cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mixture Design Study of Fiber-Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete for Prefabricated Street Light Post Structures

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to produce strong precast street light posts that are aesthetically pleasing. This study presents experimental results of a considerable number of mixture designs for fabricating precast street light posts where fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete (FRSCC) was employed. The performance of many FRSCC mixtures was evaluated in terms of their structural properties and aesthetic characteristics. A trial-and-error procedure was performed for a series of FRSCC mixtures where silica fume, fly ash, and fibers were used. Slump flow and air content tests were conducted to determine the fresh FRSCC properties, and specimens were cast to evaluate their aesthetic. Three-day and seven-day compression tests were performed to examine the FRSCC hardened properties. The amount of cement in all batches was kept constant, whereas the distributions of fine and coarse aggregates, water, and other admixtures were adjusted. The largest slump flow of 73.7 cm (29 in) was recorded, and the maximum three-day compressive strength was 43 MPa (6209 psi). Further refinement of the mixtures, which displayed the best strength and aesthetic attributes, was performed. Test results of the selected FRSCC mixtures indicated an excellent slump flow, air content, and compression values while achieving advantageous aesthetic qualities. Seven-day compressive strength of 39 MPa (5686 psi) with the air content of 4.8 percent and the slump flow of 66 cm (26 in) was recorded. The study results and the developed FRSCC mixes can be used for mass production of precast concrete street light posts in precast plants.
Modeling social network influence on hurricane evacuation decision consistency and sharing capacity

Abstract Evacuations in major disasters such as hurricanes involve complex decision-making and depend on several interrelated factors. Mass evacuation created traffic gridlocks with hours of added travel time in previous hurricane evacuations. To leverage this, shared mobility as an alternative evacuation strategy can ensure compliance to evacuation orders. Besides, previous evacuation studies examined evacuation decision-making for a given hurricane, however the empirical literature is inconclusive of what governs evacuation decision consistency of previous (evacuated or not) and future (will evacuate or not) hurricanes. As such, the purpose of this study is to explore the influence of personal social networks and day-to-day sharing activity on hurricane evacuation decision consistency and shared evacuation capacity (number of people with whom one will evacuate). By adopting a Personal Network Research Design (PNRD) framework and conducting an online survey of south Florida residents, the evacuation decision consistency of people is modeled using multinomial logistic regression method. An ego-centric social network analysis is also conducted which focuses on the survey respondents (egos) and the people in their close contacts (alters). Shared evacuation capacity is modeled using zero inflated Poisson (ZIP) approach. Tobit regression techniques are used to estimate the influence of day-to-day joint activities on shared evacuation decisions. Results showed that these variables are influenced by similarity in race, religion, marital status, bike ownership, use of social media and day-to-day shared activity. The age and income of people also significantly affect these decisions. The results will help in developing decision support frameworks for evacuation management applications and encourage emergency planners to promote shared evacuations in vulnerable communities.
Designing High-Performance Multimode Fibers Using Refractive Index Optimization

The rich design landscape of optical fibers offers many opportunities for refractive index optimization. In particular, the refractive index profiles of multimode fibers (MMFs) and multicore fibers (MCFs) govern the behavior of spatial and polarization modes, including their bandwidth, mode count, mode coupling, modal dispersion, chromatic dispersion, and mode-dependent loss. In this article, we obtain update equations to optimize the shapes of fiber refractive index profiles for various applications using gradient descent. Starting with an initial fiber designed according to standard best practices, our methods iteratively modify the refractive index profile to improve upon the initial design. Interestingly, we see that optimization can sometimes yield large improvements in key fiber properties, such as a 20-fold reduction in the root-mean-square modal group delay spread, even though the index profile is changed very little from the initial design. We show that our methods can be used to tailor the mode coupling, modal dispersion and chromatic dispersion properties to desired values, and that optimization can be successfully applied over a large bandwidth. We provide illustrative design examples, including an optimization of a graded-index MMF with low group delay spread for long-haul mode-division-multiplexed transmission. Our algorithms can be used to design novel fibers or optimize existing fibers for next-generation transmission systems.
The Role of Oncotype DX® Recurrence Score in Predicting Axillary Response After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.

Oncotype DX® recurrence score (RS) is well-recognized for guiding decision making in adjuvant chemotherapy; however, the predictive capability of this genomic assay in determining axillary response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) has not been established. Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), we identified patients diagnosed with T1-T2, clinically N1/N2, estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER +/HER2 −) invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast between 2010 and 2015. Patients with an Oncotype DX® RS who received NCT were included. RS was defined as low ( 30). Unadjusted and adjusted analyses were performed to determine the association between axillary pathologic complete response (pCR) and RS. This study included a total of 158 women. RS was low in 56 (35.4%) patients, intermediate in 62 (39.2%) patients, and high in 40 (25.3%) patients. The majority of patients presented with clinical N1 disease (89.2%). Axillary pCR was achieved in 23 (14.6%) patients. When stratifying patients with axillary pCR by RS, 11 (47.8%) patients had a high RS, 6 (26.1%) patients had an intermediate RS, and 6 (26.1%) patients had a low RS. Comparing cohorts by RS, 27.5% of patients with high RS tumors had an axillary pCR, compared with only 9.7% in the intermediate RS group, and 10.7% in the low RS group (p = 0.0268). Our findings demonstrate that Oncotype DX® RS is an independent predictor of axillary pCR in patients with ER +/HER2 − breast cancers receiving NCT. A greater proportion of patients with a high RS achieved axillary pCR. These results support Oncotype DX® as a tool to improve clinical decision making in axillary management.
Trade liberalization and gender gaps in local labor market outcomes: Dimensions of adjustment in the United States

Abstract We provide empirical results that trade liberalization with China reduced gender gaps in local U.S. labor markets. In MSAs with higher exposure to trade liberalization, the simple wage gender gap decreased, while the residual wage gap increased, indicating important selection effects in labor force participation decisions. The reduction in the gender labor force participation gap was driven by higher entry of women, in particular more educated women, and exit of the less educated men. This results in intrahousehold adjustments in work dynamics, with women entering the labor force to offset the lost income of male partners who left the labor force. We show that trade liberalization increased female workers’ unemployment rate and reliance on part-time jobs.
Evaluating population affinity estimates in forensic anthropology: Insights from the forensic anthropology database for assessing methods accuracy (FADAMA).

Using a sample of anonymized U.S. forensic anthropology cases (n = 251) from the FADAMA database, we assess the degree of concordance between decedents' social identifiers and anthropologists' continental-based classifications. We report high success rates (>90%) that generally support previous findings, yet we acknowledge the limitations of assessing "ancestry" accuracy based on resolved cases and draw attention to situations in which our methods fail. For example, forensic anthropologists achieve just 20% accuracy when classifying individuals as "other" or "mixed"-problematic categories that we argue should be rejected. Leveraging our findings, we ask: what are we really estimating when we perform a skeletal assessment of "ancestry" in the US context? We argue that the "ancestry estimates" historically and routinely produced in forensic anthropology instead give information on population affinity: a measure of how similar a given case is to one among several socially relevant groups of interest. Distancing forensic anthropology from genetics and other disciplines that estimate ancestry, the approach of population affinity assesses similarities to both social and biological groupings, potentially at a fine-grained level, attempting to account for the complex histories, shared biologies, and wide ranges of diversity that characterize our communities and our casework. Population affinity is a flexible and inclusive approach that more accurately describes current forensic anthropological analyses of human variation. Going forward, we must acknowledge and build on the contributions of previous scholars as we work together toward our shared goal of theoretically grounded analyses of human variation that accurately and equitably serve all casework decedents.
Growth Inhibition and Induction of Innate Immune Signaling of Chondrosarcomas with Epigenetic Inhibitors

Chondrosarcomas are inherently resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, pointing to an unmet need for new treatment options. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have shown remarkable promise in multiple solid cancer types, have limited efficacy in chondrosarcomas. Mutations in IDH1/2 genes, which result in progressive increases in DNA and histone methylation, are observed in 50% of conventional chondrosarcomas, suggesting that epigenetic dysregulation represents a potential barrier for tumor progression and target for therapeutic intervention. Here, we demonstrated that combined treatment of FDA-approved inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) 5-aza-29-deoxycytidine (5-aza) and histone deacetylases (HDAC) suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA) impaired the proliferation of chondrosarcoma cell lines in vitro and in xenograft studies. Transcriptomic analysis reveals that chondrosarcoma cells treated with 5-aza and SAHA markedly elevated the expression of interferon-stimulated genes including PD-L1, indicating that these epigenetic drugs induced a potent innate immune response. We demonstrated that 5-aza and SAHA resulted in both genomic and epigenomic instability, as shown by elevated DNA damage response and de-repression of retrotransposons, respectively, which in turn activated Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) and the downstream interferon signaling pathways. Importantly, the cytotoxic effects of 5-aza and SAHA can be rescued by depletion of PRRs such as cGAS and MAVS, and potentiated by depletion of the RNA-editing enzyme ADAR1. Together, our results demonstrate preclinical activity of combined DNMT and HDAC inhibition against chondrosarcomas and suggest that targeted epigenetic therapies could represent a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of chondrosarcomas and this is being tested in an on-going clinical trial (NCT04340843).
Building Better patient outcomes through interprofessional collaboration: A standardized patient experience with pharmacy, nursing, and physician assistant students

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a simulation experience using high-alert medication (HAM) scenarios to provide learners the opportunity to develop teamwork and communication skills. Pharmacy, Nursing, and Physician Assistant students collaborated as an interdisciplinary team, with focused interactions on role understanding and responsibility, communication, and team collaboration. Quantitative results indicated that learners improved in comfort of communication and team collaboration, as well as enhanced their understanding of the other discipline's roles. Qualitative results gave further insight into the strengths of the activity as well as areas for improvement. The paper concludes with recommendations for future directions and application for similar exercises both in person and virtually for other institutions to utilize.
Upset over Air Pollution: Analyzing Upset Event Emissions at Petroleum Refineries

The Clean Air Act (CAA) controls routine emissions at petroleum refineries, by creating limits and penalties for excess emissions. The CAA offers provisions for upset events, air emissions released because of unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances, if companies report the emissions and take corrective action. States enforce upset event rules and many states provide exemptions for a variety of circumstances, which may allow upset emissions to become a substantial, yet mostly unregulated source of emissions. We catalog the quantity and type of emissions generated during upset events at 18 Texas petroleum refineries from 2003 to 2008. We find that upset events occur frequently at these facilities and are collectively large in magnitude, emitting a combined total of 75 million lbs of emissions. In a select number of cases, single upset events exceeded annual emissions reported to the Toxics Release Inventory. Future research should assess the accuracy of upset event reporting and impact of upset events on environmental health.
Reflections on Hilbert’s Program

Hilbert’s Program deals with the foundations of mathematics from a very special perspective; a perspective that stems from Hubert’s answer to the question “What Is Mathematics?”. The popular version of his “formalist” answer, radical at Hubert’s time and shocking to thoughtful mathematicians even today, is roughly this: the whole “thought-content” of mathematics can be uniformly expressed in a comprehensive formal theory, mathematical activity reduces to the manipulation of symbolic expressions, and mathematics itself is just “ein Formelspiel”. Hubert defended his “playful” view of mathematics against intuitionistic attack by remarking: The formula game that Brouwer so deprecates has, besides its mathematical value, an important general philosophical significance. For this formula game is carried out according to certain definite rules, in which the Technique of Our Thinking is expressed. These rules form a closed system that can be discovered and definitively stated. The fundamental idea of my proof theory is none other than to describe the activity of our understanding, to make a protocol of the rules according to which our thinking actually proceeds. Thinking, it so happens, parallels speaking and writing: we form statements and place them one behind the another. If any totality of observations and phenomena deserves to be made the object of serious and thorough investigation, it is this one—...1
Non-enzymatic glycation decreases compressive properties of stem cell pellets undergoing chondrogenic differentiation

Non-enzymatic glycation has long been associated with cartilage diseases such as osteoarthritis. As a potential therapeutic source, stem cells must survive and differentiate into chondrocytes in the presence of glycating factors. In this work, glycoaldehyde was shown to suppress the compressive properties of stem cell pellets undergoing chondrogenic differentiation, while pre-incubation with aminoguanidine recovered their mechanical properties. These results demonstrate possible consequences of glycation on cartilage repair and underline the importance of developing strategies to overcome negative effects of diseased tissue glycation.
Landmark localization on 3D/4D range data using a shape index-based statistical shape model with global and local constraints

We propose a method for landmark localization on 3D and 4D range data.A new Shape Index-Based Statistical Shape Model is proposed.Five Benchmark 3D/4D face databases are tested on.The accuracy of the landmarks is compared to ground truth data, and state-of-the-art methods.The efficacy of the landmarks is validated through expression analysis and pose estimation. In this paper we propose a novel method for detecting and tracking facial landmark features on 3D static and 3D dynamic (a.k.a. 4D) range data. Our proposed method involves fitting a shape index-based statistical shape model (SI-SSM) with both global and local constraints to the input range data. Our proposed model makes use of the global shape of the facial data as well as local patches, consisting of shape index values, around landmark features. The shape index is used due to its invariance to both lighting and pose changes. The fitting is performed by finding the correlation between the shape model and the input range data. The performance of our proposed method is evaluated in terms of various geometric data qualities, including data with noise, incompletion, occlusion, rotation, and various facial motions. The accuracy of detected features is compared to the ground truth data as well as to start of the art results. We test our method on five publicly available 3D/4D databases: BU-3DFE, BU-4DFE, BP4D-Spontaneous, FRGC 2.0, and Eurecom Kinect Face Dataset. The efficacy of the detected landmarks is validated through applications for geometric based facial expression classification for both posed and spontaneous expressions, and head pose estimation. The merit of our method is manifested as compared to the state of the art feature tracking methods.
Essential Amino Acids Affect Interstitial Dopamine Metabolites in the Anterior Piriform Cortex of Rats

The anterior piriform cortex (APC) is essential for the anorectic reactions to an amino acid-imbalanced diet, and it also responds to repletion of the limiting amino acid. In the present study, we examine the dynamic changes of the interstitial dopamine metabolites in the APC following feeding of either an amino acid-corrected or -imbalanced diet. Microdialysates, collected from the APC, were analyzed using HPLC with electrochemical detection. The concentrations were 19.7 +/- 4.8 microg/L for 3, 4-dyhydroxyphenylacetic acid and 25.1 +/- 4.4 microg/L for homovanillic acid, respectively, in the baseline dialysates. After diet treatments, no significant changes occurred in 3, 4-dyhydroxyphenylacetic acid in the corrected (n = 7) or imbalanced (n = 9) groups vs. the basal group (n = 7). However, after feeding the threonine-corrected diet, the concentration of homovanillic acid was significantly less (P < 0.01) than after the basal and imbalanced diets. The homovanillic acid level in the corrected group was already significantly lower than in the basal group by 20 min (P < 0.05), and reached its lowest level at 70 min (P < 0.05). The concentrations of homovanillic acid in the corrected group remained at this low level until the end of the experiment. The present results introduce the idea that the dopaminergic system is involved in the feeding responses to essential amino acid repletion.
Nutrition in far advanced tuberculosis; a preliminary study.

1) Decreased glucose tolerance was found in 37 of 47 patients with far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. These patients all demonstrated poor appetites except for the breakfast meal. The glucose tolerance curves showed prolongation of hyperglycemic levels beyond the third and fourth hours following ingestion of the glucose. On the premise that their poor appetites for the succeeding meals were due to prolonged hyperglycemia a two meal high protein diet was devised with 8 hours between meals. 2) Careful weight, food intake, and blood protein studies were made on 24 far advanced tuberculous patients on this diet. These patients showed a weight reversal from a previous average loss of 2.5 pounds per man two months prior to the diet to an average gain of 1.9 pounds per man during two months on the diet. A critical level of food intake for weight maintenance in this group was found to be 2700 calories divided into 297 grams carbohydrates, 128 grams protein and 120 grams fat. Above this level the great majority of these patients gained weight regardless of fever or other evidence of toxicity. 3) Hemoglobin levels of patients on this diet showed a general increase over the levels 2 months prior to the diet. Total blood proteins showed no essential change over those of the controls. Protein loss in the sputum was found to be negligible.
Investigation of the Ligand-binding Mechanism of Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A of E.coli

The rise of free oxygen in the atmosphere over 2.5 billion years ago made it possible for large land-based plants and animals to thrive. But oxygen, and the energy it provides, comes at great cost. Aerobic metabolism generates highly reactive intermediates and by-products in the form of hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. Within the cell, these reactive oxygen species attack biological macromolecules, producing covalent modifications that can affect both function and structure. One amino acid residue in proteins that is particularly sensitive to oxidation is the sulfur-containing side chain of methionine. Fortunately, methionine oxidation can be reversed by the actions of peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase (MsrA), which reduces methionine sulfoxide back to methionine and restores function to damaged proteins. We have used multiple spectroscopic techniques to investigate the mechanism by which MsrA recognizes and binds to a wide range of oxidized substrates in need of repair. Substrates studied include proteins, peptides and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Sulindac. Competition experiments with the fluorescent reporter ANS suggest the existence of weak, but specific, hydrophobic interactions between MsrA and unstructured and/or hydrophobic ligands.
Generalized quadrangles, flocks, and BLT sets

Approximately five years ago Thas observed a remarkable coincidence relating certain generalized quadrangles constructed by Kantor to flocks of cones and translation planes. This note contains an observation providing a least some kind of explanation. It also contains a seemingly useless method for «embedding» translation planes associated with the flocks «into» the genralized quadrangle
Pten Binding to Morphologically Heterogenous Membrane Environments

PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) is a tumor suppressor protein that dephosphorylates phosphoinositides at the 3-position of the inositol ring. PTEN's membrane association has been shown to be a complex process that involves binding to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and phosphatidylserine [PS]. Recent evidence suggests that the presence of cholesterol promotes the formation of PI(4,5)P2 enriched domains. This study has three objectives: First, to investigate PTEN's binding to lipid systems with laterally heterogeneous membrane morphology. Second, to delineate the kinetics of PTEN lipid binding and activation using stopped-flow fluorescence measurements. Third, by using single molecule fluorescence microscopy determine the lateral diffusion of membrane bound PTEN on supported bilayer and how the binding is affected by laterally heterogeneous membrane environments. Overall the study aims to understand the dynamics of PTEN-membrane interactions at the molecular level.
The impact of assay sensitivity in the assessment of diseases and disorders in children.

Abstract Accurate measurement of the low levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) present in normal children and in children with disorders of puberty and sexual development is critical both for appropriate diagnosis and treatment and for clinical research studies. However, measurement of these levels lacks needed precision because of inadequate sensitivity of most commercially available assays and poor accuracy at the low levels found in normal childhood and most disorders. While immunoassays presently do not appear to have the potential to provide more accurate measurements, isotope dilution-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry techniques offer promise to meet this need to improve clinical care and research.
Many-body forces between membrane inclusions: A new pattern-formation mechanism

The elastic interaction of membrane inclusions provides a unique physical realization of multibody forces. We derive an expression for the multibody curvature interaction between membrane proteins, and show that this interaction cannot be approximated by a pairwise additive theory. However, the interaction can be decomposed into a repulsive pairwise part and a non-pairwise part of similar magnitude which is anisotropic and can be attractive. This non-pairwise interaction can create stable spatial patterns which arise from an interplay between thermal fluctuations and competing pairwise repulsive and non-pairwise attractive interactions. We present numerical simulations which show how aggregates can assemble into ordered patterns from a random initial distribution at room temperature .
The R.B.E. of Different Energy Neutrons as Measured by the Haematopoietic Spleen-colony Technique

SummaryThe spleen-colony technique has been used for determining the relative biological effectiveness (r.b.e.) for several energies of neutron radiation. Donor mice were exposed to fission and accelerator-generated neutrons at a variety of doses and energies. Immediately after exposure, donor bone-marrow was removed from the hind legs, and standard amounts were injected intravenously into lethally X-irradiated recipients. After 7 days the recipients spleens were evaluated for surface colonies. Dose–response curves were obtained for each type of radiation and the D0 was determined. The neutron r.b.e. values from the D0 compared with 250 kVp X-rays were: reactor 1·58, 252Cf 1·59, and accelerator varied from 2·85 at 1·0 Mev to 0·85 at 13·4 MeV.
Effects of propoxur exposure on females of the german cockroach, Blattela germanica and their oothecae

Susceptible and insecticide resistant females of Blattella germanica (L.), Dictyoptera, were exposed to propoxur treated surfaces. They carried oothecae that were expected to hatch in 48 to 72 h. Hatch was delayed in females that retained their oothecae throughout the exposure period. Oothecal hatch and nymphal survival were reduced when oothecae hatched on a treated surface but not when oothecae were retained and hatched on an insecticide-free surface. Over half of the susceptible strain females dropped their oothecae during the exposure period while very few resistance females dropped oothecae prematurely. Mortality of susceptible females that dropped their oothecae was higher than among those that retained oothacea. A tendency in this direction was apparent among the few resistant females that dropped their oothecae. The number of nymphs that emerged on the treated surface and also that survived for 24 h was higher in the resistant than in the susceptible strain. Newly hatched nymphs were frequently attached to the oothecae due to an inability to shed the embryonic cuticle. Resume Action de l'exposition des femelles et des ootheques de blattes, Blatella germanica L. au propoxure Des femelles de B. germanica, sensibles ou resistantes aux insecticides, ont ete mises en presence de surfaces traitees au propoxure. Elles portaient des ootheques dont l'eclosion etait attendue entre 48 et 72 h plus tard. Les eclosions ont ete retardees, les femelles ayant conserve leurs ootheques pendant toute la periode d'exposition. Lex taux d'eclosion des ootheques et de survie larvaire ont ete normaux quand il y a eu retention de l'ootheque et emission sur une surface saine, par contre ils etaient reduits quand l'ootheque a ete emise sur une surface traitee. Plus de la moitie des femelles de la souche sensible ont lache leur ootheque pendant la periode d'exposition tandis que tres peu de femelles de la souche resistante ont abandonne leur ootheque prematurement. La mortalite etait plus elevee chez les femelles sensibles qui ont perdu leur ootheque que chez celles qui l'avaient conservee. Une tendance du meme type etait decelable parmi les quelques femelles de la souche resistante qui perdirent leur ootheque. Le nombre d'ecolosions de larves et le nombre de survies larvaires a 24 h etaient plus eleves dans la souche resistante que dans la souche sensible. Les larves neonates etaient souvent fixees a l'ootheque par suite de leur incapacite a se depouiller de la cuticle embryonnaire.
Myelomeningocele : A review of the epidemiology, genetics, risk factors for conception, prenatal diagnosis, and prognosis for affected individuals

Although the use of folic acid before conception decreases the chance that a fetus will have an open neural tube defect, this condition still affects 0.5–1.0/1000 pregnancies in the United States. Results of a recent survey suggest that there are gaps in obstetrician-gynecologists’ knowledge of risk
Cultural Patterns and Processes in Advanced Placement Human Geography

Abstract In this article I outline some of the key concepts and approaches that form the cultural patterns and processes section of the Advanced Placement human geography course. In addition, I provide examples to illuminate and help explain those concepts and suggest strategies for pursuing educational discussions concerning the range of cultural geographies.
Congestion control in a wireless network

This article proposes a congestion control model for a wireless network. Wireless communications can cause congestion in a high-speed switching network depending on the volume of calls, their origination and the network architecture. In congested areas where wireless services are extensively used, the switching network can become congested. The proposed congestion control model allows for evaluation of these limitations and for choosing the best possible solution. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nanotube surface functionalization effects in blended multiwalled carbon nanotube/PVDF composites

A mixed fill system of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and hydroxylated MWCNT (HO-MWCNT) in a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix was investigated to improve nanotube dispersion and enhance electrical percolation for the bulk nanocomposites. Nonfunctionalized MWCNT were blended at various concentrations into dimethylformamide solutions containing PVDF with 0, 5, or 10 wt % HO-MWCNT. Composite samples prepared from these solutions were examined by four-point probe resistivity measurements. The percolation threshold decreased from 0.49 wt % MWCNT in binary MWCNT/PVDF composites to 0.25 wt % for ternary composites containing MWCNT/HO-MWCNT/PVDF, with either 5 or 10 wt % HO-MWCNT. In the case of the ternary composite with 10 wt % HO-MWCNT, the lowest fill percent of MWCNT (0.25 wt %) measured a conductivity that was three orders of magnitude higher than the binary MWCNT/PVDF composite containing twice the concentration of MWCNT (0.5 wt %). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Chemical and structural variations at augite (100) deformation twin boundaries

It is commonly found that deformation twinning response to plastic deformation results in structural variations at a twin boundary (TB). Chemical heterogeneity at a TB, compared to the host, however, has rarely been reported. An augite sample with a high density of deformation twinning lamellae from Lofoten, Norway was examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM) techniques to characterize both structural and chemical variations at a TB. HRTEM experimental results combined with high-resolution image simulation unambiguously resolve the augite deformation TB structure as a half unit cell of orthopyroxene. EFTEM images at TB demonstrate that Ca is depleted, whereas Fe is enriched at this sub-nanometer scale (0.9 nm) interface. In addition, distance-least-squares (DLS) program was applied to verify that the TB structure is geometrically stabilized by substitution of Fe for Ca.
Changes in epididymal spermatozoa and in the testes of rabbits after experimental cryptorchidism.

Surgical cryptorchidism was induced in sexually mature rabbits by a scrotal incision approach or an abdominal approach, and the effects were observed for the next 14 days. Various combinations of ligatures on the corpus epididymidis and ductus deferens were employed to compare effects with and without restricted sperm movement. Neither cryptorchidism nor epididymal ligatures reduced libido. However, ejaculate volume significantly decreased after 14 days of cryptorchidism (P < 0.05), and this may have resulted from a reduction in contributions by the epididymis as indicated by oligospermia. Damage due to cryptorchidism was significantly more severe on sperm in the caput than in the cauda epididymidis. Four days of cryptorchidism caused an increase in percent of abnormal spermatozoa at all levels of the epididymis. It did not alter the percent of unstained sperm or fertility of sperm in the cauda epididymidis. Thus, uncapacitated sperm in the male at body temperature retain their fertilizing potential for considerably longer periods than capacitated sperm do in the female. Cryptorchidism for seven or more days resulted essentially in a complete loss of fertility of cauda sperm. Caput sperm usually were infertile initially, and after retention by ligation or after the elevation of temperature by cryptorchidism. Testicular alterations were detected after one or more days of cryptorchidism, characterized by cellular sloughing, giant cells, absence of tubules in stage 8 and testicular and tubular shrinkage. Ligatures on the corpus also caused fluid and sperm accumulation and interfered with spermatogenesis. This fluid accumulation was associated with a significant increase in caput epididymal weights (P < 0.05).
Discrete approximations to elliptic differential equations

Der Fehler, welcher entsteht, wenn man das erste Randwertproblem fur lineare elliptische Differentialgleichungen zweiter Ordnung mit endlichen Differenzenmethoden lost, wird mittels einer Methode abgeschatzt, die so allgemein ist, dass sie fast alle in der Praxis auftretenden Netze und Interpolationstechniken an gekrummten Randern umfasst. Diese Abschatzung wird dann benutzt, um die vonL. F. Richardson empfohlene Methode zur Verbesserung der Naherungslosung durch Extrapolation mathematisch zu analysieren.
Resonant Raman scattering in mixed GaSxSe1−x crystals

Abstract One- and two-phonon resonant Raman scattering around the absorption edge in mixed GaSxSe1−x crystals with 0 ⩽ x
Protein surface recognition by porphyrin-based receptors

Protein surface recognition is largely unexplored owing to the large solvent exposed surface and lack of proper molecular scaffolds to match the binding residues. This review describes the design, synthesis, and fluorescence binding studies of functionalized porphyrins aimed at targeting surface residues of proteins through complementary recognition. The pattern of lysine residues surrounding the heme-edge of horse heart cytochrome c has been targeted by tetraphenylporphyrin and tetrabiphenylporphyrin receptors that bind with nano- and sub-nanomolar affinity. Other designed porphyrin-based receptors also recognize potassium channel as a target. The strategies for protein surface recognition offer a new use for porphyrins as molecular scaffolds.
Response to corticotropin-releasing hormone during pregnancy in the baboon.

CRH is secreted by the placenta into human maternal and fetal plasma during gestation. In the present study plasma CRH was measured in the plasma of five pregnant baboons and their fetuses to ascertain whether the baboon is a suitable model for study of placental CRH. Studies were performed in chronically catheterized animals that exhibited no behavioral or endocrinological signs of stress; maternal animals moved freely about the cage. Mean maternal plasma CRH was 620 ± 110 pmol/L (2970 pg/mL) at 146 ± 11 days gestation, and mean fetal plasma CRH was 133 ± 29 pmol/L (640 pg/mL) at delivery in four animals. Plasma CRH was undetectable (<8.5 pmol/L; <41 pg/mL) in nonpregnant animals and in animals 8 h after delivery. Maternal and fetal plasma CRH levels in the chronically catheterized baboon were very similar to human maternal and umbilical cord CRH levels at comparable gesta-tional ages. In addition, the majority of maternal plasma CRH eluted in the same position as synthetic human CRH by gel filtration. C...
Training and technology transfer: Efforts of Japanese, Mexican and American maquiladora companies in Mexico

Abstract This paper presents the results of an empirical study comparing the training programs of American, Japanese and Mexican maquiladora companies in Tijuana, Mexico. The relationship between training and technology transfer is discussed and a model provided for the analysis of the level of technology transfer. The research was carried out in Tijuana where 30 companies in the electronics industry were surveyed. It was found that almost all maquiladora companies provide some type of basic-skills training in the form of 1 week or less formal training and some on-the-job training thereafter. There seems to be little transfer of advanced technology in product design, process design or industrial management. The technology that Mexican workers currently absorb is almost exclusively limited to elementary quality control techniques and supervisory skills. Japanese maquiladoras train a larger percentage of their Mexican managers and technical workers and provide a greater degree of technology transfer through training than do American or Mexican maquiladoras.
Discoidin I-membrane interactions II. Discoidin I binds to and agglutinates negatively charged phospholipid vesicles

Abstract The endogenous lectin of Dictyostelium discoideum , discoidin I, binds to multilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles containing a net negatively charged lipid constituent. This constituent can be a phospholipid or a fatty acid. The amount of binding observed correlates directly with the magnitude of the net charge on the negatively charged constituent and its mole fraction in the vesicles. The binding exhibits a time course and a specificity similar to those observed previously (Bartles J.R. and Frazier, W.A. (1982) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 687, 121–128) for binding to the I sites on fixed D. discoideum cells. The best inhibitors of binding are those components, such as NaCl and polyelectrolytes, which serve to increase the effective ionic strength of the buffer and thereby attenuate the electrostatic interaction between positively charged domains on the discoidin I tetramer and the negatively charged vesicle surface. Binding to the vesicles is multivalent, exhibits apparent positive cooperativity with respect to discoidin I, and appears to be modulated allosterically by hapten sugars of discoidin I. Discoidin I can cause the agglutination of sonicated negatively charged phospholipid vesicles. Vesicle agglutination requires a concentration of discoidin I above a certain threshold, which is dictated by vesicle composition and concentration. Vesicle agglutination is not observed with equivalent or higher concentrations of concanavalin A or bovine serum albumin. The rate and extent of vesicle agglutination are reduced by inhibitors of discoidin I binding to the phospholipid vesicles. Thus, discoidin I has the ability to bind to and to agglutinate negatively charged membranous structures by an electrostatic mechanism that does not rely on the carbohydrate binding activity of the lectin.
Power laws, memory capacity, and self-tuned critical branching in an LIF model with binary synapses

Both fluctuations and distributions of spontaneous neural spiking activity have been observed to closely follow a variety of power laws. Multiple explanations have been offered for each observation, but few lead to mechanisms that encompass their widespread occurrence. A canonical, leaky integrate-and-fire model is presented in which synapses are updated based on the timing of pre- and post-synaptic spikes in order to maintain a state of critical branching. Results showed that 1) the self-tuning algorithm maintained critical branching under a range of parameters; 2) power laws were obtained in spiking activity fluctuations (1/f scaling), size distributions of network bursts (neural avalanches), and temporal correlations in interspike intervals (Allan factor); 3) power laws disappeared once the self-tuning algorithm was disabled; and 4) critical branching was adaptive in that it maximized the network’s memory capacity when assessed as a liquid state machine.
In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Studies of CO Adsorption and Methanol Oxidation on Ru-Modified Pt Surfaces

Ru-modified Pt is so far the best catalyst for the anode reaction of direct methanol fuel cells. The role of Ru is believed to promote carbon monoxide oxidation through a bifunctional mechanism and an electronic effect. However, direct experimental evidence for the electronic effect is sparse. In addition, whether Ru oxides or metallic Ru is the active component in the catalyst is still under debate. To address these issues, carbon monoxide adsorption and methanol oxidation on Ru-modified Pt thin film surfaces in acidic media were studied using in situ overlayer surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Cyclic voltammograms show that with the presence of Ru, CO and methanol oxidation is significantly enhanced as evident by the negative shift of the oxidation potential. The addition of Ru to Pt surfaces did not change the Pt−CO stretching frequency, suggesting that the Pt−CO bond is not weakened significantly by Ru. Through combined SERS and cyclic voltammetry studies, we found that Pt and Ru oxides are ...
Making democracy matter: identity and activism in Los Angeles

Making democracy matter: identity and activism in Los Angeles, by Karen Brodkin, New Brunswick, New Jersey, Rutgers University Press, 2007, 219 pp., US$23.95 (paperback), ISBN 13; 978-0-8135-3979-9...
The myth and magic in OD

Abstract The author offers another perspective of organizational development, a popular approach in the field of administration. He suggests that OD is less a science than an art, and less an art than a magical process between consultant and client. Magic is still a critical part of modern man's mental equipment. The OD consultant's actions and intentions are those of spiritual healer, and his motivations are directed through therapeutic channels. The magical forces of the placebo and doctrinal compliance are two major dimensions of the magic of OD. The article concludes with descriptions of four myths in OD: the myth of the OD discipline, the myth of nonresearchable variables, the myth of newness, and the myth of increased effectiveness.
Evaluation of a Structural Model of Objectification Theory and Eating Disorder Symptomatology among European American and African American Undergraduate Women

This study evaluated a structural equation model of objectification theory among European American (EA; n = 408) and African American women (AA; n = 233). Modeling results indicated a particularly ...
Computer-aided design of recursive digital filters

A practical method is described for designing recursive digital filters with arbitrary, prescribed magnitude characteristics. The method uses the Fletcher-Powell optimization algorithm to minimize a square-error criterion in the frequency domain. A strategy is described whereby stability and minimum-phase constraints are observed, while still using the unconstrained optimization algorithm. The cascade canonic form is used, so that the resultant filters can be realized accurately and simply. Design examples are given of low-pass, wide-band differentiator, linear discriminator, and vowel formant filters.
Serial electrophysiologic studies of the effects of oral diltiazem on paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

In 16 patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, electrophysiologic studies were done before and serially at hourly intervals for eight hours after the third oral dose of 90 mg diltiazem given every eight hours. Diltiazem increased both the longest atrial paced cycle length producing type 1 atrioventricular block and the effective refractory period of the atrioventricular conducting system at all measurements. Before diltiazem, all 16 patients had induction of sustained tachycardia. After diltiazem, sustained tachycardia could not be induced in ten patients at any measurements; in these patients, either echo or nonsustained tachycardia was induced. In the remaining six patients, sustained tachycardia was induced, particularly after six hours. Follow-up observations in 12 patients receiving the same dosage of oral diltiazem for 6±2 months (mean±SD), showed that of the eight patients in whom electrophysiologic testing induced either echo or nonsustained tachycardia, six were asymptomatic and two experienced transient palpitation. Of the other four patients with induction of sustained tachycardia, three had transient palpitation and one had occasional attacks of sustained tachycardia requiring modification of therapy. Thus, oral diltiazem increases atrioventricular nodal refractoriness, with an effect lasting up to eight hours. It is an effective agent for the prophylaxis of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
Growing food to grow cities? The potential of agriculture foreconomic and community development in the urban United States

Agriculture has become a focus of planning for urban regeneration in the United States. However, to make agriculture an impactful part of urban community and economic development – rather than a passing fad – it is vital to identify its most effective forms. This paper reports on field research in six cities in the United States where municipalities, nonprofit organizations and residents are deploying farming and gardening for diverse economic development objectives. Our findings suggest that despite expectations that urban agriculture will attract capital, create jobs and tax ratables and increase property values in preparation for ‘higher-value’ development, its greatest potential is in social enterprise, supplementing incomes, developing human and social capital and promoting food security.
Increased Abundance and Depth of Submersed Macrophytes in Response to Decreased Turbidity in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

Abstract Submersed macrophyte communities and turbidity near shore were measured from 1991 to 1993 to determine if more light resulting from colonization of zebra mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha Pallas) into Saginaw Bay in 1990 corresponded with changes in macrophyte distribution. Turbidity was sampled along five transects distributed at intervals perpendicular to the perimeter of inner Saginaw Bay to monitor changes in light available to plants in Saginaw Bay. Vegetation was sampled in July along these transects to determine the distribution and composition of the macrophyte communities each summer. We also measured the maximum depth of colonization and the area of plant coverage by use of 31 transects evenly distributed around Saginaw Bay in August. Turbidity decreased (P ≤ 0.097) at transects in northern littoral regions from 1991 to 1993 over submersed plant communities and uncolonized sediments, but not in southern littoral regions. The relative abundance of submersed macrophytes increased (P ≤ 0.0001) at all transects from 1991 to 1993, especially at transects where turbidity decreased significantly. Maximum depth of colonization (2.0 m) and the area of macrophyte coverage (101.3 km 2 ) increased in Saginaw Bay, especially in the northwestern littoral region of the bay. Macrophytic chlorophytes, charophytes, and Vallisneria americana increased (P ≤ 0.003) in relative abundance most at transects where turbidity decreased significantly. These results demonstrate that even in a large well-mixed lacustrine environment, zebra mussels have the capacity to reduce turbidity sufficiently to allow submersed macrophytes to expand their distribution and abundance.