cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathways to Myocardial Hypertrophy

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy occurs as a consequence of adaptive responses to pressure or volume overload, mutations in sarcomeric (or other) proteins, or loss of contractile mass from prior infarction. While initially compensatory, over time when the heart can no longer meet with the increased metabolic demands of the mechanical work load imposed on the heart, dilation and heart failure ensue. Several signaling pathways are critically important in mediating myocardial hypertrophy, including the G-protein coupled receptor, the calcineurin/NFAT, MAPK, and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. Importantly, these signaling pathways also control molecular processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, migration and other functions of the cell. In addition, the heart is comprised of several cell lineages make up the heart, including cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells, each integrally involved in modulating the signaling events that promote the hypertrophic growth of the heart. In this chapter we discuss these molecular pathways and how the aberrant regulation of initially compensatory responses becomes pathological. We will also discuss potential therapeutic targets for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure, with a focus on treating this devastating worldwide disease.
Detection and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence during routine surveillance: A nationwide cohort study.

e18137Background: A primary goal of surveillance after treatment of CRC is identification of recurrent disease for curative treatment, but there is limited data regarding rates of treatable recurre...
Hardware-Assisted Transparent Tracing and Debugging on ARM

The existing malware analysis platforms leave detectable fingerprints such as uncommon string properties in QEMU, signatures in Android Java virtual machine, and artifacts in Linux kernel profiles. Since these fingerprints provide the malware a chance to split its behavior depending on whether the analysis system is present or not, the existing analysis systems are not sufficient to analyze the sophisticated malware. In this paper, we propose NINJA, a transparent malware analysis framework on the ARM platform with low artifacts. NINJA leverages a hardware-assisted isolated execution environment TrustZone to transparently trace and debug a target application with the help of performance monitor unit and embedded trace macrocell. These hardware features help NINJA to achieve transparency while avoiding heavy performance overhead. NINJA does not modify system software and is OS-agnostic on the ARM platform. We implement a prototype of NINJA (i.e., tracing and debugging subsystems), and the experimental results show that NINJA is efficient and transparent for malware analysis. An improved fast system restoration mechanism is also designed to facilitate the continuous malware analysis.
Temporal Correlations Between Cervical Smooth Muscle Force Generation and Acoustic Backscatter Coefficient Parameters

In this work, we extend our novel understanding of smooth muscle in the uterine cervix by assessing if Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS)backscatter parameters correlate with muscle force generation using Pearson correlation coefficients r. Specific parameters investigated were the effective scatterer diameter (ESD)and average backscatter coefficient (ABSC), which quantify the frequency dependence and magnitude of backscatter, respectively. It was determined that correlations between force and ESD were substantial (median r=0.88)in time windows shortly after (5 minutes)administration of a contractile agent. This work provides evidence that QUS backscatter parameters may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of the cervical smooth muscle function.
Classroom Orchestration with Problem Solving Markov Models

This Innovative Practice paper presents a new approach to monitoring the performance of students working in web-based Problem Solving Learning Environments (PSLEs) which can be used to introduce active learning in large classes. This approach allows the instructor to pose a problem that all students will immediately attempt to solve. Classroom orchestration tools allow the instructor to monitor, in detail, the progress of the class on that problem. The Problem Solving Markov Model (PSMM) is one such orchestration tool. It provides a real-time graphical view of all equivalence classes of attempts that students have made on a particular problem and it shows the probabilities of going from one incorrect attempt to another. In this paper, we describe the PSMM for a particular PSLE for coding, called Spinoza, and we explore the connection between PSMM equivalence classes and student misconceptions. We also introduce an extension of the PSMM which allows the instructor to zoom in and out of the time dimension and we discuss the pedagogical applications of this extension for orchestration in large classes.
Interactions of benzodiazepines with heroin: Respiratory depression, temperature effects, and behavior.

Abstract Benzodiazepines are important therapeutic drugs, but they are often abused and co-abused with opioids. Clinical evidence suggests that benzodiazepines can inhibit respiration, and when combined with the respiratory-depressive effects of opioids, may increase likelihood of death. In this study we used oxygen sensors coupled with high-speed amperometry and multi-site thermorecording to examine how intravenous (iv) midazolam, a potent benzodiazepine, modulates the brain hypoxic and temperature effects of iv heroin in freely-moving rats. Oxygen levels and brain temperature were assessed with high temporal resolution in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), an important structure in the motivational-reinforcement circuit. When administered alone, midazolam (2 mg/kg) modestly decreased NAc temperature but had no evident effects on oxygen levels in this structure. In contrast, heroin (0.4 mg/kg) induced a strong decrease in NAc oxygen that was followed by a weaker, rebound-like oxygen increase. Midazolam pretreatment did not affect heroin-induced brain hypoxia but potentiated the initial hypothermia induced by heroin. However, co-administration of these drugs potentiated the heroin-induced oxygen decrease and enhanced heroin-induced brain hypothermia. Co-administration of heroin and midazolam also resulted in enhanced locomotor inhibition and loss of motor control. This effect caused some rats to collapse, resulting in nose and mouth occlusion, which caused a secondary hypoxic phase. These results could have important implications for human drug users, as the combined use of benzodiazepines with potent opioids not only results in sustained brain hypoxia but creates conditions of loss of motor control which could result in asphyxia and death. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled ‘New Vistas in Opioid Pharmacology’.
Hepatic Fatty Acid Balance and Hepatic Fat Content in Humans With Severe Obesity.

Objective Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can lead to hepatic inflammation/damage. Understanding the physiological mechanisms that contribute to excess hepatic lipid accumulation may help identify effective treatments. Design We recruited 25 nondiabetic patients with severe obesity scheduled for bariatric surgery. To evaluate liver export of triglyceride fatty acids, we measured very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triglyceride secretion rates the day prior to surgery using an infusion of autologous [1-14C]triolein-labeled VLDL particles. Ketone body response to fasting and intrahepatic long-chain acylcarnitine concentrations were used as indices of hepatic fatty acid oxidation. We measured intraoperative hepatic uptake rates of plasma free fatty acids using a continuous infusion of [U-13C]palmitate, combined with a bolus dose of [9,10-3H]palmitate and carefully timed liver biopsies. Total intrahepatic lipids were measured in liver biopsy samples to determine fatty liver status. The hepatic concentrations and enrichment from [U-13C]palmitate in diacylglycerols, sphingolipids, and acyl-carnitines were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Results Among study participants with fatty liver disease, intrahepatic lipid was negatively correlated with VLDL-triglyceride secretion rates (r = -0.92, P = 0.01) but unrelated to hepatic free fatty acid uptake or indices of hepatic fatty acid oxidation. VLDL-triglyceride secretion rates were positively correlated with hepatic concentrations of saturated diacylglycerol (r = 0.46, P = 0.02) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (r = 0.44, P = 0.03). Conclusion We conclude that in nondiabetic humans with severe obesity, excess intrahepatic lipid is associated with limited export of triglyceride in VLDL particles rather than increased uptake of systemic free fatty acids.
The Army VTOL Surveillance Aircraft Program

Abstract : The necessity for surveillance or observation of one military force by another has always been a key point of Army strategy since the earliest times. The first use of aircraft by the U. S. Army can be traced to the requirement for observation during the Civil War when hydrogen balloons were used. Surveillance was the military requirement behind the procurement of the first heavier than air craft procured by the U. S. military forces. It can be said that the Mohawk is truly a direct descendent of the Wright Model B. Previous to World War II, emphasis was placed upon the fighting type of aircraft by the Army Air Corps, which made it necessary to press into service light civilian aircraft, such as the Piper Cub, to fulfill the needs of the battlefield commander for observation and fire control of his weapons. Thus we again see the employment of aircraft as observation platforms, or in reality an extension of the ground commander's weapons system. The employment of aircraft as an organic part of and to improve the effectiveness of surface weapons typifies the Army's use of aircraft.
Management of primary tooth luxation injuries

In children, traumatic dental injuries from a fall are more likely to result in a tooth being displaced than fractured, because the supporting bone is less dense than in the permanent dentition. The direction of the displacement and severity of the injury will influence the risk of injury to the developing permanent teeth. This manuscript will discuss each type of primary tooth luxation injury, how they should be managed, the prognosis and sequelae that are likely and what behavior guidance techniques may need to be used to provide safe treatment.
In situ effective snow grain size mapping using a compact hyperspectral imager

Effective snow grain radius (re) is mapped at high resolution using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI). The NIR-HSI method can be used to quantify re spatial variability, change in re due to metamorphism, and visualize water percolation in the snowpack. Results are presented for three different laboratory-prepared snow samples (homogeneous, ice lens, fine grains over coarse grains), the sidewalls of which were imaged before and after melt induced by a solar lamp. The spectral reflectance in each ~3 mm pixel was inverted for re using the scaled band area of the ice absorption feature centered at 1030 nm, producing re maps consisting of 54 740 pixels. All snow samples exhibited grain coarsening post-melt as the result of wet snow metamorphism, which is quantified by the change in re distributions from pre- and post-melt images. The NIR-HSI method was compared to re retrievals from a field spectrometer and X-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT), resulting in the spectrometer having the same mean re and micro-CT having 23.9% higher mean re than the hyperspectral imager. As compact hyperspectral imagers become more widely available, this method may be a valuable tool for assessing re spatial variability and snow metamorphism in field and laboratory settings.
Incidental Findings on Whole-body Computed Tomography in Major Trauma Patients: Who and What?:

PurposeWhole-body computed tomography (WBCT) scans are frequently used for trauma patients, and sometimes, nontraumatic findings are observed. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of patient...
Making labor visible in the food movement: Outreach to farmworkers in Michigan:

While the food movement includes many critical positive initiatives, it shows little recognition of the labor contributions of the farmworkers who produce the food. A visit to a few local towns in ...
Is microvascular dysfunction a systemic disorder with common biomarkers found in the heart, brain, and kidneys? - A scoping review.

Although microvascular dysfunction (MVD) has been well characterized in individual organs as different disease entities, clinical evidence is mounting in support of an underlying systemic process. To address this hypothesis, we systematically searched PubMed and Medline for studies in adults published between 2014 and 2019 that measured blood biomarkers of MVD in three vital organs i.e. brain, heart, and the kidney. Of the 9706 unique articles 321 met the criteria, reporting 49 biomarkers of which 16 were common to the three organs. Endothelial dysfunction, inflammation including reactive oxidation, immune activation, and coagulation were the commonly recognized pathways. Triglyceride, C-reactive protein, Cystatin C, homocysteine, uric acid, IL-6, NT-proBNP, thrombomodulin, von Willebrand Factor, and uric acid were increased in MVD of all three organs. In contrast, vitamin D was decreased. Adiponectin, asymmetric dimethylarginine, total cholesterol, high-density and low-density cholesterol were found to be variably increased or decreased in studies. We review the pathways underlying MVD in the three organs and summarize evidence supporting its systemic nature. This scoping review informs clinicians and researchers in the multi-system manifestation of MVD. Future work should focus on longitudinal investigations to evaluate the multi-system involvement of this disease.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Treated with Five Element Acupuncture: A Case Report

Background: A middle-aged woman with generalized anxiety disorder began acupuncture treatment (five element) with the goal of discontinuing anxiety medication. Case: The patient began acupuncture treatments in September 2018. This patient was consistently treated on her constitutional factors (CF) and found consistent decrease in her anxiety, to the point where her primary care provider (PCP) agreed to discontinue her anxiety medication. Outcome: Within one year the patient has discontinued her anxiety medication. The acupuncture treatments the patient received were based on treating her constitutional element as defined by five element acupuncture.
Developmental Biology of Cardiochiles nigricollis Cameron a Larval Endo-parasitoid of Rice Leaffolders

Cardiochiles nigricollis Cameron is a larval endo-parasitoid of the two rice leaf folder species, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) and Marasmia exigua Butler. Developmental biology of C. nigricollis was studied on the host C. medinalis. Usually third and fourth instar larvae of the leaffolder species were parasitized by the parasitoid. During the development of the parasitoid, four instars were discovered. The larvae of the first instar are segmented and slightly bent. Segmentation appeared in the second instar, and the tracheal system could be seen faintly. The head was clearly defined in the third instar, and the larva expanded in size. The full-grown larva emerged from the host six to eight days after the egg was laid. Females had a 5.3-day pupal period and males had a 6.7-day pupal period on average. Incubation time, larval time, and pupal time were all 1.2 days, 10 days, and 6.7 days, respectively. C. nigricollis went into diapause at the pupal stage, which began in late August and grew gradually until the first week of December, when the entire population went into diapause. This phenomena was only noticed during the rainy season. Males emerged after 213 days on average, and females after 224 days from diapausing pupae. The steady increase in the number of C. nigricollis entering diapause in the field population could be attributed to the presence of a heterogeneous population of C. nigricollis in the field that responded to changes in air temperature over time. Brachymeria sp., Orgilus sp., Trichomalopsis (Eupteromalus) parnarae Gahan and Elasmus sp. were reared as hyper-parasitoids on pupae of C. nigricollis.
Wille und Verstand (Augustinus und Thomas)

In der hellenistischen Kultur wurden die platonischen Lehren mit orientalischem Mystizismus vermengt. Juden und Perser mischten sich in die Ausdeutung und Zerfaserung der griechischen Denkgebilde ein, und die fruhchristlichen Denker pasten sich diesem magischen Zaiuber-kreis an. Die Seele ist nicht mehr die Lebenskraft, ihre Beziehung zum Leben ist bildlich geworden. Sie dient einem hoheren Dasein, sie ist ein vom Alltag abgelostes Wissen. Die Romantik der Neuplatoniker lies die Seele vom Nous, den Korper von der Seele erschaffen sein. Die Seele bleibt noch Quelle des Lebens, es ist aber eine entruckte Existenz, die hier im Vordergrunde steht. In der Gnosis ubernimmt eine Psychologie der abgeschiedenen Seelen das Wort.
Integration and needs of Iowa high school agricultural educators regarding agricultural safety and health education

63 Introduction 63 Conceptual Framework 65 Problem Statement 73 Research Questions 73 Methodology 74 Findings 76 Conclusions 86 Implications and recommendations 87 References 89 CHAPTER V. ROLE OF DEMOGRAPHICS IN IOWA AGRICULTURAL EDUCATORS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS AGRICULTURAL SAFETY AND HEALTH EDUCATION 92 Abstract 92 Introduction 92 Conceptual Framework 93 Problem Statement 100 Research Questions 101 Methodology 101 Findings 103 Conclusions 112 Implications and Recommendations 113 References 115 CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY, MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 118 Summary 118 Major Findings 119 Conclusions 120 Recommendations 121 Further Research 122 Implications and Educational Significance 12392 Introduction 92 Conceptual Framework 93 Problem Statement 100 Research Questions 101 Methodology 101 Findings 103 Conclusions 112 Implications and Recommendations 113 References 115 CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY, MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 118 Summary 118 Major Findings 119 Conclusions 120 Recommendations 121 Further Research 122 Implications and Educational Significance 123
Breeding Soybeans Resistant to Diseases

The soybean is a member of the Leguminosae, subfamily Papilionoideae, and the genus Glycine. The cultivated form, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, is grown in most of the temperate and subtropical areas of the world as a source of oil and protein (Probst and Judd 1973). Mature soybean seeds contain about 20% oil and 40% protein that has a good balance of essential amino acids. The oil is used primarily for human consumption, and a small quantity goes into industrial uses. After the oil is extracted from the seed, the residual meal is used primarily as a livestock feed. The protein, however, is extracted from a small percentage of the meal and is used in various food products for human consumption.
Glutathione S-transferases. The first enzymatic step in mercapturic acid formation.

The purification of homogeneous glutathione S-transferases B and C from rat liver is described. Kinetic and physical properties of these enzymes are compared with those of homogeneous transferases A and E. The letter designations for the transferases are based on the reverse order of elution from carboxymethylcellulose, the purification step in which the transferases are separated from each other. Transferase B was purified on the basis of its ability to conjugate iodomethane with glutathione, whereas transferase C was purified on the basis of conjugation with 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene. Although each of the four enzymes can be identified by its reactivity with specific substrates, all of the enzymes are active to differing degrees in the conjugation of glutathione with p-nitrobenzyl chloride. Assay conditions for a variety of substrates are included. All four glutathione transferases have a molecular weight of 45,000 and are dissociable into subunits of approximately 25,000 daltons. Despite the similar physical properties and overlapping substrate specificities of these enzymes, only transferases A and C are immunologically related.
Racial identity and autonomic responses to racial discrimination

Several studies identify racial identity-the significance and meaning that individuals attribute to race-as a mitigating factor in the association between racial discrimination and adjustment. In this study, we employed a visual imagery paradigm to examine whether racial identity would moderate autonomic responses to blatant and subtle racial discrimination analogues with Black and White perpetrators. We recruited 105 African American young adults from a public, southeastern university in the United States. The personal significance of race as well as personal feelings about African Americans and feelings about how others view African Americans moderated autonomic responses to the vignettes. We use polyvagal theory and a stress, appraisal, and coping framework to interpret our results with an eye toward elucidating the ways in which racial identity may inform individual differences in physiological responses to racial discrimination.
Lean disassembly line layout, and network simulation models

The purpose of this research is to create a simulation method and validated cases, that enable disassembly enterprises to experiment with different computer networking solutions, and protocols for electronically supported manual, and optionally automated robotized disassembly workstations (integrated into a disassembly line), to experiment with different disassembly process layout and cell/line design solutions, and to provide electronic support systems for designers and managers for evaluating 'what if?' scenarios, when developing such systems. This simulation project extends our Web-enabled Virtual Disassembly Manager (webVDM) project for electronic product/process designers, disassembly line managers and operators. webVDM is a major MERC/NJIT R&D group effort, supported by several funding agencies, companies and institutions and their hard working staff, and our RAs (Research Assistants).
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-enriched collagen tubule as a substitute for autologous nerve grafts.

Background: Autologous nerve interposition grafts are frequently harvested by head and neck surgeons. The sacrifice of these donor nerves guarantees some degree of morbidity, including sensory loss, additional incision sites with associated potential complications, and prolonged operative time. An alternative to autologous nerve grafting is, therefore, desirable. Objective: To determine if a collagen tubule (CT) filled with either a plain collagen gel or a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)‐enriched collagen gel could be used to achieve functional and histologic outcomes equivalent to an autologous nerve graft in bridging a 15-mm nerve gap in the rabbit facial nerve. Design: A prospective, randomized, blinded animal study with a control group. Methods: Thirty rabbit facial nerves were resected (15-mm segments) to create nerve gaps. The gaps were bridged using 1 of 3 methods, assigned randomly: a reversed facial nerve (control), a collagen gel‐filled CT, or a BDNF-enriched collagen gel‐filled CT. The animals were evaluated after 6 weeks in a blinded fashion for functional nerve recovery, axon count, and axonal diameter. Results: There were no significant differences between the autologous nerve graft group, the collagen gel‐filled CT group, or the BDNF-enriched collagen gel‐filled CT group (n=10 for each group) for functional nerve recovery (P=.94). The mean axon count and the mean axonal diameter were highest in the BDNF-enriched collagen gel‐ filled CT group, but these differences failed to reach statistical significance (P=.18 and .96, respectively). Conclusions: Collagen tubules filled with BDNFenriched collagen gel appear to be at least as good as autologous nerve grafts for bridging short facial nerve gaps. Larger experimental studies are warranted to determine if clinical trials are justified. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001;127:294-298
Development of a quality control program for a Cone Beam CT Imaging System

Routine quality control assessments of medical equipment are crucial for an accurate patient medical treatment as well as for the safety of the patient and staff involved. These regular evaluations become especially important when dealing with radiation-emitting equipment. Therefore, a quality control (QC) program has been developed to quantitatively evaluate imaging systems by measuring standard parameters related to image quality such as the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), the Noise Power Spectrum (NPS), uniformity, linearity and noise level among others. First, the methods of evaluating the aforementioned parameters have been investigated using a cone beam CT imaging system. Different exposure techniques, phantoms, acquisition modes of the flat panel detector (FPD) and reconstruction algorithms relevant to a clinical environment were all included in this investigation. Second, using the results of the first part of this study, a set of parameters for the QC program was established that yields both, an accurate depiction of the system image quality and an integrated program for easy and practical implementation. Lastly, this QC program will be implemented and practiced in our cone beam CT imaging system. The results using our available phantoms demonstrate that the QC program is adequate to evaluate stability and image quality of this system since it provides comparable parameters to other QC programs.
Problems of Symmetry

A long and widely held belief has been that a distribution can be assumed symmetric if the mean and median are coincidental. Unfortunately this is not the case. Coincidence of mean and median is a necessary but not sufficient condition for symmetry. Two counter examples proving this point are provided. Plotting of the data and third moment computation are recommended alternatives.
Biopharmaceutical drug targeting to the brain.

Biopharmaceuticals are large molecule drugs that do not cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The limiting factor in the drug development of biopharmaceuticals as new drugs for the human brain is the engineering of effective brain drug targeting technology platforms. Recombinant proteins, enzymes, and monoclonal antibodies can be re-engineered for transport across the human BBB with the molecular Trojan horse technology. The most active BBB molecular Trojan horse is a monoclonal antibody to the human insulin receptor. The genetic engineering of IgG fusion proteins has been demonstrated for neurotrophic factors, decoy receptors, therapeutic enzymes, single chain Fv antibodies, and avidin. The IgG fusion proteins are not toxic on repeated administration in high doses to primates and do not interfere with glycemic control in plasma or brain. IgG fusion proteins contain amino acid sequences that induce immune tolerance, and show low immunogenicity in primates. The IgG fusion proteins are new bifunctional bioph...
Isn't That Spatial?: Distance and Communication in a 2‐D Virtual Environment

This article examines the spatial relationships between avatars (i.e., graphical identities or icons) over time in a 2-dimensional online chat environment. The Spatial Distance Analysis Program (SDAP) was developed to measure the distance between avatars in a specially designed Palace environment. Correlations between distance and interpersonal communication constructs of (1) conversational appropriateness, (2) social attraction, and (3) uncertainty reduction indicate that distance effects are significant in an online environment. Specifically, it was found that general conversational appropriateness mediated between uncertainty reduction and specific conversational appropriateness for individuals who moved closer together and farther apart over time, respectively. Furthermore, the relationship between social attraction and distance indicated a significant positive parabolic function; that social attraction (i.e., liking) decreased at middle distances and increased at low and high distances. This finding suggests that there are three interpersonal distance zones in online communication.
Identification of Pre- and Postselection TCRαβ+ Intraepithelial Lymphocyte Precursors in the Thymus

The immune system preserves and makes use of autoreactive lymphocytes with specialized functions. Here we showed that one of these populations, CD8alphaalpha(+)TCRalphabeta(+) intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), arose from a unique subset of double-positive thymocytes. This subset of cells was precommitted to preferentially give rise to CD8alphaalpha(+)TCRalphabeta(+) IELs, but they required exposure to self-agonist peptides. The agonist-selected TCRalphabeta(+) thymocytes are CD4 and CD8 double-negative, and their final maturation, including the induction of CD8alphaalpha expression, appeared to occur only after thymus export in the IL-15-rich environment of the gut. These developmental steps, including precommitment of immature thymocytes, TCR-mediated agonist selection, and postthymic differentiation promoted by cytokines, define a unique pathway for the generation of CD8alphaalpha(+)TCRalphabeta(+) IEL.
Observations on binary clusters formed upon expansion of argon mixtures

Abstract Clusters, such as Ar·Ar, Ar·N2, Ar·O2, and O2·O2 were observed for the expansion of argon mixtures at 760 Torr and room temperature through a conical nozzle. The rotational-translational relaxation phenomena were studied by measuring the change of argon dimer concentration as a function of the diatomic molecular composition in the mixture. It was established that the rotational relaxation of diatomic species in argon is strongly influenced by their characteristic rotational temperatures. Mixtures of argon with hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen were used as expansion sources and the results agree with the classical rough sphere model predictions. The observation of the abnormally high oxygen dimer concentration from 15% oxygen and 85% argon mixture is explained as both an effective rotational relaxation during expansion and a possible self-rotational relaxation in forming the collision complex. The virtual pair model of Bunker is extended to explain the behavior of self-relaxation upon collision.
The novel Switched-Capacitor DC-DC converter for fast response time and reduced ripple

A novel voltage regulation scheme to control the number of multi-phase and frequency for Switched-Capacitor(SC) DC-DC converters is presented. The controller adjusts the number of interleaved phases with the size of switches. In addition, switching frequency of SC DC-DC converter is increased to reduce output ripple voltage when output load current is low. 16phase 2∶1 SC DC-DC converter is designed in 45nm standard CMOS process using the proposed scheme. The converter with new control technique achieves fast response and low Vout ripple under fast varying currents. Maximum output voltage ripple(Vripple) is less than 15mV and maximum response time is less than 0.2us with 4mA. Normal Vripple is less than 2mV.
SU‐E‐T‐839: Treatment Planning Comparison Between IMRT and Protons Involving Patch Fields

Purpose: To compare treatment plans on select complex cases using IMRT and protons involving patch‐field technique Methods: IMRT is used to treat tumors adjacent to critical structures. This is achieved by a dose optimizing algorithm that creates field segments using MLC and modulating the photon fluence to treat different parts of the tumor and conformally avoiding nearby critical structures. Proton beams offer an alternate way to treat such tumors and avoid critical structures. Properties of proton beams important to treatment planning are the ease with which a proton beam can be stopped at the desired depth in a medium as well as its sharp distal dose fall off near the end of the range. In a patch‐field proton beam arrangement a shoot through beam is used to treat majority of the tumor and a patching beam treats remaining tumor near the critical structures. The patching beam stops distally on the lateral edge of the shoot through beam. The weighting and the distal overlap between the shoot‐through and the patching beams are optimized to conformally cover the entire tumor. Here we are comparing treatment plans for different tumor sites using IMRT and proton beams involving patch‐field arrangements. Results: The isodose distributions and dose volume histograms (DVH) were compared between the two treatment modalities. Both IMRT and proton plans do a good job of conformally irradiating the tumor. But overall, proton plans do a better job of sparing the critical structures. One clear advantage of proton beams is the avoidance of low dose to normal tissues surrounding the tumor leading to a lower integral dose Conclusions: Complex tumors surrounding critical structures can be treated effectively with IMRT or proton beams. But protons are more effective in sparing critical structures and they give lower dose to normal tissues than IMRT.
Factors influencing the demand and supply of public school teachers in Indiana: An exploratory analysis

Abstract Arguments by plaintiffs in recent court cases dealing with the constitutionality of a system of funding public schools based primarily on the local property tax have proposed that teachers in districts with high assessed valuations are on the average better paid, better trained and have more experience than teachers in low assessed valuation districts. The analysis presented in this paper was designed to determine whether or not empirical support exists for these arguments. A conceptual model representing the demand and supply of public school teachers is developed. The model is applied to data from 269 Indiana school districts. Results of the analysis largely show that socio-economic variables other than taxable wealth are the primary determinants of the training, experience, and salaries paid to teachers. Only a small proportion of the variation in training experience, and salaries could be attributed directly to assessed valuation.
Determination of the Final State of an Automaton Whose Initial State Is Unknown

Methods are developed to illustrate whether or not it is possible to determine the final state of a finite automaton when 1) the initial state of the automaton is unknown and the input sequence and its corresponding output sequence are given and 2) both the initial state and the input sequence are unknown and only the output sequence is given.
Testing Hypotheses about Prejudice

Replication of prior research can be an integral part of the testing of hypotheses in the social sciences. This paper reports some of the results of testing certain hypotheses about the relationship between prejudice and personality. The hypotheses, chosen from a large number of similar ones which have been advanced in recent years as explanations of prejudiced attitudes, are as follows: (a ) that feeling victimized as a member of a minority tends to be associated with greater prejudice; ( b ) that Ss with a "jungle philosophy" of life tend to be more prejudiced; (c) that "authoritarian submissiveness" is related to prejudice; (d ) that fear of fraud is related to prejudice; and ( e ) that "mirroring" parental attitudes is related to prejudice.
Mycobacterium gordonae in fiberoptic bronchoscopes.

Abstract Background: Failure of high-level disinfection of bronchoscopes has caused several outbreak of nosocomial infection or pseudoinfection involving mycobacteria. Methods: Inocula (10 5 colony-forming units/ml and 10 8 colony-forming units/ml) of a clinical Mycobacterium gordonae isolate were used to contaminate bronchoscopes. Glutaraldehyde, iodophor, and peracetic acid disinfectants were evaluated in manual and automated disinfection procedures after 10- to 20-minute exposures at 20° and ≥ 25° C. Results: Four of five manua; disinfectant procedures failed to climinate experimental M. gordonae infection after 10-minute exposure at 20° C. All five manual procedures tested at 20° C were effective after 20-minute exposure to the five disinfectants (two 2% alkaline glutaraldehyde preparations, 3.2% alkaline glutaraldehyde, 75 ppm iodophor, and 0,5% glutaraldehyde—0.03% phenolic). Three of four manual (one 2% glutaraldehyde, 3.2% glutaraldehyde, and 0.5% glutaraldehyde—0.03% phenolic) and three automated (one 2% glutaraldehyde, 0.5% glutaraldehyde—0.03% phenolic) and three automated (one 2% disinfectant procedures eliminated contamination after a 10- to 12-minute exposure at ≥ 25° C. Effective total cycle times for the three automated procedures ranged from 20 to 45 minutes. Conclusions: Previously Environmental Protection Agency—approved tuberculocidal agents may be ineffective against M. gordonae when used according to label claims under normal clinical conditions. A minimum 20-minuted exposure time at 20° C is necessary for manual disinfection methods. Higher temperatures may improve disinfectant efficacy. Newer automatic disinfection machines may be as effective as traditional manual methods and also may reduce hazards to employees.
Conspecific and heterospecific pheromone effects on female receptivity

Abstract Courtship pheromones play an important role in salamander reproductive behaviour. In salamanders of the family Plethodontidae, males deliver specialized pheromones to females during courtship interactions. These courtship pheromones increase female receptivity and may be involved in mate discrimination. In order to test hypotheses related to mate discrimination, we staged courtship encounters between male–female Plethodon shermani pairs in which the female received pheromones obtained from either conspecific ( P. shermani ) or heterospecific ( P. yonahlossee or P. montanus ) males. Both conspecific and heterospecific pheromones increased female receptivity. Moreover, pheromones from both heterospecific species were as effective as the conspecific pheromone in increasing female receptivity in P. shermani females. Our results suggest that the courtship pheromone signal and function may be conserved across related species, with mate discrimination occurring before pheromone delivery. Copyright 2003 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Gender, Citizenship and Subjectivity: Some Historical and Theoretical Considerations

Because the French Revolution failed to produce a widely acceptable definition of citizenship, the limits of manhood suffrage in the early nineteenth century were uncertain. Social practices, in particular scientific activity, served as claims to the status of citizen. By engaging in scientific pastimes, bourgeois Frenchmen asserted that they possessed the rationality and autonomy that liberal theorists associated both with manliness and with civic capacity. However, bourgeois science was never a stable signifier of masculinity or of competence. As professional science emerged, the bourgeois amateur increasingly became the feminised object of satire rather than the sober andmeritorious citizen-scientist.
Drilling and dating New Jersey oligocene-miocene sequences: Ice volume, global sea level, and Exxon records

Oligocene to middle Miocene sequence boundaries on the New Jersey coastal plain (Ocean Drilling Project Leg 150X) and continental slope (Ocean Drilling Project Leg 150) were dated by integrating strontium isotopic stratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and biostratigraphy (planktonic foraminifera, nannofossils, dinocysts, and diatoms). The ages of coastal plain unconformities and slope seismic reflectors (unconformities or stratal breaks with no discernible hiatuses) match the ages of global δ18O increases (inferred glacioeustatic lowerings) measured in deep-sea sites. These correlations confirm a causal link between coastal plain and slope sequence boundaries: both formed during global sea-level lowerings. The ages of New Jersey sequence boundaries and global δ18O increases also correlate well with the Exxon Production Research sea-level records of Haq et al. and Vail et al., validating and refining their compilations.
Kinetics of colchicine inhibition of mitogenesis in individual lymphocytes.

Abstract Colchicine inhibits the mitogenic stimulation of lymphocytes from various species by lectins such as concanavalin A (ConA). Removal of ConA from the cell surface by competitive inhibition with α-methyl- d -mannoside revealed that longer exposures to the lectin result in an increase in the number of cells that are committed to blast transformation and thymidine incorporation. A similar kinetic analysis of the effects of colchicine addition without lectin removal showed that the drug blocks stimulation early in the sequence of events of lymphocyte activation and that the time of inhibition was correlated with the kinetics of cellular commitment to lectin stimulation. Moreover, simultaneous addition of both α-methyl- d -mannoside and colchicine did not alter the time course of commitment to mitogenesis, suggesting that both inhibitory effects occurred in similar or identical cell populations. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the colchicine blockade occurs temporally near or at the event that commits the individual lymphocyte to undergo blast transformation and DNA synthesis. These observations support the hypothesis that cytoplasmic microtubular proteins play a role in the regulation of mitogenic stimulation.
Utilizing Career Crises to Prepare Patients for Intensive Psychotherapy

This paper attempts to help therapists treat resistant patients who are in career crises. By integrating vocational development and dynamic theories of work, the author suggests ways of helping such patients with their career problems, while preparing them for the more intensive treatment they really need.
Khat in the Horn of Africa: historical perspectives and current trends.

Abstract Aim of the study This article looks at the history of the expansion of khat consumption from the traditional chew regions to Western countries and assesses the implication of possible international control for its use and trade in the Horn of Africa. Materials and methods Ten months of initial field work in Ethiopia, three follow up field work, archival work in Ethiopia and Europe, as well as study of available relevant literature. Results The debut of khat in the West in the 1980s was initially greeted with disdain and indifference. Authorities dismissed it on grounds that the mode of consumption, chewing the leaves for an extended period of time to extract a miniscule amount of the active ingredient, would not be appealing to Western users. Following the Mogadishu debacle of 1993, as depicted in the movie Black Hawk Down, authorities in the West began to express concern that khat was a new drug of abuse. Its trade was increasingly linked with terrorism because of its association with immigrants from the traditional khat use countries in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Amid hysteria and moral panic, many Western countries classified khat as a highly potent controlled substance, rendering its possession, cultivation, and trade illegal. Conclusion This article argues that more and more Western governments, out of panic rather than definitive evidence of harm, will be instituting national laws banning the leaves, but khat will not be placed under international control because the scientific evidence of harm is unlikely to rise to a critical mass that would justify its illegalization. States in the source countries would continue to tolerate khat because banning it would be disastrous from an economic and social welfare standpoint. Because of its ambiguous legal position and the unstable nature of its active ingredient, cathinone, khat would not be successfully commoditized as a global commodity or transformed into a highly concentrated illicit drug. In this situation, khat would continue to be chewed in the traditional-use areas of the Red Sea littoral marketed by local syndicates who work with a large network of petty commodity traders.
Advancing Knowledge in Sport Psychology: Strategies for Expanding Our Conceptual Frameworks

The growth in our understanding of sport behavior has been slow. Some leaders in sport psychology have called for the development of our own theories or conceptual frameworks, but these pleas have done little to advance our knowledge of sport behavior. This paper provides a brief description of the evolution to some of our current paradigms in sport psychology and explanations for why this growth may be slow. It then sketches some strategies for expanding our conceptual frameworks.
A COMPUTER SIMULATION MODEL OF AN INDUSTRIAL WORK GROUP

The paper illustrates the desirability and feasibility of the computer simulation technique in socio-psychological research. A computer simulation model of a five-man industrial work group is constructed. After the model has successfully passed a two stage validation procedure, an experimentation phase is conducted. In a 2 times 3 replicated factorial experiment, five years of simulated weekly data is used to test several hypotheses which relate the independent variables–supervisory style and worker interpersonal orientation–to productivity, worker job satisfaction and group cohesiveness. The hypotheses were derived from the findings of prior short-lived laboratory and field research. The study indicates that the computer simulation approach is a valuable adjunct to the classical organizational research techniques.
A model for the origin of stable protocells in a primitive alkaline ocean.

Abstract When a mixture of the eighteen proteinous amino acids are suitably heated in the dry state with seawater salts, a copolyamino acid results. One fraction of this polymer is found, through isoelectric focusing, to consist of a mixture of acidic and basic proteinoids, each of sharply limited heterogeneity. When one fraction of the seawater proteinoid is dissolved in hot water, and the solution is cooled, proteinoid microspheres result. These have properties in common with simpler types, but are also stable at pH values to 9, in common with microspheres prepared by mixing acidic and basic proteinoids. These processes thus constitute a simple model for the origin of a protocell stable in a primitive alkaline ocean.
Community Structure Comparison Using FAME Analysis of Desert Varnish and Soil, Mojave Desert, California

While a number of studies have shown that a close association exists between microorganisms and varnished rocks, there is little hard evidence to support the existence of either specific desert varnish communities, or any role these microbes might play in the genesis of the varnish layers. To this end, we analyzed fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) of samples collected from the Mojave desert of southern California to compare the microbial community structure of desert varnish with the adjacent desert soil. These analyses indicated prokaryotic and fungal communities in both desert varnish and soil samples. FAMEs specific to gram-positive bacteria were found more often, and in greater abundance in varnish samples than in adjacent soils. This may represent a higher preservation potential of gram-positive bacteria fatty acids in varnish, a source area of varnish microorganisms dominated by gram-positive bacteria, or a varnish community dominated by gram-positive microorganisms. Heterogeneity in fatty acids was ...
Reduced equations of motion for collision-induced intersystem crossing

Abstract A model is proposed for collision-induced intersystem crossing in “intermediate case” and small molecules. The collisions are assumed to cause dephasing ( T 2 ) among the zero order singlet and triplet molecular states. The combined effect of the intramolecular spin-orbit coupling (μ) and the collisional dephasing, results in the experimentally observable relaxation of populations ( T 1 ). The basic assumption of the present model is that the duration of a collision τ c is short compared to the intramolecular coupling (μτ c ⪡ 1). Reduced equations of motion for the molecular density matrix are derived and conditions for observing nonexponential relaxations are discussed. The model demonstrates the equivalence of T 1 and T 2 processes, depending on our choice of a basis set.