cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flow boiling in liquid hydrogen, liquid methane and liquid oxygen: A review of available data and predictive tools

Abstract The experimental data accessible in the open literature related to pool boiling of liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid methane (LCH4), and liquid oxygen (LO2) were compiled. Pool nucleate boiling of LH2 data were compiled from 17 sources, and pool film boiling of LH2 data were compiled from six sources. Pool nucleate boiling of LCH4 data were collected from eight sources, and useful data for pool film boiling of LCH4 were found from only three sources, all representing boiling on the outside surface of horizontal cylinders. For LO2, pool nucleate boiling data from 11 sources were compiled, and useful pool film boiling data could be found from only four sources, three for horizontal cylinders and one for vertical cylinders. The predictions of 19 pool nucleate and 10 pool film boiling correlations were compared with experimental data for the three cryogens. The film boiling data were only compared with appropriate models and correlations based on surface geometry and orientation. Overall, pool nucleate boiling data for all three fluids display considerable scatter, and existing correlations are unable to effectively narrow the scatter to better than an order of magnitude. The correlations of Stephan and Abdelsalam (1980) and Forster and Zuber (1955) perform best for LH2, and can predict the bulk of the existing heat flux data within an order of magnitude. They can predict respectively, 38% and 27% of the data within a factor of two. The correlations of Bier and Lambert (1990) and Forster and Zuber (1955) perform best for nucleate boiling of LCH4 and can predict the bulk of the existing heat flux data within an order of magnitude. They can predict respectively, 58% and 49% of the data within a factor of two. For LO2, the correlations of Forster and Zuber (1955) and Bier and Lambert (1990) provide the best agreement with experimental data for nucleate pool boiling, and can predict the heat flux data within an order of magnitude. They could predict respectively, 50% and 47% of the data within a factor of two. The film boiling data show smaller scatter in comparison with nucleate boiling, and can be predicted by existing correlations with reasonable accuracy.
Rat Models of Vocal Deficits in Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, degenerative disorder that affects 10 million people worldwide. More than 90% of individuals with PD develop hypokinetic dysarthria, a motor speech disorder that impairs vocal communication and quality of life. Despite the prevalence of vocal deficits in this population, very little is known about the pathological mechanisms underlying this aspect of disease. As such, effective treatment options are limited. Rat models have provided unique insights into the disease-specific mechanisms of vocal deficits in PD. This review summarizes recent studies investigating vocal deficits in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), alpha-synuclein overexpression, DJ1-/-, and Pink1-/- rat models of PD. Model-specific changes to rat ultrasonic vocalization (USV), and the effects of exercise and pharmacologic interventions on USV production in these models are discussed.
Treatment of COVID-19 in Patients With Sarcoidosis

Recent case reports and studies on treating COVID-19 in patients with chronic sarcoidosis describe different treatment modalities ranging from glucocorticoids to biologic medications. This review article summarizes seven case series and reports totaling 46 patients. While one case report suggested that sarcoidosis medications such as glucocorticoids may lengthen the COVID-19 disease course, another study with a larger registry suggests they do not. More studies are needed to elucidate an improvement in outcomes. It is possible that addition of TNF-alpha inhibitors at COVID-19 diagnosis decreases hospitalization rate. Overall, it is difficult to make firm conclusions regarding treatment given the heterogeneity of treatment modalities in the current literature. Our summarized findings are outlined with the opinions of sarcoidosis, pulmonary, and infectious disease experts in a flow chart that provides clinicians with our proposed management algorithm for sarcoidosis patients who develop COVID-19. We emphasize a need for exchange of information regarding management of COVID-19 in the setting of sarcoidosis to further improve treatment in this vulnerable population of patients.
Trajectories of reward availability moderate the impact of brief alcohol interventions on alcohol severity in heavy-drinking young adults.

BACKGROUND Behavioral economic theory predicts that low access to environmental reward is a risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The Substance-Free Activity Session (SFAS) is a behavioral economic supplement to standard brief alcohol interventions that attempts to increase environmental reward and may therefore have beneficial effects, particularly for individuals with low levels of environmental reward. METHODS Participants were 393 college students who reported at least 2 heavy-drinking episodes in the past month. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions following a baseline assessment: a standard alcohol-focused brief motivational intervention plus relaxation training session (BMI + RT), BMI plus Substance-Free Activity Session (BMI + SFAS), or an assessment-only control condition (AO). In a secondary analysis of the data from this study, we used person-centered statistical techniques to describe trajectories of alcohol severity and environmental reward over a 16-month follow-up and examined whether environmental reward levels moderated the effectiveness of the interventions. RESULTS Piecewise growth mixture modeling identified 2 trajectories of reward availability: low increasing (LR; n = 120) and high stable (HR; n = 273). Depressive symptoms, cannabis use, sensation seeking, and low life satisfaction were associated with a greater probability of classification in the LR trajectory. Alcohol severity was greater in the LR trajectory than the HR trajectory. For students in the LR trajectory, at 1, 6, and 12 months, BMI + SFAS led to greater increases in reward availability and reduced levels of alcohol severity compared with the BMI + RT and AO conditions and at 16 months compared with AO. CONCLUSIONS Young adults with low levels of environmental reward are at heightened risk for greater alcohol severity and may show greater benefit from brief alcohol interventions that focus on increasing substance-free reward than individuals who are not deficient in reward availability.
The Lived Experiences of Highly Mobile Military Adolescents in Search of Their Identity: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study:

The challenges that military adolescents face, including frequent relocations, pose potential risks to their identity development. The central aim of this study is to understand the impact that fre...
Network-wise surface-based morphometric insight into the cortical neural circuitry underlying irritability in adolescents.

Previous studies examining structural brain correlates of irritability have taken a region-specific approach and have been relatively inconsistent. In a sample of adolescents with and without clinically impairing irritability, the current study examines: (i) cortical volume (CV) in canonical functional networks; (ii) the association between the CV of functional networks and severity of irritability; and (iii) the extent to which IQ mediates the association between structural abnormalities and severity of irritability. Structural MRI and IQ data were collected from 130 adolescents with high irritability (mean age = 15.54±1.83 years, 58 females, self-reported Affective Reactivity Index [ARI] ≥ 4) and 119 adolescents with low irritability (mean age = 15.10±1.93 years, 39 females, self-reported ARI < 4). Subject-specific network-wise CV was estimated after parcellating the whole brain into 17 previously reported functional networks. Our Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) revealed that adolescents with high irritability had significantly reduced CV of the bilateral control and default-mode networks (p < 0.05) relative to adolescents with low irritability. Multiple regression analyses showed a significant negative association between the control network CV and the severity of irritability. Mediation analysis showed that IQ partially mediated the association between the control network CV and the severity of irritability. Follow-up analysis on subcortical volume (SCV) showed that adolescents with high irritability had reduced bilateral SCV within the amygdala relative to adolescents with low irritability. Reduced CV within bilateral control and default networks and reduced SCV within bilateral amygdala may represent core features of the pathophysiology of irritability. The current data also indicate the potential importance of a patient's IQ in determining how pathophysiology related to the control network is expressed.
Chapter 4 Aun and Agn (n=1–8) nanocluster catalysts: gas-phase reactivity to deposited structures

Publisher Summary This chapter helps in understanding the size-dependent chemistry of metal clusters on two fronts: by probing the reactivity of mass-selected Aun+ and Ag+n nanoclusters in the gas phase, and by studying the properties of mass-selected Au+n and Ag+n nanoclusters deposited on TiO2 surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. Detailed results on gas-phase clusters provide important thermodynamic information, both as data for testing theoretical models and to establish structural, energetic, and reactive properties for size-selected clusters. Depositing size selected clusters provides a platform for studying model nanocluster catalysts with a well-defined size. Surface structures, binding sites, and binding energies are determined by combining atomic-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT). In the event that a cluster should land in the immediate vicinity of a vacancy, interaction with a vacancy can occur, resulting in the appearance of a cluster over a bridging O atom row or between 5c-Ti atom and bridging O atom rows. Interestingly, Au7 are the first truly 3-D structures (according to DFT and supported by our STM data), often containing highly uncoordinated peak atoms, perhaps responsible for their relatively high catalytic activity in comparison to other cluster sizes.
ON THE BEGINNING OF THE LATE HORIZON

An argument is proposed for an earlier temporal placement of the beginning of the Late Horizon than the one made by John H. Rowe in 1945. Rowe followed Cabello Valboa (1586), who placed this event late in the rule of Thupa Inca Yupanqui and after the conquests of both Quito and Chile. The reading offered here is anchored instead in the Relacion de Chincha (1558), collected from local sources in the Chinch a valley. The south coast, including Ica, appears to have been annexed at the time of the Inca Pachacut’s campaign in Soras. Thus, the event that marks the beginning of the Late Horizon can be placed fully a generation earlier than the Rowe placement, and near the beginning of Inca expansion outside of the Cuzco region.
Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This paper is a discussion of the experience of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While much is known about the diagnosis and treatment of childhood ADHD, therapists may be les...
NUTRITION, GROWTH, AND MORPHOGENESIS OF MUCOR ROUXII

Bartnicki-Garcia, S. (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N.J.) and Walter J. Nickerson. Nutrition, growth, and morphogenesis of Mucor rouxii. J. Bacteriol. 84:841-858. 1962.-Mucor rouxii was grown under three different atmospheres of incubation: air, N(2), and CO(2) in parallel cultures. The atmosphere of incubation markedly affected nutritional requirements, growth, and morphogenesis. Absence of oxygen greatly reduced growth and increased the nutritional demands of the fungus. Presence of a high tension of CO(2) resulted in a change from filamentous to yeastlike morphogenesis. Aerobically, a large variety of carbon sources was utilized; anaerobically, only hexoses served to meet requirements for carbon and energy. Aerobically, various amino acids supported abundant growth; anaerobically, they were poorly utilized. Ammonium and nitrate ions were better sources of nitrogen for anaerobic growth. In general, incubation under either air or N(2) resulted in development of coenocytic filamentous mycelium, whereas incubation under CO(2) resulted in development of budding yeastlike cells. Variations in temperature and time of incubation, inoculum size, type and concentration of carbon source, type of nitrogen source, and presence of various substances with known action on fungal morphogenesis altered growth in many cases, but did not significantly affect the patterns of vegetative morphogenesis conditioned by each atmosphere of incubation. However, vegetative morphogenesis was strongly affected by addition of certain chelating agents. Yeastlike development of M. rouxii was prevented by ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in concentrations which were also partially inhibitory for growth; under these conditions, development was filamentous. Chemically related chelating agents were similarly active. The growth-inhibitory and morphogenetic effects of EDTA were reversed by transition-group metal ions. Yeastlike development of M. subtilissimus, which does not require CO(2) for its induction, was also inhibited by EDTA.
Cytosine methylation enhances Z-DNA formation in vivo.

The influence of cytosine methylation on the supercoil-stabilized B-Z equilibrium in Escherichia coli was analyzed by two independent assays. Both the M.EcoRI inhibition assay and the linking-number assay have been used previously to establish that dC-dG segments of sufficient lengths can exist as left-handed helices in vivo. A series of dC-dG plasmid inserts with Z-form potential, ranging in length from 14 to 74 base pairs, was investigated. Complete methylation of cytosine at all HhaI sites, including the inserts, was obtained by coexpression of the HhaI methyltransferase (M.HhaI) in cells also carrying a dC-dG-containing plasmid. Both assays showed that for all lengths of dC-dG inserts, the relative amounts of B and Z helices were shifted to more Z-DNA in the presence of M.HhaI than in the absence of M.HhaI. These results indicate that cytosine methylation enhances the formation of Z-DNA helices at the superhelix density present in E. coli. The B-Z equilibrium, in combination with site-specific base methylation, may constitute a concerted mechanism for the modulation of DNA topology and DNA-protein interactions. Images
Symbolic Expression and the Original Meaning of the First Amendment

People often argue that symbolic expression - especially flag burning - isn't really "speech" or "press," and that the Court's decisions protecting symbolic expression are thus illegitimate. But it turns out that the original meaning of the First Amendment likely includes symbolic expression. Speech restrictions of the Framing era routinely treated symbolic expression the same as literal "speech" and "press." Constitutional speech protections of that era did so as well, though the evidence on this is slimmer. And the drafting history of the phrase "the freedom of speech, or of the press," coupled with the views of leading commentators from the early 1800s, suggests that the First Amendment's text was understood as protecting "publishing," a term that at the time covered communication of symbolic expression and not just printing. Though the Court has never relied on this evidence, even originalists ought to accept the Court's bottom line conclusion that the First Amendment covers symbolic expression.
Inhibition of Development of Myxococcus xanthus by Eukaryotic Protein Kinase Inhibitors

Myxococcus xanthus is a gram-negative soil bacterium which undergoes spectacular multicellular development and cellular differentiation. Upon starvation at high cell density (2 × 109 cells/ml) on a semisolid surface, cells move to aggregation centers, where they form mounds called fruiting bodies. Within the fruiting bodies, many cells lyse while others differentiate to become sonication- and heat-resistant spores (for a recent review, see reference 3). Its social behavior and morphogenesis resemble those of eukaryotic slime molds like Dictyostelium discoideum, in which a signal transduction system consisting of a receptor, a G-protein, an effector, and protein serine/ threonine kinases is involved in sensing starvation and regulating gene expression for development. Due to the close resemblance of the life cycles of Dictyostelium and M. xanthus, it has been proposed that a similar signal transduction system might exist in this developmental bacterium. In particular, the recent discovery of a large family of eukaryote-like protein serine/threonine kinases in M. xanthus (3, 5, 29, 31, 32) provided an intriguing opportunity to examine the role of these kinases in prokaryote development. The first eukaryote-like protein serine/threonine kinase found in bacteria was discovered in M. xanthus (20) and found to be required for normal development. Subsequently, M. xanthus was found to contain a family of at least 13 eukaryote-like protein serine/threonine kinases (31). The cloning and sequencing of these 13 protein serine/threonine kinases have revealed that all of them retain the conserved structural features of eukaryotic protein kinases (11). Many of these protein kinases are transmembrane proteins (5, 28, 32). It seems very likely that these transmembrane protein kinases sense certain environmental signals and are involved in various signal transduction pathways leading to regulation of growth and development. Because of the sequence similarity between eukaryotic and M. xanthus protein serine/threonine kinases, it is possible that known inhibitors for eukaryotic kinases affect the activity of protein kinases of M. xanthus. In this study, we have examined the effect of some of these protein kinase inhibitors on fruiting-body formation as well as spore formation by M. xanthus.
The density and compressibility of CaO-FeO-SiO2 liquids at one bar: Evidence for four-coordinated Fe2+ in the CaFeO2 component

Abstract Double-bob density measurements using molybdenum bobs in a reducing atmosphere were made on hedenbergite (CaFeSi2O6) liquid and four other CaO–FeO–SiO2 (CFS) liquids that each contains 40 mol% FeO and variable CaO and SiO2 concentrations. In addition, relaxed sound speeds were measured with an acoustic interferometer at centered frequencies of 4.5 and 5.5 MHz between 1571 and 1885 K. An ideal mixing model using the oxide components (CaO–FeO–SiO2) for molar volume and isothermal compressibility cannot recover the experimental results within error. When each experimental liquid is fitted individually, the partial molar volume and isothermal compressibility of the FeO component ( V ‾ T,FeO and β ‾ T,FeO , respectively) increase systematically with CaO concentration, consistent with a composition-induced decrease in the average Fe2+ coordination number. When the four CFS liquids with 40 mol% FeO are recast in terms of the CaFeO2–FeO–SiO2 components, an ideal mixing model for both volume and compressibility recovers the data for the four liquids within experimental error. At 1723 K, the fitted V ‾ FeO and β ‾ FeO values (± 1σ) are 12.1 (± 0.2) cm3/mol and 3.5 (± 0.3) × 10−2 GPa−1, respectively, which are postulated to reflect 6-coordinated Fe2+ given the similarity of V ‾ FeO in the melt to the molar volume of crystalline FeO (wustite). In contrast, the derived values of V ‾ FeO and β ‾ FeO from the CaFeO2 component are 17.1 (± 0.2) cm3/mol and 7.1 (± 0.2) × 10−2 GPa−1, respectively, which are postulated to reflect Fe2+ in 4-fold given that crystalline CaFeO2 contains 4-coordinated Fe2+. These two end-member values for V ‾ FeO at 1723 K are used to develop a linear equation to calculate Fe2+ coordination as a function of V ‾ FeO , which leads to average Fe2+ coordination numbers in the CFS liquids that range from 5.2 to 4.6, including a value of 4.6 (± 0.2) for hedenbergite (CaFe2Si2O6) liquid. The key to developing a model equation for density and compressibility for FeO-bearing magmatic liquids is to determine how melt composition affects Fe2+ coordination.
Influence of structure of 1,1,3‐trimethyl‐5‐carboxy‐3‐(p‐carboxyphenyl)indan upon polyamide properties

Copolyamides of nylon 66 and 1,1,3-trimethyl-5-carboxy-3-(p-carboxyphenyl)indan (PIDA) were prepared by melt polycondensation of nylon 66 salt with PIDA in combination with hexamethylenediamine, trans-1,4-cyclohexanebis(methylamine), and m-xylylenediamine. In addition, hexamethylenediamine-PIDA was incorporated into the copolymer system of nylon 66–poly(hexamethylene terephthalamide). The effect of PIDA upon the intrinsic viscosity, crystallinity, density, melting point, moisture regain, tenacity, initial modulus, and the boiling-water shrinkage of such polyamides was determined. Particular emphasis was placed upon the influence of PIDA on the glass transition temperature of the polyamides. The effect of moisture on the glass transition temperature was also discussed. The physical properties of PIDA copolymers indicate that crystallinity virtually disappears above 20 mole-% PIDA concentration; however, the glass transition temperature measured at 0 and 30% RH increases sharply with increased PIDA concentration.
Lifetime maximization in distributed sensor network with event-triggered adaptive filtering

This paper considers the problem of maximizing the lifetime of a wireless sensor network (WSN) that is deployed to track a parameter vector, subject to a mean-squared-deviation (MSD) constraint. We employ an event-triggered approach using the set-membership normalized least mean-squared (SM-NLMS) adaptive filter in each node wherein the parameter estimate is updated, and hence transmitted to a fusion node (FN), only when the estimation error exceeds a predefined threshold, which is defined to be a triggering event. This problem of maximizing network lifetime (NLT) is posed as an optimization problem which turns out to be non-convex. We propose a suboptimal iterative solution for this problem and show through simulations that the NLT is enhanced significantly compared to a time-triggered approach such as NLMS.
'Extraordinary renditions': tales of Guantánamo, a review article

The opening of Guantanamo as a US detention centre in the initial phase of the 'war on terror' in January 2002 and its continuing existence almost a decade later have spawned a vast body of literature and cultural production: political commentary, personal accounts of detainees, memoirs, fiction, legal analysis, film, documentary, reconstruction, and so on. In this major review of Guantanamo literature, which foregrounds work by Moazzam Begg, Victoria Brittain and Gillian Slovo, Mahvish Rukhsana Khan, Anna Perera and Clive Stafford Smith, the author analyses the whole field to shed light not simply on the interconnections and disjunctions between the various modes of representation, but also on how the works serve, in different ways, the aim of closing Guantanamo for good, and what they reveal about the nature, imperatives and relationship to international law of the US state.
Learning by Selling and Invention: The Case of the Sewing Machine

For techniques diffusing as commodities, sales form a critical medium of technological communication which facilitates secondary invention. While sales may also influence the incentives to invent, I argue that the technical learning associated with selling provides a fuller account of invention for the case of the sewing machine in the United States. A study of some 3,500 patents and forty-eight city directories shows that as sales expanded in extent and location, so did patenting by first-time inventors. Moreover, patent use generated a flow of information back to inventors which increased the likelihood and extent of repeat patenting. In these ways, sales sustained technological change as a cumulative process.
Transient starch metabolism in ornamental tobacco floral nectaries regulates nectar composition and release

Enlargement of the floral nectary gland of ornamental tobacco during its development is accompanied by a major accumulation of starch granules in nectary amyloplasts. Quantification of starch in the nectary at various developmental stages showed little starch accumulation at early stages but increasing amounts of starch over the course of nectary development that reached a peak approximately 24 h prior to anthesis. After this point, the amount of starch declined dramatically, suggesting its conversion to sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) for the nectar production that occurs at anthesis. Compositional and structural analyses of nectary starch showed that amylose content and degree of amylopectin branching also varied during nectary development. Increasingly complex starch structures were observed up to intermediate stages of nectary development, followed by decreased starch complexity and amount in the mature nectary. Although the total amount of carbohydrate stored in the nectary at mid-development is roughly equivalent to the carbohydrate in nectar sugars at anthesis, four- to five-times more sugar is secreted into nectar following anthesis. Radiolabeling of sugars prior to their transport into the flower bud, nectary, and nectar showed the flow of sugars into the nectary increased markedly after anthesis. The finding that the nectary is the strongest sink tissue of all floral organs suggests that two processes, starch degradation and rapid sugar influx, are determinants of sugar composition in floral nectar. A model is presented in which these two processes are coordinated for high-level nectar production and release.
Higher “normal” U.S. temperatures

[1] Temperatures across the United States were approximately 0.5°F warmer on average from 1981 to 2010 than they were from 1971 to 2000, according to data about new climate “normals” released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center (NOAA NCDC) on 1 July. In the new normals the annual maximum and minimum temperatures for every state in the continental United States increased on average, according to NCDC director Thomas Karl. The normals, updated once each decade, are 30-year baseline averages of climatological variables including average temperature and precipitation for more than 7500 locations across the United States, according to NOAA. They are useful for a number of purposes including assisting local weather forecasters in comparing daily weather conditions and helping farmers with crop selection and planting decisions.
The effects of concentration and adsorption time on the elutability of adsorbed proteins in surfactant solutions of varying structures and concentrations

Abstract The elution of proteins adsorbed to solid surfaces in the presence of surfactants has previously been shown to depend on surface chemistry as well as protein surface residence time and therefore serves as a measure of the protein-surface binding strength. In this study, we have examined the effect of adsorption and elution conditions on the elutability of baboon fibrinogen and albumin from polyethylene and polystyrene. The adsorption variables studied were protein concentration and adsorption time. In the elution step, the influence of detergent concentration and chemical structura, and the ionic strength were examined. The minimum or threshold surfactant concentration required to effect elution varied when protein layers were adsorbed from various concentrations for equal times. On the other hand, proteins adsorbed from equal solution concenrations for various times required equal threshold surfactant concentrations to be eluted. The maximum elution level, however, decreased with increases in the protein's surface residence time, and with decreased protein surface concentration. Transition rates to nonelutable states varied substantially between polyethylene and polystyrene. In addition, certain featues of the elution behavior closely reflected features of the surfactant's aqueous phase behavior.
Mini-Journal Inquiry Laboratory: A Case Study in a General Chemistry Kinetics Experiment.

The mini-journal curriculum for undergraduate science laboratories mirrors the format of scientific literature and helps students improve their learning through direct scientific practices. The lab embodies the essential features of scientific inquiry and replaces the traditional “cookbook” lab to engage students in active learning. A case study of a mini-journal lab in college general chemistry, including its design, instruction, and reflections, is described.
Application of linear prediction least-squares fitting to time-resolved optical spectroscopy

Linear prediction least-squares fitting is shown to be a powerful tool for the quantitative analysis of pump-probe-type experiments. When used correctly, it is capable of extracting multiple exponential or exponentially damped sinusoidal components from noisy data. Furthermore, it can be used to analyze data that are not simply the response of the system being studied, but rather the convolution of a nonnegligible instrument function with the desired response. In pump-probe experiments, it can be used to deduce time constants that are considerably shorter than the laser pulse itself.
Design and analysis of the motor-alternator speed regulator for the New Haven speed-merchant locomotive

THE SPEED-MERCHANT locomotive is a dual-power high-speed lightweight locomotive. Traction and auxiliary power is supplied either by its diesel engine or from the d-c third-rail source.
A standard protocol for fecal pH measurement in the horse

Fecal pH is a commonly used response variable in equine nutrition studies focused on evaluating gastrointestinal health. Although a relatively simple measurement, there is a lack of standardization in fecal-pH measurement protocols and a potential to improve precision of detection of differences between treatment groups. The objectives of this study were to measure fecal pH in collected feces using a range of different ratios with distilled water and allowing for different periods of time for equilibration, and to describe a simple fecal-pH measurement protocol to improve the knowledge gained from measuring fecal pH by decreasing measurement variation and standardizing the protocol across studies. Results indicate that addition of distilled water and the amount of time allowed for equilibration influence both measured pH and variation around the mean (P < 0.05). A protocol is described using fecal liquid without the addition of distilled water to measure fecal pH. Use of this approach results in less variation and a decrease in the number of animals needed per treatment group to detect small significant differences in fecal pH.
Concepts and Meanings of Cigarette Smoking Among Children Aged 10-16 Years

This pilot study explored the adaptation of the Physical Causes of Illness Categories (PCI) to reasoning about smoking among 16 children aged 10 to 16 years. After obtaining appropriate consents and assents, two nurse researchers conducted 45-minute audio-taped interviews that were transcribed verbatim and analyzed for applicability of responses to the PCI. Differences in reasoning about smoking can be identified between older children and adolescents. Differences are consistent with progression of reasoning based on Piaget's theory embedded in the PCI. Findings of this pilot support further inquiry into the reasoning of children about smoking and addictive behaviors
A fast programmable frequency divider with a wide dividing-ratio range and 50% duty-cycle

A novel programmable frequency divider in 0.18-µm standard CMOS process is presented in this paper. With less cascode CMOS-stages, the proposed design achieves a higher operating frequency compared to that of the similar programmable frequency dividers reported in the literature. Test results demonstrate that the divider can operate up to 4.5GHz. Elimination of passive resistors in the proposed scheme provides an area efficient design approach. Design improvements to achieve 50% duty cycle are also presented. Due to the lower operating frequency of the 50% duty cycle correction unit, it only adds a very small amount of power consumption penalty (∼ 10%) to the entire system.
Qualitative and Quantitative Sequential Sampling

This paper introduces a method for sequentially determining experiments in a “design of experiments” where optimization and user knowledge are used to guide the efficient choice of sample points. Typical approaches to the design of experiments involves determining the sample points all at once prior to any experimentation, or sequentially based on the results of previous sample points. This method combines information from multiple fidelity sources including actual physical experiment, computer simulation models of the product, first principals involved in design and designer’s qualitative intuitions about the design. Both quantitative and qualitative information from different sources are merged together to arrive at new sampling strategy. This is accomplished by introducing the concept of confidence, C, which is represented as a field that is a function of the decision variables, x, and the performance parameter, f. The advantages of the approach are demonstrated using different example cases.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Designation of the anterior/posterior axis in pregastrula Xenopus laevis.

A new fate map for mesodermal tissues in Xenopus laevis predicted that the prime meridian, which runs from the animal pole to the vegetal pole through the center of Spemann's organizer, is the embryo's anterior midline, not its dorsal midline (M. C. Lane and W. C. Smith, 1999, Development 126, 423–434). In this report, we demonstrate by lineage labeling that the column 1 blastomeres at st. 6, which populate the prime meridian, give rise to the anterior end of the embryo. In addition, we surgically isolate and culture tissue centered on this meridian from early gastrulae. This tissue forms a patterned head with morphologically distinct ventral and dorsal structures. In situ hybridization and immunostaining reveal that the cultured heads contain the anterior tissues of all three germ layers, correctly patterned. Regardless of how we dissect early gastrulae along meridians running from the animal to the vegetal pole, both the formation of head structures and the expression of anterior marker genes always segregate with the prime meridian passing through Spemann's organizer. The prime meridian also gives rise to dorsal, axial mesoderm, but not uniquely, as specification tests show that dorsal mesoderm arises in fragments of the embryo which exclude the prime meridian. These results support the hypothesis that the midline that bisects Spemann's organizer is the embryo's anterior midline.
The effects of syllable-timed speech on stuttering behavior: An audiovisual analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a program of syllable-timed speech production on kernel and accessory features of stuttering. Five adult stutterers participated in a 1-month program of metronome conditioning. Videotapes were made to monitor changes in speech behavior. All stutterers demonstrated a reduction in stuttering and in the use of accessory features. In addition, kernel features were also modified by this therapy approach. Operant procedures may be used to effect changes in behaviors supposedly learned through classical conditioning.
Comparison of bioclimatic indices for prediction of maize yields

Yield prediction across a target production zone with varying strategies of agronomic practices has been a challenging problem to plant breeders when testing new genotypes for release. This study focused on comparing the importance of a new bioclimatic index called biological windows and six other traditional environmental indices as predictor variables of maize yields across sites (farmers' fields) and years, using a simple linear regression model. The yield data were collected for six hybrids evaluated in strip tests at 57 to 186 sites throughout Iowa during 1987-1994. The biological windows index was based on the Newhall Simulation Model and estimated the number of days the soil was moist and above 5°C. The environmental indices were July precipitation, temperature, the product of July precipitation and temperature, and the equivalent values for August. Because the actual values for the indices were not recorded at each site, all the indices were estimated for each site as the weighted averages of the data from 112 Iowa weather stations. Across years and within the Iowa sites, the mean percentiles of R-square distributions showed that biological windows had less predictive value for maize yields than the more traditional indicators such as August precipitation and temperature. For all indices, across years and within sites had much greater mean R-squares than across sites and within years, which had very low predictive values. For predicting yield across years within sites, there appeared to be an advantage in using August precipitation or the product of August precipitation and temperature over the five other indices. The R-square values for these two indices were at least 0.60 in 80% of the test sites for five hybrids.
A robust Bayesian approach to target detection applied to explosive threat detection in handheld ground penetrating radar data

Target detection algorithms for ground penetrating radar (GPR) data typically calculate local statistics for the background data surrounding a test sample as a means to assess changes in the data from background. To ensure that the local statistics are indicative of only the background data and not the data due to a potential target, a guard-band is employed to prohibit the data near the test sample from being used in the calculations. The selection of the guard-band can greatly impact performance, and the value chosen should be based on the expected size of a target response, which is a challenging task when the target population varies greatly. This work develops a robust Bayesian approach to target detection that does not require selection of a guard-band. By modeling the data using Students t distribution rather than a Gaussian distribution, an inference algorithm is developed that automatically identifies outliers from the background and excludes them while calculating the local statistics. The algorithm that was developed is applied to handheld GPR data, where it is shown to provide improved performance over any particular selection of a guard-band.
Changes in benthic community composition in response to reservoir aging

The effects of reservoir aging on the benthic macroinvertebrate community in Pawnee Reservoir were documented by comparing species composition and biomass of samples collected from October 1991 through September 1992, to a similar survey conducted in 1968–70 by Hergenrader & Lessig (1980). Filling of the basin with sediment and associated material and the subsequent change in the benthic environment, has resulted in a relatively homogenous bottom substrate at each of the three sampling transects (dam, middle, and inflow). Sediment enrichment has limited the benthic fauna to species tolerant of brief periods of bottom anoxia and increased levels of organic matter, which has resulted in the disappearance of many taxa and a decrease in the abundance of remaining invertebrates. Significant differences in total biomass were found at each transect, as well as for the whole lake, between study periods. The dam, middle, inflow and total biomasses for the 1968–70 study period were 2.4, 1.5, 2.3 and 2.0 g m−2, respectively, compared to 0.2, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.2 g m−2 for the 1991–92 study period. The total disappearance of eight invertebrate taxa, in particular two sphaerid clam species, and significant declines in other dominant taxa such as Chaoborus punctipennis and Chironomus sp. accounted for these major differences in biomass between study periods. Reductions in the number of taxa present has resulted in an increase in benthic faunal similarity at each transect, with tubificid oligochaetes, Coelotanypus sp., C. punctipennis, and Chironomus sp., comprising 90% of both the total density and biomass of benthic invertebrates in Pawnee Reservoir.
Thermal and hydrogen plasma annealing of amorphous hydrogenated carbon

Abstract We have studied the changes in the optical properties of amorphous hydrogenated carbon due to variety of annealing processes. Whether the sample is annealed at 225°C for one hour in vacuum, in hydrogen gas, or in a hydrogen plasma, the photoluminescence intensity decreases, the bandgap decreases, and the intensity of the Urbach tails increases. All of these annealing processes increase the density of defect states, most likely by driving hydrogen out of the film. This is in marked contrast to the observation by one group of previous workers that the luminescence intensity increases by an order of magnitude due to a vacuum anneal.
Effect of purpose of observation on accuracy of immediate and delayed performance ratings

Abstract Cognitive research suggests that a rater's purpose for observing ratee behavior will affect the accuracy of both immediate and memory-based ratings of performance. To test this hypothesis, subjects (N = 182) viewed videotaped lectures either for the purpose of performance appraisal or for the purpose of learning the content of the lectures, and rated the lecturers either immediately or after delays of 1, 3, or 7 days. Both the Purpose of Observation and the Delay between observation and rating were shown to affect the accuracy of both behavior ratings and measures of recognition memory. Interactions between purpose and delay suggest that raters for whom performance appraisal was a secondary task gave more accurate ratings under long delay conditions than did raters for whom performance appraisal was the sole task. The use of on-line vs memory-based processing as a function of purpose of observation is suggested as a possible explanation for our results. Implications of these results for the design of future performance appraisal research are discussed.
Cleaning up the record on the maximal information coefficient and equitability

Although we appreciate Kinney and Atwal’s interest in equitability and maximal information coefficient (MIC), we believe they misrepresent our work. We highlight a few of our main objections below. Fig. 1. Equitability of MIC and mutual information under a range of noise models. The equitability of MIC and mutual information across a subset of noise models analyzed in refs. 1 and 4. For each noise model, the relationships tested are as in ref. 4. In each plot in A , each shaded region denotes 90% probability intervals based on 500 trials of a given relationship at each of 40 noise levels. In the noise models in A , N x and N y represent Gaussians, and X -values are chosen so that the noiseless data points are spaced uniformly along the graph of f ( X ) . The intervals plotted in red for each noise model in A represent the largest range of R 2 values that correspond to a single value of the statistic in question. This provides a quantitative measure of the equitability of each statistic (the … [↵][1]2To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: dnreshef{at}mit.edu or yakirr{at}mit.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
NVSIM: UNIX-based thermal imaging system simulator

For several years the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) has been using an internally developed forward looking infrared (FLIR) simulation program. In response to interest in the simulation part of these projects by other organizations, NVESD has been working on a new version of the simulation, NVSIM, that will be made generally available to the FLIR using community. NVSIM uses basic FLIR specification data, high resolution thermal input imagery and spatial domain image processing techniques to produce simulated image outputs from a broad variety of FLIRs. It is being built around modular programming techniques to allow simpler addition of more sensor effects. The modularity also allows selective inclusion and exclusion of individual sensor effects at run time. The simulation has been written in the industry standard ANSI C programming language under the widely used UNIX operating system to make it easily portable to a wide variety of computer platforms.
Curcumin-Induced GADD153 Upregulation: Modulation by Glutathione

As we reported previously, GADD153 is upregulated in colon cancer cells exposed to curcumin. In the present study, we ascertained the involvement of glutathione and certain sulfhydryl enzymes associated with signal transduction in mediating the effect of curcumin on GADD153. Curcumin-induced GADD153 gene upregulation was attenuated by reduced glutathione (GSH) or N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and potentiated by the glutathione synthesis inhibitor, L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO). Additionally, GSH and NAC decreased the intracellular content of curcumin. Conversely, curcumin decreased intracellular glutathione and also increased the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, but either GSH or NAC prevented both of these effects of curcumin. In affecting the thiol redox status, curcumin caused activation of certain sulfhydryl enzymes involved in signal transduction linked to GADD153 expression. Curcumin increased the expression of the phosphorylated forms of PTK, PDK1, and PKC-delta, which was attenuated by either GSH or NAC and potentiated by BSO. Furthermore, selective inhibitors of PI3K and PKC-delta attenuated curcumin-induced GADD153 upregulation. Collectively, these findings suggest that a regulatory thiol redox-sensitive signaling cascade exists in the molecular pathway leading to induction of GADD153 expression as caused by curcumin.
Catalysis in competing isocyanate reactions. II. Competing phenyl isocyanate reactions catalyzed with N,N′,N″‐pentamethyldipropylenetriamine

The kinetics of the N,N′,N″-pentamethyl dipropylene triamine (PMPT)-catalyzed reaction of phenyl isocyanate with n-butanol was studied in acetonitrile between 26.5 and 50°C by measuring the NCO disappearance as well as the formation of the various reaction products by means of the standard dibutylamine back-titration method and the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The resulting products from the phenyl isocyanate and n-butanol reaction were found to be N-butyl phenylcarbamate, N-butyl-α,γ-diphenylallophanate, and triphenylisocyanurate. Trimer formed at the expense of carbamate formation even at a high OH/NCO ratio. Allophanate appeared to be an intermediate in the formation of trimer. PMPT was found to be a urethane and trimerization catalyst for the model reaction of phenyl isocyanate with n-butanol in acetonitrile. The PMPT-catalyzed reaction of phenyl isocyanate with n-butanol in the presence of water in acetonitrile at 50°C was also investigated. The resulting reaction products consisted of n-butyl phenylcarbamate, n-butyl-β,γ-diphenylallophanate, triphenylisocyanurate, sym-triphenylbiuret, and N,N′-diphenylurea. The presence of water retarded the disappearance of NCO groups as well as the trimer formation. Aniline (the product of phenyl isocyanate and water) was detected in the reaction of equivalent amounts of phenyl isocyanate and water in acetonitrile.
The effect of unequal variances on the power of several two–sample tests

In consulting situations it is often difficult to select the most appropriate two-sample test for a particular situation. The objective of this research was to determine which two-sample test procedures were the most powerful when there were small differences in variability between the populations. A variety of skewed and symmetric distributions with unequal and equal variances were used in a Monte Carlo study to estimate the size and power of these tests. The tests maintained their size for the parameters used in this simulation. Those tests that were sensitive to location and scale shift alternatives were more powerful than the t-test and rank-sum test when there were small differences in variability between the groups