cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secondary reactions of turbulent reacting flows over a film-cooled surface

Abstract Demand for greater engine efficiency and thrust-to-weight ratio has driven the production of aircraft engines with higher core temperatures and pressures. Such engines operate at higher fuel–air ratios, resulting in the potential for significant heat release and chemical reactions on a film-cooled surface. Currently, there is little basis for understanding the effects on aero-performance and durability due to such secondary reactions. In this paper, the chemically reactive turbulent film cooling over a surface for three cases of an inclined single and two parallel and compound-angle coolant holes is investigated by a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach with the shear-stress transport (SST) turbulence model using OpenFoam. To take into account the secondary combustion resulting from the unburned fuels in the crossflow, a two-step reaction scheme was used for the combustion of propane. The relative increase in surface heat flux due to near wall reactions was investigated for film cooling with N 2 and air injections. An eddy dissipation concept fast chemistry approach was used to account for the turbulence–chemistry interaction. Results demonstrate that reactions in the turbine cooling film can result in increased heat transferred to the surface. Failure to design for this effect could result in augmented heat transfer caused by the cooling scheme, and turbine life could be degraded substantially. The analysis suggests that high fuel–air ratio designs may have to consider changes to cooling strategies to accommodate secondary combustion.
ALTERATIONS IN NEUROLOGIC STATUS WITH AGE

Recent research in gerontology has included refined measurements of physiologic variables reflecting changes in the central nervous system in aging. Most such measurements are accurate and of general interest; however, they are of relatively little use to the clinician in his evaluation of the aged patient, because of the elaborate equipment required. Standard reference works in medicine offer little help to the physician who attempts to evaluate the neurologic status of his aged patient. Information to be presented in this paper is based on data gathered from routine neurologic examination which has not involved the use of complicated electrical or mechanical equipment.
Carbaryl Susceptibility, Diagnostic Concentration Determination, and Synergism for U.S. Populations of Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Baseline carbaryl susceptibility and potential resistance mechanisms were identified in U.S. populations of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, using lethal concentration, diagnostic concentration, and synergism bioassays. Twenty-two adult rootworm populations were examined from the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia. Lethal concentration bioassays, conducted within carbaryl-coated glass vials on 12 populations, identified resistance in only 2 Nebraska populations. A diagnostic concentration of carbaryl was subsequently identified which caused 100 and 40% mortality in standard susceptible and known resistant populations, respectively. In diagnostic concentration bioassays on all 22 populations, substantial decreases in mortality were observed only in 3 populations from outside of Nebraska. Synergism bioassays on standard susceptible and resistant Nebraska populations indicated significant reductions in resistance levels with inhibitors of both cytochrome P450 monooxygenases and esterases, suggesting an involvement in resistance by both these classes of detoxification enzymes. Results are discussed with respect to the validation of diagnostic concentration bioassays as a resistance monitoring tool for existing corn rootworm areawide management programs, and the potential roles of cytochromes P450 and esterases in carbaryl resistance.
The critical Fujita number for a semilinear heat equation in exterior domains with homogeneous Neumann boundary values

Let D be a domain in Rn with bounded complement and let n ≠ 2. For the initial-boundary value problem we prove that there are no non-trivial global (non-negative) solutions if 0 2.
Optical Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Durable Silver Coatings

There is a need in the optics community for highly reflective mirrors that do not degrade in harsh environments. While silver can be a highly efficient reflector of visible light, it suffers from poor resistance to corrosive atmospheric gases. Here, we investigate a durable silver coating scheme, in which silver is sputter deposited between very thin layers of nichrome nitride. Excellent corrosion resistance is achieved with a silicon nitride overcoat. Samples were exposed to a variety of atmospheres and it was found that the nichrome nitride dramatically increased corrosion resistance when compared to bare silver or silicon nitride coated silver. Similar results were found when electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to evaluate samples. The enhanced corrosion resistance is achieved even when the thickness of the nichrome nilTide adhesion layer is too thin to be considered continuous.
Halo Nevi and the Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome: Manifestations of Vitiligo

• A 10-year-old boy with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome had loss of pigment cells in the skin, the halo nevi, the retina, and probably the leptomeninges. The amount of inflammation that accompanied destruction of pigment cells varied greatly and seemed to determine whether the patient had symptoms from his vitiligo. This patient exhibited symptoms associated with loss of pigment cells in his skin and leptomeninges, but not from the destruction of the pigment cells in his eyes. We suggest that vitiligo is a disease that can be manifested in any tissue containing pigment cells and has a variable clinical expression. ( Arch Dermatol 116:690-692, 1980)
The Limits of Decss Posting: A Comparison of Internet Posting of Dvd Circumvention Devices in the European Union and China

This study explored differences in DeCSS posting between EU member nations, the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, and Macau. DeCSS is a software program that circumvents DVD copy and access protection systems. The study investigated the number of Websites in each nation that posted DeCSS. The study also examined the degree to which Website authors included political speech on their Websites referring to changes in copyright law brought about by World Intellectual Property Organization Treaty requirements. It also examined whether or not Websites made reference to Free/Open Source software. Results found no DeCSS posting Websites in the PRC, Macau, Luxembourg, Spain or Portugal; and results found few DeCSS posting Websites in Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Greece. Results show more DeCSS posting Websites in northern EU nations, especially the Netherlands, Germany, UK and France. The paper draws on institutional theory and collective action theory to suggest explanations for the observed differences in DeCSS posting.
Oxygen microenvironment affects the uptake of nanoparticles in head and neck tumor cells

ABSTRACT Survival of head and neck cancer patients has not improved in several decades despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. Tumor hypoxia in head and neck cancers is a critical factor that leads to poor prognosis, resistance to radiation and chemotherapies, and increased metastatic potential. Magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia (mNPHT) is a promising therapy for hypoxic tumors because nanoparticles (NP) can be directly injected into, or targeted to, hypoxic tumor cells and exposed to alternating magnetic fields (AMF) to induce hyperthermia. Magnetic NPHT can improve therapeutic effectiveness by two modes of action: 1) direct killing of hypoxic tumor cells; and 2) increase in tumor oxygenation, which has the potential to make the tumor more susceptible to adjuvant therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy. Prior studies in breast cancer cells demonstrated that a hypoxic microenvironment diminished NP uptake in vitro; however, mNPHT with intratumoral NP injection in hypoxic tumors increased tumor oxygenation and delayed tumor growth. In this study, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines were incubated in normoxic, hypoxic, and hyperoxic conditions with iron oxide NP for 4-72 hours. After incubation, the cells were analyzed for iron uptake by mass spectrometry, Prussian blue staining, and electron microscopy. In contrast to breast cancer cells, uptake of NPs was increased in hypoxic microenvironments as compared to normoxic conditions in HNSCC cells. In future studies, we will confirm the effect of the oxygen microenvironme nt on NP uptake and efficacy of mNPHT both in vitro and in vivo . Keywords: magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia, hypoxia, head and neck cancer *Eunice.Y.Chen@hitchcock.org; phone 603-650-8123; fax 603-650-0052
The influence of maternal diet on breast cancer risk among female offspring.

The induction of breast cancer is a long process, containing a series of biological events that drive a normal mammary cell towards malignant growth. However, it is not known when the initiation of breast cancer occurs. One hypothesis is that a high estrogenic environment during the perinatal period increases subsequent breast cancer risk. There are many sources of extragonadal estrogens, particularly in the diet. The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence that a high maternal intake of dietary fats increases serum estrogens during pregnancy and increases breast cancer risk in daughters. Our animal studies show that a high maternal consumption of corn oil consisting mainly of linoleic acid (v-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, PUFA), increases both circulating estradiol (E2) levels during pregnancy and the risk of developing carcinogen-induced mammary tumors among the female rat offspring. A similar increase in breast cancer risk occurs in female offspring exposed to injections of E2 through their pregnant mother. Our data suggest that the mechanisms by which an early exposure to dietary fat and/or estrogens increases breast cancer risk is related to reduced differentiation of the mammary epithelial tree and increased number of mammary epithelial cell structures that are known to the sites of neoplastic transformation. These findings may reflect our data of the reduced estrogen receptor protein levels and protein kinase C activity in the developing mammary glands of female rats exposed to a high-fat diet in utero. In summary, a high dietary linoleic acid intake can elevate pregnancy estrogen levels and this, possibly by altering mammary gland morphology and expression of fat- and/or estrogen-regulated genes, can increase breast cancer risk in the offspring. If true for women, breast cancer prevention in daughters may include modulating the mother’s pregnancy intake of some dietary fats. Nutrition 1999;15:392‐ 401. ©Elsevier Science Inc. 1999
Liminal States in Designing.

Designers today face the daunting challenge of having to create more powerful, more innovative, and higher quality products through better, faster, and less costly processes. Can present approaches meet these challenges? Probably not. How might, we develop approaches that can? One path that seems reasonable is to try to gain a bettor understanding of the conditions and practices that lead to our best designs. If we can identify and describe these conditions in sufficient detail, then perhaps we can reproduce them and increase our chances of meeting today's challenges. This essay offers a preliminary sketch of a concept called the “liminal state” that we feel may represent a central element of designing and a condition that when embraced leads to the very best design products and processes. We will define the “liminal state,” describe a variety of contexts in which it may occur, and speculate on some particular areas where liminal states might improve performance.
Effect of Visual Error Size on Saccade Adaptation in Monkey

Saccades that consistently over- or undershoot their targets gradually become smaller or larger, respectively. The signal that elicits adaptation of saccade size is a difference between eye and tar...
“Talk to me!”: enabling communication between robotic architectures and their implementing infrastructures

Complex, autonomous robots integrate a large set of sometimes very diverse algorithms across at least three levels of system organization: the agent architecture, the implementation environment, and the hardware devices. Insofar as a distinction is maintained between them, the levels serve different purposes and thus exhibit different characteristic strengths and weaknesses. Exchanging information among organizational levels can be used to mitigate the shortcomings of one level by making use of the strengths of another. In this paper, we highlight the roles, characteristics, and relations between the infrastructure and the architecture of complex robots, describing a novel form of integration that results from enabling the exchange of information between these two levels, which otherwise is maintained internally. The information from the infrastructure is especially amenable for use by the architecture to achieve a higher level of robustness and system awareness. We demonstrate the functionality and utility of the proposed mechanisms in a set of experiments in which failures of architectural components are induced on an actual robot engaged in a joint human-robot team task.
The clinical relevance of the metabolism of prostate cancer; zinc and tumor suppression: connecting the dots

The genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for and associated specifically with the development and progression of malignant prostate cells are largely unidentified. In addition, despite its implication in virtually all malignant cells, the role of altered cellular metabolism as an essential factor in prostate malignancy has been largely ignored. Moreover, the intermediary metabolism of normal prostate as well as malignant prostate cells is among the least studied and most poorly understood of all mammalian cells. Some important factors, especially the role of zinc, have been identified and implicated in the development and progression of prostrate malignancy. In this review, we provide a current and updated integrated assessment of the relationships of intermediary metabolism in normal prostate and in prostate cancer. The experimental and clinical evidence that leads to the formulation of concepts of normal and malignant prostate metabolism is presented. The evidence for a concept of zinc as a tumor suppressor agent and Zip1 zinc transporter as a tumor-suppressor gene is described. The specialized function of the normal prostate glandular epithelium to produce and secrete enormously high levels of citrate involves and requires unique intermediary metabolism activities that are not generally associated with other normal mammalian cells. The accumulation of zinc by these cells is an essential factor in this unique metabolic relationship. In malignancy, the normal zinc-accumulating citrate-producing epithelial cells are metabolically transformed to citrate-oxidizing cells that lose the ability to accumulate zinc. A genetic alteration in the expression of ZIP1 zinc transporter is associated with this metabolic transformation. These genetic/metabolic relationships have important consequences on citrate-related metabolism, bioenergetics, cell proliferation and invasive capabilities of the malignant cells, which result in tumor-suppression characteristics. The genetic/metabolic relationships in normal prostate glandular epithelium are driven by the unique function to accumulate and secrete citrate. The genetic/metabolic transformation of the prostate malignant cells is driven by the metabolic/bioenergetic, growth/proliferative, and invasive/migration requirements of the malignant process. Zinc is critical to these relationships. An understanding of these genetic/metabolic relationships provides new directions and opportunities for development of regimens for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Important insight into the genetic/metabolic requirements of the prostate malignant process is now evolving. Most importantly at this time, an appreciation and recognition of the genetic/metabolic significance and implications in the development of prostate malignancy is imperative; and much needed research in this area is essential. Hopefully, this review will help to achieve these goals.
Evaluation of an Independent Neuromuscular Blockade Monitoring Device

Monitoring the level of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) throughout surgery is critical in ensuring patient safety, especially in preparing for extubation. Premature extubation is a life-threatening complication that results in expensive stays in the intensive care unit. Anesthesiologists need an inexpensive, practical device that works with their existing systems to objectively determine the appropriate time to extubate patients. Currently, the products on the market consist of two interfaced components: nerve stimulator and muscle response sensor. As many anesthesiologists already have a nerve stimulator the purchase of current products renders their existing stimulators useless. The mission of AcceleroMetrix is to develop an independent muscle response sensor that works with existing nerve stimulators to accurately measures NMB without receiving input from the nerve stimulator.
Using randomized controlled trial data, the agreement between retrospectively and prospectively collected data comprising the pneumonia severity index was substantial

OBJECTIVE: To assess the agreement between prospectively and retrospectively determined variables comprising the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), assignment to PSI risk class, and designation as low risk, based on these two methods of data collection. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We analyzed data from a randomized trial of patients with community-acquired pneumonia managed in 32 hospital emergency departments (EDs). For all enrolled patients, the 20 PSI variables were collected prospectively by ED providers and retrospectively by medical record abstractors. We examined the agreement for each of the 20 PSI variables, assignment to the five PSI risk classes, and classification of patients as low (classes I-III) vs. high (classes IV and V) risk. Agreement was measured using total percent agreement and the kappa statistic. RESULTS: Among the 3,220 enrolled patients, percent agreement was >90% for 18 of the 20 variables comprising the PSI, with most unweighted kappa's being >0.6. Agreement was substantial for assignment to PSI risk class (percent agreement: 92.7%; weighted kappa: 0.79) and for classification as low vs. high risk (percent agreement: 88.5%; unweighted kappa: 0.74). CONCLUSION: There was substantial agreement between retrospective and prospective assignment to PSI risk class, classification as low vs. high risk, and the determination of most individual variables that constitute the PSI.
Economic Impact of a Port on a Regional Economy: Note

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to identify and adjust for several shortcomings of previous port impact studies in the estimation of primary port economic impact. These shortcomings are found to create the potential for both positive and negative bias. Also presented in this paper is a technique for circumventing several practical problems in the estimation of secondary economic impact. These adjustments are applied to estimate the economic impact of the Port of Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Analysis of Moonshine for Contaminants

Objectives: In the past, some moonshine products contained potentially toxic contaminants. Although moonshine production continues in the United States, no studies have analyzed the content of moonshine since the early 1960s. We hypothesize that moonshine continues to contain potentially toxic concentrations of contaminants. Methods: Forty‐eight samples of illicitly distilled moonshine were obtained from law enforcement agencies. An independent laboratory, blinded to both the moonshine source and a control sample of ethanol, conducted the analysis. Lead content was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry with a graphite tube atomizer. Alcohol content, including ethanol, acetone, isopropanol, methanol, and ethylene glycol, was determined using gas liquid chromatography with flame ionization detection. Results: Ethanol content ranged from 10.5% to 66.0% with a mean value of 41.2%. Lead was found in measurable quantities in 43 of 48 samples with values ranging from 5 to 599 parts per billion (pp...
Characteristics of certain viruses isolated from transplantable tumors

Abstract Three viruses isolated from human tumors transplanted in conditioned rats and the rat virus (RV) of Kilham have been studied in tissue culture. They grow in rat embryo tissue cultures with the production of cytopathic effect, hemagglutinins for guinea pig cells, and intranuclear inclusions and in hamster embryo tissue cultures without cytopathic effect, but they fail to grow in human embryonic tissue cultures. Tissue culture protection tests and hemagglutination-inhibition tests show the four viruses to be of two distinct strains, the H-1 strain originally isolated by Toolan from the H.Ep. no. 1 transplantable human tumor, and the H-3 strain originally isolated by Dalldorf from the H.Ep. no. 3 transplantable human tumor. The rat virus (RV) of Kilham belongs to the latter strain.
Further facts about input to state stabilization

Previously published results about input to state stabilizability are shown to hold even for systems which are not linear in controls, provided that a more general type of feedback is allowed. Applications to certain stabilization problems and coprime factorizations, as well as comparisons to other results on input to state stability, are briefly discussed. >
EFFECTS OF ESTROGENS AND OTHER STEROIDS ON CAPILLARY PERMEABILITY11

IN PREVIOUS WORK we have shown that the administration of estradiol bensoate produces a marked accumulation of trypan blue in the uteri of castrated rats and rabbits (1). This finding indicates that estrogen increases the permeability of the uterine capillaries and seems to account, in part, for the accumulation of uterine fluid produced by the hormone. The present work is a study of the action of estrogen on general capillary permeability, and includes an evaluation of the effect on capillary permeability of desoxycorticosterone acetate, testosterone dipropionate and progesterone. In this study particular attention has been given to the possibility that the salt and water-retaining activity shown by various steroids (2), including those tested in our studies, might be mediated by way of a generalised increase in capillary permeability. Changes in the permeability of the capillaries of various tissues, induced by the steroid hormones tested, were evaluated indirectly by ascertaining the degree of trypan b...
A DSK based simplified speech processing module for Cochlear Implant research

A simple yet flexible research module for laboratory experiments in evaluating performance of different speech processing strategies of Cochlear Implant is developed. It enables algorithm development and evaluation through a series of three sub-modules. Software Evaluation Module provides a graphical environment to the researchers to develop new strategies as well as experiment with parametric variation of these strategies. Evaluation is done by means of Waveform Analyzer and audible reconstruction of the synthesized sound. Hardware Evaluation Module evaluates real-time operational performance of the algorithms in DSP environment. It highlights the practical bottlenecks of any algorithm when transferred from software to hardware domain. Finally, Real-time Patient Evaluation Module allows performance evaluation of the developed strategy on actual Cochlear Implant patients. Simple and easy to use GUIs enable clinicians and researchers to experiment with speech processing strategies with great ease and flexibility without requiring advanced programming skills.
Shear Strength of Tapered Wood Beams

The analysis of a size-strength relationship for the shear strength of rectangular wood beams based on Weibull's theory of brittle failure has been extended to cover tapered wood beams. The important design parameters have been identified in the analysis. The numerical data for Douglas fir beams are presented in graph form, making it straightforward to extend the results to other wood species. The analysis of the present work is two-dimensional, and is general enough to consider all practical loading conditions in the plane. However, only a few important loading conditions are considered in generating the design curves for Douglas fir. Design procedures are illustrated by numerical examples.
Effects of One Night's Sleep Deprivation on Mood and Behavior in Panic Disorder: Patients With Panic Disorder Compared With Depressed Patients and Normal Controls

• The effects of one night's sleep deprivation on mood and behavior were evaluated in 12 patients with panic disorder, ten depressed patients, and ten controls. In contrast to the improvement in symptoms of anxiety and depression shown by the majority of depressed patients, the response of patients with panic disorder as a group did not differ from that of normal controls, although a subgroup did experience noticeable worsening in their symptoms of anxiety, with 40% experiencing panic attacks on the day following sleep deprivation. Electroencephalographic recordings with nasopharyngeal electrodes on the day following sleep deprivation were normal, further suggesting that patients with panic disorder do not have seizure activity characteristic of temporal lobe epilepsy.
Inducing Pollution Prevention: Effectiveness of the 33/50 Voluntary Environmental Program

Policymakers have encouraged pollution prevention by facilities through mandatory reporting in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and voluntary participation in environmental programs like the 33/50 program. While previous studies have focused on participation incentives and the effectiveness of such programs in reducing pollution, this paper examines the choice of pollution control methods induced by participation in the 33/50 program and whether this choice helps reduce toxic releases. Using a rich facility-specific panel data and controlling for potential correlation between program participation and pollution prevention adoption, we find that program participants were more likely to adopt pollution prevention techniques and they achieved statistically significant and larger reductions in toxic releases than were nonparticipants or non-adopters. However, participants that did not adopt pollution prevention methods increased waste recycling and did not achieve a statistically significant reduction in their toxic releases.
Abstract W P119: High Resolution MRI Characteristics of Unclassified Intracranial Stenosis Under Age 50

Introduction: Intracranial stenoses in the young have various underlying pathologies, including early atherosclerosis, infectious and inflammatory vasculitis, and Moyamoya disease, but specific diagnosis is challenging in clinical practice. We set out to characterize the unclassified intracranial stenoses and probable atherosclerosis in the young using high-resolution MRI (HR-MR) vessel wall imaging techniques. Methods: We reviewed the HR-MR database at our hospital with criteria of patients under 50 years with intracranial stenosis. Patients with primary / secondary CNS vasculitis, infectious vasculitis, Moyamoya disease, dissection or cardio embolic strokes were excluded. Imaging protocol included black-blood gadolinium contrast -enhanced T1-weighted sequence with fat suppression and time-of-flight MRA of the circle of willis with 3-Tesla MRI. Results: Twenty-five patients (9 males, median age 41) met the inclusion criteria. Hyperlipidemia hypertension, history of smoking and diabetes mellitus were noted in 24, 20, 16, and 9 patients respectively. Seventeen had 3 or more vascular risk factors. Twenty-one patients (84 %) had isolated anterior circulation involvement, while 13 patients (52%) had single vessel stenosis. Median time interval between ischemic event and HR-MR was 78 days. Concentric vessel wall enhancement of the culprit stenosis was noted in 18 patients (72%). None had eccentric wall thickening and eccentric enhancement. Vessel wall enhancement was associated with the presence of diabetes (p=0.026) but not associated with other vascular risk factors. Having a risk factor burden of 3 or more (p=0.15), multifocal stenosis (p=0.3), or shorter time to MRI imaging (p=0.6) were not associated with vessel wall enhancement. On follow-up HR-MR imaging after median of 6 months, all 5 patients with early vessel wall enhancement had unchanged findings. Conclusion: In this cohort, while the risk factor burden suggests “accelerated atherosclerosis,” the vessel wall enhancement patterns are unlike atherosclerotic plaques that have been previously described with HR-MR. The nature of these stenoses needs further investigation.
Analysis of secondary structural elements in human microRNA hairpin precursors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by targeting complementary mRNAs for destruction or translational repression. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been associated with various diseases including cancer, thus making them interesting therapeutic targets. The composite of secondary structural elements that comprise miRNAs could aid the design of small molecules that modulate their function. We analyzed the secondary structural elements, or motifs, present in all human miRNA hairpin precursors and compared them to highly expressed human RNAs with known structures and other RNAs from various organisms. Amongst human miRNAs, there are 3808 are unique motifs, many residing in processing sites. Further, we identified motifs in miRNAs that are not present in other highly expressed human RNAs, desirable targets for small molecules. MiRNA motifs were incorporated into a searchable database that is freely available. We also analyzed the most frequently occurring bulges and internal loops for each RNA class and found that the smallest loops possible prevail. However, the distribution of loops and the preferred closing base pairs were unique to each class. Collectively, we have completed a broad survey of motifs found in human miRNA precursors, highly expressed human RNAs, and RNAs from other organisms. Interestingly, unique motifs were identified in human miRNA processing sites, binding to which could inhibit miRNA maturation and hence function.
Simulation of Hypersonic Flow Within a Strong Magnetic Field

The equations of magneto fluid dynamics (MFD) are solved for flow within a simplified “energy bypass” scramjet engine. This engine extracts electrical power from the flow through electric and magnetic field interaction just ahead of the combustor section and then returns it to accelerate the flow downstream of it. This problem has been chose to develop an algorithm to solve the MFD equations with strong electric and magnetic field interaction with weakly ionized flows. Although an attempt is made to make the flow as realistically as possible, the main emphasis is on algorithm development. The effects of the Hall current and ion slip are included. Equilibrium gas conditions are assumed. Electron and ion number densities are calculated and used to determine the local electrical conductivity of the gas.
Testing for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in small samples

An investigation is made of the validity of several statistics to test whether a small sample comes from a population having the binomial proportions p2AA, 2pqAa, q2aa, where q = I p. In particular the significance levels (P-values) indicated by these tests are compared to those of a well-known exact test (Haldane 1954). It is found that, for sample sizes of 20 or greater and significance level 0.15 or less for the exact test, a useful approximation to the significance level is obtained when the X2-statistic, with Yates' correction, is averaged with a similar statistic that used conditional expectations, and the result referred to the x2-distribution. For other situations, or for greater accuracy, a recursive relation is given that reduces the amount of computation necessary to determine the exact significance level.
Ca2+-activated potassium (KCa) channel inhibition decreases neuronal activity–blood flow coupling

A number of possible mediators have been proposed to couple neuronal activity with local cerebral metabolic activity and blood flow, but the mechanisms by which these mediators act is still unclear. In order to explore these coupling mechanisms, we used the rodent whisker-barrel cortex (WBC) model to test the hypothesis that modulation of K(Ca) channels is an important step in this coupling process. Anesthetized rats were prepared for laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) or evoked potential recordings utilizing a thinned cranial window over WBC. Superfusion of the K(Ca) channel blockers tetraethylammonium (TEA) or iberiotoxin directly onto WBC attenuated the magnitude of the whisker evoked LDF changes. Similar effects were seen after intravenous administration of TEA. Although attenuated, neither the temporal profile of the elicited blood flow responses nor the evoked electrical activity in WBC were affected by K(Ca) blockade. These data suggest that the process of cerebral metabolism/blood flow coupling in the rodent WBC involves K(Ca) channels.
Effect of hypoxia on lung lymph flow in newborn lambs with left atrial hypertension

To determine the effect of left atrial hypertension on the vascular response to hypoxia in the newborn lung, we measured pulmonary artery and left atrial pressures, lung blood flow and lymph flow, and concentrations of protein in lymph and plasma of 13 lambs that spontaneously breathed air for 2-6 h (control period), followed by 8-11% O2 mixed with 3-5% CO2 and N2 for 2-4 h (experimental period). In eight studies, the lambs were made hypoxic first, after which we elevated their left atrial pressure by 10-12 Torr for 2-3 h. In 10 additional studies, we reversed the sequence by raising left atrial pressure first followed by addition of hypoxia. In lambs with normal left atrial pressure, alveolar hypoxia increased both pulmonary blood flow and lymph flow, with an associated reduction in lymph-to-plasma protein ratio (L/P). When left atrial pressure was increased in the presence of hypoxia, lymph flow increased by a small amount and L/P decreased further. In lambs with preexisting left atrial pressure elevation, addition of alveolar hypoxia increased both blood flow and lymph flow with no significant change in L/P. These results suggest that in newborn lambs with normal left atrial pressure, alveolar hypoxia increases lung lymph flow mainly by increasing microvascular filtration pressure, whereas in lambs with elevated left atrial pressure, hypoxia increases lymph flow by another mechanism, perhaps by increasing the perfused surface area for fluid filtration.
Analysis of volatile compounds emitted by filamentous fungi using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Here, we describe a solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) analytical approach that identifies and analyzes volatile compounds in the headspace above a live fungal culture. This approach is a sensitive, solvent-free, robust technique; most importantly from a practical standpoint, this approach is noninvasive and requires minimal sample handling. Aliquots of liquid fungal cultures are placed into vials equipped with inert septa and equilibrated at a constant temperature, and headspace gases are sampled using an SPME fiber inserted through the septum into the headspace above the fungal culture for a standardized period of time. The outer polymer coating of a fused silica fiber absorbs volatiles from the headspace; the volatiles are then desorbed in the hot GC inlet and chromatographed in the usual manner. The separated compounds are subsequently identified by mass spectrometry. All steps in volatile profiling of a single sample from volatile sorption on a fiber to obtaining a list of volatiles can take as little as 15 min or can be extended to several hours if longer sorption is required for compounds present at very low levels and/or have low rates of diffusion.
User sensitivity to speed- and height-mismatch in VR

Facebook's purchase of Oculus VR in 2014 ushered in a new era of consumer virtual reality head-mounted displays (HMDs). Converging technological advancements in small, high-resolution displays and motion-detection devices propelled VR beyond the purview of high-tech research laboratories and into the mainstream. However, technological hurdles still remain. As more consumer grade products develop, user comfort and experience will be of the utmost importance. One of the biggest issues for HMDs that lack external tracking is drift in the user position and rotation sensors. Drift can cause motion sickness and make stationary items in the virtual environment to appear to shift in position. For developers who seek to design VR experiences that are rooted in real environments, drift can create large errors in positional tracking if left uncorrected over time. Although much of the current VR hardware makes use of external tracking devices to mitigate positional and rotational drift, the creation of head-mounted displays that can operate without the use of extremal tracking devices would make VR hardware more portable and flexible, and may therefore be a goal for future development. Until technology advances sufficiently to completely overcome the hardware problems that cause drift, software solutions are a viable option to correct for it. It may be possible to speed up and slow down users as they move though the virtual world in order to bring their tracked position back into alignment with their position in the real world. If speed changes can be implemented without users noticing the alteration, it may offer a seamless solution that does not interfere with the VR experience. In Experiments 1 and 2, we artificially introduced speed changes that made users move through the VR environment either faster than or slower than their actual real-world speed. Users were tasked with correctly identifying when they were moving at the correct true-to-life speed when compared to an altered virtual movement speed. Fore and aft movement and movement from side to side initiated by seated users bending at the waist were tested separately in two experiments. In Experiment 3, we presented alternating views of the virtual scene from different user heights. In this study, users had to correctly distinguish the view of the virtual scene presented at the correct height from incorrect shorter and taller heights. In Experiments 1 and 2, we found that on average speed increases and decreases up to approximately 25% went unnoticed by users, suggesting that there is flexibility for programs to add speed changes imperceptible to users to correct for drift. In contrast, Experiment 3 demonstrates that on average users were aware of height changes after virtual heights were altered by just 5 cm. These thresholds can be used by VR developers to compensate for tracking mismatches between real and virtual positions of users of virtual environments, and also by engineers to benchmark new virtual reality hardware against human perceptual abilities.
Impact of Machine Reliability on Key Lean Performance Measures: The Case of a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS)

Uncertainty in production systems may arise from different sources including machines, parts, tools or material handling failures. For this reason the need for the production system to be flexible enough to respond to unanticipated breakdowns or failures become highly recognized. This paper considers a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) and analyzes the effect of a combination of various design and operational parameters on the overall system performance under different machine failures/breakdowns patterns. Three performance criteria including throughput rate (TR), mean flow time (MFT), work-in-process (WIP), are analyzed for various machine and AGV scheduling rule combinations over a range of AGV fleet size. These key Lean indicators are selected because they are tenants of Littleâs Law considered as the backbone equation in Lean Six Sigma methodologies as it advocates the reduction of waste, variability and work in process around the process in order to reduce the cycle time while increasing quality. Comparison is made with the performance profile of a system operating in a failure-free mode. The results reveal that machine and material handling scheduling rule combinations together with the maintenance policy in use may affect significantly the performance of a production system. The results also show that there is an acceptable level of machine breakdown (reliability) for which the system performance is similar to a failure free system.
Thyroid Dysfunction and Male Reproductive Physiology

Normal thyroid physiology is paramount for the proper development and important for the maintenance of male reproduction. Both short- and long-term deviations in thyroid hormone levels have been shown to alter male reproductive function on a micro- and macroscopic level. Thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism are associated with changes in spermatogenesis, semen quality, levels of sexual hormones, and erectile function. However, the degree to which thyroid dysfunction is clinically responsible for male infertility has not been clearly elucidated.
In-situ STM studies of strain-stabilized thin-film dislocation networks under applied stress

The effect of uniaxial applied stress on dislocation networks present in the atomic surface layer of Au(111) was studied. The measurements were made using a novel instrument combining ultrahigh vacuum scanned-probe microscopy with an in-situ stress-strain testing machine. The technique provides microscopic information, up to atomic resolution, about the large scale plasticity of surface layers under applied loads. The herringbone reconstruction of the Au(111) surface is a classic example of a strain stabilized dislocation network. We find that under 0.5% uniaxially applied compressive strain a dramatic restructuring of the network takes place. The three-fold orientational degeneracy of the system is removed and threading edge dislocations are annihilated.
Serological weak D phenotypes: a review and guidance for interpreting the RhD blood type using the RHD genotype.

Approximately 0·2-1% of routine RhD blood typings result in a "serological weak D phenotype." For more than 50 years, serological weak D phenotypes have been managed by policies to protect RhD-negative women of child-bearing potential from exposure to weak D antigens. Typically, blood donors with a serological weak D phenotype have been managed as RhD-positive, in contrast to transfusion recipients and pregnant women, who have been managed as RhD-negative. Most serological weak D phenotypes in Caucasians express molecularly defined weak D types 1, 2 or 3 and can be managed safely as RhD-positive, eliminating unnecessary injections of Rh immune globulin and conserving limited supplies of RhD-negative RBCs. If laboratories in the UK, Ireland and other European countries validated the use of potent anti-D reagents to result in weak D types 1, 2 and 3 typing initially as RhD-positive, such laboratory results would not require further testing. When serological weak D phenotypes are detected, laboratories should complete RhD testing by determining RHD genotypes (internally or by referral). Individuals with a serological weak D phenotype should be managed as RhD-positive or RhD-negative, according to their RHD genotype.
Solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura presenting as a giant intrathoracic mass

Solitary fibrous tumours (SFTs) are relatively rare neoplasms thought to originate from the submesothelial connective tissue. SFTs have been described in a variety of sites, including the pleura, orbit, lower respiratory tract, peritoneal cavity and heart. These neoplasms are usually benign, though locally aggressive, and metastatic behaviour has been observed in some cases. We describe a case of a 61-year-old man presenting with weight loss, poor appetite, malaise, worsening dyspnoea on exertion and lower extremity oedema, who was found to have a gigantic-21×21 cm-tumour occupying the entire right hemithorax causing compression and displacement of the mediastinum and liver. Transthoracic CT-guided biopsy revealed SFT of the pleura. The patient underwent preoperative angiography and embolisation of the tumour followed by successful surgical resection via thoracotomy.
Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE): Implementing a Sustainable Peer Support Program for Student Veterans on College Campuses.

Student veterans have been attending college in greater numbers since the passing of the Post/9-11 GI Bill. Although similar to other nontraditional students, student veterans face unique transition challenges that can impact their pursuit of higher education. Many student veterans could benefit from dedicated programs to help them succeed in college, which in turn would enable them to secure employment in the civilian world. Facilitating the success of student veterans also makes wise use of the financial and institutional resources invested in their education. Peer support programs can help by providing an established community of other student veterans who can normalize transition experiences, offer social support, reduce stigma associated with help-seeking, and connect to useful services on and off campus. This paper describes the iterative development of a nationwide peer support program for student veterans, Peer Advisors for Education (PAVE), which uses trained peers to provide outreach, support, and linkage to resources to assist student veterans. Through a hybrid technology platform for training and program management, PAVE has been delivered on 40 college campuses nationwide and is well-positioned for larger scale national rollout.
A Reed–Solomon Code Magic Trick

A magic trick based on properties of a (4, 2, 3) extended Reed–Solomon code is introduced. We then discuss relevant concepts of the Reed–Solomon code to explain why the trick works and how it was d...
Myth and Tragic Action in La Celestina and Romeo and Juliet

The fact that literature is understood in the modern world to refer primarily to written texts may blind us to the link between literary genre and memory. The poet inherits genre as he inherits a language; he discovers artistic ways of seeing in the conventions and compositional forms of his art as “integral, materially expressed inner acts of man’s orientation in reality.”1 The created world of tragedy, with its own space and time, is not so closely bound to the reality of everyday life as it is bound to the memory of a tragic way of seeing and representing existence. The esthetic “distance” in space and time so necessary to the genre of tragedy was discovered by the ancients, who linked the insights of tragic art to myth; this distance between mythic action and events in everyday life is recreated and “remembered” in tragic works of art throughout the course of literary history. When a poet begins to see and to express a fiction in a particular way, his work moves within a tragic orientation.