of Inertial Oscillations Generated by a Propagating Wind Field

Abstract A linear, two-dimensional, continuously stratified, viscous model has been developed to study the inertial oscillations generated by a propagating wind field. The model, an extension of that of Kundu and Thomson, includes the presence of a coast and superposition due to distributed forcing. These two effects generate a large subsurface oscillation, provided the wind spectrum has energy near the inertial frequency. The presence of the coast causes an additional blue shift of the frequency, and a downward flux from the surface-coast corner. The superposition of responses with random phases does not cancel out but initially increases the rms amplitude as (time)½. The model spectra have a blue shift that increases with depth and can also contain secondary peaks at higher frequencies if the speed of propagation is not too large. For a given propagation speed the blue shift, and hence the downward flux from the surface, is larger in the deep ocean where the gravity wave speeds cn are larger. A calculat...
Identification of magnetic materials by discrete Fourier transform

The feasibility of the application of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) to the DC remanence and switching field distribution curves is analyzed, as a quick and inexpensive tool to characterize magnetic materials. It is shown that the DFT is directly related to the coercivity, irreversible susceptibility, and the highest magnetic field applied above saturation. As these quantities are interrelated with the microstructural peculiarities of the material, the size, shape, and interaction distribution of the constituting particles, i.e. to the magnetic identity of a magnetic material, the DFT is a useful tool to characterize and identify materials. However, the application of DFT requires taking into account certain constraints when performing hysteresis measurements and applying fast Fourier transform algorithms.
A model for holon condensation in an RVB superconductor

A quasiparticle description of the hole doped short range RVB state is developed and it is applied to study the ground state properties of the interacting many holon fluid. The model is based on the conjecture that the elementary charged excitation of the RVB state, the holon, corresponds to an quantized vortex in a condensed quantum fluid of mobile singlets. The doped RVB state is described as a two component fluid of these quasiparticles with repulsive electrostatic interparticle interactions and an effective U(1) gauge field coupling the motion of these objects to the condensed particles of the parent RVB fluid. In this model for the doped state we find: (1) Quantum commensurability effects in the doped state, similar to those encountered in the fractional quantum Hall problem, lead to phase segregation of a doped state which corresponds to a 20% dilution of the doped antiferromagnet. (2) The ground state of the interacting holon fluid at this density is found to exhibit off diagonal long range order, describing a two-dimensional pairing condensation of the holons.
Denervation protects limbs from inflammatory arthritis via an impact on the microvasculature

Two-way communication between the mammalian nervous and immune systems is increasingly recognized and appreciated. An intriguing example of such crosstalk comes from clinical observations dating from the 1930s: Patients who suffer a stroke and then develop rheumatoid arthritis atypically present with arthritis on only one side, the one not afflicted with paralysis. Here we successfully modeled hemiplegia-induced protection from arthritis using the K/BxN serum-transfer system, focused on the effector phase of inflammatory arthritis. Experiments entailing pharmacological inhibitors, genetically deficient mouse strains, and global transcriptome analyses failed to associate the protective effect with a single nerve quality (i.e., with the sympathetic, parasympathetic, or sensory nerves). Instead, there was clear evidence that denervation had a long-term effect on the limb microvasculature: The rapid and joint-localized vascular leak that typically accompanies and promotes serum-transferred arthritis was compromised in denervated limbs. This defect was reflected in the transcriptome of endothelial cells, the expression of several genes impacting vascular leakage or transendothelial cell transmigration being altered in denervated limbs. These findings highlight a previously unappreciated pathway to dissect and eventually target in inflammatory arthritis.
On the ultimate normalized chromatic difference sequence of a graph

Abstract For graphs G and H , the Cartesian product G × H is defined as follows: the vertex set is V ( G ) × V ( H ), and two vertices ( g , h ) and ( g ′, h ′) are adjacent in G × H if either g = g ′ and hh ′ ϵ E ( H ) or h = h ′ and gg ′ ϵ E ( G ). Let G k denote the Cartesian product of k copies of G . The chromatic difference sequence cds ( G ) is defined by cds ( G ) = ( a 1 , a 2 − a 1 ,…, a t − a t − 1 ,…) where a t denotes the maximum number of vertices of t -colorable subgraph of G . The normalized chromatic difference sequence ncds ( G ) is defined by ncds ( G ) = cds ( G )/ V ( G ). This paper studies the ultimate normalized chromatic difference sequence of a graph NCDS ( G ) which is equal to the limit of ncds ( G k ) as k goes to infinity. We study NCDS ( G ) under the context of other graph theoretical properties: star chromatic number, hom-regularity, and graph homomorphism. We have provided new upper and lower bounds for NCDS ( G ). We have also proved, among others, that if there is a homomorphism from a graph G to a graph H , then NCDS ( G ) dominates NCDS ( H ).
Surgical reconstruction of the iliac arteries prior to endovascular aortic aneurysm repair

Purpose To explore a method of combined endovascular/conventional treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), in which the iliac arteries are reconstructed by conventional surgical techniques to provide the anatomic substrate for subsequent endovascular repair of the aortic aneurysm. Method A 77-year-old patient with severe cardiac disease was found to have a 6.5-cm AAA, bilateral common iliac artery (CIA) aneurysms, and diffusely narrowed, tortuous external iliac arteries. The left internal iliac artery was occluded. At operation, the right CIA was exposed through a transverse retroperitoneal incision under epidural anesthesia. An iliobifemoral bypass was constructed using a preformed bifurcated graft. A stent-graft was delivered through the right limb of the bifurcated iliobifemoral graft. The proximal end of the stent-graft was implanted in the neck of the aneurysm, and the distal end was deployed in the common trunk of the iliobifemoral graft, thereby excluding the AAA and both native iliac arteries from prograde arterial flow. Results Completion angiography and follow-up contrast computed tomography showed the aneurysm to be excluded from the circulation. The patient was not intubated, was never hemodynamically unstable, and had aortic blood flow interrupted for no more than 20 seconds. In addition, he was able to resume his usual diet on the first postoperative day. He continues to be well and without evidence of endoleak at 6-month follow-up. Conclusions This case demonstrates that iliac artery stenosis, tortuosity, and aneurysmal dilatation are not impediments to endovascular AAA exclusion. Any necessary surgical modifications of pelvic arterial anatomy can be performed before stent-graft insertion to minimize aortic occlusion time.
An Analysis of Klemp–Wilhelmson Schemes as Applied to Large-Scale Wave Modes

Abstract The use of Klemp–Wilhelmson (KW) time splitting for large-scale and global modeling is assessed through a series of von Neumann accuracy and stability analyses. Two variations of the KW splitting are evaluated in particular: the original acoustic-mode splitting of Klemp and Wilhelmson (KW78) and a modified splitting due to Skamarock and Klemp (SK92) in which the buoyancy and vertical stratification terms are treated as fast-mode terms. The large-scale case of interest is the problem of Rossby wave propagation on a resting background state. The results show that the original KW78 splitting is surprisingly inaccurate when applied to large-scale wave modes. The source of this inaccuracy is traced to the compressible vertical adjustment—and more precisely, to the splitting of the hydrostatic balance terms between the small and large time steps. The splitting errors can be reduced somewhat through implicit biasing, but large biasing coefficients are needed for acceptable error levels—and even then the...
Über die Entstehung des Schmerzes Beim Magen- und DuodenalgeschwÜr

Einwandfreie Falle von Magen- oder DuodenalgeschwUren bei absoluter Achylie (histamin-negative) sind bisher noch nicht berichtet worden. Wenn solch ein Fall gefunden wird, sollte man die Schmerzen sehr vorsichtig studieren, um festzustellen, ob sie auf das GeschwUr zurUckzufUhren sind. Entleerung des Magens wahrend der GeschwUrschmerzen zeigt gewohnlich ziemlich hohe Salzsaurewerte. Die EinfUhrung der Salzsaurelosungen von genUgender Quantitat und Konzentration in den Magen zur rechten Zeit ruft die GeschwUrschmerzen hervor, welche man durch Entleerung des Magens oder durch Neutralisation der Salzsaure mit Alkali zum Verschwinden bringen kann. Ich mochte betonen, da\ es mir wiederholt mit ganz normalen Konzentrationen der Salzsaure gelungen ist, die Schmerzen hervorzurufen. Es gibt gewohnlich keine Verbindung zwischen den Schmerzen und dem Tonus, Motilitat oder Spasmus des Magens oder des Duodenums. Die Schmerzen sind wahrscheinlich durch die entzUndliche Reaktion des GeschwUrs und direkte Salzsaurereizung bedingt, aber gelegentlich kann die Peristaltik eine Nebenrolle spielen. In einigen Fallen von Magenkrebs sind die Schmerzen durch dieselben Faktoren hervorgerufen.
Road Block to Risk Management — Investigating Class I Milk Cross-Hedging Opportunities

This study examines the risk management opportunities for fluid milk market participants in the United States through the use of milk futures contracts. We estimate the nature of basis risk from 2002–2011 using modern time-series and econometric techniques. The results of this investigation reveal that at sufficient hedging intervals, using class III manufacturing milk futures contracts to cross-hedge fluid milk has the ability to reduce risk and provide revenue stability to market participants. When used in conjunction with milk futures, prediction algorithms for the closing basis facilitate more direct management of fluid milk price risk. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.
Cobalt iontophoresis of sensory nerves in the rat lung.

By iontophoretically introducing, first, cobalt and, subsequently, sulfide ions into the vagus nerve, it is possible to trace sensory nerves to their endings in the rat lung. Nerve fibers and terminals are found predominantly in the adventitia of the airways and blood vessels. Some nerves are found in the submucosa of the bronchi and bronchioles. Some are found in the cardiac muscle on the periphery of pulmonary veins, and a few nerves are seen to end among smooth muscles of the blood vessels and the airways. At least three types of nerve endings can be identified at the light microscopic level: (1) free nerve endings; (2) brush-like endings; (3) knob-like terminals.
CAN AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES FUNCTION AS RESERVOIRS FOR MYCOPLASMA GALLISEPTICUM

We performed experiments to test if American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) could be a competent reservoir for Mycoplasma gallisepticum and play a role in the epidemic spread of mycoplasmal conjunctivitis among House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) in North America. We infected one of two individuals housed together in a cage and determined if transmission occurred to the second bird. Probability of transmission between an American Goldfinch and a House Finch (in either direction) was similar to that between two House Finches. In a second experiment small groups of birds (6-8) were housed in large aviaries. Two source birds were inoculated with M. gallisepticum, and transmission to the naive birds in the aviary was recorded. Transmission occurred among House Finches, among American Goldfinches, and from House Finches to American Goldfinches. Transmission was more likely between House Finches than among American Goldfinches, and between House Finches and American Goldfinches. We conclude that American Goldfinches are a competent reservoir for Mycoplasma gallisepticum and could have played a role in the spread of the epidemic as they are more migratory than House Finches.
Dislocation evolution during tensile deformation in ferritic–martensitic steels revealed by high-energy X-rays

Abstract Deformation processes in Grade 91 (Fe–9%Cr–1%Mo–V,Nb) and Grade 92 (Fe–9%Cr–0.5%Mo–2%W–V,Nb) ferritic–martensitic steels were investigated at temperatures between 20 and 650 °C using high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction with in situ thermal–mechanical loading. The change of the dislocation density with strain was quantified by X-ray diffraction line profile analysis complemented by transmission electron microscopy measurements. The relationship between dislocation density and strain during uniform deformation was described by a dislocation model, and two critical materials parameters, namely dislocation mean free path and dynamic recovery coefficient, were determined as a function of temperature. Effects of alloy chemistry, thermal–mechanical treatment and temperature on the tensile deformation process in Grade 91 and Grade 92 steels can be well understood by the dislocation evolution behavior.
Differentiation of the structural features of melanotropins important for biological potency and prolonged activity in vitro

Several α-melanotropin (α-MSH) analogues have been synthesized and tested for their melanotropin activities in order to determine the functional importance of certain amino acids near the primary active sequence of α-MSH, H-(Glu)-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-OH, on the biological activities of the hormone. In particular, we have examined the importance of the 4 and 11 positions in conjunction with the substitution of l-Phe in position 7 by d-Phe on potency and prolonged activity of the hormone. In the frog (Rana pipiens) skin system the relative potencies were found to be: [Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH (60) > α-MSH (1.0) > Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH4–11-NH2 (0.16) > Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH4–10-NH2 (0.02) · Ac-[d-Phe7]-α-MSH5–11-NH2 (0.01) > Ac-[Nle4]-α-MSH4–10-NH2 (0.002) = Ac-[Nle4]-α-MSH4–11-NH2 > Ac-α-MSH4–10-NH2 (0.0003) · Ac-α-MSH5–11-NH2 (0.0002). On the other hand the relative potencies on the lizard (Anolis carolinensis) skin system were found to be: Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH4–10-NH2 (10) · Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH4–11-NH2 (8.0) · Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH (5.0) > α-MSH (1.0) = Ac-[Nle4]-α-MSH4–11-NH2 = Ac-[d-Phe7]-α-MSH5–11-NH2 > Ac-[Nle4]-α-MSH4–10-NH2 (0.06) > Ac-α-MSH5–11-NH2 (0.01) > Ac-α-MSH4–10-NH2 (0.004). Detailed analyses of these data suggest species-dependent differences in the stereostructural relationships of the residues in the 4, 7, and 11 positions for melanotropic potency in vitro. Particularly noteworthy is the observation that the 4–11 fragment analogue Ac-[Nle4]-α-MSH4–11-NH2 is equipotent to α-MSH in the lizard assay system, suggesting that the 1–3, 12, and 13 residues of α-MSH are not involved in the binding or transduction in this system. Examination of the ability of these α-melanotropin analogues to effect sustained biological activity (prolongation) following removal of exogenous peptide from the bioassay medium showed striking differences in the two systems. On the lizard skin assay, only [Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH, Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH4–11-NH2 and Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH4–10-NH2 effect marked prolonged melanotropic activity as compared to α-MSH. In contrast, on the frog skin assay, only [Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH, Ac-[Nle4, d-Phe7]-α-MSH4–11-NH2, Ac-α-MSH5–11-NH2, and Ac-[Nle4]-α-MSH4–10-NH2 exhibited significant prolonged activity. These results demonstrate that relative potency and prolongation of melanotropic activity are not directly related, but rather are the manifestation of different, species-dependent structural and topographical requirements for peptide-receptor interactions related to binding and signal transduction.
Morphometry of human insular cortex and insular volume reduction in Williams syndrome

Functional imaging in humans and anatomical data in monkeys have implicated the insula as a multimodal sensory integrative brain region. The topography of insular connections is organized by its cytoarchitectonic regions. Previous attempts to measure the insula have utilized either indirect or automated methods. This study was designed to develop a reliable method for obtaining volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of the human insular cortex, and to validate that method by examining the anatomy of insular cortex in adults with Williams syndrome (WS) and healthy age-matched controls. Statistical reliability was obtained among three raters for this method, supporting its reproducibility not only across raters, but within different software packages. The procedure described here utilizes native-space morphometry as well as a method for dividing the insula into connectivity-based sub-regions estimated from cytoarchitectonics. Reliability was calculated in both ANALYZE (N = 3) and BrainImageJava (N = 10) where brain scans were measured once in each hemisphere by each rater. This highly reliable method revealed total, anterior, and posterior insular volume reduction bilaterally (all p’s < .002) in WS, after accounting for reduced total brain volumes in these participants. Although speculative, the reduced insular volumes in WS may represent a neural risk for the development of hyperaffiliative social behavior with increased specific phobias, and implicate the insula as a critical limbic integrative region. Native-space quantification of the insula may be valuable in the study of neurodevelopmental or neuropsychiatric disorders related to anxiety and social behavior.
The Nature of Power in a Marketing Channel

This paper empirically assesses the extent to which power in a marketing channel dyad is issue-specific or pervasive. Additionally, the paper investigates the extent to which specific power sources effect single or multiple areas of power. The dyad studied is the wholesaler-food broker interface in the marketing channel for grocery products. Results indicate that power is limited in scope, being more issue-specific than pervasive. Additionally, some specific sources of power were found to create power in multiple areas, while others created power in but one area.
Mechanics of thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts

The essential characteristics of thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts include the following: a wedge-shaped deforming region, thicker at the back end from which the thrusts come; a weak layer at the base of the wedge; and large amounts of shortening and thickening within the wedge. All these characteristics are incorporated into an analytical model of a perfectly plastic wedge, underlain by a weak basal layer and yielding in compressive flow. The model is sufficiently flexible to be applied to a variety of tectonic situations. In each situation the model shows that shortening of the wedge and sliding over its base can occur for reasonable values of the yield stress of the wedge and of the weak basal layer, of the surface topographic slope, of the back slope of the basal layer, and of the thickness of the wedge. The present model differs markedly from the conventional concept of gravity gliding in that it shows that horizontal compressive stresses can play a major role in overcoming the resistance to basal sliding. In addition, the model suggests that the topographic slope, when necessary, can be a result of the compression within the wedge itself; no additional outside agency for producing the topographic slope need be postulated. Thus, the model suggests that a surface topographic slope is in general neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for the formation of a thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belt.
Evaluation of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors, zileuton, A-78773 and ICI-D-2138 in an ionophore (A-23187)-induced pleural inflammation model in the rat

Intrapleural injection of A-23187 (10 μg), a calcium ionophore, elicited rapid increase in biosynthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes in a time-dependent manner. 6-Keto-prostaglandin-F1α (6-KPA) was the principal cyclooxygenase product with modest increases in levels of thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin-E2. Orally administered indomethacin, a selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and three selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors, zileuton, A-78773 and ICI-D-2138 markedly attenuated respective arachidonate pathways with projected ED50 values of < 1–2 mg/kg. Furthermore, a single oral administration of either ICI-D-2138 or A-78773 (each 20 mg/kg, po) resulted in persistent inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase pathway for up to 24 hr. These results indicate zileuton, A-78773 and ICI-D-2138 to be potent and selective inhibitors of 5-LO and document the utility of A-23187-induced pleural inflammation in evaluating efficacy of inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism in vivo.
Freezing transition of a strongly dipolar simple fluid

The freezing transition of a strongly dipolar Lennard-Jones fluid is investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. It is found that the system undergoes a ferroelectric liquid-to-solid transition when cooled under a constant pressure. Near the triple point the stable solid phase is a body-centered orthorhombic ferroelectric crystal; a metastable ferroelectric solid phase with distorted hexagonal lattice structure is also discovered. To locate the freezing point, Gibbs free energies of the solid and liquid phase are determined using a thermodynamic integration method.
Candidate Positioning in U.S. House Elections

siveness waned in the 1980s and 1990s. n an extended republic, the desires of citizens are translated into law through the election of representatives. Candidates present themselves to voters, who decide to support some candidates and not others. Having won election, officials enact policies and then return to the electorate, seeking their just desserts. This cycle is surely a crude way of expressing the public's preferences, but it is said to work over time through an electoral version of natural selection. What sort of representation does this dynamic produce? What sort of choices do voters get? In many modern democracies, voters choose among national parties, each with a distinctive ideology. Individual politicians seem to have little ability or incentive to differentiate themselves from the rest of their party. The United States appears to be the exception to all of this. Over the past three decades, the main thrust of scholarship on the behavior of members of Congress has emphasized the ability of individual politicians to position themselves so that they can appeal most strongly to their own districts' interests. The most important works on congressional elections and representation describe the willingness of politicians to abandon their party in order to compete for the votes back home (Mayhew 1974a, 19-28; Fenno 1978, 113). Indeed, American politicians are reputedly so responsive to their districts' interests that they are often driven to make irresponsible public policy (Fiorina 1974; King 1997). We argue that this view overstates the differences between elections held in America and in the rest of the democratic world. Even in the U.S., when candidates-incumbents, challengers, and open-seat contestants alike-balance the broad policy views of the local district and the national party, the national party dominates. It does so today, as it has for over 100 years. District-by-district competition exerts some pressure on candidates to fit with their constituents, and there have been times in American history when this pressure has been more acute than others. Overall, however, the amount of ideological "choice" that voters get as a result of such posi-
Training Impulsive Children in Verbal Self-Control By Use of Natural Change Agents'

Forty impulsive fifth and sixth graders participated in a project to help them become more reflective problem solvers. The study hypothesized that training youngsters' parents and teachers in Meichenbaum verbal self-regulation procedures would be more effective than training only children in such procedures. Training consisted of 8 sessions over 4 weeks. The youngsters' cognitive and intellectual performance, academic achievement, classroom behavior, and home behavior were dependent variables. The most consistent gains for the experimental groups, compared with untreated controls, were in academic achievement, especially reading. Only slight improvement occurred in cognitive and intellectual abilities, except for the Matching Familiar Figures Test. No classroom behavior changes were reported, but participating parents perceived gains in home behavior. Implications for future research on verbal self-instruction are explored.
Brief paper: A quadrature-based method of moments for nonlinear filtering

According to the nonlinear filtering theory, optimal estimates of a general continuous-discrete nonlinear filtering problem can be obtained by solving the Fokker-Planck equation, coupled with a Bayesian update rule. This procedure does not rely on linearizations of the dynamical and/or measurement models. However, the lack of fast and efficient methods for solving the Fokker-Planck equation presents challenges in real time nonlinear filtering problems. In this paper, a direct quadrature method of moments is introduced to solve the Fokker-Planck equation efficiently and accurately. This approach involves representation of the state conditional probability density function in terms of a finite collection of Dirac delta functions. The weights and locations (abscissas) in this representation are determined by moment constraints and modified using the Bayes' rule according to measurement updates. As demonstrated by numerical examples, this approach appears to be promising in the field of nonlinear filtering.
Brian Shackel's contribution to the written history of Human-Computer Interaction

In 1997, Brian Shackel published the article ''Human-Computer Interaction - Whence and Whither?'' In this early foray into historical reflection on the field, past work is covered with a focus on identifying European contributions, issues of particular contemporary interest are explored, and a set of 10-year predictions are offered. In this essay, from a vantage-point of an additional decade of history, insights of lasting value that Professor Shackel was uniquely positioned to glean are identified. His work is placed in the broader context now available, and an always-useful reminder of the difficulty of anticipating future events is provided.
Passive configuration decomposition and practical stabilization of nonholonomic mechanical systems with symmetry

We consider a certain class of nonholonomic mechanical systems with symmetry. First, we introduce the notion of passive configuration decomposition, which enables us to decompose the system's Lagrange-D'Alembert dynamics into two decoupled systems, evolving on their respective configuration spaces according to the symmetry and individually possessing Lagrangian-like structure and passivity. We then propose passivity-based time-varying and switching control laws, which achieve practical stabilization by controlling the two decoupled systems on their own configuration spaces individually. Multiple wheeled mobile robots formation stabilization simulation is also performed to support the theory.
Safety First, Then Condoms: Commercial Sex, Risky Behavior, and the Spread of HIV/AIDS in Managua, Nicaragua

Abstract This study analyzes the commercial sex market in Managua, Nicaragua, to understand risky behavior among sex workers. While health risks are a major concern for sex workers, the risk of violence weighs more heavily in decision making, such that they more often take risks to their health than to their immediate, physical well-being. These concerns are reflected in the lower premiums sex workers charge for unprotected sex (39 percent more for vaginal sex without a condom) compared with risks of violence, such as accompanying a client to an unknown place (a 118 percent premium). Risk behaviors reflect a rational calculation of actual risk: while only 9 percent of the sample knew anyone diagnosed with HIV, nearly 44 percent of sex workers had been assaulted. These observations indicate the need to consider sex workers' physical safety in policies to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Differential sorption in viscoelastic fluids

The diffusion of organic solvents in concentrated polymer solutions often deviates from the predictions of Fick's second law, especially when the solution is in the glassy state; such behavior is called anomalous or non-Fickian. This paper analyzes the one-dimensional sorption of a solvent into a concentrated polymer solution under a small driving force. The treatment includes the effect of an entanglement network on the process as postulated by Thomas and Windle. The deformation of the entanglement network during sorption creates a normal stress on the solvent equivalent to an osmotic pressure. Including the osmotic pressure gradient in the driving force for solvent diffusion leads to a linear, third-order partial differential equation for solvent concentration distributions. By evaluating the physical constants in the theory for the system methyl acetate/poly(methyl methacrylate) at 30°C the treatment is shown to predict the anomalous characteristics found experimentally.
A study of aspirin and clopidogrel in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is characterised by in situ thrombosis and increased thromboxane (Tx) A2 synthesis; however, there are no studies of antiplatelet therapy in IPAH. The aim of the current study was to determine the biochemical effects of aspirin (ASA) and clopidogrel on platelet function and eicosanoid metabolism in patients with IPAH. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of ASA 81 mg once daily and clopidogrel 75 mg once daily was performed. Plasma P-selectin levels and aggregometry were measured after exposure to adenosine diphosphate, arachidonic acid and collagen. Serum levels of TxB2 and urinary metabolites of TxA2 and prostaglandin I2 (Tx-M and PGI-M, respectively) were assessed. A total of 19 IPAH patients were enrolled, of whom nine were being treated with continuous intravenous epoprostenol. ASA and clopidogrel significantly reduced platelet aggregation to arachidonic acid and adenosine diphosphate, respectively. ASA significantly decreased serum TxB2, urinary Tx-M levels and the Tx-M/PGI-M ratio, whereas clopidogrel had no effect on eicosanoid levels. Neither drug significantly lowered plasma P-selectin levels. Epoprostenol use did not affect the results. In conclusion, aspirin and clopidogrel inhibited platelet aggregation, and aspirin reduced thromboxane metabolite production without affecting prostaglandin I2 metabolite synthesis. Further clinical trials of aspirin in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension should be performed.
Flower Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Dispersal from Alternate Hosts into Southern Highbush Blueberry (Ericales: Ericaceae) Plantings

ABSTRACT Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan) is the key pest of southern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L. × V. darrowi Camp) in Florida. Thrips feeding and oviposition injury to developing flowers can result in fruit scarring that renders the fruit unmarketable. Previous studies have shown that flower thrips can disperse into cultivated crops from surrounding host plants. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to identify alternate hosts of F. bispinosa adjacent to blueberry plantings and to determine if F. bispinosa emigrates into blueberry plantings from these hosts. Plant surveys conducted in Apr of 2007 and from Nov 2007 until Mar 2008 revealed several reproductive hosts of F. bispinosa, including: Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistum L.). In a subsequent study, we monitored thrips population development in a blueberry planting and in an adjacent white clover field during early spring in 2009 and 2010. F...
Air-Gaps for High-Performance On-Chip Interconnect Part I: Improvement in Thermally Decomposable Template

The incorporation of air-cavities (i.e., air-gaps) as the intralevel dielectric in integrated circuits (ICs) can provide an ultralow-k solution, especially at the 32 nm technology node and beyond. Air-gaps can be created by the templating method using norbornene (NB)-based sacrificial polymers. However, it has been found that the hardness and modulus of the templating material is critical to achieving mechanical fidelity of the structure during processing. As a result, stiffer sacrificial polymers lead to higher yield. In this study, tetracyclododecene (TD)-based sacrificial polymers were investigated and compared with norbornene-based (NB)-based polymers. Nanoindentation experiments showed that thin films of TD-based sacrificial polymers were harder than NB-based sacrificial polymers. The effect of the modulus and hardness on the process repeatability was quantitatively evaluated by comparing the straightness of 50-nm-wide lines of TD- and NB-based sacrificial polymers. It was shown that the TD-based polymer structures were straighter and had better reproducibility than those of NB-based polymers due to an increase in hardness and modulus. The thermal decomposition properties of TD-based polymers were similar to their NB-based counterparts. Both TD- and NB-based polymers were thermally stable at 300°C and the decomposition residues were less than 1% of the original weight. The thickness of the residue (solid reaction byproducts) from thin TD films was as low as 2.1 nm (depending on the atmosphere quality) and the residue was hydrophobic.
Parameter estimation for power systems in the steady state

This paper addresses itself to the variety of model inaccuracy problems arising in the implementation of on-line state estimation for power system bulk transmission networks. Two classes of models are investigated for which parameter estimation algorithms are derived and simulated. The first class consists of network and measurement system parameters of the system being monitored. The second class corresponds to the network equivalent parameters of all external systems. It is shown that telemetry data obtained by the internal system can provide the basis for both types of estimation. A significant factor here is the use made of scheduled and/or forced system outage information in the estimation of the network equivalent.
Electromagnetic fields instantaneously modulate nitric oxide signaling in challenged biological systems

This study shows that a non-thermal pulse-modulated RF signal (PRF), configured to modulate calmodulin (CaM) activation via acceleration of Ca(2+) binding kinetics, produced an immediate nearly 3-fold increase in nitric oxide (NO) from dopaminergic MN9D cultures (P < 0.001). NO was measured electrochemically in real-time using a NO selective membrane electrode, which showed the PRF effect occurred within the first seconds after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Further support that the site of action of PRF involves CaM is provided in human fibroblast cultures challenged with low serum and exposed for 15 min to the identical PRF signal. In this case a CaM antagonist W-7 could be added to the culture 3 h prior to PRF exposure. Those results showed the PRF signal produced nearly a two-fold increase in NO, which could be blocked by W-7 (P < 0.001). To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of a real-time effect of non-thermal electromagnetic fields (EMF) on NO release from challenged cells. The results provide mechanistic support for the many reported bioeffects of EMF in which NO plays a role. Thus, in a typical clinical application for acute post operative pain, or chronic pain from, e.g., osteoarthritis, EMF therapy could be employed to modulate the dynamics of NO via Ca/CaM-dependent constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in the target tissue. This, in turn, would modulate the dynamics of the signaling pathways the body uses in response to the various phases of healing after physical or chemical insult or injury.
Older Parents' Reactions to the Death of Adult Children:

Little research has been directed toward elderly parents' response to the death of an adult child. This paper examines concepts in the literature concerning the responses of individuals to the deaths of significant others. This material is integrated with relevant information about the elderly. A model is developed which views the response of older parents to the death of an adult child. It is suggested that formal support systems, informal support systems and the elderly parent's personal attributes interact to influence the older individual's characteristic response to loss. Implications for social workers are discussed, as are methods for intervention in siyuations where the normal grieving process is complicated by intervening variables.
Run-Time Techniques for Exploiting Irregular Task Parallelism on Distributed Memory Architectures

Automatic scheduling for directed acyclic graphs (DAG) and its applications for coarse-grained irregular problems such as largen-body simulation have been studied in the literature. However, solving irregular problems with mixed granularities such as sparse matrix factorization is challenging since it requires efficient run-time support to execute a DAG schedule. In this paper, we investigate run-time optimization techniques for executing general asynchronous DAG schedules on distributed memory machines and discuss an approach for exploiting parallelism from commuting operations in the DAG model. Our solution tightly integrates the run-time scheme with a fast communication mechanism to eliminate unnecessary overhead in message buffering and copying. We present a consistency model incorporating the above optimizations, and take advantage of task dependence properties to ensure the correctness of execution. We demonstrate the applications of this scheme in sparse matrix factorizations and triangular equation solving for which actual speedups are difficult to obtain. We provide a detailed experimental study on Meiko CS-2 to show that the automatically scheduled code has achieved good performance for these difficult problems, and the run-time overhead is small compared to total execution times.