cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Origin and evolution of the vertebrate vomeronasal system viewed through system‐specific genes

Tetrapods have two distinct nasal chemosensory systems, the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal system (VNS). Defined by certain morphological components, the main olfactory system is present in all groups of vertebrates, while the VNS is found only in tetrapods. Previous attempts to identify a VNS precursor in teleost fish were limited by functional and morphological characters that could not clearly distinguish between homologous and analogous systems. In the past decade, several genes that specifically function in the VNS have been discovered. Here we first describe recent evolutionary studies of mammalian VNS-specific genes. We then review evidence showing the presence and tissue-specific expression of the VNS-specific genes in teleosts, as well as co-expression patterns of these genes in specific regions of the teleost olfactory epithelium. We propose that a VNS precursor exists in teleosts and that its evolutionary origin predated the separation between teleosts and tetrapods.
Wildland fire emissions, carbon, and climate: Science overview and knowledge needs

Abstract Wildland fires have influenced the global carbon cycle for ∼420 million years of Earth history, interacting with climate to define vegetation characteristics and distributions, trigger abrupt ecosystem shifts, and move carbon among terrestrial and atmospheric pools. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the dominant driver of ongoing climate change and the principal emissions component of wildland fires, while black carbon and other aerosols found in fire emissions contribute to uncertainties in climate projections. Fire emissions research to date has been focused on developing knowledge for air pollution regulatory needs and for assessing global climate impacts. Quantifying wildland fire emissions is difficult because their amount and chemical composition vary greatly among fires depending on the amount and type of combusted fuel, its structure, arrangement, chemistry, and condition, and meteorological conditions during the fire. Prediction of potential future wildland fire emissions requires integration of complex interactions of climate, fire, and vegetation; e.g., inference about the direct effects of climate changes on vegetation (fuel) distribution, amount, and condition; direct effects on fire occurrence, behavior, and effects; and feedbacks of altered fire regimes to vegetation and the climate system. Proposed climate change mitigation strategies include management of forests for increased carbon sequestration, and because wildland fires are a key component of the carbon cycle, fire ecology, behavior, and fire effects must be accounted for in these strategies. An understanding of the complex relationships and feedbacks among climate, fire regimes, and fire emissions is needed to account for the importance of fire in the carbon cycle and wildfire and carbon feedbacks to the global climate system. Fire ecology and fire emissions science is thus a necessary component for adaptively managing landscapes and for accurately assessing the long-term effectiveness of carbon sequestration projects. This overview for a special issue on wildland fire emissions, carbon, and climate summarizes eight companion papers that describe the current state of knowledge, critical knowledge gaps, and importance of fire emissions for global climate and terrestrial carbon cycling. The goal is to foster understanding of complex fire emission system dynamics and feedbacks.
Abstract 3556: Antitumor activity of AMG 900, an orally available small molecule inhibitor of aurora kinases, alone and in combination with tubulin-targeting agents in human metastatic breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that can be classified into distinct subtypes. The breast cancer subtype that lacks expression of hormone receptors (ER and PR) is characterized by its aggressive and metastatic nature. Tubulin-targeting agents are among the most active agents for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, treatment of MBC frequently fails because of de novo or acquired resistance to taxanes. Consequently, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutics and combination strategies to effectively treat multidrug-resistant MBC. Recently, we reported the development of AMG 900, a novel ATP competitive small molecule inhibitor that is potent and selective for aurora-A, -B, and -C kinases. AMG 900 inhibits the proliferation of tumor cell lines and growth of multiple human xenografts, including taxane-resistant models. AMG 900 is currently in early clinical testing in advanced cancers. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of AMG 900 alone and in combination with two different classes of tubulin-targeting agents (taxanes and epothilones) in human MDA-MB-231 (parental and taxane-resistant subline) MBC cell lines and xenografts. Results: The MDA-MB-231 parental cell line is tumorigenic and metastatic in vivo. To establish the taxane-resistant cell line, MDA-MB-231-PTX-r, MDA-MB-231 parental cells were adapted to grow in the presence of increasing concentrations of paclitaxel. In vitro, AMG 900 induced polyploidy and inhibited colony growth of both MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231-PTX-r cell lines. In combination, AMG 900 enhanced the effects of both paclitaxel and ixabepilone in a cell growth assay using MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231-PTX-r cell lines, respectively. In tumor-bearing mice, AMG 900 blocked the phosphorylation of histone H3 and significantly inhibited the growth of both MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231-PTX-r xenografts (>70% inhibition; p Conclusion: AMG 900, alone or in combination with tubulin-targeting agents such as ixabepilone, has the potential to treat multidrug resistant metastatic breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3556. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3556
FRAP analysis of binding: proper and fitting

Dynamic molecular interactions are fundamental to all cellular processes. In vivo analyses of these interactions are frequently done using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Proper interpretation of FRAP data yields information about the binding interactions of fluorescently tagged molecules, including the number of binding states and the binding strength of each state. This binding information can be gleaned from appropriate models of the process underlying a FRAP recovery. Continued application and development of these approaches promise to provide crucial information for a quantitative description of the molecular networks that regulate cellular function.
Use of preconditioning to control membrane fouling and enhance performance during ultrafiltration of plasmid DNA

Abstract Several recent studies have demonstrated that small pore size ultrafiltration membranes can be used for purification of supercoiled plasmid DNA for therapeutic applications, but the performance of these membrane systems is severely limited by membrane fouling. The objective of this work was to examine the potential of pre-conditioning, in this case accomplished by pre-elongating the DNA by passage through a region with large pore size, to minimize fouling and enhance DNA separations. Data were obtained using both asymmetric hollow fiber membranes, with flow in either the normal or reverse orientation, and with composite membrane structures made by placing a larger pore size flat sheet microfiltration membrane in series with an ultrafiltration membrane. In all cases, flow through the larger pore size region pre-stretched the plasmid, leading to an increase in plasmid transmission and a significant reduction in fouling. This pre-conditioning also provided a significant increase in selectivity for separation of the linear and supercoiled isoforms. These results clearly demonstrate the potential for dramatically increasing the performance of membrane systems for plasmid DNA separations by controlling the pore morphology to pre-stretch the DNA before passing through the narrow pores of an ultrafiltration membrane.
A Body Surface Area Nomogram Based on the Formula of Gehan and George

Abstract The formula devised by Du Bois and Du Bois for the calculation of body surface area based on measurements of height and weight is the most common means of determining surface area in clinical practice, especially for the purpose of adjusting drug dosage, despite the fact that the parameter values for the formula were derived from a study of only 9 individuals whose heights varied between 140 and 190 cm and whose weights ranged from 25 to 90 kg. Gehan and George computed parameter values for the surface area model of Du Bois and Du Bois using as their data the morphometric measurements on 401 individuals reported by Boyd. Among these individuals, height varied from 40 to 200 cm and weight from 5 to 90 kg. They found that their formula was more accurate than that of Du Bois and Du Bois. They also demonstrated that the Du Bois and Du Bois formula tended to overestimate surface area. It is perplexing, then, that the improved formula of Gehan and George has not replaced that of Du Bois and Du Bois. One reason may be that the Du Bois and Du Bois formula is widely available as easy-to-use nomograms. To address this possibility, a new nomogram for the formula of Gehan and George is presented in Figure 1. The form of this nomogram is similar to the most popular nomograms for the Du Bois and Du Bois formula. Unlike those nomograms, however, this one limits the user to values of height, weight, and surface area actually found among the subjects from whom the nomogram was derived.
REACTION OF EMPLOYEES TO PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS AS A FUNCTION OF THEIR PARTICIPATION IN RATING SCALE DEVELOPMENT

A substantial amount of research has been conducted on the performance appraisal feedback interview. The purpose of the present field study was to see whether employee involvement in the development of rating scales used in the feedback interview affected ratees' perceptions of the interview. Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) were developed for five job families in a midwestem hospital. A participation group consisted of employees from each of the job families who were involved in all phases of BARS construction. A nonparticipation group involved an equal number of employees from each of the job families who were not involved in the BARS development. The results showed that participation in BARS construction led to favorable perceptions regarding the performance appraisal interview process as well as positive outcomes.
Variations and developmental abnormalities in the sexual apparatus of the adult axolotl (Siredon mexicanum)

The sexual apparatus was studied in 100 adult axolotls (Siredon mexicanum) for 13 different spawnings. The ages of the animals varied between two and six years. Additional material from Indiana University was also studied. Altogether there were 55 female and 52 male adult axolotls represented. The purpose of the study was to investigate the limits of the variations occurring in normal axolotls and to compare the incidences of variations and developmental abnormalities in adult animals of both sexes at various ages and belonging to different strains. Among the 13 spawnings examined, five strains were completely normal in 100% of the animals, but the remaining eight strains all included abnormal animals. The incidence of abnormal animals in some of these latter strains was 40% or even 50%. Since all of the animals were under the same conditions, the variability and the occurrence of developmental abnormalities most likely depended upon hereditary factors. Among 55 females, only seven (12.7%) were abnormal; only four of these had developmental abnormalities, and only one was hermaphrodite. Among 45 males from the author's axolotl colony, 16 (28%) were abnormal. Of these latter, six had no sex cells or very few; this variation must be regarded as a developmental abnormality. All of these malformations resulted from major degeneration processes and abnormal morphogenesis. Arrested development was also observed in many males. Spermatozoa were completely absent from the testes of eight animals. In the additional material from Indiana University (testes from 7 males), there was also one completely abnormal testis with major degeneration processes and complete absence of sex cells. It is evident that variability and the incidence of developmental abnormalities in the sexual apparatus in adult axolotls of some strains are very great.
Changes in regional cerebral blood flow following light treatment for seasonal affective disorder: responders versus nonresponders.

Abstract Background: Several brain imaging studies of antidepressant pharmacologic treatment utilizing single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have reported a normalization of deficits in cerebral blood flow (CBF) associated with recovery; other studies report no change, or a reduction in CBF following successful treatment. There have been no published SPECT studies of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) assessing response to light treatment in relation to changes in regional CBF (rCBF). In this study, we sought to test the hypothesis that increases in rCBF would be observed in SAD patients who responded to light treatment. Methods: Ten depressed patients with SAD underwent functional brain imaging studies with 99m Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime SPECT before and after light treatment. Results: Relative increases in rCBF were observed in all brain regions compared to cerebellum in treatment responders, whereas nonresponders showed no change or decreases in rCBF relative to cerebellum. Significant differences in mean percentage change in rCBF between responders (n = 5) and nonresponders (n = 5) were detected in frontal and cingulate cortex, and thalamus. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that an increase in rCBF is associated with recovery from depression in SAD.
A model independent analysis of the solar neutrino anomaly

Abstract Tests indepedent of any solar model can be made of whether solar neutrino experiments are consistent with the minimal standard model (stable, massless neutrinos). If the experimental uncertainties are correctly estimated and the Sun is generating energy by light-element fusion in quasistatic equilibrium, the probability of a standard-physics solution is less than 0.5%. At this confidence level even nonstandard solar models cannot resolve the inconsistency of the current experimental data.
Postition location system for ocean mining

The discovery of commercial grade minerals far from traditionally exploitable coastal regions, combined with the vigorous pursuit of Oil and gas in remote areas of the world, have created a well defined need for precise location across broad ocean areas and remote coastal regions. In answer to this requirement a precision, localized, deep ocean, navigation system has been created. This unique system integrates existing positioning technology with that of oceanic buoy technology. The result is an accurate, independent network which ensures positional location within 50 feet (nominally 22-35 ft) over an ocean area of about 7,000 square miles. Secondary positional accuracies of about 50 feet are attainable over 10,000 square miles. The buoy-borne system operates completely unattended for a period of years and can be installed using conventional survey vessels. It is easily relocated and can be expanded modularly to suit any operational consideration. Applications are identified with general offshore industry support, with particular emphasis on precise location of mining ships, drill ships, other drilling platforms, and survey vessels. A discussion of the system design, sub-system functions and overall effectiveness is presented.
A minimal visual restriction experiment: Preventing chicks from seeing their feet affects later responses to mealworms

Chicks raised from hatching for 2 days without being able to see their feet because of cloth foot covers were less likely than controls to eat or pick up mealworms, which resemble the chicks' feet in some respects. Instead the chicks spent much time staring at the mealworms. Similar, but perhaps weaker, effects were obtained when the toes were simply painted black. These results may reflect processes of perceptual learning characteristic of infant animals.
A rapid method for the identification of plasmid desoxyribonucleic acid in bacteria.

Abstract A fast and very sensitive procedure is described for detecting plasmids in bacterial strains. The size of plasmids is determined by agarose gel electrophoresis. Plasmids present in one or more copies per cell with a molecular mass ranging from 2 to over 150 megadaltons may be identified.
Some Aspects of Ferroelectricity

Some recent developments in the study of ferroelectricity are described. Special consideration is given to crystal and domain structures, and their contributions to the dielectric behavior of ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics.
Gallium solar neutrino experiments: Absorption cross-sections, neutrino spectra, and predicted event rates

Neutrino absorption cross sections for {sup 71}Ga are calculated for all solar neutrino sources with standard energy spectra, and for laboratory sources of {sup 51}Cr and {sup 37}Ar; the calculations include, where appropriate, the thermal energy of fusing solar ions and use improved nuclear and atomic data. The ratio, R, of measured (in GALLEX and SAGE) to calculated {sup 51}Cr capture rate is R=0.95{plus_minus}0.07 (expt)+{sub {minus}0.03}{sup +0.04} (theor). Cross sections are also calculated for specific neutrino energies chosen so that a spline fit determines accurately the event rates in a gallium detector even if new physics changes the energy spectrum of solar neutrinos. Theoretical uncertainties are estimated for cross sections at specific energies and for standard neutrino energy spectra. Standard energy spectra are also presented for pp and CNO neutrino sources in the appendix. Neutrino fluxes predicted by standard solar models, corrected for diffusion, have been in the range 120 SNU to 141 SNU since 1968. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Morphological effects on the transport and magnetic properties of polymeric and colloidal carbon aerogels.

The temperature-dependent conductivity, magnetoresistance, magnetic susceptibility, and room-temperature Raman scattering of carbon aerogel samples with different morphologies and various grain sizes are studied. In particular, carbon aerogels with a [ital polymeric] morphology are studied and compared with [ital colloidal] carbon aerogels. The conductivity exhibits an exp[[minus] [radical][ital T][sub 0]/[ital T]] dependence for all samples at low temperature. This strong localization behavior can be explained by a Coulomb-gap variable-range hopping mechanism, and this identification has been further corroborated by the low-temperature magnetoresistance data obtained in a magnetic field up to 15 T. Magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest that carbon aerogels with a smaller grain size are more disordered, in agreement with the conductivity data. The results suggest that the grains themselves, and not the defects within, act as carrier localization sites in these materials.
ST Segment Alternans During Balloon Occlusion in Elective Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty: Case Report and Review of the Literature

ST segment alternans has been described in experimental coronary artery occlusion and in patients with variant angina. It is also seen during coronary angioplasty and may represent a continuum of the ST segment changes secondary to transmural myocardial ischemia. Its presence has been associated with ventricular arrhythmias and its relative infrequency attributed to the coexistent use of calcium channel blockers in patients undergoing elective angioplasty. We describe a patient with this phenomenon during balloon angioplasty of the left anterior descending coronary artery with a review of the literature. (J Interven Cardiol 1993; 6:231–234)
Physical and Electrochemical Properties of Iodine-Modified Activated Carbons

Carbon and activated carbons have been halide modified through the mechanochemical incorporation of iodine. The effect of the processing and chemical modifications on the physical and electrochemical properties was examined. Distinct evidence was obtained to support significant structural and electrochemical modification of iodine-modified carbon nanostructures vs unmodified nanostructures. The resulting materials show an interesting combination of lower surface area coupled with markedly higher volumetric and gravimetric electrochemical capacity. The incorporation of halide leads to a 200-400% increase in volumetric capacitance of carbon materials. This modification is discussed in the context of electronic modification of the carbon and the impact on non-faradaic and also pseudocapacitive reactions for use as positive electrodes in nonaqueous symmetric and asymmetric electrochemical capacitors.
The isolation, purification, and preliminary crystallographic characterization of udp‐galactose‐4‐epimerase from Escherichia coli

Uridine diphosphogalactose-4-epimerase from E. coli has been crystallized in a form suitable for a high-resolution X-ray crystallographic structural analysis. The enzyme complexed with a substrate analogue, uridine diphosphobenzene (UDP-benzene), crystallizes readily using polyethylene glycol 8000 as the precipitant. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions, a = 76.3 A, b = 83.1 A, and c = 132.1 A. Based on still setting photographs, the crystals diffract to a nominal resolution of 2.3 A and are stable in the X-ray beam. The enzyme used in these experiments was produced by a new expression system and a modified purification scheme.
Toward Intelligent Software Defect Detection - Learning Software Defects by Example

Source code level software defect detection has gone from state of the art to a software engineering best practice. Automated code analysis tools streamline many of the aspects of formal code inspections but have the drawback of being difficult to construct and either prone to false positives or severely limited in the set of defects that can be detected. Machine learning technology provides the promise of learning software defects by example, easing construction of detectors and broadening the range of defects that can be found. Pinpointing software defects with the same level of granularity as prominent source code analysis tools distinguishes this research from past efforts, which focused on analyzing software engineering metrics data with granularity limited to that of a particular function rather than a line of code.
Automated weed control in organic row crops using hyperspectral species identification and thermal micro-dosing

A hyperspectral imaging system was coupled to a precision, pulsed-jet, micro-dosing system to selectively deliver high-temperature, organic, food-grade oil for intra-row weed control in early growth tomatoes. The imaging system, based upon a multispectral Bayesian classifier, successfully discriminated the species of 95.9%, on average, of plant canopy for tomato, Solanum nigrum L. and Amaranthus retroflexus L. using canopy reflectance in the 384–810 nm range. Food-grade oil, heated to approximately 160 °C, was applied to weeds using a pressurized micro-dosing pulsed-jet. The target application rate was approximately 0.85 mg/cm2 in 10-ms-pulsed doses while traveling at a ground speed of 0.04 m/s. In an outdoor test, approximately 95.8% of S. nigrum and 93.8% of A. retroflexus were controlled 15 days post thermal treatment, while only 2.4% of the tomato plants received significant damage. Application coverage assessments of leaf surfaces immediately after the heated oil application found that tomato viability was retained if 50% or less of the leaf surface was inadvertently dosed, while 100% mortality was achieved for S. nigrum and A. retroflexus if more than 90% of their respective leaf surfaces were covered with heated oil.
A moving target: Responding to magnetic and structural disorder in lanthanide- and actinide-based superconductors

The effects of various chemical substitutions and induced lattice disorder in the Ce- and Pu-based 115 superconductors are reviewed, with particular emphasis on results from x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements.
Evaluation of Five High-Sensitivity American Thyrotropin Assays

We compared five commercial immunometric kits for thyrotropin (TSH) manufactured in the United States--Abbott, Diagnostic Products, Hybritech, Nichols, and Becton Dickinson--and one sensitive "in-house" radioimmunoassay for their ability to monitor TSH levels in patients with hyperthyroidism and during thyroid hormone suppression therapy. With these five methods, we measured TSH concentrations is serum specimens from the following categories of patients: euthyroid (N = 99), hyperthyroid (N = 51), hypothyroid (N = 50), and thyroid cancer and nodular goiter on thyroid hormone suppression therapy (N = 33). The immunometric methods were similar in assay sensitivity and precision; the in-house radioimmunoassay was less sensitive than all other assays studied. The simultaneous correlation of TSH values obtained from all diagnostic categories was more than 90% among the assays studied. The immunometric assays clearly distinguished hyperthyroid from euthyroid patients and quantitated TSH levels in the subnormal range.
Carved visual hulls for high-accuracy image-based modeling

The relative accuracy of high-end laser range scanners can be as high as 1/10,000, allowing the construction of high-accuracy solid models of complex shapes from registered depth maps [Levoy et al. 2000]. Comparable accuracy levels can be achieved using “ordinary” cameras and sophisticated photogrammetric methods, but these typically output a relatively sparse set of points and require markers [Uffenkamp 1993]. Computer vision approaches to image-based modeling from calibrated photographs construct solid object models and do not need markers [Baumgart 1974; Kutulakos and Seitz 2000], but their relative accuracy is typically below 1/200. [Hernandez and Schmitt 2004] propose to use the visual hull [Baumgart 1974] to initialize the deformation of a surface mesh under the influence of rimand photo-consistency constraints expressed by gradient flow forces (see [Keriven 2002] for a related approach). Although this method yields excellent results, its reliance on iterative refinement makes it susceptible to local minima. To overcome this problem, we propose a combination of global and local optimization techniques to carve the surface of the visual hull. The algorithm proposed in [Lazebnik 2002] is first used to construct a combinatorial mesh representation of the visual hull surface in terms of polyhedral cone strips meeting at frontier points where two visual rays are tangent to the surface (Figure 2). Photoconsistency constraints are then used to refine this initial surface in three consecutive steps: (1) dynamic programming is used to identify the rims where the surface grazes the visual hull as the most photo-consistent paths between successive frontier points in the corresponding strips; (2) with the rims now fixed, the visual hull is carved by graph cuts [Boykov and Kolmogorov 2003] to globally minimize the image discrepancy of the surface and recover the main surface features, including concavities—which, unlike convex and saddle-shaped parts of the surface, are not captured by the visual hull; and (3) iterative (local) refinement [Keriven 2002] is finally used to recover surface detail.
Early maternal separation and sex differences in the aversive effects of amphetamine in adult rats.

Abstract Early life stress increases vulnerability to psychostimulant abuse, sometimes in a sex-dependent manner. These effects are presumably produced by modulation of neurobiological reward mechanisms; however, drug intake is also influenced by sensitivity to the drug's aversive properties, and little is known about the effects of early life stress on stimulant aversion. To assess this possibility, Sprague–Dawley rat litters experienced daily separation from the dam for 3 h (MS) or 15 min (H) on post-natal days 2–14; control litters (AFR) experienced twice-weekly routine animal facility care only. As adults, the animals were tested for conditioned taste aversions (CTA) induced by 1.5, 2.0 or 3.0 mg/kg d -amphetamine administered intraperitoneally over three acquisition trials followed by six drug-free extinction trials ( n = 7–8/sex/dose/rearing group). All groups acquired significant aversions compared to their vehicle-treated controls, but differential rearing had no effect on CTA acquisition or extinction. Collapsed across rearing groups, females exhibited significantly stronger aversions and slower extinction than their male counterparts at the low 1.5 mg/kg dose, and unlike the males, failed to fully extinguish relative to their vehicle controls at 1.5 and 2.0 mg/kg. These data underscore the importance of sex differences in assays of stimulant abuse liability, and further support the hypothesis that the effects of post-natal stress on the reinforcing efficacy of psychostimulants may be predominantly due to modulation of reward mechanisms.
Growth of Si on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 at room temperature under laser substrate excitation

The effect of laser substrate excitation on homoepitaxy of Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 growth by femtosecond pulsed laser deposition is studied using reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Laser excitation of the substrate with energy density significantly below its surface damage threshold results in a drastic change in the growth mode leading to epitaxial growth at room temperature. The morphology changes from rough surface with formation of clusters with different sizes for growth without laser excitation to oriented triangular-shaped islands with excitation. A nonthermal mechanism is responsible for the change in growth morphology with laser excitation increasing the adatom surface diffusion coefficient.
High Temperature Corrosion Resistance of Different Commercial Alloys Under Various Corrosive Environments

High temperature corrosion is a major operating problem because it results in unscheduled shutdowns in Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants and accounts for a significant fraction of the total operating cost of WTE plants. Due to the heterogeneous nature of municipal solid waste (MSW) fuel and the presence of aggressive elements such as sulfur and chlorine, WTE plants have higher corrosion rates than coal-fired power plants which operate at higher temperature. To reduce corrosion rates while maximizing the heat recovery efficiency has long been a critical task for WTE operators. Past researchers focused on high temperature corrosion mechanisms and have identified important factors which affect the corrosion rate [1–4]. Also, there have been many laboratory tests seeking to classify the effects of these corrosion factors. However, many tests were performed under isothermal conditions where temperatures of flue gas and metal surface were the same and did not incorporate the synergistic effect of the thermal gradient between environment (flue gas) and metal surface. This paper presents a corrosion resistance test using an apparatus that can maintain a well controlled thermal gradient between the environment and the surface of the metals tested for corrosion resistance. Two commercial substrates (steels SA213-T11 and NSSER-4) were tested under different corrosive environments. The post-test investigation consisted of mass loss measurement of tested coupons, observation of cross-sectional morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis of corrosion products by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The stainless steel NSSER-4 showed good corrosion resistance within the metal temperature range of 500 °C to 630 °C. The alloy steel SA213-T11 had an acceptable corrosion resistance at metal temperatures up to 540 °C, and the performance decreased dramatically at higher temperatures.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Dependence of Argon K -Shell Ionization on the Charge of Bare Nuclei at 1 to 2 MeV/amu

Argon $K$-shell ionization cross sections have been determined from x-ray yields measured in single collisions with beams of the bare nuclei ${\mathrm{C}}^{+6}$, ${\mathrm{N}}^{+7}$, ${\mathrm{O}}^{+8}$, and ${\mathrm{F}}^{+9}$ at energies of 1.05, 1.50, and 1.88 MeV/amu. The data deviate by as much as a factor of 2.6 from the ${{Z}_{1}}^{2}$ dependence predicted for ionization cross sections. This deviation monotonically increases with ${Z}_{1}$ and increases somewhat with velocity.
An Elderly Couple End Their Lives Together Using VSED (721)

Objectives 1. Understand a novel approach to promoting continuity of care across hospitalizations through resident participation in palliative care consultation. 2. Appreciate the importance of house staff involvement for promotion of collaboration with the primary patient care team. 3. Recognize a paradigm for house officer career development through unscheduled ‘‘moments’’ of palliative care that may influence specialty selection.
The spreading of liquids on low-energy surfaces. IV. Monolayer coatings on platinum

The equilibrium contact angle (θE) has been measured for some sixty diverse liquids with respect to a smooth platinum surface coated with an adsorbed oriented monolayer of n-octadecylamine. Linear relations were found between cosine θE and the liquid surface tension (ggLV∘) for every homologous series. When homology was disregarded, the cos θE-υs.-γLV∘ data for all the liquids collected on three straight lines, two of which were approximately parallel. Simple curvilinear relations obtained between the work of adhesion (WA) and γLV∘ and between the final spreading coefficient (SLV∘/SV∘) and γLV∘, the constituents of each set of three curves being the same as before. The grouping onto multiple lines corresponds to differences in the solid/liquid interfacial tension, γSL, and to the relative solvent power of the liquids for the adsorbed octadecylamine. The same correlation obtained for the critical surface tension (γC), which was shown to be specific both to the homologous series and to the solid surface. Constant values of the free energy decrease on immersion (fSL) were observed for the homologous series of n-alkanes and n-alkyl ethers, while the alkylbenzene series showed a linear decrease with increasing γLV∘. From the small range and low experimental values of fSL observed for many unrelated liquids, it is concluded that the free surface energy of the monolayer-coated solid is probably not much more than 28.5 erg/cm.2. The striking similarity observed for the wetting properties of the monolayer-coated surfaces compared with those reported previously for surfaces of single crystals of n-hexatriacontane and bulk paraffin (5) demonstrates that the wetting behavior of a surface is essentially controlled by the nature and packing of the outermost group of atoms in the molecules. Intercomparison of wetting data for the monolayer with reference data obtained for a surface of methyl groups in closest packing (i.e., n-hexatriacontane single crystals) is proposed as an approach for determining, from contact angle measurements, the packing of adsorbed films at the solid/air interface.
Stress Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of AISI 316 NG and 316 Stainless Steel in an Impurity Environment

Abstract The relative stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of heat-treated AISI 316 nuclear grade (NG) and 316 stainless steel (SS) has been investigated by means of constant extension ra...
The Socratic method in the introductory PR course: An alternative pedagogy

Abstract In the recent past several educators and practitioners have advocated the use of a Socratic dialogue or case method to teach public relations principles. Reported here are the results of an empirical study comparing student reactions to and perceptions of learning in introductory public relations courses using a traditional lecture format and a Socratic approach. The independent variables in this study are lecture and Socratic teaching methods. It was hypothesized that compared to students in a traditional course, students in the Socratic course would: (1) retain more factual information about public relations, (2) feel more confident in their knowledge and skills needed to work in public relations, (3) report more opportunity to practice critical thinking, (4) report more opportunity to practice problem solving skills, (5) report greater aspiration to work in public relations, and (6) report higher levels of course satisfaction. For four of the six research questions examined, there were small differences between students who received traditional and Socratic instruction. These differences were in the direction expected but were not statistically significant. There were significant differences in the two groups showing that students who received the Socratic instruction reported more opportunities in practicing their critical thinking ability, and ability to solve practical public relations problems.
A discussion of equations for the analysis of batch grinding data

Abstract It is shown that solutions of the integro-differential equation of batch grinding and the size discrete-time continuous Reid form for the equation of batch grinding give almost identical results for typical data. It is argued that the Reid form is as equally likely to be the `correct' form as the integro-differential form, and it is much easier to use and program. If the specific rates of breakage fit the form Si=Axiα, and the primary breakage functions fit the form Bi,j=Φ(xi−1/xj)γ+(1−Φ)(xi−1/xj)β for the Reid equation, then the corresponding forms for the integro-differential equation are S(x)=axα, B(x/y)=φ(x/y)γ+(1−φ)(x/y)β and equations are given for the relations between a and A and φ and Φ.
Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in normal children and in those with sarcoidosis

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme was measured in 185 children of different ages, in 32 normal adults, in 21 children with sarcoidosis, and in 36 children with other diseases. Children had higher serum ACE values than did adults; an intermediate level was observed in adolescents. Serum ACE values did not vary according to sex. Children with sarcoidosis had significantly elevated serum ACE levels that closely reflected the activity of the disease. Our results indicate that serum ACE is useful in confirming the diagnosis of sarcoidosis in childhood, and is of greater value as a sensitive indicator for following the course of the disease and the effectiveness of steroid therapy.
The role of human factors in VTOL aircraft display technology

Abstract Advances in avionics have made possible the implementation of several display and control design principles that were once impractical with conventional electromechanical display and control technology. A system approach is applied to the design and evaluation of integrated forward-looking and downward-looking electronic pictorial displays for VTOL aircraft including helicopters. Effects of critical display and control design variables in horizontal displays for vertical and translational flight are determined experimentally.
Diagnostic Evaluation of Achalasia: From the Whalebone to the Chicago Classification

From the earliest description of dysphagia relieved by dilatation with a whalebone in 1674 we have witnessed the evolution of esophageal function testing from the conventional manometry to the high-resolution manometry (HRM) and esophageal topography pressure plotting that have led to the revised Chicago classification for esophageal motility disorders in 2014. The goals of this paper are, therefore, (1) to highlight the historical milestones that have led to the diagnostic definition of achalasia, as we know it today; (2) to describe the evaluation process of patients with suspected achalasia; (3) to describe the diagnostic value of the HRM and the usefulness of the Chicago classification in predicting treatment outcomes. The value of Chicago classification is linked to the ability of the clinician to perform a thorough clinical evaluation to identify and correlate specific clinical phenotypes to specific manometric subtypes and predict treatment outcomes. Chicago classification, however, cannot predict which treatment, pneumatic dilatation, or Heller myotomy, should be selected for those with a specific subtype of achalasia.
Propagule pools mediate community assembly and diversity‐ecosystem regulation along a grassland productivity gradient

Summary 1 The relative importance of regional species pools and local ecological processes in governing landscape variation in plant species diversity and productivity was evaluated in a Kansas grassland. 2 We examined the impact of multispecies sowing treatments and experimental canopy disturbances on plant species diversity and ecosystem processes along a complex natural gradient of plant standing crop. 3 Data collected 4 years after sowing showed that plant invasion and diversity were seed limited in unproductive sites, but microsite limited in productive sites. Effects of sowing on plant diversity along the natural landscape gradient were paralleled by significant effects of sowing on measures of local plant production and community resilience to disturbance. 4 These results support the shifting limitations hypothesis (SLH) that landscape gradients in local plant diversity should reflect shifts in the major regulating factor, from species pools to local ecological processes, as one moves from sites of inherently low to inherently high productivity. 5 Our findings also indicate that diversity at the level of the available propagule pool acts to constrain ecosystem productivity and stability by mediating local community assembly, by determining the availability of key species, and by governing opportunities for functional compensation within the community. 6 In total, our results support an emerging view that community processes and ecosystem functions are dynamically linked and act reciprocally to constrain each other.
A 63 KDa toxic polypeptide fromBacillus thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki (HD-263): Effects on several lepidopteran cell lines

An electrophoretically homogeneous 63 KDa polypeptide derived from the protoxin ofBacillus thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki; (HD-263) caused lysis of cells from the lepidopteran cell lines TN368, IPLB-HZ1075, LD652Y, and SF21AE. The extent of cytolysis among the different cell cultures varied according to the incubation milieu, the polypeptide, and the particular cell culture studied.
Cross-origin pixel stealing: timing attacks using CSS filters

Timing attacks rely on systems taking varying amounts of time to process different input values. This is usually the result of either conditional branching in code or differences in input size. Using CSS default filters, we have discovered a variety of timing attacks that work in multiple browsers and devices. The first attack exploits differences in time taken to render various DOM trees. This knowledge can be used to determine boolean values such as whether or not a user has an account with a particular website. Second, we introduce pixel stealing. Pixel stealing attacks can be used to sniff user history and read text tokens.
Infection Due to Fluconazole-Resistant Candida in Patients with AIDS: Prevalence and Microbiology

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence and microbiology of oral infection due to fluconazole-resistant Candida in patients with AIDS. Oral swab specimens for fungal cultures were obtained from 100 consecutive outpatients with CD4 lymphocyte counts of or = 8 micrograms/mL) was isolated from 26 (41%) of 64 patients for whom cultures were positive. When fluconazole-resistant C. albicans was isolated, in vitro resistance correlated with clinical thrush. None of 10 patients from whom only non-albicans species of Candida were isolated had active thrush. The patients from whom fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans was isolated had lower CD4 cell counts (median, 9/mm3), a greater number of treated episodes of thrush (median, 4.5), and a greater median duration of prior fluconazole treatment (231 days) than did patients from whom fluconazole-susceptible C. albicans was isolated (median CD4 cell count, 58/mm3 [P = .004]; median number of treated episodes of thrush, 2.0 [P = .001]; and median duration of prior fluconazole treatment, 10 days [P = .01]; respectively). In a multivariate analysis, the number of episodes and duration of fluconazole therapy were independent predictors of resistance.
Chromatographic analysis of drug interactions in the serum proteome

The binding of drugs with serum proteins and binding agents such as human serum albumin, α1-acid glycoprotein, and lipoproteins is an important process in determining the activity and fate of many pharmaceuticals in the body. A variety of techniques have been used to study drug interactions with serum proteins, but there is still a need for faster or better methods for such work. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is one tool that has been utilized in many formats for these types of measurements. Advantages of using HPLC for this application include its speed and precision, its ability to be automated, its good limits of detection, and its compatibility with a wide range of assay formats and detectors. This review will discuss various approaches in which HPLC can be employed for the study of drug-protein interactions. These techniques include the use of soluble proteins in zonal elution and frontal analysis methods or vacancy techniques such as the Hummel-Dreyer method. Zonal elution and frontal analysis methods that make use of immobilized proteins and high-performance affinity chromatography will also be presented. A variety of applications will be examined, ranging from the determination of free drug fractions to the measurement of the strength or rate of a drug-protein interaction. Newer developments that will be discussed include recent work in the creation of novel mathematical approaches for HPLC studies of drug-protein binding, the use of HPLC methods for the high-throughput screening of drug-protein binding, and the creation and use of affinity monoliths or affinity microcolumns for examining drug-protein systems.
Pneumatology and the Cross: The Challenge of Neo‐Pentecostalism to Lutheran Theology

Abstract: Historically, Lutheran engagement with the charismatic and Pentecostal movements has been largely negative. After a brief review of this history, I explore the question: What would a Lutheran engagement of the Spirit look like in view of the kinds of questions people are asking today that draw them to Pentecostal churches? Is there a place in Lutheran theology for affirming that the Holy Spirit is the “giver of life” and even “abundant life”?
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS? BUSINESS OWNERSHIP GROWTH BY GENDER ACROSS THE AMERICAN URBAN LANDSCAPE

This study identifies the determinants of growth for male and female business ownership in a subset of U.S. counties. The results indicate that there are important characteristic and behavioral differences between the male and female populations in each county that affect regional changes in business ownership for each gender. In particular, the education level of males and females as well as the local family structure impact the propensity for firms owned by each gender differently. A Blinder-Oaxaca type decomposition, a novel approach in the context of regional outcomes, demonstrates that although the effect of characteristic differences is larger, the behavioral differences are key to narrowing the gender disparity in business ownership. (JEL L26, R2, R3)