cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The kinetics of the combustion of trichloroethylene for low Cl/H ratios

Abstract A kinetic model has been developed for the combustion of trichloroethylene (TCE) under low Cl/H ratio conditions. Flame species concentration profiles, measured for CH 4 /O 2 /Ar flames, reveal that the most important reaction channels in the decomposition of TCE in the CH 4 /TCE/O 2 /Ar flame are the displacement by H atoms of Cl atoms from TCE, 1,1-dichloroethylene (DCE), and vinyl chloride. The displacement of Cl atoms from TCE by OH also contributes to the decomposition of TCE, and leads to the production of 2,2-dichloroethenol, a species unobserved in previous flame studies. Other species found in large concentrations in the present CH 4 /TCE/O 2 /Ar flames, but not observed in previous TCE/O 2 /Ar flame studies at higher chlorine-to-hydrogen ratios, are ketene, chloroketene, and dichloroketene. Finally, the presence of TCE catalyzes the formation of C 3 –C 6 hydrocarbons. The presence of significant concentrations of C 3 H 3 , C 3 H 4 , and C 6 H 6 is consistent with “odd carbon species” mechanisms previously suggested for benzene formation in hydrocarbon flames.
On condition/event systems with discrete state realizations

This paper introduces condition/event (C/E) systems as a class of continuous-time discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS) with two types of discrete-valued input and output signals:condition signals andevent signals. In applications such as discrete control, C/E systems provide an intuitive continuous-time modeling framework amenable to block diagram representation. In this paper we consider C/E systems with discrete state realizations, and study the relationship between continuous-time C/E systems and untimed models of their sequential inputoutput behavior called C/E languages. We show that C/E systems with discrete state realizations are necessarilytime-change invariant (Theorem 3.1), which means the ensemble of admissible continuous-time input-output behaviors is completely characterized by the C/E language for the system (Theorem 4.1). It is also shown that deterministic C/E systems with discrete state realizations are necessarily discrete-time (clocked) systems (Corollary 3.1), and that finite discrete state realizations exist for a C/E system only if its related C/E language has a finite state generator (Theorem 4.2). Finally, we develop equivalent discrete-state realizations for C/E systems resulting from cascade and feedback interconnections. The paper concludes with a discussion of several directions for future research.
Variations in Academic Performance Trajectories During High School Transition: Exploring Change Profiles via Multidimensional Scaling Growth Profile Analysis

This study examines the baseline change profiles of academic performance (math and English) trajectories during the high school transition for the students who went from middle school to high school. Using multidimensional scaling growth profile analysis, we identified a no-change group plus 4 other groups with different change profile types: 1 with a dramatic change from Grades 8 to 9, one with a change from Grades 9 to 10, and 2 unstable groups. We further found that ethnicity, but not gender, distinguished 2 types of change profiles. These findings help to better understand the baseline change patterns of academic performance during the high school transition and provide a reference pattern for evaluating the effectiveness of any transition programs aimed at helping students with the future transition adjustment.
Photostimulated desorption of negative H- ions from a cesiated W(100) surface.

We report the first experimental observation of negative H/sup -/ ions photodesorbed from a cesiated W(100) surface. The kinetic energy of H/sup -/ ions is centered at 1 eV. The relatively flat spectral response of the H/sup -/ yield in the 30--100-eV photon energy range suggests that the electronic excitations responsible for H/sup -/ desorption involve bonding-to-antibonding level transitions and resonant tunneling within the adsorbate-substrate complex. Cesiation of the W(100) surface was found to be essential for H/sup -/ desorption.
Drugs and crime revisited

The relationship between drugs and crime is investigated, building on previous research by Huizinga, Menard, and Elliott and by Goldstein and his colleagues. The previous research is extended by ex...
Race and Common School Reform: The Strange Career of the NYSPECC, 1847-1860.

New York City's Black community's efforts improved schools for Blacks in the 1830s and late 1840s. After 1853 Blacks and the state again effected improvements. This case study suggests that the usual accounts are oversimplified.
A theoretical study of chemical kinetic control in the scavenging of pollutant gases by cloud and rain drops

Theoretical models that describe the uptake of trace gases by water drops falling at terminal velocity in air have been extended to include the effects of aqueous phase chemical processes that occur on time scales comparable with or greater than that over which the relevant physical scavenging processes operate. In particular, the case of reversible dervative formation by the absorbed species has been treated, and illustrated by application to the absorption of acetaldehyde under conditions prevailing in the atmosphere. In addition, the relative influences of aqueous phase chemistry and of convective-diffusion on the efficiency of the scavenging process have been explored more generally, using the revised models. A brief comparison of the factors controlling the uptake of sulfur dioxide, dichloromethane, and acetaldehyde is presented.
Morphologic observations on the summer cell of Stilling in the interrenal gland of the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana).

Morphologic studies were performed on the summer cell of Stilling in the interrenal gland of the American bullfrog. Ultrastructural studies showed the cell to be packed with membrane-bound granules similar to those of the juxtaglomerular apparatus granules in the mammalian kidney. These granules reacted positively with several stains for granules of cells in the juxtaglomerular apparatus. The Stilling cells are intimately associated with the cortical cells and contain rough endoplasmic reticulum and granules in varying degrees of development associated with the Golgi apparatus. It is concluded that the Stilling cell may secrete a renin-like substance that may function in an aldosterone-stimulating reninangiotensin system.
The relationship between intonational phrasing and syntactic structure in language production

In this paper, we evaluate several theories of how syntactic/semantic structure influences the placement of intonational boundaries in language production (Cooper & Paccia-Cooper, 1980; Gee & Grosjean, 1983; Ferreira, 1988). Although the theories that we tested are shown to be quite successful, they are complex, and furthermore, they are incompatible with recent evidence for incrementality in sentence production. In light of these problems, we propose a simpler incremental model called the Left hand side/Right hand side Boundary hypothesis (LRB). According to this hypothesis, two factors that underlie the successful performance of the algorithms from the literature contribute to the likelihood of producing intonational boundaries at word boundaries: (1) the size of the recently completed syntactic constituent at a word boundary; and (2) the size of the upcoming syntactic constituent. These factors are further constrained by syntactic argument relationships. We demonstrate that the LRB performs as well as previous models with respect to the data from Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, we present evidence that the LRB outperforms previous
A general approach to inference of context-free programmed grammars

A general approach to the inference of context-free programmed grammars (CFPG) is proposed on the basis of inferability analysis. The method is applicable to a sufficiently large class of languages to be used for string pattern description in syntactic pattern recognition. Languages with basic recursive structure whose recursive parameter can be represented by polynomial functions with finite terms are always suitable for the suggested method. Five major problems are discussed: sample set generalization, string segmentation, CFPG trunk grammar inference, CFPG subgrammar inference, and derivation program unification.
Effects of intraspecific competition on growth and photosynthesis of Atriplex prostrata

We investigated the effect of intraspecific competition on growth parameters and photosynthesis of the salt marsh species Atriplex prostrata Boucher in order to distinguish the effects of densitydependent growth inhibition from salt stress. High plant density caused a reduction of 30% in height, 82% in stem dry mass, 80% in leaf dry mass, and 95% in root dry mass. High density also induced a pronounced 72% reduction in leaf area,29% decrease in length of mature internodes and 50% decline in net photosynthetic rate. The alteration of net photosynthesis paralleled growth inhibition, decreasing from 7.6 0.9 mmol CO2 m 2 s 1 at low density to 3.5 0.4 mmol CO2 m 2 s 1 at high density, indicating growth inhibition caused by intraspecific competition is mainly due to a decline in net photosynthesis rate. Plants grown at high density also exhibited a reduction in stomatal conductance from 0.7 0.1 mol H2 Om 2 s 1 at low density to 0.3 0.1 mol H2 Om 2 s 1 at high density and a reduction in transpiration rate from 6.0 0.3 mmol H2 Om 2 s 1 at low density to 4.3 0.3 mmol H2 Om 2 s 1 at high density. Biomass production was inhibited by an increase in plant density, which reduced the rate of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and leaf area of plants. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Citizen Trust, Political Corruption, and Voting Behavior: Connecting the Dots

This article is an empirical examination of the nexus among citizens’ confidence in their government's ability to solve problems, political corruption, and voting behavior at the state level. After controlling for individual characteristics, political ideology and party, and government performance and management, the identified model (Integrated Corruption–Confidence–Voting Behavior Model) was partially confirmed. That is, citizens had less confidence in their government's ability to solve problems when they believed that the state was becoming more corrupt, and citizens were less likely to vote when they perceived corruption as increasing. However, citizens were not more likely to vote when they had more confidence in their government's problem-solving ability. The implications of these results are discussed in the article. Este articulo es una revision empirica del nexo entre la confianza de los ciudadanos en la habilidad del gobierno para resolver problemas, la corrupcion politica, y el comportamiento electoral a un nivel estatal. Despues de controlar las caracteristicas individuales, ideologia politica y partido politico, y el desempeno y manejo del gobierno, el modelo identificado (Modelo de Corrupcion Integrada-Confianza-Comportamiento de Votacion) fue parcialmente confirmado. Esto es, los ciudadanos tienen menos confianza en la habilidad de su gobierno para resolver problemas cuando creen que el estado se esta volviendo mas corrupto; y los ciudadanos estan menos dispuestos a votar cuando ellos perciben una corrupcion creciente. Por otra parte, los ciudadanos no estan mas dispuestos a votar cuando ellos tienen mas confianza en la habilidad del gobierno para resolver problemas. Las implicaciones de estos resultados son discutidos en el articulo.
Spontaneous changes in acetylcholine receptor and calcium leakage activity in cell-attached patches from cultured dystrophic myotubes

Calcium leakage activity (CLA) was recorded in association with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) activity in cell-attached patches from cultured nondystrophic and dystrophic (mdx) myotubes. Cell-attached recordings from dystrophic myotubes exhibited spontaneous transitions in the activity pattern that were characterized by an instability of AChR function and a decrease in the frequency of AChR events. Recordings from nondystrophic myotubes could be maintained for similar time periods without observing any consistent changes in the distribution of CLA and AChR events, thus indicating that the conditions of the experiment were not conducive to developing AChR instability or desensitization in nondystrophic myotubes. In dystrophic myotubes, the decrease in AChR event frequency was associated with an increase in small-conductance events which had the characteristics of CLA, and the subsequent acquisition of an inside-out patch appeared to restore the AChR activity. Examination of baseline current–voltage relationships indicated that dystrophic and nondystrophic patches exhibited the same general pattern of seal maturation with temporal increases in the total-patch circuit resistance. These results are discussed in relation to the AChR aggregation hypothesis, which proposes that the absence of dystrophin leads to abnormal AChR–cytoskeletal interactions and CLA that can be reversed by removing the influence of intracellular signal transduction enzymes that aggregate and stabilize AChR clusters.
Measuring the Impact of Promotions on Brand Switching When Consumers Are Forward Looking

Abstract Logit choice models have been used extensively to study promotion response. This article examines whether brand-switching elasticities derived from these models are overestimated as a result of rational consumer adjustment of purchase timing to coincide with promotion schedules and whether a dynamic structural model can address this bias. Using simulated data, the authors first show that if the structural model is correct, brand-switching elasticities are overestimated by stand-alone logit models. A nested logit model improves the estimates, but not completely. Second, the authors estimate the models on real data. The results indicate that the structural model fits better and produces sensible coefficient estimates. The authors then observe the same pattern in switching elasticities as they do in the simulation. Third, the authors predict sales assuming a 50% increase in promotion frequency. The reduced-form models predict much higher sales levels than does the dynamic structural model. The autho...
Spiral defected ground structures in grounded coplanar waveguide

This paper presents results of a spiral defected ground structure (SDGS) study in grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) technology. A SDGS is implemented on the top and bottom ground planes of a GCPW transmission line resulting in stronger attenuation poles. By varying the SDGS degrees of freedom, resonators have been designed for a tuning range from 3.7 to 7.2 GHz. 5 GHz resonators have been fabricated and show good agreement with simulated results.
Functional Similarity between Archaeal and Bacterial CorA Magnesium Transporters

The constitutively expressed CorA Mg2+ transporter is the major Mg2+ influx system of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Genomic sequence data indicated the presence of a homolog in the archaeal organism Methanococcus jannaschii. The putative M. jannaschii CorA was expressed in an Mg2+-transport-deficient strain of S. typhimurium to determine its functional characteristics. The archaeal CorA homolog is a functional Mg2+ uptake system when expressed in S. typhimurium and has properties which are highly similar to those of the normal CorA transporter of S. typhimurium despite having a low level of sequence identity with the protein and being expressed in a lipid membrane of quite different composition than normal. This implies that the overall function of the proteins is the same and further suggests that their structures are very similar.
Comparative Study of Experimental Inclusion Body Hepatitis of Chickens Caused by Two Serotypes of Avian Adenovirus

Twenty 1-day-old specific-pathogen-free chickens each were given an intraabdominal inoculation of either a type-8 avian adenovirus, [AMG 5 (2a], or a type-5 avian adenovirus, inclusion body hepatitis virus (IBHV). The diseases produced were similar. High (60-100%) mortality and statistically significant depression of body weights occurred in both infections. There were necrotizing hepatitis and pancreatitis, lymphoid depletion in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius and thymus, hydropericardium, nephritis and enteritis. Intranuclear inclusions occurred in affected organs. Fluorescent-antibody staining, the Feulgen reaction for deoxyribonucleic acid and electron microscopic studies, as well as studies from the literature, indicated that basophilic inclusions consisted of assembled adenovirions.
The relationship between physicians and Pharma: Playing the devil's advocate

All who practice medicine face, on a daily basis, conflicts of interest (COIs) that have the potential to affect patient care. COIs may exist within our own practice. We may choose to perform (or not perform) a procedure that may (or may not) benefit the patient but clearly brings income to the practice; we may see patients in the office for services that might just as easily be taken care of by phone.
Allergic contact dermatitis from bacitracin

Bacitracin is a commonly used topical antibiotic. Although occasional reports of adverse reactions to bacitracin have appeared in the medical literature, it is considered to be a nonsensitizing agent by most dermatologists. A description of two patients who demonstrated allergic contact dermatitis from bacitracin is presented, with a review of the pertinent literature.
Ten-year trends of cardiovascular drug use after myocardial infarction among community-dwelling persons ≥65 years of age

Guidelines for post-myocardial infarction (MI) management emphasize treatment with statins, beta blockers (BBs), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Little is known about the temporal trends and racial differences in such use after discharge. This study assessed temporal trends and racial differences in the use of statins, BBs, and ACEIs or ARBs after MI discharge in community-dwelling seniors. Administrative data from pharmacy assistance programs and Medicare in 2 states (1995 to 2004) were used to identify all patients hospitalized for MI who survived > or =90 days after discharge. Age, gender, race, co-morbidities, and MI-specific procedures during hospitalization were assessed. The study outcomes were filled prescriptions for any statin, BB, or ACEI or ARB <90 days after discharge. Multivariate regression was used for trend and racial difference analyses. Of 19,368 patients identified, 6,577 (34.0%) filled prescriptions for statins, 12,387 (64.0%) for BBs, and 9,934 (51.3%) for ACEIs or ARBs <90 days after MI discharge. The use of these drugs increased from 1995 to 2004, most steeply for statins (11% to 61%), less so for BBs (47% to 80%), and least for ACEIs or ARBs (46% to 58%) (all p for trend <0.001). Black patients were 14% and 5% less likely to receive statins and BBs, respectively (all p <0.05). No evidence of an interaction between race and time trend was found. In conclusion, the use of cardiovascular medications after discharge from MI hospitalization in older patients may still be inadequate but has increased over time. The underuse of statins and BBs was marked in black patients and did not improve over time.
Multi-server, Finite Waiting Room, M / G / c / K Optimization Models

Abstract Optimization models for multi-server queueing systems are very appropriate capacity planning and design tools for manufacturing, telecommunication, transportation, and facility modeling applications. A design methodology based on a two-moment approximation algorithm is utilized for optimizing the number of servers, arrival and service rates, and amount of waiting room in these M/G/c/K multi-server systems where service in the system is from a general distribution. A property describing the relationship between K and ρ bounds the region in which optimal results should be found for K. Extensive computational results are provided to evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of this optimization methodology on a number of different system problems.
Does Tax Increment Financing Deliver on Its Promise of Jobs? The Impact of Tax Increment Financing on Municipal Employment Growth:

Increasingly, municipal leaders justify their use of tax increment financing (TIF) by touting its role in improving municipal employment. However, empirical studies on TIF have primarily examined TIF’s impact on property values, ignoring the claim that serves as the primary justification for its use. This article addresses the claim by examining the impact of TIF adoption on municipal employment growth in Illinois, looking for both general impact and impact specific to the type of development supported. Results find no general impact of TIF use on employment. However, findings suggest that TIF districts supporting industrial development may have a positive effect on municipal employment, whereas TIF districts supporting retail development have a negative effect on municipal employment. These results are consistent with industrial TIF districts capturing employment that would have otherwise occurred outside of the adopting municipality and retail TIF districts shifting employment within the municipality to...
Simulation of bit error performance and outage probability of pi /4 DQPSK in frequency-selective indoor radio channels using a measurement-based channel model

A real-time simulation tool called BERSIM is developed and used to study bit-by-bit errors, average bit error rate and block outage probabilities for pi /4 differential quadrature phase-shift keying (DQPSK) at megabit rates with raised-cosine pulse shaping. Simulation results show that when the ratio of RMS delay spread to bit duration is greater than about 0.02, the irreducible average BER is not only a function of RMS delay spread, but is also a function of the temporal and spatial distribution of individual multipath components in the complex channel impulse response. The results show that fading caused by multipath cancellation is the major error mechanism over a local area for RMS delay spreads smaller than 0.02-b duration. An example of BERSIM's real time output is shown for the transmission of a video image through a mobile radio system. The simulation methods are suited for evaluation and design of indoor wireless LANs, as well as paging and cellular systems. >
Real-time detection of grip length during fastening of bolted joints: a Mahalanobis-Taguchi system (MTS) based approach

This paper presents a Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (MTS) based methodology that detects grip length of bolted joints in real-time during fastening. Grip length is the length of the unthreaded portion of a bolt shaft. When the total thickness of joining members is greater than the grip length of the bolt, it is called under-grip, which compromises the structural integrity of a joint. In this study, a pneumatic, hand-held, rotary-type tool for bolted joints is integrated with a torque sensor and an optical encoder in order to obtain torque-angle signatures. Then, the signature is processed in real-time using the MTS-based approach in order to detect the grip-length, all of which occurs in real-time as the fastening process is completed. The proposed approach is also applied to detect the presence of re-used fasteners, which is another quality concern since some material properties and physical conditions of bolts and nuts can change if they are reused several times. The proposed approach reads in various characteristics from the torque-angle process signature, including mean and standard deviation of the torque-over-angle and angle-over-torque ratios, total angle turned, and work done during the different stages of the fastening process in order to infer about the quality of the bolted joint. The experimental results show that the proposed approach is successful with an accuracy of over 95% in detecting various grip lengths and presence of re-used fasteners.
Embryonic temperature shapes behavioural change following social experience in male leopard geckos, Eublepharis macularius

Individual variation in behavioural expression and in behavioural plasticity exist in all species, and early experiences are critical determinants of both. The leopard gecko is a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination, and in this species, embryonic incubation temperature (IncT) affects the display of social behaviours. For example, adult males hatched from eggs incubated at an IncT that produces predominantly males (male-biased IncT, 32.5C) are more aggressive and less sexually active than males hatched from eggs at an IncT that produces predominantly females (female-biased IncT, 30 C). It is not known, however, whether IncT influences behavioural plasticity in adulthood. We assessed whether adult males hatched from eggs incubated at female- and male-biased IncTs showed different changes in territorial behaviour (scent marking in an empty test arena), anticipatory behaviours (activity, scent marking and tail vibrations in response to cues that predict the introduction of a female) and courtship behaviour following social interactions with females. We found that heterosexual social experiences increased territorial behaviour and the display of anticipatory behaviours in males from the female-biased IncT but not in males from the male-biased IncT. This difference was not due to differences in the amount of social experiences acquired, and the greater change in anticipatory behaviour in males from the female-biased IncT suggest that they acquired sexual conditioning more readily. Differences in sex steroid concentrations or neural metabolism caused by IncT could underlie this difference. These results highlight the profound implications of maternal nest site selection for offspring phenotype and plasticity in this species.
Enhanced Endothelin Activity Prevents Vasodilation to Insulin in Insulin Resistance

Although insulin-mediated vasodilation is impaired in insulin resistance, the mechanisms of this are unknown. We investigated factors mediating vasoactive responses to insulin in control and insulin-resistant rats. Responses to insulin in small mesenteric arteries from control and insulin-resistant rats were investigated after blocking endothelin-A receptors, cyclooxygenase, nitric oxide synthase, and potassium channels. In addition, insulin's effect on prostacyclin production in small mesenteric blood vessels was assessed by enzyme immunoassay. Insulin induced a concentration-dependent vasodilation in control arteries that was absent in arteries from insulin-resistant rats. However, in the presence of BQ610, an endothelin-A receptor antagonist, the response to insulin was normalized in insulin-resistant arteries. In control arteries, insulin-induced vasodilation was completely inhibited by indomethacin, meclofenamate, glibenclamide, or potassium chloride. In contrast, neither n-nitro-L-arginine nor the combination of charybdotoxin and apamin altered vasodilation to insulin. In insulin-resistant arteries in the presence of BQ610, vasodilation was also inhibited by indomethacin, glibenclamide, and potassium chloride. Insulin increased prostacyclin production in small mesenteric blood vessels from both groups of rats to a similar degree. Insulin-induced vasodilation in small rat mesenteric arteries is mediated through prostacyclin- and ATP-dependent potassium channels. However, insulin-resistant arteries do not vasodilate to insulin unless endothelin-A receptors are blocked. Thus, impaired relaxation to insulin in insulin-resistant rats is due to enhanced vasoconstriction by endothelin, which offsets a normal vasodilatory response to insulin.
Gestational diabetes survey.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine how residents in obstetrics and gynecology and fellows in maternal-fetal medicine are currently being trained to diagnose and manage gestational diabetes mellitus. STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaire were mailed to 202 obstetrics and gynecology residency program directors and 78 maternal-fetal medicine fellowship directors. RESULTS: Sixty-four (82%) of the maternal-fetal medicine directors versus 142 (70%) of the residency directors responded. Universal screening, use of a 50 gm glucose challenge with a 1-hour-postingestion sample, no requirements for fasting before the screening test, use of two abnormal values on the 3-hour glucose tolerance test to define gestational diabetes mellitus, and initiation of insulin for elevated fasting glucose levels in spite of diet therapy were each recommended by >90% of the respondents. CONCLUSION: Although the optimal management of gestational diabetes mellitus remains controversial, program directors are in general agreement with many aspects of the diagnosis and management.
Determination of Aquifer Parameters at a Ground-Water Recharge Site

Porous asphalt pavement is a storm-water management technique which reduces runoff and enhances ground-water recharge. Planned applications of this, or other ground-water recharge techniques, require that ground-water response to induced recharge be quantified. Here, we emphasize determination of the aquifer parameters hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific yield (Sy) at a porous asphalt ground-water recharge facility installed near Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. We compare values of these aquifer properties derived from conventional laboratory and field techniques to those derived using recharge event data collected at the site. By the comparisons, we illustrate the techniques of aquifer property determination apropos to the design of ground-water recharge installations. Because of the fractured nature of the aquifer, the K-values determined from pumping test and slug test analyses are about an order of magnitude greater than those of rock core samples, while the field-based specific yield values are about an order of magnitude less than effective porosities of the rock cores. Ratios of K/Sy derived from a chemical tracer test agree with the pumping test values. Finally, the K and Sy necessary to simulate facility response to recharge using a numerical model of ground-water flow correspond to those derived from field-oriented techniques rather than those of the rock cores. The results show that the design parameters K and Sy should be obtained from field-based techniques, such as the nonsteady pump test, which match the time and space scale in which the facility is expected to affect the aquifer.
Preparation, spectroscopic, and structural characterization of the first Co(III) cyanoxime complex: two polymorphs of fac-, tris(benzoylcyanoximato)cobalt(III), Co(BCO)3

Coordination chemistry of cyanoximes–low molecular weight organic molecules having general formula NC–C(=NOH)–R–received attention in recent years due to their pronounced biological activity and interesting properties. The preparation, spectroscopic properties, electrochemical properties, and crystal structure of the first representative of a family of cobalt(III) tris-cyanoximates–Co(BCO)3 (where BCO is the anion of the benzoylcyanoxime, C6H5–C(O)–C(NO)–CN–)–are now reported. The complex crystallizes as red prisms from CHCl3 solution as the fac-isomer in centrosymmetric R3 space group with three pairs of enantiomers in the unit cell (Z = 6). Slow evaporation of CH3CN solution of Co(BCO)3 leads to crystallization of the same fac-complex without a solvent molecule in the lattice, only this time in the centrosymmetric monoclinic C2/c space group (Z = 8). Both structures have converged with final values R 1 = 0.0462 (wR 2 = 0.1273) and R 1 = 0.0323 (wR 2 = 0.0809), respectively. Therefore, two polymorphs of ...
Supersonic Jet Noise Reduction by Coaxial Jets with Coplanar and Staggered Exits

Far-field noise radiated from coaxial cold underexpanded jet flows issuing from convergent two-nozzle configurations with coplanar and staggered-exits is investigated experimentally. The coaxial jets are operated in the "inverted" mode, i.e., the outer (annular) jet flow Mach number is higher than that of the inner (round) jet. Keeping all other geometrical and operating conditions the same, the exit-stagger of the inner (round) and the outer (annular) nozzles was varied. It is shown that the extent of the exit-stagger affects both the flows and the radiated noise from such coaxial underexpanded jet flows and that comparatively, the lowest noise levels are achieved when the coaxial nozzle-exits are coplanar. Moreover, the effectiveness of the co-flowing inner jet flow in reducing the noise radiated from either the annular or the coaxial underexpanded jet flows decreases noticeably as the exit-stagger is increased.
Comparing Performance Test Scores of Juvenile Delinquents with the General Population of Students

This article compares the performance scores of juvenile delinquents who were under various court dispositions in the state of Louisiana in 2008 with the scores of all other students who took the same tests. Results clearly demonstrate that delinquents score much lower than other students.
Losses of bound and unbound custom resonator modes

We analyze a class of custom-mode laser cavities with aspheric mirrors that become either asymptotically flat or hemispheric away from the optical axis. Previous work classifies the modes of such cavities as either bound or unbound. We develop an analytic approximation for the losses and frequencies of such modes. The bound modes have losses that diminish exponentially as the size of the cavity mirror increases and have frequencies that become independent of the mirror size. On the other hand, unbound modes have losses that diminish asymptotically as the inverse third power of the mirror width and frequencies that converge toward those of the unperturbed (flat or hemispheric) cavity with increasing mirror width. Finally, we show good agreement between our model and numeric cavity eigenvalue calculations.
Performance and Emissions of a Diesel Engine Using a Coal-Derived Fuel

A coal-derived synthetic fuel was blended with a control diesel fuel and then tested in a single-cylinder, direct-injected, diesel engine. Comparisons of the blended fuel to the control Diesel fuel were made on the basis of performance, combustion characteristics, gas-phase emissions, including aldehydes, and particulate emissions. In addition, the mutagenic activity of the soluble organic compounds from the particulates were analyzed using the Ames test. The objective of these experiments was to determine how well the fuel blend would perform as a direct replacement for diesel fuel. Use of the blended fuel decreased performance and increased gas phase emissions, but particulate emissions were unchanged. However, a significant increase in the mutagenic effect of the soluble organic compounds was observed with the blended fuel.
Removal of organic contaminants by RO and NF membranes.

Rejection characteristics of organic and inorganic compounds were examined for six reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and two nanofiltration (NF) membranes that are commercially available. A batch stirred-cell was employed to determine the membrane flux and the solute rejection for solutions at various concentrations and different pH conditions. The results show that for ionic solutes the degree of separation is influenced mainly by electrostatic exclusion, while for organic solutes the removal depends mainly upon the solute radius and molecular structure. In order to provide a better understanding of rejection mechanisms for the RO and NF membranes, the ratio of solute radius (ri,s) to effective membrane pore radius (rp) was employed to compare rejections. An empirical relation for the dependence of the rejection of organic compounds on the ratio ri,s/rp is presented. The rejection for organic compounds is over 75% when ri,s/rp is greater than 0.8. In addition, the rejection of organic compounds is examined using the extended Nernst–Planck equation coupled with a steric hindrance model. The transport of organic solutes is controlled mainly by diffusion for the compounds that have a high ri,s/rp ratio, while convection is dominant for compounds that have a small ri,s/rp ratio.
Environmental and genetic causes of maturational differences among rhesus macaque matrilines

Females of many cercopithecine primates live in stable dominance hierarchies that create long-term asymmetries among sets of female relatives (matrilines) in access to limiting resources and shelter from psychosocial stress. Rank-related differences in fitness components are widely documented, but their causes are unclear. Predicted breeding values from an animal model for female age of first reproduction are used to discriminate between shared additive genetic and shared environmental effects among the members of matrilines in a population of free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). While age of first reproduction has a modest heritability (≈0.2), breeding values are distributed in a largely random fashion among matrilines and contribute little to the observed rank-related differences in average age of first reproduction. These results support the long-held, but previously unverified, contention that rank-related life history differences in female cercopithecine primates are the result of environmental rather than genetic differences among them.
John Chrysostom on Almsgiving and the Use of Money

Few themes so dominate the homilies of John Chrysostom (ca. 347–407 CE) as the plight of the poor and the necessity of almsgiving. His picture of the poor, however, is always set against the prosperous marketplace of late antiquity. It seems therefore scarcely surprising that his sermons on almsgiving resound with the language of investment. With such imagery, Chrysostom tried not only to prod wealthy Christians into acts of charity but also, and perhaps more importantly, to dislodge his rich parishioners from their conviction that an uncrossable social gulf separated them from the poor. The rhetorical strategy he used is typical of all his polemical attacks. On the one hand, he denigrated the pursuit of money and social status as fundamentally unattractive; it is both unchristian and unmasculine. On the other hand, he insisted that real wealth and lasting prestige should indeed be pursued, but more effectively through almsgiving. I shall first examine how Chrysostom effected this recalculation of wealth, and then I shall turn to the question of whether there may have been some advantage for him in pleading so eloquently on behalf the poor.
Apparently balanced chromosome translocations and midline defects.

Observation de deux familles presentant une translocation chromosomique balancee du chromosome 10 se traduisant par une non fermeture de la ligne mediane
Ranking Class Labels Using Query Sessions

The role of search queries, as available within query sessions or in isolation from one another, in examined in the context of ranking the class labels (e.g., brazilian cities, business centers, hilly sites) extracted from Web documents for various instances (e.g., rio de janeiro). The co-occurrence of a class label and an instance, in the same query or within the same query session, is used to reinforce the estimated relevance of the class label for the instance. Experiments over evaluation sets of instances associated with Web search queries illustrate the higher quality of the query-based, re-ranked class labels, relative to ranking baselines using document-based counts.
ALLOZYME SEGREGATION RATIOS IN THE INTERSPECIFIC CROSS CUCURBITA MAXIMA x C. ECUADORENSIS SUGGEST THAT HYBRID BREAKDOWN IS NOT CAUSED BY MINOR ALTERATIONS IN CHROMOSOME STRUCTURE

The parentals of the interspecific cross Cucurbita maxima x C. ecuadorensis had different isozyme phenotypes for 12 enzyme systems. Characterization of the systems demonstrated that the expression and intracellular distribution of the isozymes were similar to those in other plant taxa; however, a considerable number of duplicate loci were identified, indicative of a polyploid ancestry for Cucurbita. Genetic analysis provided evidence for 20 loci segregating in F2 and backcross populations. Five linkage groups were identified, consisting of the loci Aat-mb – – Mdh-m2; Gal-1 – – Gal-2; Aat-p2 – – Gpi-c2; Acp-1 – – Pgm-c2 – – Pgm-p; and Est-1 – – Tpi-c2. Significant deviations from Mendelian segregation ratios were observed in 14% of the data sets for individual loci. However, these instances were scattered among the loci, no single locus consistently displaying skewed ratios. Recombination frequencies between linked loci were similar to those observed in intraspecific crosses, and the ratio of heterozygous to homozygous genotypes in backcross populations was very close to one. These results suggest that small differences in chromosome structure were not the major cause of the loss of fertility observed in F2 and backcross populations.
Baltimore: Strategic Energy Planning In Charm City

ABSTRACTThe Baltimore City government's energy vision includes a future where clean, reliable, and affordable energy fuels all of our city operations and community. To achieve this vision, the Department of Public Works' Office of Sustainable Energy (OSE) created a Strategic Energy Management Plan (Energy Plan). This plan sets long term goals and lays out strategies for a financially healthy and environmentally stable city government. Baltimore is pursuing this strategy with a specialized energy team of project managers, energy auditors, engineers, accountants, and financial analysts, whose projects cut across agencies and finds the right combination of quick return on investment and essential capital investments.OSE's model is distinct for a mid-size city. Funding sources include fees for service to agency customers, grants, and financing with the city's Master Lease program. The fee for service model puts a dollar value on OSE's expertise and ties energy savings to our projects. OSE is involved from pro...
Polymorphisms at the F12 and KLKB1 loci have significant trait association with activation of the renin-angiotensin system

Background Plasma coagulation Factor XIIa (Hageman factor; encoded by F12) and kallikrein (KAL or Fletcher factor; encoded by KLKB1) are proteases of the kallikerin-kinin system involved in converting the inactive circulating prorenin to renin. Renin is a key enzyme in the formation of angiotensin II, which regulates blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte balance and is a biomarker for cardiovascular, metabolic and renal function. The renin-angiotensin system is implicated in extinction learning in posttraumatic stress disorder.
Determinants of Faculty Job Satisfaction And Potential Implications for Physician Assistant Program Personnel

Faculty members who enter academe from the ranks of practicing health professionals, unlike those in some other disciplines, always have the option of leaving education and returning to professional practice in their individual disciplines. However, in order to facilitate a continuous supply of practitioners for society, a certain number of health professionals must choose careers in academe to teach new generations of health care providers. Satisfaction with educational careers translates into faculty retention and stability in academic programs. The purpose of this literature review was to examine what has been studied relating to faculty job satisfaction in higher education and, particularly, in academic medicine. It was hoped that this review would provide insight into the critical factors contributing to job satisfaction and faculty retention in physician assistant (PA) programs, as well as provide information that would assist PA program leadership in assessing those factors to preserve the often scarce but valuable resource of satisfied PA program faculty.
A Capillary Electrophoresis Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Method using a Borate Background Electrolyte for the Fingerprinting Analysis of Flavonoids in Ginkgo biloba Herbal Supplements

A laboratory-built sheath liquid capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry interface was used to develop a qualitative method for fingerprinting analysis of 14 structurally similar flavones, flavonols, flavonones, and several representative glycosides in plant samples. The migration order of the flavonoids was dependent on a the number of hydroxyl groups present on the flavonoid B-ring, extent of conjugation, number of glycosidic functionalities, and ability of the flavonoid to form stable borate complexes with the background electrolyte. Parent ion scans of the flavonoids yielded [M − H]−, except for catechol containing flavonoids, which were detected as borate adducts. These adducts can be used diagnostically to determine the presence or absence of catechol groups on unknown polyphenolic compounds. Product ion scans of the flavonoid glycosides and borate adducts typically yielded the deprotonated aglycone fragment as the base peak, which could be used to confirm the base structure of the flavonoid. This method's utility was demonstrated by analyzing flavonoids present in ethanolic extracts of Ginkgo biloba herbal supplements.
Reversible S -nitrosylation in an engineered azurin

S-Nitrosylation has emerged as an important pathway for dynamic post-translational regulation of many classes of proteins. Now, the reversible insertion of NO into a copper–thiolate bond has been observed under physiologically relevant conditions using an engineered azurin. DFT calculation indicates that the reaction proceeds via a radical combination mechanism.
Phospholipase C-γ1 in tumor progression

The vast majority of cancer morbidity and mortality arises from tumor progression beyond the primary tumor site. Unfortunately, most therapies are not effective for advanced stage disease with regional extension or distant metastases. Thus, new treatments are needed to target rate limiting steps in tumor progression. The ability of cancers to invade and metastasize requires the acquisition of specific cell behaviors that enable the cell to escape from the localized site, breach the defined boundaries, reach a hospitable ectopic site and grow in this new locale. Recently, dysregulation of cell motility as stimulated by various extracellular factors has gained credence as a rate-limiting alteration in tumor progression in carcinomas and some other solid tumors. This has focused attention on initiators of signaling cascades that regulate tumor migration. In this effort, one molecule, phospholipase C-γ1 (PLCγ), has been shown to function as a key molecular switch.
Understanding the Other End of the Leash: What Therapists Need to Understand about Their Co-therapists

Abstract In ongoing conversations that began in the summer of 2009, Dr. Patricia McConnell and Aubrey Fine have continued to discuss what therapists should be aware of while partnering with a therapy animal. The authors highlight that not all pets are good candidates for AAI, that personality is as important as training for the well-being of both the animal and the patient, and that best practices require that handlers master the ability to read the internal state of their animals (as much as is practically possible).
Neurometric Topographic Mapping of EEG and Evoked Potential Features: Application to Clinical Diagnosis and Cognitive Evaluation

There is widespread agreement that topographic maps of EEG measures are difficult to evaluate unless referred to a normative data base. This raises the difficult question of how “normal” should be defined. Because the particular target of our method, which we call “neurometries,” was cognitive dysfunctions and psychiatric disorders, the instruments used to evaluate our “normal” subjects included an extensive psychiatric and neuropsychological test battery, a psychiatric as well as neurological examination, achievement tests, and determination of eye, hand, and foot dominance. Medical and psychosocial histories, pre— and perinatal data, and current and past school or work records were also evaluated. The subset of instruments used varied with age. Subjects with significant abnormal findings or events in their history which placed them at risk were excluded. Additional exclusion criteria included current use of prescription drugs, a history of head injury or loss of consciousness, any previous EEG or neurological examination, and febrile convulsions.