cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Premixed ignition behavior of C9 fatty acid esters: A motored engine study

Abstract An experimental study on the premixed ignition behavior of C 9 fatty acid esters has been conducted in a motored CFR engine. For each test fuel, the engine compression ratio was gradually increased from the lowest point (4.43) to the point where significant high temperature heat release (HTHR) was observed. The engine exhaust was sampled and analyzed through GC-FID/TCD and GC-MS. Combustion analysis showed that the four C 9 fatty acid esters tested in this study exhibited evidently different ignition behavior. The magnitude of low temperature heat release (LTHR) follows the order, ethyl nonanoate > methyl nonanoate ≫ methyl 2-nonenoate > methyl 3-nonenoate. The lower oxidation reactivity for the unsaturated fatty acid esters in the low temperature regime can be explained by the reduced amount of six- or seven-membered transition state rings formed during the oxidation of the unsaturated esters due to the presence of a double bond in the aliphatic chain of the esters. The inhibition effect of the double bond on the low temperature oxidation reactivity of fatty acid esters becomes more pronounced as the double bond moves toward the central position of the aliphatic chain. GC-MS analysis of exhaust condensate collected under the engine conditions where only LTHR occurred showed that the alkyl chain of the saturated fatty acid esters participated in typical paraffin-like low temperature oxidation sequences. In contrast, for unsaturated fatty acid esters, the autoignition can undergo olefin ignition pathways. For all test compounds, the ester functional group remains largely intact during the early stage of oxidation.
A model of group adaptation to problem-solving tasks

Abstract The efficiency of the power-function model in describing and predicting the adaptation of existing groups to new technologies has been demonstrated in a large number of industrial settings. The generality of this function in describing a second category of adaptation—that of newly established groups to existing technologies—is investigated in this paper. The adaptation of different sets of newly formed groups to two experimental tasks was investigated; twelve groups of three subjects were given a business simulation task and 11 groups of five subjects were given a common symbol task of the Bavelas-Leavitt type. It is concluded that the power-function model describes the adaptation of both sets of groups very efficiently and that a strong relationship between the parameters of this model may provide a method of predicting group adaptation curves at the initiation of task performance. The practical implication of these findings for organizational planning, co-ordination, and control are described. A set of behavioral elements common to the industrial and experimental processes are identified and discussed as a possible beginning in the development of a theory of group adaptation.
Photic intermittency, pupillary diameter, and the visually evoked potential

Abstract Photically evoked cortical potentials (VERs) were recorded from four subjects under conditions of systematically varied background intermittent stimulation. Cortical responses recorded when the subjects' pupils were mobile were compared with those obtained with pupillary mydriasis. VER amplitude was reliably greater when responses were recorded with mydriatic pupils than with mobile pupils. Under either condition, response amplitude was reliably diminished by increasing the frequency of background intermittent stimulation. With mobile pupils, VER diminution was partitioned between the results of pupillary constriction and light adaptation produced by the intermittent stimulation. Under conditions of mydriasis, VER diminution was related singularly to light adaptive processes in the visual system.
FURTHER EVIDENCE ON THE ORIGINS OF THE PFEIFFER EFFECT USING CIRCULAR DICHROISM

Abstract The origins of the Pfeiffer Effect are characterized as zero and first order asymmetric transformations. Direct spectroscopic evidence using circular dichroism is presented for both types of transformations. Based on non-empirical criteria, the circular dichroism spectra obtained from the first order assymmetric transformations are used to characterize the absolute configuration of the enantiomer present in greater concentration.
Probing the Spatial Organization of Measles Virus Fusion Complexes

The spatial organization of metastable paramyxovirus fusion (F) and attachment glycoprotein hetero-oligomers is largely unknown. To further elucidate the organization of functional fusion complexes of measles virus (MeV), an archetype of the paramyxovirus family, we subjected central predictions of alternative docking models to experimental testing using three distinct approaches. Carbohydrate shielding through engineered N-glycans indicates close proximity of a membrane-distal, but not membrane-proximal, section of the MeV attachment (H) protein stalk domain to F. Directed mutagenesis of this section identified residues 111, 114, and 118 as modulators of avidity of glycoprotein interactions and determinants of F triggering. Stalk-length variation through deletion or insertion of HR elements at positions flanking this section demonstrates that the location of the stalk segment containing these residues cannot be altered in functional fusion complexes. In contrast, increasing the distance between the H head domains harboring the receptor binding sites and this section through insertion of structurally rigid α-helical domains with a pitch of up to approximately 75 A downstream of stalk position 118 partially maintains functionality in transient expression assays and supports efficient growth of recombinant virions. In aggregate, these findings argue against specific protein-protein contacts between the H head and F head domains but instead support a docking model that is characterized by short-range contacts between the prefusion F head and the attachment protein stalk, possibly involving H residues 111, 114, and 118, and extension of the head domain of the attachment protein above prefusion F.
Isolation of a rat liver Golgi mannosidase II clone by mixed oligonucleotide-primed amplification of cDNA

Abstract A clone encoding Golgi mannosidase II (MII; GlcNAc-transferase I-dependent alpha 1,3(alpha 1,6) mannosidase), an enzyme involved in asparagine-linked oligosaccharide processing, was isolated from a rat liver lambda gt11 cDNA library by a method that employs a modification of the polymerase chain reaction. Specific oligonucleotide primers were designed from two regions of protein sequence and were combined in an amplification reaction with a single-stranded cDNA preparation derived from rat liver poly(A)+ RNA. Based upon mapping of the protein sequences 42 kDa apart on the MII polypeptide, the procedure was expected to generate an approximately 1150-base-pair amplification product representing a segment of the MII gene between the two primer regions. The size of the amplified product (1170 base pairs) was in close agreement with this predicted fragment size. The authenticity of the amplified fragment was confirmed by the agreement of the DNA sequence with additional protein sequence data. A 1474-base-pair clone was isolated from a cDNA library by plaque hybridization using the amplification fragment as a radiolabeled probe. The nucleotide sequence of this clone predicts a single continuous open reading frame and, based upon a polypeptide molecular mass of 117 kDa for the enzyme subunit, is consistent with the clone representing approximately 50% of the coding sequence of MII. Both the clone and the amplification product hybridized to a rat liver mRNA of approximately 8 kilobases, a message size approximately 4.7 kilobases larger than the size of the predicted open reading frame. This extensive non-coding information on the MII message is a feature common to two other Golgi processing enzymes, both of which contain most of the non-coding information on the 3' end of their messages. The function of these disproportionately large untranslated regions is not clear.
Social and Distributed Cognition in Knowledge Management Systems

Many organizations rely on information and communication technologies (ICTs) to provide solutions to the perennial problem of supporting individuals and groups, performing interrelated tasks, who need to coordinate what they know. Yet we have seen many limitations in the use of ICTs to mediate and coordinate distributed and dynamic knowledge sharing. Organizations must grapple with issues such as how partial knowledge is shared across functional and task-related application domains, how knowledge-work practices in different workgroups are defined and coordinated, and how knowledge is embedded in various forms of ICT. These issues are all related to distributed ways of knowing. The papers in this minitrack explore the complexities and synergies of collaborative work, viewed through the lens of distributed and socially-shared cognition.
Progress towards a 200 MW electron beam accelerator for the RDHWT/Mariah II Program.

The Radiatively Driven Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (RDHWT) program requires an unprecedented 2-3 MeV electron beam energy source at an average beam power of approximately 200MW. This system injects energy downstream of a conventional supersonic air nozzle to minimize plenum temperature requirements for duplicating flight conditions above Mach 8 for long run-times. Direct-current electron accelerator technology is being developed to meet the objectives of a radiatively driven Mach 12 wind tunnel with a free stream dynamic pressure q=2000 psf. Due to the nature of research and industrial applications, there has never been a requirement for a single accelerator module with an output power exceeding approximately 500 kW. Although a 200MW module is a two-order of magnitude extrapolation from demonstrated power levels, the scaling of accelerator components to this level appears feasible. Accelerator system concepts are rapidly maturing and a clear technology development path has been established. Additionally, energy addition experiments have been conducted up to 800 kW into a supersonic airflow. This paper will discuss progress in the development of electron beam accelerator technology as an energy addition source for the RDHWT program and results of electron beam energy addition experiments conducted at Sandia National Laboratories.
Identity styles and hypothesis-testing strategies.

The author investigated the manner in which individuals with different identity styles evaluate information relevant to a trait hypothesis-testing task. Identity style refers to how individuals seek, process, evaluate, and use self-relevant information. In a sample of U.S. college students, the participants with normative identity styles displayed confirmatory biases that served to protect and preserve the hypothesis being evaluated. The students with informational identity styles also used confirmation-biased hypothesis-testing strategies. The participants with diffuse-avoidant styles did not discriminate between confirmatory and disconfirmatory information.
Synthesis of Samarium Oxide Films by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Uniform Samarium oxide (Sm203) films were grown on 75-mm diameter silicon wafers by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The beam of a KrF excimer laser was used to ablate an Sm2O3 target in an oxygen pressure of 30 mTorr. The crystal structure, surface morphology and optical properties of Sm2O3 films deposited at a temperature range of 25∼680°C were determined by XRD, FE-SEM, and spectra reflectance respectively. Monoclinic structure was the predominant phase for Sm2O3 films deposited at temperatures of 680°C and 400°C. Amorphous or partially crystallized amorphous phase was observed at deposition temperatures of 25°C and 200°C. The Sm2O3 film deposited at 680°C is very dense, while films deposited at lower temperatures have higher porosity. The values of index of refraction, n, and extinction coefficient, k, at λ = 633 nm are 1.867 and 0.0660, respectively, for the 680°C film, and are in a range of 1.5∼1.6 and 0.01∼0.04 respectively for films deposited at lower temperatures.
Describing Function Analysis in the Presence of Uncertainty

A framework is proposed that generalizes describing function (DF) analysis to uncertain systems. By e tting a rational approximation to the DF of nonlinear elements, DF analysis is incorporated into a generalized π framework of robustness analysis. This allows us to consider uncertainty in both the linear and nonlinear components. Information on the size, frequency, and stability of unforced limit cycles is obtained as in the graphical test. The response to sinusoidal driving inputs can also be analyzed in this framework.
The patterns of afferent innervation of the core and shell in the “Accumbens” part of the rat ventral striatum: Immunohistochemical detection of retrogradely transported fluoro‐gold

Recent data have emphasized the neurochemically distinct nature of subterritories in the accumbens part of the rat ventral striatum termed the core, shell, and rostral pole. In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how afferents are distributed relative to these subterritories, immunohistochemical detection of retrogradely transported Fluoro-Gold was carried out following iontophoretic injections intended to involve selectively one of the subterritories. The data revealed that a number of cortical afferents of the medial shell and core originate in separate areas, i.e., the dorsal peduncular, infralimbic, and posterior piriform cortices (to medial shell) and the dorsal prelimbic, anterior agranular insular, anterior cingulate, and perirhinal cortices (to core). The lateral shell and rostral pole are innervated by cortical structures that also project either to the medial shell or core. The orbital, posterior agranular insular, and entorhinal cortices, hippocampus, and basal amygdala were observed to innervate the accumbens in a topographic manner. Following core injections, strong bilateral cortical labeling was observed. Few labeled cortical cells were observed contralaterally following injections in the medial shell. Intermediate numbers of labeled neurons were observed in contralateral cortices following lateral shell injections. Robust subcortical labeling in a variety of structures in the ventral forebrain, lateral hypothalamus, deep temporal lobe, and brainstem was observed after shell injections, particularly those that involved the caudal dorsomedial extremity of the shell, i.e., its "septal pole." Selective ipsilateral labeling of subcortical structures in the basal ganglia circuitry was observed following injections in the core and, to a lesser extent, lateral shell. It was concluded that a number of afferent systems exhibit varying degrees of segregation with respect to the accumbal subterritories.
Criminal justice and non-criminal justice students' views of U.S. correctional issues

For the past decade, researchers have examined the differences between criminal justice and non-criminal justice students' attitudes toward various criminal justice issues and problems. However, these same researchers have overlooked one important aspect of the criminal justice system, corrections. Therefore, using data collected from 570 students from four different universities, we examine the difference in attitudes among criminal justice and non-criminal justice majors on various inmate-related problems including overcrowding, violence, sexual assault of inmates, HIV/AIDS, gangs, and drugs. The only statistically significant difference that emerged between the two groups was on the issue of overcrowding. Criminal justice majors were more likely than non-criminal justice majors to believe that overcrowding was a serious problem in U.S. prisons.
Single electron capture by high velocity bare and one-electron projectiles in collisions with molecular hydrogen

Abstract Total cross-sections for single electron capture by 0.5–2.4 /amu bare and hydrogen-like F and O projectiles on molecular hydrogen have been measured. The measured cross sections are compared with empirical scaling rules and are found to scale as E −4.82 and q 3.75 .
Distributed computation via active messages

An extension to the token ring protocol which allows a special type of arithmetic, called shift arithmetic, to be performed directly on the node's interfaces is proposed. The new protocol is based on an approach in which the communication channel and the interfaces form an environment in which simple commands can be executed. Each command operates on operands located at the interfaces, and places the result at the interface which initiated the command. The commands utilize the mandatory 1-bit delay of the token ring protocol to implement arithmetic and logical operations on the operands without further delay. The goal of this protocol is to enhance the performance of distributed algorithms on ring networks by performing many simple tasks in the lowest possible level. The authors show that this protocol is especially useful for load sharing in local area networks. Other potential application areas include parallel algorithms, distributed simulation, distributed operating systems, distributed databases and real-time computations.
How to break a lens

Over the years, the author has familiarized himself with far too many of the classic methods for turning a single optical element into any number of smaller pieces. In the vast majority of these cases the application of gravity was the destructive element. Resting a large lens on a yet unbeveled edge to produce the classic “clamshell” is a well known example. Another ever popular technique using gravity assist is trying to carefully pull one’s fingers out from under an optical element when placing it on a surface plate.
Low-Bandgap Donor−Acceptor Conjugated Polymer Sensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

A set of two donor−acceptor type conjugated polymers with carboxylic acid side groups have been synthesized and utilized as active materials for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The polymers feature a π-conjugated backbone consisting of an electron-poor 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BTD, acceptor) unit, alternating with either a thiophene−fluorene−thiophene triad (2a) or a terthiophene (3a) segment as the donor. The donor−acceptor polymers absorb broadly throughout the visible region, with terthiophene−BTD polymer 3a exhibiting an absorption onset at approximately 625 nm corresponding to a ∼1.9 eV bandgap. The polymers adsorb onto the surface of nanostructured TiO2 due to interaction of the polar carboxylic acid units with the metal oxide surface. The resulting films absorb visible light strongly, and their spectra approximately mirror the polymers' solution absorption. Interestingly, a series of samples of 3a with different molecular weight (Mn) adsorb to TiO2 to an extent that varies inversely with Mn. DSS...
Self-association and reverse hemimicelle formation at solid–water interfaces in dilute surfactant solutions

Abstract Using monodisperse anatase and hematite particles, such classical techniques as colloid stability, ζ potential and wettability measurements along with fluorescence spectroscopy show that anionic alkyl sulfate and sulfonate surfactants first associate into hemimicelles at the interface and cause the particles to begin to coagulate and to become hydrophobic. Maximum coagulation and hydrophobicity occur under conditions where the ζ potential is zero. At higher surfactant concentrations, the particles redisperse and regain their hydrophilicity. Upon reversal of the ζ potential, the adsorbed surfactant ions appear to form hemimicelles with reverse orientation or bilayers, at surfactant concentrations significantly lower than the critical micelle concentration. The results of these experiments correlate well with spectroscopic and adsorption measurements.
Developing a scale for evaluating ecotourism by visitors: a study in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

Ecotourism has become a valuable industry in developing countries with a promise of reconciling nature conservation and economic development goals. A sample of 315 international visitors to the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), Nepal was surveyed in April and May of 2006 to assess how they gathered information, evaluated ecotourism and rated their levels of satisfaction from their ecotourism experience. We developed a statistically valid and reliable ecotourism evaluation scale containing seven items through confirmatory factor analysis to assess visitors’ perceptions of the socio-economic and environmental outcomes of ecotourism. Visitors’ age, prior visits to the area, the use of a guide and perceptions of safety significantly influenced visitors’ evaluations, though combined to explain only a small portion of the variance in their evaluations. Contrary to a general expectation, visitors’ ecotourism evaluations were not related to their level of satisfaction associated with their visits. Overall, visit...
Aplicaciones clínicas del estudio de fragmentación del ADN espermático

The integrity of the paternal genome is of paramount importance in the initiation and maintenance of a viable pregnancy in vivo and in vitro. The presence in the embryonic genome of DNA strand breaks and/or modifications in DNA nucleotides originating in the paternal genome, which have not been repaired by the oocyte after fertilization, is not compatible with normal embryo and fetal development. DNA fragmentation in human spermatozoa has recently been shown to be a potential cause of unexplained infertility. In this review, the mechanisms responsible for DNA fragmentation in human sperm are discussed. These mechanisms include apoptosis in the seminiferous tubule epithelium, defects in chromatin remodeling during the process of spermiogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced DNA damage during sperm migration from the seminiferous tubules to the epididymis, activation of sperm caspases and endonucleases, and damage induced by chemo- and radiotherapy. In addition, the various tests used to determine DNA fragmentation in human sperm and their clinical applications in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility are described.
Gene therapy for heart failure.

Despite our continued advances in the management of coronary artery disease, there have been no significant reductions in the morbidity or mortality related to end‐stage heart failure. The syndrome of heart failure represents a common endpoint for several disease processes, however, at the molecular level there are certain biochemical similarities common to all failing myocardium. Targeting these derangements with gene therapy represents a promising option in the treatment of heart failure. In this review, we will discuss the common biochemical changes that occur in the failing heart, novel therapeutic targets, including the β‐adrenergic receptor system and intracellular calcium regulation, and the vectors and transfer methodology responsible for delivering these transgenes to the myocardium.
The effect of iron on the stress corrosion resistance of 90/10 cupro-nickel in ammoniacal environment

Abstract The stress corrosion resistance of 90/10 cupro-nickel in a moist NH 3 atmosphere has been found to be considerably improved by the addition of Fe. Solutionized Fe was found to be most beneficial and 1·5wt%Fe imparted complete immunity to stress corrosion cracking after 1000 h of testing. Precipitation of Fe from solid solution was found to be detrimental and although a 1·5wt%Fe precipitated alloy had a longer life than the straight 90/10 cupro-nickel binary alloy, its performance was vastly inferior to the solutionized alloy. The results for solutionized alloys are discussed in light of current theories. An alternative mechanism is proposed when Fe is precipitated from solid solution.
The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain

It is the power of being with others that shapes our brains. (p. xix)Neuroscience and evolutionary theory are becoming increasingly important frameworks to view human development, including moral d...
Movement among healers in Sri Lanka: a case study of a Sinhalese patient.

Sinhalese patients in Sri Lanka have a variety of practitioners to choose from in seeking treatment for illness. These include: Ayurvedic physicians, Western physicians, and ritual practitioners. This paper traces the movement of a single patient seeking treatment for pissu (madness) from a number of healers. It is suggested that this movement of the patient among a variety of treatment systems allows a fluidity of diagnosis which prevents any one explanatory system from dominating her perception of her illness. It is also argued that treatments are linked by an underlying continuity of process, in which the personal antecedents of the illness are reinterpreted in terms of public representations of affliction and in which all treatments phrase illness most basically in terms of excess and imbalance.
On the subject of subjects

Abstract This was a period of much argument over the relative virtues of classified and dictionary catalogs not only among librarians but among readers and scholars in general and even in reports to the House of Commons. Feelings ran very high on the subject, and rather emotional arguments came forth on both sides of the issue, from the statement that classified catalogs and indexes were not needed because living librarians were better than subject catalogs to the opinion that any intelligent man who was sufficiently interested in a subject to want to consult material on it could just as well use author entries as subject, for he would, of course, know the names of all the authors who had written in his field.
Role of renin-angiotensin system in blood pressure regulation in pregnancy

Abstract We gave captopril (25 mg) to nine pregnant and eight non-pregnant women. From baseline to 60 min post-captopril, mean arterial pressure decreased significantly more in pregnant than in non-pregnant women (mean 15·0 [SE 2·5] vs 5·2 [1·2] mm Hg; difference 9·8 [95% Cl 3·9-15·9] mm Hg, p=0·0036), whereas plasma renin activity increased significantly more in the pregnant group (18·0 [5·5] vs 4·5 [1·9] ng mL -1 h -1 ; difference 13·5 [0·71-26·5], p=0·043). These findings support the hypothesis that stimulation of the renin-angiotensin system in pregnancy maintains blood pressure.
Electron paramagnetic resonance of the reentrant insulating spin-glass EuxSr1−xS

Abstract Electron paramagnetic resonance is reported in the paramagnetic region of the insulating spin-glass Eu x Sr 1-x S for concentration ranges that exhibit both ferromagnetic and spin-glass phases. From the temperature dependence of the line positions and line widths, the low temperature phases can be anticipated and explained in terms of the energy level distributions of the total spin states.
The Positioning of Good News: The Christian Gospels as Marketing Communications

A close reading of the Gospels of The New Testament reveal that the various authors were clearly aware of certain key principles of marketing and advertising which we have rediscovered in the twentieth century. Specifically, the pros and cons of “global” vs. “local” marketing and copywriting were understood and the authors made conscious choices to cater to various target markets. In addition, the basic techniques of public relations and lobbying were clearly understood and consciously applied. The examples presented are not isolated analogies quoted out of context; the various authors clearly comprehended the basic principles of marketing and overtly orchestrated them in thoughtful and coherent ways. A study of The New Testament, therefore, reveals the significant degree to which ancient people were aware of advertising and marketing techniques. How marketing, as a discipline, can help other scholars interpret the events they study is described.
Teacher consultant services for advanced students

This article reports and discusses how a type of supportive service delivery, teacher consultation, was utilized at a school for academically advanced students. Presented is a clarification of what the role of the teacher consultant can be and how it can be contrasted to the role of a school counselor. Emphasis is placed upon the importance of teacher consultants working collaboratively with classroom teachers, school counselors, and parents. Two behavior change projects are included which serve as examples of how a teacher consultant effectively‐altered classroom performance of two students who had difficulty with organizational and study skills.
Progress toward a microradiation therapy small animal conformal irradiator

Microradiation therapy (microRT) systems are being designed to provide conformal radiation therapy to small animals enabling quantitative radiation response evaluation. We used a Monte Carlo approach to estimate the radiationdose distributions from proposed blueprints and developed a beam model to aid in the microRT system design process. This process was applied to a prototype irradiator that uses a small (3 mm long and 3 mm in diameter), cylindrical, high-activity I 192 r source delivering the radiation beam using custom-fabricated tungsten collimators. The BEAMnrc Monte Carlo code was used to simulate dose distributions from these prototype collimators. Simulations were performed at three source-to-surface distances (50, 60, and 70 mm), and with five circular field sizes (5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 mm). A dose to a 50 × 50 × 50 mm 3 water phantom with 1 × 1 × 1 mm 3 voxel spacing was computed. A multiparameter dose calculation algorithm was developed to efficiently and accurately calculate doses for treatment planning exercises. The parametrization was selected so that the parameters varied smoothly as a function of depth, source-to-surface distance, and field size, allowing interpolation for geometries that were not simulated using the Monte Carlo simulation. Direct comparison of the model with the Monte Carlo simulations showed that the variations were within 5% error for field sizes larger than 10 mm, and up to 10% for smaller field sizes.
p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation during platelet storage: consequences for platelet recovery and hemostatic function in vivo

Platelets undergo several modifications during storage that reduce their posttransfusion survival and functionality. One important feature of these changes, which are known as platelet storage lesion, is the shedding of the surface glycoproteins GPIb-α and GPV. We recently demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM17) mediates mitochondrial injury-induced shedding of adhesion receptors and that TACE activity correlates with reduced posttransfusion survival of these cells. We now confirm that TACE mediates receptor shedding and clearance of platelets stored for 16 hours at 37°C or 22°C. We further demonstrate that both storage and mitochondrial injury lead to the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) in platelets and that TACE-mediated receptor shedding from mouse and human platelets requires p38 MAP kinase signaling. Protein kinase C, extracellular regulated-signal kinase MAPK, and caspases were not involved in TACE activation. Both inhibition of p38 MAPK and inactivation of TACE during platelet storage led to a markedly improved posttransfusion recovery and hemostatic function of platelets in mice. p38 MAPK inhibitors had only minor effects on the aggregation of fresh platelets under static or flow conditions in vitro. In summary, our data suggest that inhibition of p38 MAPK or TACE during storage may significantly improve the quality of stored platelets.
Assessment of the biodegradability of mineral oil and synthetic ester base stocks, using CO2 ultimate biodegradability tests and CEC‐L‐33‐T‐82

The EPA (Gledhill) Shake Flask test, OECD Modified Sturm test, and CEC (CEC-L-33-T-82) Biodegradability test have been used to assess the degradability of mineral oil, natural ester, and synthetic ester base stocks. The Shake and Sturm tests are ultimate biodegradability tests which determine the percentage of test material carbon converted to CO2 over a 28-day period; the CEC test determines, at 21 days, the disappearance of the carbon-hydrogen stretch in Freon extracts of the test medium. In all three tests, the test material is added to a mineral salts medium, the medium is inoculated with mixed liquor from a municipal waste water treatment plant and test flasks are shaken. The Shake Flask and CEC tests were able to show expected differences in degradability between paraffinic and naphthenic mineral oils. A poor correlation was found between ultimate biodegradability test results and results from the CEC test when synthetic esters were studied. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) analysis of the test medium indicated that degradation of some synthetic esters led to the accumulation of water-soluble metabolites which are not extractable into Freon, as required for quantification by the CEC test. Thus, while the CO2 tests detected differences in the degradability of these test materials, the CEC test did not. The CEC test can, therefore, overestimate degradability of some synthetic esters, leading to the erroneous conclusion that these materials would meet OECD Ready Biodegradability criteria. Biodegradability results for the EPA, OECD, and CEC tests are presented and results compared.
Introduction: A Gothic Cabinet of Curiosities

It is worth noting that Horace Walpole had a large and impressive collection of curiosity cabinets in his gothic estate at Strawberry Hill. If you visited him, as William Gilpin did in 1791, you wo...
Parameter reduction schemes for loosely coupled HMMs

Abstract While Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) have been successful in many speech recognition tasks, performance on conversational speech is somewhat less successful, arguably due in part to the greater variation in timing of articulatory events. Loosely Coupled or Factorial HMMs (FHMMs) represent a family of models that have more flexibility for modeling such variation in speech, but there are tradeoffs to be studied in terms of computation and potential added confusability. This paper investigates two specific instances – Mixed-Memory and Parameter-Tied FHMMs – that can both be thought of as loosely coupled HMMs for modelling multiple time series. The Parameter-Tied FHMM, introduced here, has a potential advantage for speech modelling since it allows a left-to-right topology across the product state space. Experimental results on the ISOLET task show both models are feasible for speech recognition; TI-DIGITS recognition results show the Parameter-Tied FHMM is competitive with Multiband Models. State occupancy and pruning analyses show trends related to asynchrony that hold across the different models.
Primate social systems, scent-marking and their applications in mobile and static sensor networks

Here we review primate social systems and their potential applications to mobile and static sensor networks. We particularly focus on scent-marking as an aspect of primate communication. The intention of this study is to learn from primates and apply the results, such as scent-marking, into mobile and static sensor networks.
Considerations on the Design of a Molecular Frequency Standard Based on the Molecular Beam Electric Resonance Method

The use of a rotational state transition as observed by the molecular beam electric resonance method is discussed as a possible frequency standard particularly in the millimeter wavelength range. As a promising example the 100 kMc transition between the J = 0 and J = 1 rotational states of Li6F19 is considered. The relative insensitivity of the transition frequency to external electric and magnetic fields and the low microwave power requirements appear favorable; the small fraction of the molecular beam that is in a single rotational state is a limiting factor.
Clinical utility of gene-expression profiling in women with early breast cancer: an overview of systematic reviews.

Clinical utility of gene-expression profiling in women with early breast cancer: an overview of systematic reviews
Improvement of radar ice-thickness measurements of Greenland outlet glaciers using SAR processing

Extensive aircraft-based radar ice-thickness measurements over the interior and outlet-glacier regions of the Greenland ice sheet have been obtained by the University of Kansas since 1993, with the latest airborne surveys conducted in May 2001. the radar has evolved during this period to a highly versatile system capable of characterizing ice thickness over a wide variety of ice-sheet conditions. Before 1997, the digital system was limited, only capable of storing incoherent data or coherent data with a very large number of presumed signals at a low pulse-repetition frequency. In 1998, the radar was upgraded with modern components allowing coherent data to be stored with a small number of presumed returns for 1024 range cells at a high pulse-repetition frequency. the new data on ice thickness of Greenland outlet glaciers are archived and made available to the scientific community in the form of radar echograms and derived ice thickness at http://tornado.rsl.ukans.edu/Greenlanddata.htm. the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) also provides a link to these data, and NSIDC will eventually serve as the permanent archive of these data. Improvements in radar sensitivity in outlet-glacier regions have been achieved by collecting coherent radar data and applying various signal-processing techniques. Deep outlet-glacier channels that were previously unresolved with incoherent data can now be mapped using a coherent signal, signal conditioning and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing.
Comparison of various RAVLT scores in the detection of noncredible memory performance

Abstract Sixty-one noncredible patients (as documented by psychometric and behavioral criteria) scored significantly below 25 controls and 88 credible clinic patients with no motive to feign on most RAVLT scores, including added indices of implicit and “automatic” memory. A combination of true recognition (i.e., recognition minus false positives) + implicit memory score (i.e., the number of word stems completed with RAVLT items) + “automatic” memory score (i.e., the number of correct temporal order judgments) ≤22 was associated with 75.7% sensitivity with specificity at 91.5%. However, sensitivity was nearly as high when scores available from the standard RAVLT administration alone (i.e., no word stem or temporal order trials) were combined. Specifically, a cut-off of ≤12 for true recognition (recognition minus false positives) + primacy recognition (i.e., number of words recognized from the first third of the test) was associated with 73.8% sensitivity at 90% specificity. These results indicate that combined indices of recognition memory from the RAVLT are effective in identifying noncredible memory performance in “real world” samples and are modestly superior to the 67.2% sensitivity obtained with the standard recognition score.
Myosin 1E interacts with synaptojanin-1 and dynamin and is involved in endocytosis

Myosin 1E is one of two “long-tailed” human Class I myosins that contain an SH3 domain within the tail region. SH3 domains of yeast and amoeboid myosins I interact with activators of the Arp2/3 complex, an important regulator of actin polymerization. No binding partners for the SH3 domains of myosins I have been identified in higher eukaryotes. In the current study, we show that two proteins with prominent functions in endocytosis, synaptojanin-1 and dynamin, bind to the SH3 domain of human Myo1E. Myosin 1E co-localizes with clathrin- and dynamin-containing puncta at the plasma membrane and this co-localization requires an intact SH3 domain. Expression of Myo1E tail, which acts in a dominant-negative manner, inhibits endocytosis of transferrin. Our findings suggest that myosin 1E may contribute to receptor-mediated endocytosis.
Penetrating keratoplasty and transscleral fixation of posterior chamber lens.

We reviewed the outcome in 115 patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty and transscleral fixation of a posterior chamber lens. One patient died soon after surgical procedures, and nine patients were lost to follow-up, leaving a cohort of 105 patients. Mean follow-up time was 26.8 months (range, six to 43 months). Visual acuity of 20/40 or better was found in 29 patients (27.6%) and 20/50 to 20/200 in 37 patients (35.2%). Reasons for poor visual outcome included cystoid macular edema in ten patients (9.5%), age-related macular degeneration in six patients (5.7%), and retinal detachment in four patients (3.8%). None of the patients developed lens decentration. There were no instances of hyphema and only one patient had a perioperative limited suprachoroidal hemorrhage. New-onset increase in intraocular pressure developed in 20 of 66 patients (30.3%). Analysis of the 39 patients with preoperative increase in intraocular pressure that required medical treatment demonstrated an improvement in 13 patients (33.3%), worsening in 12 patients (30.8%), and unchanged status in 14 patients (35.9%). The exposed haptic suture was covered by using one of the following three alternative methods: a conjunctival flap, a scleral flap, or a corneal tissue button. Exposure of the haptic suture through the conjunctiva was a complication in 21 patients (20%). Of these, 16 (76.1%) occurred in the group with a conjunctival covering, five (23.8%) occurred in the group with a scleral flap, and none occurred in the corneal tissue button group. This study demonstrated that transscleral fixation of a posterior chamber lens is a viable option in the treatment of patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty and intraocular lens implantation with absent capsular support.
Language constructs for timed atomic commitment

In a large class of hard-real-time control applications, components execute concurrently on distributed nodes and must coordinate, under timing constraints, to perform the control task. As such, they perform a type of atomic commitment. In traditional atomic commitment there are no timing constraints; agreement is eventual. The authors present a definition of timed atomic commitment (TAC) which requires the processes to be functionally consistent, but allows the outcome to include an exceptional state, indicating that faults have caused timing constraints to be violated. The authors also present a high-level language construct that facilitates the use of TAC in distributed real-time programming and discuss its behavior when faults occur. >
Teach-Back Is an Effective Strategy for Educating Older Heart Failure Patients

Teach-back is endorsed by organizations such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an effective method for confirming understanding of health care information in heart failure (HF) patients. Despite this endorsement, no study has demonstrated the effectiveness of teach-back for learning in HF patients. Aim: To determine whether older hospitalized HF patients educated with the teach-back method can learn and retain self-care information following hospital discharge. Methods: Self-care was taught to patients $65 years who were hospitalized for HF using the teach-back method. Self-care topics included: high salt foods, when to call the MD, when to report weight gain, and diuretics. One teach-back question for each topic was developed. Successful learning was assessed in patients while hospitalized and 6-8 days after hospital discharge. Results: Subjects’ (N5276) mean age was 80+8.9 and 55% (n5153) were female. Within 30 days of hospital discharge 41 (14.9%) patients were readmitted and 52 (19%) died within 12 months. Prior to hospitalization, 86 (31%) were independent with their activities of daily living. Following education using teach-back principles, 233 (84%) patients correctly answered three out of four (75%) of the teach-back questions. Upon follow-up at 6-8 days, 145 (77%) patients correctly answered 75% of the teach-back questions. Correctly versus incorrectly answered questions were associated with longer teaching times (36 minutes vs 27 minutes, p.!001). Patients who were discharged to a skilled nursing facility answered fewer questions correctly (p5.005). The most often correctly answered question while hospitalized and after discharge, was on the topic of high salt foods (98%). The most often incorrectly answered question was when to report weight gain (75%). When to report weight gain was also associated with significant loss of retention (p5.001) from time of hospitalization to follow-up. Conclusions: Teach-back was a remarkably effective method to assess and teach self-care learning in hospitalized HF patients and after discharge, despite patients’ older age and lack of independent function. However, effective teaching requires adequate and dedicated time for nurses to teach. Teaching focused on when to report weight gain was more often needed than teaching focused on high salt foods. Future research linking teachback, self-care and readmissions is needed.
Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses.

Principles for reporting analyses using structural equation modeling are reviewed, with the goal of supplying readers with complete and accurate information. It is recommended that every report give a detailed justification of the model used, along with plausible alternatives and an account of identifiability. Nonnormality and missing data problems should also be addressed. A complete set of parameters and their standard errors is desirable, and it will often be convenient to supply the correlation matrix and discrepancies, as well as goodness-of-fit indices, so that readers can exercise independent critical judgment. A survey of fairly representative studies compares recent practice with the principles of reporting recommended here. Structural equation modeling (SEM), also known as path analysis with latent variables, is now a regularly used method for representing dependency (arguably “causal”) relations in multivariate data in the behavioral and social sciences. Following the seminal
Sprite Streamers Imaged at Different Exposure Times

This paper investigates the appearance of sprite streamer discharges imaged at different exposure times. Both observational and modeling results are presented to illustrate that the formation of luminous filamentary channels in sprites is caused by bright and fast-moving sprite streamer heads.