cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A graphical approach for evaluating and comparing designs for nonlinear models

A graphical approach is proposed for the purpose of assessing the overall prediction capability of a nonlinear design inside a region of interest R. A visual description is given of the behavior of the mean-squared error of prediction throughout the region R. More explicitly, for each of several concentric surfaces inside R, quantile plots of the so-called estimated scaled mean-squared error of prediction (ESMSEP) are obtained. In addition, when the number of control (input) variables in the associated model is equal to one, plots of the maximum and minimum of the scaled mean-squared error of prediction (SMSEP) over a subset of the model's parameter space are developed. The latter plots are primarily used to compare several nonlinear designs. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed plots.
Population redistribution towards core areas of less developed countries 1950-1980

This paper presents estimates of the rate of population redistribution to the core areas of 44 developing countries over the period 1950-80. Particular attention is given to the period 1970-80 a time during which the core areas of developed countries experienced substantial declines in their rates of net inmigration. The principal finding is that the core areas of most developing countries are still experiencing high and in a number of cases increasing rates of net inmigration. The author contends that "this finding confirms the developmental model of spatial concentration and dispersal and should lay to rest other explanations of deconcentration including arguments that focus on diseconomies of absolute size in the core area or on fluctuations in the aggregate economy." The difference between the population growth rates of entire nations and of core areas is used as a measure of interregional migration. Data for the 44 countries and information on the data sources are included in appendixes. (EXCERPT)
Modeling the potential effects of climate change on water temperature downstream of a shallow reservoir, Lower Madison river, MT

A numerical stream temperature model that accounts for kinematic wave flow routing, and heat exchange fluxes between stream water and the atmosphere, and stream water and the stream bed is developed and calibrated to a data-set from the Lower Madison River, Montana, USA. Future climate scenarios were applied to the model through changes to the atmospheric input data based on air temperature and solar radiation output from four General Circulation Models (GCM) for the region under atmospheric CO2 concentration doubling. The purpose of this study was to quantify potential climate change impacts on water temperature for the Lower Madison River, and to assess possible impacts to aquatic ecosystems. Because water temperature is a critical component of fish habitat, this information could be of use in future planning operations of current reservoirs. We applied air temperature changes to diurnal temperatures, daytime temperatures only, and nighttime temperatures only, to assess the impacts of variable potential warming trends. The results suggest that, given the potential climatic changes, the aquatic ecosystem downstream of Ennis Lake will experience higher water temperatures, possibly leading to increased stress on fish populations.Daytime warming produced the largest increases in downstream water temperature.
614 SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATIONS OF BREATH CONCENTRATION AND PULMONARY EXCRETION RATE OF HYDROGEN IN NEWBORNS

Production of hydrogen (H2) was simultaneously estimated by both end-tidal breath sampling (ETH2) and by direct excretion rate determinations (VeH2), using a flow-through system with gastight head hood and reduction gas detector (res. = .010 ppm/2.5 ml sample). Studies were performed on 8 normal formula-fed infants of various postnatal and gestational ages immediately after feeding with sampling at 30-minute intervals until the next feeding (2-3 hrs). Linear regression analysis of the normalized data showed no significant elevation in H2 production over the first 1, 2, or 3 hrs after feeding. ETH2 and VeH2 for each infant were thus taken to be the respective means of the multiple separate determinations during the sampling period. For the infant studies with complete data (n=10), mean ETH2 was 31±24.9 (S.D.) ppm (range 6.85 to 90.6 ppm); mean VeH2 was 1.47±.89 (S.D.)ml/hr (range .18 to 2.96 ml/hr). The failure of feeding to elicit an increase in either ETH2 or VeH2 and the persistence of high values relative to adult levels may be contributed to by the continuous presence of carbohydrate substrate in the gut because of frequent feeding. This hypothesis is supported by data from one extended study (5 hrs) during which no increase in ETH2 was noted after feeding, but a drop to 50% of the initial mean value occurred after 3 hours (r = .87).
An Analysis of the Role of IgE in Intolerance to Aspirin and Tartrazine

Total serum IgE and eosinophil count were determined for 30 patients with intolerance to aspirin. Total IgE levels in the aspirin intolerant patients were similar to those expected in a non-atopic population. In contrast, total eosinophil count (TEC) tended to be elevated in the aspirin intolerant group. Elevated TEC was observed both in bronchospastic (57%) and in urticarial (25%) aspirin intolerance. Specific anti-aspiryl and anti-tartrazyl antibodies of the IgE class were assayed by the galactosidase immunosorbent test (GIST). IgE anti-aspiryl antibodies were possibly detected in one patient, but did not correlate with clinical intolerance to aspirin. It is unlikely that the clinical symptoms and the eosinophilia of intolerance to aspirin and tartrazine are mediated by antibodies of the IgE class.
Effects of human self-assessment responding on learning.

Abstract : A conceptual framework of a process by which persons assess and express levels of sureness in the correctness of responses which they anticipate making - or have already made but not yet received knowledge of results - is proposed. It is hypothesized that the rate at which a person's behavior is modified by knowledge of results is affected by the covert and overt sureness associated with the execution of responses which are being learned. Data are presented which show that acquisition in a paired-associates learning task may be enhanced by the concomitant performance of a self-assessment (SA) task. Acquisition is more rapid and the self-assessments regarding levels of sureness are more accurate if the response to-be-learned is executed before the SA response rather than after it. Learning involved a decrease in the proportion of unsure-wrong responses and an increase in the sure-correct responses, with little change in the proportion of sure-wrong and unsure-correct responses. Based upon an analysis of the relation between the sureness/correctness of the responses and the speed with which responses are executed, it is suggested that the process and/or factors involved in determining the correctness of a response may be different from those involved in determining its sureness.
Strategies for Improving Rehearsal Technique: Using Research Findings to Promote Better Rehearsals

Music education researchers and conducting pedagogues have identified numerous behaviors that contribute to increased verbal and nonverbal teaching effectiveness of conductors on the podium. This a...
Elementary school absences and PM10 pollution in Utah Valley

This study assessed the association between school absenteeism and respirable particulate pollution (PM10) in Utah Valley for the six school years of 1985 to 1990. Weekly absenteeism data from the Provo School District and daily data from a single elementary school in the Alpine School District were analyzed for kindergarten through sixth grade. PM10 concentrations during the study period averaged approximately 50 micrograms/m3 with the 24-hr maximum equal to 365 micrograms/m3. Absenteeism was regressed on PM10 pollution levels, temperature, snowfall, and variables indicating day of week, month of school year, and days preceding and following holidays and extended weekends. Estimated associations between absenteeism and PM10 pollution in both data sets were positive, statistically significant (P less than 0.01), and robust to different model specifications. PM10 effects persisted for up to 3 or 4 weeks. Regression results from both data sets indicated that an increase in 28-day moving average PM10 equal to 100 micrograms/m3 was associated with an increase in the absence rate equal to approximately two percentage points, or an increase in overall absences equal to approximately 40%. Similar relationships were observed for all grade levels, although the response of absences to air pollution was generally greater for grades 1-3 compared with grades 4-6. Associations between absenteeism and PM10 pollution were observed even for levels below 150 micrograms/m3.
Spectroscopic analysis of foil plasmas on a 1-MA Linear Transformer Driver

Spectroscopic analysis has been performed on Al foil plasmas ablated by the Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) at the University of Michigan. The MAIZE LTD can supply 1-MA, 100 kV pulses with 100 ns risetime into a matched load. The plasma load used in this experiment consists of a 400 nm Al foil (cathode) placed between two, planar, current return anode posts. The LTD was charged to +−70 kV, resulting in approximately 0.65 MA with a 170 ns risetime passing through the foil. An optical fiber was placed about 1 cm away from the load; plasma light passed through a 0.75-m optical spectrograph and was gated for 10 ns by an intensified CCD detector.
Naphthol-ASBI Phosphate as a Preferred Substrate for Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase Isoform 5b

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) isoform 5b is a potential serum marker for osteoclastic activity. Biochemical assays for serum TRAP activity with para-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP) have low specificity for bone because of hydrolysis by unrelated nontype 5 TRAPs of blood cells and by related isoform 5a. Our purpose was to increase the specificity of TRAP assay for osteoclastic activity by using naphthol-ASBI phosphate (N-ASBI-P) as a substrate for serum type 5 TRAP activity and heparin as an inhibitor of isoform 5a. TRAP activity in individual and pooled sera of normal subjects and patients with endstage renal disease (ESRD) and rheumatologic diseases was quantitated using pNPP and N-ASBI-P as substrate at pH 5.5 and 6.1. For some experiments, heparin (23U/ml) was added as a specific inhibitor of isoform 5a activity. Isoforms 5a and 5b were separated from serum pools by cation exchange chromatography and identified by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). N-ASBI-P was selectively hydrolyzed by TRAP isoform 5b. TRAP assays with pNPP and N-ASBI-P correlated only in ESRD sera, which contained primarily isoform 5b. The two assays did not correlate in normal or rheumatic sera with significant amounts of 5a. Heparin inhibited isoform 5a activity approximately 50% but had little effect on isoform 5b activity. Biochemical assay of serum TRAP activity can be made specific for isoform 5b by using N-ASBI-P and heparin. This method can be adapted to simple microplate biochemical or immunochemical assays. This simplified method for assessment of osteoclastic TRAP 5b activity warrants a detailed investigation in diseases of bone metabolism.
In situ TEM sintering of nano-sized ZrO2 particles

The sintering behavior of faceted, nano-sized single-crystal particles of ZrO2 has been investigated using in situ transmission electron microscope heating techniques. These direct observations have provided new information on the morphological and structural evolution of particles, necks and pores during the sintering process. The results indicate that ZrO2 particle-pairs, which are not attached to other particles and not highly constrained by the TEM grid, reorient themselves with respect to each other during sintering at 890°C. This reorientation can be explained in terms of a minimization of the grain-boundary energy between the two coalescing particles. In addition to changes in particle orientation, these experiments show that the topologies of ZrO2 particles and their associated necks evolve during heating. During the in situ TEM heating of these particles, the dynamic motion of atom clusters (10–100 atoms) on and off of surfaces is observed, as is the formation and dissolution of ledges and steps on previously smooth facets. The phenomenon of cluster migration is discussed and the ramifications of the results of this study for more highly constrained systems of particles (e.g. ceramic green-bodies) are also considered.
Aluminum tolerances of two snapbean cultivars related to organic acid content evaluated by high‐performance liquid chromatography

Abstract High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine aluminum (Al)‐induced changes in organic acid (OA) concentrations of Al‐tolerant ‘Dade’ and Al‐sensitive ‘Romano’ snapbean cultivars. Two week old ‘Dade’ and ‘Romano’ snapbean were grown in 1/5‐strength Steinberg nutrient solution for 10 days and then subjected to 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg L‐1 Al treatments at pH 4.5 for an additional 3–15 days. Current studies confirmed earlier findings that the Dade cultivar was significantly more tolerant to Al than the Romano variety. Organic acid analyses were performed on extracts of root and leaf, and on stem exudates. The organic acids were separated on an ion exclusion column using a mobile phase of 0.01 N H3PO4. Individual OA were quantified with a variable wavelength detector operating at 210 nm. Aluminum stress tended to reduce the concentrations of citric, malonlc, malic, glycolic, fumaric, and acetic acids in the roots and increased the OA concentrations in stem exudates. In the presence...
Neural network-assisted variable structure control scheme for control of a flexible manipulator arm

Complexities in controller designs for flexible manipulators, mainly arising from the nonlinear vibrational dynamics, get further compounded when task executions are to be completed in the face of changing payloads. The development of a neural network-based scheme for adaptively implementing a variable structure controller to drive a flexible manipulator arm is described in this paper. The controller provides a satisfactory suppression of the tip vibrations while facilitating a rapid hub rotation for executing motions during which payload variations can occur. An efficient integration of the operational strong features of a trained neural network and a variable structure controller is made in the development of the overall control scheme. On the one hand, the high degree of inherent robustness of the variable structure control serves to reduce the architectural and training complexity of the neural network, while on the other, the faster processing capability of the neural network is exploited for on-line payload identification and adaptive implementation of the variable structure controller. The resulting control strategy is novel in facilitating a trained neural network to function synergistically with an established control scheme (viz. variable structure control) and is significantly different from the popularly discussed approaches for using neural networks for controller designs which mainly attempt to provide a neural network alternative to well established control schemes.
Synthesis and crystal growth of CdGeP2

A technique has been developed for growing single crystals of the chalcopyrite nonlinear optical material CdGeP2 that are of sufficient size (centimeter dimensions), electrical resistivity and optical quality to permit measuring the electrooptic coefficients. The horizontal gradient-freeze method is used for directional solidification of near- stoichiometric melts synthesized in a two-zone furnace by direct reaction of the elements sealed in fused-silica ampoules. The ingots (∼ 120 g) prepared in this manner are polycrystalline and therefore severely cracked due to anisotropic thermal contraction, but these ingots have yielded uncracked single crystals up to 6 cm3 in volume. Samples from these crystals have been used for the first measurements of the electrooptic coefficients of CdGeP2, as well as for the measurement of the thermal expansion coefficients and infrared transmission.
Specificity Protein 1-dependent p53-mediated Suppression of Human Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Gene Expression

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a primary antioxidant enzyme necessary for the survival of aerobic life. Previously, we demonstrated that specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is essential for the basal transcription of the MnSOD gene. We also identified nucleophosmin (NPM), an RNA-binding protein, as an important co-activator of NF-κB in the induction of MnSOD by cytokine and tumor promoter. Here, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis, we demonstrate that Sp1 and NPM interact in vivo to enhance NF-κB-mediated MnSOD induction. Interaction between NPM and Sp1 or NF-κB at the promoter and enhancer of the MnSOD gene in vivo were verified by the presence of the PCR products from the promoter and enhancer elements in the ChIP assay. Unexpectedly, we also found p53, another transcription factor, to be a component of the complex detected by ChIP assay. The presence of p53 in this transcription complex was verified by immunoprecipitation of p53 proteins with antibody to Sp1 in nuclear extracts. Using a vector expressing full-length p53 cDNA, we demonstrated that p53 overexpression suppresses MnSOD mRNA and protein levels. Consistent with the negative role of p53 in the expression of the MnSOD gene, expression of small interfering RNA for p53 leads to an increase of MnSOD mRNA and protein levels. Using ChIP assays and immunoprecipitation, we further demonstrated that p53 interacts with Sp1 to suppress both the constitutive and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-stimulated expression of the MnSOD gene. Inhibition of the MnSOD gene by p53 was abolished when Sp1 sites on the MnSOD promoter were mutated or when the Sp1 protein was reduced by siRNA approaches. Because expression of MnSOD protects against cell death, our findings reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism of p53-mediated cell death and demonstrate an intricate relationship between the positive and negative control of MnSOD expression.
Brucella canis infection in a 17-month-old child successfully treated with moxalactam

complications of meningitis. Occlusion of the supraclinoid portion of the internal carotid artery may be related to its tortuous shape, slow turbulent blood flow, and to its location at the base of the brain, where exudate in meningitis is most prominent. A repeat arteriogram was not considered justified in our patient because of the clinical improvement. His persisting neurologic deficit implies that he sustained a significant cerebral infarct. The striking unilateral CT appearance of H. influenzae meningitis seen in this patient has not been described. The presence of this finding on CT should suggest the likelihood of ipsilateral internal carotid artery occlusion. In this clinical situation, specific treatment of cerebral edema may be indicated. Thanks to D. C. Harwood-Nash and W. J. Logan for their assistance and to Jodi Stoyak for typing the manuscript. REFERENCES
Rare but serious complications of central line insertion

Discussions on the complications of central venous catheterization in children typically focus on infectious and the more common mechanical complications of pneumothorax, hemothorax, or thrombosis. Rare complications are often more life-threatening, and inexperience may compound the problem. Central venous catheter complications can be broken down into early or late, depending on when they occur. The more serious complications are typically mechanical and occur early, but delayed presentations of pericardial effusions, cardiac tamponade, and pleural effusions may be of equal severity, and delay in diagnosis can be catastrophic. Careful insertion techniques, as well as continued vigilance in the correct position and function of central venous catheters, are imperative to help prevent serious complications.
Seasonal and Regional Differences in Gene Expression in the Brain of a Hibernating Mammal

Mammalian hibernation presents a unique opportunity to study naturally occurring neuroprotection. Hibernating ground squirrels undergo rapid and extreme physiological changes in body temperature, oxygen consumption, and heart rate without suffering neurological damage from ischemia and reperfusion injury. Different brain regions show markedly different activity during the torpor/arousal cycle: the cerebral cortex shows activity only during the periodic returns to normothermia, while the hypothalamus is active over the entire temperature range. Therefore, region-specific neuroprotective strategies must exist to permit this compartmentalized spectrum of activity. In this study, we use the Illumina HiSeq platform to compare the transcriptomes of these two brain regions at four collection points across the hibernation season: April Active, October Active, Torpor, and IBA. In the cerebral cortex, 1,085 genes were found to be differentially expressed across collection points, while 1,063 genes were differentially expressed in the hypothalamus. Comparison of these transcripts indicates that the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus implement very different strategies during hibernation, showing less than 20% of these differentially expressed genes in common. The cerebral cortex transcriptome shows evidence of remodeling and plasticity during hibernation, including transcripts for the presynaptic cytomatrix proteins bassoon and piccolo, and extracellular matrix components, including laminins and collagens. Conversely, the hypothalamic transcriptome displays upregulation of transcripts involved in damage response signaling and protein turnover during hibernation, including the DNA damage repair gene RAD50 and ubiquitin E3 ligases UBR1 and UBR5. Additionally, the hypothalamus transcriptome also provides evidence of potential mechanisms underlying the hibernation phenotype, including feeding and satiety signaling, seasonal timing mechanisms, and fuel utilization. This study provides insight into potential neuroprotective strategies and hibernation control mechanisms, and also specifically shows that the hibernator brain exhibits both seasonal and regional differences in mRNA expression.
Oscillations of conduction, action potential duration, and refractoriness. A mechanism for spontaneous termination of reentrant tachycardias

The mechanism of cycle length oscillation and its role in spontaneous termination of reentry was studied in an in vitro preparation of canine atrial tissue surrounding the tricuspid orifice. Reentry occurred around a fixed path with incomplete recovery of excitability. Among 18 experiments, there was complete concordance between the occurrence of spontaneous cycle length oscillation and spontaneous terminations; both were observed in 10 experiments and neither in the other eight (p less than 0.001). Local changes in conduction during oscillations resulted from the dependence of both conduction velocity and action potential duration on the preceding local diastolic interval. Interval-dependent changes in action potential duration contributed to the oscillation by altering the next diastolic interval. Because of changes in action potential duration, changes in cycle length were poorly correlated with changes in diastolic interval and, therefore, with local conduction velocity. Complex oscillations resulted from variations in conduction time at multiple sites in the circuit. Oscillations caused most spontaneous terminations. The critical event was an exceptionally long diastolic interval preceding the next-to-last cycle that accelerated local conduction (which tended to shorten the last cycle) and prolonged action potential duration and refractoriness at the site of block. Ninety-two of 99 recordings of spontaneous termination showed evidence of oscillation of conduction and refractoriness causing block.
Perspectives of primary care clinicians on teratogenic risk counseling

Background—Women of childbearing age are commonly prescribed medications by primary care providers (PCPs) that may cause birth defects if used during pregnancy. Methods—To identify what PCPs perceive as barriers to and potential facilitators of providing counseling to women of childbearing age when teratogenic medications are prescribed, we conducted 8 focus groups with 48 PCPs recruited from 4 clinical settings in Pittsburgh, PA. We explored PCPs’ experiences counseling women about teratogenic medications. Each focus group was audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using a grounded theory approach by 3 independent coders. Results—PCPs feel responsible for counseling women when they prescribe medications that may cause birth defects, but note difficulties identifying clinically-relevant sources of information on teratogenicity. Other barriers to providing counseling include limited visit times and lack of reimbursement for preconception or teratogenic risk counseling. PCPs find it challenging to identify patients who may become pregnant and who therefore need contraceptive and/or teratogenic risk counseling. PCP’s expressed a desire for online resources that could be used when explaining medication risks to patients. PCPs feel that the development of patient information materials, electronic decision support tools, clinical care systems that routinely assess patients’ pregnancy risk, and changes in the reimbursement structure may facilitate counseling patients about teratogenic risks.
Predicting the Performance of Initial Public Offerings: Should Human Resource Management be in the Equation?

Population ecology is used to explain the role of human resource management (HRM) in enhancing the performance of initial public offering (IPO) companies. We examined the determinants of structural inertia and developed hypotheses on the relationship between HRM and organizational performance. The results indicate that two human resource variables, human resource value and organization-based rewards, predict initial investor reaction and long-term survival. The rewards variable negatively affects initial performance but positively affects survival.
Performance evaluation and damage assessment of steel frame buildings under main shock–aftershock earthquake sequences

Structures subjected to earthquake ground motions may be subjected to one or more aftershocks within a short period following the occurrence of the principal earthquake shock. Strong aftershocks have the potential to cause extensive structural damage, property losses and injuries to building occupants. This paper investigates the potential for aftershocks to cause additional damage to steel moment frame buildings, and provides a probabilistic description of structural damage states prior to and following those aftershocks. Statistics of structural response and damage states for steel frame buildings subjected to main shock–aftershock sequences are calculated using the enhanced uncoupled modal response history analysis (EUMRHA) method, a modification of an efficient and accurate method for predicting nonlinear response of frames. The frame connections are modelled by a moment–rotation relationship that takes brittle fracture of the connection welds into account. Damage accumulation is analysed in terms of a normalized ‘damage ratio’ and maximum inter-storey drift. Simple probabilistic tools are proposed for purposes of rapid structural evaluation and condition assessment of damaged buildings. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structure-dependent corrosion of high-purity Al in HNO3 and H2SO4

Abstract Grain boundary attack, general corrosion anisotropy, iron microsegregation and sub-boundary pitting, and surface texture development were present in single-phase Al exposed to 36M HNO3 and 24M H2SO4 to almost the same degree as in the 47M HCl studied previously. An intermittent worm-tracking phenomenon in these acids was described. The presence of sufficient Cu in the Al produced innocuous changes in morphology and rate in HNO3 in contrast to the rapid grain boundary fissuring produced in the HCl.
First-principles studies of the √7×√7R19.1° structure of sulfur on the Pd(1 1 1) surface

Abstract Density functional theory is used to investigate the ( √ 7 × √ 7 ) R 19.1 ° structure of sulfur on the Pd(1 1 1) surface. Among the different models that were considered, the densely packed mixed sulfur-metal overlayer structure proposed by Liu et al. [W. Liu, K.A.R. Mitchell, W. Berndt, Surf. Sci. 393 (1997) L119] was found to be the most energetically favorable. This model consists of arrangement of Pd triangles and pentagons on top of Pd(1 1 1) with the sulfur atoms at 3/7 monolayer coverage. The dominant mechanism for sulfur interaction with Pd in the overlayer region is the rehybridization of sulfur 3p and metal 4d bands. Simulated scanning tunneling microscopy image for this structure shows some similarity with that obtained from experiment. Our study confirms that surface sulfide with no structural resemblance to its bulk counterparts can form on Pd(1 1 1).
Robot-based computer-integrated manufacturing as applied in manufacturing automation

Abstract In this paper, a study of robot-based computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) automation is presented. In the study, we investigated issues regarding robotic workspace utilization, accuracy, repeatability and statistical considerations of fixture design that are relevant to the CIM system integration. Taguchi Methods are used to conduct parameter design to improve the accuracy of the Cartesian positions of the end-effector within the robot workspace, subject to spatial considerations of the manufacturing process and required boundary conditions. A SCARA robot with known tolerances of link length and joint angles is used to illustrate the methodology. We find the region within the workspace of the robot which gives rise to better accuracy using the S/N ratios of the Taguchi Methods. The results are compared with theoretical development and show very good agreement. In addition, the design of fixture is investigated with both analytical and statistical approaches. Reliability is defined to facilitate the fixture design. The robot-based CIM system encompasses equipment including a SCARA robot, a spatial robot, a CNC milling machine, a conveyor belt and programmable logic controllers (PLC). The system follows a typical factory floor set-up to demonstrate the ability of robotic applications in manufacturing automation. The CIM system utilizes a graphics user interface (GUI) within a message-based, object-oriented programming environment and is also packaged with interactive multimedia to facilitate the dissemination of research results.
A Multimethod Examination of the Male Anabolic Steroid User1

The current study examines people's perceptions of a male anabolic steroid (AS) user. Differences in perceptions on the Steroid Perception Questionnaire (SPQ; Schwerin & Corcoran, 1992) were measured. Subjects (N= 399) received 1 of 5 slide presentations: an athletically active individual, a drug-free, an AS-using, a cocaine-using, and a cheating bodybuilder. Results show the AS-using protagonist significantly different (more negatively rated) than his drug-free counterparts and similar to the cocaine-using bodybuilder (p < .05). Differences among presentation protagonists on SPQ dimensions and comparisons to the Schwerin and Corcoran (1992) written-mode findings are examined further.
Open lung biopsy does not correlate with pulmonary function after the adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Abnormalities of pulmonary function occur following the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). To determine if open lung biopsy (OLB) during ARDS predicts late pulmonary function abnormalities, we examined nine survivors of ARDS who had OLB during ARDS. Open lung biopsy was performed within two weeks of the diagnosis of ARDS, and the following were scored by a pulmonary pathologist as to extent and severity: hyaline membranes (HM), interstitial fibrosis (IF), air space organization (AO), interstitial cellularity (IC), and type 2 cell proliferation (T2C). Pulmonary function tests performed at least one year after ARDS were also used for analysis. Percent predicted Dco, TLC, DL/VA, and FVC were regressed against extent, severity, and combined scores. No significant correlation was found despite impressive histologic abnormalities. These data suggest that the severity and extent of HM, IF, AO, T2C, or IC do not correlate with lung function following ARDS. (Chest 1991; 99:1232-37)
Enantioselective guest binding and dynamic resolution of cationic ruthenium complexes by a chiral metal-ligand assembly.

A supramolecular metal−ligand assembly encapsulates a variety of cationic half-sandwich ruthenium complexes. Due to the chirality of both host and guest, chiral recognition is observed with diastereomeric excesses up to 70%. The chiral cavity can be used to carry out a dynamic resolution of the rapidly equilibrating enantiomers of the chiral organometallic guest.
Audiologic Correlates of Hearing Handicap in the Elderly

This investigation was conducted to determine the relationship between self-assessed hearing handicap and audiometric measures in a large sample of noninstitutionalized elderly individuals. Eighty subjects underwent a complete audiological evaluation and responded to the Hearing Measurement Scale (HMS). Each of the correlations between measures of sensitivity and the HMS score was statistically significant. The speech discrimination scores showed a somewhat lower correlation with the HMS score than did pure-tone measures. The implications of the above findings are discussed.
Alignment physics of disks warped by Lense–Thirring precession

Accretion disks occur in a wide variety of astrophysical contexts, from planet formation to accretion onto black holes. For simplicity, they are generally imagined as thin and flat. However, whenever the diskʼs angular momentum is oblique to the angular momentum of the central object(s), a torque causes rings within the disk to precess, twisting and warping it. Because the torque weakens rapidly with increasing radius, it has long been thought that some unspecified 'friction' brings the inner portions of such disks into alignment, while the outer parts remain in their original orientation. Nearly all previous work on this topic has assumed that such a diskʼs internal stresses can be described by an isotropic viscosity, even though it has been known for more than four decades that fluid viscosity is far too weak to be significant in accretion disks, and for two decades that accretion stresses are actually due to anisotropic MHD turbulence. This paper reviews recent numerical simulation work showing how twisted disks align when their mechanics are described only in terms of real forces, including MHD turbulence. The detailed mechanisms of alignment are identified, the rate at which it occurs is quantified, and the isotropic viscosity model is shown to be in drastic disagreement with the simulation data.
Fractionation of Short and Medium Chain Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters from a Blend of Oils via Ethanolysis and Short-Path Distillation

The main objective of the present work was to obtain fractions enriched in short (SCFAEE) and medium chain (MCFAEE) fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) from a blend of oils. For this purpose, coconut oil and dairy fat were blended and a transesterification of this blend was performed in order to transform the triacylglycerols into their corresponding FAEE. A detailed study of fractionation conditions for FAEE was carried out using short-path distillation. Different conditions were explored such as feed rates and temperatures; operating conditions, such as successive steps or a single step. The composition and yield of SCFAEE and MCFAEE were determined under different distillation conditions. Optimal fractionation of the desired compounds was achieved. High purity of SCFAEE and MCFAEE (94 wt%) was attained with a yield of ~50%. An increased yield of SCFAEE and MCFAEE was achieved (85%) with a purity of 83 wt%. A broad range of high value fractions was obtained depending on the conditions selected. The fractions we obtained can be used as starting materials for the production of functional lipids.
Comparative contractile responses among ventral, dorsal, and lateral lobes of the rat prostate

Prostatic zonal heterogeneity as a factor influencing urogenital smooth muscle contractile mechanisms was evaluated in the dorsal, lateral, and ventral lobes of the sexually mature rat. Additionally, using the ventral lobe, we assessed the role of the prostatic capsule to determine its contribution to tissue contractility. Smooth muscle contractile responses were determined for the alpha-adrenergic agonists norepinephrine and methoxamine; the cholinergic agonist carbamylcholine; the alpha2-adrenergic agonist UK-14,304; serotonin; and potassium chloride. The dorsal, lateral, and ventral lobes contracted in response to all agonists. In the three lobes, norepinephrine was the most potent contractile agent; alpha2 receptor activation with UK-14,304 resulted in the lowest maximum response. Carbamylcholine and serotonin were only weak contractile agonists in all three lobes. Maximum contractile responses to alpha agonists were greatest in the ventral prostate relative to the other two lobes, based on contractile responses to norepinephrine and methoxamine relative to KCl. The contractions of the ventral lobe in the presence and absence of the capsule were similar; thus the observed responses were not enhanced by the capsule but were attributable primarily to the presence of prostatic smooth muscle. Insofar as these studies with anatomically distinct lobes in the rat may reflect zonal homology in other species, these results support the contention that all zones may contribute to prostatic contractility.
End-to-end data flow on the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission will provide measurements of the soil moisture and freeze/thaw state over the Earth's land surface, significantly enhancing knowledge of the Earth's water, energy, and carbon cycles. Collecting, transmitting, processing, and archiving the complete set of science and engineering data will be a major challenge. SMAP will fly a radiometer and a synthetic aperture radar, collecting data over the land and ocean, based on science requirements. The Command and Data Handling subsystem will then select and packetize data for downlink on multiple transmission links. The data will generate nearly 250 GBytes of distributable data products on a daily basis, most of which need to be generated and made available to scientists within 24 hours of acquisition. SMAP instrument hardware, ground software, and mission planning will incorporate design and operational mechanisms to reduce data loss from sources such as radio frequency interference.
Loss of the plateau of the cardiac action potential in hypertonic solutions.

The effect of hypertonicity on the electrical properties of vertebrate myocardial cells was studied in ventricular muscle fibers of guinea pig, cat, frog, and chicken. The latter two species do not have a T-tubule system, whereas the former two do. In hypertonic solutions (2 x isotonic) produced by addition of sucrose or excess of NaCl, cell diameter decreased and there was a slight hyperpolarization and decrease in action potential overshoot. In guinea pig and cat, the hypertonic solution caused a decrease in input resistance and the plateau of the action potential to disappear in some of the cells; contractions of the entire ventricle also became depressed. These effects were reversed by returning the muscle fibers to isotonic solution. Addition of 5 mM SrCl2 to the hypertonic solution also caused the plateau component and contraction to reappear. In frog and chick cells, loss of the plateau component and contraction never occurred in hypertonic solution, and input resistance increased. Urea and glycerol hyperosmolarity (2 x) caused no loss of the plateau component or contraction. If the frog and chicken ventricular, and guinea pig atrial myocardial cells (all of which lack T tubules) were to serve as an adequate control for possible effects of hypertonicity on the surface membrane and on contractile proteins, then the results suggest that swelling of the T tubules of mammalian myocardial cells leads to loss of the plateau component.
The PASM project: a study of reconfigurable parallel computing

PASM is a concept for a parallel processing system that allows experimentation with different architectural design alternatives. PASM is dynamically reconfigurable along three dimensions: partitionability into independent or communicating submachines, variable interprocessor connections, and mixed-mode SIMD/MIMD parallelism. With mixed-mode parallelism, a program can switch between SIMD (synchronous) and MIMD (asynchronous) parallelism at instruction-level granularity, allowing the use of both modes in a single machine. The PASM concept is presented, showing the ways in which reconfiguration can be accomplished. Trade-offs among SIMD/MIMD, and mixed-mode parallelism are explored. The small-scale PASM prototype with 16 processing elements is described. The ELP mixed-mode programming language used on the prototype is discussed. An example of a prototype-based study that demonstrates the potential of mixed-mode parallelism is given.
A Stochastic Model for Pharmaceutical R&D Project Management in a Make-or-Buy Decision Setting

Managing a pharmaceutical R&D project is a complex undertaking that involves efforts from both business managers and scientists. The increasing complexity of exploratory activities in pharmaceutical innovation makes less likely that a project can stand alone. Project managers not only resort to in-house innovation but also external sources to propel a central project. In this paper, the authors propose a make-or-buy stochastic process model as an integrated project management tool with the goal of maximizing the successful probability of a prospective drug compound. The model illustrates the two-process-line practice in pharmaceutical R&D projects and combines this practice with the make-or-buy decision that managers always face in pharmaceuticals. Using this model, the authors discuss the decision strategies at different phases of a pharmaceutical R&D project and provide optimal solutions based on the remaining time of the project. A case study demonstrates the model's effectiveness. The model offers potential benefits in terms of its ability to transform key learning into efficient and reliable managerial decision-making practices that are well aligned with drug innovation strategies.
Wave impact pressures on vertical cylinders

Laboratory measurements of the pressure distributions on surface-piercing vertical cylinders due to breaking waves are presented. Breaking waves are generated in a repeatable fashion under program control, and both vertical and azimuthal distributions of pressures were measured over many repeats of the experiments. Despite the repeatability of the controllable experimental conditions, it is found that the highest impact pressures are subject to considerable variability, including pressure oscillations, from run to run. This high impact region is found to be localized in space and time, and the variability is attributed to the random dynamics of the breaking wave front and the entrapped air. Thus, despite the repeatability of the upstream incident wave hydrodynamics, it appears that the prediction of the largest pressures is essentially a stochastic problem. For those aspects of flow-structure interaction which do not depend on the higher-frequency impact pressures, these experimental results may be extrapolated to full scale through the use of the pressure impulse.
Effect of ventilation on resuscitation in an animal model of cardiac arrest

BACKGROUNDThe need for ventilation during the initial management of cardiac arrest is an important public health problem that is being debated. The present study was designed to determine whether ventilation affects return of spontaneous circulation from cardiac arrest in a swine model with an interval of untreated ventricular fibrillation of 6 minutes, as reported in witnessed out-of-hospital human cardiac arrest.METHODS AND RESULTSTwenty-four animals were randomly assigned to two groups: one that received ventilation during the first 10 minutes of chest compression and one that did not. Coronary perfusion pressure and minute ventilation were continuously recorded. Arterial and mixed venous blood gases were measured at intervals. Return of spontaneous circulation was defined prospectively as an aortic systolic blood pressure of > 80 mm Hg for > 5 minutes and was the primary outcome variable. All animals were anesthetized, paralyzed, and intubated. Ventricular fibrillation was induced and persisted for 6 ...
N-terminal transmembrane domain of SUR1 controls gating of Kir6.2 by modulating channel sensitivity to PIP2.

Functional integrity of pancreatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels depends on the interactions between the pore-forming potassium channel subunit Kir6.2 and the regulatory subunit sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1). Previous studies have shown that the N-terminal transmembrane domain of SUR1 (TMD0) interacts with Kir6.2 and is sufficient to confer high intrinsic open probability (Po) and bursting patterns of activity observed in full-length KATP channels. However, the nature of TMD0–Kir6.2 interactions that underlie gating modulation is not well understood. Using two previously described disease-causing mutations in TMD0 (R74W and E128K), we performed amino acid substitutions to study the structural roles of these residues in KATP channel function in the context of full-length SUR1 as well as TMD0. Our results revealed that although R74W and E128K in full-length SUR1 both decrease surface channel expression and reduce channel sensitivity to ATP inhibition, they arrive there via distinct mechanisms. Mutation of R74 uniformly reduced TMD0 protein levels, suggesting that R74 is necessary for stability of TMD0. In contrast, E128 mutations retained TMD0 protein levels but reduced functional coupling between TMD0 and Kir6.2 in mini-KATP channels formed by TMD0 and Kir6.2. Importantly, E128K full-length channels, despite having a greatly reduced Po, exhibit little response to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) stimulation. This is reminiscent of Kir6.2 channel behavior in the absence of SUR1 and suggests that TMD0 controls Kir6.2 gating by modulating Kir6.2 interactions with PIP2. Further supporting this notion, the E128W mutation in full-length channels resulted in channel inactivation that was prevented or reversed by exogenous PIP2. These results identify a critical determinant in TMD0 that controls Kir6.2 gating by controlling channel sensitivity to PIP2. Moreover, they uncover a novel mechanism of KATP channel inactivation involving aberrant functional coupling between SUR1 and Kir6.2.