cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
True Random Number Generation Using Latency Variations of FRAM

True random number generation (TRNG) plays an important role in security applications and protocols. In this article, we propose an effective technique to generate a robust true random number using emerging, energy-efficient, nonvolatile, consumer-off-the-shelf (COTS) ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) chips. In the proposed method, we extract inherent randomness from internal ferroelectric capacitors by exploiting latency variation across cells within FRAM. Hardware results and subsequent National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) statistical test suite (STS) testing indicate that the proposed latency-based TRNG is robust over a wide range of operating conditions at speeds of 6.23 Mb/s using COTS, silicon FRAM chips from Cypress Semiconductor Corporation.
Advancing digital health: FDA innovation during COVID-19

Digital health products have played an important role in the COVID-19 response, from supporting the remote monitoring of patients to enabling continuity in data collection for clinical trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a number of temporary policies to support digital health innovation during the pandemic, such as guidance documents to expand the use of digital therapeutics for psychiatric disorders and medical devices for remote patient monitoring. In this article, we contextualize these policies to the agency’s existing regulatory framework for digital health, outline key considerations for patients and health care providers, and identify implications for the future of digital health innovation.
Addressing Remnants of the Past Proactive Responses to Equity Issues in Public Administration

Local governments, along with other American institutions, have integrated culturally and ethnically diverse residents into the mainstream of society. Yet, vestiges of segregation and exclusion continue to impact quality of life issues for minorities. These historical remnants pose equity, ethical, and practical dilemmas for local government managers as they wrestle with delivery and access of services and corrections of past environmental injustices for all residents. This article explores how these holdovers continue to challenge managers today and seeks from a practitioner’s point of view to provide methods to rectify these inequalities.
Large-Scale Group Decision-Making and Rank Clustering

Large-scale group decision-making (GDM) arises when a large group of decision-makers aims to compare several given options by ranking them or assigning scores to those options, for example, determining a ranking for five finalist papers in a best-paper competition, based on a large number of votes submitted by scholars. We study two classes of GDM problems where the submitted votes as well as the final decisions are in the form of ranking (respectively, score) vectors, denoted by PR (respectively, PS). Because a group of decision-makers usually consists of clusters (subgroups) that are essentially different in how they evaluate options, identifying the clusters and their centroids (representative ranking/score vectors) is necessary. We show the single-cluster cases of PR and PS are solvable in polynomial time. We present a general framework for deriving sufficient conditions on the number of decision-makers who propose a ranking/score vector to ensure their proposal is selected as the final decision. We prove that if a 'weak majority' (i.e., at least half) of the decision-makers vote for a ranking vector, and they are in 'extreme disagreement' (i.e., propose the most dissimilar ranking vectors) with the rest of the decision-makers, their proposal is an optimal decision of the group. Inconsistent with intuition, we show that ensuring optimality of a ranking vector requires fewer votes if the decision-makers are in extreme disagreement. Additionally, ensuring optimality of a score vector requires more votes than a ranking vector. We prove the optimal value of the classical k-means clustering problem is a lower bound that is within 50% of that of PR and PS. Interestingly, we establish the tightness of this worst-case gap for PR and PS with any number of clusters. We demonstrate the generalizability of this worst-case gap beyond PR and PS. We prove PR and PS are NP-hard, using a reduction from the hypercube clustering problem. Consequently, we present heuristic algorithms for finding good solutions for PR and PS in a reasonable amount of time. Our heuristic algorithms perform two major steps at each iteration: an assignment step that assigns vectors to clusters and an update step that determines the centroids of clusters. We propose six heuristic variations that use different assignment and update procedures, and show each iteration of these heuristic algorithms is polynomial. According to our numerical experiments, a heuristic variation that determines the optimal centroids using our proposed polynomial procedures demonstrates a remarkable performance and outperforms the other five variations.
Clinical features and gene mutation analysis of patients with Alagille syndrome

Objective: To analyze the clinical manifestations and gene mutations of patients with Alagille Syndrome (ALGS) to improve diagnosis and provide a boarder spectrum of gene mutagenesis. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 18 ALGS patients admitted to Xi'an Children's Hospital from January 2016 to January 2020. Clinical characteristics, biochemical parameters, gene mutations and prognosis were collected and analyzed. Next-generation sequencing of liver disease-related gene panels or the whole exome was carried out for the probands. Mutations of candidate genes were verified by Sanger sequencing in their family members. Based on the comparison with a well-known database of disease, the harmfulness and structures of proteins with novel mutations were predicted, and the pathogenicity was evaluated. Results: There were 9 males and 9 females with ALGS in this study, and the age of initial diagnosis was 2.5 (1.9, 6.8) months. All patients initially presented with cholestasis, with other symptoms including 15 cases of special facial features, 11 cases of butterfly vertebrae, 10 cases of congenital heart disease, 5 cases of posterior corneal embryonic ring (among 16 cases with ophthalmological examination), and 1 case of polycystic kidney disease. A total of 14 JAG1 gene mutations and 6 NOTCH2 gene mutations were identified. Among these newly identified mutations, 6 were associated with JAG1 gene, including c.1213delA (p.T405Lfs*7), c.1270dupG(p.A424Gfs*5), c.1741dupG(p.A581Gfs*8), c.3045delC (p.I1016Ffs*20), c.2000-2A>C and c.625C>A(p.H209N); 4 were associated with NOTCH2 gene, including c.6961dupG(p.A2321Gfs*79), c.518G>T(p.G173V), c.6157C>T(p.R2053C) and c.710G>A(p.R237Q). Sixteen patients were followed up for (37.9±31.5) months. Among these cases, 2 died of liver failure (1 case underwent Kasai operation due to misdiagnosis with biliary atresia), 1 improved after liver transplantation, and 13 were in stable condition after medical treatment. Conclusions: The phenotypes of ALGS are diverse, genetic detection can help diagnosis. The JAG1 and NOTCH2 genes showed a wide array of mutations, with many novel mutations identified in this study.
Tracking the desert's edge with a Pleistocene relict

Abstract In addition to the Sky Islands of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico, a series of 900–1200 m desert peaks surrounded by arid lowlands support temperate affiliated species at their summits. The presence of disjunct long-lived plant taxa on under-explored desert mountains, especially Isla Tiburon at 29° latitude in the Gulf of California, suggests a more southerly extent of Ice Age woodlands than previously understood. The phylogeography of the desert edge species Canotia holacantha (Celastraceae) was investigated to test the hypothesis that insular desert peak populations represent remnants of Pleistocene woodlands rather than recent dispersal events. Sequences of four chloroplast DNA regions totaling 2032 bp were amplified from 74 individuals of 14 populations across the entire range of C. holacantha as well as nine individuals that represented the other two species in its clade (C. wendtii and Acanthothamnus aphyllus) and two outgroups. Results suggest that a Canotia common ancestor occurred on the landscape, which underwent a population contraction ca. 15 kya. The Isla Tiburon C. holacantha population and the Chihuahuan Desert microendemic C. wendtii have the greatest genetic differentiation, are sister to one another, and basal to all other Canotia populations. Three haplotypes within C. holacantha were recovered, which correspond to regional geography and thus identified as the Arizona, Sonora, and Tiburon haplotypes, within which Acanthothamnus aphyllus is nested rather than as a sister genus. These results indicate a once broad distribution of Canotia/Acanthothamnus when the current peripheral desert ecotone habitat was more widespread during the Pleistocene, now present in relict populations on the fringes of the southern desert, in the Chihuahuan Desert, with scattered populations on desert peaks, and a common or abundant distribution at the northern boundary of the Sonoran Desert. These results suggest Canotia has tracked the shift of the desert's edge both in latitude and elevation since the end of the last Ice Age.
A probabilistic model of bathing beach safety

Abstract An improved mathematical model for bathing beach safety is proposed. It is derived by joining the probability of infection from a given dose (Poisson distribution and the probability of acquiring such a dose (lognormal distribution). Even in the absence of better clinical and epidemiological data, the model permits an assessment of relative risk from certain hazards and the design of more meaningful bacteriological standards for individual beaches.
Quantitative electroencephalography. A new approach to the diagnosis of cerebral dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective. Neuropsychiatric manifestations are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but accurate diagnosis is often difficult. We conducted a prospective study to determine the utility of neurometric quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) as an indicator of cerebral dysfunction in SLE patients. Methods. Fifty-two SLE patients were divided into 4 groups based on the results of neuropsychiatric evaluations. These included patients with objective evidence of neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms, patients with no evidence of NPSLE, and patients with a prior history of NPSLE. All QEEG findings were compared with data in an age-regressed normative database and with findings in an independent sample of normal subjects. Results. QEEG sensitivity was 87%, and specificity was 75%. QEEG results were abnormal in 74% of the SLE patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms and in 28% of the patients with no evidence of active NPSLE. QEEG profiles varied as a function of the severity and type of neuropsychiatric manifestation present. Within this patient population, QEEG was more sensitive than magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scanning, or conventional EEG. Conclusion. Neurometric QEEG may be a sensitive indicator of cerebral dysfunction in patients with NPSLE and can differentiate patients with diverse neuropsychiatric manifestations. When combined with a careful clinical history and evaluation, QEEG provides information that may be useful for the early detection of NPSLE and for serial evaluation of disease activity and treatment efficacy.
Endoscopically assisted versus open repair of sagittal craniosynostosis: The St. Louis Children's Hospital experience - Clinical article

Object This study investigated the differences in effectiveness and morbidity between endoscopically assisted wide-vertex strip craniectomy with barrel-stave osteotomies and postoperative helmet therapy versus open calvarial vault reconstruction without helmet therapy for sagittal craniosynostosis. Methods Between 2003 and 2010, the authors prospectively observed 89 children less than 12 months old who were surgically treated for a diagnosis of isolated sagittal synostosis. The endoscopic procedure was offered starting in 2006. The data associated with length of stay, blood loss, transfusion rates, operating times, and cephalic indices were reviewed. Results There were 47 endoscopically treated patients with a mean age at surgery of 3.6 months and 42 patients with open-vault reconstruction whose mean age at surgery was 6.8 months. The mean follow-up time was 13 months for endoscopic versus 25 months for open procedures. The mean operating time for the endoscopic procedure was 88 minutes, versus 179 minute...
InterAct: Virtual Sharing for Interactive Client-Server Applications

We describe InterAct, a framework for interactive client-server applications. InterAct provides an efficient mechanism to support object sharing while facilitating client-controlled consistency. Advantages are two-fold: the ability to cache relevant data on the client to help support interactivity, and the ability to extend the computation boundary to the client in order to reduce server load. We examine its performance on the interactive data-mining domain, and present some basic results that indicate the flexibility and performance achievable.
Implementations of Two Degrees of Freedom Controllers

Some issues in the implementation of two degrees of freedom controllers are considered. In particular, a systematic way to implement a two degrees of freedom controller via the {R;G,H} controller configuration is given and it is shown that three "two degrees of freedom" controllers may introduce undesirable response limitations.
Correct Schema Transformations

We develop a formal basis of correct schema transformations. Schemas are formalized as abstract data types, and correct schema transformations are formalized as information-preserving signature interpretations. Our formalism captures transformations of all schema components, making it possible to transform uniformly constraints and queries along with structures. In addition, our formalism captures schema transformations between different data models as easily as those within the same data model. Compared with Hull's notion of relative information capacity, our notion of information preservation captures more schema transformations that are natural, and fewer schema transformations that are unnatural. Our work lays the foundation of a transformational framework of schema manipulations.
Passive buoyant tracers in the ocean surface boundary layer: 1. Influence of equilibrium wind‐waves on vertical distributions

This paper is the first of a two part series that investigates passive buoyant tracers in the ocean surface boundary layer. The first part examines the influence of equilibrium wind-waves on vertical tracer distributions, based on large eddy simulations (LES) of the wave-averaged Navier-Stokes equation. The second part applies the model to investigate observations of buoyant microplastic marine debris, which has emerged as a major ocean pollutant. The LES model captures both Langmuir turbulence (LT) and enhanced turbulent kinetic energy input due to breaking waves (BW) by imposing equilibrium wind-wave statistics for a range of wind and wave conditions. Concentration profiles of LES agree well with analytic solutions obtained for an eddy diffusivity profile that is constant near the surface and transitions into the K-Profile Parameterization (KPP) profile shape at greater depth. For a range of wind and wave conditions, the eddy diffusivity normalized by the product of water-side friction velocity and mixed layer depth, h, mainly depends on a single nondimensional parameter, the peak wavelength (which is related to Stokes drift decay depth) normalized by h. For smaller wave ages, BW critically enhances near-surface mixing, while LT effects are relatively small. For greater wave ages, both BW and LT contribute to elevated near-surface mixing, and LT significantly increases turbulent transport at greater depth. We identify a range of realistic wind and wave conditions for which only Langmuir (and not BW or shear driven) turbulence is capable of deeply submerging buoyant tracers.
An associative memory approach to blind signal recovery for SIMO/MIMO systems

SIMO (MIMO) stands for single-input-multiple-output (multiple-input-multiple-output) systems, where multiple observed output signals are generated by a single or multiple source signal(s). Our approach is based on a dynamic diversity combiner to effectively combine FIR filtered subchannel signals to recover the original signal(s). The approach is structurally resembling to that of Deterministic Maximum Likelihood, the difference being that it adapts on the combiner parameters, as opposed to subchannel parameters. While our approach implicitly adapts on the FIR recovery filters, the actual implementation is manifested in terms of associative memory models (AMMs): FASIMO/FAMIMO for SIMO/MIMO signal recovery. This work is based on three theoretical foundations: (1) finite-alphabet "exclusiveness" (FAE), (2) FIR signal recovery based on Bezout Identity, and (3) associated memory model (AMM). A "Generalized Bezout Identity" serves as the mathematical foundation for SIMO/MIMO FIR signal recoverability. The approach naturally exploits the (polynomial algebra) property of the subchannels and the "exclusiveness" property of finite-alphabet (FA) inherent in digital communication systems. Theoretical analysis on convergence property, number of attractors, and (optimal) system delays for FASIMO/FAMIMO recovery is provided. This approach exhibits several advantages over the traditional Cross Relation(CR) approaches (based on Bezout null space). For examples, the same AMM model can handle MIMO blind recovery and it significantly alleviates the burden of having to first estimate the channel lengths exactly, as required by the CR. Simulations confirming the theoretical results are provided.
Icaza Sobre Icaza

3 EXCEPCION de los encabezamientos cada palabra en este articulo procede de cartas escritas por el seftor Jorge Icaza. Todas las cartas citadas fueron dirigidas a Bernard Dulsey salvo las dos que estardn identificadas en las notas 2 y 3. Desputs de todo pasaje citado el lector hallard la fecha de la carta apropiada. Por ejemplo, 21 X 64 por el 21 de octubre de 1964. Donde el pasaje no lleva la fecha el lector entenderd que la fecha serd la de la carta altimamente identificada. El lector siempre deberd tener presente que el sefor Icaza, aunque permite la publicaci6n de este articulo, al escribir estas cartas no pensaba en la posibilidad de que fueran publicadas.
After-Tax Asset Allocation

Several studies have found fundamental flaws in the traditional approach to managing individual investors’ portfolios, including a failure to distinguish between $1 of pretax funds in a 401(k) and $1 of after-tax funds in either a taxable account or Roth IRA. This study recommends that an individual’s asset values be converted to after-tax values and the asset allocation be based on the after-tax values. In general, within the target asset allocation, individuals should hold bonds and other assets subject to ordinary income tax rates in retirement accounts and hold stocks, especially passively managed stocks, in taxable accounts.
Are mycoplasma membrane proteins affected by variations in membrane fatty acid composition

Abstract 1. 1. The influence of the fatty acid composition of membrane lipids on the quantitative distribution of membrane protein of Mycoplasma laidlawii has been investigated. 2. 2. Cells were grown in media supplemented with either a saturated fatty acid (palmitic acid or stearic acid) or an unsaturated fatty acid (palmitoleic acid or oleic acid). Lipids isolated from membranes of these cells were markedly enriched in the supplemented fatty acid. 3. 3. The proteins of the different types of membranes were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-acrylamide-gel electrophoresis of membranes from cells grown in the presence of radioactively labelled amino acids. In general, protein composition and relative abundance were unaffected by fatty acid variation. One high molecular weight protein fraction was present in higher concentration in membranes rich in saturated fatty acids than in those rich in saturated fatty acids. 4. 4. The membranes rich in saturated fatty acids were also found to have a slightly higher density as determined by isopycnic centrifugation.
Tributyltin and invertebrates of a seagrass ecosystem: Exposure and response of different species

Abstract 14C-labeled tributyltin-chloride (TBT-Cl) was delivered to the water column of seagrass microcosms held in the laboratory under flow-through conditions. Benthic macroinvertebrate abundances across a three treatment, logarithmic dose gradient were compared to untreated control microcosms. Within 3 to 6 weeks, statistically significant mortality appeared in the high treatment. Sensitive species included surface deposit feeders of several phyla, as well as a suspension feeding mollusc. Results suggest that effects can arise because TBT is rapidly accumulated in surface sediments, as well as in Thalassia tissues. Concentration of tracer in plant tissues, animals, and sediments suggests that measurement of TBT (and total butyltin) in these components of seagrass beds would provide a better indicator of exposure regimes than occasional measurements in the water. A propensity for accumulation, along with a biological vulnerability, suggests a sentinel role for seagrass ecosystems in some shallow coastal areas. Experimental findings demonstrate concern for some key invertebrates within beds proximal to TBT sources, and ecological risks could radiate through coastal food webs dependent on these productive vegetated shallows.
High-efficiency expression of mammalian β-adrenergic receptors in baculovirus-infected insect cells

Abstract Infection of a clonal isolate of Spodoptera frugiperda cells (Sf9) with a baculovirus expression vector harboring the cDNA encoding the β-adrenergic receptor resulted in a high efficiency expression. At 48 hr post-infection, the level of expression of β-adrenergic receptors was ∼12 million/cell. Specific activities of crude lysates of infected Sf9 cells were ∼30 pmol/mg of protein, 5-fold greater than those of membranes of high-expressor Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with an SV-40 expression vector. One liter of infected Sf9 cells expresses 20–40 nmol of receptor. Autoradiography of membranes incubated with the β-adrenergic antagonist [ 125 I]iodoazidobenzylpindolol, photolyzed, and subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed 46,000- (presumably unglycosylated) and 48,000-M r peptides for Sf9 cells as compared to ∼65,000-M r for Chinese hamster ovary cells. The baculovirus Sf9 system provides high-efficiency expression of receptor sufficient to permit physicochemical analyses.
Direct in Situ Observation of Nanoparticle Synthesis in a Liquid Crystal Surfactant Template

Controlled and reproducible synthesis of tailored materials is essential in many fields of nanoscience. In order to control synthesis, there must be a fundamental understanding of nanostructure evolution on the length scale of its features. Growth mechanisms are usually inferred from methods such as (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM), where nanostructures are characterized after growth is complete. Such post mortem analysis techniques cannot provide the information essential to optimize the synthesis process, because they cannot measure nanostructure development as it proceeds in real time. This is especially true in the complex rheological fluids used in preparation of nanoporous materials. Here we show direct in situ observations of synthesis in a highly viscous lyotropic liquid crystal template on the nanoscale using a fluid stage in the STEM. The nanoparticles nucleate and grow to ∼5 nm particles, at which point growth continues through the formation of connections with other nanopar...
Dictyosome‐like structures with cylindrical intersaccular connections (microtubules?) in guinea pig spermatocytes

Structures superficially resembling dictyosomes were present in guinea pig primary spermatocytes and in spermatids in late stages of development. The dictyosome-like structures (DLS) were composed of 2 to 17 saccules. Each saccule averaged about 20 nm in thickness (membranes plus lumen) and 400 nm in diameter and was separated from adjacent saccules in a stack by an intersaccular space of about 12 nm. Single saccules separated from the DLS were also present. Tubules up to 60 nm in diameter were continuous with the edges of the saccules and sometimes extended for several micrometers into the cytoplasm. The membranes of the tubules appeared similar to the saccule membranes. Some DLS saccules and tubules had coated vesicles attached to them. A distinguishing feature of DLS was the presence of microtubule-like structures, about 10 nm in diameter, that bridged the inter-saccular spaces. Some of these bridging structures appeared continuous through one or more saccules. The bridging structures were often arranged in linear arrays or in clusters of three to four. The membranes of the DLS appeared tripartite but stained differently from the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus. The inner (luminal) leaflet of the tripartite membrane usually appeared discontinuous or globular after fixation in glutaraldehyde-osmium tetroxide. The DLS could be distinguished from all other cellular components and may represent a new organelle unique to spermatogenesis.
Kant and Compliance With Conventionalized Injustice

L'A. cherche a savoir si l'imperatif categorique kantien peut reveler l'injustice en le cas ou cette derniere aurait ete conventionalisee, i.e. en le cas ou il existerait un acquiescement social general a une maxime injuste
Prospective evaluation of quantitative hepatobiliary scintigraphy for RUQ pain and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction

Prospective evaluation of quantitative hepatobiliary scintigraphy for RUQ pain and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction
Oswin Boys Bull and the Emergence of Southern African ‘Nonwhite’ YMCA Work

From 1908 to 1922, Oswin Boys Bull (1882–1971) had the primary responsibility for supervising the recruitment of African youth and students into the South African SCA and YMCA. Following the lead of overseas sojourners Luther Wishard and Donald Fraser in 1895 and John R. Mott and Ruth Rouse in 1906, Bull took his experience as a Jesus College, Cambridge classics and theology major and sportsperson into the challenging religious, racial and ethnic field of the Union of South Africa. Bringing a mix of strong spiritual roots and an unwavering commitment to the racially inclusive interpretation of Christianity, Bull blazed a trail that earned him the reputation of a pioneer ecumenist.Ably assisted by illustrious Xhosa-speaking intellectual and seasoned Christian proselytizer John Knox Bokwe, Bull made inroads into areas previously ignored by his predecessors. With a reach extending as far as neighboring historic Basutoland, Bull's efforts resulted in the establishment of branch associations in a variety of rural and urban locations. In spite of local opposition and tremendous geographical, linguistic, social and political barriers, Bull applied himself to the task of providing a firm foundation for Black and Mixed Race SCA and YMCA members to find places in previously lily-white bodies.Understanding both his limits as well as his capabilities, Bull's generosity allowed him to share the spotlight with other evangelists. His correspondence with YMCA leader John Mott demonstrates a humble willingness to see the task of ‘nonwhite’ inclusion in SCA and YMCA work to the end. By the time Max Yergan, the first permanent YMCA and SCA secretary arrived in South Africa early in 1922, Bull was able to delegate most of the duties that required a field secretary to him, satisfied that he could concentrate on the remainder of his managerial duties from the YMCA and SCA center, in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, respectively. Already fluent in Afrikaans, Bull's history of attempting to build bridges between competing and often hostile populations set the standard for the type of leadership that a complex, extremely ethnically and religiously particularistic society like South Africa would need to construct a broadly based national movement.Although O.B. Bull is known only to readers of Alan Paton's Hofmeyr, and those involved in the institutions with which he was associated, most notably, St Edmunds School, Jesus College, Cambridge, the Scriptural Union and the South African SCA and YMCA, it may now be possible for later generations to revisit the times in which he lived and worked to regain a sense of the odds against which he struggled and the resolve he showed in striving first to dream of and then fight for a more inclusive Southern African YMCA.While he was by no means perfect and was clearly himself a product of his place and time, his quests for something better within himself and his adopted country were noble.
Trans splicing of nematode pre-messenger RNA in vitro.

Abstract In nematodes, a fraction of mRNAs contains a common 22 nucleotide 5′ terminal spliced leader (SL) sequence derived by trans splicing. Here, we show that a cell-free extract prepared from developing embryos of the parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides catalyzes accurate and efficient SL addition to a synthetic pre-mRNA at an authentic trans splice acceptor site. SL addition occurs via a trans splicing reaction that proceeds through Y-branched intermediates. The branch-point is located at either of two adenosine residues located 18 and 19 nucleotides upstream of the splice acceptor site.
Influence of the Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program on dairy farm drug management practices.

Objective—To test the hypothesis that dairy farms certified in the Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program (QAP) were more likely to use prudent drug management practices than farms that were not certified. Design—Cross-sectional study. Sample Population—141 Michigan dairy farms of which 74 were not certified in the QAP, 30 were involuntarily certified, and 37 were voluntarily certified. Procedure—Dairy producers completed a self-administered questionnaire that focused on herd health management, drug use, record keeping, personnel management, and descriptive characteristics of their farm during 1993. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were developed to determine the association of QAP certification with each of the management practices. Results—Results suggested that farms adopted specific management practices irrespective of certification. Many farms used visible identification and nonemergency veterinary services and discussed residue prevention with employees. Involuntary certifica...
Transmission through multiple nanoscale rings with Zeeman-split quantum dots

A nanoscale ring structure, typically referred to as an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) ring, with a quantum dot (QD) embedded in each arm serves a unit cell in a chain-like structure. The transmission through the device is presented as a function of the number of rings in the chain. Zeeman-splitting of the QD energy levels is also modeled and its effects are analyzed. Distinct transmission bands form as the ring number increases. Zeeman splitting causes the number of bands to double, and to cross and diverge as the magnitude of the Zeeman effect increases. I-V plots show a transition from semiconductor characteristics to ohmic properties as the Zeeman splitting approaches the nominal energy value of the QD's.
Extensions of the scattering-object function and the pulser–receiver impulse response in the field II formalism

Abstract The pulse-echo impulse-response format in the Field II formalism is generalized to separately located transmitter and receiver. To first order in sound velocity and density perturbations, identical results for the scattering-object function are obtained for the Morse-Ingard and the Chernov formulation in both the temporal and frequency domains: fs = −[2Δc/c + (Δρ/ρ)(1 − cos θ)] where for ultrasonic pulse-echo or transmission modality, cos θ ≈ −1 or +1, respectively.
Magnetic Losses at Low Temperatures

Recent magnetic investigations at low temperatures have been concerned primarily with “static” properties which are useful in determining the structure of solids and magnetic fields in solids. However, other quantities, such as the hysteresis loss in an alternating magnetic field, are of great importance for processes which may occur in the solid state. In addition, recent developments in cryogenic engineering requiring electrical equipment to handle appreciable amounts of power at low temperatures have increased the need for better data on magnetic core losses.
Renal Afferent Denervation Prevents Hypertension in Rats With Chronic Renal Failure

Abstract Increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system has been described in chronic renal failure, but its role in the genesis and maintenance of hypertension associated with this condition has not been established. The kidney has an intense network of chemoreceptors and baroreceptors that send impulses to the brain. To what extent activation of these receptors by the scarred kidney or the uremic milieu may contribute to this model of hypertension is unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of bilateral dorsal rhizotomy on the development of hypertension and neuroadrenergic activity in the anterior, lateral, and posterior hypothalamic nuclei, in the locus ceruleus, and in the nucleus tractus solitarius of Sprague-Dawley rats that underwent 5/6 nephrectomy or were sham operated. Neuroadrenergic activity was determined by calculating norepinephrine turnover rate after inhibition of norepinephrine synthesis with α-methyl-dl- p -tyrosine methyl ester hydrochloride. The endogenous norepinephrine concentration was significantly greater in the posterior and lateral hypothalamic nuclei and the locus ceruleus, but not in the nucleus tractus solitarius, and the anterior hypothalamic nuclei of uremic rats compared with control rats. In rats with chronic renal failure and sham rhizotomy, the turnover rate of norepinephrine in the posterior (15.3±1.61 nmol · g −1 · h −1 ) and lateral hypothalamic nuclei (11.7±2.12 nmol · g −1 · h −1 ) and in the locus ceruleus (26.6±2.42 nmol · g −1 · h −1 ) was significantly faster ( P −1 · h −1 , respectively) or control animals with or without rhizotomy. The turnover rate of norepinephrine in the anterior hypothalamic nuclei and the nucleus tractus solitarius was not different among the three groups of rats. These studies demonstrated that in rats with chronic renal failure, bilateral dorsal rhizotomy in the dorsolateral aspect of the vertebral bodies (T10 to L2) prevents in large part the development of hypertension and the increase in norepinephrine turnover rate in the posterior and lateral hypothalamic nuclei and the locus ceruleus. The data provide evidence that renal afferent impulses from the kidneys of rats with chronic renal failure may activate areas of the brain involved in the neuroadrenergic regulation of blood pressure. This mechanism may contribute to the genesis of hypertension in uremic rats.
Natural selection drives the evolution of ant life cycles

The genetic origin of advanced social organization has long been one of the outstanding problems of evolutionary biology. Here we present an analysis of the major steps in ant evolution, based for the first time, to our knowledge, on combined recent advances in paleontology, phylogeny, and the study of contemporary life histories. We provide evidence of the causal forces of natural selection shaping several key phenomena: (i) the relative lateness and rarity in geological time of the emergence of eusociality in ants and other animal phylads; (ii) the prevalence of monogamy at the time of evolutionary origin; and (iii) the female-biased sex allocation observed in many ant species. We argue that a clear understanding of the evolution of social insects can emerge if, in addition to relatedness-based arguments, we take into account key factors of natural history and study how natural selection acts on alleles that modify social behavior.
Binary-Kernel Method in Classical Statistical Mechanics: Fugacity Coefficients

The binary-kernel technique, as used by Lee and Yang in quantum-statistical mechanics, involved computation of $l$-body contributions to the many-body equation of state retaining only the $(l\ensuremath{-}1)\mathrm{st}$ and $l\mathrm{th}$ powers of the binary kernel. In applying the method to the computation of classical hard-sphere fugacity coefficients, the known results can only be obtained if one sums over the action of an infinite number of kernels.
Advances in fracture mechanics analyses of primary system performance under operating and accident conditions

Abstract Safety research sponsored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Division of Reactor Safety Research, has resulted in notable advances in several areas of importance in the safety evaluation of reactor primary systems under normal operations and accident situations. First, the methods of linear elastic fracture mechanics and of elastic plastic fracture mechanics have been validated for prediction of pressure vessel performance by the Intermediate Vessel Test program results at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The test results from both hydraulically and pneumatically loaded pressure vessels are in good agreement with the pretest predictions of vessel failure for the given conditions of pressure, temperature, material properties, and type and size of flaw. This has been verified in base material, both plate and forging, in submerged arc, stress relieved welds, and in weld repair regions. This ability confidently to predict vessel performance under realistic service conditions has permitted development of the computer program OCTAVIA which computes failure curves for a range of flaw sizes in terms of pressure and temperature for specified pressure vessel material at specific neutron fluence levels. It then considers the probability of occurrence of flaw sizes and magnitude of pressure during an operational, overpressurization transient and determines the probability of failure, for both individual flaw sizes and for the full spectrum. A second advance in fracture mechanics technology is related to thermal shock analysis. This advance has been verified by the confirmatory results of testing small thick-walled cylinders under thermal shock conditions in the Heavy Section Steel Technology program, and of warm prestressing tests at the US Naval Research Laboratory. The analyses developed in these efforts have shown that operational pressure-temperature transients can be effectively modeled and applied to pressure vessel materials having appropriate mechanical properties simulating radiation embrittlement, and that the crack initiation/arrest conditions predicted will occur. Thus, the methodology has been developed for the analysis, and it shows continuing integrity of reactor vessels even in the presence of severe thermal shock transients. Thirdly, the technology of crack arrest has reached a level wherein standardization of test specimens and testing methods is now possible and, indeed, is underway. The detailed factors which affect arrest of running cracks, and how those factors must be evaluated to permit determination of a minimum toughness descriptive of crack arrest are better understood. Although this area of fracture mechanics technology still requires much validation testing, the currently available results are already being utilized in operating and accident analyses.
[5]Paracyclophane: molecular structure and implications for aromaticity

Abstract The structure of [5]paracyclophane was optimized at the STO-3G SCF level. The dihedral angle φ, which is zero for benzene, is 22.4°. This value is significantly less than previously reported values obtained via molecular mechanics modeling techniques or MNDO calculations. Although our ab initio structure predicts a larger C-C bond alternation in the benzene ring (C-C bond lengths vary from 1.365 to 1.415 A), the smaller angle φ indicates that the title compound is more stable and probably possesses more “aromatic character” than previous theoretical studies concluded. A discussion concerning the ambiguity of “aromatic character” is presented.
Nanodroplets of polyisoprene fluid contained within poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) shells

The preparation and characterization of macromolecular nanostructures possessing an amphiphilic core–shell morphology with a hydrophobic, fluidlike core domain with a low glass-transition temperature are described. The nanostructures were prepared by the self-assembly of polyisoprene-b-poly(acrylic acid) diblock copolymers into polymer micelles, followed by crosslinking of the hydrophilic shell layer via condensation between the acrylic acid functionalities and 2,2′-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine), in the presence of 1-(3′-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide methiodide. The properties of the resulting shell-crosslinked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles were dependent on the microstructure and properties of the polyisoprene core domain. SCKs containing polyisoprene with a mixture of 3,4- and 1,2-microstructures underwent little shape distortion upon adsorption from aqueous solutions onto mica or graphite. In contrast, when SCKs were composed of polyisoprene of predominantly cis-1,4-repeat units, the glass-transition temperature was −65 °C, and the nanospheres deformed to a large extent upon adsorption onto a hydrophilic substrate (mica). Adsorption onto graphite gave a less pronounced deformation, as determined by a combination of transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Subsequent crosslinking of the core domain (in addition to the initial shell crosslinking) dramatically reduced the fluid nature and, therefore, reduced the SCK shape change. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1659–1668, 2003
Computational study of iron bis(dithiolene) complexes: redox non-innocent ligands and antiferromagnetic coupling.

The molecular and electronic structure of monomeric ([Fe(S2C2H2)2]z, [Fe(S2C2(C6H4-p-OCH3)2)2]z) and dimeric ([{Fe(S2C2H2)2}2]z) iron bis(dithiolene) complexes, and of their phosphine adducts ([(PH3)Fe(S2C2H2)2]z, [(P(C6H5)3)Fe(S2C2H2)2]z, [(PH3)Fe(S2C2(C6H4-p-OCH3)2)2]z), carrying various charges (z = 0, 1−, 2−), have been investigated by density functional theory (DFT). Net total spin polarization values S of zero, two, and four have been considered for all neutral model compounds and their dianions, whereas all monoanions have been examined with net total spin polarization values S of one, three, and five. The DFT calculations utilized the pure functional BP86, as well as the hybrid functionals B3LYP and B3LYP*. For the monomers, the calculations reveal the presence of redox non-innocent dithiolene ligands and antiferromagnetic coupling between the ligands and the metal center. For the dimers, complexes with antiferromagnetically coupled iron centers have been found to represent structures of low energ...
Digital image processing techniques for patterned-wafer inspection

A new self-reference signal processing technique is proposed for detecting the location of any nonregularities and defects in a periodic two-dimensional signal or image. Using high- resolution spectral estimation algorithms, the proposed technique first extracts the period and structure of repeated patterns from the image to sub-pixel resolution in both directions, and then produces a defect-free reference image for making comparison with the actual image. Since the technique acquires all its needed information from a single image, on the contrary to the existing methods, there is no need for a database image, a scaling procedure, or any a- priori knowledge about the repetition period of the pattern. Results of applying the proposed technique to real images from microlithography are presented.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Methylphenidate Effect on Attention Deficit in the Acutely Brain-Injured Adult

Abstract Objectives: To determine the efficacy of methylphenidate in improving attention and functional outcome in acutely brain-injured adults. Design: Prospective multiple baseline design (A-A-B-A) utilized on a consecutive sample of patients. Setting: Acute brain injury rehabilitatio unit in a large academic medical center. Patients: Eleven acutely brain-injured adults were included by performing below two standard deviations of the age equivalent norms on 4 of 5 neuropsychological tests for attentional capacity. One subject was withdrawn after developing tachycardia. Intervention: After a 1-week baseline assessment, subjects were placed on increasing doses of methylphenidate (Ritalin) so that on Day 7 all patients received a dose of 15mg at 8 am and 12 pm. Main Outcome Measures: Nine neuropsychological subtests measured attention on admission, at 1 week, while on methylphenidate, and 1 week after its discontinuation. Functional outcome was evaluated utilizing the Disability Rating Scale (DRS) at the same intervals. Results: Digit Span, Mental Control, and Symbol Search scores improved significantly ( p p Conclusions: Use of methylphenidate in acutely brain-injured adults was well tolerated and demonstrated a significant improvement in attention compared to natural recovery in a rehabilitation setting. Methylphenidate also correlated with faster functional recovery as measured by the Disability Rating Scale although the improvement did not achieve statistical significance.
Sex difference in the kinetics of triglyceride metabolism in normal and hypertriglyceridaemic human subjects.

Abstract. Several years ago we demonstrated in man that increasing plasma very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride (TG) concentrations were associated with increasing VLDL-TG production rates, and that this relationship described a rectangular hyperbola which could be characterized in terms of enzyme kinetics. Utilizing this approach Nikkila and Kekki confirmed these observations in a large group of normal subjects. Moreover, after analyzing the Km and Vmax values of their subjects they noted a striking and important sex difference: females were found to have significantly lower Km values than men, whereas the Vmax values for the two groups were the same. This indicates that for a given VLDL-TG production rate, females will have lower plasma TG concentrations. We have now studied 53 subjects with widely varying plasma TG concentrations, and have been able to detect a similar sex difference in subjects with hypertriglyceridaemia. Furthermore, we have noted a highly significant direct relationship between TG concentration and production in both sexes, and have found no relationship between an individual's Km value and his coexisting plasma TG level. These results allow us to conclude that: 1) the sex difference in TG kinetics which Nikkila and Kekki originally note in normals can now be extended to include hypertriglyceridaemic subjects, and 2) in general, overproduction, and not underutilization, is the initiating event in most cases of hypertrigiyceridaemia.
Simplified method for the clean-up and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of benomyl in mangoes.

The fungicide benomyl (I)’ J, which is methyl1 -(butylcarbamoyl)benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate according to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) system, or methyl-l-[(butylamino)carbonyl]-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate according to the Chemical Abstracts (C.A.) system, or commonly called methyl-1-(butylcarbamoyl)-2-benzimidazole carbamate controls a wide variety of diseases of fruits, nuts, vegetables, field crops, turf trees and ornamentals. Because of its relatively low mammalian toxicity coupled with effective fungitoxic action in a wide variety of plants, it has been a highly desired chemical for the agroindustries. Consequently, residue data are needed by the regulatory agencies for registration purposes.