cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Two-Phase Magnetic Nanorod Grains

Two-phase CoFe 2 O 4 and BaTi0 3 (BTO) nanocomposites were fabricated by a solid-state reaction. Following a similar process in a reducing environment, we have prepared Ni-BTO, a hybrid metal-ceramic nanocomposite with a nanorod grain morphology. We discuss the growth mechanism and demonstrate that our metal-ceramic nanorods are magnetic. Ni foil can reach saturation magnetization at magnetic fields of 700 G, whereas the Ni-BTO nanorods need 3000 G. In the future, this method may offer a convenient and inexpensive way to fabricate new types of multiferroic materials.
Implications of a Primordial Magnetic Field for Magnetic Monopoles, Axions, and Dirac Neutrinos

We explore some particle physics implications of the growing evidence for a helical primordial magnetic field (PMF). From the interactions of magnetic monopoles and the PMF, we derive an upper bound on the monopole number density, $n({t}_{0})l1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, which is a ``primordial'' analog of the Parker bound for the survival of galactic magnetic fields. Our bound is weaker than existing constraints, but it is derived under independent assumptions. We also show how improved measurements of the PMF at different redshifts can lead to further constraints on magnetic monopoles. Axions interact with the PMF due to the ${g}_{a\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{\varphi}\mathbf{E}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbf{B}/4\ensuremath{\pi}$ interaction. Including the effects of the cosmological plasma, we find that the helicity of the PMF is a source for the axion field. Although the magnitude of the source is small for the PMF, it could potentially be of interest in astrophysical environments. Earlier derived constraints from the resonant conversion of cosmic microwave background photons into axions lead to ${g}_{a\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}1{0}^{\ensuremath{-}9}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for the suggested PMF strength $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{G}$ and coherence length $\ensuremath{\sim}10\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Mpc}$. Finally, we apply constraints on the neutrino magnetic dipole moment that arise from requiring successful big bang nucleosynthesis in the presence of a PMF, and we find ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}1{0}^{\ensuremath{-}16}\text{ }\text{ }{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$.
Hemoglobin-ligand interaction in fetal and maternal sheep blood.

Abstract Hemoglobin-ligand interaction was studied in maternal and fetal sheep blood as a function of oxygen saturation. pH was changed by varying CO2 concentration (CO2 Bohr effect) or by addition of NaOH or HCl at constant PCO2 (fixed acid Bohr effect). For maternal blood, CO2 Bohr factor was −0.41 at 50% oxygen saturation, increasing in magnitude at lower saturation and decreasing in magnitude at higher saturation. For fetal blood, CO2 Bohr factor was −0.45 at 50% oxygen saturation, unchanging at lower saturation and decreasing in magnitude at higher saturation. Fixed acid Bohr factor was relatively saturation independent with a value of −0.36 for fetal blood and −0.27 for maternal blood. the pH-independent effect of molecular CO2 on oxygen affinity was markedly saturation dependent being greatest at low oxygen saturation. The CO2 effect was greater in maternal blood than fetal blood. However, the magnitude of the saturation dependency of Bohr factor is not great enough to have major physiological significance in oxygen transfer across the sheep placenta.
The Career Patterns of Mature American Women

Based on data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Work Experience, this report identifies three major life-career patterns for mature American women: home, labor force, and mixed careers. The...
Residues within transmembrane domains 4 and 6 of the Na,K-ATPase alpha subunit are important for Na+ selectivity.

The Na,K- and H,K-ATPases are plasma membrane enzymes responsible for the active exchange of extracellular K+ for cytoplasmic Na+ or H+, respectively. At present, the structural determinants for the specific function of these ATPases remain poorly understood. To investigate the cation selectivity of these ATPases, we constructed a series of Na,K-ATPase mutants in which residues in the membrane spanning segments of the α subunit were changed to the corresponding residues common to gastric H,K-ATPases. Thus, mutants were created with substitutions in transmembrane domains TM1, TM4, TM5, TM6, TM7, and TM8 independently or together (designated TMAll). The function of each mutant was assessed after coexpression with the β subunit in Sf-9 cells using baculoviruses. The enzymatic properties of TM1, TM7, and TM8 mutants were similar to the wild-type Na,K-ATPase, and while TM5 showed modest changes in apparent affinity for Na+, TM4, TM6, and TMAll displayed an abnormal activity. This resulted in a Na+-independent ...
JNK1 is required to preserve cardiac function in the early response to pressure overload

Abstract Cardiac stress consistently activates c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways, however the role of different members of the JNK family is unclear. In this study, we applied pressure overload (TAC) in mice with selective deletion of the three JNK genes (Jnk1−/−, Jnk2−/−, and Jnk3−/−). Following TAC, all three JNK knockout mouse lines developed cardiac hypertrophy similar to wild-type mice (WT), but only JNK1−/− mice displayed a significant reduction in fractional shortening after 3 and 7 days of pressure overload, associated with a significant increase in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling staining and marked inflammatory infiltrate. After the acute deterioration stage, JNK1−/− mice underwent a slow recovery followed by a steady progression of cardiac dysfunction, becoming indistinguishable from WT after 12 weeks of TAC. These data suggest that JNK1 plays a protective role in response to pressure overload, preventing the early deterioration in cardiac function following an acute increase in afterload.
Automated external defibrillation by very young, untrained children.

For patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD), the time interval to defibrillation is the main determinant of survival. As such, the American Heart Association has attempted to promote public-access defibrillation (PAD). Previous studies have shown that automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can be used successfully by untrained adults. Objective To determine whether very young, untrained children could use AEDs. Methods Third-grade students from an elementary school participated in this study representing a convenience sample of volunteers. They were given no formal training, but were shown how to peel off the backing from the electrode pads, like a sticker. Students were then given a mock code situation using a training manikin. The time to delivery of first shock was recorded. Students were then trained during a 2-minute review of the process, one on one with an instructor, and the study was then repeated. Data were analyzed using a paired Student's t-test comparing pre- and post-training. Results Thirty-one children participated in the study, with a median age of 9 years. For untrained children, the mean time for delivery of the first shock was 59.3 +/- 13.6 seconds, 95% CI = 54.3 to 64.3. Following training, the mean time for delivery of the first shock was 35.2 +/- 6.0 seconds, 95% CI = 33.0 to 37.4, p = 0.001. Conclusion Although this study suggests that even very young, untrained children can successfully perform automated external defibrillation, training does significantly decrease the time to delivery of first shock.
Interface conductance between roughened Be and steel under thermal deformation

Abstract Predictability and control over temperatures and stresses are necessary in order to assure acceptable tritium release, component reliability and lifetime in solid breeder blankets. These blankets usually contain beryllium multiplier in either pebble-bed or solid block forms. For the solid block forms, uncertainties remain in the prediction of the thermal resistance between the Be and its cladding. Several parameters are important, including surface roughness and flatness, background gas pressure, and external loads which may result from blanket thermal deformations and/or pressure stresses. Differential thermal deformation between Be and steel can cause separation to occur between the two solid surfaces, which could seriously degrade the heat transfer. Existing models and data for solid—solid conductance show inconsistencies, even for steel surfaces. Little data or none exists for the Be—steel system, in which differential surface deformations are expected. In this work, we describe a new model which incorporates the combined influences of thermal deformation and contact pressure. Data were taken with small Be specimens as a function of the relevant parameters. The results show that the inclusion of non-conforming surfaces provides a richer range of behavior. Thermal deformations degrade the heat transfer by about a factor of two from flat surfaces, but this effect tends to decrease above about 100 kW m−2. Contact pressure (above about 1 MPa) between the two materials can effectively maintain good conductance. The flatness and roughness of the surfaces are the most critical parameters. The work also demonstrates the large degree of variation in conductance with background gas pressure.
Early results of sacro-iliac joint fixation following long fusion to the sacrum in adult spine deformity.

Background The sacro–iliac joint (SIJ) is the largest joint in the human body. When the lumbar spine is fused to the sacrum, motion across the SIJ is increased, leading to increased degeneration of the SIJ. Degeneration can become symptomatic in up to 75% of the cases when a long lumbar fusion ends with a sacral fixation. If medical treatments fail, patients can undergo surgical fixation of the SIJ.
Incidence of skull base and orbital erosion in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) and non-AFRS.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence of bony erosion associated with allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) with the incidence of bony erosion seen in other types of inflammatory sinusitis.STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review.RESULTS: AFRS was diagnosed in 27 patients, and 15/27 (56%) had bony skull base or orbital erosion. Non-AFRS chronic sinusitis required surgery in 158 patients, but only 8 (5%) had bony skull base or orbital erosion (P < 0.01). AFRS patients were 12.6 times (P < 0.01) more likely to have bony erosion than non-AFRS patients. African American males were 15.0 times (P < 0.01) more likely to have bony erosion than whites and African American females combined.CONCLUSION: Bony erosion with intracranial and intraorbital extension is much more common in AFRS than all other types of inflammatory sinusitis combined. African American males have a higher incidence of AFRS, as well as intracranial and intraorbital extension.
Separation of certain cations from mixtures of various cations on ion-exchange papers—I: Silver and thallium

Abstract Development with solutions providing selective complexation and pH control permits the complete separation of silver or thallium ions from multicomponent mixtures of various ions on ion-exchange papers. Complete recovery as well as separation is demonstrated for silver on columns of ion-exchange resin.
Poly(oxyalkylene) grafts to guar gum with applications in hydraulic fracturing fluids

Hydraulic fracturing is routinely used in the oil and gas industry to improve or stimulate the recovery of hydrocarbons from underground formations. Highly viscous fluids are used to carry proppants into the fractures; guar gum derivatives are commonly used because they can be degraded readily for subsequent removal. In this study a new series of carboxymethylated guar gum derivatives, which are modified via the corresponding methyl esters with poly(oxyalkylene amines) to produce a series of poly(oxyalkylene-g-guar) derivatives with unique rheological properties are reported. Techniques for gelling the derivatives and for breaking the gels will be discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gate‐Controlled Light Emitting Diodes

A study has reported on p-channel gate controlled light emitting diodes (LED) fabricated by spin casting an electroluminescent polymer onto high dielectric constant polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with Au as the source for hole injection into the channel and Ca as the source for electrons. The study also analyzed light emission in a transistor-like configuration using a spin cast electroluminescent polymer and a bilayer of high materials (PVDF on silicon nitride) as the gate dielectric. The transistor exhibited excellent p-type electrical characteristics with a mobility of 7.4 × 10 cm Vs and current on/off ratio of 10 . The study showed that light emission was visible with brightness exceeding 310cd m at controlled quantum efficiency of 0.5%. The gate controlled bright light emission also suggests novel applications such as simplified pixels in a flat panel display and electrically driven organic lasers.
Structure-based design of a thiazolidinedione which targets the mitochondrial protein mitoNEET

Several PPAR-gamma agonists containing a thiazolidinedione moiety (referred to as glitazones) have been proposed to be neuroprotective and appear to alter mitochondrial function. Recently, a search for mitochondrial proteins that bind pioglitazone identified a novel protein, mitoNEET, which was later shown to regulate the oxidative capacity of the mitochondria. This identified an alternative target for the glitazones suggesting a possible new drug target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Molecular docking studies employing the reported crystal structure revealed five possible binding pockets on mitoNEET. We focused on two sites based on their physical characteristics. Using binding information gained from the analysis of two glitazones docked in these pockets, we designed and synthesized a ligand (NL-1) that would preferentially bind to site 1. Based on [(3)H]-binding data of the glitazones and comparisons to computer generated K(i)s, we were able to predict that site 1 was likely the target of the glitazones. NL-1 uncoupled isolated mitochondrial complex I respiration with an IC(50) of 2.4 microM and inhibited state III respiration up to 45%. To investigate the ability of NL-1 to block rotenone initiated free radicals from complex I, we found it was able to protect the human neuronal cell line SH-SY5Y against rotenone induced cell death. These data demonstrate that mitoNEET is a viable target for the design and synthesis of novel therapeutic agents aimed at altering mitochondrial function.
Theoretical Determination of the Mechanical Response of Spun-bonded Nonwovens

A new theory is presented to predict the tensile behaviour of spun-bonded nonwoven fabrics from the knowledge of the stress–strain behaviour of its constituent fibers, their orientation angle distribution, the fabric's Poisson's ratio and their shear strains. A comparison of the predicted stress–strain curves and experimental results of two commercially available fabrics is made in two principle directions. The theory is shown to work very well for the fabrics under study. Theoretical curves are presented by using Poisson's ratio values calculated from methods based on biaxial and uniaxial testing. A comparison of two methods is described.
Disruption of function-structure coupling in brain regions sub-serving self monitoring in schizophrenia

Deficits in self monitoring are a core feature of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, and may be the basis for disturbances of self and lack of insight, ultimately impacting social functioning. However, the functional and structural neural correlates of such deficits in self monitoring are not well understood. We investigated this issue using measurements of neurophysiological and structural brain indices, i.e., error-related and correct-response negativity (ERN & CRN) of event-related potentials, and gray matter volume of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and tested whether the association between these indices is altered in patients with schizophrenia. Participants consisted of 18 male patients with chronic schizophrenia and 18 healthy male controls. The 2 groups did not differ in ERN amplitude. In contrast, schizophrenia patients showed significantly larger CRN amplitudes than did healthy subjects. Although the 2 groups did not significantly differ in gray matter volume of the ACC subregions, a significant negative correlation was found between ERN amplitudes at the frontocentral electrodes and absolute gray matter volumes of the left cognitive region of ACC only in healthy controls. These results suggest a disruption of function-structure coupling of the brain regions sub-serving self monitoring in schizophrenia.
Baseline startle amplitude and prepulse inhibition in Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Although an exaggerated startle response is a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), empirical support for elevated baseline startle in PTSD has been weak. The present study investigated the eyeblink component of the acoustic startle reflex and prepulse inhibition (PPI) in 21 unmedicated Vietnam veterans with PTSD and in 17 civilian and 10 combat veteran comparison subjects. Patients with PTSD exhibited normal acoustic startle amplitude, but showed a significant reduction in PPI relative to the civilian subjects. There was only a trend toward a reduction in PPI in the PTSD group compared with the combat control group. The study does not support the hypothesis of exaggerated baseline startle in Vietnam veterans with PTSD but suggests abnormal startle modulation by a prepulse (i.e., PPI). Discrepancies between studies concerning the amplitude of startle in PTSD are discussed.
Private idiotypes on human polyclonal IgG anti-DNA antibodies are not expressed on coexisting IgM anti-DNA antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract Sharing of private idiotypes (Id) on human polyclonal IgG anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) with coexisting IgM anti-dsDNA was investigated using rabbit (R) anti-Id raised against IgG anti-dsDNA. The R-anti-Id showed specificity to private Id in or near the antigen-binding sites. The R-anti-Id poorly bound to the immobilized enriched IgM anti-dsDNA preparation but significantly bound to IgG anti-dsDNA preparation by a direct-binding ELISA (0.020 OD vs 0.295 OD, respectively). The R-anti-Id poorly inhibited the binding of IgM anti-dsDNA to immobilized dsDNA but significantly inhibited the binding of IgG anti-dsDNA to dsDNA (6% vs 55% inhibition, respectively). This was confirmed by poor inhibition of binding of the R-anti-Id to immobilized IgG anti-dsDNA by the enriched IgM anti-dsDNA preparation (maximum of 26% inhibition at 50 μ/ml). Nonsharing of private Id between IgG and coexisting IgM anti-dsDNA may represent the idiotypic diversity of human anti-DNA antibodies secondary to the frequent occurrence of somatic mutation on anti-DNA antibody during class switching.
Development of an enhanced cavity absorption sensor for air monitoring

The progress on the development of a sensor for the detection of ambient levels of a set of air contaminants is reported. A 1.55 µm external-cavity tunable diode laser is used as a light source that can be incorporated into either Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (ICOS) or cw-Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (cw-CRDS). Both techniques exploit the sensitivity enhancements provided by the long effective pathlength from the optical cavity created between two mirrors. Initial experiments of ICOS and cw-CRDS have been performed to determine the sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility of this method. In the continuing work, the sensitivity of cw-CRDS will be compared with ICOS to determine which method holds greater promise for a practical sensor.
Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR5, but Not TLR4, Are Required for Helicobacter pylori-induced NF-κB Activation and Chemokine Expression by Epithelial Cells

Infection with Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative, microaerophilic, flagellated bacteria that adheres to human gastric mucosa, is strongly associated with gastric ulcers and adenocarcinoma. The mechanisms through which gastric epithelial cells recognize this organism are unclear. In this study we evaluated the interactions between the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and H. pylori-mediated NF-κB activation and the induction of chemokine mRNA expression. By reverse transcriptase-PCR we determined that MKN45 gastric epithelial cells express low but detectable amounts of TLR2, -4, and -5 but no MD-2. To determine which, if any, TLRs may play a role in the response of epithelial cells to H. pylori, HEK293 cells were cotransfected with the NF-κB-Luc reporter, CD14 and MD2 expression plasmids, and expression plasmids for TLR2, TLR4, or TLR5. Infection of the cultures with H. pylori (strain 26695) induced NF-κB activity in cells transfected with TLR2 and TLR5, but not TLR4. Consistent with the HEK293 experiments, H. pylori-induced NF-κB activation was decreased in MKN45 gastric epithelial cells by transfection of dominant-negative versions of TLR2 and TLR5 but not TLR4. Highly purified lipopolysaccharide from H. pylori strain 26695 activated NF-κB in HEK293 via TLR2 but not TLR4. Partially purified flagellin from H. pylori was also capable of inducing NF-κB activation in HEK cells transfected with TLR5. Additionally, chemokine gene expression was induced by H. pylori in HEK293 cells following stable transfection with TLR2 or TLR5 expression plasmids. These studies demonstrate that gastric epithelial cells recognize and respond to H. pylori infection at least in part via TLR2 and TLR5. Furthermore, the unique lipopolysaccharide of H. pylori is a TLR2, not a TLR4 agonist.
The superiority of conservative resection and adjuvant radiation for craniopharyngiomas

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the roles of resection extent and adjuvant radiation in the treatment of craniopharyngiomas. We reviewed the records of 122 patients ages 11–52 years who received primary treatment for craniopharyngioma between 1980 and 2009 at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Primary endpoints were progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were development of panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus (DI), and visual field defects. Of 122 patients, 30 (24%) were treated with gross total resection (GTR) without radiation therapy (RT), 3 (3%) with GTR + RT, 41 (33.6%) with subtotal resection (STR) without RT, and 48 (39.3%) with STR + RT. Median age at diagnosis was 30 years, with 46 patients 18 years or younger. Median follow-up for all patients was 56.4 months (interquartile range 18.9–144.2 months) and 47 months (interquartile range 12.3–121.8 months) for the 60 patients without progression. Fifty six patients progressed, 10 have died, 6 without progression. Median PFS was 61.1 months for all patients. PFS rate at 2 years was 61.5% (95% CI: 52.1–70.9). OS rate at 10 years was 91.1% (95% CI 84.3–97.9). There was no significant difference in PFS and OS between patients treated with GTR vs. STR + XRT (PFS; p = 0.544, OS; p = 0.735), but STR alone resulted in significantly shortened PFS compared to STR + RT or GTR (p < 0.001 for both). STR was associated with significantly shortened OS compared to STR + RT (p = 0.050) and trended to shorter OS compared to GTR (p = 0.066). GTR was associated with significantly greater risk of developing DI (56.3 vs. 13.3% with STR + XRT, p < 0.001) and panhypopituitarism (54.8 vs. 26.7% with STR + XRT, p = 0.014). In conclusion, for patients with craniopharyngioma, STR + RT may provide superior clinical outcome, achieving better disease control than STR and limiting side effects associated with aggressive surgical resection.
The electronic structures of infinite linear polymers

Abstract The Hartree-Fock procedure for infinite linear polymers by use of the cyclic boundary condition is formulated and applied to polyethylene in the CNDO/2 approximation. The most stable conformation is found to have the trans zig-zag conformation, in agreement with experiment.
Sex, hormones, and repolarization.

There is increased awareness of the impact of gender and gonadal steroids on human cardiac rhythm and arrhythmias; e.g., drugs that prolong repolarization induce torsades de pointes (TdP) more frequently in women than men; female gender is an independent risk factor for syncope and sudden death in the congenital long QT syndrome; and the higher propensity toward arrhythmia in normal females is associated with fundamental differences in repolarization such that rate-corrected QT intervals are longer in females than males. Mechanisms underlying these differences are incompletely defined but are believed to involve gonadal steroids. This review discusses recent advances and prospects for further elucidation of the influence of gender and gonadal steroids on ventricular repolarization and arrhythmias.
Applied Tests of Design Skills—Part II: Visual Thinking

A number of cognitive skills relevant to conceptual design have been previously identified: divergent thinking, visual thinking, spatial reasoning, qualitative reasoning, and problem formulation. A battery of standardized test has been developed for each of these skills. This is the second paper in a series of papers on testing individual skill level differences in engineers and engineering students. In the first paper, we reported on the theoretical and empirical basis for divergent thinking test, as well as, on test formulation, data collection, norming studies, and statistical validation of that test. This paper focuses similarly on the efforts related to the visual thinking and spatial reasoning in engineering context. We have decomposed visual thinking into six categories: visual comprehension including perceptual speed, visual memory (that is, the visual memory system), visual synthesis mental image manipulation/transformation, spatial reasoning, and graphical expression/elaboration. We discuss the theoretical basis of a comprehensive test for engineers, test composition, trial runs, and computation of reliability measures. The alpha version was given to a small set of subjects to determine clarity of the questions and gauge difficulty level. The beta version was used for norming and test validation from over 500 samples that included engineering students and a smaller number of practicing engineers. Construct validation was achieved through basing the construction of our instrument off other well-known measures of visual thinking, while content validity was assured through thoroughly sampling the domain of visual thinking and including a variety of items both pertinent and specific to the engineering design process. The factor analysis reveals that there are possibly two eigenvalues above 1.0, an indication that it is a stable and accurate instrument. We emphasize that these tests are not just dependent on native abilities, but on education and experience; design skills are teachable and learnable.
How to define a patch: a spatial model for hierarchically delineating organism-specific habitat patches

Landscape analysis and delineation of habitat patches should take into account organism-specific behavioral and perceptual responses to landscape structure because different organisms perceive and respond to landscape features over different ranges of spatial scales. The commonly used methods for delineating habitat based on rules of contiguity do not account for organism-specific responses to landscape patch structure and have undesirable properties, such as being dependent on the scale of base map used for analysis. This paper presents an improved patch delineation algorithm, “PatchMorph,” which can delineate patches across a range of spatial scales based on three organism-specific thresholds: (1) land cover density threshold, (2) habitat gap maximum thickness (gap threshold), and (3) habitat patch minimum thickness (spur threshold). This algorithm was tested on an “idealized” landscape with landscape gaps and spurs of known size, and delineated patches as expected. It was then applied to delineate patches from a neutral random fractal landscape, which showed that as the input gap and spur thickness thresholds were increased, the number of patches decreased from 59 (low thresholds) patches to 1 (high thresholds). The algorithm was then applied to model western yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) nesting habitat patches based on spur and gap thresholds specific to this organism. Both these analyses showed that fewer patches were delineated by PatchMorph than by rules of contiguity, and those patches were larger, had smoother edges, and had fewer gaps within the patches. This algorithm has many applications beyond those presented in this paper, including habitat suitability analysis, spatially explicit population modeling, and habitat connectivity analysis.
Predictors of a Health‐Promoting Life‐style Among Well Adult Clients in a Nursing Practice

The self-reported health-promoting life-style (HPL) of 130 well adults in a primary care clinical population was examined in relation to the cognitive/perceptual and sociodemographic factors hypothesized in Pender's Health Promotion Model (1987) to predict this behavior. Subjects were randomly drawn from the clients of a group nurse practitioner practice emphasizing health maintenance. Data were collected by mailed survey (response rate, 59%) with one telephone prompt. The mean age of the subjects was 39.7 years; 72.3% were female; 51.2% were married; 47.7% had college degrees; and 67.4% were white. Blacks were underrepresented in the sample compared to the practice population (chi = 7.56, p = .006). Using multiple regression, the definition of health, importance of health, health locus of control, age, gender, marital status, race, education, income, and rural/urban residence were studied to determine their effects on health-promoting behavior. Results generally supported the Pender Model. Defining health eudiamonistically, that is, as exuberant well-being (rather than adaptive, functional, or absence of disease), predicted HPL. Ranking health above other values such as achievement and harmony had no effect; chance health locus of control had a negative relationship. In the final regression model, predictors of HPL were eudiamonistic conception of health and college education (p = .0001, R2 = 17). Based on this data, considerations of a clients' health conception when framing health-promotion messages is warranted in this population.
The diversion of delinquent youth: family-frcused intervention

This paper describes the practices of the Adolescent Diversion Project and presents some research evaluating the program's effectiveness. The youth were referred to the project as an alternative to further court processing. These youth were randomly assigned to the project or to a control group which received treatment as usual by the court. Project youth were assigned to work with college undergraduates for 18 weeks. The two basic intervention techniques employed were behavioral contracting and advocacy. Project youth were further randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions within the project. The Multi-Focus group applied the above strategies to a variety of social domains of the youth, while the Family Condition focused entirely on the family. Research results focused on standard outcome criteria (police, court, and school data) as well as on the degree to which the experimental conditions differed in practice.
3.3.2 Systems Decision Making Failures in Replacing the World Trade Center

This paper is my senior honors project for the Department of Systems Engineering at West Point. Dr. Gregory Parnell, Professor of Systems Engineering at West Point, is my advisor. This paper directly addresses multiple topics of interest of the symposium including system safety and security, managing environmental impacts, use of human resources, and continuous systems development. This paper examines, from a system engineer's perspective, why six years after 9/11 no above ground construction on the Freedom Tower has occurred and how systems engineering should have been used to start rebuilding faster and with a better design. Three issues impeded the development of the Freedom Tower. First, battles for decision making authority continually halted the progress of the project. Second, the exclusion of stakeholders upset many who felt they should have had a say in the rebuilding process. Third, the decision makers did not always consider the values and objectives of the stakeholders. An adequate understanding of stakeholder values would have improved the process of replacing the World Trade Center.
Regretted Messages: Cognitive Antecedents and Post Hoc Reflection

This study investigates the cognitive processes that precede and follow the saying of a regretted message. Participants recalled and described real-life regretted messages. Three cognitive antecedents to saying such messages were investigated: competing demands on capacity, the situated importance of secondary goals, and goals realized by the messages. Six reasons for reflecting on regretted messages were measured. Results showed the most frequently reported competing demands on capacity to be stress, frustration, anger, and having a lot on one’s mind. The goals realized most often by regretted messages were expressing one’s true feelings, providing information, correcting a hearer’s behavior, and warning/threatening a hearer. For messages conflicting with impression and relationship maintenance goals, the situated importance of the goals positively predicted the seriousness of the goal conflict. Reflection on regretted messages focused most frequently on repairing the relationship, formulating a rule to ...
Achievement goals, study strategies, and achievement: A test of the "learning agenda" framework.

Abstract Two classroom studies tested whether mastery-approach goals and performance-approach goals nudge students to pursue different learning agendas. Each showed that mastery-approach goals promote an interest-based studying approach in which students allocate study time disproportionately to personally interesting material over duller material. Study 2 showed that this approach can jeopardize their academic achievement. Conversely, performance-approach goals promote a vigilant approach in which students seek cues about how to succeed and allocate study time toward material they believe is most important to their instructors. Study 1 showed that this approach encourages flexibility in how deeply they study material, and Study 2 showed that it facilitates achievement for students who are accurate in their beliefs about which material is instructionally important. These findings counter the assumption that performance-approach goals trigger a rigid reliance on superficial learning. They also therefore contribute to the broader discussion about when and why achievement goals affect achievement.
Noncommuting Mixed States Cannot Be Broadcast

We show that, given a general mixed state for a quantum system, there are no physical means for broadcasting that state onto two separate quantum systems, even when the state need only be reproduced marginally on the separate systems. This result extends the standard no-cloning theorem for pure states.
Collisionally Induced Narrowing of the Longitudinal Relaxation Linewidth in Nearly Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing

This paper reports the observation of collisionally induced spectral narrowing of the longitudinal relaxation linewidth with use of the nearly degenerate four-wave mixing process. A theoretical model, which takes into account strong velocity-changing collisions for the population and phase-interrupting collisions for the optical coherence, leads to a good qualitative understanding of this new effect.
Effect of high-fat diet-induced obesity on the efficacy of food and drug reinforcers.

Restricting access to food in rodents is known to enhance the efficacy of reinforcers such as food, brain self-stimulation, and drugs of abuse (e.g., cocaine, amphetamine) in a number of procedures including operant self-administration and conditioned place preference. Food restriction reduces body weight, body adiposity and plasma leptin, a hormone recently found to modulate the mesolimbic dopamine system. In contrast, placing rodents on a high-fat, calorically dense diet induces hyperphagia and sustained gains in body weight, adiposity and plasma leptin. Here, we test the prediction that high-fat diet (HFD)- induced obesity will result in reduced sensitivity to reinforcing stimuli. We find that male and female rats maintained on HFD display reduced operant responding for a variety of food reinforcers, including sucrose pellets, peanut oil, and a liquid sucrose solution. HFD is strongly preferred over low fat diets and switching from a preferred to a non-preferred reinforcer strongly attenuates responding, a phenomenon known as a negative contrast effect. To assess the possibility that our observed reduction in operant responding represents a negative contrast between HFD and the selected food stimuli, we also assessed operant responding in a group of animals fed the HFD in an amount calorically matched to a group consuming the control diet. We also assessed responding in animals selectively bred for their susceptibility or resistance to obesity when consuming HFD. Finally, the effect of HFD-induced obesity on a non-food reinforcer was evaluated by assessing the ability of amphetamine to condition a place preference in HFD- and chow-fed rats.
Infrared study on molecular conformations of dialkoxyethanes and related compounds

Abstract Infrared spectra have been taken of the following groups of liquids: Group I, CH 3 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 , CH 3 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 3 , CH 3 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 ; Group II, CH 3 OCH 2 CH 2 OH, CH 3 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OH, HOCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OH; Group III, CH 3 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OH, CH 3 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OH. The spectra of the compounds were compared with those of the liquids containing mercuric chloride and the resulting crystalline complexes of the compounds with mercuric chloride. Distinctive differences are observed in the spectral feature especially in the 1150–1050 cm −1 region between pure liquids, liquids with mercuric chloride and crystalline complexes in the case of group I liquids, while the corresponding differences in spectra are not observed among the three states in the infrared spectra for group II. The corresponding differences, although not so conspicuous as in the case of group I, are observed for the spectral features for group III. The experimental facts have led us to the following conclusion. A trans form is more stable than a gauche form around a CH 2 -CH 2 bond in the liquid state in the case of group I, while a gauche form is more stable than a trans form around the bond in the case of group II because of hydrogen bonding between an oxygen atom of ether linkage and a hydroxyl group. For the compounds of group III, a CH 2 -CH 2 bond neighboring an alkoxy group is mainly of a trans form, whereas the bond joined to an OH group is dominantly of a gauche form.
A Preliminary Study of the Neural Effects of Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders

Background The mechanisms by which behavioral therapies for substance use disorders (SUDs) exert their effects and the components of treatment that contribute most to substance use outcome remain unclear. Disruptions to aspects of impulse control and attention have been hypothesized to contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction; moreover, alterations in these processes may underlie responses to treatment.
Skin tumorigenesis by an extract of amber petrolatum.

Abstract A sample of amber petrolatum has been resolved into aliphatic and aromatic fractions. The aromatic portion was separated into two components by solvent partition. The aromatic portion and the two subfractions were tested in isooctane solution at 50 times their concentration in the petrolatum, and all showed significant carcinogenicity to mouse skin. The petrolatum itself, tested as a 15% solution in isooctane, showed no significant tumorigenic activity. The tumorigenic activity detected in the fractions cannot be ascribed to any of the compounds so far identified in the original sample.
Analysis of the Pressure Transient and Burst Pressure for Exposure of the 9975 Primary Containment Vessel to Fire

Bare shipping package containment vessels can be utilized to stage plutonium oxide at the Savannah River Site. Pressurization and subsequent release could occur due to a hypothetical facility fire. Pressurization due to adsorbed moisture on the plutonium oxide and plastic packaging materials could result in rupture of the containment vessel. The containment vessel was evaluated to determine rupture pressure when subjected to the fire conditions. The rupture pressure is compared with pressures developed due to radiolytic gas generation.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
A router-based technique to mitigate reduction of quality (RoQ) attacks

We propose a router-based technique to mitigate the stealthy reduction of quality (RoQ) attacks at the routers in the Internet. The RoQ attacks have been shown to impair the QoS sensitive VoIP and the TCP traffic in the Internet. It is difficult to detect these attacks because of their low average rates. We also show that our generalized approach can detect these attacks even if they employ the source IP address spoofing, the destination IP address spoofing, and undefined periodicity to evade several router-based detection systems. The detection system operates in two phases: in phase 1, the presence of the RoQ attack is detected from the readily available per flow information at the routers, and in phase 2, the attack filtering algorithm drops the RoQ attack packets. Assuming that the attacker uses the source IP address and the destination IP address spoofing, we propose to detect the sudden increase in the traffic load of all the expired flows within a short period. In a network without RoQ attacks, we show that the traffic load of all the expired flows is less than certain thresholds, which are derived from real Internet traffic analysis. We further propose a simple filtering solution to drop the attack packets. The filtering scheme treats the long-lived flows in the Internet preferentially, and drops the attack traffic by monitoring the queue length if the queue length exceeds a threshold percent of the queue limit. Our results show that we can successfully detect and mitigate RoQ attacks even with the source and destination IP addresses spoofed. The detection system is implemented in the ns2 simulator. In the simulations, we use the flowid field available in ns2 to implement per-flow logic, which is a combination of the source IP address, the destination IP address, the source port, and the destination port. We also discuss the real implementation of the proposed detection system.
A STUDY OF SOFTWARE METRIC SELECTION TECHNIQUES: STABILITY ANALYSIS AND DEFECT PREDICTION MODEL PERFORMANCE

Software metrics (features or attributes) are collected during the software development cycle. Metric selection is one of the most important preprocessing steps in the process of building defect prediction models and may improve the final prediction result. However, the addition or removal of program modules (instances or samples) can alter the subsets chosen by a feature selection technique, rendering the previously-selected feature sets invalid. Very limited research have been done considering both stability (or robustness) and defect prediction model performance together in the software engineering domain, despite the importance of both aspects when choosing a feature selection technique. In this paper, we test the stability and classification model performance of eighteen feature selection techniques as the magnitude of change to the datasets and the size of the selected feature subsets are varied. All experiments were conducted on sixteen datasets from three real-world software projects. The experimental results demonstrate that Gain Ratio shows the least stability while two different versions of ReliefF show the most stability, followed by the PRC- and AUC-based threshold-based feature selection techniques. Results also show that the signal-to-noise ranker performed moderately in terms of robustness and was the best ranker in terms of model performance. Finally, we conclude that while for some rankers, stability and classification performance are correlated, this is not true for other rankers, and therefore performance according to one scheme (stability or model performance) cannot be used to predict performance according to the other.
A comparative study of aggression related changes in brain serotonin in CBA, C57BL, and DBA mice.

Spontaneous aggression was induced in 3 strains of male mice (CBA, C57BL, and DBA) by a new technique of socially intermixing them for 14 days and daily measuring the amount of scarring each received. In all strains, serotonin (5-HT) was lower in the ventromedial (VMH) and supraoptic (SO) hypothalamic areas and amygdala in the more aggressive as compared to the controls or less aggressive animals. The correlation coefficients between the amount of physical scarring and brain 5-HT in these areas ranged from 0.50 to 0.91 (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). Hippocampal (HPC) 5-HT was also lower in the more aggressive animals in CBA mice. Also the most aggressive strain (CBA) tended to have the lowest SO, VMH, and amygdala 5-HT concentration. In all 3 strains the concentration of brain 5-HT from lowest to highest was: frontal cortex < HPC < amygdala < VMH < SO. The data suggest that there is an inverse relationship between hypothalamic and limbic 5-HT and aggressiveness. Also the data suggest that the technique of intermixing 3 strains of mice successfully induced spontaneous aggression which peaked around 14 days and was reliable and could be quantified.
Uptake and Collision Dynamics of Gas Phase Ozone at Unsaturated Organic Interfaces

The uptake of gas phase ozone and the collision rate between ozone and double bonds at three different unsaturated organic interfaces with vapor are studied using classical molecular dynamics computer simulations. The organic systems are a self-assembled monolayer of 1-octenethiolate molecules adsorbed on a gold surface, liquid 1-tetradecene, and a monolayer of 1-oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine molecules adsorbed at the water liquid/vapor interface. The structural features of the neat organic systems are characterized and correlated with the dynamics in the presence of gas phase ozone molecules. The collision rate between ozone and a double bond is sensitive to several factors, including the extent of localization of the double bonds in the system and the distance that ozone diffuses into the organic phase. However, the average lifetime of a collision between ozone and a double bond is independent of the organic system. A comparison of the simulation results with experimental results from these systems shows good agreement. The results are discussed in the context of the oxidative processing of organic aerosols in the atmosphere.