cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Used Oxide Nuclear Fuel to Rechargeable Battery: A First-Principles Study

Although uranium oxides have played essential roles in many nuclear reactions, it is imperative to pursue alternative solutions to reuse the spent fuels due to paramount safety and economic concern. Spent nuclear oxide fuels include uranium dioxide (UO2), triuranium octoxide (U3O8) and uranium trioxide (UO3). In this work, first principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) were carried out on MUO2, MU3O8 and MUO3 (M= Li, Na and K) to explore their possibilities to serve as grid-storage-based cathode materials. In particular, the result of the optimal structures, average open circuit voltages (OCV) and mechanic stabilities during charge and discharge processes are presented. These results are also compared to available experimental data.
How do contraindications to non-opioid analgesics and opioids affect the likelihood that patients with back pain diagnoses in the primary care setting receive an opioid prescription? An observational cross-sectional study

Given the risks of opioids, clinicians are under growing pressure to treat pain with non-opioid medications. Yet non-opioid analgesics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have their own risks: patients with kidney disease or gastrointestinal diseases can experience serious adverse events. We examined the likelihood that patients with back pain diagnoses and contraindications to NSAIDs and opioids received an opioid prescription in primary care. We identified office visits for back pain from 2012 to 2017 and sampled the first office visit per patient per year (N = 24,543 visits). We created indicators reflecting contraindications for NSAIDs (kidney, liver, cardiovascular/cerebrovascular, and gastrointestinal diseases; concurrent or chronic use of anticoagulants/antiplatelets, chronic corticosteroid use) and opioids (depression, anxiety, substance use (SUD) and bipolar disorders, and concurrent benzodiazepines) and estimated four logistic regression models, with the one model including all patient visits and models 2–4 stratifying for previous opioid use. We estimated the population attributable risk for each contraindication. In our model with all patients-visits, patients received an opioid prescription at 4% of visits. The predicted probability (PP) of receiving an opioid was 4% without kidney disease vs. 7% with kidney disease; marginal effect (ME): 3%; 95%CI: 1–4%). For chronic or concurrent anticoagulant/antiplatelet prescriptions, the PPs were 4% vs. 6% (ME: 2%; 95%CI: 1–3%). For concurrent benzodiazepines, the PPs were 4% vs. 11% (ME: 7%, 95%CI: 5–9%) and for SUD, the PPs were 4% vs. 5% (ME: 1%, 95%CI: 0–3%). For the model including patients with previous long-term opioid use, the PPs for concurrent benzodiazepines were 25% vs. 24% (ME: -1%; 95%CI: − 18-16%). The population attributable risk (PAR) for NSAID and opioid contraindications was small. For kidney disease, the PAR was 0.16% (95%CI: 0.08–0.23%), 0.44% (95%CI: 0.30–0.58%) for anticoagulants and antiplatelets, 0.13% for substance use (95%CI: 0.03–0.22%) and 0.20% for concurrent benzodiazepine use (95%CI: 0.13–0.26%). Patients with diagnoses of kidney disease and concurrent use of anticoagulants/antiplatelet medications had a higher probability of receiving an opioid prescription at a primary care visit for low back pain, but these conditions do not explain a large proportion of the opioid prescriptions.
Trends in Marketing Capabilities (Tendencias en capacidades de marketing)

English Abstract: Contemporary companies focus on marketing because of its importance and commercial advantages. Nevertheless, this also means they should face significant challenges and other organizations in this field. Firms require organizational structural factors to identify customer needs, consumer engagement, and market sensing. This is achieved through product exploration and exploitation, which increases the stock supply of SMEs for new and existing customers along with their profits. The adoption of electronic commerce has become essential for SMEs, especially in the IT sector, because it enables them to analyze several metrics, improve customer service, and reduce operating costs. In addition, they can be more efficient in distribution and customer communication. Thus, service promotes customer loyalty and improves confidence. New product development increases profits and creates opportunities to fulfill market needs. E-commerce opens new markets, supports customer service, and improves communication. In summary, these three marketing capabilities are useful to gain competitive advantages in the long term and develop a differentiating factor against direct competition. Spanish Abstract: Las empresas contemporaneas se enfocan en el marketing debido a su importancia y las ventajas que brinda a nivel comercial. Sin embargo, esto tambien significa que deben enfrentar desafios significativos y a otras organizaciones en ese campo. Las empresas de este tiempo requieren factores estructurales organizacionales para identificar las necesidades de sus clientes, la participacion de los consumidores y la percepcion del mercado. Esto se logra a traves de la exploracion y explotacion de productos, lo cual amplia el suministro de existencias de las pymes a clientes nuevos y existentes y aumenta las ganancias. La adopcion del comercio electronico se ha vuelto fundamental para las pymes, especialmente en el sector de las tecnologias de la informacion, ya que permite analizar diversas metricas, mejorar el servicio al cliente y reducir los costos operativos, ademas de una mayor eficiencia en la distribucion y la comunicacion con el cliente. De esta forma, el servicio promueve la lealtad del cliente y mejora la confianza. El desarrollo de nuevos productos aumenta las ganancias y permite satisfacer las necesidades del mercado. El comercio electronico abre nuevos mercados, coadyuva en el servicio al cliente y mejora la comunicacion. En resumen, estas tres capacidades de marketing son utiles para obtener ventajas competitivas a largo plazo y desarrollar factores diferenciadores frente a la competencia directa.
Quantum Oracle Separations from Complex but Easily Specified States.

A foundational question in quantum computational complexity asks how much more useful a quantum state can be in a given task than a comparable, classical string. Aaronson and Kuperberg showed such a separation in the presence of a quantum oracle, a black box unitary callable during quantum computation. Their quantum oracle responds to a random, marked, quantum state, which is intractable to specify classically. We constrain the marked state in ways that make it easy to specify classically while retaining separations in task complexity. Our method replaces query by state complexity. Furthermore, assuming a widely believed separation between the difficulty of creating a random, complex state and creating a specified state, we propose an experimental demonstration of quantum witness advantage on near-term, distributed quantum computers. Finally, using the fact that a standard, classically defined oracle may enable a quantum algorithm to prepare an otherwise hard state in polynomial steps, we observe quantum-classical oracle separation in heavy output sampling.
On the Fourier transform of Bessel functions over complex numbers—I: the spherical case

In this note, we prove a formula for the Fourier transform of spherical Bessel functions over complex numbers, viewed as the complex analogue of the classical formulae of Hardy and Weber. The formula has strong representation theoretic motivations in the Waldspurger correspondence over the complex field.
Theoretical Applications of Magnetic Fields at Tremendously Low Frequency in Remote Sensing and Electronic Activity Classification

This study was conducted to demonstrate the potential for magnetic fields to serve as a method of remotely sensing electronic activity and to evaluate the potential for classifying the electronic activity. To demonstrate this, a radio frequency generator, antenna, and oscilloscope were placed inside a Faraday cage with varying frequencies transmitted in the range of 1–1000 Hz. A standard radio frequency antenna and magnetic loop antennas were placed outside the Faraday cage and the results were compared to each other as well as natural ambient signals. The results showed positive detection of magnetic field activity outside of the Faraday cage in the transmitted frequencies, with no detection with the radio frequency antenna. They also demonstrated the inability of a Faraday cage to attenuate magnetic fields of objects inside the cage. Errors that produced anomalies in the first attempt served to further validate the collection of the data by generating positive detection on both antennas. Ultimately the use of magnetic field antennas to detect electronic activity demonstrated potential use in a radio frequency adverse environment.
Transducin and the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase of retinal rod outer segments

Publisher Summary Cyclic GMP appears to be important in visual excitation, and electrophysiological studies show that cyclic GMP depolarizes the plasma membrane of the outer segment of retinal rod cells within milliseconds after being injected intracellularly. This chapter describes the properties and purification of transducin and the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase of retinal rod outer segments. Transducin, a peripheral membrane protein, is a complex of α (39 kilodaltons), β (36 kilodaltons), and γ (∼10 kilodaltons) subunits. Transducin and the G-protein are members of the same family of signal-amplifying proteins, and ADP-ribosylation inhibits the GTPase activity of both transducin and the G protein. Transducin is purified by taking advantage of the tight binding of T-GDP to bleached ROS membranes at low ionic strength. Trypsin-activated phosphodiesterase exhibits maximum catalytic activity and can be used to assay the inhibitory action of the γ-subunit. The γ-subunit of the phosphodiesterase can be isolated by taking advantage of the fact that it is stable in acid, in contrast to the α and β subunits.
Lymphocyte function in experimental African trypanosomiasis. VIII. Loss of suppressor T cell function in lymph nodes.

Abstract The immunosuppression that occurs in mice experimentally infected with African trypanosomiasis has been examined further. In the present study we have examined lymph node cells from Trypanosoma rhodesiense -infected C57BI/6J mice for the ability to produce mitogen induced antigen-nonspecific suppressor T cells (Ts). Inguinal, mesenteric, and brachial lymph node cells were harvested from uninfected control mice and from mice at different periods of infection. These cells were cultured with or without concanavalin A (Con A) for 48 hr to induce Ts activity. After stimulation, the control and infected lymph node cells were passed over Sephadex G-10 columns to remove suppressor macrophages that arise during the infection from Con A-induced Ts. The column passed cells were then added to normal mouse responder spleen cells in a primary in vitro antibody response culture system with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) as antigen. The resultant plaque-forming cell responses to SRBC indicated that Ts function was not induced in infected lymph node cell populations. However, early in the infection, a stimulatory signal was provided by both the untreated and Con A-treated infected lymph node cells, which was lost in the terminal stage. Determinations of T cell subpopulations revealed that the infected Lyt 2.2-bearing subpopulation was not significantly altered from normal controls. We conclude that T. rhodesense infected mice fail to mount normal lymph node cell antigen nonspecific Ts responses and that this loss of activity may be due to an intrinsic dysfunction in the suppressor T cell population.
Loewi, Otto (1873–1961)

This article has no abstract. Keywords: Loewi, Otto (1873–1961); chemical transmission of nerve impulses
Pitx2 regulates lung asymmetry, cardiac positioning and pituitary and tooth morphogenesis

Pitx1 and Pitx2 are highly homologous, bicoid-related transcription factors. Pitx2 was initially identified as the gene responsible for the human Rieger syndrome, an autosomal dominant condition that causes developmental abnormalities. Pitx2 is asymmetrically expressed in the left lateral-plate mesoderm, and mutant mice with laterality defects show altered patterns of Pitx2 expression that correlate with changes in the visceral symmetry (situs). Ectopic expression of Pitx2 in the right lateral-plate mesoderm alters looping of the heart and gut and reverses body rotation in chick and Xenopus embryos. Here we describe the phenotype of Pitx2 gene-deleted mice, characterized by defective body-wall closure, right pulmonary isomerism, altered cardiac position, arrest in turning and, subsequently, a block in the determination and proliferation events of anterior pituitary gland and tooth organogenesis. Thus, Pitx2 is a transcription factor that encodes 'leftness' of the lung.
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Integrating genomics into therapy.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common malignancy of childhood, is a genetically complex entity that remains a major cause of childhood cancer-related mortality. Major advances in genomic and epigenomic profiling during the past decade have appreciably enhanced knowledge of the biology of de novo and relapsed ALL and have facilitated more precise risk stratification of patients. These achievements have also provided critical insights regarding potentially targetable lesions for the development of new therapeutic approaches in the era of precision medicine. In this review, the authors delineate the current genetic landscape of childhood ALL, emphasizing patient outcomes with contemporary treatment regimens as well as therapeutic implications of newly identified genomic alterations in specific subsets of ALL. Cancer 2015;121:3577–3590. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Effect of temperature on nanocrystalline diamond field emission device characteristics

In this study field emission devices were fabricated by deposition nitrogen doped ultra nanocrystalline diamond on Si-tips array. The diamond was grown using plasma enhanced CVD. This study explains why material, such as diamond, with a work function of 5 ev can emit electrons at much lower energy. SEM images are also shown.
Vertebral artery anatomical variations as they relate to cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections.

Objective To identify and categorize anatomical anomalies of the vertebral artery and determine the relationship of these unexpected variations to the site for cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections (CTESI). Design The cervical region and course of the vertebral arteries was dissected in 10 cadavers. Anatomical anomalies of the vertebral arteries were identified and documented. Those that could increase the risk of intra-arterial injection during fluoroscopically guided procedures are detailed. Results Twenty percent of vertebral arteries were found to have anatomical variations including accessory vessels and lateral loops. These variations placed arterial segments in a portion of the posterior neural foramen where they could be at risk for cannulation during CETSI. In addition, 20% of the vertebral arteries entered the transverse foraminal column at a level other than C6. Discussion CTESI have become a mainstay in the treatment algorithm for painful cervical radiculopathy. Described techniques take extreme care to avoid cannulation of the vertebral artery during this procedure. Unexpected deviation of the artery, or an arterial segment, into the posterior neural foramen, the target zone for CTESI, increases the risk of intra-arterial cannulation during injection. Accordingly, the practitioner must be aware of variant anatomy of the vertebral artery and take all precautions to avoid potential complications that may arise as a consequence.
The effect of pretensioning and age on torso rollout in restrained human volunteers in far-side lateral and oblique loading

Far-side side impact loading of a seat belt restrained occupant has been shown to lead to torso slip out of the shoulder belt. A pretensioned seat belt may provide an effective countermeasure to torso rollout; however the effectiveness may vary with age due to increased flexibility of the pediatric spine compared to adults. To explore this effect, low-speed lateral (90°) and oblique (60°) sled tests were conducted using male human volunteers (20 subjects: 9-14 years old, 10 subjects: 18-30 years old), in which the crash pulse safety envelope was defined from an amusement park bumper-car impact. Each subject was restrained by a lap and shoulder belt system equipped with an electromechanical motorized seat belt retractor (EMSR) and photo- reflective targets were attached to a tight-fitting headpiece or adhered to the skin overlying key skeletal landmarks. Each subject was randomly assigned to either the 60° or 90° direction and was exposed to 4 test conditions - arms up (with hands on their knees) with EMSR on, arms down (with hands low on the hips) with EMSR on, arms up with EMSR off, arms down with EMSR off. The effect of age and pretensioning on the following outcomes was quantified: 1) lateral and forward displacement of the torso, 2) torso rollout angle projected onto three orthogonal planes, and 3) resultant belt-sternal distance. The effect of pretensioning on torso containment within the shoulder belt was strong in both impact directions across all metrics evaluated. EMSR activation significantly reduced lateral displacement of the suprasternal notch (~100 mm, p<0.0001), coronal projection of the torso rollout angle (~15°, p<0.0001), and belt sternal distance when the arms were down (~50 mm, p<0.05). The benefit of pretensioning was achieved by early engagement of the torso by the shoulder belt. An added benefit of pretensioning was the ability to make similar the torso kinematics across a range of anthropometries as assessed within and across age groups. These results can serve as a data set for validating the responses of restrained ATDs and computational human models to low severity far side collisions, in particular the interaction between the torso and the shoulder belt.
WE-D-213-01: Preparing for Part 1 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: 1. How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations 2. How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics, systems, dosimetry, safety and related problem solving/calculations 3. How to Prepare for Part 3 of the ABR exam by effectively communicating the practice, methods, and significance of clinical diagnostic and/or nuclear medical physics
Changes in Milk Production in Relation to Changes in Feeding and Management Practices in Dairy Herd Improvement Association Herds

Abstract All Holstein herds of over 20 cows which had automated data processed dairy herd improvement association (DHIA) records from Cornell laboratory for two consecutive years from 1960 to 1964 were used to determine production, feeding, and management changes. The average number of herds for the four 2-yr comparisons was 2,688, 60% in New York and the remainder in neighboring states. Results in the two locations agreed. The yearly changes and standard deviations of changes per cow for the New York herds were milk production, + 157 ± 400 kg; grain feeding, + 88 ± 241 kg; succulent forage, + 0.13 ± 1.76 metric ton; dry forage, − 0.04 ± 0.50 metric ton; net energy from pasture, − 0.60 ± 6.1.0%; herd size, + 1.8 ± 5.65 cows; days in milk, + 0.24 ± 2.93%. Only two factors were closely correlated with change in milk production — change in grain fed and change in per cent days in milk. Multiple regression analysis, using the six factors above, indicated that a change of 1 kg in grain feeding resulted in a change of 0.84 kg of milk and a 1% change in days in milk gave a change of 45 kg of milk.
Changes in insulin-like growth factor-binding protein expression and secretion during the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of primary cultures of rat osteoblasts

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II are secreted by the bone-forming osteoblast and have been shown to promote mitogenesis and/or differentiation of several of the cells involved in adult bone remodeling. The biological actions of the IGFs are modulated in a cell-specific manner by IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). All six IGFBPs are expressed by osteoblasts. Both in vitro and in vivo, osteoblasts progress through a developmental sequence from committed precursors to mature differentiated cells that form a mineralized extracellular matrix. We have examined IGFBP expression and secretion by rat calvarial cultures, a model system of osteoblast development, to correlate changes with the developmental stage. Differential expression and secretion of IGFBPs during osteoblast development were observed. Maximal IGFBP-2 and -5 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression occurred in proliferating preosteoblasts, whereas mature osteoblasts showed maximal expression of IGFBP-3, -4, and -6. Rat osteoblasts did not express IGFBP-1. Increases in IGFBP-2, -3, and -4 secretion lagged behind corresponding mRNA increases by 3-6 days. Whereas mRNA levels declined as the cultures mineralized, IGFBP secretion continued to increase. Inhibition of osteoblast proliferation, which promotes differentiation, resulted in an IGFBP secretory pattern that was consistent with that seen with mature cells. Conversely, an IGFBP secretion pattern characteristic of proliferating cells could be maintained for weeks if differentiation was inhibited. We conclude that the developmental stage of the osteoblast is an important determinant of IGFBP secretion. We propose that hormonal regulation that alters the developmental stage may secondarily affect IGFBP expression or secretion.
Breaking Omori's Law of Public Awareness

As seismologists dedicated to studying one of the Earth's most dangerous natural phenomena, we are inured to the reality that public interest in our field surges after a significant earthquake and decays rapidly afterward to a rather low background level. This would be little more than a curiosity were it not for the fact that understanding earthquakes and their effects could make a big difference to the lives and livelihoods of much of that public. Moreover, the political will to make pre-emptive investments in monitoring, research, preparedness, and mitigation wanes with decreasing public interest. Ironically, we can point with increasing confidence to areas of habitation and economic production most exposed to earthquakes and other natural hazards, and we can even treat the issue in economic terms, evaluating risk reduction as an investment. What will it take to change the disaster management culture from one that relies on emergency response to one that promotes mitigation? Will sustained interest in natural hazard reduction accelerate the translation of research outcomes into practice? Will political interest continue to follow public awareness? Justified as they may still be, simply asking these old rhetorical questions is not enough. The Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami struck deeply into the heart of some of the central questions of our time: the gap between rich and poor, between those who benefit from advanced understanding of our natural world and those who haven't yet seen the impact of knowledge, between those who contemplate the relationship between man and nature and those who ignore it. This time may be different, and the science enterprise has the responsibility to recognize and act on the evidence …
Teaching the prescriber's role: the psychology of psychopharmacology.

The author examines one aspect of the psychopharmacology curriculum: the psychology of psychopharmacology. Drawing from his experience teaching this subject to trainees at many different levels and from an emerging evidence base suggesting that psychosocial factors in the doctor-patient relationship may be crucial for medication effectiveness, the author explores the importance of this often overlooked aspect of pharmacotherapy. Several methods for teaching the integration of meaning and medication are examined. Generally, residents receiving thorough instruction in the psychology of psychopharmacology believe that they are not only better equipped to integrate psychotherapy and medications, but that this instruction enhances their skills as psychopharmacologists and psychotherapists Teaching the psychodynamics of psychopharmacology addresses not only residents’ needs to become more effective prescribers, but, in part, it may also address predictable developmental crises in residency.
Transmission ellipsometry of transparent-film transparent-substrate systems: polynomial inversion for the substrate optical constant

A polynomial inversion for the substrate optical constant of a transparent-film transparent-substrate system is analytically derived and presented. The reader is spared the derivation procedure which includes involved numerous transformations and algebraic manipulations. Also, closed-form formulae are given to calculate the film thickness of the system. The closed-form formulae are algebraically accurate and introduce no errors. A study of the effects of the experimental random and systematic errors of modern-day ellipsometers is presented which proves the very high accuracy of the method. The method does not need a guessed starting solution and it always provides the correct answer with no divergence. Those are important advantages over the widely used, manufacturer supplied, fitting routines.
The effect of solid fuel type and combustion conditions on residual carbon properties and fly ash quality

Research on pulverized fuel burnout mechanisms derives its primary motivation from industrial problems with the utilization of high-carbon fly ash. The severity of these problems depends on residual carbon properties , but combustion research has focused almost exclusively on the degree of burnout, which determines only the amount of residual carbon. This paper presents measurements of three important residual carbon properties: reactivity, surface area, and adsorptivity toward surfactants, the latter property being the most critical for ash quality in many concrete applications. The paper investigates the independent effects of fuel type and combustion conditions by analyzing samples derived from bench, pilot, and commercial scale combustion processes. Residual carbon surface area is observed to be strongly dependent on parent fuel type ranging from about 1 m 2 /g for petroleum coke residues to values up to 400 m 2 /g for low-rank coal residues. Surfactant adsorptivity also varies strongly with parent fuel and shows the best correlation with residual carbon surface area in pores larger than 2 nm, likely because of the large size of surfactant molecules and slow liquid-phase diffusion. The surfactant adsorptivity is also sensitive to the presence of carbon surface oxides introduced by low-temperature oxidation using air or ozone. The data clearly indicate that oxides suppress adsorptivity, and that the underlying mechanism is an increase in carbon surface polarity and hydrophilicity. Controlled pilot-scale experiments show that air staging for NO x control often produces residual carbon with a high adsorptivity, even when adsorptivity is expressed per gram of carbon. Successful staging conditions that lead both to low-NO x and high burnout are observed to produce residual carbons with lower specific surface area and adsorptivity, so poor carbon quality is not an intrinsic feature of all low-NO x flames.
Hailing the police, occupy politics and counter-militarization: a reply to Matthew Morgan

This is a reply to:Morgan, Matthew. 2014. “The containment of Occupy: militarized police forces and social control in America.” Global Discourse. 4 (2–3): 267–284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23269995.2014.888618.
The Role of Reconsolidation and the Dynamic Process of Long-Term Memory Formation and Storage

It is becoming increasingly clear that the processes of memory formation and storage are exquisitely dynamic. Elucidating the nature and temporal evolution of the biological changes that accompany encoding, storage, and retrieval is key to understand memory formation. For explicit or medial temporal lobe-dependent memories that form after a discrete event and are stored for a long time, the physical changes underlying the encoding and processing of the information (memory trace or engram) remain in a fragile state for some time. However, over time, the new memory becomes increasingly resistant to disruption until it is consolidated. Retrieval or reactivation of an apparently consolidated memory can render the memory labile again, and reconsolidation is the process that occurs to mediate its restabilization. Reconsolidation also evolves with the age of the memory: Young memories are sensitive to post-reactivation disruption, but older memories are more resistant. Why does a memory become labile again if it is retrieved or reactivated? Here I suggest that the main function of reconsolidation is to contribute to the lingering consolidation process and mediate memory strengthening. I also discuss the literature and results regarding the influence of the passage of time on the reconsolidation of memory. These points have important implications for the use of reconsolidation in therapeutic settings.
Introducing African American Studies: Systematic and Thematic Principles.

This article presents a revised, updated, and refined version of ideas that I first began developing when I entered the field of African American studies during the 1970s and that I first published in 1984 (Hall, 1984). The ideas concerned developing an approach, a paradigm, a conceptual framework-an analytical guide for studying, teaching, and researching the "Black experience." The goal then, as it is now, was to
Practical Decisions in Developing and Operating a Faculty Evaluation System.

Decisions made in developing evaluation systems and the small details of operation can render even the most sophisticated measurement instruments useless. What are the important practical considerations that can help institutions avoid these problems?.
Cluster's last RAM: will dual-port RAM speed up a hierarchical cache multiprocessor ?

Summary form only given. A hierarchical cache multiprocessor system is analyzed for improvement as standard main memory is replaced with dual-port RAM. Qualitative analysis indicates under what conditions dual-port RAM would be desired. A subsequent quantitative analysis, based on typical bus traffic conditions, outlines the extent of improvement attainable. Finally, a number of system variables affecting the analysis are considered for their effect on the use of dual-port RAM. >
Characterization of serotonin receptor mediating parturition in fingernail clams Sphaerium (Musculium) spp. from eastern North America

Serotonin (5-Hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) induces parturition in fingernail clams (Sphaerium spp.). We characterized pharmacologically the serotonin receptor mediating parturition in Sphaerium transversum and S. striatinum by exposing clams to a variety of serotonergic ligands. As in previous experiments, 5-HT was a potent inducer of parturition in both species. In addition, the selective vertebrate 5-HT2 agonist alpha-methyl-5-HT significantly induced parturition in both species. Other agents including the serotonin agonists TFMPP (a 5-HT1 agonist), 1-1-naphthylpiperazine (5-HT1), 8-OH-DPAT (5-HT1A), oxymetazoline (5-HT1A, 1B, 1D), and 1-m-chlorophenylbiguanide (5-HT3), as well as dopamine, acetylcholine, and fluoxetine (a 5-HT releaser) were ineffective inducers. A 2-hour pretreatment with cyproheptadine, a vertebrate 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, blocked 5-HT-induced parturition in both species. However, neither propranolol (5-HT1) nor mianserin (5-HT2) blocked 5-HT-induced parturition, but pretreatment with mianserin delayed parturition. These results, coupled with previous published experiments that showed significant inhibition of 5-HT-induced parturition by methiothepin (5-HT1), suggest that the 5-HT receptor mediating parturition displays a mixed 5-HT1/5-HT2 pharmacological profile unlike any described for vertebrates, but support recent data on 5-HT receptors regulating reproductive processes in other bivalves. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center's 14 X 14-Inch Trisonic Wind Tunnel: A Historical Perspective

A history of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) George C. Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) 14 x 14-Inch Trisonic Wind Tunnel is presented. Its early and continuing role in the United States space program is shown through highlights of the tunnel's history and the major programs tested in the tunnel over the past 40 years. The 14-Inch Tunnel has its beginning with the Army in the late 1950's under the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA). Such programs as the Redstone, Jupiter, Pershing, and early Saturn were tested in the 14-Inch Tunnel in the late 1950's. America's first launch vehicle, the Jupiter C, was designed and developed using the 14-Inch Wind Tunnel. Under NASA, the 14-Inch Wind Tunnel has made large contributions to the Saturn, Space Transportation System, and future launch vehicle programs such as Shuttle-C and the National Launch System. A technical description of the tunnel is presented for background information on the type and capabilities of the 14-Inch Wind Tunnel. The report concludes in stating: the 14-Inch Wind Tunnel as in speed of sound; transonic, at or near the speed of sound the past, will continue to play a large but unseen role in he development of America's space program.
Why Play Training Works: An Integrated Model for Play Intervention

Abstract Play training is a strategy in which adults intervene in informal, though purposeful, ways in preschool children's spontaneous, symbolic play. Numerous studies, conducted over a long period of time, have shown that such adult interventions can enhance play and related areas of development. There is a good deal of dissension in the literature, however, regarding the specific processes by which such interventions lead to positive child outcomes. Does direct adult contact explain developmental gains? Do interventions indirectly promote development by enhancing play abilities? The focus of this article is not on whether play training works, but why it works. A theoretical framework for examining adult-child play interactions, which reconciles diverse perspectives in the literature, is presented in this article. Implications for classroom practice and future research in play intervention are examined.
Spinning fluids in the Einstein-Cartan theory

An Eulerian variational principle for a spinning fluid in the Einstein-Cartan metric-torsion theory is presented. The variational principle yields the complete set of field equations for the system. The symmetric energy-momentum tensor is a sum of a perfect-fluid term and a spin term.
Thermodynamics of hydrogen absorption/desorption for Pd-group 6B alloys and some anomalous isotherms

The thermodynamics of Pd-Group 6B/H (D) systems have been investigated employing pressure–composition isotherms and for the Pd–Cr/H system, reaction calorimetry. The enthalpies for hydrogen solution and hydride formation decrease in magnitude with increase in XM where M=Cr, Mo and W, and, because of this, the hydrogen solubilities at a given pH2 in the dilute phase decrease with XM. This behavior is consistent with the decrease in the unit cell size with increase in XM for these random solid solution fcc Pd–M alloys. Repeated hydride formation and decomposition at a moderate temperature without intermediate annealing treatments causes the plateau pressures to change so as to decrease the extent of hysteresis. The group 6B elements–Pd alloys are of interest for H2 absorption because they are the most effective in increasing the plateau pressures for a given atom fraction M.
Impact of fruit feeding on overwintering survival of the multicolored Asian lady beetle, and the ability of this insect and paper wasps to injure wine grape berries

The establishment of the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), in North America has resulted in negative impacts on fruit production. We investigated the overwintering survival of H. axyridis after feeding on four diets: injured wine grape berries, 25% sucrose solution, water, and a control containing no food or water. After being exposed to these diets for 6 days, live individuals were transferred to clean plastic Petri dishes, and held at 5 ± 1 °C in growth chambers throughout the winter. Survival was recorded every month. Adult lady beetles collected during the overwintering flight in mid-October had higher survival rates than beetles collected from soybean fields in mid-August. These results suggest that an adaptation period prior to diapause increases the chances of lady beetle survival over the winter. In addition, injured wine grape berries, sugar, and water decreased beetle mortality during the overwintering months. Our results also showed that under similar conditions, females have higher survival during the winter than males. The importance of sugar and water on winter survival may drive H. axyridis adults to vineyards for feeding on wine grapes. Finally, we tested if adults of H. axyridis and the European paper wasp, Polistes dominulus Christ (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), were able to break the grape skin. Harmonia axyridis adults and paper wasps were not able to cause the primary injury to berries of Frontenac grapes under laboratory conditions. These results suggest that control of paper wasps in vineyards may not affect H. axyridis aggregations, and that H. axyridis feeding on wine grapes depends on previous injury to grape berries.
An ethnographic perspective on engineering design

Abstract This paper reports two studies of the design process within engineering firms. The studies were based on participant-observation techniques: in each case the firm was approached in the way an ethnographer might approach a foreign culture. The paper presents and discusses observations of typical activities that occur in the design process. In particular, design is observed as a social process. Three types of discourse are identified: constraining, naming and deciding.
Data-model-error compatibility

Abstract During data assimilation, differences between observations and their model counterparts should be consistent with the error statistics that govern how the model is to be corrected. The concept of incompatibility distance between observations and their model counterparts is introduced as a way of detecting inconsistencies, and formulae are presented for estimating the probability of encountering greater incompatibility. Observations can be examined one-by-one to insure that their confidence intervals are not widely separated from those of the model counterparts. They can be further examined in pairs to detect whether contrasts across fronts are consistent with assumptions about error correlations.
Polarization of Λ Hyperons from Photoproduction in Hydrogen

Polarization of the hyperon ( LAMBDA ) perpendicular to the production plane was measured for the reaction gamma + p yields K/sup +/ + LAMBDA . Measurements at approximately 90 deg in the centerof-mass system were made for five photon energies ranging from 1000 to 1120 Mev. (C.E.S.)
The Impact of Agglomeration Economies on Estimated Demand Thresholds: An Extension of Wensley and Stabler

Central place theory predicts that geographic markets located in rural areas have lower demand thresholds, and, therefore, a higher frequency of business establishments relative to areas that are more proximate to urban centers, other things equal. Wensley and Stabler (1998) confirm this prediction using data on the location and frequency of business activities in rural Saskatchewan. We demonstrate that this relationship may not always hold true depending on the existence and magnitude of agglomeration economies. If average cost differences associated with being located in an urbanized area are sufficiently large, then the relationship between urban proximity and number of establishments may be reversed. We provide evidence of this reversal using 1996 cross-sectional data on hospital services in Texas.
The Development and Implementation of an Affect Regulation and Attachment Intervention for Incarcerated Adolescents and their Parents

The Conduct Disorder Intervention Group of a Marriage and Family Therapy Program of a large Midwestern university used the research and theory about affect regulation and attachment strategies of f...
Clustering of Skills and Occupations: A Generic Skills Approach to Occupational Training.

Abstract A report on the process and procedures of determining generic occupational skills and clusters of occupations for optimal occupational training needs is presented. Four hundred and ninety workers and their supervisors representing 37 different occupations were interviewed using a structured questionnaire consisting of items on mathematics, communication, reasoning, and interpersonal and manipulative skills. Respondents were asked to indicate whether a specific skill was a prerequisite to enter a job and also whether that specific skill was required on the job. Six, three, and two hierarchical skill factors and nine occupational clusters were identified. Training and curricular implications were explored.
Functional Importance of the DNA Binding Activity of Candida albicans Czf1p

The human opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans undergoes a reversible morphological transition between the yeast and hyphal states in response to a variety of signals. One such environmental trigger is growth within a semisolid matrix such as agar medium. This growth condition is of interest because it may mimic the growth of C. albicans in contact with host tissue during infection. During growth within a semisolid matrix, hyphal growth is positively regulated by the transcriptional regulator Czf1p and negatively by a second key transcriptional regulator, Efg1p. Genetic studies indicate that Czf1p, a member of the zinc-cluster family of transcriptional regulators, exerts its function by opposing the inhibitory influence of Efg1p on matrix-induced filamentous growth. We examined the importance of the two known activities of Czf1p, DNA-binding and interaction with Efg1p. We found that the two activities were separable by mutation allowing us to demonstrate that the DNA-binding activity of Czf1p was essential for its role as a positive regulator of morphogenesis. Surprisingly, however, interactions with Efg1p appeared to be largely dispensable. Our studies provide the first evidence of a key role for the DNA-binding activity of Czf1p in the morphological yeast-to-hyphal transition triggered by matrix-embedded growth.
Membrane-associated, fucose-containing glycoproteins and glycolipids of cultured epithelial cells from human colonic adenocarcinoma and fetal intestine

Fucose-containing glycoproteins and glycolipids were compared in three human colon cancer cell lines and five human fetal intestinal epithelial cell lines. Cells were labeled by culturing cells in the presence of L-[3H]-fucose. Fucose was incorporated into both the membrane and cytoplasmic fractions of all three colon cancer cell lines to a much lesser extent than into fetal cells. When the relative fucose labeling of glycolipids and glycoproteins were examined, a much greater proportion of fucose labeling in the membrane was associated with lipid in colon cancer cells (11.6-16.7%) compared to fetal intestinal cells (1.3-2.5%). Fluorographic analysis of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of fucose-labeled glycoproteins revealed a rather uniform labeling pattern of fetal intestinal cells which was distinct from those of colon cancer cells. Thin-layer chromatographic analysis of fucose labeled glycolipids of all three colon cancer cell lines indicated the presence of fucose-containing glycolipids with carbohydrate chain lengths greater than five sugars. Glycolipids of the SKCO-1 cells in particular appear to consist predominantly of complex fucose-containing glycolipids. These results indicate that significant qualitative differences in the fucose-containing glycoproteins and glycolipids exist between the membranes of human colon cancer cells and fetal intestinal cells and that complex fuco-glycolipids with long carbohydrate side chains are present in the three human colon cancer cell lines.
Binding of long chain fatty acids to β-lactoglobulin.

β-lactoglobulin (BLG), a bovine milk protein that is available commercially in crystalline form, binds long chain free fatty acids (FFA). The binding data were analyzed with a model containing one primary FFA binding site and a large number of weak secondary binding sites. At 37C and pH 7.4, the apparent association constant for binding of FFA to the primary site was of the order of 105 M−1 and that for binding to the secondary sites was approximately 103 M−1. The strength of binding was: palmitate > stearate > oleate > laurate. The affinity of BLG for palmitate increased as the pH of the incubation medium was raised from 6.5 to 8.7 and decreased as the ionic strength of the medium was raised. Palmitate binding was decreased in the presence of 6 M urea and when the protein either was exposed to elevated temperature or was acetylated prior to incubation. BLG took up methyl palmitate, cetyl alcohol, hexadecane and cholesterol to a lesser extent than FFA. Binding of FFA to BLG was associated with a small increase in the intensity of the fluorescent emission of the protein at 333 mμ. BLG can serve as an FFA acceptor or carrier in biological experiments. FFA released from adipose tissue during in vitro incubation was taken up by BLG. Net transfer of fatty acid to the incubation medium ceased when the molar ratio of FFA to BLG exceeded 1.1.14C-1-Palmitate bound to BLG was taken up by Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro. At a given palmitate-protein molar ratio, much more labeled fatty acid was taken up by these cells from media containing BLG than from those containing bovine albumin, apparently because FFA is bound less firmly to BLG than to albumin.