cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overload relays and circuit breakers for protecting motorized appliances and their branch circuits

After presenting the causes of motor overheating, thermal overload relays are discussed with bimetal-type or solder-film types being preferred. Short-circuit protection then is examined and molded-case air circuit breakers are suggested for use with most domestic- and industrial-type branch circuits to which motorized appliances are to be connected.
Receptor protection studies to characterize neuronal nicotinic receptors: tubocurarine prevents alkylation of adrenal nicotinic receptors.

Abstract Our laboratory has evidence that multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes regulate bovine adrenal catecholamine release. In the following studies, receptor protection assays were used to differentiate adrenal nicotinic receptor subpopulations. Under alkylating conditions, bromoacetylcholine (30 μM) reduced nicotinic receptor-stimulated adrenal catecholamine secretion by approximately 80%. When 100 μM tubocurarine was present during alkylation, nicotine-stimulated secretion was reduced by less than 30%. Hexamethonium (500 μM), decamethonium (500 μM), mecamylamine (50 μM), pentolinium (50 μM), adiphenine (50 μM), methyllycaconitine (1 μM) and α-bungarotoxin (1 μM) afforded no protection when present during alkylation. When the pharmacology of residual, tubocurarine-protected receptors was investigated, the EC 50 value for nicotine’s stimulatory effects on secretion significantly increased from 4.0 (2.5–6.5) μM in control cells to 9.1 (7.2–11.4) μM in tubocurarine-protected cells. In addition, the IC 50 value for tubocurarine’s inhibitory effects on release significantly decreased from 0.7 (0.5–0.9) μM in control cells to 0.3 (0.2–0.4) μM in tubocurarine-protected cells. These studies support the use of protection assays to characterize nicotinic receptor subpopulations.
High-order accurate thin layer approximations for time-domain electromagnetics. Part I: General metal backed coatings

We present a family of high-order accurate thin layer approximations for time-domain electromagnetics. The thin layer approximations are valid for metal backed coatings of general isotropic materials and certain classes of anisotropic materials on smooth curvilinear backgrounds. Both dielectric and magnetic materials can be considered. These models are non-trivial and we discuss their properties and implementation in the context of discontinuous Galerkin methods which are particularly well suited for these models. The range of validity, accuracy, and stability of the resulting schemes is demonstrated through one- and two-dimensional examples.
Sediment transport mechanisms influencing spatiotemporal resuspension patterns in a shallow, polymictic reservoir

Although whole-lake sedimentation models have been developed for natural lakes, they may not apply to reservoirs due to differing physical, morphological, and hydrodynamic characteristics along a reservoir's longitudinal axis. We measured sedimentation rates immediately below the photic zone and near the sediment surface in a polymictic reservoir's riverine and lacustrine regions to identify transport mechanisms influencing sediment resuspension during an annual cycle. Lake-wide regression models revealed that wind-induced mixing depths explained <20% of sediment resuspension variability. However, site-specific mixing depth models explained 30% of sediment resuspension variability at a lacustrine station. Inverse relationships between mixing depth and sediment resuspension suggested that wind-induced mixing entrained deep-water advective river sediments into the photic zone rather than resuspending deposited sediments. Maximum mixing depths calculated from strong wind events never exceeded site depths, su...
The More Things Change

Taming the Sovereigns: Institutional Changes in International Politics. By K. J. Holsti. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 372 pp., $70.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-521-83403-1), $25.99 paper (ISBN: 0-521-54192-1). Should we celebrate the end of history, the obsolescence of major war, and the retreat of the state? Or must we cower before the coming chaos and clash of civilizations, while reminiscing fondly about the good old days of the Cold War? Whether dispensing good cheer or dour pessimism, many of the most widely read authors writing about international relations in recent years have agreed about one thing—the future will be discontinuous with the past. In Taming the Sovereigns , K. J. Holsti seeks to douse such fevered speculations with a survey of institutional change in international politics over the past several centuries. Holsti concludes that the foundations of the Westphalian order remain firmly in place. Even though different components of the international institutional system have evolved in varied ways, the overall picture is one of incremental change in the direction of greater complexity rather than transformation. This continuity is all to the good, given that, according to Holsti, the existing institutional order has a “moderating influence” (p. 307) on state behavior (hence the title), which allows for historically unprecedented levels of peace and prosperity. The conceptual foundations of Holsti's study reflect the influence of so-called “English School” thinkers such as Martin Wight (1978) and Hedley Bull (1977). Although agreeing with realists that international politics is anarchic in structure, Bull conceived of states not as atomistic utility maximizers but as pragmatic social agents capable of working out mutually acceptable rules and practices. The resulting institutional order served to avert, or at least to dampen, the Hobbesian war of all against all that realists wrongly considered the inevitable product of international anarchy. The English School thus occupies an interesting intermediate position in contemporary paradigmatic debates—combining realism's state-centric assumptions with liberalism's optimistic conclusions about the prospects for international cooperation. According to …
Interface structures and periodic film distortions induced by substrate-surface steps in Gd-doped ceria thin-film growth

Gadolinium-doped ceria (Ce0.8Gd0.2O2−δ) thin films were grown on single-crystal (001) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates by a pulsed laser ablation. The transmission electron microscope observation reveals a unique type of periodic film distortion along the film∕substrate interface. Each distorted film area is associated with a few substrate-surface steps and the spacing between these distorted areas is about 50μm. The distortion starts at the substrate-surface steps and extends into the film along one of the {111} planes at the step-forward direction. The {111} planar defects induced by the nearby steps can interact with each other to form a planar defect network. The structure of the (001) LAO surface, the structure of the film∕substrate interface, and the mechanism of the formation of these {111} planar defects have been analyzed using a high-resolution electron microscopy. Structural models for these planar defects and their interaction are suggested.
Absorption and Screening in Phycomyces

In vivo absorption measurements were made through the photosensitive zones of Phycomyces sporangiophores and absorption spectra are presented for various growth media and for wavelengths between 400 and 580 mµ. As in mycelia, s-carotene was the major pigment ordinarily found. The addition of diphenylamine to the growth media caused a decrease in s-carotene and an increase in certain other carotenoids. Growth in the dark substantially reduced the amount of s-carotene in the photosensitive zone; however, growth on a lactate medium failed to suppress s-carotene in the growing zone although the mycelia appeared almost colorless. Also when diphenylamine was added to the medium the absorption in the growing zone at 460 mµ was not diminished although the colored carotenoids in the bulk of the sporangiophore were drastically reduced. Absorption which is characteristic of the action spectra was not found. Sporangiophores immersed in fluids with a critical refractive index show neither positive nor negative tropism. Measurements were made of the critical refractive indices for light at 495 and 510 mµ. The critical indices differed only slightly. Assuming primary photoreceptors at the cell wall, the change in screening due to absorption appears too large to be counterbalanced solely by a simple effect of the focusing change. The possibility is therefore advanced that the receptors are internal to most of the cytoplasm; i.e., near the vacuole.
Pyrogens and the viability of stored erythrocytes.

Summary Addition prior to storage of a bacterial pyrogen failed to influence the viability of erythrocytes placed in a blood bank for 26 days. Parameters studied were gross appearance of the samples, osmotic and mechanical fragility of the red cells and patterns of destruction following infusion into normal recipients. Resume L'adjonction, avant le stockage, de substances pyrogenes bacteriennes ne modifie pas l'etat des erythrocytes Iorsqu'ils sont conserves a 4 a 5° pendant 26 jours. Les auteurs ont examine l'aspect macroscopique des echantillons, la resistance osmotique et mecanique des erythrocytes et le taux de destruction erythrocytaire apres injection chez des receveurs normaux. Zusammenfassung Die Zugabe eines bakteriellen Pyrogens zu Blutkonserven verursachte wahrend einer 26tagigen Konservierung keine Schadigung der Erythrozyten. Die Prufuing erstreckte sich auf die visuelle Kontrolle der Proben, die Bestimmung der osmotischen und mechanischen Resistenz der Erythrozyten sowie auf die Abbaugeschwindigkeit der Zellen bei gesunden Empfangern.
Combined dynamic effects of correlated load processes

Abstract A large number of loadings on structures, particularly nuclear structures, are random and dynamic in nature and may be generated from common or related sources (e.g., storms, earthquakes, and accidents). The combination of load effects which may be nonlinear, dynamic and statistically dependent is therefore and important issue in the assessment of safety and performance of a nuclear structure over its lifetime. This paper summarizes the latest developments in this area with emphasis on the versatile method of analysis based on a consideration of load coincidence. The validity and accuracy of this method is established by comparison with other methods and Monte Carlo simulations. Parametric studies are carried out and effects of dynamic response and load dependencies are examined. The accuracies of some of load combination rules are also studied and ranges of validity of each rule are identified such that some risk-consistency can be achieved if such rules are to be used.
Fabrication and electrochemical characteristics of electrospun LiFePO4/carbon composite fibers for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract LiFePO 4 /C composite fibers were synthesized by using a combination of electrospinning and sol–gel techniques. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was used as an electrospinning media and a carbon source. LiFePO 4 precursor materials and PAN were dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide separately and they were mixed before electrospinning. LiFePO 4 precursor/PAN fibers were heat treated, during which LiFePO 4 precursor transformed to energy-storage LiFePO 4 material and PAN was converted to carbon. The surface morphology and microstructure of the obtained LiFePO 4 /C composite fibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and elemental dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). XRD measurements were also carried out in order to determine the structure of LiFePO 4 /C composite fibers. Electrochemical performance of LiFePO 4 /carbon composite fibers was evaluated in coin-type cells. Carbon content and heat treatment conditions (such as stabilization temperature, calcination/carbonization temperature, calcination/carbonization time, etc.) were optimized in terms of electrochemical performance.
Effects of estrogen and thyroxine upon plasma proteins and blood volume in the fowl.

COMMON et al. (1947 and 1948) and Fleischmann and Fried (1945) demonstrated that estrogen administration to chickens increased the serum calcium, phosphoproteins, lipids, liver fat, and liver protein, but these increases were prevented when thyroxine was administered with the estrogen. McDonald et al. (1945) reported similar results in the pigeon. None of these workers, however, studied the effects of the hormones on the individual plasma protein components, albumin and globulin. Mandel et al. (1947) showed that in the pigeon the increase in total plasma proteins resulting from estrogen administration was mainly in the albumin fraction. Common et al. also reported that crude blood volume in the fowl (determined by the exsanguination technique) was increased by estrogens. It is known that this technique is subject to great error. The object of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen and thyroxine upon plasma albumin and globulin and blood volume of the fowl.
Coseismic Slip in the 1964 Prince William Sound Earthquake: A New Geodetic Inversion

The 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake (March 28, 1964; M w = 9.2) caused crustal deformation over an area of approximately 140,000 km2 in south central Alaska. In this study geodetic and geologic measurements of this surface deformation were inverted for the slip distribution on the 1964 rupture surface. Previous seismologic, geologic, and geodetic studies of this region were used to constrain the geometry of the fault surface. In the Kodiak Island region, 28 rectangular planes (50 by 50 km each) oriented ~218°N, with a dip varying from 8° nearest the Aleutian trench to 9° below Kodiak Island, define the rupture surface. In the Prince William Sound region 39 planes with variable dimensions (~40 by 50 km near the trench, ~64 by 50 km inland) and orientation (218°N in the west and 270°N in the east) were used to approximate the complex faulting. Prior information was introduced to constrain offshore dip-slip values, the strike-slip component, and slip variation between adjacent planes. Our results suggest a variable dip-slip component with local slip maximums occurring near Montague Island (up to ~ 30 m), further to the east near Kayak Island (up to ~ 14 m), and trenchward of the northeast segment of Kodiak Island (up to ~17 m). A single fault plane dipping 30°NW, corresponding to the Patton Bay fault, with a slip value of 8 m modeled the localized but large uplift on Montague Island. The moment calculated on the basis of our geodetically derived slip model of 5.0 × 1029 dyne cm is 30% less than the seismic moment of 7.5 × 1029 dyne cm calculated from long-period surface waves (Kanamori, 1970) but is close to the seismic moment of 5.9 × 1029 dyne cm obtained by Kikuchi and Fukao (1987).
Dynamic changes in tuning in the gerbil cochlea

Afferent axons of the gerbil cochlear nerve were studied with reverse correlation analyses carried out with movable time windows and with noise that was modulated with a 10-Hz trapezoidal envelope that switched the noise amplitude between two levels, 20 dB apart. At the time of switching, the attributes of the axonal tuning curves derived in this manner switched very rapidly (e.g., within 10 ms) from those characteristic of lower-level stimuli to those characteristic of higher-level stimuli and vice versa. As previous investigators have shown, the attributes of tuning curves at higher levels include broader bandwidth and an accentuated low-frequency hump. Characteristic frequencies (CFs) of gerbil axons used in this study ranged from approximately 500 Hz to approximately 5 kHz. Over this range, the low-frequency hump was most pronounced in our studies for units with higher CFs, each of which showed a sharp high-frequency peak and a distinctly separate, broad low-frequency hump (reminiscent of the tip and tail of a conventional frequency-threshold tuning curve). The amplitude of the peak relative to that of the hump, and the breadth of the peak, both changed rapidly and reversibly following sudden change of noise level. Observation of such rapid changes of tuning would be difficult to achieve with conventional frequency-threshold tuning curves, derived from tonal stimuli.
Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in asymptomatic at-risk patients using emergency ultrasound

Objective: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a deadly but often clinically silent disease. Patients at increased risk are elderly men with risk factors for vascular disease who may not have adequate screening through primary care. We sought to examine the prevalence and feasibility of screening for AAA in at-risk patients presenting for unrelated complaints using emergency physician–performed bedside ultrasound. Methods: At-risk patients presenting with unrelated complaints were screened for AAA by emergency physician–performed ultrasound. Scan was rated as complete, limited, or inadequate, and time to complete scan noted. Patients with identified AAA were provided with appropriate follow-up and were followed to look at confirmatory imaging and clinical course. Results: A total of 179 patients were screened, with 12 AAAs discovered (6.7%; 95% confidence interval, 3.9%-11.4%). Average time to perform the screening ultrasound was 141 ± 135 seconds. Average discrepancy between emergency ultrasound and formal imaging was 3.9 mm. Of 12 (92%) patients, 11 were followed up, with repair recommended in 3 patients. Conclusion: The emergency department represents a potential opportunity for screening at-risk patients for AAA. Emergency ultrasound is a fast and accurate method for identifying patients with AAA who may benefit from follow-up or intervention. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The effects of activated macrophages on tumor target cells: escape from cytostasis.

Abstract In contrast to normal mouse peritoneal macrophages, activated macrophages almost totally inhibit [ 3 H]TdR uptake by tumor target cells 24 hr after challenge. However, when the period of observation was extended to 48 or 72 hr, renewed [ 3 H]TdR uptake by target cells was often, but not always, observed in the presence of activated macrophages. This apparent escape of target cells from the cytostatic effects of activated macrophages was not due to a subpopulation of resistant target cells, and autoradiographic studies revealed that target cells, inhibited from incorporating [ 3 H]TdR by activated macrophages at 24 hr, were subsequently able to renew DNA synthesis and multiply. These results suggest that in the presence of activated macrophages, the almost total cytostasis of target cells does not necessarily mean that these cells are irreversibly damaged or killed. Escape from or maintenance of cytostasis was not peculiar to any of the target cells (L cells, EMT-6, Bladder 4934) or mouse strains (SW, C57BL, BALB/c) employed nor was it consistent with any of the forms of stimulation used for obtaining activated macrophages (Toxoplasma or Besnoitia infection; C. parvum treatment). However, the results suggest that when escape of target cells from the cytostatic effects of activated macrophages occurred, it may have been due to a qualitative or quantitative inadequacy of the population of macrophages employed.
Oxygenation properties of hemoglobin variants with substitutions near the polyphosphate binding site

Abstract Two hemoglobin variants with substitutions at β 79 and β 80 were found to have an increased oxygen affinity, but a normal response to organic phosphates. These observations are interpreted in terms of salt bridges which are affected by the substitutions.
A nilpotent Roth theorem

Let T and S be invertible measure preserving transformations of a probability measure space (X, ℬ, μ). We prove that if the group generated by T and S is nilpotent, then $\lim_{N\ras\infty}\frac{1}{N}\sum_{n=1}^{N}u(T^{n}x)v(S^{n}x)$ exists in L 2-norm for any u, v∈L ∞(X, ℬ, μ). We also show that for A∈ℬ with μ(A)>0 one has $\lim_{N\ras\infty}\frac{1}{N}\sum_{n=1}^{N} \mu(A\cap T^{-n}A\cap S^{-n}A)>0$ . By the way of contrast, we bring examples showing that if measure preserving transformations T, S generate a solvable group, then (i) the above limits do not have to exist; (ii) the double recurrence property fails, that is, for some A∈ℬ, μ(A)>0, one may have μ(A∩T -n A∩S - n A)=0 for all n∈ℕ. Finally, we show that when T and S generate a nilpotent group of class ≤c, $\lim_{N\ras\infty}\frac{1}{N}\sum_{n=1}^{N}u(T^{n}x)v(S^{n}x) =\int ud\mu\int vd\mu$ in L 2(X) for all u, v∈L ∞(X) if and only if T×S is ergodic on X×X and the group generated by T -1 S, T -2 S 2,..., T -c S c acts ergodically on X.
Criterion‐referenced judgemental forecasting models

Human judgements are usually made with reference to a criteria such as cost or profit. When making a judgement model for such a decision, the ideal is for the model to yield near-optimal results in terms of the criteria. This article starts with the theory behind concave criteria and then develops a mathematical argument which gives guidance to judgemental model building. This guidance departs from the conventional wisdom of using only R-squared in model selection.
The dog that hasn't barked: assimilation and resistance in Inner Mongolia, China

As one of China's five autonomous regions, Inner Mongolia has not been highlighted in the international news, and the Mongols have not demonstrated significant political will for greater autonomy in the way the Tibetans and the Uighurs have in recent decades. Why haven't the Mongols mobilized? This paper argues that the Mongols' lack of aspiration for greater autonomy is in part due to the relationship between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia as an independent kin state. The different trajectories of national identity construction in these two places and the perception of better living conditions in Inner Mongolia have made the Inner Mongols less anxious about their current incorporation within the Chinese state.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging in cell biology

The measurement of fluorescence lifetimes offers the advantages of being independent of local intensity and concentration of the fluorophore, and can provide information regarding the molecular environment in a single living cell. Historically, measurements of fluorescence lifetimes have employed photomultipliers as detectors, providing high sensitivity but sacrificing spatial information. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) provides a 2- or 3D spatial map of the distribution of fluorescent lifetime(s) in the sample under observation. Picosecond laser pulses from a tunable dye laser are delivered to fluorophore containing living cells on the stage of a fluorescent microscope, and images of the fluorescence emission at various times during the decay of the fluorescence lifetime are collected using a high speed nanosecond-gated multichannel plate image intensifier. FLIM promises to substantially enhance the information obtainable from living cells and tissues, and will allow observations of the dynamic organization and interaction of cellular components on a spatial and temporal scale previously not possible using other microscopic techniques.
Relapsing fevers and lymphadenopathy in a young woman

A 23-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with severe occipital headache, nausea and fever. She was treated with intravenous antibiotics for suspected meningitis. After a brief period of response, her symptoms relapsed and remained refractory despite continuing intravenous antibiotics for 10 days leading to referral to our centre. Physical examination was significant for tender right cervical lymph node. Initial tests included pancytopenia, elevated C reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase and unremarkable cerebrospinal fluid. Extensive infectious and rheumatology work-up was negative. Massive posterior cervical, axillary and inguinal lymphadenopathy was revealed on imaging. Excisional biopsy of the deep cervical lymph node showed histiocytic necrotising lymphadenitis suggesting a diagnosis of Kikuchi disease. Her course was complicated by acute renal failure. Her symptoms resolved in about a week with supportive treatment along with improvement in pancytopenia and renal function. She had two additional self-limited recurrences in the next 3 months and remains symptom free thereafter.
Anisotropic Grain Growth in Diphasic‐Gel‐Derived Titania‐Doped Mullite

Densification and anisotropic grain growth in diphasic-gel-derived, titania-doped mullite were studied. Titania enhanced initial and intermediate stage densification in diphasic mullite gels by reducing the glass viscosity. Rodlike anisotropic mullite grains started to grow in titania-doped diphasic mullite gels once a dense, equiaxed microstructure was achieved. The onset temperature for anisotropic grain growth decreased with increasing titania concentration because the sintering temperature for final-stage densification decreased. The lowest onset temperature for anisotropic grain growth was ∼1500°C in 5 wt% titania-doped mullite. The aspect ratio and area fraction of anisotropic mullite grains increased with higher titania concentration and were strongly dependent on the initial titania particle size. Kinetic studies demonstrated that anisotropic grain growth in titania-doped diphasic mullite gels followed the empirical equation Gn - G0n=Kt, with growth exponents of 3 and 6 for the length [001] and thickness [110] directions, respectively. The activation energies for grain growth were 690 kJ/mol for the length and 790 kJ/mol for the thickness directions.
Diagnosing Lateral Mixing in the Upper Ocean with Virtual Tracers: Spatial and Temporal Resolution Dependence

Several recent studies diagnose lateral stirring and mixing in the upper ocean using altimetry-derived velocity fields to advect ‘‘virtual’’ particles and fields offline. However, the limited spatiotemporal resolution of altimetric maps leads to errors in the inferred diagnostics, because unresolved scales are necessarily imperfectly modeled. The authors examine a range of tracer diagnostics in two models of baroclinic turbulence: the standard Phillips model, in which dispersion is controlled by large-scale eddies, and the Eady model, where dispersion is determined by local scales of motion. These models serve as a useful best- and worst-case comparison and a valuable test of the resolution sensitivity of tracer diagnostics. The effect of unresolved scales is studied by advecting tracers using model velocity fields subsampled in space and time and comparing the derived tracer diagnostics with their ‘‘true’’ value obtained from the fully resolved flow. The authors find that eddy diffusivity and absolute dispersion, which are governed by largescaledynamics,areinsensitivetospatialsamplingerrorin eitherflow.Measuresthatdependstronglyonsmall scales, such as relative dispersion andfinite-timeLyapunov exponents, are highly sensitive to spatial sampling in the Eady model. Temporal sampling error is found to have a more complicated behavior because of the onset of particle overshoot leading to scrambling of Lagrangian diagnostics. This leads to a potential restrictionontheutilityofrawaltimetrymapsforstudyingmixingintheupperocean.Theauthorsconcludethat offline diagnostics of mixing in ocean flows with an energized submesoscale should be viewed with some caution.
Random and pseudorandom inputs for Volterra filter identification

This paper studies input signals for the identification of nonlinear discrete-time systems modeled via a truncated Volterra series representation. A Kronecker product representation of the truncated Volterra series is used to study the persistence of excitation (PE) conditions for this model. It is shown that i.i.d. sequences and deterministic pseudorandom multilevel sequences (PRMS's) are PE for a truncated Volterra series with nonlinearities of polynomial degree N if and only if the sequences take on N+1 or more distinct levels. It is well known that polynomial regression models, such as the Volterra series, suffer from severe ill-conditioning if the degree of the polynomial is large. The condition number of the data matrix corresponding to the truncated Volterra series, for both PRMS and i.i.d. inputs, is characterized in terms of the system memory length and order of nonlinearity. Hence, the trade-off between model complexity and ill-conditioning is described mathematically. A computationally efficient least squares identification algorithm based on PRMS or i.i.d. inputs is developed that avoids directly computing the inverse of the correlation-matrix. In many applications, short data records are used in which case it is demonstrated that Volterra filter identification is much more accurate using PRMS inputs rather than Gaussian white noise inputs. >
Generating a Test Strategy with Bayesian Networks and Common Sense

Testing still represents an important share of the overall development effort and, coming late in the software life cycle, it is on the critical path both from a schedule and quality perspective. In an effort to conduct smarter software testing, Motorola Labs have developed the Bayesian test assistant (BTA), an advanced decision support tool to optimize all verification and validation activities, in development and system testing. With Bayesian networks, the theory underlying BTA, Motorola Labs built a library of causal models to predict, from key process, people and product factors, the quality of artefacts at each step of the software development. In this paper we present how BTA links the predictions from development models by mapping dependencies between components or subsystems to predict the level of risk in each system feature. As a result, and well before system testing starts, BTA generates a test strategy that optimizes the writing of test cases. During system test, BTA scores test cases to select an optimum set for each test step, leading to a faster discovery of defects. We also describe how BTA was deployed on large telecomm system releases in several Motorola organizations and the improvement driven so far in system testing
Ventricular wall bulge and oxygen consumption in stunned myocardium modeling

Reversible dysfunction of the myocardium after a single or multiple episodes of coronary artery occlusion is termed myocardial stunning. In this study, the hypothesis that stunning could best be represented by an increase in resting length and a concomitant decrease in maximum available muscle force in the stunned region was examined by means of a mathematical model. Hemodynamic measures were found to be similar to those of experiment data, thus supporting the model validity. Oxygen consumption was found to slightly increase as paradoxically observed in experiments. The model explains this as increased heat production while external work decreases with stunning.
Nurse Preceptors' Views of Precepting Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract The nurse preceptor is an essential bridge between the classroom and the real world of human patients and clinical settings. The 26 experienced nurse preceptors who participated in this qualitative study shared stories and important perspectives on the nurse preceptor role in pre-licensure nursing education. Three consistent themes emerged: being engaged in the educational process, acknowledge my efforts, and it depends on the student. These findings have implications for schools of nursing and faculty working with undergraduate students in the clinical setting.
Selecting an engineering manager using HDM

Selection of an Engineering Manager can be a complex undertaking with financial and organizational risk associated with a poor selection. The subjective nature of selecting Engineering Managers is characterized by stress and uncertainty. To mitigate these effects, a Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) was utilized for this study to rank Engineering Manager Candidates. The HDM utilized pairwise comparison surveys, expert data from three different Industry groups, desirability curves, candidate profiles and constant sum method for data processing. Data was processed for each Industry expert group separately and as a combined expert group. The ranking results reflected the influence of Industry expert groups and identified inconsistencies in the data created by the expert data.
Hypoxia-specific upregulation of calpain activity and gene expression in pulmonary artery endothelial cells.

The effects of exposure to hypoxia on the catalytic activity and mRNA expression of calpain, a calcium-regulated neutral cysteine protease, were examined in porcine pulmonary artery endothelial cel...
EFFECTS OF COLORANTS AND FLAVORANTS ON IDENTIFICATION, PERCEIVED FLAVOR INTENSITY, AND HEDONIC QUALITY OF FRUIT-FLAVORED BEVERAGES AND CAKE

Four experiments were conducted to assess the effect of food color on flavor identification of noncarbonated beverages and to assess the interactive effect of food color and flavor levels on the perceived flavor intensity and hedonic quality of beverages and cake. Results showed that color masking dramatically decreased flavor identification of fruit-flavored beverages, while atypical colors induced incorrect flavor responses that were characteristically associated with the atypical color. In addition, the color level of beverages had significant effects on their overall acceptability, acceptability of color and of flavor, as well as on flavor intensity. The same results were shown with cake samples, with the exception that a significant interaction of color and flavor level was observed on overall acceptability. Correlational analysis on the subjective dimensions showed that the overall acceptability of both the beverage and cake products was more closely associated with ratings of flavor acceptability than with ratings of color acceptability. In addition, a test of the effect of colorant safety information showed that such information did not decrease any aspect of a product's acceptability.
Potential-based shaping in model-based reinforcement learning

Potential-based shaping was designed as a way of introducing background knowledge into model-free reinforcement-learning algorithms. By identifying states that are likely to have high value, this approach can decrease experience complexity--the number of trials needed to find near-optimal behavior. An orthogonal way of decreasing experience complexity is to use a model-based learning approach, building and exploiting an explicit transition model. In this paper, we show how potential-based shaping can be redefined to work in the model-based setting to produce an algorithm that shares the benefits of both ideas.
Predictors of Engaging in Family Discussion About Organ Donation and Getting Organ Donor Cards Witnessed

Family knowledge of organ donation intentions has been found to double rates of family consent regarding organ donation; therefore, it is an important communication process to study in the effort to persuade more people to become organ donors. This article reports the results of a study based on the heuristic-systematic model of persuasion designed to assess predictors of family discussion of organ donation and getting organ donor cards witnessed. Possible predictors of family discussion and getting organ donor cards witnessed included individual differences and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors. A path model of the process leading to family discussion and getting organ donor cards witnessed is presented and results are discussed for their practical importance.
Age dependent modification of cytochrome oxidase activity in the cat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus following removal of primary visual cortex

The purpose of the present study was to assess changes in the levels of cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the adult cat following removal of primary visual cortical areas 17 and 18 on the day of birth (PI), P28, or in adulthood (> or = 6 months). Cytochrome oxidase activity was measured in histological sections 9 or more months after the cortical ablation. Control measures obtained from intact cats show that CO activity is normally highest in the A-laminae of dLGN, and slightly lower in the C-complex. Following visual cortex ablations incurred at any age, CO activity levels are reduced in the A-laminae. This reduction is most profound following ablations incurred on P28 or in adulthood. In contrast, CO activity in the C-complex of dLGN is at nearly normal levels following ablations on P1 or P28, but not in adulthood. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role played by the dLGN in the transfer of visual signals along retino-geniculo-extrastriate pathways that expand following early removal of areas 17 and 18. Moreover, they have implications for our understanding of spared behavioral functions attributed to the extrastriate cortex in cats which incurred early damage of areas 17 and 18.
MATLAB codes for teaching quantum physics: Part 1

Among the ideas to be conveyed to students in an introductory quantum course, we have the pivotal idea championed by Dirac that functions correspond to column vectors (kets) and that differential operators correspond to matrices (ket-bras) acting on those vectors. The MATLAB (matrix-laboratory) programming environment is especially useful in conveying these concepts to students because it is geared towards the type of matrix manipulations useful in solving introductory quantum physics problems. In this article, we share MATLAB codes which have been developed at WPI, focusing on 1D problems, to be used in conjunction with Griffiths' introductory text.
Whole Mount Dissection and Immunofluorescence of the Adult Mouse Cochlea

The organ of Corti, housed in the cochlea of the inner ear, contains mechanosensory hair cells and surrounding supporting cells which are organized in a spiral shape and have a tonotopic gradient for sound detection. The mouse cochlea is approximately 6 mm long and often divided into three turns (apex, middle, and base) for analysis. To investigate cell loss, cell division, or mosaic gene expression, the whole mount or surface preparation of the cochlea is useful. This dissection method allows visualization of all cells within the organ of Corti when combined with immunostaining and confocal microscopy to image cells at different planes in the z-axis. Multiple optical cross-sections can also be obtained from these z-stack images. In addition, the whole mount dissection method can be used for scanning electron microscopy, although a different fixation method is needed. Here, we present a method to isolate the organ of Corti as three intact cochlear turns (apex, middle, and base). This method can be used for mice ranging from one week of age through adulthood and differs from the technique used for neonatal samples where calcification of the cochlea is incomplete. A slightly modified version can be used for dissection of the rat cochlea. We also demonstrate a procedure for immunostaining with fluorescently tagged antibodies.
Tonic responses of canine proximal colon: effects of eating, nutrients, and simulated diarrhea

Our hypothesis was that the proximal colon relaxes to accommodate flow from the ileum. Therefore, we recorded tonic responses of the canine proximal colon to flow through the ileum and colon stimulated by 1) an 840-kcal meal, 2) nutrients perfused into the ileum and colon, or 3) rapid infusion of saline into the ileum with overflow into the colon. Saline infusion was considered to be a model of diarrhea, and the effects of an antidiarrheal (morphine sulfate) were therefore assessed. Proximal colonic tone was measured with a barostat. Tone increased before and after the arrival of chyme in the ileocolonic region. Perfusion of nutrients into the ileum and colon also significantly increased (P < 0.05) colonic tone compared with equal volumes of saline. Rapid perfusion of the ileocolonic segment with saline increased colonic tone; this increase was significantly greater (P < 0.01) when preceded by morphine. In contrast to our hypothesis, tone of the canine proximal colon increased in response to ileal flow. The increase in colonic tone during the late response to food was at least partly attributable to stimulation by intraluminal contents.
Parallel Feedback Turing Computability

In contrast to most kinds of computability studied in mathematical logic, feedback computability has a non-degenerate notion of parallelism. Here we study parallelism for the most basic kind of feedback, namely that of Turing computability. We investigate several different possible definitions of parallelism in this context, with an eye toward specifying what is so computable. For the deterministic notions of parallelism identified we are successful in this analysis; for the non-deterministic notion, not completely.
Computational models and organizational psychology: Opportunities abound

Computational modeling has long been advocated as an important tool in the scientist’s tool shed. They are common in physical and biological sciences, but are very rare in organizational psychology...
Conflicts for the Female Therapist: Some Reflections

This article arises from personal reflections following study in a particular field. It analyses some of the factors which influence the development of a women's profession in a male-orientated society. The structure and relationships within the health services are perceived as a reflection of the position of men and women in society. A second issue, that of the perspective which produces the classification of occupations, is touched upon. The importance of keeping valued ‘female’ characteristics as well as developing ‘male’ ones is discussed.
Abstract 2983: Nkx3.1 and c-Myc co-regulate shared target genes involved in prostate cancer

Cooperativity between oncogenic mutations is recognized as a fundamental feature of malignant transformation, and may be mediated by synergistic regulation of the expression of pro- and anti-tumorigenic target genes. However, the mechanisms by which oncogenic mutations cooperatively regulate downstream target gene expression remain largely unknown. Here we used chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq) and gene expression analyses to identify direct targets of the prostate tumor suppressor Nkx3.1 in the mouse prostate. Our analysis showed that a significant fraction of Nkx3.1 targets are also targets of the oncoprotein c-Myc, suggesting that these two proteins may cooperate in prostate tumorigenesis by directly co-regulating a common set of target genes. Using ChIP, we confirmed binding of Nkx3.1 and c-Myc to the regulatory regions of shared target genes in mouse and human prostate epithelial cells. In conditional mutant mice, loss of Nkx3.1 cooperates with concurrent overexpression of c-MYC to promote prostate tumorigenesis. Furthermore, dysregulation of the shared NKX3.1/c-MYC target gene set was associated with relapse in human prostate tumors. We propose that co-regulation of target gene expression by oncogenic/tumor suppressor transcription factors may represent a general mechanism for the cooperativity of oncogenic mutations during tumorigenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2983. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2983
Social Role as one Explanatory Link between Individual and Organizational Levels in Mesoergonomic Frameworks

Social role theory focuses on organizational expectations for individual behavior in identified social roles. Social role theory may explain how individuals, organizations, and social systems interrelate around particular ergonomics issues in complex organizations. This paper explores social role theory as an explanatory theory that links individual behavior with organizational role expectations in cross-level mesoergonomic frameworks. This paper presents two applications of cross-level research to the mesoergonomic framework as proposed by Karsh (2006). Social role theory many enable ergonomists to better understand relationships among levels in sociotechnical systems and examine how ergonomic programming may best serve complex social systems.
Orthopaedic Applications of Stem Cells

More than 33 million musculoskeletal injuries occur in the United States each year. Bone is capable of regeneration, and defects often heal spontaneously. However, cartilage, tendon, and ligament injuries usually result in replacement of the site by organized scar tissue, which is inferior to the native tissue. An increased understanding of cell biology and various tissue types may lead to the possibility of using tissue engineering techniques to recapitulate the embryonic events that result in the development of native tissue. The goal of tissue engineering is to generate biologic substitutes for repair and/or replacement of injured tissue. Three basic elements are required. First, appropriate cells must be present to give rise to the structural tissue. Second, appropriate growth factors and differentiation stimuli must exist for the cells to proceed down the proper lineage. Third, a scaffolding matrix must act as a building block for cellular attachment, differentiation, and maturation into the desired tissue. The generated construct must be site specific and integrate well at the hostegraft interface.
Free dermal fat graft reconstruction of the head and neck: An alternate reconstructive option.

Abstract Objectives Ablative procedures of the head and neck often result in significant facial and cervical irregularities and cosmetic asymmetry. The deformity resulting from ablative procedures of the head and neck is a significant source of cosmetic morbidity and postoperative dissatisfaction. Reconstruction of post-ablative defects in the head and neck can employ a broad range of techniques, ranging from primary closure to free tissue transfer. The free dermal fat graft (FDFG) is one such option and has been used to repair volume defects of varying sizes after common head and neck procedures such as parotidectomy. However, its use is largely undocumented in the literature. We seek to further illustrate the FDFG as an alternate method of reconstruction of head and neck defects. Study design Non-randomized retrospective analysis. Methods The medical records of all patients who underwent primary autologous abdominal FDFG reconstruction of head and neck defects by a single surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from January 1997 to August 2010 were reviewed. All patients were called in order to assess their post-operative cosmetic satisfaction. Results Sixty-two patients were analyzed. Only three patients were found to have post-operative complications directly related to the FDFG. No complications were found at the donor site. Based on a telephone survey, the majority of patients were satisfied post-operatively with their cosmetic outcomes in the primary site and donor site. Conclusions From our experience the FDFG is a cosmetically and functionally advantageous option for reconstruction of ablative procedures of the head and neck.