cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Sensitivity Analysis of Weighted Least Squares State Estimation for Power Systems

This study considers the effect of modeling errors upon the real-time calculation of the bus voltages (or static state) of an electric power system. A criterion for evaluating the sensitivity of weighted least squares state estimation is developed, and the method is applied to a simulated model of an actual transmission system. The mathematical aspects of the analysis are discussed, and the experimental results indicate the effects of errors in several types of system parameters.
Solitons and pattern formation in liquid crystals in a rotating magnetic field.

We have discovered novel nonlinear dissipative dynamic patterns in nematic liquid crystals under the influence of a continuously rotating magnetic field. We present a state diagram of the soliton structures as a function of field and rotation rate and discuss physical models describing their growths and propagation and transitions.
Lactation curves for several US sheep breeds

Lactation curves for several dairy traits in sheep were studied. Data were collected from seven pure breeds, three synthetic breeds and twelve single breed crosses in a 5-year milking trial. Wood's lactation model (yn = anbe-cn) was used to describe the lactation curves. Actual and fitted lactation curves had the same shape within each trait except for proportion of lactose. Correlations between actual and fitted lactation curves ranged from 0·92 to 0·99 for all traits except lactose (0·24). There was no apparent explanation for the low correlation for lactose content. It was concluded that the algebraic formula can be used to obtain estimates of parameters for sheep lactation curves. However, some caution should be exercised in extending results to proportion of lactose in the milk.Crossbred groups had higher total milk production than pure and synthetic breeds. Lactation curves for crossbred ewes, grouped by breed of sire, had a similar pattern. Finnsheep and Rambouillet-sired crossbred ewes produced proportionately 0·23 more milk than ewes sired by Dorset and Lincoln rams. Breed differences in total milk production were observed among the pure breeds. The Suffolk breed was superior in milk production. All breeds, except the Romanov, followed a similar pattern for lactation curves. The Romanov breed produced milk at a relatively low but consistent level throughout the lactation trial.
Emergent management of empyema.

Empyema is a frankly purulent infection of the pleural space most often occurring secondary to parapneumonic effusion. Imaging, specifically contrast-enhanced computed tomography, plays a critical role in diagnosis with a “split pleura” sign being highly suggestive in the appropriate clinical setting. Diagnostic thoracentesis with culture and Gram stain further guides appropriate antibiotic therapy. Therapeutic drainage with small-bore tube thoracostomy has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment of early stage empyema. Augmentation of tube placement with intrapleural fibrinolytics and mucolytics facilitates catheter drainage by degrading loculations and decreasing fluid viscosity, respectively.
Effects of Gas Generation on the Density and Erosion of Sediments from the Grand River

Abstract Measurements were made of the erosion rates and bulk properties of sediments from eleven sites in the Grand River in Michigan. High concentrations of gas, up to 5% by volume, were present in the sediments; this significantly affected the sediment bulk densities and erosion rates. Sediments from one of these sites were reconstructed (thoroughly mixed and then allowed to consolidate) in the laboratory where the time-dependent effects of gas generation on the densities and erosion rates of these sediments were quantified. In consolidation studies, the density was a function of depth, time, and temperature; it increased because of pore waters moving up and out of the solid-water matrix and decreased because of gas generation and movement. At higher temperatures, the rate of gas generation and the gas volume were greater and the bulk density was lower than at the lower temperatures. For the same bulk properties, temperatures, and shear stresses, erosion rates for the field and reconstructed sediments were the same. For reconstructed sediments at approximately 20°C, the effects of gas were to decrease the sediment densities by up to 10%, to increase the erosion rates by as much as a factor of sixty, and to decrease the critical shear stress for erosion by as much as a factor of twenty compared to sediments with no gas present. At lower temperatures, these effects decreased significantly.
Development of the First Clinical Classification of Medications Used during Lactation and the Evaluation of 1380 Drugs

AbstractThe infant may be recognized as the unintended recipient of drugs administered to the lactating mother. Our objective is to create a practical classification and to provide health care practitioners with the most updated data on drug use during lactation. Data on more than one thousand drugs have been collected from published medical literature. Data include drug excretion into breast milk, possible adverse effects on the infant, as well as the compatibility of the drug with breast-feeding. Each drug is represented by two letters and symbols to identify the aforementioned information. The first letter indicates compatibility with breast-feeding, which is denoted by C (Compatible), I (Incompatible), or U (Unknown). The second letter indicates excretion into breast milk, which is denoted by e (excreted), n (not excreted), or u (unknown). The symbols indicate expected adverse effects and their severity. Fifty-seven percent of the drugs evaluated were compatible and twenty-three percent were incompati...
A comparative immunohistochemical study of peritoneal and ovarian serous tumors, and mesotheliomas.

Abstract The distinction between serous neoplasms of the peritoneum in women and conventional mesothelioma can be difficult. In order to determine any significant immunohistochemical differences, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of 10 peritoneal serous tumors (PST), 10 ovarian serous tumors (OST), and 10 epithelial mesotheliomas were evaluated with a panel of 10 antibodies directed against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA: polyclonal, monoclonal), high molecular weight keratin (34βE12), low molecular weight keratin (35βH11), Leu-M1, TAG-72 (monoclonal antibody B72.3), human milk fat globulin (HMFG-2), vimentin, placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), and S-100 protein. The antibodies CEA, Leu-M1, and B72.3 had the most discriminatory value in differentiating serous tumors from mesothelioma. Eighty-five percent of PSTs and OSTs (17 of 20) were positive with CEA, Leu-M1, and/or B72.3. None of the mesotheliomas stained for CEA or Leu-M1; three mesotheliomas had very focal positivity with B72.3 (1% or less). Vimentin, PLAP, HMFG-2, keratin, and S-100 had no significant discriminatory value. Epithelial mucin was present in 80% of serous tumors, while the mesotheliomas lacked epithelial mucin. Leu-M1, CEA, and/or B72.3 positivity in a peritoneal tumor supports a diagnosis of serous tumor. However, since some PST do not stain for any of the three antibodies and the focal nature of positive reactions in some cases may be difficult to interpret, exclusion of mesotheliomas is enhanced by the use of mucin stains.
Robot-directed speech as a means of exploring conceptualizations of robots

Decades of research have shown that speakers adapt the way in which they speak to meet the needs of listeners, and that speech modifications can illuminate speakers' conceptualizations of their listeners' cognitive and communicative abilities. The present study extends this line of research into human-robot communication by analyzing the linguistic features of commands given to a robotic dog. The results indicate that males and females differed in the way in which they spoke to the robot, suggesting that there was not a uniform expectation of the robot's communicative capacities.
Programming and Projection of Near IR Images Using ${\rm VO}_{2}$ Films

This letter reports the use of programmed optical states in a vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film for the projection of near infrared (NIR) images. The optical states are programmed by photothermal actuation from scanning a focused red laser on localized regions of the VO2 thin film. The abrupt change in transmissivity of NIR wavelengths across VO2's solid-to-solid phase change is used to reflect a diffused NIR beam in the regions scanned by the red laser. The transmitted NIR beam is projected on a laser beam profiler. The results of a single scan from the red laser show images with a high contrast between the two phases of the material.
Household food insecurity is a risk factor for iron-deficiency anaemia in a multi-ethnic, low-income sample of infants and toddlers

Objective: The present study examines the relationships of household food security status with Fe deficiency (ID) and Fe-deficiency anaemia (IDA) among children less than 3 years of age, and associated factors that contribute to ID and IDA. Design: Cross-sectional study and chart review. The US Food Security Survey Module was administered to adult caregivers as part of the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Project (C-SNAP). Haematological data were obtained from medical records. Setting: A large metropolitan medical centre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Subjects: A multi-ethnic sample of 2853 low-income children aged <36 months who received care at the medical centre. Results: Among the caregivers, 23·3% reported low household food security and 11·6% reported very low household food security (VLFS). After controlling for background factors, children from households with VLFS were almost twice as likely to have IDA than were children from households with high or marginal food security (OR = 1·98, 95 % CI 1·11, 3·53); the corresponding associations for ID were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The prevalence of IDA in early childhood is significantly larger in low-income infants and toddlers living in VLFS households. Asian, Hispanic and African-American children have elevated prevalences of ID and IDA. Breast-feeding may be associated with elevated ID and IDA, while participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may be protective for ID.
Laparoscopic surgery of the biliary tree

The treatment of gallbladder and biliary tract pathology can be quite extensive, ranging from the treatment of simple cholelithiasis to the more complicated metastatic carcinomas. The combination of biliary endoscopy and laparoscopy allows the surgeon to perform minimally invasive procedures for these potentially complicated problems. It is important for the surgeon to be able to perform these procedures and to be able to manage any of the complications. As the surgeon’s skill and expertise increases in this area of minimally invasive surgery, this will enable more operations to be done utilizing these techniques, thus decreasing hospitalization costs and allowing patients to return to their normal daily activities more rapidlly.
The synthetic 32–46 fragment of human growth hormone increases insulin and glucagon levels in the conscious dog

Human growth hormone (hGH, 22 K) has an acute insulinlike effect not observed with the 20 K variant form of hGH that lacks amino acids 32 to 46 (deletion peptide, hGH32-46). The possibility that hGH32-46 increases insulin secretion was examined by infusing hGH32-46 (1.6 nmol/kg/min) or saline in a crossover design study into each of four conscious 16-hour-fasted dogs for three hours (0 to 180 minutes) following a 40-minute control period. At 90 minutes, plasma glucose was raised to and maintained at 170 mg/dL by glucose infusion for three hours (until 270 minutes). After a lag period of 30 minutes hGH32-46 infusion caused glucagon to increase (P less than 0.05) by 67 +/- 20 pg/mL and insulin tended to rise by 8 +/- 3 microU/mL. Saline tended to cause glucagon and insulin to decline slightly (by 17 +/- 8 pg/mL and 6 +/- 2 microU/mL); hGH32-46 increased (P less than 0.05) tracer determined (3H-3-glucose) glucose production by 1.13 +/- 0.66 mg/kg/min while saline had no effect. Neither treatment changed plasma glucose (100 +/- 4 to 105 +/- 3 mg/dL with hGH32-46; 99 +/- 4 to 99 +/- 4 mg/dL with saline). Induction of hyperglycemia (168 +/- 2 mg/dL) caused glucagon concentrations to fall similarly to about 50 pg/mL with and without hGH32-46. Insulin rose in both protocols but to a greater extent (P less than 0.05) with hGH32-46 (+67 +/- 18 v +35 +/- 13 microU/mL at 180 minutes).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Stochastic Characterization of Flutter using Historical Wind Tunnel Data

Methods for predicting the onset of flutter during an experiment are traditionally applied treating the data as deterministic values. Uncertainty and variation in the data is often glossed over by using best-fit curves to represent the information. This paper applies stochastic treatments to wind tunnel data obtained for the Piezoelectric Aeroelastic Response Tailoring Investigation model. These methods include modal amplitude tracking, modal frequency tracking and several applications of the flutter margin method. The flutter margin method was developed by Zimmerman and Weissenburger, and extended by Poirel, Dunn and Porter to incorporate uncertainty. Much of the current work follows the future work recommendations of Poirel, Dunn and Porter.
Federalism, special interests and the exchange of policies for political resources

In this paper we ask whether more decentralized political structures such as federalism are affected less severely by the ills of interest group politics recently emphasized by Becker (1983) and Olson (1982). We examine this question in a model where the government exchanges tax policies and entry restrictions for political resources. The analysis emphasizes how this exchange is influenced by heterogeneity within interest groups. It is shown that decentralization does not necessarily attenuate the welfare effects of interest group politics.
Atrial natriuretic peptide receptors in guinea pig placentas.

The multiple physiologic effects of atrial natriuretic peptide are mediated through specific atrial natriuretic peptide plasma membrane receptors. We have attempted to determine whether atrial natriuretic peptide receptors are present in guinea pig placentas and subplacentas at approximately 45 and 65 days' gestation. A microsomal plasma fraction was prepared from each component. Atrial natriuretic peptide receptors were detected by in vitro radioligand techniques with α-human atrial natriuretic peptide labeled with iodine 125. In placentas we identified one set of specific binding sites for atrial natriuretic peptide at both gestational ages. Although the maximal concentration of the receptors did not change with advancing gestation, the dissociation constant was higher at 65 than at 45 days' gestation. In subplacentas two sets of binding sites were identified, one of low capacity-high affinity and the other of low affinity-high capacity. The maximal concentration of the atrial natriuretic peptide receptors did not change as a function of gestation. However, the dissociation constant, for both the high- and low-affinity sites, significantly decreased with advancing gestation.
Particles in the Lower Troposphere over the High Plains of the United States. Part III: Ice Nuclei

Abstract One hundred and fifty-five ice nucleus (IN) spectra were measured from an aircraft at various locations over the High Plains of the United States during the springs and summers of 1975 and 1976. Frequency distributions of the IN concentrations at each test temperature reveal two modes, each of which is apparently lognormally distributed. The dominant mode occurs at high IN concentrations, and the other mode at low concentrations. The characteristic IN spectrum was represented by N(T) = 2 × 10−4 exp(−0.3ΔT), where N(T) is the concentration (per liter) of IN at temperature T and supercooling ΔT. The IN generally appear to derive from a widespread and fairly uniform ground source, which accounts for the dominant mode. However, concentrations can be increased by duststorms and industrial pollution and decreased in the vicinity of localized IN sinks (e.g., clouds and precipitation). As a consequence, IN concentrations can vary markedly during the course of a day, from day-to-day, and cyclically over p...
Sorption studies of helium and neon by crystals of C60 and C70

We present sorption measurements for3He and4He in the temperature range of 1.5 K to 4.1 K, and for20Ne in the temperature range of 22 K to 27 K by crystals of C60, C70 and crystals of the mixture of these two molecules, 80% C60, 20% C70 We analyze these data by taking into account the non-ideality of the gas in equilibrium with the adsorbate. We calculate chemical potentials and isosteric heats. We find that there is no obvious evidence of intercalation of helium in these crystals at low temperatures. At higher temperatures there are some anomalies in the helium isotherms, and indication of excess sorption. The isosteric heat shows a minimum in this region which can be interpreted as penetration of the helium into a region of repulsive potential. We also find that levels of sorption, at the same chemical potential difference from saturation, are higher for4He than for3He. They are also higher for4He on C70 than for the other crystals. For neon our work is concentrated around the triple point. We find that the isotherms indicate the formation of liquid or solid films. Below the triple point, and above a few atomic layers, the neon film does not grow uniformly.
A hybrid integral equation and neural network approach for fast extraction of frequency dependent parameters of multiconductor transmission lines

Multiconductor transmission lines (MTL) have been modeled by the distributed parameters R, L, C, and G in many commercial CAD packages, where most of the parameters are assumed to be frequency independent or at most . At gigahertz frequencies, such assumptions may introduce significantly large errors in the waveform simulation and timing. In this article, we present a new and fast technique based on a combination of neural network techniques and the integral equation method (IEM) to evaluate frequency dependences accurately, while dramatically reducing the computation time. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 12: 37–50, 2002.
Immunological responsiveness of neonatal A/J mice to isotypic determinants of syngeneic IgE.

We have previously shown that adult A/J mice produce high titers of anti-IgE with isotypic or idiotypic specificities in response to challenge with a conjugate of KLH with syngeneic monoclonal IgE. Thus, B cells that can synthesize anti-IgE are present in the mice. Adult mice are unresponsive to unconjugated IgE in CFA, suggesting that tolerance exists at the level of T cells. The present study shows that neonatal mice produce anti-IgE antibodies in response to unconjugated IgE in CFA, but that this capacity is lost after the age of 2-3 wk. The loss of responsiveness corresponds closely with the appearance of detectable IgE in serum, suggesting that the IgE may induce tolerance. The affinities of anti-IgE antibodies produced by neonatal mice fall in the range of values obtained with KLH-IgE in adult mice. Tolerance to unconjugated IgE in CFA can be induced in neonatal mice by administration of IgE in saline. In addition, the tolerant state can be induced by adoptive transfer of spleen cells from adult mice. The time- dependent acquisition of tolerance provides a useful model for studying mechanisms of tolerance and autoimmunity.
Monoclonal IgMs with anti-Gal(β1–3)GalNAc activity in lower motor neuron disease; identification of glycoprotein antigens in neural tissue and cross-reactivity with serum immunoglobulins

IgM monoclonal antibodies (M-proteins) with anti-Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc and anti-Gal(beta 1-3)GlcNAc activity that bind to gangliosides GD1b and GM1, from two patients with lower motor neuron disease were tested for binding to neural glycoproteins. The M-proteins bound to several glycoproteins in the central and peripheral nervous system including to some in the non-myelin or axonal fraction only. Peanut agglutinin (PNA) which is specific for Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc, bound to the same protein bands. Since serological studies revealed that the M-proteins were complexed to IgG, serum immunoglobulins were tested for presence of Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc epitopes. Both PNA and the M-proteins bound to immunoglobulin heavy and light chains, suggesting that the circulating M-proteins bind to Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc on other immunoglobulins. These studies indicate that in addition to gangliosides the M-proteins might bind to Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc bearing glycoproteins in vivo and that carbohydrate epitopes on immunoglobulins might have a role in the development and regulation of autoantibodies which cross-react with neural antigens and may cause neurological disease.
Collective Dynamics of Multiple Microtubule Motors: Connecting In Vitro Observations to In Vivo Functions

Despite the efficiencies of many microtubule motors, sub-cellular cargos are often transported by motor teams composed of multiple processive molecular motors. Furthermore, mutant motors associated with diseases can be coupled to cargos that are also outfitted with copies of wild-type motors. Together, these observations raise important questions regarding the role of motor cooperation in intracellular transport. Although abilities to characterize the transport behaviors of multiple motor systems have improved substantially, many aspects of multiple-motor dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, I will describe our efforts to create structurally-defined complexes composed of multiple kinesin motors and examine their dynamics at the ‘single-motor’ level. I will also describe a transition rate model that predicts the load-dependent transport behaviors of these complexes from detailed measurements of a single motor's elastic and mechanochemical properties. The model reproduces key signatures found in optical trapping studies two-kinesin complexes including observations of non-monotonic dependencies of cargo velocities and motor-microtubule unbinding rates on the applied load, and predicts that multiple kinesins have generic difficulties cooperating productively. While such behavior is influenced significantly by extrinsic factors including the spatio-temporal dependence of the applied load, the net-negative cooperative behaviors exhibited by multiple kinesins appear to be directly linked to the efficiency of kinesin's stepping mechanism, and other types of less efficient and ‘weaker’ processive motors are predicted to cooperate more productively. Thus, mechanochemical efficiencies of different motor types may distinguish how effectively they function as a team, and hence, how motor copy number contributes to the regulation of cargo motion. Finally, the extension of our experimental and computational approaches to studies of multiple motor dynamics inside of living cells will be discussed.
The filled-duration illusion: the function of temporal and nontemporal set.

Studies of the perception of time have demonstrated that large visual stimuli presented for the same duration as small stimuli will appear to have been presented longer. Two theoretical approaches have been offered to explain this effect. Both have emphasized the absolute amount of information in the stimulus. Thus, both would predict the effect when size is varied between sessions. The present study found no effect of size when size was held constant within sessions, but a substantial effect resulted when size was varied within sessions. Also examined was the range of stimulus durations used within a session. In one condition, patterns of various sizes were presented at 15, 30, or 45 msec, while in a second condition, the same patterns were presented to a different group of subjects at 15, 85, or 155 msec. The size effect was significantly reduced when longer time intervals were presented. A third group of subjects was shown patterns at even longer times but with a reduced range (155, 170, and 185 msec). Here the size effect was of equal magnitude to that of the 15-msec interval condition. The implications of these results are that current theoretical explanations of the filled-duration illusion rely on incorrect assumptions.
The underlying problems resulting in controversies in the clinical management of transient ischemic attacks: an overview.

Of all the controversial topics in the management of cerebrovascular dis eases the subject of transient ischemic attacks is perhaps the most controver sial. A preponderance of literature related to the subject, reflecting a remarka ble degree of interest in the topic, is a result of this controversy. Each conclu sion serves to stimulate more interest, more evaluation, and more controversy. We will attempt to give an overview of the controversies in the management of transient ischemic attacks.
Sources of strain-measurement error in flag-based extensometry

This paper examines the sources of error in strain measurement using flag-based extensometry that uses either scanning laser or electrooptical extensometers. These errors fall into two groups: errors in measuring the true gauge length of the specimen, which arise from the method of attachment of the flags, and errors arising from unanticipated distortions of the specimen during testing. The sources of errors of the first type include gauge-length errors from nonparallel flags and uncertainties in the true attachment point of the flag. During the test, strain-measurement errors of the second type can arise from horizontal translation of non-parallel flags, flag rotation that is induced by slippage, and flag motion from bending of the gauge length. Proper care can minimize the effect of these potential errors, so that flag-based extensometry can give accurate strain measurement, if appropriate precautions are taken. Measurements on silicon nitride indicate that the strain measurements are accurate to better than 10%.
Food irradiation regulatory development in the U.S.

Abstract The Food and Drug Administration's involvement in food irradiation dates back more than thirty years. The agency has been involved with the wholesomeness testing of the irradiated foods from both nutritional and toxicological standpoints. Knowledge about the nutritional and toxicological aspects of irradiated foods is fundamental in the development of a regulatory strategy for assuring the safe use of such foods.
A Synonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in ΔF508 CFTR Alters the Secondary Structure of the mRNA and the Expression of the Mutant Protein

Recent advances in our understanding of translational dynamics indicate that codon usage and mRNA secondary structure influence translation and protein folding. The most frequent cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) is the deletion of three nucleotides (CTT) from the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that includes the last cytosine (C) of isoleucine 507 (Ile507ATC) and the two thymidines (T) of phenylalanine 508 (Phe508TTT) codons. The consequences of the deletion are the loss of phenylalanine at the 508 position of the CFTR protein (ΔF508), a synonymous codon change for isoleucine 507 (Ile507ATT), and protein misfolding. Here we demonstrate that the ΔF508 mutation alters the secondary structure of the CFTR mRNA. Molecular modeling predicts and RNase assays support the presence of two enlarged single stranded loops in the ΔF508 CFTR mRNA in the vicinity of the mutation. The consequence of ΔF508 CFTR mRNA “misfolding” is decreased translational rate. A synonymous single nucleotide variant of the ΔF508 CFTR (Ile507ATC), that could exist naturally if Phe-508 was encoded by TTC, has wild type-like mRNA structure, and enhanced expression levels when compared with native ΔF508 CFTR. Because CFTR folding is predominantly cotranslational, changes in translational dynamics may promote ΔF508 CFTR misfolding. Therefore, we propose that mRNA “misfolding” contributes to ΔF508 CFTR protein misfolding and consequently to the severity of the human ΔF508 phenotype. Our studies suggest that in addition to modifier genes, SNPs may also contribute to the differences observed in the symptoms of various ΔF508 homozygous CF patients.
Influence of levels of information as presented by different technologies on students' understanding of acid, base, and ph concepts

We investigated how different levels of information presented by various technologies affected secondary students' understanding of acid, base, and pH concepts. Secondary students who were selected for the study had just completed their study of acid–base chemistry. No attempt was made to provide further instruction. We analyzed changes in the understanding of individual students by constructing concept maps from the propositions that the students used in interviews conducted before and after a series of acid–base titrations. After the initial interview, students were divided into three groups. Within each group, students individually performed the same set of titrations using different technologies: chemical indicators, pH meters, and microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL). After the titrations were completed, all students were interviewed again. We found that students using MBL exhibited a larger positive shift in their concept map scores, which indicates a greater differentiation and integration of their knowledge of acids and bases. The chemical indicator students exhibited a more moderate positive shift in their concept map scores, and the pH meter students exhibited a smaller positive shift. We also found that the MBL students constructed more inappropriate links in their concept maps than the chemical indicator or pH meter students. However, we speculate that this increased number of inappropriate links indicates a high level of involvement with the technology. We therefore argue that the level of information offered by the technology affected students' understanding of the chemical concepts.
A WEIGHTED WEYL LAW FOR THE MODULAR SURFACE

In this paper, we will prove a Weyl law for the modular surface weighted by the first Fourier coefficient of the Maass cusp forms. Our error term corresponds to the best known error term in the Weyl law and improves a previous result of Kuznetsov.
"It's Not Rocket Science!": High School Sociology Teachers' Conceptions of Sociology

Since academic sociology’s birth in this country, sociologists have not been shy about publicly praising and ridiculing the discipline. Though sociologists have been the primary participants in the seemingly endless debates about sociology’s proper subject matter, methods, and purpose, there is another group that has also struggled over the past 95 years to formulate a conception of the discipline—high school sociology teachers. At this point, we know virtually nothing about what the thousands of high school teachers who offer sociology each year, actually think about the discipline. This paper uses questionnaire and interview data collected from high school sociology teachers to examine their thoughts on four topics: (1) sociology’s strengths, (2) its weaknesses, (3) whether high school students are capable of understanding the discipline, and (4) appropriate course objectives. The results indicate that high school teachers view sociology quite differently from academic sociologists, and that their conceptions are based primarily on “textbook sociology.” I conclude by discussing the far-reaching implications of teachers’ current thinking about the discipline.
An electrochemical study of the adsorption of two isomeric chromium(III) complexes on mercury electrodes: Thioether as an anchoring group

Abstract Cyclic voltammetry and chronocoulometry were utilized to examine the electrochemistry and adsorption on mercury of two isomeric complexes of Cr(III) with a multidentate ligand bearing a thioether group, thiobis(ethylenenitrilo) tetraacetic acid, S[CH 2 CH 2 N(CH 2 COOH) 2 ] 2 . One isomer contains a sulfur-chromium bond and is exceedingly strongly adsorbed. The second isomer lacks this bond and is adsorbed much less strongly. Back-bonding from chromium to sulfur is argued to play an important role in the adsorption of the first isomer. Upon reduction, both isomers yield the same Cr(II) product. A dimeric form of the second isomer in which the two Cr(III) centers are bridged by an acetate group is proposed to form at certain pH values. The different coordination environments of the two Cr(III) centers in the dimer cause them to be reduced at different potentials.
Kinetic analysis of calcium activation of brain acetylcholinesterase forms

Calcium activation of acetylcholine hydrolysis by bovine brain acetylcholinesterase (Acetylcholine hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) forms has been analyzed in terms of changes in kinetic constants and thermodynamic activation parameters. De-acetylation was determined to be the major rate-influencing step in acetylcholine hydrolysis by both 60 000- and 240 000-dalton forms of the brain enzyme and 10 mM Ca2+ increased the rate constant for this step (k+3) by approximately 30% for both forms. For the smaller acetylcholinesterase form the effects of Ca2+ on de-acetylation was equivalent to its effect on the overall rate constant (k) and occurred without an effect on pK. In the case of the 240 000-dalton species, the overall rate constant was increased by Ca2+ by 33% at pH 8.0 and 81% at pH 7.25 and involved a pK shift of -0.2 pH units. For both enzyme forms the rate constants for acetylation (k+2) were increased by Ca2+. Thermodynamic analysis suggested that Ca2+ activation of the acetylation step was entropically driven. Differences between the two enzymes forms in terms of Ca2+ appear to result from association of low molecular weight species.
On typicality and vagueness.

Abstract Kamp and Partee (1995) make new and interesting proposals about the linguistic phenomena of typicality and vagueness. The proposals include a mechanism for computing the typicality of objects in complex concepts, and the use of supervaluations to quantify vagueness. These ideas are discussed and evaluated in the present article.
Optimal use of futures markets when input and output prices are uncertain

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to extend the analysis of the use of futures markets by a competitive firm facing an uncertain market price for its output to the case where both input and output prices are uncertain.
Duct tape, icy hot & paddles: narratives of initiation onto US male sport teams

In the United States, initiation or hazing activities in high school and university sport are increasingly being recognized as a serious issue facing coaches and sport administrators. These events include humiliation, degradation or abuse of new team members, presumed to enhance team bonding. This study is grounded in Waldron and Krane's conceptual framework linking social goal orientation and overconformity to team norms. We conducted focus group interviews with nine former male high-school athletes examining their hazing experiences. A narrative approach to the data analysis was used to provide a comprehensive account of their combined experiences. The data were integrated into monologues describing experiences of being hazed, one positively perceived and one negatively perceived experience. A third monologue presents the perspective of the athlete doing the hazing. These stories highlight the perceived rationale and acceptance of hazing, the emotional toll of being hazed and the power dynamics that all...
A multilevel input system with force-sensitive elements

Force-sensitive multilevel input elements are introduced as the basic building blocks for compact-size input devices in mobile environments. Compared with switch-type keys, multilevel elements can decrease the number of keys on a keyboard while maintaining the input capacity. A multilevel input mechanism using force-sensitive sensor pads is demonstrated in a three-level three-element tactile chording system with multimodal feedback. Two schemes are introduced to segment the output range of the sensor into levels. For relatively unpracticed users, the scheme based on maximum finger forces gives an average error rate of 20.2% and an input time of 2.24 s for a chord of three inputs. Reclassification of the experimental data using Gaussian segmentation shows that significant improvement of the performance can be expected.
Inhibition of influenza virus formation by a peptide that corresponds to sequences in the cytoplasmic domain of the hemagglutinin

Abstract A decapeptide with a sequence corresponding to the cytoplasmic domain of the influenza virus hemagglutinin inhibited the release of virus particles and infectious virions when added to infected cultured cells for a 2-hr period during a one-cycle growth. Inhibition was dose-dependent in the range of 50 to 250 μg/ml. The peptide did not affect formation of intracellular virus-specific proteins or assembly of nucleocapsids and did not inhibit replication of two unrelated enveloped RNA viruses, Sindbis virus and vesicular stomatitis virus. Peptides of similar size but different in sequence were ineffective. We postulate that this peptide acts as a competitive inhibitor for virus-specific protein-protein interactions between the hemagglutinin and the matrix protein or nucleocapsid during virus assembly. These data offer an approach to the development of antiviral drugs based on virus specific activities.
Price leadership and coordination in retail gasoline markets with price cycles

Abstract This study examines the coordination mechanism used by gasoline stations in the midwestern United States where prices exhibit highly cyclical fluctuations known as Edgeworth cycles. Stations in these markets repeatedly coordinate large marketwide price increases following periods of aggressive price undercutting. By studying these periodic price jumps both over time and across cities, I find that a particular retail chain in each city acts as a price leader initiating each price restoration. The leader signals the new price level to competitors by simultaneously jumping prices at all its stations to a single price. Competitors follow quickly with a large majority of stations jumping to the exact same price within a 24 hour period. The characteristics of the leading firms and the nature of observed price coordination suggest that successful price jumps may be facilitated by the existence of a retailer controlling the prices of a significant number of stations in a city. Identifying the important role of these firms in the market contributes to a broader understanding of price leadership and coordination and highlights another potential reason why price cycles exist in some in retail gasoline markets and not others.
SETTING CUTOFF SCORES: LEGAL, PSYCHOMETRIC, AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND GUIDELINES

Cutoff scores are used in a variety of settings to help managers make personnel decisions. Although cutoff scores are used widely, information about their derivation and appropriate use is scattered in the legal, psychometric, and professional literatures. The purpose of this paper is to analyze critically and to integrate these diverse literatures, to summarize what is known and what is unknown about the use and misuse of cutoff scores. Alternative methods are examined in relation to legal precedents set by the courts, to psychometric principles, and to the various sets of professional guidelines. Directions for future research are suggested, and we conclude with a set of recommendations regarding acceptable professional practice in this area.
A meta-analysis of the correlates of turnover intent in criminal justice organizations: Does agency type matter?

Abstract Purpose The study synthesizes the literature on turnover intentions to assess what domains (e.g., personal characteristics, work environment, and job attitudes) account for the strongest association with turnover intent, what are the characteristics of these relationships, and how do these relationships differ by criminal justice practitioner type. Methods The current study utilizes a systematic review to obtain studies for conducting a meta-analysis. The researchers utilized the r family/correlation coefficient. Studies were weighted by sample size, correlations converted to Fisher’s z , analyses performed, and results converted back to r for interpretation. Results In terms of the individual predictors for law enforcement, the five strongest variables included alternative job search behavior, job satisfaction, psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, procedural and distributive justice. The five strongest predictors of turnover intent for institutional corrections were normative commitment, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, affective commitment, and job satisfaction. The five strongest predictors for community corrections included experience, alternative job search behavior, perceptions of coworkers, growth need strength, and job satisfaction. Conclusions The results of the meta-analysis confirmed the domain of personal characteristics, overall, has the weakest association with turnover intent whereas work environment and job attitude domains consistently display moderate-to-large effects for both law enforcement and corrections.
Smart phone use by non-mobile business users

The rapid increase in smart phone capabilities has introduced new opportunities for mobile information access and computing. However, smart phone use may still be constrained by both device affordances and work environments. To understand how current business users employ smart phones and to identify opportunities for improving business smart phone use, we conducted two studies of actual and perceived performance of standard work tasks. Our studies involved 243 smart phone users from a large corporation. We intentionally chose users who primarily work with desktops and laptops, as these "non-mobile" users represent the largest population of business users. Our results go beyond the general intuition that smart phones are better for consuming than producing information: we provide concrete measurements that show how fast reading is on phones and how much slower and more effortful text entry is on phones than on computers. We also demonstrate that security mechanisms are a significant barrier to wider business smart phone use. We offer design suggestions to overcome these barriers.
Traumatic fracture—one-visit endodontic treatment and dentinal bonding reattachment of coronal fragment: report of case

An economically and structurally conservative restoration procedure that also provides optimal esthetic quality is discussed.
Dosimetric comparison of photon and proton treatment techniques for chondrosarcoma of thoracic spine

Chondrosarcomas are relatively radiotherapy resistant, and also delivering high radiation doses is not feasible owing to anatomic constraints. In this study, the feasibility of helical tomotherapy for treatment of chondrosarcoma of thoracic spine is explored and compared with other available photon and proton radiotherapy techniques in the clinical setting. A patient was treated for high-grade chondrosarcoma of the thoracic spine using tomotherapy. Retrospectively, the tomotherapy plan was compared with intensity-modulated radiation therapy, dynamic arc photon therapy, and proton therapy. Two primary comparisons were made: (1) comparison of normal tissue sparing with comparable target volume coverage (plan-1), and (2) comparison of target volume coverage with a constrained maximum dose to the cord center (plan-2). With constrained target volume coverage, proton plans were found to yield lower mean doses for all organs at risk (spinal cord, esophagus, heart, and both lungs). Tomotherapy planning resulted in the lowest mean dose to all organs at risk amongst photon-based methods. For cord dose constrained plans, the static-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy and dynamic arc plans resulted target underdosing in 20% and 12% of planning target volume2 volumes, respectively, whereas both proton and tomotherapy plans provided clinically acceptable target volume coverage with no portion of planning target volume2 receiving less than 90% of the prescribed dose. Tomotherapy plans are comparable to proton plans and produce superior results compared with other photon modalities. This feasibility study suggests that tomotherapy is an attractive alternative to proton radiotherapy for delivering high doses to lesions in the thoracic spine.
Quotient-based Control Synthesis for Non-Deterministic Plants with Mu-Calculus Specifications

We study the control of a nondeterministic discrete event system (DES) subject to a control specification expressed in the propositional mu-calculus, under complete observation of events. Given a plant automaton model and a mu-calculus specification we provide a set of rules that computes the "quotient" of the specification against the plant, which is another mu-calculus formula such that a supervisor exists if and only if the quotiented formula is satisfiable. Thus the control problem is reduced to one of mu-calculus satisfiability. We also present a tableau-based satisfiability solving algorithm that identifies a model for the quotiented formula. The resulting model serves as a supervisor. The complexity of supervisor existence verification as well as model synthesis is single exponential in the size of the plant as well as the size of the specification formula.
Fitting PAC spectra with stochastic models: PolyPacFit

PolyPacFit is an advanced fitting program for time-differential perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. It incorporates stochastic models and provides robust options for customization of fits. Notable features of the program include platform independence and support for (1) fits to stochastic models of hyperfine interactions, (2) user-defined constraints among model parameters, (3) fits to multiple spectra simultaneously, and (4) any spin nuclear probe.
Multitask and Multistage Production Planning and Scheduling for Process Industries

We consider the planning and scheduling of production in a multitask/multistage batch manufacturing process typical of industries such as chemical manufacturing, food processing, and oil refining. We allow instances in which multiple sequences of tasks may be used to produce end products. We formulate the problem as a mixed-integer linear program and show that the linear programming relaxation has a large integrality gap and requires significant computational effort to solve to optimality for large instances. Using echelon inventory, we construct a new family of valid inequalities for this problem. The formulation with the additional constraints leads to a significantly tighter linear programming relaxation and to greatly reduced solution times for the mixed-integer linear program.
Extended pancreatectomy with resection of the celiac axis : the modified Appleby operation

Abstract Background Celiac axis invasion by central and distal pancreatic cancers has been considered a contraindication to resection. Appleby first described en-bloc celiac axis resection with total gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer. We present our experience with a modification of this procedure in central pancreatic cancers involving the celiac trunk. Methods Three patients with central pancreatic cancers invading the celiac axis are reviewed. All patients underwent extended pancreatectomy with en-bloc resection of the celiac axis. Results Margins were grossly clear of tumor in all patients. The mean length of stay was 8.3 ± 1.1 days. There was no evidence of clinically significant gastric or hepatic ischemia. All 3 patients remain disease free at 34, 14, and 14 months from surgery, respectively. Comments Extended pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection can result in prolonged survival and should be considered in central and distal pancreatic cancers invading the celiac trunk.