cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of Si/Al ratio and copper exchange level on isothermal kinetic rate oscillations for N2O decomposition over Cu-ZSM-5: a transient FTIR study

Abstract Kinetic rate oscillations in the decomposition of N 2 O over Cu-ZSM-5 were studied over a series of catalysts with varying Si/Al ratios and copper exchange levels. Oscillations were observed to occur over all catalysts with Si/Al≥29 and exchange level >100%, including excessively-exchanged catalysts with Cu/Al>1.0. FTIR spectroscopy showed that the same monodentate nitrate species was present under reaction conditions for all catalysts displaying oscillatory behavior, and that the coverage of this species was correlated to the gas phase oscillations. Catalysts with low Si/Al ratios did not show oscillation due to a combination of factors: (1) additional actives sites exist on these catalysts (possibly Cu ion pairs) that stabilize additional nitrate species, (2) the nitrate species desorb at a lower temperature compared to the other zeolite catalysts, and (3) the formation of nitrate on these catalysts was shown to be an order of magnitude slower than on the catalysts which show oscillations. FTIR-based kinetic studies of nitrate formation verified that the most critical reaction occurs between N 2 O and extra lattice oxygen in order to form NO, which is converted rapidly to surface nitrate. FTIR also identified a possible intermediate in the formation of nitrate at 1537 cm −1 that has been assigned to monodentate nitrite on Cu 2+ ions.
Severe reactive ischemic posterior segment inflammation in acanthamoeba keratitis: a new potentially blinding syndrome.

Objective To describe a newly recognized clinical syndrome in Acanthamoeba keratitis consisting of severe reactive ischemic posterior segment vascular inflammation. Design Noncomparative, retrospective, single-institution observational case series. Participants Five eyes of 5 patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis. Methods A retrospective review of the records of patients diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis between January 1, 1995, and December 1, 2005, was conducted to identify those who underwent eventual enucleation. Five enucleated eyes of 118 eyes with Acanthamoeba keratitis were identified. Main Outcome Measures History, clinical examination results, available laboratory study results, and histopathologic examination results. Results Histopathologic examination showed Acanthamoeba cysts in the cornea in 4 eyes, whereas it failed to demonstrate amebic cysts or trophozoites in the posterior segment of all eyes studied and unexpectedly revealed chronic chorioretinal inflammation with perivascular lymphocytic infiltration and diffuse neuroretinal ischemia in 4 of 5 eyes. Retinal artery thrombosis was present in 3 of the 4 involved eyes, and central retinal artery and vein thrombosis was found in 1 eye. Hematologic studies in 3 patients showed abnormal anticardiolipin antibody levels in 1 patient and factor V Leiden deficiency in another. Conclusions Prolonged Acanthamoeba keratitis can result in a severe sterile ischemic posterior segment inflammation that is potentially blinding, especially in patients with underlying hypercoagulation disorders.
Effect of muscle length on cross-bridge kinetics in intact cardiac trabeculae at body temperature

Dynamic force generation in cardiac muscle, which determines cardiac pumping activity, depends on both the number of sarcomeric cross-bridges and on their cycling kinetics. The Frank–Starling mechanism dictates that cardiac force development increases with increasing cardiac muscle length (corresponding to increased ventricular volume). It is, however, unclear to what extent this increase in cardiac muscle length affects the rate of cross-bridge cycling. Previous studies using permeabilized cardiac preparations, sub-physiological temperatures, or both have obtained conflicting results. Here, we developed a protocol that allowed us to reliably and reproducibly measure the rate of tension redevelopment (ktr; which depends on the rate of cross-bridge cycling) in intact trabeculae at body temperature. Using K+ contractures to induce a tonic level of force, we showed the ktr was slower in rabbit muscle (which contains predominantly β myosin) than in rat muscle (which contains predominantly α myosin). Analyses of ktr in rat muscle at optimal length (Lopt) and 90% of optimal length (L90) revealed that ktr was significantly slower at Lopt (27.7 ± 3.3 and 27.8 ± 3.0 s−1 in duplicate analyses) than at L90 (45.1 ± 7.6 and 47.5 ± 9.2 s−1). We therefore show that ktr can be measured in intact rat and rabbit cardiac trabeculae, and that the ktr decreases when muscles are stretched to their optimal length under near-physiological conditions, indicating that the Frank–Starling mechanism not only increases force but also affects cross-bridge cycling kinetics.
Developing a forced-choice measure of conflict-handling behavior: The "MODE" instrument.

This paper describes the rationale and development of a new measure of five interpersonal conflict-handling modes (competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating), which attempts to control for the social desirability response bias. The instrument is entitled: "Management-of-Differences Exercise," or the MODE instrument. The results of this study indicate that the new instrument significantly reduces the social desirability bias for overall population tendencies in comparison to three other conflict behavior instruments, although all four instruments may still be susceptible to some individual tendencies in this response bias. This study also investigated other aspects of substantive validity and structural validity. Lastly, this paper presented emerging evidence on external validity, which, while encouraging, suggests the need for continuing research efforts to investigate this aspect of validity for the new MODE instrument.
PERMEABILITY OF INTESTINAL CAPILLARIES : Pathway followed by Dextrans and Glycogens

The pathway followed by macromolecules across the wall of visceral capillaries has been studied by using a set of tracers of graded sizes, ranging in diameter from 100 A (ferritin) to 300 A (glycogen). Polysaccharide particles, i.e. dextran 75 (mol wt ∼75,000; diam ∼125 A), dextran 250 (mol wt 250,000; diam ∼225 A), shellfish glycogen (diam ∼200 A) and rabbit liver glycogen (diam ∼300 A), are well tolerated by Wistar-Furth rats and give no vascular reactions ascribable to histamine release. Good definition and high contrast of the tracer particles were obtained in a one-step fixation—in block staining of the tissues by a mixture containing aldehydes, OsO4 and lead citrate in phosphate or arsenate buffer, pH 7.4, followed by lead staining of sections. The glycogens and dextrans used move out of the plasma through the fenestrae and channels of the endothelium relatively fast (3–7 min) and create in the pericapillary spaces transient (2–5 min) concentration gradients centered on the fenestrated sectors of the capillary walls. The tracers also gained access to the plasmalemmal vesicles, first on the blood front and subsequently on the tissue front of the endothelium. The particles are temporarily retained by the basement membrane. No probe moved through the intercellular junctions. It is concluded that, in visceral capillaries, the fenestrae, channels, and plasmalemmal vesicles, viewed as related parts in a system of dynamic structures, are the structural equivalent of the large pore system.
Highest weight representations of the Neveu-Schwarz and Ramond algebras

We construct a family of representationsKξ,w of the Neveu-Schwarz and Ramond algebras, which generalize the Fock representations of the Virasoro algebra. We show that the representationsKξ,w are intertwined by a vertex operator.
Laser balloon angioplasty: effect of constant temperature versus constant power on tissue weld strength.

Thermal fusion of intimal plaque with the arterial wall during coronary balloon angioplasty may significantly reduce the incidence of abrupt closure and may reduce the occurrence of delayed restenosis by improvement of luminal size and shape. Although Nd:YAG laser energy has been shown to be effective in the thermal fusion of plaque-arterial wall separations in vitro, the most efficient manner of energy delivery for rapid achievement of therapeutically useful equilibrium tissue temperature during laser exposure has not been defined. A comparison of weld strength achieved was therefore made between two formats of laser delivery: constant power vs. decremental power with an initial high dose followed by the minimal serial decrements necessary to maintain tissue temperature constant for 15 seconds. One hundred sixty-six tissue discs of human postmortem aorta of 11 mm diameter were studied. Intimal plaque was separated from the media, the two layers were juxtaposed, a force of 4 pounds was applied, and a fiberoptic-delivered laser beam was directed perpendicular to the tissue over a 3-mm-diameter nominal spot size. Weld strength was measured as the shear force required to separate completely the two tissue layers. The mean weld strength (75 g) achieved by use of the decremental power format was significantly higher (P < .01) than the mean strength (32 g and 56 g) achieved by using constant power for 20 and 30 seconds, respectively. The total laser energy used for the decremental power format was 235 joules, which was significantly less than the 320 and 480 joules used when constant power exposure for 20 and 30 seconds, respectively, was employed, despite the fact that the peak tissue temperature was similar for all three groups. It is concluded, therefore, that the use of decremental power to achieve quickly and, thereafter, to maintain a constant temperature provides better tissue weld strength at a lesser energy cost and hence is superior to the use of constant power.
Probing the dark state tertiary structure in the cytoplasmic domain of rhodopsin: proximities between amino acids deduced from spontaneous disulfide bond formation between cysteine pairs engineered in cytoplasmic loops 1, 3, and 4.

To probe proximities between amino acids in the cytoplasmic domain by using mutants containing engineered cysteine pairs, three sets of rhodopsin mutants have been prepared. In the first two sets, a cysteine was placed, one at a time, at positions 311−314 in helix VIII, while the second cysteine was fixed at position 246 (set I) and at position 250 (set II) at the cytoplasmic end of helix VI. In the third set, one cysteine was fixed at position 65 while the second cysteine was varied between amino acid positions 306 and 321 located at the cytoplasmic end of helix VII and throughout in helix VIII. Rapid disulfide bond formation in the dark was found between the cysteine pairs in mutants A246C/Q312C,A246C/K311C and in mutants H65C/C316, H65C/315C and H65C/312C. Disulfide bond formation at much lower rates was found in mutants A246C/F313C, V250C/Q312C, H65C/N310C, H65C/K311C, H65C/F313C, and H65C/R314C; the remaining mutants showed no significant disulfide bond formation. Comparisons of the results from disu...
Stimulation of c-jun and c-myb in rat Sertoli cells following exposure to retinoids.

Abstract Circulating hormones are engaged in initiating and controlling the process of spermatogenesis, however, the Sertoli cell tight junctions prevent these substances from directly influencing the spermatogenic cells. Thus, the Sertoli cells play a vital role in regulating the spermatogenic process. Our studies correlate retinoid action with the transactivation of genes which encode the transcription factors, Jun and Myb, in the Sertoli cells of the rat testis, a retinol-dependent organ. We examined the mRNA levels for the protooncogene, c-jun,a member of the AP-I transcription complex, as well as mRNA levels for the protooncogene, c-myb,following retinoid stimulation. The major changes observed were a significant up-regulation in c-junmRNA beginning at 30 min which reached a four-fold peak over controls at 1 h while the c-mybmRNA level exhibited a delay in up-regulation which rose abruptly to a significant three-fold peak over controls at 1 h. Interestingly, a variation in transcript size for c-jun(5.4 kb) was also detected in rat Sertoli cells. The significant 50% rise in the c-junmRNA levels at 30 min prior to the rapid rise in the c-mybmessage at 1 h suggests that Jun may be involved in the transactivation of c-mybgene expression. These data support the model that retinoid modulation of these immediate early genes is the first step in a process which initiates a cascade of vitamin A-inducible gene expression in rat Sertoli cells necessary for maintaining spermatogenesis.
Pullbacks of Prüfer rings

Abstract In this paper we consider five extensions of the Prufer domain notion to commutative rings with zero-divisors and investigate their behavior in a special type of pullback called a conductor square. That is, for a pair of rings R ⊂ T with non-zero conductor of T into R, we find necessary and sufficient conditions on the rings T, T / C , and R / C in order that R has one of the five Prufer conditions.
Search for Hydrogen appearing in Mercury Metal

TWENTY years have passed since Bondi and Gold1 introduced the steady-state theory of the universe and the attendant concept of continuous creation. Thus far, the theoretical successes of steady-state cosmology have survived the tests of observation2. In all of the observations, however, there has been no direct evidence for or against continuous creation.
A weighted-stretched-wire system for monitoring deflections

Measurements of short- and long-term deflections are often helpful in understanding and evaluating the behavior of civil engineering structures. This paper describes the mechanics and design of a Weighted Stretched Wire System (WSWS), a simple but effective device that was developed to monitor structural deflections. The primary advantages of this new system are that it is accurate, robust and inexpensive, and it is suitable for continuous monitoring. The paper considers static and dynamic response, provides design recommendations, illustrates the design of a WSWS with an example and provides field verification of performance.
An in vitro mechanism study on the proliferation and pluripotency of human embryonic stems cells in response to magnesium degradation.

Magnesium (Mg) is a promising biodegradable metallic material for applications in cellular/tissue engineering and biomedical implants/devices. To advance clinical translation of Mg-based biomaterials, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of Mg degradation on the proliferation and pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We used hESCs as the in vitro model system to study cellular responses to Mg degradation because they are sensitive to toxicants and capable of differentiating into any cell types of interest for regenerative medicine. In a previous study when hESCs were cultured in vitro with either polished metallic Mg (99.9% purity) or pre-degraded Mg, cell death was observed within the first 30 hours of culture. Excess Mg ions and hydroxide ions induced by Mg degradation may have been the causes for the observed cell death; hence, their respective effects on hESCs were investigated for the first time to reveal the potential mechanisms. For this purpose, the mTeSR®1 hESC culture media was either modified to an alkaline pH of 8.1 or supplemented with 0.4–40 mM of Mg ions. We showed that the initial increase of media pH to 8.1 had no adverse effect on hESC proliferation. At all tested Mg ion dosages, the hESCs grew to confluency and retained pluripotency as indicated by the expression of OCT4, SSEA3, and SOX2. When the supplemental Mg ion dosages increased to greater than 10 mM, however, hESC colony morphology changed and cell counts decreased. These results suggest that Mg-based implants or scaffolds are promising in combination with hESCs for regenerative medicine applications, providing their degradation rate is moderate. Additionally, the hESC culture system could serve as a standard model for cytocompatibility studies of Mg in vitro, and an identified 10 mM critical dosage of Mg ions could serve as a design guideline for safe degradation of Mg-based implants/scaffolds.
Sadovskii's fixed point theorem without convexity

The abstract formulation of Kirk's fixed point theorem by Penot played a major role in developing fixed point theorems in nonconvex setting. In this work, we similarly give an abstract formulation to Sadovskii's fixed point theorem using convexity structures. As an example, we discuss these new ideas in the hyperconvex metric setting.
Knowledge, culture, and power: Some theoretical issues related to the agricultural knowledge and information system framework

The objective of this paper is to examine some theoretical issues impinging on questions of culture and power as they relate to the concept of Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS). The AKIS is, in my judgment, one of the most significant and productive attempts at theorizing the complex, multifaceted and multivalent process of knowledge generation, exchange and utilization. There are a number of merits to this conceptualization, which is both theoretically sophisticated and praxiologically oriented. Indeed, the best theories are those that have the greatest practical value. The AKIS framework adopts a systemic perspective that seeks to place emphasis on the mutual interactionism of the diverse elements and the synergy thereby generated. The research activities and the supporting institutions, extension services, policymakers, administrators, companies associated with the business sectors, the users and their environment are all seen as vital elements of a complex and interacting system. As Niels R61ing has said
Advancing Disciplinary Practice through Critical Thinking: A Rejoinder to Bensley:

The authors respond to Bensley's (2009) comment on their alternative formulation of critical thinking in psychology. They argue that Bensley's defense of the traditional critical thinking approach-which they term scientific analytic reasoning (SAR)―fails to address their main objections to SAR and their reasons for presenting an alternative. In particular, the openness, fairness, and generativity that Bensley references as strengths of SAR are themselves informed by scientific analytic assumptions and values, which, they argue, illustrates their original contention―that SAR offers an insular and insufficiently critical approach to critical thinking. The authors conclude by calling for future developments in critical thinking that are not driven by an implicit SAR agenda.
Improving patient quality of life with feedback to physicians about functional status.

OBJECTIVE: To improve functional status among primary care patients. INTERVENTION: 1) Computer-generated feedback to physicians about the patient’s functional status, the patient’s self-reported “chief complaint,” and problem-specific resource and management suggestions; and 2) two brief interactive educational sessions for physicians. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University primary care clinic. PARTICIPANTS: All 73 internal medicine houseofficers and 557 of their new primary care patients. MEASURES: 1) Change in patient functional status from enrollment until six months later, using the Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ); 2) management plans and additional information about functional status abstracted from the medical record; and 3) physician attitude about whether internists should address functional status problems. RESULTS: Emotional well-being scores improved significantly for the patients of the experimental group physicians compared with those of the control group physicians (p 70 years of age) individuals in the experimental group compared with the control group (p<0.03). The experimental group physicians diagnosed more symptoms of stress or anxiety than did the control group physicians (p<0.001) and took more actions recommended by the feedback form (p<0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Computer-generated feedback of functional status screening results accompanied by resource and management suggestions can increase physician diagnoses of impaired emotional well-being, can influence physician management of functional status problems, and can assist physicians in improving emotional well-being and social functioning among their patients.
Simian immunodeficiency virus SIVsmmPBj 1.9 induces multinucleated giant cell formation in human peripheral blood monocytes.

SIVsmmPBJ 1.9 is an extremely virulent clone of the simian immunodeficiency virus SIVsmmPBj 14 that causes an acute lethal disease in pigtail macaques, with death occurring 6 to 8 days after infection. The disease is characterized by bloody mucoid diarrhea, lymphoid hyperplasia, and giant cell pneumonia. We have developed an in vitro model for the production of multinucleated giant cells (MGCs) in which peripheral blood monocytes rapidly fuse to form MGCs when cultured in lymphocyte-conditioned medium and antibody against class II MHC. We have tested the effect of SIVsmmPBj on monocytes in our MGC model system. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from normal healthy human subjects, when cultured in the presence of anti-class II MHC monoclonal antibody and SIVsmmPBj 1.9, but not either alone, resulted in the formation of MGCs within 4 days. Experiments using Transwell chambers indicated that such MGCs are formed by fusion of monocytes, not by virus-induced fusion of lymphocytes. SIVsmmPBj 1.9 is uni...
Mosquitoes and Encephalitis in the Yakima Valley, Washington. V. Summary of Case against Culex tarsalis Coquillett as a Vector of the St. Louis and Western Equine Viruses.

a deductive nature, and subject to experimental confirmation. Experimental work is being continued and with a change of season making it possible to obtain specimens, an answer should soon be forthcoming. Under the circumstances no prolonged or involved discussion will be attempted. However, since in several phases of the 1941 Yakima Valley investigation bits of supporting evidence were encountered, and nothing of a seriously conflicting nature observed, these data will be summarized.
Measurement of x((3)) and phase shift of nonlinear media by means of a phase-conjugate interferometer.

We have constructed a new interferometer that uses two phase-conjugate mirrors. This device allows for the measurement of the relative phase shift and the ratio of the nonlinear susceptibilities of materials. We have been able to measure weak reflectivity signals not detectable by normal degenerate four-wave mixing methods. It has been determined that the χ(3) value of colloid semiconductor glass OG530 at 532 nm is 7 × 10−12 esu.
A Mixing Plane Model Investigation of Separation and Transitional Flow at Low Reynolds Numbers in a Multistage Low Pressure Turbine

Flow separation with increased losses is known to occur when low pressure turbine (LPT) blades are operated at high altitudes with a reduced inlet Reynolds number. Under these conditions, boundary layer separation is more likely to be present within the flowfield of the LPT stages due to thickening of the boundary layers and an increase in the portion of the airfoil experiencing laminar flow. More accurate CFD predictions are needed in order to improve design methods and performance prediction for LPT stages operating at low Reynolds numbers. Steady flow CFD simulations of multistage LPT flow were completed at nominal and high altitude conditions with the conventional Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model. This model was used in combination with a mixing plane model for the simulation of flow through domains with one or more regions in relative rotational motion. Flow visualizations were completed using surface flow and streamline calculations to help identify vortical structures present within the flowfield. Also, the total pressure loss coefficient was calculated for each blade row. Qualitative comparisons indicate that the simulated high altitude condition had an increase in the amount of separated flow present within the flowfield compared to the nominal altitude condition. This can be attributed to the reduction in the inlet Reynolds number. Initial investigations with a recently-developed three-equation eddy-viscosity type turbulent transitional flow model are also reported. Comparisons of flow predictions for the 1st turbine stage with the two models revealed that large vortices predicted with the Spalart-Allmaras model were not present, and the wake loss coefficient was significantly lower with the three-equation turbulence model. Based on these and previous results, the CFD with the three-equation model is considered to have potential to provide improved prediction of separation and transitional flow in low Reynolds number turbine applications.
The Optimization of Generalizability Studies with Resource Constraints

Generalizability theory is a measurement theory that provides a framework for examining the dependability of behavioral measurements. When limited resources are available determining the appropriate number of conditions to use in a measurement design is not a simple task. This paper presents a methodology for determining the optimal number of observations to use in a measurement design when resource constraints are imposed.
Lateral Heterogeneity in the Deep Mantle from Seismic Body Wave Amplitudes

HERE we describe some seismic short-period body-wave amplitude anomalies observed in the United States. These anomalies are particularly large for ray paths which travel close to the core-mantle boundary and may provide another way of looking for anomalous structure in this region.
The quantitative determination of glass in slag by infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Determinations of the glass content of synthetic and blast furnace slags by infrared absorption spectroscopy are described. A linear relationship exists between the calculated infrared absorption R-values and the percentage glass determined by optical microscopy count. The use of an internal standard and a constant grinding time for the slag sample are crucial to obtaining an accurate and reproducible result. The technique is simple, inexpensive, and minimizes time consuming sample preparations such as washings and particle sizings common in the optical microscopy method.
A hybrid DWT-SVD image-coding system (HDWTSVD) for monochromatic images

In this paper, we propose a new low bitrate system to encode monochromatic images that combines DWT and SVD techniques. At the encoder side, the input image is divided into blocks (tiles) of 64×64 pixels. A criterion based on the average standard deviation of 8×8 subblocks is used to choose DWT or SVD. If the tile exhibits a high average standard deviation, it is compressed by using SVD otherwise by DWT. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors are scalar and vector quantized respectively. The Daubechies 9/7 filter bank factored into lifting steps is used for the DWT. The maximum number of levels of subband decomposition for each tile is 3. Each subband is coded using the HC-RIOT. At the decoder side, the header of each compressed tile is read and the information is sent to the HC-RIOT decoder or to the inverse quantization, in order to recover the tile. The proposed system is applied to image coding and its performance is discussed.
Magnetic, thermal, and transport properties of the actinide based noncentrosymmetric compounds Th2Fe12P7 and U2Fe12P7

Magnetization, specific heat, and electrical resistivity measurements on single crystals of the noncentrosymmetric actinide based compounds U2Fe12P7 and Th2Fe12P7 are reported. The measurements reveal that U2Fe12P7 displays antiferromagnetic order at a N?el temperature TN ? 14?K, while Th2Fe12P7 is a metal which exhibits Pauli paramagnetism with no evidence for superconductivity for T ? 1.1?K. Magnetization measurements on U2Fe12P7 show complicated magnetic behavior involving the U and, possibly, Fe ions, as well; e.g., hysteretic temperature and field dependences and metamagnetism. Electrical resistivity measurements on U2Fe12P7 also indicate large spin disorder scattering of conduction electrons for T ? TN.
High-Speed Large Area Ge on Si Photodetectors

We design and demonstrate GHz large area lateral Ge on Si p-i-n photodetectors with a significant bandwidth improvement over vertical junction devices of the same area for direct coupling with >100µm diameter polymer optical fibers.
Fluorescence-based continuous assay for the aspartyl protease of human immunodeficiency virus-1.

5-Dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl-Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Pro-Ile-Val-Trp (Dns-SQNYPIVW) is a fluorescent substrate for the aspartyl protease of human immunodeficiency virus-1. In intact substrate, fluorescence of Trp (λex 290 nm, λem 360 nm) was 60% quenched by energy transfer to the dansyl group. Protease-catalyzed cleavage at the Tyr-Pro bond abolished the energy transfer, and the consequent increase in Trp fluorescence was used to follow the enzymatic reaction. At substrate concentrations 100 μM.
Motion constancy dependent upon perceived distance and the spatial frequency of the stimulus pattern

Using a magnitude-estimation technique, the relationship between perceived distance and perceived speed for object-motion perception was determined. It was found that perceived speed increases linearly with perceived distance when angular speed is held constant. Furthermore, it was found that the spatial frequency of a moving periodic stripe pattern potentiates the effect of perceived distance on perceived speed. The slope of the function relating perceived speed and perceived distance was found to increase linearly with increasing spatial frequency. The functional significance of these findings for motion constancy is discussed.
Vibrational control of nonlinear systems

The purpose of this paper is to establish the basis of vibrational control theory for nonlinear systems. The notions of vibrational stabilizability and vibrational controllability of nonlinear finite-dimensional systems are introduced and analyzed. Calculation formulae are derived. Transient behavior of vibrationally controlled nonlinear systems is studied. Several examples, including forced Duffing, Rayleigh and Van der Pol equations are discussed.
Evidence of association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene and bipolar disorder

ObjectiveBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the survival, differentiation, and outgrowth of select peripheral and central neurons throughout adulthood. Growing evidence suggests that BDNF is involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders.MethodsTen single nucleoti
The Organization of Free Recall by Young Children.

Abstract Subjective and categorical organization of verbal recall by 5- and 8-year-old children was investigated. Fifteen-word lists composed of adult category items, S 's own category items, or non-category items were presented for six recall trials following recall on a training list of category labels or noncategory words. Improvement over six trials was found for older S s on all lists; the younger groups improved only on the non-category list. There was a parallel increase over trials in measures of organization, both category and subjective. Organization was about the same for both age groups, and type of training had no effect. Changes in recall over trials and with age were attributed to changing strategies of organization rather than to a change in the basic propensity or ability to organize, or to the learning of common modes of organization.
Using Technology To Upgrade the Principal's Role as Instructional Leader

For school principals, an ongoing challenge in the evolution of technology is the cost/benefit ratio—how to get the most from each expenditure, how to structure the environment to equitably serve the largest number of students, how to effectively match software designs with curriculum goals, and how to motivate and equip teachers to link technological capacities with improved student learning.
The Role of Multiple Teaching Strategies in Promoting Active Learning in Organic Chemistry

We have introduced four alternative teaching strategies into our yearlong organic chemistry course and have assessed changes in student performance relative to the same course taught by the same instructors using a more traditional lecture format. These strategies, which include reading worksheets, dialogues, in-class worksheets, and role-playing, allow the professor to move through a learning cycle that may effectively accommodate the students’ needs and multiple learning styles. The reading worksheets guide students through the concept phase and dialogues help students identify the importance of the concepts as they articulate these ideas for themselves. Group worksheets and role-playing provide opportunities for peer-interaction, application of knowledge, creativity, and self-expression. Others have shown that active learning strategies neither enhance nor diminish a student’s ability to retain factual information, a finding that is supported by our study. Our data from this one study show, however, that students taught by a more traditional approach demonstrate a greater variation in final exam performance between first and second semesters than those taught using a combination of techniques. This result reflects a shift in emphasis from the professor as an information source to the actively engaged student taking responsibility for his or her own learning. This study suggests that these methods, when used in a consistent fashion in conjunction with interactive lecturing, provide a broad base to facilitate student learning and aid in the development of higher order thinking skills.
Interannual moisture variations near the surface of the tropical Pacific Ocean

Interannual variations of surface specific humidity, surface latent heat flux out of the ocean and surface layer moisture divergence are analysed for the period 1957–76. Special emphasis is given to understanding the relationship between variations in these quantities and the El Nino/Southern Oscillation phenomenon. The analyses include eigenvectors, composites and time series. The results indicate spatially coherent temporally persistent variations, some of which are clearly linked to El Nino. The composite and time series analyses both suggest that during El Nino in the eastern Pacific moisture convergence changes precede those of sea surface temperature by one or more months, which in turn precede those of surface latent heat flux by a further one or more months. A hypothesis is suggested to relate these changes to variations of the South Pacific high.
On the origins of the Afrikaars verbal hendiadys

Hendiadys (Wone by means of two·) in Afrilcaans refers to a syntactic construction in which two verbal elements are connected by a conjunctive particle to express a single complex idea. The first component can be one of five verbs that denote motion (loop 'walk, go') or static modes (/2 'lie', sit 'sit', stlllJ1J 'stand', and, marginally, hang 'hang'). The second component is the main verb. The connecting particle is the conjunction en 'and'.
Progression of Barrett oesophagus: role of endoscopic and histological predictors

Barrett oesophagus is an important precursor lesion for the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is the modality most widely used to visualize and biopsy the oesophagus to establish a diagnosis. Additional clues are available at the time of endoscopy that can identify high-risk features known to increase the risk of progression to OAC, such as the length of the Barrett oesophagus segment, length of hiatal hernia and the presence of nodularity or visible endoscopic lesions in this segment. Until molecular biomarkers are identified and validated as adjunctive tools for risk stratification, knowledge of endoscopic features could complement dysplasia grading for risk stratification of patients with Barrett oesophagus and identify subgroups at risk of progression to OAC. This approach would, in turn, facilitate more rational tailoring of endoscopic surveillance. This Review summarizes the current role of endoscopic and histological factors involved in neoplastic progression of Barrett oesophagus to OAC, and provides an overview of the risk-prediction models that have utilized endoscopic and histological factors for risk stratification in patients with Barrett oesophagus.
1-Factors of point determining graphs

In this paper all graphs will be finite, undirected, and without loops or multiple edges. We continue the investigation initiated in [l] and obtain new results concerning point determining graphs and some applications of these results to the theory of l-factors. Our notation and terminology will conform to that in [I]; in particular, we will consider a graph G to consist of a set of points (which we also denote by G) together with an adjacency relation I, i.e., LI i b if and only if a and b are adjacent points of G. If a and b are not adjacent, we will write a J b. If A C G, A’ = {x / x 1 a for all a E A}; however, instead of {xl’ we write just XI. If a 1 b, we denote the edge with endpoints a and b as ub. A graph G is point determining if and only if for every two points a, b E G with a # b we have ui :+ b-l, i.e., 0 and b have distinct neighborhoods. If G is any graph, then the point determining graph obtained from G by identifying a with b whenever ui == bL is called thepoinr determinant of G and will be denoted by n(G). When no confusion is possible, we will not distinguish between a subset of the points A _C G and the subgraph that it induces. We will denote the cardinality of a set A bylA/. For completeness we include the following results (Lemmas 1-3) whose proofs may be found in [I]:
Term Paper Counseling in Academic Libraries: The Caribbean Studies Example

The undergraduate curricula of a large academic institution are varied, extensive, and interdisciplinary. It is the academic library's task to support these curricula and to develop an extensive collection to sustain the demands of faculty and students.
The role of managers, entrepreneurs and the literati in enterprise performance and economic growth

Economic growth theory has underplayed the importance of the management of the business enterprise in economic growth and development. In today's global economy, business enterprises must be able to sense opportunities, seize or execute on such opportunities, and reconfigure and transform as circumstances dictate. In order to accomplish this, management must be intensely entrepreneurial. Moreover, success in high technology sectors requires the employment and effective use of many skilled individuals (the literati). This has its own peculiar challenges for management and organisation, including the need to design collegial organisation structures with low authority, good incentives, and a culture of commitment. Industrial models of organisation with deep hierarchies need to be abandoned in favour of distributed leadership models where the employment relation is understood in non-traditional terms.
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Seoul OPEN System: Policy Lessons for Electronic Government Projects

This paper uses a case study to illustrate how political bias in cost-benefit analysis (CBA) affected an electronic government project, the OPEN System, in Seoul, Korea. A conceptual cost-benefit framework is developed to comprehensively assess the costs and benefits categories associated with electronic government projects, and to compare it against the politically biased analysis. CBA depends largely upon analysts' view on the costs and benefits of a project. Most electronic government projects are analyzed by the politicians' view, which can depart from the normative assumptions of standard CBA to reflect the viewpoints of affected key constituencies. This biased view tends to inflate benefits and to underestimate costs by ignoring major costs. By comparing the two CBAs with different viewpoints, I am able to show how politicians' lens erroneously analyzes electronic government projects, overlooking key issues, such as security, privacy, and equity (digital divide).
A Retrospective Review of Pediatric Patients With Epididymitis, Testicular Torsion, and Torsion of Testicular Appendages

Study Objective. To compare historical features, physical examination findings, and testicular color Doppler ultrasound in pediatric patients with epididymitis, testicular torsion, and torsion of appendix testis. Methods. A retrospective review of patients with the diagnosis of epididymitis, testicular torsion, or torsion of appendix testis. Results. Ninety patients were included in the study (64 with epididymitis, 13 with testicular torsion, and 13 with torsion of appendix testis). Historical features did not differ among groups except for duration of symptoms. Of 13 patients with testicular torsion all had a tender testicle and an absent cremasteric reflex. When compared with the testicular torsion group, fewer patients with epididymitis had a tender testicle (69%) or an absent cremasteric reflex (14%). 62 (97%) patients with epididymitis had a tender epididymis and 43 (67%) had scrotal erythema/edema. By comparison, 3 (23%) and 5 (38%) patients with testicular torsion had a tender epididymis or scrotal erythema/edema, respectively. Doppler ultrasound showed decreased or absent blood flow in 8 patients, 7 of whom were diagnosed with testicular torsion. Ten out of 13 patients with testicular torsion had a salvageable testicle at the time of surgery. Conclusion. The physical examination is helpful in distinguishing among epididymitis, testicular torsion, and torsion of appendix testis. Patients presenting with a tender testicle and an absent cremasteric reflex were more likely to have a testicular torsion rather than epididymitis or torsion of appendix testis. An absent cremasteric reflex was the most sensitive physical finding for diagnosing testicular torsion. Color Doppler ultrasound is a useful adjunct in the evaluation of the acute scrotum when physical findings are equivocal.
In vivo behavior of decellularized vein allograft.

Background We are investigating decellularized vein allograft as a scaffold to engineer a non-synthetic, small-diameter vascular graft. This study examines the in vivo behavior of this scaffolding after implantation into the arterial circulation. Materials and methods Canine animals underwent bilateral carotid interposition grafting using jugular vein implanted as either: 1) fresh autograft, 2) fresh allograft, or 3) decellularized allograft. Decellularization was achieved using sodium dodecyl sulfate. Grafts were examined with duplex ultrasound biweekly to determine luminal diameter, thrombosis, stenosis, or anastomotic breakdown. After perfusion fixation at 2 or 8 weeks, grafts underwent histological, morphometric, and immunohistochemical examination. Results All animals survived without neurological or hemorrhagic complication. No deterioration of graft integrity (rupture, aneurysm) was observed in any group. Luminal narrowing was observed in both allograft groups, but secondary to different pathology. Fresh allografts had significant mononuclear cell infiltrate, intimal hyperplasia, and intramural hemorrhage consistent with rejection. Conversely, decellularized allografts had minimal evidence of rejection but instead had a compact fibrin layer formed along their lumen. This fibrin layer was absent in the peri-anastomotic regions where endothelium had migrated from the native artery. By 8 weeks, decellularized grafts had repopulated with cells staining positive for smooth muscle α-actin. Conclusions After 8 weeks of arterial flow, decellularized vein allograft exhibits satisfactory strength, reduced antigenicity compared to fresh allograft, and supports cellular repopulation. These characteristics make it satisfactory for further tissue engineering; combined with luminal vascular cell seeding, it may prove useful as a small-diameter arterial bypass graft.
Aging and the Role of Reactive Nitrogen Species

The role of reactive oxygen species and its effects on aging has received considerable attention in the past 47 years since Dr. Denham Harman first proposed the "free radical theory of aging." Though not completely understood due to the incalculable number of pathways involved, the number of manuscripts that facilitate the understanding of the underlying effects of reactive radical species on the oxidative stress on lipids, proteins, and DNA and its contribution to the aging process increases nearly exponentially each year. More recently, the role of reactive nitrogen species, such as nitric oxide and its by-products--nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), peroxynitrite (ONOO-), and 3-nitrotyrosine--have been shown to have a direct role in cellular signaling, vasodilation, and immune response. Nitric oxide is produced within cells by the actions of a group of enzymes called nitric oxide synthases. Presently, there are three distinct isoforms of nitric oxide synthase: neuronal (nNOS or NOS-1), inducible (iNOS or NOS-2), and endothelial (eNOS or NOS-3), and several subtypes. While nitric oxide (NO*) is a relative unreactive radical, it is able to form other reactive intermediates, which could have an effect on protein function and on the function of the entire organism. These reactive intermediates can trigger nitrosative damage on biomolecules, which in turn may lead to age-related diseases due to structural alteration of proteins, inhibition of enzymatic activity, and interferences of the regulatory function. This paper will critically review the evidence of nitration and the important role it plays with aging. Furthermore, it will summarize the physiological role of nitration as well as the mechanisms leading to proteolytic degradation of nitrated proteins within biological tissues.
National 2010-2011 Survey of E85: CRC Project E-85-2

This study examined the quality of E85 fuel around the country in each of the three volatility classes identified in ASTM D5798-10. Samples were collected from pumps in 21 states between July 2010 and May 2011, with almost 40 samples collected in each class. Parameters tested to assess fuel quality were volatility, ethanol content, water content, acidity, pHe, inorganic chloride and sulfate, and total sulfate. Class 1 samples more often met the volatility specification than samples from other classes, with 67% of the samples collected in this study meeting the specification. Samples in Classes 2 and 3 met the applicable volatility specifications on 43% and 30% of the time, respectively. Compliance with the ethanol specification was almost 90% in all three volatility classes, a significant improvement over previous surveys. Several samples that would have been off-specification for ethanol content under previous versions of the specification now met the specification with the reduction in ethanol content for all classes. A few samples were off-specification for pHe, acidity, water, and inorganic chloride. Few samples were off-specification for more than one property, and samples that were off-specification in one volatility class were not necessarily off-specification in the other two classes.
Engaging employees in company success: The UPS approach to a winning team

UPS is the world's largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services. One of the company's missions is to maintain a financially sound company, with broad employee ownership, that offers a long-term competitive return to shareowners. This ownership culture is demonstrated through ownership guidelines for managers and supervisors as well as several employee stock programs. The ownership culture is vigorously promoted throughout UPS by a variety of communication channels. Employee ownership is core to the UPS culture, and it translates into a strong work ethic, with employees engaged in growing the business and committed to the company's success. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.