cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geometrically nonlinear transient analysis of laminated composite plates

Forced motions of laminated composite plates are investigated using a finite element that accounts for the transverse shear strains, rotary inertia, and large rotations (in the von Karman sense). The present results when specialized for isotropic plates are found to be in good agreement with those available in the literature. Numerical results of the nonlinear analysis of composite plates are presented showing the effects of plate thickness, lamination scheme, boundary conditions, and loading on the deflections and stresses. The new results for composite plates should serve as bench marks for future investigations. mation are assumed to remain straight and normal to the midsurface after deformation (i.e., transverse shear strains are zero), has been used to calculate frequencies, static response, and dynamic response under applied loads. Recent studies in the analysis of plates have shown that the effect of the transverse shear strains on the static and dynamic response of plates is significant. For example, the natural frequencies of vibration predicted by the classical plate theory are 25% higher, for plate side-to-thickness ratio of 10, than those predicted by a shear deformation theory (SDT). In transient analysis of plates the classical plate theory predicts unrealistically large phase velocities in the plate for shorter wavelengths. The Timoshenko beam theory,3 which includes transverse shear and rotary inertia effects, has been extended to isotropic plates by Reissner 4'5 and Mindlin,6 and to laminated anisotropic plates by Yang et al.7 A generalization of the von Karman nonlinear plate theory for isotropic plates to include the effects of transverse shear and rotary inertia in the theory of orthotropic plates is due to Medwadawski,8 and that for anisotropic plates is due to Ebcioglu.9 With the increased application of advanced fiber composite material to jet engine fan or compressor blades, and in high performance aircraft, studies involving transient response of plates made of such materials are needed to assess the capability of these materials to withstand the forces of impact due to foreign objects (e.g., the ingestion of stones, nuts and bolts, hailstones, or birds in jet engines). Previous in- vestigations into the linear transient analysis of composite plates include Moon's10'11 investigation of the response of infinite laminated plates subjected to transverse impact loads at the center of the plate; Chow's12 study of laminated plates (with transverse shear and rotary inertia) using the Laplace transform technique; the Wang et al. 13 investigation, by the method of characteristi cs, of unsymmetrical orthotropic laminated plates; and Sun and Whitney's14'15 study of plates under cylindrical bending. More recently, the present author16'17 investigated the linear transient response of layered anisotropic composite rectangular plates and presented extensive numerical results for center deflection and stresses.
Final Conversations, Phase 2: Children and Everyday Communication

This qualitative study examined messages of everyday communication (small talk and routine interactions). The importance of these messages was highlighted in light of their role in creating structure, safety, and meaning making in the family at the end of life. In addition, family rituals that developed from children's everyday communication were explored and discussed. Retrospective interviews were completed with children. Descriptions of small talk topics revolved around school, daily activities, sporting events, and shared experiences about mutual hobbies. Routine interactions included reading bedtime stories, doing chores together, and doing other everyday activities with one another. Interviews demonstrated that everyday communication helped children make sense of the death of their loved one. These innocuous, common, and routine behaviors also gave children avenues for humor and positive talk and provided comfort, a sense of security, and normalcy during the family's negotiation of the death of a lo...
Lower bounds on data collection time in sensory networks

Data collection, i.e., the aggregation at the user location of information gathered by sensor nodes, is a fundamental function of sensory networks. Indeed, most sensor network applications rely on data collection capabilities, and consequently, an inefficient data collection process may adversely affect the performance of the network. In this paper, we study via simple discrete mathematical models, the time performance of the data collection and data distribution tasks in sensory networks. Specifically, we derive the minimum delay in collecting sensor data for networks of various topologies such as line, multiline, and tree and give corresponding optimal scheduling strategies. Furthermore, we bound the data collection time on general graph networks. Our analyses apply to networks equipped with directional or omnidirectional antennas and simple comparative results of the two systems are presented.
Repeated aripiprazole administration attenuates cocaine seeking in a rat model of relapse.

Rationale Aripiprazole (Abilify) is an atypical antipsychotic drug characterized by partial agonist activity at dopamine (DA) D2/D3 receptors and a low side-effect profile. While we previously demonstrated that acute aripiprazole blocked the reinstatement of cocaine seeking in an animal model of relapse, clinical treatment of relapse prevention necessitates testing the effects of aripiprazole following prolonged abstinence, as well as after repeated administration during withdrawal from cocaine.
Cleaning membranes with focused ultrasound beams for drinking water treatment

Traditional methods for water treatment are not effective to remove micro pollutants such as harmful organics and cannot meet the demand for high-quality drinking water. Membrane technologies are known to produce drinking water of the highest quality. However, membrane fouling is a significant problem, which limits a widespread use of these technologies. Currently, chemical cleaning is used to control fouling, which interrupts the water production process during cleaning, produces secondary pollutants, shortens membrane life due to chemical erosion, adds costs of cleanup, handling, and transporting dangerous chemicals, and waste energy and the cleaned water. Ultrasound has been demonstrated effective for membrane cleaning and does not have the problems of chemical cleaning. However, current ultrasound methods have high energy consumption, require transducers that can handle high power, and are expensive to clean a large membrane area needed for a typical water treatment plant. In this paper, a focused ultrasound beam is used to create a high intensity at focus to produce cavitations for membrane cleaning. This method may save energy and potentially allow inexpensive low-power transducers such as polymeric transducers to be used. Combined with the beamforming technology that is widely used in medical ultrasound, the focused beams can be swept over a large surface area of membranes for cleaning. An experiment was performed and preliminary results show that the method is promising for membrane cleaning.
High current testing of batteries

Summary form only given, as follows. The demand for portable pulsed power devices for scientific, industrial, educational and other uses is constantly increasing, the need for high-energy batteries as alternative means to power these devices is also increasing. There are a number of different kinds of batteries available. In this work we tested different types of commercial batteries in a high, current mode to determine what is the best in portable pulsed power applications. The testing of the batteries was performed in two modes: short time mode (one second) and long time mode (fifty seconds). Alkaline, carbon, lithium, lithium ion, lead acid and nickel cadmium batteries of different dimensions have been tested to determine the maximum usable power for short and long time modes. The resistance of the load was varied from 1 Ohm to 14 mOhm. Current-voltage characteristics are presented for sixteen different types of batteries. Data are given for maximum power per unit of weight and per unit of volume. The pulsed power applications of the batteries are discussed.
0‐D Modeling of Fast Radiative Shutdown of Tokamak Discharges Following Massive Gas Injection

0-D modeling of fast radiative shutdowns of tokamak discharges following massive gas injection is presented. Realistic neutral deposition rates are used together with a 1-D diffusive model to estimate impurity deposition into the plasma. Non-coronal radiation rates including opacity are used, as are induced wall currents, wall impurity radiation, and neutral and neoclassical corrections to plasma resistivity. The 0-D modeling is found to reproduce the shutdown timescale and free electron density rise seen in DIII-D argon injection experiments well. Opacity, wall currents, and wall impurities can all have a significant (>10%) impact on simulated timescales. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Characterization of Human Atherosclerosis by Optical Coherence Tomography

Background— High-resolution visualization of atherosclerotic plaque morphology may be essential for identifying coronary plaques that cause acute coronary events. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an intravascular imaging modality capable of providing cross-sectional images of tissue with a resolution of 10 μm. To date, OCT imaging has not been investigated in sufficient detail to assess its accuracy for characterizing atherosclerotic plaques. The aim of this study was to establish objective OCT image criteria for atherosclerotic plaque characterization in vitro. Methods and Results— OCT images of 357 (diseased) atherosclerotic arterial segments obtained at autopsy were correlated with histology. OCT image criteria for 3 types of plaque were formulated by analysis of a subset (n=50) of arterial segments. OCT images of fibrous plaques were characterized by homogeneous, signal-rich regions; fibrocalcific plaques by well-delineated, signal-poor regions with sharp borders; and lipid-rich plaques by signal...
Use of an Infrared Joint Heater to Improve Longitudinal Joint Performance in Hot Mix Asphalt Pavements

Longitudinal joint cracking is one of the most prevalent forms of distress in asphalt concrete pavements. The joint area does not achieve the same density as the mat due to an unconfined edge on the initial pass and a cold joint during the second pass. The lower density allows water to penetrate and the material cracks, usually within one year of construction. There are many techniques for constructing longitudinal joints, one being to preheat the joint prior to paving the second lane. This paper describes a field study conducted in New Hampshire using an infrared joint heater. Thermocouples were embedded in the pavement to determine the extent of heat penetration from the infrared heaters. Cores were taken along the joint and in the travel lanes for both the control and test sections. Density and strength measurements were taken on the cores. Permeability measurements along the control and test joints were performed. A cracking survey performed one year after construction showed that the section of pavement where the infrared heater was used had significantly less cracking than the control section.
Spatial Routes to Gender Wage (In)equality: Regional Restructuring and Wage Differentials by Gender and Education*

: I examine how different dimensions of restructuring are related to gender wage inequality. The analysis extends research on regional wage differentials to include differentials between men and women in two educational groups at opposite ends of the educational hierarchy. Relative wages across regional labor markets in the United States are modeled in a multilevel framework as outcomes of variation in economic conditions associated with restructuring. Using microdata from the 1990 PUMS-A 5 percent census files, as well as independent sources of macro-data on counties, I show that the direction of wage changes associated with each dimension of restructuring generally does not differ by gender or education. Wages are either higher or lower than the average labor market for all groups. However, there are significant differences in relative wages by gender and many important differences between the two educational groups in the spatial distribution of gender wage inequality. Several “spatial routes” to gender wage equality emerge that differ from the dominant temporal explanations of the declining gender wage gap and differ according to the educational background of workers.
Impact of Incident Diabetes and Incident Nonfatal Cardiovascular Disease on 18-Year Mortality: The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial experience

OBJECTIVE — To report long-term risks for total, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality associated with incident diabetes (using current diagnostic criteria) and with incident nonfatal CVD (NF-CVD). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — A total of 11,645 participants without diabetes or CVD at baseline from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial who survived to the end of the trial were grouped by during-trial incident diabetes and/or NF-CVD events: neither diabetes nor NF-CVD, diabetes only, NF-CVD only, or both diabetes and NF-CVD. Incident diabetes was defined by use of hypoglycemic agents or fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dl at any time over the 6 trial years. Proportional hazards models tested group differences in mortality over 18 post-trial years. RESULTS — Among 3,859 total deaths were 1,846 from CVD and 1,277 from CHD, with death rates per 10,000 person-years of 203, 97, and 67, respectively. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for total mortality were 2.75 ( P P P P = 0.0004), CVD (HR 1.76, P P P = 0.54). CONCLUSIONS — Current diabetes diagnostic criteria conferred significantly increased total, CVD, and CHD mortality risks independent of the impact of NF-CVD. NF-CVD was more strongly predictive of mortality.
Influence of Potassium Depletion on Myocardial Concentration of Tritiated Digoxin

The influence of potassium deficiency on myocardial 3 H-digoxin concentration in the mouse was studied. Tritiated digoxin, 400 µg/kg, was injected intraperitoneally into mice, which were killed at varying time intervals, and the 3 H-digoxin was extracted. One-half of the mice were made potassium deficient by a diet free of potassium. In control animals, myocardial 3 H-digoxin was maximal by 30 min and declined through 24 hours. There was no significant difference between the myocardial 3 H-digoxin of the control and potassium-depleted groups at ½ 1, 2, 6, or 16 hours, but at 24 hours a significantly higher concentration of digoxin was present in the potassium-deficient mouse hearts (23.6 ± 5.2 mµg/g) than in the control group (3.1 ± 1.5 mµg/g). Potassium-depleted mice with total renal failure, produced by bilateral ligation of the renal pedicle, showed increased myocardial 3 H-digoxin levels at 20 hours as compared with mice with renal failure but without potassium deficiency. It is concluded that potassium deficiency may lead to increased concentrations of cardiac digoxin. The findings in the anuric animals suggest that diminished renal function produced by potassium depletion is not the sole mechanism of this retention of cardiac 3 H-digoxin.
Impact of technology and voltage scaling on LEON3 processor performance and energy

Although CMOS technology scaling has proceeded to sub-20nm nodes, FinFET devices are considered as the technology-of-choice for sub-20nm technology nodes due to the improved gate control [1]. On the other hand, voltage scaling provides us an energy efficient solution to the VLSI design, such as the near-threshold computing technique [2]. This work investigates the performance and energy consumption of LEON3 processor under technology and voltage scaling. Specifically, in order to study the impact of technology and voltage scaling, this work (i) develops 7nm gate length FinFET, ITRS 7nm FinFET (with 11nm actual gate length), ITRS 16nm CMOS, and ITRS 22nm CMOS Verilog-A device models using Synopsys TCAD tools [3], (ii) builds up the standard cell libraries using the developed Verilog-A models for the four previously mentioned technology nodes under a set of different supply voltage levels (i.e., from near-threshold to super-threshold), and (iii) synthesizes LEON3 processor (datapath plus L1 and L2 caches) using the developed standard cell libraries to compare the impact of technology and voltage scaling on the performance and energy consumption of LEON3 processor.
An Intrinsic Baldwin Effect in the Hβ Broad Emission Line in the Spectrum of NGC 5548

We investigate the possibility of an intrinsic Baldwin effect (i.e., nonlinear emission-line response to continuum variations) in the broad HP emission line of the active galaxy NGC 5548 using crosscorrelation techniques to remove light-travel time effects from the data. We find a nonlinear relationship between the HP emission line and continuum fluxes that is in good agreement with theoretical predictions. We suggest that similar analysis of multiple lines might provide a useful diagnostic of physical conditions in the broad-line region.
A core-modified porphyrin as a sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells

A core-modified porphyrin was used as a light harvesting sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The substitution of one nitrogen atom to sulfur atom at the core aromatic system in the porphyrins resulted in the red-shift of porphyrin in UV-Vis spectrum. Two carboxylic acid groups can bind strongly to the surface of an oxide semiconductor, (e.g. TiO{2}). The solid film of porphyrin gave band I absorption with λ max of 695 nm. DSSCs were fabricated with a core-modified porphyrin and a nanocrystalline porous TiO 2 layer deposited on fluorine-doped tin dioxide (FTO) glass. The amount of porphyrin attached onto TiO 2 surface depended on the concentration of a porphyrin solution. As the solution concentration increased, more porphyrins were absorbed onto the TiO 2 surface and the DSSC performance was improved. There was a direct relationship between the concentration of porphyrin solution and the cell performance.
African Hip Hop and Politics of Change in an Era of Rapid Globalization

African hip hop has emerged as a forum that allows youth to critically participate in the continent’s development and ideological processes in this era of rapid globalization. Arguing that a large proportion of youth in Africa are now involved in various forms of resistance and contestation of social and political practices and processes, I show that with the shrinking role of the state in providing social services due to global economic changes African hip hop has become a platform for challenging current ways of living and the reimagining of a new world. Taking the advantage of spaces created by market-driven economic structures, African youth are consistently thrusting themselves in the public space commenting on politics, economics, and culture in ways that were unimaginable in the last two decades of the 20th century. With examples from multiple countries in Africa, this paper shows how youth in Africa are participating in the shaping of the political and economic futures.
The Emerging Political Perception of Organizations: Two Paradigms

This article examines the premise that increasing concentration of power in large, multinational organizations will eventually necessitate the political control of such organizations to ensure the interests and well-being, however defined, of their host countries. This view assumes that centralized control is necessary to prevent abuses of power by private organizations who are not necessarily concerned with the public good. Another view is the anarchist paradigm, where it is assumed that people and groups, left to sort things out among themselves, will eventually produce outcomes beneficial for the whole. Aligned with this approach is the transformational or emerging paradigm. I will examine the assumptions that underlie each paradigm and leave the reader to decide their relative validity.
Auditory selectivity for acoustic features that confer species recognition in the tungara frog.

SUMMARY In anurans, recognition of species-specific acoustic signals is essential to finding a mate. In many species, behavioral tests have elucidated which acoustic features contribute to species recognition, but the mechanisms by which the brain encodes these species-specific signal components are less well understood. The tungara frog produces a `whine9 mating call that is characterized by a descending frequency sweep. However, much of the signal is unnecessary for recognition, as recognition behavior can be triggered by a descending two-tone step that mimics the frequency change in a portion of the whine. To identify the brain regions that contribute to species recognition in the tungara frog, we exposed females to a full-spectrum whine, a descending two-tone step that elicits recognition, the reversed two-tone step that does not elicit recognition, or no sound, and we measured expression of the neural activity-dependent gene egr-1 in the auditory brainstem and thalamus. We found that the behavioral relevance of the stimuli was the best predictor of egr-1 expression in the laminar nucleus of the torus semicircularis but not elsewhere. That is, the laminar nucleus responded more to the whine and the two-tone step that elicits recognition than to the reversed two-tone step. In contrast, in other brainstem and thalamic nuclei, whines induced egr-1 expression but tones did not. These data demonstrate that neural responses in the laminar nucleus correspond to behavioral responses of females and they suggest that the laminar nucleus may act as a feature detector for the descending frequencies characteristic of conspecific calls.
An Autologous Tissue Implant, NeoCart, for Treatment of Hyaline Cartilage Injury in the Knee

NeoCart is an autologous cartilage tissue–engineered implant designed for use in repair of articular cartilage injuries. It uniquely combines a type I bovine-derived collagen scaffold with autogenous chondrocytes and bioreactor treatment. It is currently in the third phase of an investigational study in the United States for treatment of symptomatic articular cartilage lesions of the distal femur. This multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial directly compares changes of multiple patient-reported outcome measures over 3 years with a control group undergoing microfracture surgery. This article describes the study design and indications for enrollment in the phase III trial. The technical elements of NeoCart culture and production process, surgical implantation procedure, and rehabilitation guidelines are outlined. In addition, we review previously published findings from the completed phase I safety and phase II exploratory trials.
Routine Childhood Bacille Calmette Guérin Immunization and HIV Infection

The safety of immunizing HIV-infected infants and children with live vaccines including Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) was first addressed by the World Health Organization in 1987. The advisory group concluded that the benefits of BCG immunization for all children outweighed the risks among those with HIV infection and the group recommended that routine childhood immunization be continued and that BCG vaccine only be withheld from infants with symptomatic HIV infection. A 2004 World Health Organization review came to the same conclusion adding that BCG immunized infants of HIV-infected mothers should undergo long-term follow-up to monitor for possible adverse effects associated with BCG vaccine. Two developments warrant reconsideration of these recommendations: the results of a study of BCG complications from South Africa published in this issue of the journal and the identification of BCG-induced immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in children receiving antiretroviral therapy. (excerpt)
A technique for immunoassay of human IgG.

SummaryAn immunoassay procedure based on the use of specific antibody coupled to polyaminostyrene is described. Quantitation of human IgG in the range of 0.1 to 1.5 μg was possible and by minor adjustments the sensitivity could be increased severalfold.
Weighted Feature Significance: A Simple, Interpretable Model of Compound Toxicity Based on the Statistical Enrichment of Structural Features

In support of the U.S. Tox21 program, we have developed a simple and chemically intuitive model we call weighted feature significance (WFS) to predict the toxicological activity of compounds, based on the statistical enrichment of structural features in toxic compounds. We trained and tested the model on the following: (1) data from quantitative high-throughput screening cytotoxicity and caspase activation assays conducted at the National Institutes of Health Chemical Genomics Center, (2) data from Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutagenicity assays conducted by the U.S. National Toxicology Program, and (3) hepatotoxicity data published in the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. Enrichments of structural features in toxic compounds are evaluated for their statistical significance and compiled into a simple additive model of toxicity and then used to score new compounds for potential toxicity. The predictive power of the model for cytotoxicity was validated using an independent set of compounds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tested also at the National Institutes of Health Chemical Genomics Center. We compared the performance of our WFS approach with classical classification methods such as Naive Bayesian clustering and support vector machines. In most test cases, WFS showed similar or slightly better predictive power, especially in the prediction of hepatotoxic compounds, where WFS appeared to have the best performance among the three methods. The new algorithm has the important advantages of simplicity, power, interpretability, and ease of implementation.
Energy-Efficient Group Key Management Protocols for Hierarchical Sensor Networks

In this paper, we describe a group key management protocol for hierarchical sensor networks where instead of using pre-deployed keys, each sensor node generates a partial key dynamically using a function. The function takes partial keys of its children as arguments. The design of the protocol is motivated by the fact that traditional cryptographic techniques are impractical in sensor networks because of associated high energy and computational overheads. The group key management protocol supports the establishment of two types of group keys; one for the nodes within a group (intra-cluster), and the other among a group of cluster heads (inter-cluster). The protocol handles freshness of the group key dynamically, and eliminates the involvement of a trusted third party (TTP). We have experimentally analyzed the time and energy consumption in broadcasting partial keys and the group key under two sensor routing protocols (Tiny-AODV and Tiny-Diffusion) by varying the number of nodes and key sizes. The performance study provides the optimum number of partial keys needed for computing the group key to balance the key size for security requirements and the power consumption. The experimental study also concludes that the energy consumption of SPIN [9] increases rapidly as the number of group members increases in comparison to our protocol. Similarly the pre-deployed key approach requires more communication time in comparison with this protocol. We have implemented this protocol using MICA2 motes and repeated most of the experiments which are done in simulation and we found out that the obtained results are very close to the observations made using the simulator.
The observation of three-body narrow resonances in ultra-cold collisions

Summary form only given, as follows. We report on the observation of narrow resonances associated with cold cesium collisions. A loss of laser cooled atoms in a trap is induced with a laser tuned to the blue of the 6S-6P transition. Several sharp resonances, with /spl sim/kHz intrinsic linewidths, are observed as a function of an applied magnetic field. The resonances appear near magnetically tunable Feshbach resonances. We identify the collision resonances as three-body processes. We have observed both mixed resonances where the collision partners are in different states and resonances consisting of identical atoms. These resonances are promising candidates of Efimov-like states. Efimov predicted that three-body, S-wave bound states could exist near a scattering resonance regardless of whether the pair-wise interaction is attractive or repulsive. These states were first predicted to occur in nuclear scattering, but have never been seen.
Predation on Yellow-bellied Marmots (Marmota flaviventris)

Abstract I determined cause-specific mortality of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) to assess the importance of predation as a mortality factor. Contrary to earlier findings based on visual observation, almost all (98%) mortality during the summer active season was caused by predation. Coyotes (Canis latrans) were the most important predators, followed by badgers (Taxidea taxus), American martens (Martes americana), black bears (Ursus americanus) and raptors, probably golden eagles (Aguila chrysaetos). Predation on marmots is cryptic; none of the predation events were observed and, in most cases, the marmot was consumed or removed so quickly and completely that searching for carcass remains would have been fruitless.
Peroxisome proliferators alter lipid acquisition and elastin gene expression in neonatal rat lung fibroblasts

During the alveolar stage of lung development, lipid droplet-laden interstitial cells are present at the base of elongating alveolar septa. These cells that have been named lipid interstitial cells...
Molecular cloning of the human AT2 receptor.

The peptide hormone angiotensin II (AII), the biologically active component of the renin-angiotensin system, exerts a wide variety of physiological effects on the cardiovascular, endocrine and central and peripheral nervous system (1). AII exerts its physiological effects in the target tissues through specific interactions with plasma membrane receptors (2). Given the diversity of AII-mediated events and the differential signal transduction mechanisms, it has been proposed that multiple AII receptor subtypes exist (3,4).
Resisting Leviathan: Depictions of Silvio Berlusconi in Italian fiction 2003–2011

The article analyses a corpus of recent Italian narrative composed between 2003 and 2011, which primarily deals with the impact of Berlusconi's governance on contemporary Italian society. The corpus includes works by Babette Factory, Caruso, Cordelli, D'Amicis, Ferraresi, Janaczeck, Miraglia, Pazzi, Pincio, Salieri, and Vacca. By applying conceptual tools derived from Barthes’ ‘mythology’ and from Yves Citton's recent notion of mythocracy, with its marked Hobbesian overtones, the corpus’ main features (namely, a recurrent obsession with conspiracy plots and a stylistic blend of fictional and non-fictional registers) are read in close conjunction with the political conditions of Berlusconismo. The emphasis on failed conspiracy is seen as a reflection of its all-pervasive nature, while its uncanny ‘reality effects’ are a subversive mise en abyme of Berlusconi's omnipresent ‘fictionalization of politics’ (Salmon). Finally, the last part of the article focuses on textual analysis, detecting in the examined co...
Iron sulfide attenuates the methanogenic toxicity of elemental copper and zinc oxide nanoparticles and their soluble metal ion analogs

Elemental copper (Cu(0)) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle (NP) toxicity to methanogens has been attributed to the release of soluble metal ions. Iron sulfide (FeS) partially controls the soluble concentration of heavy metals and their toxicity in aquatic environments. Heavy metals displace the Fe from FeS forming poorly soluble metal sulfides in the FeS matrix. Therefore, FeS may be expected to attenuate the NP toxicity. This work assessed FeS as an attenuator of the methanogenic toxicity of Cu(0) and ZnO NPs and their soluble salt analogs. The toxicity attenuation capacity of fine (25-75μm) and coarse (500 to 1200μm) preparations of FeS (FeS-f and FeS-c respectively) was tested in the presence of highly inhibitory concentrations of CuCl2, ZnCl2 Cu(0) and ZnO NPs. FeS-f attenuated methanogenic toxicity better than FeS-c. The results revealed that 2.5× less FeS-f than FeS-c was required to recover the methanogenic activity to 50% (activity normalized to uninhibited controls). The results also indicated that a molar FeS-f/Cu(0) NP, FeS-f/ZnO NP, FeS-f/ZnCl2, and FeS-f/CuCl2 ratio of 2.14, 2.14, 4.28, and 8.56 respectively, was necessary to recover the methanogenic activity to >75%. Displacement experiments demonstrated that CuCl2 and ZnCl2 partially displaced Fe from FeS. As a whole, the results indicate that not all the sulfide in FeS was readily available to react with the soluble Cu and Zn ions which may explain the need for a large stoichiometric excess of FeS to highly attenuate Cu and Zn toxicity. Overall, this study provides evidence that FeS attenuates the toxicity caused by Cu(0) and ZnO NPs and their soluble ion analogs to methanogens.
Dopamine Receptor Availability in ADHD

Striatal dopamine (D2) receptor availability was determined by iodobenzamide brain SPECT, before and 3 months after methylphenidate (MPH) therapy, in 9 children (mean age, 9.8 years) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) examined at Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Microstructure of Oxidized Ge0.78SiO.12 annealed in a Reducing Ambient

Transmission electron microscopy, conventional and high-resolution, is used to characterize the microstructural behavior of oxidized Ge0.78Si0.12 layers annealed in a reducing 95% N2+ 5% H2 ambient. An epitaxial Ge layer grows by solid-phase epitaxy on an underlying Ge0.78Si0.12 seeding layer with a Ge-Sio2 matrix positioned between them. Defect densities in the epitaxial Ge are significantly lower than in the underlying Ge0.78Si0.12. Microstructural details of this behavior are investigated.
A New and Reproducible Modified Papanicolaou Staining Procedure

A staining technique using modified Mayer's hematoxylin and supersaturated lithium carbonate for aspiration cytology and body fluid smear is described. This method enhances the nuclear component, increases cytoplasmic transparency, and reduces background staining. It also eliminates several steps to save time and expense.
Raman Staircase in Charge Transfer SERS at the Junction of Fusing Nanospheres

We present a theoretical analysis of Raman intensities for a molecule that bridges a current carrying junction. Experimental data is used to estimate parameters for the theoretical model. The recently reported staircase of Raman intensities observed during the fusion of nanodumbbell is reproduced.
AIM 99-2799 Numerical Simulation of Gas-Particle Two-Phase Turbulent Flows in the Combustion Chamber of Spinning Solid Rocket Motor

Basing on incompressible N-S equations, spinning relative coordinate, body-fitted grid system and SIMPLE method, internal gas-particle turbulent flows in the combustion chamber of Solid Rocket Motor in ground spinning firing test are simulated numerically. The calculated results show that the distribution of tangential vortex possesses the features of Rankme, whose nucleus radius in the forward opening is very small, nucleus spinning rate is very high. The strong gas-particle vortex which seriously affects the thermal protection is the main reason that the forward boss of solid rocket motor was burned through in ground spinning firing test . I . Introduction A spinning acceleration often produce significant internal ballistics change and insulation erosion enhancement of large solid propellant rocket motors[ 11, the circular motion of combustion gas in the chamber caused by spin can make gas flows and heat transfer changed, and these variation and difference can increase rapidly along with the augmentation of spin rate and burning surface-tocenterline distance. For a long time, a series of domestic and foreign solid rocket motors failed in ground spinning firing tests. in china, the perigee solid rocket motor matching with launch vehicle continuously failed twice in ground spinning firing tests because the forward boss was burned through[2], and during apogee solid rocket motors’ research and development, spinning enhancement of the forward opening insulation erosion is a phenomenon seen consistently in ground spinning firing. But up to now, the research on spinning effects of solid rocket * Associate Professor, The 41” Institute of China Aerospace Corporation. * Professor and President, The Fourth Academy of China Aerospace Corporation. x Professor, The 41” Institute of China Aerospace Corporation. Copyright
Hormonal regulation of Cl transport in polar airway epithelia measured by a fluorescent indicator

Cl transport mechanisms in polarized cultures of canine tracheal epithelium were examined using an Ussing-type chamber with independent mucosal and serosal perfusion. Cl activity was monitored cont...
Older women and sexuality: Narratives of gender, age, and living environment

Little research has explored the intersection of aging and sexuality. This qualitative study is informed by a life course approach and narrative gerontology methods. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 women age 55 and older to explore the effects of gender, aging, and living environment on past and current sexual experiences. Subthemes from each major theme are discussed, including: (a) messages about and perceived effects of gender, (b) perceived effects of aging, and (c) perceived effects of living environment. Findings support the use of dynamical systems theory to study women's sexual experiences.
The Text of the Medieval Bible

When Jerome was asked by Pope Damasus in 382 c.e . to produce a reliable version of the Latin Gospels and Psalter, he did not interpret this as a request to produce a new translation from the Greek and Hebrew originals. A Latin translation, or, rather, translations (for there were several versions), which later came to be known as the Vetus Latina (the “Old Latin [Bible]”), already existed. Instead, Jerome set out to create a corrected text of this existing Latin Bible, by comparing it to the Greek. Born in 347 in Stridon, in modern-day Slovenia, Jerome was a student of classical rhetoric in Rome. After his conversion to Christianity, he studied for some time in the east, eventually to return to Rome in 382, where he enjoyed the patronage of Pope Damasus. In 385, after falling out with the Roman clergy and the death of Damasus, he took up residence in the Palestine, where he learned Hebrew and redefined himself as a biblical scholar. It was here that he decided to extend his correction project to the entire biblical text. But by 390, he decided that for some Bible books, he might as well start from scratch and translate directly from the original Hebrew. By the time he had finished the project in 404, he had translated most books of the Bible, and this translation formed the basis of the Latin Bible that would be used for most of the Middle Ages.
Marketplaces Helped Drive Coverage Gains In 2015; Affordability Problems Remained.

Health insurance coverage through the Marketplaces increased in 2015, with more nonelderly adult enrollees insured all year and fewer reporting health care affordability problems than in 2014. In 2015 more Marketplace enrollees in Medicaid nonexpansion states reported trouble paying family medical bills, compared to those in expansion states (23 percent versus 15 percent).
Preclinical Simulation Training of Medical Students Results in Better Procedural Skills Performance in End of the Year Three Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation Assessments

The Association of American Medical Colleges published guidelines for procedural skills to be included in medical school curricula; however, standardized training and objective assessments of procedural skills are limited. We implemented and evaluated a simulation-based mandatory procedural skills training program for preclinical medical students for nine procedures students were expected to gain proficiency before graduation. Students received didactic and simulated practice sessions on task simulators for each selected procedure. After completion of their primary clinical year of training, as part of the end of the year three clinical performance examination, students were tested using an objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) format on two of the skills taught in their procedural skills classes. We report our educational experiences and the results of OSCE performance of five cohorts (n = 529) of trained students using simulations compared to a historical class cohort who were informally taught procedural skills at the patients’ bedside (n = 96). Tested at least a year after completion of standardized skills training, all five cohorts of simulation-trained students obtained better performance scores on their intravenous insertion skills compared to the bedside-trained group. For the Foley catheter insertion skills, however, only two of the simulation-trained cohorts performed significantly better than bedside-trained cohort. Our results suggest that simulation-based procedural skills training can be effectively incorporated into preclinical medical school curricula with retention of skills in tested procedures at the end of the primary clinical year as assessed in an OSCE format.
Improved Precision in the Automated Analysis of P2O5 in Fertilizer

Traacs autoanalyzers were first configured to analyze fertilizer P 2 O 5 in 1988. In order to maximize precision, changes in the original instrument hardware and manifold design were developed. Platens were machined to higher tolerances and now allow better pump performance. Run protocols were modified to minimize sampler variation. Sampler wash reagent was changed to match sample matrix. The manifold was modified to eliminate wetting agent pump tubes. Heating and cooling effects were minimized with the use of insulated manifold tubing. Standard deviations of replicate analysis of the same solution were reduced to 1/3 of those obtained before modifications were made
Accommodating high value-of-time drivers in market-driven traffic signal control

In this paper, we propose a market-driven approach to traffic signal control. In contrast to traditional traffic engineering approaches, our approach gives agency and decision-making influence to individual drivers and exploits auction mechanisms to make traffic control decisions. Drivers make payments to their corresponding movement managers (each responsible for a particular directional flow through the intersection), and movement managers then compete for control of the signal. These financial transactions, if treated literally provide an alternate source of funding transportation infrastructure. Previous work with this model has demonstrated the ability to achieve better overall traffic flow performance than actuated control, a simple adaptive traffic signal control strategy based on detection and monitoring of waiting vehicles. Here we consider the design and analysis of bidding strategies capable of factoring in a given driver's value of time (VOT), as indicated by the amount of voluntary contributions that are made on top of the fixed fee that every driver is charged. We analyze the potential for expediting high VOT drivers without undue disruption of overall traffic flows.
Learning Research in the Planetarium After 1990

The 50-year period after the 1930 opening of the first formal planetarium in Chicago hosting a towering Zeiss star projector might be considered the golden age of the planetarium.
A fiber injection unit for the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer

Coupling a high-contrast imaging instrument to a high-resolution spectrograph has the potential to enable the most detailed characterization of exoplanet atmospheres, including spin measurements and Doppler mapping. The high-contrast imaging system serves as a spatial filter to separate the light from the star and the planet while the high-resolution spectrograph acts as a spectral filter, which differentiates between features in the stellar and planetary spectra. The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) located downstream from the current W. M. Keck II adaptive optics (AO) system will contain a fiber injection unit (FIU) combining a high-contrast imaging system and a fiber feed to Keck’s high resolution infrared spectrograph NIRSPEC. Resolved thermal emission from known young giant exoplanets will be injected into a single-mode fiber linked to NIRSPEC, thereby allowing the spectral characterization of their atmospheres. Moreover, the resolution of NIRSPEC (R = 37,500) is high enough to enable spin measurements and Doppler imaging of atmospheric weather phenomenon. The module will be integrated and tested at Caltech before being transferred to Keck in 2018.
The origin of hypertriglyceridemia in streptozotocin diabetic rats.

The effect of diet on the origin of hypertriglyceridemia seen in experimental diabetes was studied in streptozotocin diabetic rats after insulin treatment for one month and two days after insulin withdrawal. The data indicate that both exogenous and endogenous types of hypertriglyceridemia were present in insulin treated streptozotocin diabetes but that the exogenous component predominated during the period of insulin treatment and was independent of the amount of dietary fat. After insulin withdrawal there was a rise in serum triglyceride which was mainly reflected in the endogenous component. The data imply that dietary sucrose or protein might have contributed to this endogenous hypertriglyceridemia.
A dual-mode passive rectifier for wide-range input power flow

To increase power conversion efficiency (PCE), we introduce a new rectifier, which combines advantages of cross-coupled and cross-coupled bridge rectifiers by switching between the two topologies according to the incoming signal power level. In conventional designs, cross-coupled topology attains up to 80% PCE in the low-power range, while cross-coupled bridge topology attains up to 80% in the mid-power range. Hence, the proposed passive rectifier provides a minimum of 57% PCE in the entire low- and mid-power ranges. To switch between the two topologies, a voltage detector is used to sense very low input voltages followed by a control circuit. The TowerJazz 0.18-μm TS18PM CMOS high voltage power management process has been used for this analysis.
Performance of Turkish Information Retrieval: Evaluating the Impact of Linguistic Parameters and Compound Nouns

Turkish is an agglutinative language where linguistic parameters can have significant consequences on the information retrieval performances. In this paper, different Turkish linguistic parameters truncation, stemming, stop words, etc. have been studied and their impacts on an information retrieval system performance have been invistiguated. Three word truncations at fixed length 3, 4 and 5 characters have been studied. The results have been compared using Snowball and Zemberek stemmers. Moreover, the results of using compound nouns, in addition to simple keywords, to index queries and documents have been studied. In the experimental part, Milliyet test collectionn have been tested by three information retrieval models. The comparisons of performance analysis have been done by he traditional information retrieval metrics and bpref metric since the test collection is build on an incomplete relevance judgments.