cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EXTENDED ABSORPTION OF LIOTHYRONINE FROM POLY-ZINC LIOTHYRONINE (PZL) IN HUMANS

Abstract Background Liothyronine (LT3) has been increasingly used in combination with levothyroxine (LT4) in the treatment of hypothyroidism. A metal coordinated form of LT3, known as poly-zinc-liothyronine (PZL), avoided in rats the typical T3 peak seen after oral administration of LT3. Objectives To evaluate in healthy volunteers (i) the pharmacokinetics of PZL-derived T3 after a single dose, (ii) the pharmacodynamics of PZL-derived T3, (iii) monitoring for the adverse events; (iv) exploratory analysis of the sleep patterns after LT3, PZL or placebo administration. Methods 12 healthy volunteers 18 to 50 years of age were recruited for a Phase 1, double-blind, randomized, single-dose placebo-controlled, cross-over study to compare PZL against LT3 or placebo. Subjects were admitted three separate times to receive a randomly assigned capsule containing placebo, 50-mcg LT3, or 50-mcg-PZL, and were observed for 48h. A 2-week washout period separated each admission. Results LT3-derived serum T3 levels exhibited the expected profile, with a Tmax at 2h and return to basal levels by 24-36h. PZL-derived serum T3 levels exhibited a ∼30% lower Cmax that was 1 h delayed and extended into a plateau that lasted up to 6h. This was followed by a lower but much longer plateau; by 24 hours serum T3 levels still exceeded ½ of Cmax. TSH levels were similarly reduced indistinguishably in both groups. Conclusion PZL possesses the necessary properties to achieve a much improved T3 pharma-cokinetic. Drug product development of PZL should improve the delivery of T3 even further. PZL is on track to provide hypothyroid patients with stable levels of serum T3.
Advances in technologies for determination of illegal drugs in health food

Health food with nutritional or physiological effects is suitable for certain people, and it can be used to regulate body functions but not for curing diseases. Therefore, substances with therapeutic functions cannot be included in health food, as they are classified as special food and are specifically regulated. The use of health food has increased worldwide in the last few decades. However, illegal activities such as the manufacture and marketing of fake commodities, false advertising, and fraudulent sales have restricted the sustainable development of the health food industry. In particular, there is much concern regarding health food illegally adulterated with pharmaceuticals and their analogs because of the notable risk to public health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop accurate and sensitive detection methods for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of such compounds. Many methods have been developed for the determination of adulterants in health food, such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), direct analysis real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). However, in recent years, new features of adulterants in health food have emerged. For example, the chemical compositions of drugs added to health food, including prescription drugs, delisted drugs, drug analogs, and new drugs, are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Furthermore, there has been a change in trend from the addition of large doses of a single component to the addition of small doses of a class of components or multiple components. These pose great challenges to the identification and measurement of such illegal additives. Detection technologies for new drugs and structurally modified analogs are still scarce; hence, newer methods for non-targeted screening are necessary. Fortunately, several structure elucidation techniques have been introduced, including high-resolution time-of-flight (TOF) MS, infrared spectroscopy, as well as 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. This study summarizes the types of drugs that may be illegally added in health food according to their pharmacological activities related to the claimed efficacy of health food; advances in detection technologies for illegal drugs; and future development prospects. The overall aim is to provide beneficial reference for the development of standard methods and for the routine monitoring of health food.
The onset of COVID-19, common identity, and intergroup prejudice.

The research presented here examined the relationship between the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, social group identity, intergroup contact, and prejudice. Utilizing a common ingroup identity approach, two datasets, which were composed of data from university students collected via online questionnaires before and after the onset of COVID-19, were combined (N = 511). Participants identified as either one of two subordinate student identities: domestic (i.e. U.S. citizen or permanent resident) or international (i.e. non-U.S. citizen or foreign resident), then reported on the strength of their subordinate and superordinate identity (university identity). Participants also reported on their contact experiences with outgroup members, outgroup stereotypes, and completed a novel intergroup bias task. Results indicated that after the onset of the pandemic, participants more strongly identified with the superordinate group, which predicted greater perceived intergroup contact and lower intergroup bias. Theoretical implications and future directions are discussed.
Psychological discrepancy in message-induced belief change: Empirical evidence regarding four competing models

Message discrepancy is the difference between the position of an advocated belief in a message and the position of a message receiver’s initial belief, and psychological discrepancy is how the mess...
Does Preoperative Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) Predict Short-Term Surgical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Pancreatic Resections?

Preoperative eGFR has been found to be a reliable predictor of post-operative outcomes in patients with normal creatinine levels who undergo surgery. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of preoperative eGFR levels on short-term post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing pancreatectomy. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) pancreatectomy file (2014–2017) was queried for all adult patients (age ≥ 18) who underwent pancreatic resection. Patients were stratified into two groups based on their preoperative eGFR (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2). Outcome measures included post-operative pancreatic fistula, discharge disposition, hospital length of stay, 30-day readmission rate, and 30-day morbidity and mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. A total of 21,148 were included in the study of which 12% (n = 2256) had preoperative eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2. Patients in the eGFR < 60 group had prolonged length of stay, were less likely to be discharged home, had higher minor and major complication rates, and higher rates of mortality. On logistic regression analysis, lower preoperative eGFR (< 60 mL/min/1.73m2) was associated with higher odds of prolonged length of stay [aOR: 1.294 (1.166–1.436)], adverse discharge disposition [aOR: 1.860 (1.644–2.103)], minor [aOR: 1.460 (1.321–1.613)] and major complications [aOR: 1.214 (1.086–1.358)], bleeding requiring transfusion [aOR: 1.861 (1.656–2.091)], and mortality [aOR: 2.064 (1.523–2.797)]. Preoperative decreased renal function measured by eGFR is associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing pancreatic resection. The results of this study may be valuable in improving preoperative risk stratification and post-operative expectations.
Mechanical Responses of Silicon Nitrides Under Dynamic Endentation

Mechanical responses of five silicon nitrides have been experimentally studied by using dynamic and standard hardness tests. The indentation loads ranged from several newtons to several hundred newtons. In the dynamic test, a load pulse with ∼ 100 μs rise time was achieved. Indentation size effect (ISE) and loading rate effects on the Vickers hardness were observed for the silicon nitrides. The ISE was further characterized by using the Meyer law and the energy-balance or proportional specimen resistance (PSR) model. The conventional brittleness approach is not satisfactory in characterizing transition between plasticity and fracture, and a new brittleness concept is proposed based on the PSR model that appears to capture the dynamic indentation responses of the materials.
Orthogonal trans multiplexer: A multiuser communications platform from FDMA to CDMA

Orthogonal transmultiplexers have been successfully utilized for multi-user communications. They are of the FDMA type in their most common version. Mostly, frequency-selective PR-QMFs were used in transmultiplexers as orthogonal user codes for CDMA communications reported in the literature. This conflicts with the fundamentals of CDMA theory. We introduce novel M-valued spread spectrum PR-QMF codes in this paper. It is shown that the proposed M-valued spread spectrum PR-QMF codes with minimized auto- and cross-correlation properties outperform the conventional Gold codes in CDMA communication scenarios considered in the paper.
Dynamical Systems and Adaptive Timestepping in ODE Solvers

Initial value problems for ODEs are often solved numerically using adaptive timestepping algorithms. These algorithms are controlled by a user-defined tolerance which bounds from above the estimated error committed at each step. We formulate a large class of such algorithms as discrete dynamical systems which are discontinuous and of higher dimension than the underlying ODE. By assuming sufficiently strong finite-time convergence results on some neighbourhood of an attractor of the ODE we prove existence and upper semicontinuity results for a nearby numerical attractor as the tolerance tends to zero.
Architecture Tradeoffs with Fluidic Backup Flight Controls

This paper summarizes flight control system architecture variations for a conventional tactical aircraft employing electronic fly-by-wire primary controls with fluidic backup controls. The study includes a comparative architecture study of the anticipated catastrophic failure rates, mission abort rates, and equipment reliability. Fluidic technology is selected as a backup flight control since the fluidic components are insensitive to the threats to the primary system.
For Pseudomonas aeruginosa, stealth is no longer enough.

A vaccine strategy to prevent cytotoxicity and lung damage associated with pathogenic isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( pages 392–398 ).
Community-based health care and development: exploring the myths.

Sir -- Health, especially the health of children, is a well-recognized entry point for development. There are myriad pathways for moving towards development from health interventions, as demonstrated by pilot projects around the world. Community-based health care has been promoted as the solution to health problems for several decades. This approach gained momentum with the primary health care movement as promulgated by the Alma-Ata conference in 1978, which has also generated valuable insight into the health--development relationship. And yet, the same challenges and inequities still remain in the developing word (1). Community-based health care has been plagued by principles which have become myths in the context of a changing environment. Myth: there is a universal model. There are many models, which can and will achieve development objectives, given a specific geographical situation and time frame, and they all need to be acknowledged. The search for a universal model thus needs to be changed to recognition of plurality. This will allow for a pluralistic paradigm in health, where local circumstances in the context of regional and national priorities can determine the appropriate model for health development. Each community must be allowed to participate, within its own constraints, and allowed to grow as its members determine their future for themselves. Myth: focus on the village. Acceptance of a plurality of models recognizes that the traditional concept of village-centred development needs to be re-evaluated. Villages are interconnected to each other and are increasingly connected to towns and cities as improved communication and transport move all parts of the world closer to each other. This interconnectedness needs to be seen and used by the population as a positive change for their benefit. By acknowledging and preparing for this change the capacity to confront its challenges will also be developed. The village exists within a sub-district, district, state and country, and there are integral relationships between these entities. They are the foci of decision-making and power allocations, especially from the public sector point of view. They therefore need to be recognized within the development framework, and the capacity of people to act in their interest at each level must be improved. An unnecessary focus on the village as the locale for action will not serve the current context of health development. Myth: governments are the problem. The government must be viewed as a full partner in the development framework (2). Nongovernmental organizations and the private sector can be important actors in the health field, and parallel systems of health care are very common in areas where they have been working effectively for many years, but they cannot replace the government (3). …
Photo-deactivated room temperature hydrogen gas sensitivity of nanocrystalline doped-tin oxide sensor

Nanocrystalline indium oxide (In 2 O 3 )-doped tin oxide (SnO 2 ) thin film is sol-gel dip-coated on the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices as a room temperature hydrogen (H 2 ) sensor. The effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the room temperature H 2 gas sensitivity of the present micro-sensor device is systematically studied. It is shown that the exposure to the UV-radiation results in the deterioration of the H 2 gas sensitivity of the present sensor, which is in contrast with the earlier reports. Very high H 2 gas sensitivity as high as 11 0×10 3 is observed, for 900 ppm H 2 , without exposing the sensor to the UV-radiation. In the presence of UV-radiation, however, the H 2 gas sensitivity reduces to 200. The drastic reduction in the H 2 gas sensitivity due to the UV-exposure is explained on the basis of the constitutive equation for the gas sensitivity of the nanocrystalline semiconductor oxides thin film sensors.
The N/rev phenomenon in simulating a blade-element rotor system

When a simulation model produces frequencies that are beyond the bandwidth of a discrete implementation, anomalous frequencies appear within the bandwidth. Such is the case with blade element models of rotor systems, which are used in the real time, man in the loop simulation environment. Steady state, high frequency harmonics generated by these models, whether aliased or not, obscure piloted helicopter simulation responses. Since these harmonics are attenuated in actual rotorcraft (e.g., because of structural damping), a faithful environment representation for handling qualities purposes may be created from the original model by using certain filtering techniques, as outlined here. These include harmonic consideration, conventional filtering, and decontamination. The process of decontamination is of special interest because frequencies of importance to simulation operation are not attenuated, whereas superimposed aliased harmonics are.
Über das Ansetzen fein verteilter Stoffe an den Wänden von Strömungskanälen

Die in vielen verfahrenstechnischen Apparaten und Maschinen auftretenden Erscheinungen des Wandansatzes sind seither weniger Gegenstand systematischer Untersuchungen gewesen. Es wird in der folgenden Betrachtung versucht, einige grundsatzliche Bedingungen fur die Ansatzbildung und -vermeidung bei der Stromung von Pulverdispensionen in Luft oder anderen Tragersubstanzen aufzustellen. Die Mitteilungen stutzen sich auf systematische Beobachtungen und Versuche bei Trockenmahlanlagen, Windsichtern, pneumatischen Forder- und Abscheide-Einrichtungen.
High strain-rate magnetoelasticity in Galfenol

This paper presents the experimental measurements of a highly magnetoelastic material (Galfenol) under impact loading. A Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar was used to generate compressive stress up to 275 MPa at strain rates of either 20/s or 33/s while measuring the stress-strain response and change in magnetic flux density due to magnetoelastic coupling. The average Young's modulus (44.85 GPa) was invariant to strain rate, with instantaneous stiffness ranging from 25 to 55 GPa. A lumped parameters model simulated the measured pickup coil voltages in response to an applied stress pulse. Fitting the model to the experimental data provided the average piezomagnetic coefficient and relative permeability as functions of field strength. The model suggests magnetoelastic coupling is primarily insensitive to strain rates as high as 33/s. Additionally, the lumped parameters model was used to investigate magnetoelastic transducers as potential pulsed power sources. Results show that Galfenol can generate large quantit...
Chaperone-like activity of alpha-crystallin. The effect of NADPH on its interaction with zeta-crystallin

alpha-Crystallin, a major structural protein of the ocular lens of vertebrates, has been characterized recently as a molecular chaperone (Horwitz, J. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 10449-10453 and Jakob, U., Gaestel, M., Engel, K., and Buchner, J. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 1517-1520). While alpha-crystallins prevent the aggregation of various proteins denatured by heat or chaotropic agents, neither the mode of interaction between target proteins and alpha-crystallin nor the specific conformational requirements, if any, of the target protein are known. Here, we demonstrate that the ability of alpha-crystallin to prevent thermally induced aggregation of zeta-crystallin/NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase, an abundant crystallin of guinea pigs and camelids, is strongly dependent on the presence of the obligate cofactor (NADPH) of the target enzyme. zeta-crystallin in the absence of NADPH is readily aggregated at 41 degrees C, and alpha-crystallin added at a 1:1 (w/w) ratio offers very little protection. In contrast, in the presence of NADPH zeta-crystallin remains stable to 45 degrees C and with the addition of alpha-crystallin (1:1 (w/w)) is protected from aggregation even at 55 degrees C. Cibacron blue 3GA, a nonmetabolized pyridine nucleotide analog, which has very high binding affinity to zeta-crystallin had similar effects. NADH and NAD+, which are not bound by zeta-crystallin, had no such effect. Complex formation between alpha-crystallin and non-native zeta-crystallin was demonstrated in the presence of either cibacron blue 3GA or NADPH. Circular dichroism spectroscopy of zeta-crystallin in the presence and absence of NADPH or cibacron blue indicated that nucleotide binding was accompanied by a change in the protein's aromatic amino acid environment but that the secondary structure was unaffected. The data suggest that subtle change in the conformation of denaturing proteins can markedly affect the ability of alpha-crystallin to protect them from aggregation.
Methylammonium formate as a mobile phase modifier for totally aqueous reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Although alkylammonium ionic liquids (ILs) such as ethylammonium nitrate and ethylammonium formate have been used as mobile phase "solvents" for liquid chromatography (LC), we have shown that the IL methylammonium formate (MAF), in part because of its lower viscosity as compared to other ILs, can be an effective replacement for methanol (MeOH) in reversed-phase LC. Plots of log retention factor versus the fraction of MeOH and MAF in the mobile phase indicate quite comparable solvent strength slope values of 2.50 and 2.05, respectively. Using a polar endcapped C18 column, furazolidone and nitrofurantoin using 20% MAF-80% water could be separated in 22 min but no baseline separation is possible using MeOH as the modifier, even down to 10%. Suppression of silanol peak broadening effects by MAF is important, permitting a baseline separation of pyridoxine, thiamine, and nicotinamide using 5% MAF-95% water at 0.7 mL/min. Using 5% MeOH-95% water, severe peak broadening for thiamine is evident. The compatibility of MAF as a mobile phase modifer at the 5% level for LC with mass spectrometry detection of water-soluble vitamins is also shown.
RESPONSE SETS IN AUTISTIC ECHOLALIA

Immediate echolalia, i.e., the tendency to repeat all or part of a conversational partner's utterance, is one of rhe most prevalent symptoms of verbal autistic children ( 1 ) . Echolalia appears to be multiply determined, relating to aspects of the conversational setting, to the child's comprehension of the propositional content of an eliciting utterance, and to the form of such an utterance ( 2 ) . Based on observations of a single child, Shapiro ( 3 ) has suggested an additional factor, namely, a tendency to adopt an echolalic response set which, once established, may result in echoing an elicitor that can be responded to appropriately in other circumstances. To evaluate Shapiro's hypothesis more systematically, we analyzed the verbal responses of five autistic, echolalic children (age M = 11.5 yr.) to two types of elicitors: Sentence Completion items (e.g., "The mommy is holding the .. ... .. .") and Wh questions (e.g., "What is the mommy holding?"). These utterance types were accompanied by appropriate pictures and were randomly interspersed with Yes/No question forms (e.g., "Is the mommy holding the baby?"). Based on data previously collected in a pretest (requiring a non-verbal, pointing response to an array of pictures), it appeared that the subjects had some comprehension of the basic propositions contained in these elicitors. Additional details regarding subjects' characteristics and procedures are given by Paccia-Cooper and Curcio ( 2 ) . The present analyses were restricted to Sentence Completion and Wh question items since these provoked a relatively low incidence of echolalia ( M = 5.2%) compared to Yes/No questions ( M = 59.4%) and so seemed best suited for evaluating Shapiro's hypothesis. The incidence of echolalia in response to these two forms was examined under two conditions: when a subject's response on the immediately preceding trial was echolalic vs when it was of a non-echolalic, complementary nature. If a response set exists, then echolalia should occur more frequently when the previous response was echolalic than for instances when the previous response was not echolalic. Analyses of 195 trials indicated that the mean percent of echolalic responses to Sentence Completion and Wh question items was higher when the preceding response aVas echolalic ( M = 11.7%) than when the preceding response was not echolalic ( M = 096, t = 2.15, p < 0.05). There was no instance of a subject echoing an eliciting utrerance when he had just given a non-echolalic response. These data support Shapiro's hypothesis of an echolalic response set among autistic children.
40. Medication Abortion Knowledge Among Adolescent Medicine Providers

Purpose Adolescents are at high risk for unintended pregnancy and abortion. The purpose of this study is to understand if providers caring for adolescents have the knowledge to counsel accurately on medication abortion, a suitable option for many teens seeking to terminate a pregnancy.
Coherent states for bosons and fermions: A tutorial

Abstract A brief historical description is given for the way in which coherent states have been defined. These states are defined uniquely by: (1) a dynamical symmetry group, usually a Lie group; (2) a hilbert space in which the group acts; and (3) a ground state within the hilbert space. The useful and extensive properties of coherent states are briefly summarized. The coherent states associated with systems of boson operators and systems of fermion operators are then described.
Influence of molecular weight on dynamic crossover temperature in linear polymers

abstract Dielectric and light scattering spectra of two linear polymers, polyisoprene (PIP) and polystyrene (PS),were analyzed in broad temperature and frequency range above the glass transition temperature, T g . Thecrossover temperature, T C , was estimated using two approaches: (i) derivative analysis of relaxationtimes proposed by Stickel and (ii) Mode-Coupling Theory approach. Both estimates provide consistentvalues. T C varies with molecular weight (MW) in both polymers, while the ratio T C /T g changes signiﬁ-cantly with MW in PS only. It appears that the segmental relaxation time at T C has value s (T C )w10 7 sfor both polymers independent of MW and similar to the value reported for many non-polymeric glass-forming systems. No sign of the dynamic crossover has been observed in the chain relaxation around T C of the segmental dynamics. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. IntroductionOne of the most interesting features of glass-forming liquids isthe sharp slowing down of relaxation time,
Mapping gene-environment interactions at regulatory polymorphisms: Insights into mechanisms of phenotypic variation

Genetic effects on gene regulation make a substantial contribution to phenotypic diversity, yet their mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we discuss the potential insights to be gained from mapping gene-environment interactions at regulatory polymorphisms (i.e., genetic variation that affects gene expression under specific environmental conditions). We highlight a novel statistical method to identify specific patterns of gene-environment interaction at these regulatory polymorphisms. Reviewing its application to a study that mapped gene expression in the presence and absence of glucocorticoids, we discuss the mechanistic insights that this approach provides.
Nitration in neurodegeneration: deciphering the "Hows" "nYs".

Recent literature has ushered in a new awareness of the diverse post-translational events that can influence protein folding and function. Among these modifications, protein nitration is thought to play a critical role in the onset and progression of several neurodegenerative diseases. While previously considered a late-stage epiphenomenon, nitration of protein tyrosine residues appears to be an early event in the lesions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. The advent of highly specific biochemical and immunological detection methods reveals that nitration occurs in vivo with biological selectively and site specificity. In fact, nitration of only a single Tyr residue is often sufficient to induce profound changes in the activity of catalytic proteins and the three-dimensional conformation of structural proteins. Presumably, nitration modifies protein function by altering the hydrophobicity, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic properties within the targeted prote...
Photoreactivation in vivo of Pyrimidine Dimers in Paramecium DNA

Cells of Paramecium aurelia labeled with tritiated thymidine were irradiated with ultraviolet light and then were either exposed to photoreactivating light or kept in the dark as controls. In the controls, the level of thymine-containing pyrimidine dimers did not change, but in cells exposed to photoreactivating light such dimers were destroyed. This is the first demonstration in a eukaryote of in vivo photoreactivation of thymine-containing pyrimidine dimers.
A new methodology for non-contact accurate crack width measurement through photogrammetry for automated structural safety evaluation

In mechanical, aerospace and civil structures, cracks are important defects that can cause catastrophes if neglected. Visual inspection is currently the predominant method for crack assessment. This approach is tedious, labor-intensive, subjective and highly qualitative. An inexpensive alternative to current monitoring methods is to use a robotic system that could perform autonomous crack detection and quantification. To reach this goal, several image-based crack detection approaches have been developed; however, the crack thickness quantification, which is an essential element for a reliable structural condition assessment, has not been sufficiently investigated. In this paper, a new contact-less crack quantification methodology, based on computer vision and image processing concepts, is introduced and evaluated against a crack quantification approach which was previously developed by the authors. The proposed approach in this study utilizes depth perception to quantify crack thickness and, as opposed to most previous studies, needs no scale attachment to the region under inspection, which makes this approach ideal for incorporation with autonomous or semi-autonomous mobile inspection systems. Validation tests are performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, and the results show that the new proposed approach outperforms the previously developed one.
Response of Two-Degree-of-Freedom Rotating Machinery System With Quadratic Nonlinearity

A two-degree-of-freedom model of a rotating machine with nonlinear springs of quadratic type is studied. The multiple scales method is used to investigate the nonlinear oscillations of the forced system where the forcing is due to the eccentricity e of the rotor about its center of mass. The behavior of the system for the primary resonances Ω=ω 1 , Ω=ω 2 , and internal resonance ω 2 =2ω 1 is analyzed. Other features, such as amplitude jump and saturation phenomenon, have been observed
A rho-dependent transcription termination signal in bacteriophage f1☆

The bacteriophage f1 intergenic region distal to gene IV encodes a rho-dependent transcription termination signal. Terminator function in vivo and in vitro is dependent upon active Escherichia coli rho protein, although the RNA 3' ends detected in vivo differ from those seen in vitro. The minimal sequence required for terminator function in a heterologous plasmid system encompasses approximately 100 nucleotides distal to gene IV, which can be drawn as a large hairpin structure. The in vivo rho-dependent 3' end occurs within this sequence, while the in vitro rho-dependent 3' ends occur just distal to it. In vivo in a rho mutant host, f1 transcripts pass through the rho-dependent sites and stop within a sequence of high potential secondary structure near the f1 origin of DNA replication. This sequence alone causes transcription termination in the heterologous plasmid system in vivo. In vitro in the absence of rho protein, transcription does not terminate within this sequence. The RNA 3' ends detected in these studies do not occur within A + T-rich sequences.
Spatial and temporal quantification of resilience at the community scale

Abstract Indicators of natural disaster resilience are factors that impact the ability to cope with and adapt to a natural disaster and climate change events. They can either contribute to or detract from resilience. Existing research has emphasized the importance of quantifying resilience in order to estimate baseline resilience and measure progress toward resilience enhancement. Previous attempts at quantification of resilience have not incorporated place-specific indicators or differential weighting of indicators for prioritization of resilience enhancement actions. Previous research efforts have also not incorporated spatial and temporal contexts when attempting to quantify resilience indicators. This research demonstrates the importance for quantifying resilience place-specific indicators, differential weighting of indicators, and the spatial and temporal contexts of indicators for resilience estimation and quantification through a case study of Sarasota County, Florida. This case study was conducted in four phases: preliminary interviews, plan review, focus group, and spatial analysis. Preliminary interviews were intended to contribute to development of research goals. The plan review process served to identify Sarasota County's planning priorities to determine possible indicators of resilience unique to Sarasota County as well as existing and planned county hazard mitigation strategies. The focus group was concerned with identifying resilience indicators through a workshop with officials from Sarasota County. The spatial analysis portion used findings from all three previous phases to demonstrate spatial patterns of resilience. This research demonstrates that although national resilience quantification metrics are useful, local scale resilience estimates appear more useful if community hazard mitigation and climate change adaptation is the primary goal.
Leading in the Age of Post-Socialist Education Transformations: Examining Sustainability of Teacher Education Reform in Latvia.

As the former socialist countries of Southeastern/Central Europe and the former Soviet Union have embarked on their journeys from authoritarian to democratic societies in the early 1990s, education systems across the region have experienced major changes. From curriculum revision to education finance reforms, virtually no aspect of the education systems has remained untouched. While all post-socialist reform efforts have striven for large-scale, sustainable change, some initiatives were more successful than others, and many reform efforts were short-lived. Focusing on pre-service teacher education reform in Latvia, this article seeks to understand how educational leadership contributes to sustainability of educational reform in the dynamic context of post-socialist education transformation processes.
Effects of random density fluctuations on matter-enhanced neutrino flavor transitions in supernovas and implications for supernova dynamics and nucleosynthesis.

We calculate the effects of random density fluctuations on two-neutrino flavor transformations (${\nu}_{\tau(\mu)} \rightleftharpoons {\nu}_e$) in the post-core-bounce supernova environment. In particular, we follow numerically the flavor evolution of neutrino states propagating through a stochastic field of density fluctuations. We examine the approach to neutrino flavor depolarization, and study the effects of this phenomenon in both the early shock reheating epoch and the later r-process nucleosynthesis epoch. Our results suggest that significant fluctuation-induced neutrino flavor depolarization effects occur in these environments only when the zero-order (without density fluctautions) evolution of the neutrino states includes adiabatic propagation through resonances (mass level crossings). In the shock reheating epoch, depolarization effects from fluctuations with amplitudes larger than 0.05% of the local matter density can cause an increase in the heating rate of the material behind the shock compared to the case with no neutrino flavor transformation - but this corresponds to a significant decrease in this quantity relative to the case with adiabatic neutrino transformation. If r-process nucleosynthesis is to occur during the late stages of supernova evolution, then the requirement of neutron-rich conditions excludes a region of neutrino mass-squared difference and vacuum mixing angle ($\delta m^2,\ \sin^22\theta$) parameter space for neutrino flavor transformation. We find that in the presence of stochastic fluctuations, this excluded region is not significantly altered even for random fluctuations with an amplitude of 1% of the local matter density.
Piecewise Loglinear Estimation of Efficient Production Surfaces

Linear programming formulations for piecewise loglinear estimation of efficient production surfaces are derived from a set of basic properties postulated for the underlying production possibility sets. Unlike the piecewise linear model of Banker, Charnes, and Cooper Banker R. D., A. Charnes, W. W. Cooper. 1984. Models for the estimation of technical and scale inefficiencies in data envelopment analysis. Management Sci.30 September 1078-1092., this approach permits the identification of increasing marginal products, and estimation of the classical S-shaped production functions. Methods are also provided for estimating technical inefficiencies and other production characteristics, such as rates of substitution and transformation, marginal products, returns to scale and most productive scale sizes on the basis of observed production data. The results of a simulation study are reported to illustrate the usefulness of this estimation method in empirical applications when there are a priori reasons to expect increasing marginal products in some regions of the production function. A modified model is provided to extend this analysis to the situation of non-competing outputs addressed by the bi-extremal model of Banker, Charnes, Cooper, and Schinnar Banker R. D., A. Charnes, W. W. Cooper, A. Schinnar. 1981. A bi-extremal principle for frontier estimation and efficiency evaluation. Management Sci.27 December 1370-1382..
Selecting visual field tests and assessing visual field deterioration in glaucoma

Testing the peripheral field of vision is the mainstay for detection of glaucoma deterioration. Various methods and algorithms are currently available for detection of early glaucoma or establishing disease progression. Alternative testing strategies such as frequency doubling technology perimetry or short-wavelength automated perimetry have been extensively explored over the last 2 decades. The former has been found most promising for detection of earliest evidence of functional glaucoma damage when the standard achromatic perimetry results are still within the normal range. However, standard achromatic perimetry remains the standard technique for establishing deterioration of the disease. Both trend and event analyses are used for establishing change within series of visual fields. Trend analyses provide the clinician with rates of progression, putting the speed of glaucoma progression in the context of patient longevity, whereas event analyses demonstrate a "step" change regardless of the length of time it took for this amount of change to occur. The two techniques are complementary and should be used concurrently.
Financing a System for Lifelong Learning.

This article attempts to set out a framework for financing lifelong learning that will be more comprehensive, efficient, equitable and flexible than the existing approach. After specifying the essential components of lifelong learning, it raises the question of how the system should be financed and who should pay. The article proceeds by suggesting a method for constructing both international and national databases on lifelong learning that can assist in improving finance. Special emphasis is placed on the roles of information, incentives and consolidation of existing sources of finance into a more nearly unified approach.
Recursive probability density estimation for weakly dependent stationary processes

Recursive estimation of the univariate probability density function f(x) for stationary processes \{X_{j}\} is considered. Quadratic-mean convergence and asymptotic normality for density estimators f_{n}(x) are established for strong mixing and for asymptotically uncorrelated processes \{X_{j}\} . Recent results for nonrecursive density estimators are extended to the recursive case.
Time-dependent changes in brain 3H-norepinephrine disappearance caused by L-dopa administration

Abstract The effect of L-dopa on the disappearance of brain 3 H-norepinephrine ( 3 HNE) depends on the time that elapses between intracisternal administration of 3 HNE and the subsequent injection of L-dopa. If rats receive L-dopa (100 mg/kg, i.p.) 5 min after 3 HNE and are killed an hour later, disappearance of 3 HNE from the brain is markedly accelerated. However, if the L-dopa is given 4 hr after 3 HNE and the rats killed an hour later, there is no acceleration of 3 HNE disappearance. These observations suggest that brain norepinephrine exists in several metabolic compartments, an “easily releasable pool” with which the intracisternal 3 HNE initially mixes, and which is liberated by L-dopa, and another pool or pools with which 3 HNE subsequently mixes, and which are not liberated by L-dopa.
Avalanche upconversion in LaF3:Tm3+

Abstract Strong blue fluorescence corresponding to the 1 G 4 → 3 H 6 transition in LaF 3 :Tm 3+ is generated by excitation with a red laser at 635.2 nm. The upconversion mechanism is shown to be photon avalanche. The temporal behavior of the upconverted fluorescence and the dependence of the blue fluorescence intensity on excitation laser power are described by a four-level system of coupled rate equations. A unique set of parameters is found which describes the behavior at several different excitation levels, both below and above the avalanche threshold. Two cross-relaxation paths are shown to be important to the upconversion process.
A Microstructure and Microhardness Characterization of a Friction Plug Weld in Friction Stir Welded 2195 Al-Li

In this study, extruded 2195-T8 plugs that were friction welded into the friction stir weld of 2195-T8 base metal plates were examined. This study characterizes the resulting microstructure and microhardness of the plug weld interfaces with the friction stir welded material and base metal in an effort to identify the extent of the thermal, thermomechanical, and mechanical effects introduced by the friction plug welding process. A zone of recrystallized material was observed around the plug weld circumference. The thickness of the recrystallized layer was measured to be 30–122 μm. The hardness measured near the plug weld interface was found to be 110–130 HK100g , or approximately 35% less than the base metal hardness. By characterizing the hardness of these zones, insight can be gathered into the transformation of material from the friction plug welding process around the fusion zone, and areas that may control the fatigue behavior of the joint.
Reliability and effectiveness of cable types used in technical telecommunications systems

The fundamental building block of the Telecommunications industry is the cabling systems underpinning the networks. Over the years we have seen tremendous change in the reliability and effectiveness of this core component of the network. This paper will provide a survey and discussion of the uses of the primary types of cabling in broad deployment in our networks. It will examine how different cabling types can be used in WAN networks. It will explore the effectiveness of reprovisioning cable designed for single service applications to multi-service broadband networks. It will also review the current economic models relating to cable deployments. Finally predictions will be made on the future of WAN deployments.
Vulnerability of headwater catchment resources to incidences of 210Pb excess and 137Cs radionuclide fallout

Recent identification of elevated excess 210Pb (≤302.6 mBq L−1) and 137Cs (≤111.3 mBq L−1) activity in drinking water wells up to 20 m depth indicates some transport of airborne radionuclide fallout beyond soils in the Shaker Village catchment, Maine. Estimated airborne mass loading 210Pbex fluxes of about 0.9 mBq m−3, canvass this headwater catchment and may be sufficient to pose risks to unprotected shallow wells. Inventories of 210Pbex and 137Cs in pond sediments indicate maximum median activities of 943 mBq g−1 and 40.0 mBq g−1, respectively. Calculated 210Pbex fluxes in the catchment soils range from 0.62–0.78 Bq cm−2 year−1 and yield a mean residence time of near 140 years. Measured 137Cs activity up to 51.1 mBq g−1 occurs in sediments at least to 5 m depth. Assumed particle transport in groundwater with apparent 85Kr ages less than 5 years BP (2005) may explain the correlation between these particle-reactive radionuclides and elevated activity in some drinking water wells.
Nanoscale duplex oxide growth during early stages of oxidation of Cu-Ni(100)

for pure metals hold during the initial oxidation of Cu-Ni alloys. Our ex situ TEM observation of oxidized Cu-Ni samples revealed that Cu2O islands nucleate preferentially on top of NiO islands rather than on bare Cu-Ni surface regions between NiO islands, an intriguing phenomenon defying the expectation based on prevailing knowledge of passivation. Our results demonstrate the importance of oxygen partial pressure in controlling the microstructure of oxide films during alloy oxidation, which have significant technological implications for controlled oxide growth.
High-temperature batch hot-dip galvanizing. Part 2. Comparison of coatings formed in the temperature range 520–555 °C

Abstract Batch high temperature hot-dip galvanizing (HT-HDG) samples were prepared at temperatures in the range 520–555 °C in steps of 5 °C. The coating thickness, phase structure and distribution, behavior of weldlines, and corrosion in the unpainted state as a function of temperature were evaluated. The results were compared with samples prepared at 455 °C which is the conventional galvanizing temperature. Coatings were found to be fully alloyed for the entire temperature range of 520–555 °C. The surface of the coatings in the entire temperature range had a microporous character, consisting of small monoclinic crystals of the ζ-alloy embedded in a solid solution of the S and ζ-alloy. However, the coatings at the lower end of the temperature range had a well defined ζ layer on top of a 5 layer. This coating changed to primarily the δ-alloy at the higher end of the temperature range. As the amount of ζ was much reduced at higher temperatures, the coating thickness changed from around 80 urn at 520 °C to around 20 μm at 555 °C with a maximum of 100 μm at 530 °C. At weldlines, the characteristic outburst reaction linked with high silicon steels was observed at 455 °C. This problem was found less severe for HT-HDG coatings in the entire temperature range. DC electrochemical corrosion testing of the samples revealed that the corrosion rate was essentially constant in the entire temperature range of 455–555 °C.
OXIDATION‐REDUCTION EQUILIBRIA IN GLASS BETWEEN IRON AND SELENIUM IN SEVERAL FURNACE ATMOSPHERES

This study has been limited to the reactions between iron and selenium in soda-lime and potash-soda-lime glasses melted in atmospheres of air, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide. Glasses containing selenium and iron, together and singly, were melted in the several atmospheres. and their spectral absorption curves between 350 and 1000 mμ were obtained. An analysis of these curves shows that under neutral or slightly oxidizing conditions selenites react with ferrous iron as follows: This reaction leads to an increase in red and brown and a decrease in blue colors. The decolorizing action of selenium may be explained by this reaction because the colorless selenite ion oxidizes the more colored ferrous ion to the less colored ferric ion, arid the increase in the red elemental selenium color physically compensates as a complimentary color for the remaining unoxidized ferrous ion. The results show that it is not necessary to postulate the formation of ferrous selenium to explain the color changes. The results also show that under reducing conditions the principal reaction is
Information in a photon: Relating entropy and maximum-likelihood range estimation using single-photon counting detectors

Range estimation at low light-levels is accomplished using pulsed illumination of the target and time-of-flight measurement of backscattered light using single-photon detectors. Photon arrival statistics for this problem are time-inhomogeneous Poisson point processes where the rate function is determined by the illumination waveform. Given the flexibility to choose from different illumination waveforms, an important design question is - how does the range estimation performance depend on the pulse shape? The maximum-likelihood (ML) range estimation problem is nonlinear and thus it is difficult to analytically compare the estimation performance from different illumination waveforms. In this paper, we present an information-theoretic framework for evaluating ML range estimation performance. We derive relationships between the entropy of the photon arrival observations and the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) on the range estimate by extending De Brujin's identity and isoperimetric properties for non-Gaussian distributions.