cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward improved identification of hydrological models: a diagnostic evaluation of the "abcd" monthly water balance model for the conterminous United States.

[1] Continental-scale water balance (WB) assessments are important for characterizing hydrologic systems and understanding regional-scale dynamics and for identifying hydroclimatic trends and systematic data biases. However, it is not clear whether existing models can reproduce the catchment dynamics observed in nature. Nor has our ability to evaluate model results kept pace with computational and data processing abilities. Consequently, methods for diagnostic model evaluation and improvement remain weak. There is a need for well-conceived, systematic strategies to guide model selection, establish data requirements, estimate parameters, and evaluate and track model performance. We examine these challenges in the context of monthly WB modeling for the conterminous United States by applying the “abcd” model to 764 catchments selected for their comprehensive coverage of hydrogeological conditions. By examining diagnostically relevant components of model error, we evaluate the details of its spatial variability across the continental United States. Model performance, parameters, and structures are found to be correlated with hydroclimatic variables. However, our results indicate a need for the conventional identification approach to be improved. Because they do not constrain models to reproduce important hydrological behaviors, reported values of NSE or r2 performance can be misleading. Further, we must establish suitable model hypotheses with appropriate spatiotemporal scale for each hydroclimatic region. Until these issues are resolved, such models cannot reliably be used to infer the spatiotemporal dynamics of continental-scale water balance or to regionalize model structures and parameters to ungaged locations.
Assessment of marketing educators

Abstract Marketing educators teach about and research “markets” and market-related phenomena. Seldom do we focus scholarly attention on ourselves as a population worthy of study. However, the nature of the professoriate has changed dramatically over the last two to three decades, and it is apparent that changes have taken place in expected and idealized work-styles of marketing professors. This article is about the marketing professoriate. It details some interesting aspects about ourselves that are based upon a study of marketing professors.
Soils Governance in Australia: challenges of cooperative federalism

This paper analyses soil governance in Australia and the challenges facing sustainable natural resource management within the context of a cooperative system of federation and a globalised market economy. With only 6 per cent of the Australian landmass considered arable, one would assume that protecting Australia’s valuable soil resource would be of national significance. However, Australia currently lacks nationally consistent policies and legal instruments to ensure that its soil is protected, maintained and enhanced for future generations. While recognising that soil governance is a broad discipline encompassing many areas of soil science and management, this discussion will only focus on the soil conservation aspects of sustainable ecosystems and sustainable food and fibre in Australia; it will not explore in depth issues of soil contamination and other pollution related areas. The paper discusses: the state of Australian soils and the managers of these resources; current soil governance in Australia (based on the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations definition); and a case study example of an Australian state approach to landuse conflict and the protection of agricultural lands. The paper highlights policies and institutional arrangements required for the protection of Australian soil and the very communities that are attempting to steward these resources for future generations.
Sound transmission characteristics of elastomeric sealing systems

A simple sound transmission model of the sealing system is presented. Finite element method and transfer function matrix were used to develop the model. Dynamic mechanical properties of seal material were measured and used as inputs to material property for the simulation. The effect of seal compression and material property of the bulb seal can be investigated. The seal vibration at the receiver was measured by the laser vibrometer.
Looking ahead: Research agenda for the study of carbon sequestration

The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the greatest scientific obstacles faced by the geologic sequestration community at this time and to suggest a research agenda that addresses the major scientific and policy gaps. This chapter focuses on geologic sequestration because although underground storage appears to lack the tremendous political resistance faced by deliberate oceanic sequestration, it poses a greater set of technical challenges than surface (terrestrial) sequestration. Geologic sequestration faces several major obstacles. Probably the greatest obstacle lies with risk assessment of fundamental CO 2 trapping mechanisms, including hydrostratigraphic trapping, solubility trapping, residual gas trapping, and mineral trapping. New research is particularly needed to provide better resolution of trapping failure modes. Another major scientific challenge is effective monitoring of the "intermediate zone," defined as the section between the top seal of the intended storage reservoir and ∼100 m from the surface. Another scientific challenge of geologic carbon sequestration is induced seismicity. Previous and ongoing injection projects illustrate that induced seismicity is a real risk, but careful characterization and engineering should facilitate the ability to control it. On the other hand, previous studies suggest it is easier to predict where earthquakes will not occur than where they will occur. Thus, a critical research need is to identify how and why some sites are more prone to induced seismicity than others. Finally, with respect to the practical application of geologic sequestration and associated policy, this chapter identifies major gaps and simple suggestions to fill those gaps. These gaps include the lack of a thorough carbon sequestration site rating and certification system that fulfills all possible technical and nontechnical requirements. Finally, at the time of publication of this book, standard risk assessment protocols and capacity estimation protocols do not exist; accordingly, most ongoing test projects utilize different approaches. Establishing rigorous and consistent protocols for risk and capacity should be a priority for the community, before large-scale geologic sequestration projects are implemented. This chapter summarizes these and other basic research needs for geological sequestration to advance. Commercial-scale geologic sequestration is possible, but only with effective science and engineering as well as meaningful regulations to guide deployment.
Machine Inductive Inference and Language Identification

We show that for some classes ℒ of recursive languages, from the characteristic function of any L in ℒ an approximate decision procedure for L with no more than n+1 mistakes can be (uniformly effectively) inferred in the limit; whereas, in general, a grammar (generation procedure) with no more than n mistakes cannot; for some classes an infinite sequence of perfectly correct decision procedures can be inferred in the limit, but single grammars with finitely many mistakes cannot; and for some classes an infinite sequence of decision procedures each with no more than n+1 mistakes can be inferred, but an infinite sequence of grammars each with no more than n mistakes cannot. This is true even though decision procedures generally contain more information than grammars. We also consider inference of grammars for r.e. languages from arbitrary texts, i.e., enumerations of the languages. We show that for any class of languages ℒ, if some, machine, from arbitrary texts for any L in ℒ, can infer in the limit an approximate grammar for L with no more than 2·n mistakes, then some machine can infer in the limit, for each language in ℒ, an infinite sequence of grammars each with no more than n mistakes. This reduction from 2·n to n is best possible. From these and other results we obtain and compare several natural, inference hierarchies. Lastly we show that if we restrict ourselves to recursive texts, there is a machine which, for any r.e. language, infers in the limit an infinite sequence of grammars each with only finitely many mistakes. We employ recursion theoretic methods including infinitary and ordinary recursion theorems.
Efficacy of Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Followed by Sorafenib for Intermediate/Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients in Japan: A Retrospective Analysis

Background Sorafenib might prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence caused by the promotion of neoangiogenesis after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).
Receptor signals and nuclear events in CD4 and CD8 T cell lineage commitment

MHC specificity in positive selection is a major determinant in the CD4/CD8 T cell lineage decision. Previous studies support the view that quantitative differences in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling in immature CD4+CD8+ double positive thymocytes leads to an instructive bias in CD4/CD8 T cell lineage commitment that must be re-inforced in subsequent selection steps to ensure that MHC-restricted antigen recognition is linked to appropriate effector functions in mature T cells. Recent work has further defined the TCR signaling pathways involved in this process, but a major effort has been made to identify transcription factors and other regulators of CD4 and CD8 T cell lineage commitment. Methods and screens for detecting changes in gene expression, associated with TCR signaling in positive selection and lineage determination, are starting to provide a better understanding of these complex developmental processes.
Combining exclusive semileptonic and hadronic B decays to measure \|V ub \|

The Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V_ub| can be extracted from the rate for the semi-leptonic decay B -> pi + l + antineutrino_l, with little theoretical uncertainty, provided the hadronic form factor for the B -> pi transition can be measured from some other B decay. In here, we suggest using the decay B -> pi J\psi. This is a color suppressed decay, and it cannot be properly described within the usual factorization approximation; we use instead a simple and very general phenomenological model for the b d J\psi vertex. In order to relate the hadronic form factors in the B -> pi J\psi and B -> pi + l + antineutrino_l decays, we use form factor relations that hold for heavy-to-light transitions at large recoil.
Bias magnification in ecologic studies: a methodological investigation

As ecologic studies are often inexpensive to conduct, consideration of the magnitude and direction of ecologic biases may be useful in both study design and sensitivity analysis of results. This paper examines three types of ecologic bias: confounding by group, effect measure modification by group, and non-differential exposure misclassification. Bias of the risk difference on the individual and ecologic levels are compared using two-by-two tables, simple equations, and risk diagrams. Risk diagrams provide a convenient way to simultaneously display information from both levels. Confounding by group and effect measure modification by group act in the same direction on the individual and group levels, but have larger impact on the latter. The reduction in exposure variance caused by aggregation magnifies the individual level bias due to ignoring groups. For some studies, the magnification factor can be calculated from the ecologic data alone. Small magnification factors indicate little bias beyond that occurring at the individual level. Aggregation is also responsible for the different impacts of non-differential exposure misclassification on individual and ecologic studies. The analytical tools developed here are useful in analyzing ecologic bias. The concept of bias magnification may be helpful in designing ecologic studies and performing sensitivity analysis of their results.
Influencing the personal meaning of diabetes: research and practice.

Diabetes patient education involves the cognitive, psycho motor, and affective domains. This paper focuses on the influence diabetes patient education has on how people feel about having diabetes and what it means to them. Our research suggests that diabetes patient education can contribute to more positive attitudes about diabetes and that diabetes educators should address the affective domain directly. Strategies for influencing the personal meaning of diabetes are presented and discussed.
Understanding the lead-time effects in stochastic inventory systems with discounted costs

This paper explores qualitative effects of lead-time uncertainty in a basic continuous-time single-item inventory model with Poisson demand and stochastic lead times. The objective is to minimize the infinite-horizon expected total discounted cost. Order costs are linear, so a base-stock policy is optimal. Traditionally and intuitively, people believe that a (stochastically) longer lead time results in a larger lead-time demand and therefore that the system should have a higher optimal base-stock level. In fact, Song (1994) shows that this is true for models with the average cost criterion. Here, we show that this intuition is not always validated for models with the discounted cost criterion. We identify certain systems in which the lead times do have a monotonic impact on the optimal base-stock levels. Examples include systems with constant, geometric, gamma, or uniform lead-time distributions. In addition, we find that a shorter lead time does not necessarily result in a smaller optimal system cost.
ANALYSIS OF AERODYNAMICS AND HEAT TRANSFER IN VIBRO-FLUIDIZED BEDS

Recent experimental data on aerodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of vibro-fluidized beds of model particles are presented and discussed in the light of the limited prior information. An analysis is presented for the bed dynamics with supporting experimental data. The predicted results for bed flight time, pressure drop and average voidage are shown to agree favorably with experimental data. On the basis of experimental results, a theoretical model and a simple design chart are presented which may be used to determine favorable operating ranges for a vibro-fluid bed apparatus.
Advantages of transparent conducting oxide thin films with controlled permittivity for thin film photovoltaic solar cells

Abstract Our recent investigations have identified a pathway to produce transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films that demonstrate higher infrared transparency. The technique involves controlling the dielectric permittivity of the TCO film such that the electrical properties are maintained, but the plasma frequency ( ω p ) is shifted to longer wavelength. This has the effect of reducing free-carrier absorption in the visible and near-infrared spectral region, thus producing a TCO film with higher optical transmission. The technique has been demonstrated for sputtered films of indium tin oxide by adding small amounts of ZrO 2 to a ceramic sputtering target, and for SnO 2 :F films deposited by chemical vapor deposition using a metalorganic Zr source.
After Qadhafi: prospects for political party formation and democratisation in Libya

Libya has received little attention from scholars analysing democratic potential in North Africa and the Middle East in recent years. The era of the Jamahiriyya created by Colonel Qadhafi and based on his ‘Third Universal Theory’ is, however, drawing to a close and attention should be given to the potential for democratic change after he leaves the political scene. The outlook for such potential is very limited since there are few indigenous institutions to foster it, nor do the secular or Islamist opposition movements offer much chance of a successful democratic transition.
Theh–p version of the finite element method for elliptic equations of order2m

The problems of elliptic partial differential equations stemming from engineering problems are usually characterized by piecewise analytic data. It has been shown in [3, 4, 5] that the solutions of the second order and fourth order equations belong to the spacesB β 1 where the weighted Sobolev norms of thek-th derivatives are bounded byCd k?l (k?l)!,k?l, l?2 whereC andd are constants independent ofk. In this case theh?p version of the finite element method leads to an exponential rate of convergence measured in the energy norm [6, 12, 13]. Theh?p version was implemented in the code PROBE1 [18] and has been very successfully used in the industry. We will discuss in this paper the generalization of these results for problems of order2m. We will show also that the exponential rate can be achieved if the exact solution belongs to the spacesB β 1 where the weighted Sobolev norm of thek-th derivatives is bounded byCd k?l (k?l)!,k?l=m+1, C andd are independent ofk. In addition, if the data is piecewise analytic, then in fact the exact solution belongs to the spacesB β m+1 . Problems of this type are related obviously to many engineering problems, such as problems of plates and shells, and are also important in connection with well-known locking problems.
Solving Resolution-Bandwidth Trade-off in Holographic Spectrometers using Multiplexed Cylindrical Beam Volume Holograms

Holographic spectrometers using cylindrical beam volume holograms are presented with several advantages over conventional spectrometers. We specially show that these spectrometers can be designed to solve the well-known problem of resolution-bandwidth trade-off in conventional spectrometers through the use of optimally designed multiplexed volume holograms.
Primary cultures of the dog's tracheal epithelium: fine structure, fluid, and electrolyte transport.

Cells from the dog's tracheal mucosa formed confluent epithelial sheets in culture. Typical tight junctions separated the apical from the basolateral portion of the cell membrane. The apical portion of the cell contained numerous short microvilli and a pronounced glycocalyx. The basolateral portion of the plasma membrane was unspecialized except for extensive gap junctions between cells. Freeze-fracture showed that the cultured cells lacked the basolateral square (orthogonal) arrays of the original tissue, particles previously implicated in ion transport. Formation of domes indicated the presence of active fluid absorption. Domes appeared between days 4 and 8 of culture and persisted for about 1 week. Cell sheets showed a transepithelial resistance of ≈ 400 Ω·cm2 and a short-circuit current (Isc) of ≈ 5 μA·cm−2. The effects of transport inhibitors indicated that both active Na absorption and active Cl secretion were present. Isc was increased by isoproterenol, prostaglandins E2 and F2α, vasoactive intestinal peptide, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, leukotrienes C4 and D4, and bradykinin. These changes were probably due to stimulation of active Cl secretion.
4-Dimethylaminoazobenzenes: carcinogenicities and reductive cleavage by microsomal azo reductase.

Summary Twenty-four 4-dimethylaminoazobenzenes (DABs) in which systematic structural modifications have been made in the prime ring have been studied for substrate specificity for microsomal azo reductase. The DABs were also evaluated for carcinogenicity and it was found that there was no correlation between carcinogenicity and extent of azo bond cleavage by azo reductase. While any substituent in the prime ring reduces the rate of cleavage of the azo bond relative to the unsubstituted dye, there is a correlation between substituent size and susceptibility to the enzyme. Substituent size was also found to be a significant factor in the induction of hepatomas by the dyes. Preliminary studies have shown that there appears to be a positive correlation between microsomal riboflavin content and the activity of the azo reductase.
Women and feminism in the Association for Humanist Sociology

Several years ago, I interviewed for a Women's Studies director position at a Midwestern university. I was picked up at the airport by two eager and well-in formed women's studies majors who drove me the fifty or so miles to the town where the university was located. After brief introductions, as we settled into the car for our journey, the first question the students asked me was, "Why are you so involved in the Association for Humanist Sociology?" In other words, "What is a feminist doing among humanists?" It took me most of the trip to explain to the students that while I was well aware of the potential tensions between feminism and humanism, the Association for Humanist Sociology (AHS), in which I have been active since 1980, had provided me and other feminist sociologists with a space where we could practice our scholar ship and activism more easily than in other sociological associations. In this essay, I draw on the explanation I gave to the students, discussing my experiences as well as more generally the status of women and feminism in the the AHS from 1976 until the present. My perspective is that of a feminist sociologist trained in the 1960s and 1970s, rooted in radical feminism1 and more recently em bracing a transformational, international feminism.2 In my experience and that of other women and feminists involved in AHS, although the Association had been from the beginning much more welcoming of women and their contributions than other socio logical organizations, the relationship between feminism and humanist sociology has not always been an easy one. However, humanist sociology, as it is practiced in the AHS, has changed over time and has become increasingly accepting of feminism. I attribute this to grassroots efforts among feminist members of the Association to better integrate women and feminism, and the increasing numbers of women in the AHS, as well as a growing awareness among both humanist sociologists and feminists of the great human variety of positionalities, identities, and experiences. Humanist Sociology and Academic Feminism Humanist sociology, as a distinct sub-field within the discipline of sociology in the United States, became officially recognized with the founding of the AHS in Jill M. Bystydzienski is director of the Women's Studies Program and professor of sociology at Iowa State University. Address for Correspondence: Women's Studies Program, 349 Catt Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1304.
A cost-efficient high-performance bit-serial architecture for robot inverse dynamics computation

A novel cost-efficient parallel and pipelined bit-serial array architecture is proposed for the computation of robot inverse dynamics. It achieves a certain bit-serial execution-time lower bound. The core of the system consists of two arrays of multifunctional bit-serial cells. One of the arrays computes the forward iterations, and the other one evaluates the backward recursions, of the Newton-Euler dynamics algorithm. At the current state of technology, the resulting high-performance system may be realized in only two custom VLSI chips and a minimum number of first-in-first-out register files. The organization, operation, and performance of the proposed array structure is discussed. The architecture and functionality of an individual multifunctional bit-serial cell used as the building block of the array structure is described.
Phase formation and interdiffusion in Al-clad 430 stainless steels

Abstract Diffusion annealing treatments were carried out with Al-clad 430 stainless steels for the development of diffusion structures and characterization of interdiffusion of Fe, Cr, and Al. The treatments included isothermal anneals at 600°C for various times with thin foils of 430Y and 430 stainless steels roll-clad with 1100 Al. A two step annealing treatment in which the foils were initially annealed at 600°C followed by a subsequent anneal at 800°C was also investigated for homogenization of the Al-clad steels. The diffusion structures of the various foils were examined by SEM-EDS and X-ray diffraction techniques. The Al-clad 430Y and 430 stainless steel foils annealed at 600°C developed two diffusion layers identified as (Fe, Cr) 2 Al 3 and (Fe, Cr) 3 Al 2 based on composition. Interdiffusion fluxes and integrated interdiffusion coefficients were calculated for these phase layers. The integrated interdiffusion coefficients of Cr, Fe and Al were approximately in the ratios of 1:5:6 and 1:4:5 for the (Fe, Cr) 2 Al 3 and (Fe, Cr) 3 Al 2 phases, respectively. The two-step annealing treatment at 600 and 800°C resulted in the formation of a homogeneous Fe-Cr-Al alloy (bcc) through the foil thickness; the lattice parameter of the alloy was determined to be 2.876 A. The Al-clad 430Y foils developed less porosity than the Al-clad 430 foils during the homogenization treatment.
Clearance of 99mTc-Labeled Albumin from Lungs in Anesthetized Guinea Pigs

Gamma imaging was used to measure the rate of clearance of aerosolized 99mTc-human serum albumin (HSA) from the lungs of control guinea pigs and guinea pigs that received increased lung inflation or lung injury. Anesthetized guinea pigs were ventilated for 6 min with an aerosol of HSA and the radioactivity in the chest was monitored for 2 h with a gamma camera to determine whether the clearance rate would be a reliable assessment of lung epithelial permeability. Increased lung volumes were effected by application of 5 or 7 cm H2O positive end-expired pressure (5-PEEP and 7-PEEP, respectively). Lung injury was induced either by intravenous oleic acid (OA, 27-73 microliters/kg) or inhalation of nitrogen dioxide (NO2, 80-100 ppm) for 2 h. Postmortem extravascular lung water volume (EVLW) provided an assessment of the degree of lung injury. Tracer clearance rates in animals receiving 5 or 7 cm H2O PEEP were not significantly different from controls (K = 0.15 +/- 0.05 and 0.24 +/- 0.10 vs 0.12 +/- 0.03%/min, respectively, p > .05). Animals exposed to NO2 had faster tracer clearance rates (K = 0.33 +/- 0.21%/min, p < .05) and higher EVLW (5.8 +/- 3.0 vs 3.7 +/- 0.2 mL/g dry lung, p < .05) than controls. Clearance rates of HSA from the lungs of NO2-exposed guinea pigs correlated well with injury as assessed by EVLW (r = .93, p < .01). Clearance rates of HSA and EVLW in animals receiving oleic acid were significantly higher than controls and the group receiving 5 cm H2O PEEP (K = 0.58 +/- 0.41%/min, EVLW = 8.1 +/- 0.8 mL/g dry lung tissue, p < .05), but there was no correlation between these parameters in this injury model. It is concluded that imaging of the disappearance of radiolabeled HSA in the guinea pig can be a useful index of lung epithelial permeability, but this technique is limited to certain models of lung injury.
Tomoregulin‐2 is found extensively in plaques in Alzheimer's disease brain

Tomoregulin (TR)2 is a transmembrane protein predominantly expressed in brain. It has a unique extracellular domain, containing epidermal growth factor-like and follistatin-like modules. The ectodomain is released from the cell surface, and thought to function as a neurotrophic factor and dendritogenic agent. During CNS development and in the neuronal storage disease GM2 gangliosidosis, which is characterized by ectopic dendrites, the TR2 ectodomain is present in neuronal nuclei where it may function in dendrite initiation. Data presented here demonstrate that TR2 is found extensively in Alzheimer's disease (AD) plaques. Confocal microscopy shows that TR2 is present throughout plaques. Interestingly, TR2 is absent from plaques in the presenilin-1/amyloid precursor protein mouse model of AD. From these data, and what is known about TR2, it is hypothesized that TR2 may participate in amyloid plaque formation and contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. The human TR2 gene is located on chromosome 2q32.3, near a locus linked to Parkinson's disease. TR2 is reported to be a trophic factor for dopaminergic mesencephalic neurons.
Functionalized Hyperbranched Polymers via Olefin Metathesis

Hyperbranched polymers are highly branched, three-dimensional macromolecules which are closely related to dendrimers and are typically prepared via a one-pot polycondensation of AB_(n≥2) monomers.^1 Although hyperbranched macromolecules lack the uniformity of monodisperse dendrimers, they still possess many attractive dendritic features such as good solubility, low solution viscosity, globular structure, and multiple end groups.^1-3 Furthermore, the usually inexpensive, one-pot synthesis of these polymers makes them particularly desirable candidates for bulk-material and specialty applications. Toward this end, hyperbranched polymers have been investigated as both rheology-modifying additives to conventional polymers and as substrate-carrying supports or multifunctional macroinitiators, where a large number of functional sites within a compact space becomes beneficial.
The role of courtship song in sexual selection and species recognition by female Drosophila melanogaster

Male fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, produce a complex courtship display, which females may use to identify conspecifics and to aid in choosing a high-quality mate. Courtship song, consisting of sine and pulse elements, is an important acoustic component of this display. Whereas characteristics that differ between species have been identified, the signals used for intraspecific mate choice remain unknown, as does the function of sine song. To investigate further the role of pulse and sine song, we varied characteristics of artificial and edited songs and played them to groups of flies to determine whether sine or pulse song parameters contribute to female mate choice. Playing artificial songs did not substantially change the amount of male courtship behaviour. Sine song in any proportion had no effect on female mating propensity, nor was mating affected by sine-song frequency. The amount of pulse song offered positively increased mating, up to a threshold, without regard to the structure of the song, pulse carrier frequency, or interpulse interval. These results indicate that females use pulse song, not sine song, for both species identification and intraspecific mate choice. Males may continue to produce sine song as a relic, as a by-product of a physiological process or because it is inextricably linked to a mate-choice signal in a different modality. The role of song memory is discussed briefly.
Gene Therapy for Bladder Pain With Gene Gun Particle Encoding Pro-Opiomelanocortin cDNA

ABSTRACTPurpose: Interstitial cystitis is a bladder hypersensitivity disease associated with bladder pain that has been a major challenge to understand and treat. We hypothesized that targeted and localized expression of endogenous opioid peptide in the bladder could be useful for the treatment of bladder pain. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is one of such precursor molecules. In this study we developed a gene gun method for the transfer of POMC cDNA in vivo and investigated its therapeutic effect on acetic acid induced bladder hyperactivity in rats.Materials and Methods: Human POMC cDNA was cloned into a modified pCMV plasmid and delivered into the bladder wall of adult female rats by direct injection or the gene gun. Three days after gene therapy continuous cystometrograms were performed using urethane anesthesia by filling the bladder (0.08 ml per minute) with saline, followed by 0.3% acetic acid. Bladder immunohistochemical testing was used to detect endorphin after POMC cDNA transfer.Results: The interc...
Chemical activation of bituminous coal for hampering oligomerization of organic contaminants.

Abstract Activated carbons prepared by KOH activation of bituminous coal were studied for hampering oligomerization of phenolic compounds on its surface. A total of 24 activated carbons with different microporosity and BET surface area were created. The effect of the different variables of the activation process (KOH/bituminous coal ratio, heating temperature, activation time, and flow rate of nitrogen gas) on critical carbon parameters was analyzed. The impact of activated carbon on oligomerization was examined by conducting isotherm experiments at a neutral pH on Carbon exp produced with optimal characteristics and granular activated carbon (GAC) F400 for phenol, 2-methylphenol and 2-ethylphenol. These isotherms were collected under anoxic (absence of molecular oxygen) and oxic (presence of molecular oxygen) conditions. The single solute adsorption of phenol, 2-methylphenol and 2-ethylphenol on Carbon exp showed no obvious differences between oxic and anoxic environment, which indicated that the Carbon exp sample is very effective in hampering the oligomerization of phenolic compounds under oxic conditions. On the other hand, F400, which have lower micropore percentage and BET surface area, significant increases in the adsorptive capacity had been observed when molecular oxygen was present.
Duet of the Commons: The Impact of Street Cleaning on Car Usage in the New York City Area

This article explores the concept of “public commons” and its relationship with travel decisions under a unique setting: street cleaning in the New York City area. Using a natural experimental desi...
Masseter Muscle Rigidity Associated with Glycine1306-to- Alanine Mutation in the Adult Muscle Sodium Channel α-Subunit Gene

Background: Succinylcholine-induced masseter muscle rigidity (MMR) is a potentially life-threatening complication of anesthesia and is closely correlated with the heterogeneous disorder malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility. MMR also is identified with a variety of neuromuscular disorders, including the myotonias, that are associated with abnormal in vitro contracture test (IVCT) results. Recently, mutations in the adult skeletal muscle sodium channel α-subunit gene (SCN4A) have been shown to cause generalized nondystrophic myotonias, some of which are associated with mild nonspecific symptoms. The purpose of the current investigation was to begin to evaluate the molecular genetic relationship between known mutations in the SCN4A gene, MMR, and the results of the IVCP used to diagnose MH-susceptibility. Methods: A single extended pedigree of 16 individuals was ascertained through a proband who experienced MMR and whole-body rigidity after succinylcholine administration. Subsequently, four individuals were shown to have a mild form of myotonia on clinical and laboratory examination. IVCT was carried out according to standardized protocols. Mutatitons in the SCN4A gene were sought in exons 22 and 24 using single-strand conformational analyses. Variability in the SiN4A gene sequence was confirmed by direct DNA sequence analyses. Results: Four individuals with myotonia were shown to carry a guanine-to-cytosine mutation at nucleotide position 3917 of the reported SCN4A sequence. This DNA mutation was coinherited with MMR and an abnormal IVCT result in this family. Previous studies have demonstrated that the glycine 1306 -to-alanine substitutiton is associated with a mild clinical syndrome referred to as myotonia fluctuans. Conclusions: The current report provides direct evidence that succinylcholine-induced MMR, whole-body rigidity, and an abnormal IVCT result are associated with a mutation in the SCN4A gene
Bilateral Keratitis as a Manifestation of Lyme Disease

An 11-year-old girl developed bilateral keratitis, which we believe was a manifestation of Lyme disease. She had had several attacks of Lyme arthritis and was twice treated with parenteral penicillin. The keratitis developed five years after the initial episode of Lyme arthritis at a time when there were no other manifestations of Lyme disease. It cleared completely in both eyes after topical corticosteroid therapy.
A central limit theorem applicable to robust regression estimators

Consider a general linear model, Yi=x′iβ+Ri with R1, …, Rn i.i.d., β∈Rp, and {x1, …, xn} behaving like a random sample from a distribution in Rp. Let β be a robust M-estimator of β. To obtain an asymptotic normal approximation for the distribution of β requires a Central Limit Theorem for Wn = Σyiψ(Ri), where yi = (X′X)−1xi. When p→∞, previous results require p5n→0, but here a strong normal approximation for the distribution of Wn in Rp is provided under the condition (plogn)32n→0.
Structural characterization of the (AgCu)(InGa)Se2 thin film alloy system for solar cells

Abstract A detailed structural analysis of the (AgCu)(InGa)Se 2 thin film alloy system was undertaken via X-ray diffraction in order to determine its phase behavior and the chalcopyrite phase lattice constants of the alloy system. Thin films were grown by elemental co-evaporation with time-invariant flux, for the compositions 0 ≤ [Ag]/([Cu] + [Ag]) ≤ 1 for fixed [Ga]/([In] + [Ga]) = 0.5. Lattice constants were determined from the diffraction patterns by the Cohen method and were found to deviate from Vegard's rule. While films were predominantly single-phase, minor secondary phase reflections were observed for films with [Ag]/([Cu] + [Ag]) ≥ 0.5. However, this secondary phase behavior is not consistent with chalcopyrite–chalcopyrite phase segregation in earlier reports.
Squeezed States and Sub-Poissonian Photon Statistics

It is pointed out that, although squeezing and sub-Poissonian photon statistics need not go together, in the sense that an electromagnetic field may exhibit one but not the other, the method that is normally used to detect a squeezed state automatically generates sub-Poissonian photon statistics. However, when these considerations are applied to the fluorescence from a coherently driven atom, which exhibits both squeezing and sub-Poisson fluctuations, one finds that the statistics of the emitted photons show even larger departures from classical field theory than the squeezing.
Membrane admittance measurements under computer control

Abstract The application of the elegant Fourier transform method of Smith et al. 3,4 to measurements on ultrathin, “black” lipid membrane is described. A digital computer generates a waveform containing many frequencies, applies it to the measurement cell containing an artificial, ultrathin membrane, collects the resulting electrical response, extracts the cell admittance by a substitution method, and facilitates subsequent numerical data analysis. The performance of the instrument is illustrated.
Membranous nephropathy in two human leukocyte antigen-identical brothers

We describe two Hispanic brothers with membranous nephropathy who had nephrotic syndrome in the first 2 years of life. Secondary causes of membranous nephropathy were excluded by clinical history and laboratory data. The occurrence of membranous nephropathy in these two young brothers, as well as in other familial cases reported to date, suggests an X-linked mode of inheritance.
Revision, Criterion Validity, and Multigroup Assessment of the Reactions to Homosexuality Scale

Internalized homonegativity encompasses negative attitudes toward one's own sexual orientation and is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes. The Reactions to Homosexuality Scale (Ross & Rosser, 1996), an instrument used to measure internalized homonegativity, has been criticized for including content irrelevant to the construct of internalized homonegativity. We revised the scale using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and identified a 7-item, 3-factor reduced version that demonstrated measurement invariance across racial/ethnic categorizations and between English and Spanish versions. We also investigated criterion validity by estimating correlations with hypothesized outcomes associated with outness, relationship status, sexual orientation, and gay community affiliation. The evidence of measurement invariance suggests that this scale is appropriate for pluralistic treatment or study groups.
1.6 mm Diameter Scanning Fiber Endoscope

Minimally invasive medical procedures require thin, flexible endoscopes that produce high resolution images. Current scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) prototypes meet these requirements with a 1.6 mm diameter distal tip and 500 lines of resolution.
Late cenozoic uplift of denali and its relation to relative plate motion and fault morphology.

Apatite fission-track analysis of samples that cover a 4-kilometer vertical section from the western flank of Denali (Mount McKinley), North America9s highest mountain, suggests that the mountain massif was formed by rapid uplift (> 1 kilometer per million years) beginning ∼6 million years ago (Ma). Uplift was a result of the morphology of the Denali fault and a change in motion of the Pacific plate with respect to North America at ∼5 Ma, which created opposing tangential vectors of relative movement along the fault and forced the intervening crustal blocks upward.
Implicit high-order compact algorithm for computational acoustics

Accurate solution of the linearized, multidimensional Euler equations for aeroacoustics as a system of simple wave equations is demonstrated. If organized, this system has unambiguous, easily implemented boundary conditions allowing waves of same group speeds to pass through numerical boundaries or comply with wall conditions. Thus, the task of designing a complex multidimensional scheme with approximate boundary conditions reduces to the design of accurate schemes for the simple wave equation. In particular, an implicit compact finite difference scheme and a characteristically exact but numerically nth-order-accurate boundary condition are used. This low-dispersion scheme has a third-order spatial accuracy for various types of nonuniform meshes, fourth-order accuracy on uniform meshes, and by choice a temporal accuracy of second order for algorithmic simplicity as the Crank-Nicolson scheme. The robustness and accuracy of the scheme and the validity of the system decoupling are demonstrated through a series of numerical experiments and comparisons with published results, including the recent Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering, NASA Langley Research Center, benchmark problems of acoustic and convective wave propagation in Cartesian and cylindrical domains and reflection at stationary and/or moving boundaries.
The effects of settler incursion on fish and game resources of the Yuqui, a native Amazonian society of eastern Bolivia.

Increasing settlement and subsequent deforestation in the Amazon are disturbing animal habitats and placing pressure on indigenous peoples who depend on hunting as a means of subsistence. As policy makers attempt to address growing environmental and social concerns, anthropologists are often in a position to provide information relating to traditional subsistence systems and how these systems may be experiencing stress due to development. Crucial to this issue is the need for anthropologists to provide in a proactive manner quantitative, longitudinal resource use data to those in policy-making positions to document the effects of settler incursion on native subsistence systems. This paper will present data from the Yuqui, a foraging people in eastern lowland Bolivia who are experiencing increased pressure on faunal resources from settlers. Using data collected in 1983 and 1988, I will suggest that the Yuqui are beginning to exhibit hunting patterns consistent with known cases of game depletion. I will arg...
Effect of genetic background on growth of mice hemizygous for wild-type or dwarf mutated bovine growth hormone transgenes

The effects of a high-growth genetic background on the growth of mice hemizygous for one of two growth hormone transgenes were examined. Male mice hemizygous for wild-type (W) and dwarf mutant (M) bovine growth hormone (bGH) transgenes were crossed with females of a high-growth selected (S) and control (C) line as follows: W x S, W x C, M x S and M x C. Body weights of progeny were recorded weekly from 2 to 10 weeks of age. F1 progeny were classified as carriers (P) or non-carriers (N) of the transgene by assaying tail DNA for bGH using the polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis. A deficiency in the number of f1 progeny carrying the W (P<0.05) and M (P<0.01) bGH transgene was most likely due to differential prenatal and early postnatal mortality. Bodyweight means of wild-type transgenic mice were larger (P < 0.05) than those of non-transgenic littermates by 3 weeks of age in a C background in contrast to 5 weeks in S. The wild-type bGH transgene increased adult body weights more in the C (155%) than in the S (136%) background, indicating transgene expression by selection background interaction (P < 0.05). However, the growth response to the wild-type transgene in the S background was still large. The dwarf mutant transgene had a greater effect on growth reduction in the S (70%) than in the C (84%) background, thus causing transgene expression by selection background interaction (P < 0.05). Gender by wild-type transgene effect interactions (P < 0.001) for adult body weight were caused by the transgene reducing the gender difference for body weight in C and eliminating it in S. The dwarf mutant caused a larger negative effect on growth in males than in females, resulting in a gender by dwarf mutant transgene interaction (P < 0.001) for adult body weights. Results indicate that the effect of a GH transgene on growth can be affected both by a high-growth genetic background and the gender of progeny.
An electrical analogue for the study of diffusion processes with internal gains or losses

By placing a fairly large number of electrodes in a layer of liquid and with proper boundary conditions an electrical analogue may be constructed that is representative for diffusion of mass or energy through a medium with internal gains or losses. It Is shown that the results obtained with such an electrical analogue are in agreement with the ones exacted by a theoretical treatment of such problems for diffusion in one dimension, this being applicable to gaseous diffusion in soils. It is also shown that this method may be used to obtain information on temperature distribution in cases of heat transfer where heat is being generated or lost in the medium through which it diffuses by conduction. A specific example of such an instance has been examined and numerical values are given.
How Effective are Public Policies to Increase Health Insurance Coverage Among Young Adults

This paper assesses the impact of policies to increase insurance cov- erage for young adults. The introduction of SCHIP in 1997 enabled low-income teens up to age 19 to gain access to public health insur - ance. More recent policies enabled young adults between the ages of 19 and (typically) 24 to remain covered under their parents' health insurance. We use the discrete break in coverage at age 19 to evalu- ate the impact of SCHIP, and quasi-experimental variation to evalu- ate the impact of "extended parental coverage" laws. Our results suggest that both types of policies were effective at increasing health insurance coverage. (JEL G22, H75, I18, J13)
Regional variation in IIM myosin heavy chain expression in the temporalis muscle of female and male baboons (Papio anubis)

a b s t r a c t Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether high amounts of fast/type II myosin heavy chain (MyHC) in the superficial as compared to the deep temporalis muscle of adult female and male baboons (Papio anubis) correlates with published data on muscle function during chewing. Electromyographic (EMG) data show a regional specialization in activation from low to high amplitude activity during hard/tough object chewing cycles in the baboon superficial temporalis. 48,49 A positive correlation between fast/type II MyHC
Absorption of CO2 in a transverse flow hollow fiber membrane module having a few wraps of the fiber mat

Abstract An experimental study of gas-liquid contacting was conducted to determine the mass-transfer performance characteristics of hollow fiber devices that employ transverse liquid flow over microporous hydrophobic fibers present in a mat wrapped around a central feeder tube. Gas flow was through the fiber lumen; water was employed to absorb CO 2 from pure CO 2 and from a mixture of CO 2 N 2 . The results are characteristics of the local crossflow mass transfer due to the limited number of wraps of fiber layers. A correlation for mass-transfer coefficient was developed and compared with correlations from the literature.