cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase C isoforms in human glioblastoma cells

Protein kinase C (PKC), an enzyme involved in signal transduction, responds to diacyl glycerol and also to phorbol ester, a ligand analogous to diacyl glycerol. We have studied the expression of the major isoforms (alpha, beta I, beta II, and gamma) in eight human glioblastoma cell lines. In all eight lines, PKC-alpha mRNA and protein were expressed. In none of the eight did a probe for PKC-beta I and -beta II mRNA give positive results nor were Western blots for PKC-beta II positive. The half-life for PKC alpha mRNA was approximately 16 h and levels of the mRNA were increased slightly following addition of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta). PKC-gamma was present in most of the glioblastomas. In cell line A172, 82% of the PKC-alpha was present in the cytosol with the remainder evenly divided between plasma membrane and nucleus. Thirty minutes after addition of PMA, 33% of the total original protein was in the plasma membrane and 48% in the nuclear fraction. By 21 h, no PKC-alpha was recovered from any fraction. PKC-gamma was also down-regulated in the presence of PMA, but there was no evidence for translocation to the plasma membrane or nuclear fraction. In a more detailed study, translocation of PKC-alpha in the presence of PMA was complete by 10 min, and a major decrease in the PKC translocated to the plasma-membrane fraction occurred some time between 2 and 4 h after PMA addition, while a major decrease in the translocated nuclear fraction occurred some time after 6 h. cAMP alone had no effect on the PKC alpha protein level or distribution, nor did it alter the translocation and down-regulation due to PMA exposure. In these studies the level of PKC-alpha mRNA in tumors was similar to that in normal glial cells.
The Decline of The Use of "Lower Silurian" and The Rise of "Ordovician" In U.S. Geologic Literature

During the 1880s and 1890s, the term "Lower Silurian" was in common use in United States geologic literature, whereas use of "Ordovician" was exceedingly rare. The few comments regarding Ordovician which appeared were mostly based on concepts of priority and advocated usage of Lower Silurian. J. D. Dana, author of the most significant textbook of the time, consistently opposed adoption of the term. However, by the early 1900s, Ordovician was widely used in the literature and in 1903 it was adopted for use by the U.S. Geological Survey. There is no record of public discussion of the move away from Lower Silurian. C. D. Walcott, employed by the USGS throughout this interval, may have played a pivotal, but private, role in this change of stratigraphic nomenclature.
Positive Indicators of Child Well-Being: A Conceptual Framework, Measures, and Methodological Issues

This article suggests a comprehensive conceptual framework which identifies constructs for positive well-being as well as potential indicators and extant measures that fit with those constructs. In addition, the article reviews existing data sources for examples of positive measures that are found in the proposed framework as well as research studies that have been successful in measuring these indicators. The article then notes the data and measurement gaps that exist in comprehensively measuring the positive in children and youth. Finally, it identifies a number of conceptual and methodological issues that need consideration as efforts to define and measure positive indicators of well-being and well-becoming go forward. We argue that positive indicators represent good science, reflect and promote a positive vision of children, and establish positive goals for nations.
Forbearance and valuation of deposit insurance as a callable put

Abstract Previous research evaluating deposit insurance as a put option has ignored the ability of the deposit insurer (put writer) to control the timing of the put's exercise via closure decisions. We model deposit insurance as a callable put, i.e., a put option where the FDIC retains a valuable call provision. The value of deposit insurance subsidies can therefore be measured as the net difference between the put and call features of the insurance contract. Forbearance can be viewed as forfeiture by the deposit insurer of the value of its call component of the deposit insurance option.
A potential complication of endoscopic carpal tunnel release

Complications of carpal tunnel release have been well documented in the literature. Recently, a procedure for endoscopic release of the transverse carpal ligament has been described. This case report demonstrates a potential complication of endoscopic carpal tunnel release, in which the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon to the ring finger was nearly cut when the arthroscopic trocar passed beneath it. The procedure was converted to an open carpal tunnel release when the transverse fibers of the carpal ligament were not seen after several passes of the trocar. This complication was related to the inability to fully extend the wrist and metacarpophalangeal joints because of arthritic contractures. This case underscores the need for accurate identification of endoscopic anatomy prior to release of the carpal tunnel. The surgeon should not hesitate to convert to open technique if it becomes necessary.
Characterization Of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-derived Cardiomyocyte Action Potentials And Channel Conductances Using A Theoretical Model

Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) can provide insights into the development of human myocardium and provide a powerful cellular system to investigate the electrical properties of human cardiomyocytes. In this study, we examined the action potentials (APs) of early developing hESC-CMs studied in spontaneously contracting EB outgrowths after 12-15 days of differentiation and modeled the channel conductances/activities responsible for the APs. Intracellular recordings using sharp KCl microelectrodes reveal cellular APs that are similar in basic form to those of early embryonic human cardiomyocytes. Comparison of the AP duration, AP upstroke slope and mean diastolic potential (MDP) show three distinct AP classes: nodal, embryonic-ventricular and embryonic-atrial. To gain a better understanding of the differences in channel activity underlying each AP class and to allow comparison to adult human cardiomyocytes, we used a modified version of a previously developed computational model of the adult cardiomyocyte. The main modification is the addition of a hyperpolarization-activated Na/K channel to represent the observed slow depolarization in diastole. The channels in this model are represented with a Hodgkin-Huxley formalism including parameters describing channel conductance, as well as inactivation and activation gating voltage and time constants. AP time courses are reproduced with this model by varying the various channel conductances (fast Na, rapid delayed rectifier K, etc.) In this manner the three differentiated hESC-CM classes have been characterized in terms of their relative channel conductances for the 12-15 day in culture developmental time point. Our results show that a more active background Na channel is required to adjust for the less polarized MDP seen in the recordings and the slow delayed rectifier K channel activity is greater in the nodal class of APs than is seen in the embryonic-ventricular class.
Removing aperture-induced artifacts from Fourier transform infrared intensity values.

Two Fourier transform infrared intensity artifacts have been observed at moderately high (0.1 cm-1) spectral resolution: Light reflected off the aperture was double modulated by the interferometer, producing a 2f alias, and the warm (≈310 K) annulus of the aperture seen by a cooled detector resulted in distorted line shapes and anomalous intensities in the fingerprint region. Although the second artifact has been alluded to previously, we report corrections to remove both of these anomalies and to demonstrate the efficacy of these corrections. Prior to correction, integrated-band intensities were found to be in error by up to 12%.
Piercing the Veil of Uncertainty in Transboundary Pollution Agreements

This paper addresses the question of how uncertainty in costs and benefits affects the difficulty of reaching a voluntary agreement among sovereign states. A measure of “difficulty” is constructed related to side-payments necessary to make an agreement a Pareto-improving move. Using a simple model, it is shown that uncertainty actually makes agreement easier.
Comprehensive characterization of surface-functionalized poly(amidoamine) dendrimers with acetamide, hydroxyl, and carboxyl groups

Abstract Terminal amine groups of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers can be substituted with different functional groups for various applications. In this study, PAMAM derivatives with acetamide, hydroxyl, and carboxyl termini were synthesized from ethylenediamine (EDA) core generation 4 and 5 primary amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimers. The reaction products were purified with dialysis and subsequently characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), capillary electrophoresis (CE), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, potentiometric titration, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. PAGE and CE electropherograms provide data regarding the purity, charge distribution, and electrophoretic mobility of the dendrimers and their derivatives. SEC and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry detect the average absolute molar mass and the individual mass fractions, respectively. The combination of SEC with potentiometric titration provides quantitative evidence of the degree of the functional group substitution, while NMR techniques (both 1H NMR and 13C NMR) confirmed the changes in dendrimer surface functionalization. This study provides a general example for the comprehensive characterization of surface-functionalized PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles. The synthesized dendrimer derivatives hold promise for environmental and medical applications.
Impact of the Proposed Qattara Reservoir on the Moghra Aquifer of Northwestern Egypt

This paper examines hydrogeologie effects of proposed diversion of water from the Mediterranean Sea to the Qattara Depression for generation of electricity in northwestern Egypt. The Lower Miocene Moghra aquifer directly underlies the Qattara Depression, extending to the east and dipping beneath younger formations to the north. The Qattara Depression is a sink for ground-water flow from the Nile Delta aquifer in the east, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, and the Nubian artesian aquifer in the south. In this study, a two-dimensional finite-difference model was used in conjunction with available meteorologie, geologic, and hydrologie data to characterize the present ground-water conditions in this aquifer and to make predictions about the water-table rise which could occur as a result of the proposed Qattara Reservoir. Model predictions indicate that creation of the reservoir could cause a 30-meter rise of the Moghra aquifer's water table in the central part of the Qattara Depression. This water-table rise decreases to the north and east. Transient simulations indicate that steady-state conditions in the modeled area of the Moghra aquifer are not likely to be reached during the expected 100-year lifetime of the reservoir.
AutoPlug: An automotive test-bed for electronic controller unit testing and verification

In 2010, over 20.3 million vehicles were recalled. Software issues related to automotive controls such as cruise control, anti-lock braking system, traction control and stability control, account for an increasingly large percentage of the overall vehicles recalled. There is a need for new and scalable methods to evaluate automotive controls in a realistic and open setting. We have developed AutoPlug, an automotive Electronic Controller Unit (ECU) test-bed to diagnose, test, update and verify controls software. AutoPlug consists of multiple ECUs interconnected by a CAN bus, a race car driving simulator which behaves as the plant model and a vehicle controls monitor in Matlab. As the ECUs drive the simulated vehicle, the physics-based simulation provides feedback to the controllers in terms of acceleration, yaw, friction and vehicle stability. This closed-loop platform is then used to evaluate multiple vehicle control software modules such as traction, stability and cruise control. With this test-bed we highlight approaches for runtime ECU software diagnosis and testing of the stability and performance of the vehicle. Code updates can be executed via a smart phone so drivers may remotely “patch” their vehicle. This closed-loop automotive control test-bed allows the automotive research community to explore the capabilities and challenges of safe and secure remote code updates for vehicle recalls management.1
HISTOCHEMISTRY OF SELECTED TISSUES IN VITAMIN DEFICIENT TRIBOLIUM CONFUSUM DUVAL.

Abstract Newly emerged virgin females of Tribolium confusum duVal, when fed a control diet consisting of 20.7 percent amino acid mixture, 2.0 percent salts, 1.5 percent wheat germ oil, 1.0 percent cholesterol, 5.0 percent whole brewers yeast, 69.3 percent dextrin, and a mixture of nine vitamins, have normal ovarian development after 30 days on such a mixture. After 60 days on this diet, ovarian development is somewhat inferior. When hot water-extracted yeast is substituted for whole yeast in the control diet, ovarian development is slightly poorer and ovarian cells show signs of pycnosis in the germarium, and evidence of degeneration of the follicular epithelium. When T. confusum is fed a diet deficient in thiamin, less than 50 percent of the insects survive for 30 days. Nuclei of ovarian trophocytes of such insects are packed with RNA; cells of the follicular epithelium are extensively vacuolated; and the yolk appears abnormal. The gut epithelium of thiamin-deficient animals loses much of its RNA content. It is suggested that loss of gut function may play an indirect role in the development of the observed ovarian lesions.
Neuroprotection from ischemic brain injury by hypoxic preconditioning in the neonatal rat

Very recent studies in adult gerbils and rats have shown that exposure to sublethal ischemia can confer neuroprotection from subsequent lethal ischemic episodes. To determine if a similar phenomenon can be elicited during the perinatal period, we have developed a preconditioning regimen that involves exposure to normothermic hypoxia (8% oxygen) 24 h prior to hypoxia-ischemia in the well-established post-natal-day 7 rat pup model [20]. Significant infarction, manifested as a 34 +/- 4% reduction in cerebral hemispheric weight ipsilateral to the carotid ligation, was noted in control animals (n = 24) one week after hypoxia-ischemia, whereas littermates preconditioned with 3 h hypoxia (n = 29) showed no evidence of hemispheric necrosis. Lack of injury in the latter animals was confirmed at the cellular level by histopathologic analyses of Nissl-stained coronal sections. Thus, pre-exposure to hypoxia induces endogenous adaptive mechanisms that can protect the perinatal brain from hypoxic-ischemic injury.
Central connections of the motor and sensory vagal systems innervating the trachea

Cholera toxin beta-subunit was used as both a transganglionic and retrograde cell body tracer to determine respectively the central sensory and motor systems innervating the trachea in three mammalian species, dog, ferret and rat. A basic pattern was found in all three animals. Sensory fibers terminated in three subnuclei of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) with the densest concentration localized in a restricted part of the medial part of the rostral NTS. Weaker projections were identified in the ventrolateral NTS subnucleus and sparse labeling was seen in the commissural NTS subnucleus. No labeling was identified in the area postrema. The pattern of retrograde cell-body labeling was also similar in all three species. Two main sites were labeled: the rostralmost part of the dorsal vagal nucleus and the rostral nucleus ambiguus (NA). In the NA, cell labeling was found in mainly in the ventral (or external) portion of the nucleus, but some labeled neurons were consistently found in the compact NA as well. In addition, labeled neurons were also seen in the dorsomedial part of the C1-C2 ventral horn. In summary, the central sites of termination of the sensory fibers and cells of origin innervating the trachea were similar in all three species.
Flow Uniformity Calibration of AMELIA's Circulation Control Wings

This paper details the extensive effort required to achieve uniform flow from the AMELIA wind tunnel model’s circulation control wings. Performed in September of 2011 in the Fluid Mechanics Lab at NASA Ames Research Center, the calibration required a 500hp instrument-quality air compressor capable of delivering 250 CFM at pressures greater than 70 psi. It was found that the geometery within AMELIA’s circulation control supply plenums produced highly vortical flow, resulting in poor circulation control performance as measured by traversing external and stationary internal total pressure probes, as well as surface oil flow. Adjustments were made within AMELIA to the supply conditions of each plenum including internal butterfly valve position, model inlet pressure, and total volume flow rate delivered to the model. Each plenum was further modified with a treatment of metal foam and various other materials including perforated plates, metal barriers, and Rigimesh material. The combination of metal foam and densly woven Rigimesh resulted in uniform spanwise flow at acceptable plenum pressures.
Diffuse Congenital Hemangiomatosis with Infantile Glaucoma

A white male infant was born with multiple hemangiomas of the skin and mucous membrane. At 7 months of age he exhibited the signs and symptoms of infantile glaucoma in each eye, but goniotomy was not possible because of vascularity in the angles. Cyclocryotherapy was used on multiple occasions to control intraocular pressure until a goniotomy could be done safely in one eye. The other eye has had good control of intraocular pressure without operation.
Mass size distributions of water-soluble inorganic and organic ions in size-segregated aerosols over metropolitan Newark in the US east coast

Abstract To characterize the mass size distributions of water-soluble inorganic and organic ions associated with urban particulate matter, a total of 15 sets of size-segregated aerosol samples were collected by a 10-stage Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) in the urban area of Newark in New Jersey from July to December 2006. The mass concentrations of PM 1.8 accounted for ∼68% of the mass concentrations of PM 10 . The mass concentrations of the total water-soluble ions in PM 1.8 accounted for 31–81% of the mass concentrations of PM 1.8 . Sulfate was the dominant ion in fine particles, accounting for 31% of the PM 1.8 mass with its dominant mode at 0.32–0.56 μm throughout all the samples. Nitrate size distributions were bi-modal, peaking at 0.32–0.56 and 3.2–5.6 μm, and the shift of the nitrate dominant fraction between fine and coarse modes was affected by temperature. The ratios of nitrate to PM 1.8 varied significantly, 0.5–27%. The C2–C4 dicarboxylic acids accounted for 1.9±0.9% of PM 1.8 mass, with oxalate being the dominant ion. The size distributions of oxalate exhibited two to four modes with the dominant one at 0.32–0.56 μm. Chloride existed in both coarse and fine modes, suggesting the influence of sea-salt aerosol and anthropogenic emissions. A crucial formation mechanism for the mass size distributions of these ions observed at this location is likely to be a combination of the gas-to-particle conversion and in-cloud/fog processing.
Scheduling identical jobs on uniform parallel machines with random processing times

Abstract For the problem of scheduling identical jobs on a set of uniform parallel machines with random processing times, methods are given for optimizing the expected sum of weighted completion times and the probability of meeting a common due date.
Partial agglomeration during Co silicide film formation

The agglomeration of Co silicide films formed on Si substrates processed with evaporated Co film thicknesses from 9 to 28 nm was investigated by TEM and four-point-probe resistivity measurements. It was found that the upper portion of a reacting Co or Co silicide film can agglomerate independently from the main body of the silicide layer. This phenomenon is designated partial agglomeration in contrast to whole film agglomeration which generally occurs at higher temperatures. Partial agglomeration appears to develop more extensively for thinner films and poses a serious limitation for the application of thin silicide contact layers for advanced VLSI devices. The formation mechanism of partial agglomeration and the reason for its variation with film thickness are explained on the basis of a previously presented [MRS Proc. Vol. 202, p. 101 (1991)] theoretical model of grain boundary grooving and the onset of islanding in silicide films. Kirkendall voids and phase transformation induced volume changes play an important role in the process.
Thin Filament Disinhibition by Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Mutant R193H Troponin I Induces Ca2+-Independent Mechanical Tone and Acute Myocyte Remodeling

Inherited restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a debilitating disease characterized by a stiff heart with impaired ventricular relaxation. Mutations in cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were identified as causal for RCM. Acute genetic engineering of adult cardiac myocytes was used to identify primary structure/function effects of mutant cTnI. Studies focused on R193H cTnI owing to the poor prognosis of this allele. Compared with wild-type cTnI, R193H mutant cTnI more effectively incorporated into the sarcomere, where it exerted dose-dependent effects on basal and dynamic contractile function. Under loaded conditions, permeabilized myocyte Ca(2+) sensitivity of tension was increased, whereas the passive tension-extension relationship was not altered by R193H cTnI. Normal rod-shaped myocyte morphology acutely transitioned to a "short-squat" phenotype in concert with progressive stoichiometric incorporation of R193H in the absence of altered diastolic Ca(2+). The specific myosin inhibitor blebbistatin fully blocked this transition. Heightened Ca(2+) buffering by the R193H myofilaments, and not alterations in Ca(2+) handling by the sarcoplasmic reticulum, slowed the decay rate of the Ca(2+) transient. Incomplete mechanical relaxation conferred by R193H was exacerbated at increasing pacing frequencies independent of elevated diastolic Ca(2+). R193H cTnI-dependent mechanical tone caused acute remodeling to a quasicontracted state not elicited by other Ca(2+)-sensitizing proteins and is a direct correlate of the stiff heart characteristic of RCM in vivo. These results point toward targets downstream of Ca(2+) handling, notably thin filament regulation and actin-myosin interaction, in designing therapeutic strategies to redress the primary cell morphological and mechanical underpinnings of RCM.
Prologue: Recent Advances in Phonological Theory and Treatment.

Each of the articles in this forum considers how phonology interacts with other aspects of language and language learning. The contributors show that this interaction plays a major role in a child’...
Retention of pinocytized solute by cho cell lysosomes correlates with molecular weight

We compared the exocytosis by Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells of a set of fluid-phase pinocytic tracers. The tracers were horseradish peroxidase (HRP), a glycoprotein of approximately 40 kDa, lucifer yellow (LuY), a 457 dalton, membrane-impermeant fluorescent dye, and glucose polymers ranging from sucrose through higher molecular weight, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) dextrans. After a long term uptake (16-20 h), each of these tracers was localized to lysosomes. Exocytosis of the majority of the small molecule tracers, LuY and [14C] sucrose, was observed over a period of a few to several h. There was no significant exocytosis of 42 kDa FITC dextran or HRP during an 18-20 h chase, while lower molecular weight dextrans were exocytosed. After co-accumulation of LuY and HRP in lysosomes, only the low molecular weight marker was exocytosed. These observations suggest retention of endocytized solutes within lysosomes is dependent on molecular size and may be limited by the rate of diffusion of molecules into shuttle vesicles.
Antibiotic hypersensitivity in CF: drug-induced life-threatening hemolytic anemia in a pediatric patient

Adverse reactions to antibiotics in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are a growing concern. We report the case of a pediatric patient with CF with multiple comorbidities and a history of drug reactions, who developed life-threatening piperacillin-induced immune hemolytic anemia. We review drug-induced hemolytic anemia (DIIHA) in particular, and antibiotic hypersensitivity in CF in general, including the frequency, pathogenesis, and risk factors. Finally, we discuss the treatment options and propose an algorithm for the management of drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions in patients with CF.
Constitutive fragile sites 1p31, 3p14, 6q26, and 16q23 and their use as controls for false-negative results with the fragile(X).

Fragile(X) estimations in fragile(X)-mental retardation hemizygotes or heterozygotes can become falsely negative in stored blood (lymphocytes). This was shown in blood stored (before culture) at 4 degrees C, room temperature (25 degrees C), 37 degrees C, and 39 degrees C for 1-4 days. After storage, blood was cultured in Ham's F10-5% FC serum with 0.1 microM FUdR and scored for fra(X) and the constitutive fragile sites at 3p14 and 6q26. It was found that the proportion of cells expressing the fragile(X) and the 3p14 site varied inversely with the temperature and time of storage. In addition, 50 patients and controls were scored for the three latter sites after routine 72-96-hr culture in F10-0.05 or 0.1 microM FUdR. The 3p14 site was detected in every individual tested in a mean +/- S.D. of 11.3 +/- 3.2% of cells (0.1 microM FUdR). It was found that this site was FUdR dose dependent whereas the 6q26 site was not. The 3p14 (but not the 6q26) site is therefore suitable as a control site for the FUdR effect. It is proposed that repeat studies are necessary when less then 4% 3p14 sites are present in specimens from males referred for fra(X) estimation. Other constitutive fragile sites (eg, 1p31 and 16q23) can also be used.
SHARP prototype system demonstration program

The prototype effort within the SHAred Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) program successfully demonstrated real-time reconnaissance operation of the prototype SHARP system on an F/A-18F and of the prototype SHARP payload on a P-3 in coordinated flights, each aircraft downlinking imagery to a NAVIS ground station and displaying that imagery in real time on August 28, 2001 in Washington, DC. The principal technology objectives - to verify that dual-band camera technology was sufficiently mature and that the SHARP Reconnaissance Management System (SRMS) with its operating software could control the SHARP subsystems and deliver real-time high-bandwidth reconnaissance imagery - were achieved through demonstration flights. The prototype SHARP Pod system is now used as a test asset in support of the E&MD phase of the SHARP program. Further development of technology for SHARP is continuing. The Airborne Real-time Imagery Exploitation System (ARIES) has been developed for incorporation into the SRMS to provide the flight crew enhanced image exploitation capability for time critical strike. ARIES capability is undergoing continuing development and evaluataion in combination with Fast Tactical Imagery (FTI) real-time, cockpit-to-user, transmission of the selected imagery.
Formation of the outer planets

A discussion is given of a number of physical processes which were probably important during the formation of the outer planets if these formed from a gaseous solar nebula in which magnetic effects were not important. Arguments are given that large-scale gravitational instabilities in the solar nebula did not occur. Qualitative consideration is given to the conditions in which dynamical capture of gas onto a planetary core may take place; this may have played a major role in the formation of Jupiter and Saturn. Because of the great difficulty of fractionating hydrogen from helium in the assembly of the outer planets, it is argued that a new approach should be made to the construction of planetary models. Conditions which may lead to the formation of the regular satellite systems are discussed, and the associated problem of removal of primordial angular momentum from Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus.
Some aspects of fatigue relative to cyclic yield stress

Abstract This paper deals with cyclic fatigue behaviour in the regime between the classical LCF and the high cycle endurance limit. Plastic stress has been identified as a component of the stress range by investigating the relationship between the stress and plastic strain ranges. When the cyclic yield stress is incorporated into this relationship, it is found that: the plastic stress and plastic strain ranges can be correlated by the power rule, and; the cyclic yield stress is identical to the endurance limit. This paper proposes two methods for evaluating the cyclic yield stress from experimental data. Because of its relationship with the cyclic yield stress, the endurance limit can be well defined for practical applications.
On nonlocal BVPs with nonlinear boundary conditions with asymptotically sublinear or superlinear growth

In this paper we deduce the existence of at least one positive solution to boundary value problems with nonlinear, nonlocal boundary conditions, which have either asymptotically sublinear or asymptotically superlinear growth. Our model problem is y″ = −λf(t, y(t)), 0 < t < 1, subject to y(0) = H(ϕ(y)) and y(1) = 0, where H is a continuous function, which captures the nonlinearity of the boundary condition at t = 0, and ϕ(y) is a linear functional, which captures the nonlocality of the boundary condition at t = 0. We argue that this problem has at least one positive solution by imposing only an asymptotic growth condition on the function H together with some additional hypotheses on ϕ.
Lysophospholipase activity in rabbit skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle contains appreciable lysophospholipase activity which is differentiated by muscle type with red muscle subcellular fractions having greater activity than the corresponding white ones.
Modelling Timber Supply: Resources and Management Regimes

Abstract Timber management in developing countries is seldom based on environmental, social or economic criteria. In many developing countries, not much is known of the supply potential under either traditional centralized forest management, or under decentralized forest management which is currently being attempted as a way of promoting economic welfare. However, it is generally recognized that due to a range of problems, such as balance of payments deficits, importation of timber and timber products is not a realistic option for many developing countries in the foreseeable future. This, together with burgeoning domestic demand, makes it imperative to develop forest policies that increase domestic timber output in an optimal way. The use of normative supply modelling, based on sound environmental, social and economic principles, has been advocated as a means of analysing alternative forest policies and management strategies in developing countries where there is a shortage of data, and where policy alternatives involve major changes in economic and institutional structures such as market operation or patterns of forest ownership and administration. This paper focuses on the technological assumptions and data analysis that are necessary to develop a normative timber supply model, including designation of timberland area, vegetation type, rotation lengths and output per acre for public and private lands where timber production is practised.
Dynamic compressive response of bovine liver tissues

Abstract This study aims to experimentally determine the strain rate effects on the compressive stress–strain behavior of bovine liver tissues. Fresh liver tissues were used to make specimens for mechanical loading. Experiments at quasi-static strain rates were conducted at 0.01 and 0.1 s −1 . Intermediate-rate experiments were performed at 1, 10, and 100 s −1 . High strain rate (1000, 2000, and 3000 s −1 ) experiments were conducted using a Kolsky bar modified for soft material characterization. A hollow transmission bar with semi-conductor strain gages was used to sense the weak forces from the soft specimens. Quartz-crystal force transducers were used to monitor valid testing conditions on the tissue specimens. The experiment results show that the compressive stress–strain response of the liver tissue is non-linear and highly rate-sensitive, especially when the strain rate is in the Kolsky bar range. The tissue stiffens significantly with increasing strain rate. The responses from liver tissues along and perpendicular to the liver surface were consistent, indicating isotropic behavior.
Pressure dependence of elastic wave velocities in sandstones.

Summary Rocks response to stress is governed by its microstructure and constituent minerals. This is manifested in pressure dependence of elastic waves velocity, i.e. velocity behavior as a function of effective stress. In the lower pressure regime, the increase in velocity with increasing pressure is very steep and nonlinear. This is due to the closure of microcracks of low aspect ratios, which dramatically affects the elastic properties of rock and thereby the velocities. In the higher pressure regime, the increase in velocity (with increasing effective pressure) is moderate and somewhat linear in nature, as fewer numbers of cracks with high aspect ratios get closed. Several efforts have been made in the past to model the pressure dependence of velocity. However, there is a little attempt to relate this pressure dependence with petrophysical parameters like rock composition and microstructure. In this study, we have tried to correlate the pressure dependence of velocity with rock microstructure and composition. A simple functional form was developed and fitted to the compressional and shear wave velocities for 145 different rock samples (both saturated and unsaturated) from six different formations. V = A – C exp (-DPe)
Reductions in Heel Bone Quality Across Gestation Are Attenuated in Pregnant Adolescents With Higher Prepregnancy Weight and Greater Increases in PTH Across Gestation

Few studies have examined the effect of maternal calcium intake and vitamin D status on bone health across gestation in pregnant adolescents. This study aimed to characterize maternal bone quality and determinants of bone-quality change across gestation in pregnant adolescents. Healthy pregnant adolescents (n = 156; aged 13 to 18 years) with singleton pregnancies and at 12 to 30 weeks gestation at enrollment were recruited from two urban maternity clinics in Baltimore, MD, and Rochester, NY, for this prospective longitudinal study. Maternal serum was collected at midgestation and at delivery for assessment of bone biomarkers and calcitropic hormones. Maternal bone quality (assessed by heel ultrasound) and sonographic fetal biometry were measured up to three times across pregnancy. Racially diverse teens (64.7% African American, 35.3% white) were followed from 21.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 17.3, 27.0) weeks of gestation until delivery at 40.0 (IQR 39.0, 40.7) weeks. Significant decreases in calcaneal speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), and quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) (–9.2 ± 16.1 m/s, –3.2 (–8.0, 2.1) dB/MHz and –5.3 ± 8.8, respectively) were evident across pregnancy. Multivariate analysis controlling for baseline measures and measurement intervals was used to identify independent predictors of normalized (per week) calcaneal bone loss. Weekly decreases in bone quality were not significantly associated with maternal calcium intake or 25(OH)D concentration. Greater weekly reductions in calcaneal bone quality were evident in teens with lower prepregnancy weight (BUA, p = 0.006 and QUI, p = 0.012) and among those with lower weekly increase in PTH (SOS, p = 0.046). Overall, significant decreases in calcaneal bone quality occurred across pregnancy in adolescents, but the magnitude of this loss was attenuated in those with greater prepregnancy weight and weekly increases in PTH. Further studies are needed to understand the role of elevated PTH and greater prepregnancy weight in preserving adolescent bone during pregnancy. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Is a Consumption Tax Equivalent to a Wage Tax

Is a consumption tax equivalent to a wage tax? This article examines this question in a two-period life-cycle model with Cobb-Douglas production and utility functcons. Three taxes are compared: income, wage, and consumption. The article shows how equivalence depends crucially on government debt policy. If the government varies the government-debt/capital-stock ratio so that each tax achieves the same steady-state capital per worker, then the consumption tax is equivalent to the wage tax: The representative individual chooses the same consumption path and attains the same lifetime utility. However, if the government maintains the same debt/capital ratio under the three taxes, then the consumption tax is not equivalent to the wage tax: The consumption tax achieves a higher capital per worker than the income tax, while the wage tax achieves a lower capital per worker, and the representative individual chooses a different consumption path under all three taxes. Economists should therefore indicate the crucial...
Organon of business failure : phase model of organizational decline

This study defines and measures a multi-phase model of organization failure in medium to large size publicly held firms older than five years in a nationwide sample of manu facturing, communications, transportation, finance, insur ance, real estate and services industries. The utility of the progressive phases is demonstrated by their capability for discriminating with 23 variables (adapted from Miller's Failure Syndromes) the propensity toward business decline and to distinguish regular variation on a continuum of 16 measures widely used to evaluate the quality of financial performance and cause of failure. The analysis supports Miller's earlier notion of a stepwise movement in clustering of syndromes from impulsiveness to stagnation to leader lessness in heightening the likelihood of bankruptcy and demonstrates concurrent validity of progressive phases associated with perceived deterioration in the quality of business organization.
Computational study of the electromagnetic forces and torques on different ITER first wall designs

An electromagnetic analysis is performed on different first wall designs for the ITER device. The electromagnetic forces and torques present due to a plasma disruption event are calculated and compared for the different designs.
Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are abnormal vascular structures that most often connect a pulmonary artery to a pulmonary vein, bypassing the normal pulmonary capillary bed and resulting in an intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt. As a consequence, patients with PAVM can have hypoxemia and paradoxical embolization complications, including stroke and brain abscess. PAVMs may be single or multiple, unilateral or bilateral, and simple or complex. Most PAVMs are hereditary and occur in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, an autosomal dominant vascular disorder, and screening for PAVM is indicated in this subgroup. PAVMs may also be idiopathic, occur as a result of trauma and infection, or be secondary to hepatopulmonary syndrome and bidirectional cavopulmonary shunting. Diagnostic testing involves identifying an intrapulmonary shunt, with the most sensitive test being transthoracic contrast echocardiography. Chest CT scan is useful in characterizing PAVM in patients with positive intrapulmonary shunting. Transcatheter embolotherapy is the treatment of choice for PAVM. Lifelong follow-up is important because recanalization and collateralization may occur after embolization therapy. Surgical resection is rarely necessary and reserved for patients who are not candidates for embolization. Antibiotic prophylaxis for procedures with a risk of bacteremia (eg, dental procedures) is recommended in all patients with PAVM because of the risk of cerebral abscess.
Racial Homogenization and Stereotypes Black American College Students’ Stereotypes About Racial Groups

Using data from an original survey with a localized convenience sample of Black college students, the 2004 Black American Socialization and Trust Survey (BASTS), this article examines whether Black American college students view other racial groups in stereotypic ways. Results of BASTS suggest that, despite some stereotypic views of racial groups, there is limited support for extreme subscription to either positive or negative stereotypes of racial groups. However, certain positive and negative stereotypes are more evident for specific racial groups. Respondents tend to think about Blacks, Asians, and Latinos in more positive ways than Whites and people in general.
Action editor: Christian Schunn: Adapting to the task environment: Explorations in expected value

Small variations in how a task is designed can lead humans to trade off one set of strategies for another. In this paper we discuss our failure to model such tradeoffs in the Blocks World task using ACT-R's default mechanism for selecting the best production among competing productions. ACT-R's selection mechanism, its expected value equation, has had many successes (see, for example [Anderson, J. R., & Lebiere, C. (Eds.). (1998). Atomic components of thought. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.]) and a recognized strength of this approach is that, across a wide variety of tasks, it tends to produce models that adapt to their task environment about as fast as humans adapt. (This congruence with human behavior is in marked contrast to other popular ways of computing the utility of alternative choices; for example, Reinforcement Learning or most Connectionist learning methods.) We believe that the failure to model the Blocks World task stems from the requirement in ACT-R that all actions must be counted as a binary success or failure. In Blocks World, as well as in many other circumstances, actions can be met with mixed success or partial failure. Working within ACT-R's expected value equation we replace the binary success/failure judgment with three variations on a scalar one. We then compare the performance of each alternative with ACT-R's default scheme and with the human data. We conclude by discussing the limits and generality of our attempts to replace ACT-R's binary scheme with a scalar credit assignment mechanism.
Balloon Dilatation of Upper Digestive Tract Strictures

The results of balloon dilatation of upper digestive tract stricture in 111 patients were evaluated. Eighty-eight patients had esophageal strictures and 23 had gastric or pyloric strictures. Thirty-six patients had strictures associated with previous operations. Twenty-two percent of the patients with esophageal strictures had malignancies. Overall, 92% were successfully dilated, with a complication rate of 3%. Follow-up information was available in 95% of patients. Eighty-seven percent of living patients experienced symptomatic improvement, which lasted for a median period of 12 mo. Forty percent required a further procedure during the period of follow-up. We found no difference between esophageal strictures and gastric or pyloric strictures in success rate, complications, or need for further dilatation, although patients with esophageal strictures were more apt to have symptomatic improvement. Postoperative strictures responded as well as nonoperative strictures. Previously dilated strictures in patients with esophageal reflux were managed as successfully as strictures never before dilated. We found balloon dilatation of upper digestive tract stricture to be a safe, effective technique.
Adolescent daily cigarette smoking: is rural residency a risk factor?

INTRODUCTION: Daily cigarette smoking among US adolescents remains a significant public health problem. Understanding risk is important in order to develop strategies to reduce this type of tobacco use. PURPOSE: The primary objective of this research was to examine whether rural residency is an independent risk factor for being a daily smoker among adolescents ages 12 to 18 years. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study where univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed on a merged 1997-2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System dataset to determine whether rural residence was a significant risk factor for daily cigarette smoking, after adjusting for demographic factors. RESULTS: Using daily smoking as the dependent variable, initial multivariate analyses revealed that adolescents who lived either in suburban (OR=.34, CI=.32, .36) or urban (OR=.33, CI=.31, .35) locales were less likely to become daily smokers than adolescents living in rural locales. Subsequent logistic regression analysis yielded that rural youths who became daily smokers were more likely to: have used smokeless tobacco products in the past 12 months (OR=1.25, CI=1.04,1.51); be female (OR=1.42, CI=1.23, 1.64); be Caucasian (OR=1.53, CI=1.28, 1.84); have first smoked a whole cigarette when they were 12 years of age or younger (OR=2.08, CI=1.82, 2.38); and have smoked at school in the past 30 days (OR=14.52, CI=11.97, 17.60). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that rural residency is a risk factor for tobacco use among US youth.
Emerging Trends in Tonsillectomy

Objective. To describe the tonsillectomy techniques and management used by practicing otolaryngologists in the United States.Study Design. Anonymous 18-question postal survey of pediatric and gener...
Decrystallizing Solid Crystalline Titania, Without Melting, Using Microwave Magnetic Fields

TiO2—a prototype ceramic—was decrystallized in a 2.45 GHz AC magnetic field in a single mode TE103 applicator. The titania powders were synthesized by a sol–gel process and pressed into circular pellets. The pellets were very slightly reduced at 1273 K in a reducing atmosphere. The reduced pellets were introduced into the single mode microwave cavity and placed at the magnetic field maximum node and exposed for 10–30 s in a forming gas atmosphere. The reacted samples were then characterized by XRD, SEM, Raman, and TEM. The data presented in this note demonstrate that a very short treatment in the AC magnetic field at 2.45 GHz can transform rutile structure oxides to a noncrystalline state.