cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
T cell potentiation in normal and autoimmune-prone mice after extended exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation and/or caloric restriction.

SummaryIn order to better understand the apparent physiologic up-regulation in response to low levels of potentially lethal insults, murine T lymphocytes were analysed for functional and phenotypic alterations after exposure to 0·005 Gy/day, 0·01 Gy/day and 0·04 Gy/day in groups of ad-libitum-fed and calorie-restricted mice. These studies were conducted in two strains of mice: the long-lived and immunologically normal C57B1/6 +/+ and the congenic short-lived immunologically depressed C57B1/6 lpr/lpr. Whole-body exposure to 0·01 Gy/day and 0·04 Gy/day for an extended period of 20 days was associated with an increase in splenic proliferative response and with shifts in the proportions of T cell subpopulations in the thymus and spleen of both strains. Caloric restriction independently altered functional activity and T cell subpopulations in the same direction as low dose rates of ionizing radiation. Although the dose-response augmentation in proliferative activity was similar in the two strains, observed alt...
Evolutionary Implications of Changing Nutritional Patterns in Human Populations

Malnutrition is a widespread problem in the tropical regions of the world, the same areas which are believed to be man's ancestral home. Much of the adaptive complex characterizing contemporary Homo sapiens was assembled during the period of at least partial reliance on dietary intake of animal protein. Adjustments to low protein intake are most difficult during the period of growth and development. Selection against individuals unable to make suitable adjustments exerts pressure on the human population to retain adaptability while maintaining appropriate body proportions and sexual dimorphisms for body size.
Context, Black Empowerment, and African American Political Participation

Activists and scholars argue that the election and presence of Black mayors increase Black political engagement; however, later research suggests that this diminishes over time. Furthermore, a body of research suggests that homogenous racial contexts and contextual poverty decrease political participation. In this article, we ask one question: How does demographic context and length of Black mayoral tenure influence Black political participation? Using a national data set of Black respondents, we find that participation increases as cities become “Blacker.” However, simultaneously we find diminishing returns to Black political empowerment, particularly compared with new Black empowerment contexts.
Differentiation of aggressive behavior of institutionalized schizophrenics with the hand test.

(1963). Differentiation of Aggressive Behavior of Institutionalized Schizophrenics with the Hand Test. Journal of Projective Techniques and Personality Assessment: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 111-113.
Gender differences in visual attention to television form and content

Abstract Formal features (i.e., rapid action, dialogue, and animation) and content variables (i.e., violence, theme, and sex of characters) were analyzed as possible determinants of gender differences in children's television viewing. Two studies are reported. In Study 1, 5- and 7-year-old boys' and girls' visual attention was observed during four animated programs representing four combinations of high and low action with high and low violence. Boys' visual attention was greater than girls'. Attention was higher to high violence than to low violence. Boys' attention did not vary across treatments, but girls attended more to programs with low action than with high action. In Study 2, nine earlier laboratory studies, each with an independent sample, were subjected to a secondary analysis. The procedures were similar to Study 1; the samples ranged from 3 to 11 years old. Across experiments, boys attended significantly more than girls. The secondary analysis was designed to identify program form and content variables that might account for gender differences. Most content and form attributes failed to account for the pattern of gender differences in attention across or within studies. There was weak support for the notion that violent content and animation appeals more to boys than girls. Boys' greater visual attention was not associated with greater comprehension relative to girls'. It was proposed that girls focus more on the verbal auditory content of television, and boys focus more on the visual content.
Rhetinotheca patens n. sp., a medullosan pollen organ from the upper Pennsylvanian of North America

Abstract Numerous permineralized synangia containing Monoletes prepollen have been discovered in Upper Pennsylvanian coal balls from the Appalachian Basin in Ohio, and these provide the basis for describing a new species of the medullosan pollen organ Rhetinotheca . The isolated specimens range up to 1.6 mm long and are roughly pyramidal in shape. Each synangium expands outward from a narrow stalk and exhibits a prominent distal hollow. The pollen organs are constructed of a ring of four ellipsoidal sporangia that alternate with intersporangial lacunae and protrude as rounded distal lobes. To the inside of the ring the ground tissue is sclerenchymatous proximally, intergrading with specialized dehiscene tissue toward the sporangial tips. An outer parenchymatous ground tissue is thin and exhibits the external cell wall projections that characterize aggregate forms of medullosan pollen organs. Four terete vascular strands extend longitudinally through the parenchymatous cover tissue, one in each of the areas where the cover is in contact with a sporangial wall. Discovery of R. patens n. sp. further expands our knowledge of diversity in the Medullosaceae, and allows for a more circumscription of the genus Rhetinotheca .
3(2H)-Furanones from mercuric acetate oxidation of allenic ketones. A synthesis of bullatenone

Abstract Treatment of allenic ketones 1 ˜ with mercuric acetate yields 3(2 H )-furanones 2 ˜ (90+%). The oxidation of 1 ˜ c ˜ constitutes a new synthesis of bullatenone ( 2 ˜ c ˜ ) .
Semi-Clifford operations, structure of C k hierarchy, and gate complexity for fault-tolerant quantum computation

Teleportation is a crucial element in fault-tolerant quantum computation and a complete understanding of its capacity is very important for the practical implementation of optimal fault-tolerant architectures. It is known that stabilizer codes support a natural set of gates that can be more easily implemented by teleportation than any other gates. These gates belong to the so-called ${\mathcal{C}}_{k}$ hierarchy introduced by Gottesman and Chuang [Nature (London) 402, 390 (1999)]. Moreover, a subset of ${\mathcal{C}}_{k}$ gates, called semi-Clifford operations, can be implemented by an even simpler architecture than the traditional teleportation setup [X. Zhou, D. W. Leung, and I. L. Chuang, Phys. Rev. A 62, 052316 (2000)]. However, the precise set of gates in ${\mathcal{C}}_{k}$ remains unknown, even for a fixed number of qubits $n$, which prevents us from knowing exactly what teleportation is capable of. In this paper we study the structure of ${\mathcal{C}}_{k}$ in terms of semi-Clifford operations, which send by conjugation at least one maximal Abelian subgroup of the $n$-qubit Pauli group into another one. We show that for $n=1,2$, all the ${\mathcal{C}}_{k}$ gates are semi-Clifford, which is also true for ${n=3,k=3}$. However, this is no longer true for ${ng2,kg3}$. To measure the capability of this teleportation primitive, we introduce a quantity called ``teleportation depth,'' which characterizes how many teleportation steps are necessary, on average, to implement a given gate. We calculate upper bounds for teleportation depth by decomposing gates into both semi-Clifford ${\mathcal{C}}_{k}$ gates and those ${\mathcal{C}}_{k}$ gates beyond semi-Clifford operations, and compare their efficiency.
Coin ingestion: Does every child need a radiograph?

We studied 80 children who presented to the emergency department (ED) with a complaint of coin ingestion to determine whether radiographs are necessary in all situations and to determine which symptoms or signs are predictive of esophageal coins. Radiographs were considered positive if the coin was in the esophagus. Radiographs were positive in 25 (31%) of patients, of whom 11 (14%) had no symptoms or signs in the ED. Fifty-five (69%) of the 80 patients had subdiaphragmatic foreign bodies (44 [55%]), or no foreign bodies (11 [14%]) seen on films. Fourteen (18%) of the children required removal of the coin. Variables correlating with positive radiograph, in order of significance, included localization, choking at ingestion, drooling in the ED, vomiting, and chest pain. ( P P
The number of pure Nash equilibria in a random game with nondecreasing best responses

Abstract We randomly draw a game from a distribution on the set of two-player games with a given size. We compute the distribution and the expectation of the number of pure-strategy Nash equilibria of the game conditional on the game having nondecreasing best-response functions. The conditional expected number of pure-strategy Nash equilibria becomes much larger than the unconditional expected number as the size of the game grows.
Direct interactions promote eviction of the Sir3 heterochromatin protein by the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzyme

Heterochromatin is a specialized chromatin structure that is central to eukaryotic transcriptional regulation and genome stability. Despite its globally repressive role, heterochromatin must also be dynamic, allowing for its repair and replication. In budding yeast, heterochromatin formation requires silent information regulators (Sirs) Sir2p, Sir3p, and Sir4p, and these Sir proteins create specialized chromatin structures at telomeres and silent mating-type loci. Previously, we found that the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzyme can catalyze the ATP-dependent eviction of Sir3p from recombinant nucleosomal arrays, and this activity enhances early steps of recombinational repair in vitro. Here, we show that the ATPase subunit of SWI/SNF, Swi2p/Snf2p, interacts with the heterochromatin structural protein Sir3p. Two interaction surfaces are defined, including an interaction between the ATPase domain of Swi2p and the nucleosome binding, Bromo-Adjacent-Homology domain of Sir3p. A SWI/SNF complex harboring a Swi2p subunit that lacks this Sir3p interaction surface is unable to evict Sir3p from nucleosomes, even though its ATPase and remodeling activities are intact. In addition, we find that the interaction between Swi2p and Sir3p is key for SWI/SNF to promote resistance to replication stress in vivo and for establishment of heterochromatin at telomeres.
Hylid frog phylogeny and sampling strategies for speciose clades

How should characters and taxa be sampled to resolve efficiently the phylogeny of ancient and highly speciose groups? We addressed this question empirically in the treefrog family Hylidae, which contains > 800 species and may be nonmonophyletic with respect to other anuran families. We sampled 81 species (54 hylids and 27 outgroups) for two mitochondrial genes (12S, ND1), two nuclear genes (POMC, c-myc), and morphology (144 characters) in an attempt to resolve higher-level relationships. We then added 117 taxa to the combined data set, many of which were sampled for only one gene (12S). Despite the relative incompleteness of the majority of taxa, the resulting trees placed all taxa in the expected higher-level clades with strong support, despite some taxa being > 90% incomplete. Furthermore, we found no relationship between the completeness of a taxon and the support (parsimony bootstrap or Bayesian posterior probabilities) for its localized placement on the tree. Separate analysis of the data set with the most taxa (12S) gives a somewhat problematic estimate of higher-level relationships, suggesting that data sets scored only for some taxa (ND1, nuclear genes, morphology) are important in determining the outcome of the combined analysis. The results show that hemiphractine hylids are not closely related to other hylids and should be recognized as a distinct family. They also show that the speciose genus Hyla is polyphyletic, but that its species can be arranged into three monophyletic genera. A new classification of hylid frogs is proposed. Several potentially misleading signals in the morphological data are discussed.
Randomly stacked holey graphene anodes for lithium ion batteries with enhanced electrochemical performance

Holey graphene (HG) synthesized by a hydrothermal method followed by etching with KOH and ball milling is randomly stacked to form a porous structure. These randomly stacked holey graphene anodes exhibit high rate capability with excellent cycling stability as an anode material for lithium-ion cells. This fascinating electrochemical performance can be ascribed to their specific porous structure, providing numerous active sites for Li+ insertion, reduced effective diffusion distance for the Li+ ions, high electrical conductivity, low charge-transfer resistance across the electrolyte–electrode interface, and improved structural stability against the local volume change during Li+ insertion–extraction.
What Is “WHO“? Myelodysplastic Syndromes Classification

Abstract In the decade of new therapeutic options for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), it is more important than ever to recognize how to diagnose the disease and classify the patients into a subtype or risk stratification that allows predicting prognosis and, more importantly, developing treatment strategy accordingly. The classification of MDS has been an evolving process as we learn more about the disease. In this article, we review the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of MDS, highlighting the major changes compared with the French-American-British classification. We review the validation of the WHO and then discuss the application and difficulties of the WHO classification. We study the International Prognostic Scoring System and its new modification, the WHO prognostic scoring system. Finally, we look to the future, introducing some of the suggested revisions to the WHO classification.
Maternal periodontal disease is related to preterm low birth weight delivery in a group of Brazilian women

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Association between periodontitis and low birth weight: a case control study. Moliterno LF, Monteiro B, Figueredo CM, Fischer RG. J Clin Perio 2005;32:886-90. Level of Evidence 3b Purpose/Question To examine the potential association between delivery of preterm, low birth weight infants and periodontitis in pregnant women. Source of Funding Not specified Type of Study/Design Case-control study
Solution synthesis of calcium, strontium and barium metallocenes

Abstract Bis(cyclopentadienyl)metal complexes of calcium, strontium and barium can be prepared in synthetically useful yields (> 65%) from the reaction of lithium or potassium cyclopentadienides and the appropriate metal dihalides in THF. The THF-soluble complexes (C5H5)2Ca(THF)2 and (Me5C5)2M(THF)2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) are extracted from the reaction of the appropriate potassium cyclopentadienide with a metal halide; the THFinsoluble (C5H5)2M(THF)x(x ≈ 1 for Sr; x ≈ 0.25 for Ba) remain after the reaction of a lithium cyclopentadienide and the metal iodide.
Identification of Lys190 as the primary binding site for pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in human serum albumin.

The covalent binding of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) to human serum albumin (HSA) is important in the regulation of PLP metabolism. In plasma, PLP is bound to HSA at a single high-affinity and at two or more nonspecific sites. To characterize the primary PLP binding site, HSA was incubated with [3H]PLP, and the Schiff base linkage was reduced with potassium borohydride. Tryptic peptides were purified, and the major labeled peptide was sequenced. Amino acid analysis confirmed a homogeneous peptide Leu-Asp-Glu-Leu-Arg-Asp-Glu-Gly-Xaa-Ala-Ser-Ser-Ala-Lys which corresponds to residues 182–195 of HSA. The data indicate that Lys190 is the primary PLP binding site. This Lys residue is distinct from other sites of covalent adduct formation; namely, the primary sites for nonenzymatic glycosylation (Lys325) and acetylation by aspirin (Lys199).
A spatial analysis of the forestry industries in East Texas

The 48,400 km2 (12.0 million acres) of timberland in East Texas provides a multi-billion dollar industry that produces a wide variety of goods and services, and supports tens of thousands of jobs. Forest fragmentation, biomass harvesting, land use change such as urbanization and oil and gas exploration, and market challenges are resulting in greater economic volatility for the forestry industry in East Texas. This study investigates the spatial, economic and social factors that may impact the location of forestry industries with GIS spatial analysis tools. Basic information about all the forestry industries in East Texas were collected, compiled, and categorized. Standard Poisson regression analysis was processed between the number of forestry industries per county and potential influencing factors such as forest coverage, developed area, population, road density, average house value, average timberland value, median household income, and tax rate. Significant spatial impact factors on forestry industries...
Establishing Ada repositories for reuse

Ideally, a software reuse repository is a robust, dynamic interchange among software designers. This constantly growing and improving resource assists with—and influences—the creation of quality, cost-efficient software systems.Setting this process in motion and sustaining its momentum calls for many of the approaches used in system design and development. Its stable yet flexible structure anticipates the technical requirements of present and future users. But the successful repository reflects a broader perspective, a long-term commitment, and attention to a number of other technical and nontechnical issues. It must maintain components beyond the development cycle of supported projects. It must have a capability for continuity. And most important, it must be a value-added, self-sustaining resource.SAIC's experience with three significant Ada reuse repositories has given us insights into a number of relevant issues and challenges, and has shown us the intricate relationships that link the technical, economic, human and other contributing factors affecting repository development and operation. These three repositories—STARS, AFLC and SAIC Corporate—support software reuse and a number of additional specialized requirements. The Software Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems (STARS) repository serves as a testbed for repository and reuse technology. Additional requirements include a means for sharing program-related information such as meeting minutes, presentations, Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRL) items and peer reviews. The Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) Ada Software Repository has been established to provide a means of sharing domain-specific information among software development and maintenance personnel at the air logistics commands. With the wide variety of domain-specific software developed at SAIC, the company has decided to institute a reuse program to enhance the quality of this domain software and to encourage cross-domain reuse.Common objectives for these projects include long-term continuity and self-sustaining capabilities. Our experience to date has shown that these objectives impact four principal areas of the repository system: content acquisition/updatetechnical information servicesoperational supportfacilities
Ultra Low Thermal Budget Rapid Thermal Processing for Thin Gate Oxide Dielectrics: Reduction of Suboxide Transition Regions in Low Temperature Processed Si/SiO2 Structures by A 900°C 30 Second Rapid Thermal Anneal

Device quality gate dielectric heterostructures have been prepared using a three step plasma/rapid thermal sequence [1] in which kinetic effects determine the time-temperature aspects of the processing. The steps for forming the interface and for depositing dielectric layers have been performed at low temperature, ∼300°C, by plasma-assisted processing. Following this a low rapid thermal anneal (RTA) provides interface and bulk dielectric chemical and structural relaxations, thereby yielding device performance and reliability essentially the same as obtained using higher thermal budget conventional or rapid thermal processing.
Tiered aquatic risk refinement: Case study—at-plant applications of granular chlorpyrifos to corn

The tools of risk assessment are important in the management of environmental risk from the use of agricultural chemicals. A tiered process of estimating and refining the risks from runoff to nontarget aquatic ecosystem is described. The methodology uses screening tools at the lower level of assessment and progresses to a probabilistic, geographically specific tool at the highest tier level. The tools are demonstrated by an analysis of the risks to aquatic ecosystems resulting from the use of granular chlorpyrifos on corn. Vegetative filter strips and reduced tillage were examined as potential best management practices to reduce runoff impact. In addition, data from outdoor microcosm experiments were used to refine toxicity endpoints. The combination of runoff reduction and endpoint refinement resulted in a two- to 16-fold reduction in potential risk, based on 90th percentile endpoints. The results also located where more localized efforts in product stewardship, user education, potential field research, or more refined assessment may be beneficial. The simulation results are compared to field monitoring results.
Analysis of contributing factors to the occurrence of off-focus radiation (OFR).

Off‐focus radiation (OFR) has previously been described by many investigators [R. Thoraeus, Acta Radiologica 18, 753 (1937); L. Mallet and R. Maurin, Radiology 48, 628–632 (1947); J. F. Timmer, Medicamundi 19(2), 52–54 (1974); G. U. Rao, Appl. Radiol. 3(3), 45–49 (1974); R. Birch, Br. J. Radiol. 49, 951–955 (1976); W. W. Roeck, AAPM Symposium, 217–247 (1991)]. Off‐focus radiation is frequently manifested on radiographs by the appearance of faint images of anatomical structures outside the collimated field of interest, i.e., soft tissues, ear lobes and hair, which we will refer to as ‘‘penumbral images.’’ The observable small detail resolution within these penumbral images led to the assumption that minute sources of increased radiation intensity (secondary microfocal spots) must be present outside the area of the primary focal spot. The existence of these multiple secondary microfocal spots has been established and their locations within the area of the anode surface from which the general OFR originates was identified. The number, size, and distribution of the secondary focal spots vary over time and their magnitudes vary widely. The source of the well‐focused electron beams creating the spots is attributed to the cold cathode emission principle.
Co-localization and co-release of GABA and putative allosteric modulators of GABA receptor

Diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI) belongs to a family of newly discovered neuropeptides that, when acting on the benzodiazepine/beta-carboline recognition site, provide an allosteric modulation of the function of GABAA receptor. The molecular size of DBI (10 K Da) and its amino acid sequence characteristics are compatible with the view that this polypeptide can function as a precursor of smaller biologically active neuropeptides. In neurons of the cerebral cortex of the neonatal rat, in primary culture, DBI coexists with at least 4 different processing products. These peptides immunoreact with an antiserum directed against a biologically active octadecaneuropeptide (ODN) amino acid sequence of which (QATVGDVNTDRPGLLDLK) is included in the middle portion of the amino acid sequence of DBI. One of the immunoreactive peptides extracted from neurons has a retention time in high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) identical to that of synthetic ODN. Double immunofluorescence staining of the cultured neurons with glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and antibodies for ODN indicates that ODN and ODN-like peptides are localized with GABA in 58% of the GAD-positive neurons. Moreover, the proportion of the neuronal stores of GABA, ODN, DBI-like peptides and DBI that are released together following depolarization with veratridine is similar. These experiments provide evidence to suggest that ODN, ODN-like peptides derived from DBI, might participate as putative neuromodulators of physiological significance in changing the probability that a quantum of GABA opens specific chloride (Cl−) channels located on post-synaptic cell membranes.
Femtosecond Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Trinitrotoluene

Femtosecond and nanosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy were used to study TNT deposited on aluminum and glass substrates. We have observed emission from CN and C2 molecules depending on excitation conditions.
Theoretical AM1 studies of inclusion complexes of heptakis(2-O-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrins with alkylated phenols

Semiempirical Austin model I (AM1) calculations have been performed on a family of inclusion complexes of heptakis(2-O-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin isomers derived from the 2-hydroxyl position (2HPβCD) and from the 6-hydroxyl position (6HPβCD) with alkylated phenol derivatives. From the stabilization energies and hydrogen bonding studies of the inclusion complexes of 2HPβCD and 6HPβCD with substituted phenols in head-first and tail-first positions, we found that the main driving forces for the formation of the inclusion complexes are from the van der Waals interactions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY‐BASED ELISAS FOR THE DETECTION OF BACTERIAL SPORES 1

Monoclonal antibodies against bacterial spores were used to develop ELISAs to detect a range of spores. ELISAs utilizing anti-Bacillus spore antibodies detected spores of Bacillus megaterium ATCC 12872, Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953, Bacillus subtilis var. globigii and Bacillus cereus T. They did not detect Bacillus subtilis A, Bacillus coagulans ATCC 56177 or Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9789. One ELISA utilizing anti-Clostridium spore antibodies detected spores of Desulfotomaculum nigrificans ATCC 7946, Clostridium perfringens ATCC 3624 and B. stearothermophilus ATCC 7953, but not spores of Clostridum sporogenes PA3679 or Clostridium botulinum 62A. Whole milk, skim milk, gelatin and starch all interfered to some degree with the abilities of the assays to detect spores. Neither centrifugation nor immunomagnetic bead separation provided sufficient concentration of spores from the food matrix to be applicable to the ELISAs developed. These results demonstrate the ability to detect a range of spores using monoclonal antibody-based ELISAs. Such assays may, however, be limited by sensitivity and interference from food components.
The influence of domestic living arrangement and neighborhood identity on mental health among urban Chinese elders

Objectives: The primary purposes of the present study were (1) to assess the living arrangements among urban Chinese elders, (2) to examine the relationship between household living arrangement and elders’ mental health, and (3) to investigate how individuals’ neighborhood identity affects their mental health.Method: The random sample was collected in 2011, including 939 respondents aged 60 and above who lived in the Jing’an district of Shanghai, China. The study examined well-being and depression of elders. The domestic living arrangements were assessed by a single item with five options: ‘With whom are you living together?’ The neighborhood identity was measured by four items: the sense of belonging, the sense of pride, volunteer work, and monetary donation for the neighborhood.Results: Urban Chinese elders’ living arrangement had transited from a traditional intergenerational co-residence pattern to a more self-independent style. However, living with children was positively associated with elders’ ment...
Specific Intermolecular Interaction of Carbon Dioxide with Polymers

Fourier transform IR spectroscopy has been used to investigate the interaction of carbon dioxide with polymers. IR transmission and attenuated total reflectance spectra were obtained for CO2 impregnated into polymer films. It has been shown that the polymers possessing electron-donating functional groups (e.g., carbonyl groups) exhibit specific interactions with CO2, most probably of Lewis acid−base nature. An unusual aspect is the use of the bending mode (ν2) of CO2 to probe polymer−CO2 interactions. The evidence of the interaction is the observation of the splitting of the band corresponding to the CO2 ν2 mode. This splitting indicates that the double degeneracy of the ν2 mode is removed due to the interaction of electron lone pairs of the carbonyl oxygen with the carbon atom of the CO2 molecule. This splitting has not been observed for polymers lacking electron-donating functional groups (e.g., poly(ethylene)). In contrast, the ν3 mode shows little if any sensitivity to this interaction, which is in ac...
Some Observations on Scuffing in Tapered Roller Bearings

Tests were run on tapered roller bearings under severe operating conditions to promote the incidence of scuffing. This resulted in varying degrees of scuffing damage on the cone (inner race) ribs and/or spherical roller ends of some of the bearings. These were then examined using both the optical microscope and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, metallographic examinations were conducted on some of the damaged areas. On the basis of these observations, a qualitative model for the onset of scuffing is outlined. The quantitative data obtained from these tests was then analyzed in terms of Blok's critical temperature criterion and also the scuffing criterion of the form WV x = constant.
Cognitive characteristics of the parents of schizophrenic patients

This article reviews the empirical literature on cognition and communication in the parents of schizophrenic patients to address the questions of whether these parents as a group show evidence of any distinguishing cognitive characteristics and, if so, what those characteristics might be. Included in the review are studies of thought and communication disorder, and psychometric studies of cognitive functioning. We included only those that used reliable measures and included control groups in their designs. Taken together, the findings provide substantial evidence that nonschizophrenic parents of schizophrenic patients as a group demonstrate subtle cognitive difficulties in the area of concept formation and maintenance. There are also indications of other cognitive anomalies that will require further study. We discuss the importance of clarifying the etiological relevance of these findings and of pursuing further research in this area.
Dissociation of ovulation and progesterone secretion following LH or FSH treatment of hypophysectomized proestrous hamsters.

Hamsters hypophysectomized (H) and. concurrently injected ip with 2.5 or 5 μg NIH-LHS19 or 10-100 μg NIH-FSH-S9 at 1300 hr on proestrus (day 4 of cycle) ovulated the normal complement of 10–12 tubal ova the next morning (day 1). The ability of FSH to induce ovulation could not be accounted for by LH contamination. Preovulatory serum levels of progesterone (P) at 1600 hr, on day 4 were elevated for sham H and H hamsters injected with 5 μg LH. However, injecting 1 μg LH (which did not induce ovulation) or 10–100 μg FSH led to serum P concentrations on day 4 in the range of untreated H animals. Following a single ip injection of 10–100 μg FSH on day 4, serum P on day 1 (at 0900 hr) did not differ from untreated H levels (<1 ng/ml) but the newly formed corpora lutea (CL) had P concentrations comparable to sham H animals. In contrast, LH treated H animals had serum levels of P comparable to sham H (¾9 ng/ml). On day 2, there was a slight increase in serum P in the FSH treated groups but the values were still o...
The suppression of pulsar and gamma-ray burst annihilation lines by magnetic photon splitting

Neutron stars, relativistic and compact by nature, show great potential for the copious creation of electron-positron pairs in the magnetospheres; these rapidly cool, thermalize, and then annihilate. It is therefore expected that many neutron sources might display evidence of pair annihilation lines in the 400-500 keV range. It is shown that magnetic photon splitting, which operates effectively at these energies and in the enormous neutron star magnetic fields, can destroy an annihilation feature by absorbing line photons and reprocessing them to lower energies. In so doing, photon splitting creates a soft gamma-ray bump and a broad quasi-power-law contribution to the X-ray continuum, which is too flat to conflict with the observed X-ray paucity in gamma-ray bursts. The destruction of the line occurs in neutron stars with surface fields of 5 x 10 exp 12 G or maybe even less, depending on the size of the emission region.
Acute ischemic stroke and thrombolysis location: comparing telemedicine and stroke center treatment outcomes.

AbstractBackground: Telemedicine has been increasingly used as an option for acute ischemic stroke treatment at hospitals where neurological expertise is not available. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of stroke patients treated with systemic thrombolysis at our academic hub regional stroke centers (hub) versus our spoke hospital telemedicine locations (spoke). Methods: Data were retrospectively reviewed for consecutive patients admitted for stroke treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator at our hub (128 patients) and at the spoke centers (27 patients) over a 2-year period. Mortality was selected as a primary outcome measure, and post-thrombolysis intracranial hemorrhage (PT-ICH) rate, hospital length of stay (LOS), and discharge modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score were selected as secondary outcome measures. Logistic regression models were used to determine the effect of thrombolysis treatment site on stroke outcomes. Results: Demographic and clinical variables of patients tr...
Embryo production in superovulated Angus cows inseminated four times with sexed-sorted or conventional, frozen-thawed semen.

Abstract This study tested the hypothesis that four inseminations of commercially frozen sexed semen (≥2.1 × 10 6 sperm per 0.25-mL straw) in superstimulated embryo donors would yield a percentage and quantity of transferable embryos similar to that achieved with conventional frozen semen. Bos taurus, angus cows (n = 32), stratified by age and body condition, were randomly allocated to receive four inseminations of frozen-thawed semen, either conventional semen (≥15 × 10 6 sperm/straw; Conventional) or sexed semen (≥2.1 × 10 6 sperm/straw; Sexed) from one of two AI sires. From 10 to 13 d after estrus, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was given twice-daily, with prostaglandin F 2α given twice on the last day. Cows were inseminated once (1×) at first detected estrus and twice (2×) and once (1×) at 12 and 24 h later, respectively, with nonsurgical embryo recovery 7 d after first detected estrus. The study was repeated 30 d later (switch-back experimental design). The total number of ova per flush was similar between Conventional and Sexed treatments (10.9 ± 1.8 vs. 10.5 ± 1.6), but the number of Grade 1 embryos was greater (P
Wettability modification of electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) fiber by femtosecond laser irradiation

The effect of femtosecond laser irradiation on the wettability of electrospun poly(ɛ-caprolactone) fiber mesh substrates was studied. It was observed that water contact angles on treated substrates decreased as laser power increased. Nanometer-scale gold coating on the surfaces allowed the effect of change in morphology on wettability to be quantified independently from the effect of chemistry change. Morphology change and chemistry change were both found to have independent hydrophilic effects on the surface wettability change that increased with laser power. As laser power increased, the treated sample surface transitioned from a rough fibrous mesh to more as a porous flat film. A laser power of 4.5 mW was found to divide both the surface morphology change and morphology-induced wettability change into high-power and low-power regimes. The Cassie-Baxter model successfully predicted the wettability of gold-coated surfaces using measured characteristics of surfaces from both regimes. All the laser-treated and untreated surfaces investigated in this work exhibited robust hydrophobic behavior.
Few body experiments with polarized beams and polarized targets

Abstract A survey is presented concerning recent polarization experiments in the elastic p-d, p-3He, and p-4He systems. Mention is made of selected neutron experiments. The nominal energy range is 10 to 1000 MeV. Recent results and interpretations of the p-d system near 10 MeV are discussed. New experiments on the energy dependence of back angle p-d tensor polarization are discussed with respect to resolution of discrepancies and difficulty of theoretical interpretation. Progress is noted concerning multiple scattering interpretation of forward p-d deuteron polarization. Some new results are presented concerning the p-3He system and higher energy p-4He polarization experiments.
Context-sensitive Filtering in RLE for PCB Inspection

This paper presents a fast printed circuit board (PCB) inspection methodology based on the segmentation of the PCB image into basic patterns and context sensitive filtering of the difference image for functional defect detection. The system consists of three parts: (1) segmentation of the artwork and test board images into basic patterns using the CAD data for the artwork, (2) comparison of the test board image windows with the corresponding artwork image windows, (3) context-sensitive filtering of the difference image obtained in step (2) for the determination of the defects and their locations. For image representation, runlength encoding (RLE) is used and processing is done directly on RLE data. This provides the needed efficiency in processing huge amounts of image data, which is typical in PCB inspection. Working on the difference image results in considerable reduction in the data to be processed during the filtering stage. Context-sensitive filtering enables classification of defects in such a way that only potentially functional defects are caught and reported in the final analysis.
Local area networks in the administrative area of a university

This paper will describe an applications problem in a university administrative office and the process of arriving at a satisfactory solution to the problem using a combination of mainframe, data communications, personal computer (PC) and local area networking (LAN) technologies.
Leaf Water Potentials Measured with a Pressure Chamber

Leaf water potentials were estimated from the sum of the balancing pressure measured with a pressure chamber and the osmotic potential of the xylem sap in leafy shoots or leaves. When leaf water potentials in yew, rhododendron, and sunflower were compared with those measured with a thermocouple psychrometer known to indicate accurate values of leaf water potential, determinations were within +/- 2 bars of the psychrometer measurements with sunflower and yew. In rhododendron. water potentials measured with the pressure chamber plus xylem sap were 2.5 bars less negative to 4 bars more negative than psychrometer measurements.The discrepancies in the rhododendron measurements could be attributed, at least in part, to the filling of tissues other than xylem with xylem sap during measurements with the pressure chamber. It was concluded that, although stem characteristics may affect the measurements, pressure chamber determinations were sufficiently close to psychrometer measurements that the pressure chamber may be used for relative measurements of leaf water potentials, especially in sunflower and yew. For accurate determinations of leaf water potential, however, pressure chamber measurements must be calibrated with a thermocouple psychrometer.
Target set size, time sharing and vigilance performance

The empirical literature describing the effect of number of signals (target set size) and number of signal sources to be monitored simultaneously (time sharing) on visual vigilance performance is reviewed. It is concluded that greater target sets and time sharing generally result in lower vigilance performance but that these effects are probably mediated through different information processing mechanisms. Moreover, the classical vigilance decrement was oftentimes found not to occur under time sharing conditions. A possible explanation of this phenomenon in information processing terms is offered. In order to test these generalizations a visual vigilance experiment was set up in which subjects had to monitor one or two dials for the occurrence of one or two kinds of critical signals. Results show that target set size had the expected deteriorating effect on hit rate and reaction time. However, time sharing only affected reaction time (longer) and did not interact with number of signals or time on task with respect to hit rate, sensitivity, false alarm rate or R:S ratio. The latter measures did not change over time. However, reaction times showed a signficant improvement (shorter) over time under time sharing conditions. In the discussion of these results issues like power of the design, learning effects, and signal conspicuity are addressed. Recommendations are given for future research. Language: en
The distribution of native and exotic plants in a naturally fragmented sagebrush-steppe landscape

We tested two general hypotheses for the diversity of native and exotic plants in an undisturbed, naturally fragmented sagebrush-steppe landscape in SE Idaho, USA, evaluating whether the MacArthur–Wilson hypothesis of island biogeography or a suite of environmental variables explained the distributions of native and exotic plants. We also tested a third hypothesis, which incorporated assumptions about the origin of exotic plants and their interaction with native plants. Of the three hypotheses we tested, the hypothesis that included exotic species best explained the diversity of the native plant community. The MacArthur–Wilson model of island biogeography did not explain the diversity of native (R 2 = 0.13) or exotic plants well (R 2 = 0.11), and the model fit the data poorly. A model of environmental variables better explained the diversity of native (R 2 = 0.48) and exotic plants (R 2 = 0.57), but it also fit the data poorly. Instead, proximity to a railroad explained the cover (R 2 = 0.59) and richness of exotic plants (R 2 = 0.63), which then explained the species richness of native plants (R 2 = 0.34), and the model fit was adequate and had the lowest AIC value. This suggests that the transportation corridor had a significant, though indirect, effect on the native plant community, even in this undisturbed area. Moreover, explained variance, model fit, and the AIC model selection criteria favored the model with the railroad and exotic species over the M–W and environmental models. Since the habitat patches we studied were largely undisturbed by people and their activities, our results further suggest that the transportation corridor influenced the distribution of exotic plants by serving as a vector for colonization, rather than as a source of disturbance. Additionally, the results suggest that exotic plant species have had a negative effect on the diversity of the native plant community and have changed its composition. The results also support the inference that the nascent exotic plant community is influenced by source-sink (Pulliam in Am Nat 132:652–661, 1988) and assembly dynamics. In contrast, the native plant community appears to be more strongly influenced by environmental conditions associated with an elevational gradient, but there is evidence that the native community also has undergone directional change in species composition, associated with the invasion by non-native species.
A graph-based memetic approach to sketch geolocation

This paper presents a memetic algorithm for the task of sketch geolocation. Small sets of 2D objects having real-world origin are depicted as sketches, which capture their spatial configuration. These are matched to a much larger geospatial reference scene using a memetic algorithm, which combines both global and local search strategies. Sets are represented as attributed relational graphs in which objects are graph nodes and the spatial relationships between objects, defined by the histograms of forces, are graph edges. We define a similarity measure between two such graphs and describe two local search operators. The first is a greedy operator based on our previous work and the second is a new approach based on the VF2 subgraph isomorphism algorithm. Our experiments show that both methods can be successfully applied to this domain.
Early Results of Use of Homografts for Replacement of the Aortic Valve in Man

The first 50 cases at the Mayo Clinic of insertion of an aortic valvular homograft after excision of the aortic valve are reported. The hospital mortality rate was 6%. An aortic diastolic murmur was noted in 17% of the surviving patients just prior to their dismissal from the hospital. In none was there evidence of hemodynamically significant aortic valvular incompetence. At follow-up examination 3 to 12 months postoperatively, an aortic diastolic murmur was audible in 44% of the traced patients. Only one patient had hemodynamically significant aortic valvular incompetence. The patients were not given anticoagulant therapy, and there were no thromboembolic complications.
Multipurpose laminar‐flow adhesion cells for the study of bacterial colonization and biofilm formation

The ability to reproducibly colonize substrata with concomitant monitoring of biofilm development is essential to laboratory studies of microbial activities at surfaces. A test system was developed whereby on‐line, non‐destructive measurements (open circuit potential [OCP], direct cell counts, bioluminescence, oxygen) of bacterial colonization and metabolic activity could be obtained from a series of laminar‐flow adhesion cells. The cells consisted of two high‐density polyethylene blocks 32 mm H × 65 mm W × 178 mm L, with a 1 mm deep flow channel milled in the top block. A glass viewing window enabled direct observation of a removable, flush‐mounted 25 x 50 mm coupon, which was recessed into the bottom block. Laminar‐flow conditions were validated at linear flow rates up to 1.3 cm s−1 (20 ml min−1). Reproducible colonization of Pseudomonas fluorescens monocultures was obtained, with 72 h direct‐counts and viable counts ranging from between 5.1 to 10.4 × 107 and 1.4 to 2.2 × 107 cells cm−2, respectively, f...
Enhancing Secondary Cotaught Science and Mathematics Classrooms Through Collaboration

Coteaching at all levels can be difficult, but coteaching at the secondary level in science and mathematics can create unique challenges. This article provides examples of issues related to coteach...