cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxytocin, PTSD, and sexual abuse are associated with attention network intrinsic functional connectivity.

Abstract Childhood maltreatment is linked to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adulthood. Neural attention network function contributes to resilience against PTSD following maltreatment; oxytocin administration alters functional connectivity differentially among resilient to PTSD groups. The present study examined intrinsic connectivity between ventral and dorsal neural attention networks (VAN and DAN) to clarify the nature of dysfunction versus resilience in the context of maltreatment-related PTSD, and to explore differential dysfunction related to varied aspects of maltreatment. Oxytocin administration was examined as a factor in these relationships. Resting-state functional connectivity data were collected from 39 adults with maltreatment histories, with and without PTSD, who were randomly assigned to receive oxytocin or placebo. We found that PTSD and sexual abuse (SA) were associated with reduced VAN-DAN connectivity. There were no significant effects with regard to physical abuse. Oxytocin was associated with greater VAN-DAN connectivity strength. These preliminary findings suggest dysfunction within attentional systems in PTSD, as well as following SA. Further, oxytocin may help ameliorate attentional neurocircuitry dysfunction in individuals with PTSD and those with maltreatment histories.
Leukocyte Adherence in Hepatic Microcirculation in Ischemia Reperfusion

The pathophysiological problem of ischemia and reperfusion in the liver is clinically encountered in liver transplantation [1] and in hemorrhagic shock [2]. Vascular complications of liver transplantation occur in the early postoperative period and are unrelated to graft rejection, which may occur at a later stage. To understand the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, it is important to consider the following two conditions. First, the donor liver is not perfused by blood and is an ischemic organ during storage. Second, the transplanted liver is reperfused after the surgical anastomoses of blood vessels have been completed. Thus, the liver transplant undergoes the pathophysiological consequences of ischemia and reperfusion. Similarly, in circulatory shock, the liver is rendered ischemic, and reperfusion occurs when the systemic hypotension is corrected.
I-0 Stability Analysis of Multiple Nonlinear-Multivariable Systems

Multiple nonlinear systems have been studied, particularly in multiple-input and multiple-output cases., by modifying the small loop-gain theorem and circle criterion. For these kinds of multiple nonlinear systems., the conventional stability analyses techniques are not employed because of the complexity and non-linearity. The input-output stability analysis technique, therefore, has been applied to this study, along with the transformation approach, by using functional methods. Examples have been shown for the application of these kinds of complex nonlinear systems.
The Distribution of Carbohydrate Groups in Rat Skin Collagen

Abstract Glycopeptides from soluble rat skin collagen were prepared by sequential digestion with collagenase and trypsin. The isolation of the major glycopeptides was accomplished with gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The glycohexapeptide, Gly-Met-Hyl (Gal-Glc)-Gly-His-Arg, has previously been characterized in digests of various vertebrate collagens studied in this and other laboratories. Two other glycopeptides known to be present in digests of human skin collagen, Gly-Phe-Hyl(Gal-Glc)-Gly-Ile-Arg and Gly-Pro-Hyl(Gal) were also isolated from digests of rat skin collagen. Three additional glycopeptides which had not been previously reported in other vertebrate collagens were purified and their structures analyzed. Two of them were hexapeptides, Gly-Phe-Hyl(Gal)-Gly-Ile-Arg and Gly-Pro-Hyl(Gal)-Gly-Glu-Leu, while the other was a tripeptide, Gly-Met-Hyl(Gal). Characterization of the glycopeptides obtained from the purified α1 and α2 components of rat skin collagen and hexose analysis of the cyanogen bromide (CNBr) peptides derived from whole collagen as well as from both chains indicate the presence of only four major sites of glycosylation in the molecule. The evidence presented is consistent with the existence of an identical site in each α1 chain, corresponding to a disaccharide unit near the NH2 terminus of the α1-CB5 cyanogen bromide peptide. The other two sites are located in the CNBr peptide α2-CB4 derived from the α2 chain. There are, in addition, other minor sites of glycosylation in the molecule. The limited number of sites of glycosylation and the location of all such sites in the same general area of the α chains near the NH2 terminus suggest a specific but unknown functional role in synthesis, fibril formation, or other basic aspects of collagen metabolism in skin.
Effect of aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass grafting on death and sudden death. Comparison of nonrandomized medically and surgically treated cohorts with comparable coronary disease and left ventricular function.

The effect of saphenous vein bypass grafting on the incidence of sudden cardiac death and total cardiovascular death was studied by comparing the survival of subsets of surgically and medically treated patients with coronary disease who were similar in two major prognostic variables: extent of coronary disease and ejection fraction. Significant differences in some baseline variables existed between medical and surgical subgroups with similar ejection fraction and extent of coronary disease. Medically treated patients tended to be in a lower functional class, to have more extensive ventricular contraction abnormalities, to have a larger end-diastolic volume, and to have fewer distal vessels feasible for grafting. Surgically treated patients with two vessel disease and normal or moderately reduced ejection fraction had improved survival when compared with medically treated patients with two vessel disease and similar ejection fraction. Improved survival of borderline statistical significance was also seen in surgically treated patients with three vessel disease and moderately reduced ejection fraction. When categorized according to end-diastolic volume, surgically treated patients with two vessel disease and normal or moderately increased end-diastolic volume also had improved survival over similarly defined medically treated patients. The sudden death rates for subgroups of medically treated patients were 1.8 to 10.9 times higher than the rates in subgroups of surgically treated patients with a comparable extent of coronary disease and ejection fraction.
Decentralized Control Experiments on NASA's Flexible Grid

Methods arising from the area of decentralized control are emerging for analysis and control synthesis for large flexible structures. In this paper the control strategy involves a decentralized model reference adaptive approach using a variable structure control. Local models are formulated based on desired damping and response time in a model-following scheme for various modal configurations. Variable structure controllers are then designed employing co-located angular rate and position feedback. In this scheme local control forces the system to move on a local sliding mode in some local error space. An important feature of this approach is that the local subsystem is made insensitive to dynamical interactions with other subsystems once the sliding surface is reached. Experiments based on the above have been performed for NASA's flexible grid experimental apparatus. The grid is designed to admit appreciable low-frequency structural dynamics, and allows for implementation of distributed computing components, inertial sensors, and actuation devices. A finite-element analysis of the grid provides the model for control system design and simulation; results of several simulations are reported on here, and a discussion of application experiments on the apparatus is presented.
Parametrization of All Stabilizing Decentralized IMC Controllers and A Sequential Stabilization Procedure

Necessary and sufficient conditions for decentralized stabilizability of a k-channel multiinput-multioutput linear time-invariant, nonsquare and stable plant are presented. The comparisons are made with the available results in the literature. A sequential algorithm for the design of stabilizing DIMC controllers is developed as an application of DBRG stability theory.
The Michigan Supreme Court Diminishes the Right to Trial by Jury in Civil Cases

In this paper, I have analyzed the right to trial by jury in civil cases as reflected in decisions of the Michigan Supreme Court over approximately a 20 year period dealing with three areas affecting the right to trial by jury in civil cases: (1) entitlement to a jury trial; (2) summary disposition; and (3) directed verdicts. The study was constructed to cover cases over a substantial period of time, so that it would be possible to analyze whether the changing composition of the Michigan Supreme Court, beginning in the late 1990's, impacted on the Court's decisions in these three areas.The conclusion that emerges from the is that the Court, as currently constituted, has diminished the right to trial by jury in civil cases in Michigan. The Court is more inclined than it was prior to 1999 to hold in more cases that there is no genuine issue of material fact, justifying summary disposition, and has now heard cases in which it has held that the defendant is entitled to a directed verdict. And the fact that the Court is more inclined to uphold the granting of summary disposition and directed verdicts is likely to have a demonstrable impact on these kinds cases when they are presented to the Court of Appeals and the trial courts. These courts, following the precedents of the Supreme Court and the results of the cases coming before that Court, will be more likely to rule in favor of granting motions for summary disposition and motions for directed verdicts.Given the Court's view of the diminished role of the jury in resolving factual disputes in civil cases, litigating lawyers must make the best of a bad situation and do everything that they can in order to protect the right to trial by jury in civil cases. They must try to ensure in the early stages of the litigation that their cases are strong enough to survive a motion for summary disposition and get to the jury, and at the trial they must make a determined effort to present sufficient evidence to survive a directed verdict. Hopefully the Court's view of the diminished role of the jury will not have dealt a fatal blow to the right to trial by jury in civil cases in Michigan. Time will tell how well the lawyers of Michigan have succeeded in preserving this fundamental constitutional right.
LETHAL EFFECTS OF LOW AND "NULL" ACTIVITY ALLELES OF 6-PHOSPHOGLUCONATE DEHYDROGENASE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

EMS-induced "null" and low activity alleles for 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were characterized with respect to enzymatic activity, relative viability, fertility, and the effective lethal phase. It was determined that flies hemizygous and homozygous for the low activity allele, Pgd minus, possessed a depressed development rate, diminished viability, and loss of female female fertility. Heterozygotes for Pgd minus and a deficiency for Pgd+ were lethal. The "null" activity allele demonstrated a lethal phenotype in both the hemizygous and homozygous condition. The effective lethal phase for the "null" allele occurs during late embryonic development (20-22 hr).
Diesel Exhaust Particles Suppress In Vivo IFN-γ Production by Inhibiting Cytokine Effects on NK and NKT Cells

Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) have strong, selective Th2 adjuvant activity when inhaled with conventional Ags. We used a novel technique for measuring in vivo cytokine production to investigate possible mechanisms by which DEP might promote a Th2 response. Injection of DEP i.p. stimulated IL-6 secretion, but failed to increase IL-4, IL-10, or TNF-alpha secretion, and decreased basal levels of IFN-gamma. When injected with or before LPS, DEP had little effect on the LPS-induced TNF-alpha responses, but partially inhibited the LPS-induced IL-10 response and strongly inhibited the LPS-induced IFN-gamma response. DEP also inhibited the IFN-gamma responses to IL-12, IL-12 plus IL-18, IL-2, and poly(I.C). DEP treatment had little effect on the percentages of NK and NKT cells in the spleen, but inhibited LPS-induced IFN-gamma production by splenic NK and NKT cells. In contrast, DEP failed to inhibit the IFN-gamma response by anti-CD3 mAb-activated NKT cells. Taken together, these observations suggest that DEP inhibit Toll-like receptor ligand-induced IFN-gamma responses by interfering with cytokine signaling pathways that stimulate NK and NKT cells to produce IFN-gamma. Our observations also suggest that DEP may promote a Th2 response by stimulating production of inflammatory cytokines while simultaneously inhibiting production of IFN-gamma, and raise the possibility that the same mechanisms contribute to the association between DEP exposure and asthma.
Treatment of gastrointestinal problems in cystic fibrosis

The gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations of cystic fibrosis (CF) are varied and include pancreatic insufficiency, meconium ileus, distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS), liver disease, and other less common manifestations. Treatment of pancreatic insufficiency consists of providing appropriate pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy and may include raising duodenal pH to allow for optimal action of these enzymes. Despite a number of pancreatic enzyme replacement products, malabsorption cannot be normalized. Management of DIOS depends on the severity of the symptoms; adequate hydration is very important. Polyethylene glycol solutions are being increasingly used. The precipitating cause of the episode of DIOS should be looked for so future episodes can be prevented. Liver disease is relatively silent and annual monitoring of liver function and status is recommended. Treatment is mainly supportive and the role of ursodeoxycholic acid in the prevention of cirrhosis needs to be better defined. Nutritional status is an important part of management of all GI and liver manifestations of CF. A team approach and the assistance of a registered dietitian are extremely valuable in managing the GI and liver manifestations of CF.
Review: Adding corticosteroids to antibiotics improves pain relief in patients with sore throat

Source Citation Hayward G, Thompson MJ, Perera R, et al. Corticosteroids as standalone or add-on treatment for sore throat. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(10):CD008268. 23076943
On the practice of routinely appending neuropsychological data to reports

Abstract Freides' (1993) suggestion that all quantitative data from neuropsychological evaluations accompany reports has several professional and practical implications. The authors consider the possible ethical ramifications of doing so and caution that routinely appending raw quantitative data may not be advisable. Electronic methods of data transmission can be used to provide quantitative information quickly when necessary. Commentary from readers is invited.
On rat renal aminolevulinate transport and metabolism in experimental Fanconi syndrome

Hereditary tyrosinemia, an autosomal recessive disease of human infants, is characterized by severe liver disease, a renal Fanconi syndrome, and urinary excretion of large quantities of both aminolevulinate (ALA) and succinylacetone (SA). The latter is a metabolic end-product of tyrosine catabolism in affected individuals, produced by both liver and kidney, and is a potent inhibitor of aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD) in liver. This inhibition has been assumed to result in release of large amounts of aminolevulinate from liver into the circulation, with subsequent urinary excretion. In the present report we examine the effects of succinylacetone on rat renal cortical tubular handling of ALA and the relationship to tubular heme content, demonstrating a marked impairment of each. In contrast, maleic acid was found to have no effect on either renal ALAD or heme content. Thus, we conclude that renal handling of ALA in SA-treated rat renal cortex may indicate a contribution by the kidney to the increased net ALA excretion observed in hereditary tyrosinemia.
Radial artery mycotic pseudoaneurysm: an unusual complication of catheterization.

Radial artery pseudoaneurysms are rare, and those that become infected are rarer still. We present the case of a patient who developed a radial artery pseudoaneurysm as a late complication of arterial catheterization. Blood cultures were positive for Staphylococcus aureus, and a pulsatile mass, with associated tissue necrosis, was palpable over the radial artery. The diagnosis was confirmed by gray-scale and color Doppler sonography, which showed a partially thrombosed pseudoaneurysm and turbulent flow in the pseudoaneurysm and native artery.
Reachability Analysis for Base Placement in Mobile Manipulators.

This paper addresses the problem of base placement for mobile robots, and proposes a simple off-line solution to determine the appropriate base locations from which the robot can reach a target point.
Design and standardization issues in serial networking

Abstract Serial communication is an economical alternative for computer integration of manufacturing resources. However, there are design and standardization issues which must be addressed, to assure that the serial network is effectively and efficiently developed and utilized. The industrial engineer can perform a vital role in accomplishing these objectives. This paper reports first-hand experience in development of a serial network in a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) laboratory, and proposes some requirements for design and standardization of serial communications in the CIM environment.
Rethinking the "Middle East" after the Oceanic Turn

Models of geographical space are empowered by a hard rhetoric that, in suggesting the concrete stability of the longue duree , lends the aura of geological fixity. But while places might themselves be sheer facts, our conceptions of them both in themselves and in relation to other places are cultural constructions born in particular moments in time. A coinage of the early twentieth century to demarcate a strategic middle ground between the “Near” and “Far” East, the “Middle East” is itself a relatively new category whose history has been far less stable than its hard rhetoric might suggest. In pointing to the mutability of geographical models, Green aims not so much to historicize but to question the continued usefulness of the more formal, closed model of the Middle East. For all such geographical models are ultimately analytical categories that are meant to enable us to trace forms of connectivity and commonality. And like any other analytical categories, geographical ones deserve no special treatment once they have outlived their usefulness. This seems particularly the case when we look to the geographical frameworks that have actually enabled original scholarship over the past decade or so, particularly the shift toward maritime conceptions of space (Mediterranean, Indian Ocean), which though by no means new have breathed new life into the study of the premodern and colonial/modern history of the Middle East. The rise of global and connected history has similar implications for the closedness and fixity of the traditional area studies paradigm, which, Green contends, doesn’t help us meet the challenge and possibilities provided by the emergence of these new forms of history writing.
Strongly nonlinear composites: A second-order theory for estimating transport properties

Abstract A new theory is proposed for estimating the effective behavior of nonlinear composites. The theory involves the restatement of the effective energy function of a nonlinear composite in terms of the energy function of an appropriately chosen linear composite with anisotropic phases. This allows the direct conversion of well-known estimates for linear composites into corresponding estimates for nonlinear ones. The resulting estimates are exact to second-order in the contrast and satisfy all known bounds.
Validation and verification of continuous plants operating modes using multivariate statistical methods

Abstract A method to identify and monitor the operating modes of continuos plants, is presented and discussed. The criterion uses principal component analysis (PCA) to remove the collinearity and to reduce the dimensionality of the original data set. Typical data sets consist of several variables measured on-line at a constant sampling rate. The reduction in dimension is obtained by the projection of the data set onto a smaller subspace defined by the principal components (PC). In the PC subspace, clusters are identified, and each cluster represents a particular steady-state. Later measurements, if taken while the plant operates at any of these steady-states, lie on the relevant cluster. Such clusters provide the basis for a process validation method. While using the cluster directly would be cumbersome and not intuitive, we propose the use of statistical process control (SPC) charts. An example is given using CUSUM plots. SPC charts are applied to a derived measure. This is the Euclidean distance of the sample from the center of the cluster on the principal component subspace. The definition of the derived measure and its usage are discussed using a multicomponent distillation unit. The method allows the engineer to identify whether the plant operates at the steady state and, possibly at which steady-state among the known ones. Deviations from steady state are easily detected as well as dynamic transients between different steady-states. This approach is particularly suitable for monitoring applications as it allows faster and easier detection than by monitoring individual physical variables. Typical applications of the method are discussed along with future extensions and refinements.
What happens to ordered moments when they are no longer ordered

Abstract Developments in materials physics as well as experimental technology over the last two decades allow a quantitative approach to the locality of the fundamental low-energy magnetic degrees of freedom in metals and insulators. The traditional assumption is that for metals, these degrees of freedom are non-local, while for insulators they are local. We describe how data support this paradigm for two materials, namely insulating LiHoF4 and U2Zn17, while they do not support it for two others, namely an insulating S=1/2 chain compound and metallic Ce(Cu,Au)6.
Code generation by a generalized neural network: general principles and elementary examples

Abstract We discuss the possibility of using neural network optimization to perform optimized code generation, and list possible benefits. The approach used by Hopfield and Tank to treat the traveling salesman is extended to cover the motion of abstract quantities through a computer. A simple general method for constructing complicated syntactic constraints is introduced, applicable to both sequential and parallel target architectures. We test the approach on some very elementary examples of sequential code, by simulation.
Coupling strength incoherence in molecular photophysics

Abstract The commonly assumed approximations of the Bixon-Jortner model lead to qualitatively inadequate descriptions of many photoabsorption and radiationless decay phenomena. Relaxation of the equal-coupling approximation resolves many of the difficulties otherwise implied, and allows examination of the incoherence effects implied when the quasicontinuum is a dense set of discrete states having unlike physical character.
On the role of thermohaline advection and sea ice in glacial transitions

[1] A two-dimensional, one-basin thermohaline oceanic circulation (THC) model coupled to an atmospheric energy balance model (EBM) with land ice albedo effect and a thermodynamic sea ice model is used to study global climate on centennial, and longer, timescales. The model is interpreted to represent the effect of the global ocean, rather than the Atlantic, as is commonly done. It is forced by symmetric insolation and includes a diagnostic parameterization of the hydrologic cycle. Here the strength of the ocean's haline forcing is controlled by a parameter, which reflects the effect of river runoff. This parameter is varied in a set of experiments, which also differ by the magnitude of solar insolation. In wide ranges of the hydrologic cycle, multiple climatic equilibria exist, consisting of circulations with different degrees of asymmetry. More symmetric states have a higher global atmospheric temperature, characteristic of modern climate, whereas less symmetric states are colder and resemble glacial conditions. The maximum global atmospheric temperature difference between such states is consistent with proxy-data-derived temperature drop of about 4°C during the glacial, in contrast to EBM-only sensitivity of about 0.4°C. The mechanics of climate transitions in the model are due to amplification of the orbitally induced global heat budget changes by a major reorganization of the oceanic heat transport. In our model this reorganization is caused by the nonlinear dynamics of the ocean's THC, whose stability regime shifts subject to variable external forcing. Sea ice enhances model climate sensitivity by anchoring deep-ocean temperature to be near freezing [Kravtsov, 2000] and by affecting atmospheric temperature and land ice extent near the poles because of sea ice insulating properties.
Common Core Themes in Geomorphic, Ecological, and Social Systems

Core themes of geomorphology include: open systems and connectivity; feedbacks and complexity; spatial differentiation of dominant physical processes within a landscape; and legacy effects of historical human use of resources. Core themes of ecology include: open systems and connectivity; hierarchical, heterogeneous, dynamic, and context-dependent characteristics of ecological patterns and processes; nonlinearity, thresholds, hysteresis, and resilience within ecosystems; and human effects. Core themes of environmental governance include: architecture of institutions and decision-making; agency, or ability of actors to prescribe behavior of people in relation to the environment; adaptiveness of social groups to environmental change; accountability and legitimacy of systems of governance; allocation of and access to resources; and thresholds and feedback loops within environmental policy. Core themes common to these disciplines include connectivity, feedbacks, tipping points or thresholds, and resiliency. Emphasizing these points of disciplinary overlap can facilitate interdisciplinary understanding of complex systems, as well as more effective management of landscapes and ecosystems by highlighting drivers of change within systems. We use a previously published conceptual framework to examine how these core themes can be integrated into interdisciplinary research for human–landscape systems via the example of a river.
On-Farm Evaluation of Poultry Manure as a Nitrogen Source for Corn

Poultry manure in Iowa is primarily used for row crop production. However, producers question the proportion of total manure N that is available for plant uptake under local conditions and using local manure types. The objectives of this study were to estimate the first-year supply of plant-available N to corn (Zea mays L.) from three poultry manure types under producer crop management conditions across environments in Iowa, and to evaluate alternative soil and plant parameters as tools to assess N availability of poultry manure. Manure was applied at two rates, a low and high rate based on total N analysis of the manure (intending to supply approximately 84 and 168 kg total N), in addition to a no-manure control. The study was conducted at 18 locations from 2004 to 2006. Fertilizer equivalency determined from four rates of fertilizer N was used to estimate first-year poultry manure N availability. Across all manure types and sites, and using grain yield (GY) response, statistical confidence intervals indicated 38 to 55% of the total N applied with poultry manure was available to corn, with a mean 46% plant-available N. Analysis of postmaturity lower corn stalk NO 3 - -N concentrations indicated 41 % N availability, while leaf chlorophyll meter (CM) readings may be unreliable for estimating plant N availability as results indicated only 34% N availability. Soil NO 3 - -N concentrations in early June appeared to vary with added NH 4 + -N from the manure. This on-farm field study provided estimates of poultry manure plant-available N to corn with producer management systems and would include any volatile N losses during or after land-spreading.
Cavitation thresholds of contrast agents in an in vitro human clot model exposed to 120-kHz ultrasound

Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) can be employed to nucleate cavitation to achieve desired bioeffects, such as thrombolysis, in therapeutic ultrasound applications. Effective methods of enhancing thrombolysis with ultrasound have been examined at low frequencies (<1 MHz) and low amplitudes (<0.5 MPa). The objective of this study was to determine cavitation thresholds for two UCAs exposed to 120-kHz ultrasound. A commercial ultrasound contrast agent (Definity®) and echogenic liposomes were investigated to determine the acoustic pressure threshold for ultraharmonic (UH) and broadband (BB) generation using an in vitro flow model perfused with human plasma. Cavitation emissions were detected using two passive receivers over a narrow frequency bandwidth (540–900 kHz) and a broad frequency bandwidth (0.54–1.74 MHz). UH and BB cavitation thresholds occurred at the same acoustic pressure (0.3 ± 0.1 MPa, peak to peak) and were found to depend on the sensitivity of the cavitation detector but not on the nucleating contrast agent or ultrasound duty cycle.
Internet school library media center

Profiles the development of the Internet School Library Media Center at James Madison University, Virginia. Covers the motives for creation, content selection and the role of the information specialist. Compares this with its uses for the teaching role and goes on to describe the technical design of the Web site together with useful observations into this area.
Lebensdauerorientierte Auslegung von Abgasanlagen

Die Kundenanforderung, Pkw-Abgasanlagen fur Motor- beziehungsweise Fahrzeuglebensdauer auszulegen, erfordert verfeinerte Methoden in der Entwicklung dieser Systeme. Dadurch wird es unmittelbar erforderlich, zusatzliche Leichtbaupotenziale zu erschliesen und umzusetzen. Die detaillierte Ermittlung der im Fahrzeug tatsachlich auftretenden Belastungen und die zuverlassige Bewertung deren Einflusse auf die Lebensdauer der Abgasanlage sind Voraussetzungen fur eine angemessene Dimensionierung. Bei Arvin-Meritor Emissions Technologies wird zu diesem Zweck die versuchsbasierte Lebensdauerrechnung eingesetzt.
Loss of Polymer-Modified Binder Durability with Oxidative Aging: Base Binder Stiffening Versus Polymer Degradation

In recent years, there has been an increased use of polymers to modify asphalt binders, mainly to decrease pavement rutting but also to improve binder failure strain in direct tension. With binder oxidation, however, failure strain improvements (relative to the unmodified binder) disappear, and two mechanisms are suspected: polymer degradation and base binder embrittlement. The extent to which each of these mechanisms is responsible for loss of modified-binder performance is important and bears on maintenance treatments and recycling methodologies. Changes in styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) polymer-modified binder properties due to oxidation were analyzed by means of dynamic shear rheometry, ductility, force ductility, and gel permeation chromatograph. Previous literature reports using size exclusion chromatography showed that degradation of the molecular weight profile of SBS accompanied the loss of ductility in polymer-modified asphalt (PMA). Yet base binder embrittlement also occurred, as evidenced by ...
Incorporating chemical health and safety topics into chemistry curricula

Forming the foundation for a life-long attitude of safety consciousness, risk assessment, and prudent laboratory practices should be an integral part of every stage of scientific education-in the classroom, in textbooks, and in the laboratory from the earliest exposures in primary or secondary school through graduate and postdoctoral training. Teaching and academic institutions have this essential and unique responsibility.
A conceptual framework for adaptive preventive interventions

Recently, adaptive interventions have emerged as a new perspective on prevention and treatment. Adaptive interventions resemble clinical practice in that different dosages of certain prevention or treatment components are assigned to different individuals, and/or within individuals across time, with dosage varying in response to the intervention needs of individuals. To determine intervention need and thus assign dosage, adaptive interventions use prespecified decision rules based on each participant's values on key characteristics, called tailoring variables. In this paper, we offer a conceptual framework for adaptive interventions, discuss principles underlying the design and evaluation of such interventions, and review some areas where additional research is needed.
Multiple-scattering calculations of x-ray-absorption spectra

A high-order multiple-scattering (MS) approach to the calculation of polarized x-ray-absorption spectra, which includes both x-ray-absorption fine structure and x-ray-absorption near-edge structure, is presented. Efficient calculations in arbitrary systems are carried out by using a curved-wave MS path formalism that ignores negligible paths, and has an energy-dependent self-energy and MS Debye-Waller factors. Embedded-atom background absorption calculations on an absolute energy scale are included. The theory is illustrated for metallic Cu, Cd, and Pt. For these cases the MS expansion is found to converge to within typical experimental accuracy, both to experiment and to full MS theories (e.g., band structure), by using only a few dozen important paths, which are primarily single-scattering, focusing, linear, and triangular.
Histocompatibility (HLA) antigens and eye diseases other than uveitis.

Abstract In recent years, numerous studies on the possible associations of histocompatibility (HLA) antigens with various eye diseases other than uveitis have been carried out. This paper presents, discusses and evaluates the results of these studies. Undoubtedly, apart from acute anterior uveitis, HLA-typing has very limited usefulness in the practive of clinical ophthalmology. Many reported HLA associations with other eye diseases have not been confirmed by subsequent studies. However, a sizable residuum of highly significant and reproducible associations between HLA antigens and several eye diseases remains, suggesting that HLA-typing in patients with these diseases may contribute to the understanding of pathogenesis and etiology and may prove a valuable prognostic indicator for some diseases.
Spontaneous Mutational and Standing Genetic (Co)variation at Dinucleotide Microsatellites in Caenorhabditis briggsae and Caenorhabditis elegans

Understanding the evolutionary processes responsible for shaping genetic variation within and between species requires separating the effects of mutation and selection. Differences between the patterns of genetic variation observed in nature and when mutations are allowed to accumulate in the relative absence of selection can reveal biases imposed by selection. We characterize the genetic variation at dinucleotide microsatellite repeats in four sets of 250-generation mutation accumulation (MA) lines, two in the species Caenorhabditis briggsae and two in Caenorhabditis elegans, and compare the mutational variation with the standing variation in those species. We also compare the mutational properties of microsatellites with the cumulative effects of mutations on fitness in the same lines. Integrated over the whole genome, we infer that the mutation rate of C. briggsae is about twice that of C. elegans, consistent with the cumulative mutational effects on fitness. The mutational spectrum (ratio of insertions to deletions) differs between repeat types and, in some cases, between species. The per-locus mutation rate is significantly positively correlated with the standing genetic variation at the same locus in both species, providing justification for the common practice of using the standing genetic variance as a surrogate for the mutation rate.
Development and Characteristics of Free Convection in the Clear Air as Seen by Radar and Aircraft

Observations of the development of a convective field in clear air were made simultaneously using radar and an instrumented aircraft. The growth of the field as seen by the radar was compared with the characteristics of the temperature and humidity measurements made by aircraft at various times and locations within the convective depth. Probability distributions of the temperature and mixing ratio fluctuations exhibit distinct, identifiable characteristics for different regions within the field. The altitude of the aircraft measurement, referenced to the maximum altitude of the convective field at the time of the measurement, was found to be a usable parameter in the comparison of aircraft data and in the characterization of convective field growth. Using the relative height parameter, it was found that the area covered by convective cells (modified air) varies linearly with height in the upper reaches of the convective field. The characteristics of individual cells as seen by the radar and as deduced from the aircraft measurements are also discussed.
INDIVIDUALISM, COLLECTIVISM AND THE MARKETIZATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY: Chile and China Compared

Ideological beliefs are of central importance in current debates about the marketization of social security. However, developments in Chile and China suggest that the conventional individualist-collectivist dichotomy, which has framed ideological debates on social security, fails to capture the complexities of ideological differences as well as the imperative of economic development which appears to be driving social security policy in both countries. Examining events in these countries, it is suggested that the individualist-collectivist dichotomy needs to be reconsidered. It is also argued at a normative level that these ideologies no longer provide a viable basis for social security policy, and that the “developmentalist” approach emerging in China merits further scrutiny.
Nonlinear Growth of the Three-dimensional Undular Instability of a Horizontal Magnetic Layer and the Formation of Arching Flux Tubes

We use an anelastic MHD code to simulate the nonlinear evolution of the three-dimensional undular instability of a horizontal magnetic layer with a fixed field line direction, embedded in an adiabatically stratified atmosphere. We consider the limit of very high plasma β, representing the condition at the base of the solar convection zone. We show that, in the limit of high plasma β and nearly adiabatic stratification, the anelastic formulation gives an accurate description of the magnetic buoyancy instabilities. We specify the thermodynamic conditions of the magnetic layer such that it is stable against pure interchange modes (with zero wavenumber in the direction of the magnetic field) and is unstable only to three-dimensional undular modes (with nonzero wavenumbers in both horizontal directions parallel and perpendicular to the field). Our simulations show that distinct arching flux tubes form as a result of the growth of the three-dimensional undular instability. The apices of the arching tubes become increasingly buoyant because of the diverging mass flow from the apices to the troughs. The field strength at each loop apex decreases with height at a significantly smaller rate in comparison with that for the rise of a horizontal flux tube, because of the stretching of the loop field lines. Even though the initial magnetic field is untwisted, it is found that the upward moving tube cross sections of the arching tubes maintain their cohesion as they rise through the distance of about 1 density scale height included in the simulation domain. The difference in motion between the apices and the troughs causes bending and braiding of the longitudinal field lines, whose restoring tension force improves the cohesion of the rising flux tubes in comparison with previous two-dimensional simulations of the buoyant rise of horizontal flux tubes with no initial twist. In addition, the fact that both the buoyancy and the tension forces grow self-consistently from zero as the tubes arch is also a crucial factor for the cohesion of the rising tubes. The result of our simulations suggests that the minimum value for the ratio of poloidal field strength over toroidal field strength (i.e., twist) at the base of the solar convection zone, necessary to ensure a cohesive rise of magnetic flux through the solar convection zone, may be far less than that suggested by the two-dimensional calculations of the buoyant rise of infinitely long horizontal tubes.
Centralization and decentralization redefined

Abstract Some commonly used definitions of the terms centralization and decentralization contradict each other, and the meaning of these terms as used by economists differs from the meaning of these words as they are used in other disciplines. In this paper, the contradictory uses of the terms centralization and decentralization are examined. The terms are then redefined in a formal fashion that is consistent with the definitions of centralization and decentralization commonly used by other disciplines. Finally, a method for comparing the degree of decentralization in a given organization over time is formulated based on these definitions.
Abundance and feeding ecology of Antarctic phaeodarian radiolarians

Phaeodarian radiolarians were sampled from the upper 200 m along a transect through the ice-edge zone in the Weddell Sea in the austral autumn (March 1986) and at several stations in the western Antarctic Peninsula region in the austral winter (June 1987). Abundances of phaeodarians reached 3 132 m-3 and were similar to or higher than maximum abundances of polycystine radiolarians, foraminiferans, and acantharians, and similar to or less than those of the heliozoan Sticholonche sp. Phaeodarians varied in abundance and species composition both seasonally and/or geographically. In contrast to the more numerous ciliates and flagellates that were most abundant in the upper 100 m, phaeodarians were most abundant from 100 to 200 m and showed no distinct pattern related to the ice edge. Electron microscopical examination of food vacuoles showed that phaeodarians are omnivorous generalists, feeding on a variety of food ranging in size from bacteria to large protozoans in both regions and seasons. Algal cells consumed in addition to diatoms and dinoflagellates included Chlorella-like cells and members of the recently described chrysophyte order Parmales. Scales of prasinophytes were common. Phaeodarians are consumed by the non-selective particlefeeding salp Salpa thompsoni. Thus, phaeodarians link microbial food webs to macrozooplankton and increase the complexity of the Antarctic food web.
Sensitivity to masked conditioned stimuli predicts conditioned response magnitude under masked conditions.

Expression of conditioned fear has been reported to be independent of perceptual awareness of conditioned stimuli (CSs). Previous studies have been criticized, however, for not adequately assessing perceptual awareness. We fear-conditioned participants to one of two symbols and measured skin conductance responses to dichoptically masked and unmasked CSs. Participants also performed a target detection task and sensitivity (d′) to the masked conditioned stimuli (CS+, CS−) was measured. Results showed that sensitivity under masking conditions was related to conditioned responses to masked CSs but not unmasked CSs. Thus, a strong relationship between expression of conditioned fear and awareness of the CS+ emerges when the latter is assessed by signal detection methods. Without consensus on how awareness should be defined, these findings bring balance to previous studies that have typically used less sensitive assessments of awareness.
Enhancer Organization: Transistor with a Twist or Something in a Different Vein?

A specific group of enhancers that act in the early Drosophila embryo have a highly conserved arrangement of transcription factor binding sites. Computational modeling of these enhancers suggests interesting parallels with electronic transistors and optical image processors.
Ordered Discrete-Choice Selection Models and Local Average Treatment Effect Assumptions: Equivalence, Nonequivalence, and Representation Results

Abstract This note shows that the local average treatment effect (LATE) assumptions of Angrist and Imbens are weaker than imposing an ordered, discrete-choice selection model if one imposes the standard assumption of constant thresholds in the latter. However, the note extends results of Vytlacil to show that the LATE assumptions are equivalent to an ordered, discrete-choice selection model if one allows for random thresholds in the latter. A nonparametric representation result for ordered, discrete-choice models is produced as a by-product of these results.
Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Containing a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Subtype-E Envelope Gene: Persistent Infection, CD4+ T-Cell Depletion, and Mucosal Membrane Transmission in Macaques

The envelope (env) glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) determines several viral properties (e.g., coreceptor usage, cell tropism, and cytopathicity) and is a major target of antiviral immune responses. Most investigations on env have been conducted on subtype-B viral strains, prevalent in North America and Europe. Our study aimed to analyze env genes of subtype-E viral strains, prevalent in Asia and Africa, with a nonhuman primate model for lentivirus infection and AIDS. To this end, we constructed a simian immunodeficiency virus/HIV-1 subtype-E (SHIV) recombinant clone by replacing the env ectodomain of the SHIV-33 clone with the env ectodomain from the subtype-E strain HIV-1CAR402, which was isolated from an individual in the Central African Republic. Virus from this recombinant clone, designated SHIV-E-CAR, replicated efficiently in macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Accordingly, juvenile macaques were inoculated with cell-free SHIV-E-CAR by the intravenous or intravaginal route; virus replicated in these animals but did not produce hematological abnormalities. In an attempt to elicit the pathogenic potential of the recombinant clone, we serially passaged this viral clone via transfusion of blood and bone marrow through juvenile macaques to produce SHIV-E-P4 (fourth-passage virus). The serially passaged virus established productive infection and CD4+ T-cell depletion in juvenile macaques inoculated by either the intravenous or the intravaginal route. Determination of the coreceptor usage of SHIV-E-CAR and serially passaged SHIV-E-P4 indicated that both of these viruses utilized CXCR4 as a coreceptor. In summary, the serially passaged SHIV subtype-E chimeric virus will be important for studies aimed at developing a nonhuman primate model for analyzing the functions of subtype-E env genes in viral transmission and pathogenesis and for vaccine challenge experiments with macaques immunized with HIV-1 env antigens.