cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fate of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Bound to Rat Corpora Lutea

The current studies were designed to ascertain the fate of hCG bound to rat corpora luteal cell receptors. Graded doses of highly purified hCG (CR119), ranging from 0.1-10.1 micrograms, were injected. Groups of pseudopregnant rats received iodinated hCG, unlabeled hCG, or both. Supraphysiological levels of hCG were used to enhance the internalization of hCG and its receptors. When ovarian membrane pellets (48,000 X g) were subjected to continuous sucrose density ultracentrifugation, two different ovarian membrane fractions (F1 and F2) bound hCG. Although an increase in hCG binding to the F2 membrane fraction was observed between 1-6 h after a single 0.1-microgram [125I]iodo-hCG injection, no subsequent enhanced binding to that fraction was observed. However, the F1 fraction bound at least 3 fold more hCG than did the F2 fraction 1, 6, 12, and 24 h after the injection of 0.1 micrograms [125I]iodo-hCG. When groups of animals were injected with 0.1, 1.0, or 10.0 micrograms unlabeled highly purified hCG, peak serum, ovarian plasma membrane, and ovarian intracellular hCG concentrations were observed at different times after hormone injection and suggested the progressive transfer of hCG from serum to ovarian fractions in a time- and dose-dependent relationship. Although no intracellular hCG was detected until 60 min after the single 0.1-microgram injection of hCG, both serum and membrane-bound levels were measurable within 15 min of that injection. From these observations, we suggest that ovarian intracellular hCG does not reflect significant contamination with serum or interstitial fluid or from significant dissociation of membrane-bound hCG during tissue handling. Finally, when intracellular hCG was subjected to continuous sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, a single major 135I peak was observed, and this comigrated with [125I]iodo-hCG. Our interpretation of the foregoing observations is that the major intracellular form of hCG is not receptor bound.
Serologic Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis: Analysis of 214 Cases by Agglutination Tests and Review of the Literature

The serum agglutination test (SAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME) agglutination were used in studies of the sera of 214 patients in whom brucellosis was suspected. On the basis of historical, epidemiologic, clinical, and serologic data, four groups were identified: group I (108 cases) had negative agglutination reactions, and brucellosis was considered unlikely; group II (57 cases) had positive agglutination reactions, and active brucellosis was diagnosed; group III (37 cases) had positive agglutination reactions, but other factors--notably, a history of prior infection--made inactive brucellosis likely; and group IV (12 cases) had positive agglutination reactions, but insufficient data were available for further classification. Most patients with active brucellosis had agglutinin titers of greater than or equal to 160; however, no single titer was always diagnostic. Although more sensitive tests are available, agglutination reactions provide data sufficient to differentiate active from inactive disease when other factors are considered and follow-up sera are tested. This article discusses individual cases and reviews the literature on the diagnosis of brucellosis.
Modes of Developmental Outgrowth and Shaping of a Craniofacial Bone in Zebrafish

The morphologies of individual bones are crucial for their functions within the skeleton, and vary markedly during evolution. Recent studies have begun to reveal the detailed molecular genetic pathways that underlie skeletal morphogenesis. On the other hand, understanding of the process of morphogenesis itself has not kept pace with the molecular work. We examined, through an extended period of development in zebrafish, how a prominent craniofacial bone, the opercle (Op), attains its adult morphology. Using high-resolution confocal imaging of the vitally stained Op in live larvae, we show that the bone initially appears as a simple linear spicule, or spur, with a characteristic position and orientation, and lined by osteoblasts that we visualize by transgenic labeling. The Op then undergoes a stereotyped sequence of shape transitions, most notably during the larval period occurring through three weeks postfertilization. New shapes arise, and the bone grows in size, as a consequence of anisotropic addition of new mineralized bone matrix along specific regions of the pre-existing bone surfaces. We find that two modes of matrix addition, spurs and veils, are primarily associated with change in shape, whereas a third mode, incremental banding, largely accounts for growth in size. Furthermore, morphometric analyses show that shape development and growth follow different trajectories, suggesting separate control of bone shape and size. New osteoblast arrangements are associated with new patterns of matrix outgrowth, and we propose that fine developmental regulation of osteoblast position is a critical determinant of the spatiotemporal pattern of morphogenesis.
Hyperacute rejection is attenuated in GalT knockout swine lungs perfused ex vivo with human blood

Abstract Background Hyperacute rejection (HAR) is one of the principal obstacles to successful xenotransplantation. Homozygous α-1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout (GalT-KO) miniature swine now offer the prospect of overcoming this barrier to xenotransplantation. In this study, the short-term function of GalT-KO swine lungs was evaluated in a well-established ex vivo model of swine-to-human lung xenotransplantation. Methods Lungs from homozygous GalT-KO swine (n = 3) and control lungs from pigs of the background strain used to create the GalT-KO pig line (n = 2) were perfused ex vivo with freshly collected heparinized human blood. Graft function was assessed by various physiologic measurements, serial histologic and immunohistochemical evaluation, and assays of complement and platelet activation. Results Xenoperfused control swine lungs exhibited HAR with graft survival times Conclusions The survival of xenoperfused GalT-KO swine lungs was significantly prolonged, as compared with control lungs expressing Gal. This appears to have been due largely to substantially reduced complement activation. Nonetheless, the xenoperfused GalT-KO lungs still showed some evidence of complement fixation and intravascular coagulopathy by the time of graft demise.
Normal Diffusing Capacity in Patients With PiZ α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency, Severe Airflow Obstruction, and Significant Radiographic Emphysema

α1-Antitrypsin deficiency is usually suspectedclinically in young adults with irreversible airflow obstruction thatis out of proportion to their smoking history. Many patients withα1-antitrypsin deficiency receive an initial diagnosis ofasthma or chronic bronchitis. Measurement of the diffusing capacity ofthe lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco) has been recommended asa way to help distinguish emphysema from asthma and chronic bronchitis. In this article, we describe four patients with severeα1-antitrypsin deficiency, each of whom had a repeatedlynormal Dlco despite having a significant component of fixedairway obstruction and prominent panacinar emphysema on high-resolutionCT scan (HRCT). Each patient also demonstrated significantbronchodilator responsiveness, and two patients received an initialdiagnosis of asthma. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed. We report these findings to illustrate the limitations of, Dlco in this setting. α1-Antitrypsindeficiency should be considered in patients with fixed airwayobstruction that is out of proportion to their age and smoking history, regardless of their diffusing capacity and response tobronchodilators.
Statistical Theory Predictions for 5- to 11-MeV ( p , n ) and ( p , p ′ ) Nuclear Reactions in V 51 , Co 59 , Cu 63 , Cu 65 , and Rh 103

Absolute (p,n) cross sections for proton energies between 5 and 11 Mev have been measured for V/sup 51/, Co/sup 59/, cu/sup 63/, Cu/sup 65 and Rh/sup 13/ using a long counter.'' The experimental values are compared with the predictions of the statistical theory. An analysis is made of the use of different level density functions in the calculations of the cross sections. The choice of parameters---the nuclear radius r/sub 0/, the level density parameter a, and pairing energies, P(Z,N)---has been made with the idea of fitting not only these measured (p,n) cross sections but also other available experimental information such as the proton-reaction cross section, sigma (p,p ), the differential energy spectrum of the neutrons resulting from these proton reactions, and some of the proton spectra from the (p,p ) reaction for the copper isotopes. It is shown that the measured'' value of a changes drastically from approximately A/20 or A/30 to approximately A/8 to A/6 depending upon whether exp {2STAa(U + P(Z,N))!/sup 1/2) or (U + P(Z,N)/sup -2/ exp (2(a(U + P(Z,N))!/sup 1/ 2) is used for the level density. However, the (p,n) and (p,p') cross sections obtained with these level density functions when the correspondence a is introducedmore » are quite close. In most of the cases it is not possible to make a definite choice if the accuracy of the measured cross sections is not better than 5%. (auth)« less
Investigation of the effects of milling ceramic targets on the optical and electrical properties of BST thin films deposited by RF sputtering

Abstract The RF sputtering method was utilized to deposit thin films of Ba1-xSrxTiO3 (BST). The targets utilized in these experiments were prepared from ceramic powders with different particle size. The goal of this work is to examine whether the particle size distribution of the target can affect the properties of the thin films fabricated by the sputtering method. The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was used to examine the grain size in the thin films. The composition of the thin films and the bulk materials were examined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of the thin films were measured and compared to its bulk counterparts. It was found that on lattice matched electrodes of SrRuO3 on LaAlO3 substrates, the thin films deposited from ceramic targets manufactured from ball-milled powders had finer grain size than those deposited from targets made from unmilled powders. However, this phenomenon was not observed in the case of polycrystalline films deposited on plati...
Cytotoxic effects of repin, a principal sesquiterpene lactone of Russian knapweed.

Repin is the principal sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Russian knapweed (Centaurea repens), a perennial weed found in many parts of the United States. Ingestion of Centaurea repens by horses has been reported to cause a movement disorder simulating Parkinson's disease (PD) and nigrostriatal degeneration, called equine nigrostriatal encephalomalacia (ENE). To understand the mechanisms whereby ingestion of Centaurea repens induces ENE and a PD-like disorder, repin cytotoxicity was examined to explore its pathogenetic relationship to ENE and to PD. Repin was highly cytotoxic to both PC12 cells and mouse astrocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The cytotoxic effects were accompanied by depletion of glutathione (GSH), a rise in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and damage to cellular membranes. Although repin is a highly reactive electrophile that can readily conjugate GSH, GSH depletion may not be the sole mechanism underlying repin cytotoxicity as shown by our study using buthionine sulfoximine, in which severe GSH depletion did not result in a parallel increase in cell death. However, pre-treatment with GSH-glycoside or with lipoic acid provided significant protection from repin-induced cell death. These data suggest that oxidative stress plays a major role in repin cytotoxicity. Since oxidative stress is considered to play a major role in neuronal degeneration accompanied by depletion of mitochondrial GSH and an increase in lipid peroxides in the substantia nigra of PD, further elucidation of mechanisms of repin neurotoxicity may generate clues regarding not only the mechanisms of neuronal degeneration but also the possible role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of PD. J. Neurosci. Res. 47:90–97, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Proton relaxation rate studies of Mn-alkaline phosphatase

Abstract Water proton relaxation rate measurements have been used to follow the formation of a (Mn) 4 -alkaline phosphatase in a Mn 2+ titration of apoenzyme. The values of 1/T 1 P ∗ and 1/T 2 P ∗ decreases as the temperature is increased, both have low activation energies, 1/T 1 P ∗ ≊ 1/T 1 P ∗ and 1/T 1 P ∗ is not greatly enhanced which suggests a relaxation rate determined by dipole-dipole interactions between the bound Mn 2+ and water molecules outside the first coordination sphere. The τ c ∗ values obtained from our data using first coordination sphere and outer coordination sphere equations and the lack of effect on the PRR measurements upon formation of the P 1 or CN-metalloenzyme complexes are also consistent with the conclusion that the PRR measurements using (Mn) 4 -alkaline phosphatase result from an outer sphere relaxation process.
Lifschitz tail on hyperbolic space: Neumann conditions

On considere un espace hyperbolique H de dimension n et l'operateur laplacien hyperbolique Δ H . Etant donne une distribution aleatoire de points a l'aide d'un processus ponctuel de Poisson tel que chaque point se situe dans une boule hyperbolique de rayons ν on etudie la question suivante: si λ est un petit nombre reel, combien y a-t-il de valeurs propres inferieures a λ, pour l'operateur −1/2Δ H , dans une boule B de centre O, avec des conditions de Neumann sur la frontiere et avec des conditions aux limites de Dirichlet sur les boules aleatoires formant des intersections avec B, si le rayon de B est suffisamment grand?
Computer simulation studies of counterion effects on the properties of surfactant systems

Abstract Recent developments in the computer simulation studies of the effects of counterions on the properties of ionic surfactant systems in contact with aqueous solution phase are discussed. The article deals with three types of systems: normal micelles, monolayers at the air/aqueous solution interface, and reverse micelles, i.e., water-in-oil microemulsions.
Generating resource based flexible form manufacturing features through objective driven clustering

The development of a new feature based technique for automated manufacturability evaluation (ME) of machined parts is reported in this article. Key to this approach is a new type of feature called a resource based flexible form manufacturing feature. This type of manufacturing feature incorporates available factory resources and permits unlimited variations in the geometric form as dictated by tool accessibility. A ME system based on this new feature definition is overviewed. Through a process of automatic feature recognition, a manufacturing feature based description of a part is generated which is then used as a form of high level operation plan on which accurate estimates of production cost and time can be made. This paper focuses on the feature recognition algorithm, which is termed Objective Driven Clustering. The recognition algorithm consists of generating feature primitives, which are operational subplans for subregions of a part. Subsequently, primitives are intelligently selected and grouped in a clustering process that uses heuristics, constraints and a user defined evaluation objective to form manufacturing features. The methodology accommodates parts with complex surfaces and interacting form features. It is also sensitive to a variety of part, factory and evaluation related parameters including the evaluation objective, accessibility, part material, D&T, available machines and tools, tool cost, tool change time and setup change time. A prototype system Arizona State University Manufacturability Evaluator (ASUME) used in validating the methodology is discussed.
Biomechanical Rationale for Development of Anatomical Reconstructions of Coracoclavicular Ligaments after Complete Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocations

BackgroundSurgical treatments of complete acromioclavicular joint dislocations replace or reconstruct the coracoclavicular ligaments with a single structure and do not account for the anatomical variance of each ligament in the design.PurposeTo evaluate the cyclic behavior and structural properties of an anatomic tendon reconstruction of the coracoclavicular ligament complex after a simulated acromioclavicular joint dislocation.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsCyclic loading followed by a load-to-failure protocol (simulated dislocation) of the normal coracoclavicular ligament complex was performed and repeated after an anatomic reconstruction on the same specimen (n = 9). The anatomical reconstruction consisted of a semitendinosus tendon that replicated the direction and orientation of both the trapezoid and conoid ligaments.ResultsThe coracoclavicular ligament and anatomical reconstruction complexes had clinically insignificant (<3 mm) permanent elongation after cyclic loading. The stiffnes...
A crystal plasticity materials constitutive model for polysynthetically-twinned γ-TiAl + α2-Ti3Al single crystals

Deformation behavior of polysynthetically-twinned lamellar γ-TiAl + α2-Ti3Al single crystals has been analyzed using a three-dimensional, isothermal, rate-dependent, large-strain, crystal-plasticity based materials constitutive model. Within the model it is assumed that plastic deformation parallel to the γ-TiAl/α2-Ti3Al lamellar boundaries is controlled by the softer γ-TiAl phase while deformation which contains a component normal to these boundaries is dominated by the harder α2-Ti3Al phase. The parameters appearing in the crystal-plasticity materials constitutive relations are assessed using the available experimental information pertaining to the active slip systems, their deformation resistances and hardening and rate behavior of the two constitutive phases both in their single-crystalline and in polysynthetically-twinned lamellar forms. The constitutive relations are implemented in a Vectorized User Material Subroutine (VUMAT) of the commercial finite element program Abaqus/Explicit within which the material state is integrated during loading using an explicit Euler-forward formulation. The results obtained suggest that the adopted crystal-plasticity model and the parameters assessed in the present work account quite well for the observed room-temperature deformation behavior of polysynthetically-twinned lamellar γ-TiAl + α2-Ti3Al single crystals.
ADAPTS: A digital transient simulation strategy for integrated circuits

Activity Driven Adaptive Partitioning Transient Simulation (ADAPTS) has been developed to bridge the gap between circuit and logic simulation. ADAPTS can accept analytical models for arbitrary multi-terminal elements and can control the accuracy versus efficiency tradeoff automatically. In addition, ADAPTS can simulate stiff circuits efficiently and accurately.
Isolation and Characterization of the Human Syncytin Gene Promoter

Syncytin, a protein encoded by an envelope gene of a human endogenous retrovirus-W (HERV-W), plays a critical role in trophoblast differentiation. We isolated the 5'-flanking region of the syncytin gene from human genomic DNA by PCR and identified cis-acting elements on the promoter that are important for transcription. The major transcription initiation site identified by mung bean nuclease protection assays is 56 base pairs (bp) downstream from a putative CCAAT box. Deletion analysis of the 5'-flanking region of the syncytin gene indicated that the proximal 148 bp are essential for minimal promoter activity and that regions of the promoter from nt -1519 to -984 and nt -294 to -148 are required for maximal expression in normal trophoblast cells. DNase I footprint analysis of the region between nt -252 and +110 revealed three protected regions, FP1-FP3. Mutagenesis of a hepatocyte-specific nuclear protein-1 (HAPF1) binding site in FP1 and a TATA box in FP3 had no effects on basal promoter activity. However, mutation of the CCAAT motif and the octamer protein (Oct) binding site in FP2 decreased promoter activity by 88% and 76%, respectively. Mutation of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) response element in FP2, which may bind a nuclear hormone receptor, increased basal promoter activity by 2-fold. Gel shift and supershift assays indicated that CCAAT-binding factor (CBF) binds to the CCAAT motif and that Oct binds to the Oct binding site. Taken together, these findings indicate that the syncytin promoter is located in the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR) of the HERV-W gene and that binding sites for CBF and Oct in the proximal promoter are critical for transcriptional regulation of the gene in trophoblast cells.
A simple decision task in a social context: Experiments, a model, and preliminary analyses of behavioral data

To investigate the influence of input from fellow group members in a constrained decision-making context, we consider a game in which subjects freely select one of two options (A or B), and are informed of the reward resulting from that choice following each trial. Rewards are computed based on the fraction x of past A choices by two functions fA(x), fB(x) (unknown to the subject) which intersect at a matching point x? that does not generally represent globally optimal behavior. Playing individually, subjects typically remain close to the matching point, although some discover the optimum. We investigate the effects of additional feedback regarding the choices and reward scores of other players. We generalize a drift-diffusion model, commonly used to model individual decision making, to incorporate feedback from other players, study the resulting coupled stochastic differential equations, and compare the distributions of choices that they predict with those produced by a pool of subjects playing in groups of five without feedback and with feedback on other players? choices.
Studying the Motivated Agent Through Time: Personal Goal Development During the Adult Life Span.

This research examined the rank-order and mean-level consistency of personal goals at two periods in the adult life span. Personal goal continuity was considered among a group of young adults (N = 145) who reported their goals three times over a 3-year period and among a group of midlife adults (N = 163) who specified their goals annually over a 4-year period. Goals were coded for a series of motive-based (viz., achievement, affiliation, intimacy, power) and domain-based (viz., finance, generativity, health, travel) categories. In both samples, we noted a moderate degree of rank-order consistency across assessment periods. In addition, the majority of goal categories exhibited a high degree of mean-level consistency. The results of this research suggest that (a) the content of goals exhibits a modest degree of rank-order consistency and a substantial degree of mean-level consistency over time, and (b) considering personality continuity and development as manifest via goals represents a viable strategy for personality psychologists.
COMPARISON OF AMINO ACID DIGESTIBILITY COEFFICIENTS FOR SOYBEAN MEAL, CANOLA MEAL, FISH MEAL, AND MEAT AND BONE MEAL AMONG 3 DIFFERENT BIOASSAYS

The objective of this study was to determine amino acid digestibility of 4 feedstuffs [soybean meal (SBM), canola meal, fish meal, and meat and bone meal (MBM)] using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay (PFR), the standardized ileal assay (SIAAD), and a newly developed precision-fed ileal broiler assay (PFC). For the PFR, cecectomized roosters were precision-fed approximately 30 g of feed sample, and excreta were collected 48 h postfeeding. For the SIAAD, 16-d-old broilers were fed a semipurified diet containing the feed samples as the only source of protein from 17 to 21 d, with ileal digesta collected at 21 d. For the PFC, 22-d-old broilers were precision-fed 10 g of feed sample mixed with chromic oxide, and ileal digesta were collected at 4 h postfeeding. Digestibility coefficients were standardized using a nitrogen-free diet for the SIAAD and PFC and using fasted roosters for the PFR. There were generally no consistent differences in standardized amino acid digestibility values among assays, and values were in general agreement among assays, particularly for SBM and MBM. Differences did occur among methods for amino acid digestibility in fish meal; however, these differences were not consistent among methods or amino acids. The results of the study indicated that all 3 bioassays are acceptable for determining the amino acid digestibility of SBM, canola meal, MBM, and fish meal for poultry.
Growth, yield, and structure of extended rotation Pinus resinosa stands in Minnesota, USA

Extended rotations are increasingly used to meet ecological objectives on forestland; however, information about long-term growth and yield of these systems is lacking for most forests in North Ame...
Locally dense basis sets for chemical shift calculations

Calculations of chemical shifts have been carried out using “locally dense” basis sets for the resonant atom of interest, and smaller, attenuated sets on other atoms in the molecule. For carbon, calculations involving a 6-311G(d) triply split valence set with polarization on the resonant atom and 3-21G atomic bases on other heavy atoms result in good agreement with experiment, and are virtually identical to those found employing the larger basis on all atoms. For species such as nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine where standard balanced basis sets do not agree well with experiment, use of attenuated sets fail as well. The use of locally dense basis sets permits calculations previously impractical, and the successful application to carbon suggests that the chemical shift is most dependent on the local basis set, and less so on whether or not a balanced or unbalanced calculation is being carried out.
Hybrid electromagnetic modeling of noise interactions in packaged electronics based on the partial-element equivalent-circuit formulation

The partial-element equivalent-circuit (PEEC) method is used to develop a flexible, hierarchical electromagnetic modeling and simulation environment for the analysis of noise generation and signal degradation mechanisms in packaged electronic components and systems. The circuit-oriented approach used by the method for the development of the numerical approximation of the electric-field integral equation leads to SPICE-compatible, yet fully dynamic, discrete approximation of the electromagnetic problem. Contrary to other full-wave formulations, the proposed method has the important attribute of lending itself to a very systematic and physical model complexity reduction on the basis of the electrical size of the various portions of the system. Thus, a hybrid electromagnetic modeling and simulation environment is established for the analysis of complex structures which exhibit large variation in electrical size over their volume, using a combination of lumped-circuit elements, transmission lines, as well as three-dimensional (3-D) distributed electromagnetic models. These models may or may not account for retardation, depending on the electrical size of the part of the structure that is being modeled. These special attributes of the proposed electromagnetic-simulation environment are demonstrated through several examples from its application to the modeling of noise interactions in generic interconnect and package geometries.
Variation-Tolerant Dynamic Power Management at the System-Level

The power characteristics of system-on-chips (SoCs) in nanoscale technologies are significantly impacted by manufacturing process variations, making it important to consider these effects during system-level power analysis and optimization. In this paper, we identify and address the problem of designing effective power management schemes in the presence of such variations. In particular, we demonstrate that conventional power management schemes, which are designed without considering the impact of variations, can result in substantial power wastage. We therefore propose two approaches to variation-aware power management, namely, design-specific and chip-specific approaches. In each of these approaches, the goal is to consider the impact of variations while deriving power management policy parameters, in order to optimize metrics that are relevant under variations. We motivate and introduce these metrics, and present both exact and heuristic approaches to optimize them. The methods are designed and implemented in the context of two power management frameworks, namely an ideal oracle-based framework and a timeout-based framework. We experimentally evaluate the proposed ideas using an ARM946 processor core model. For the oracle-based framework, variation-aware power management can result in improvements of upto 59% for mu+sigma , and upto 55% for 95th percentile of the energy distribution, over conventional power management schemes that do not consider variations. For the timeout-based framework, we obtain reductions of upto 43% in mu+sigma and upto 55% in the 99th percentile of the energy distribution.
Capacity fade of a high power battery when evaluated for use within a prime power supply

There is considerable need for a mobile, reliable, efficient, and compact prime power supply for a host of directed energy applications. Recent improvements in the energy and power density of electrochemical lithium-ion batteries have made them a very viable option for this type of application where fast and rep-rate operation is of interest. Despite the proven ability of lithiumion batteries to source high currents, it is still unclear how they age when they are used to repeatedly source high rate currents in a pulse width modulated manner, as they must if used in a prime power supply. Similarly it is unclear how elevated rate recharge affects the life of the battery. Research has been performed at UTA in which a high power 3 Ah lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum-oxide (NCA) cell has been repeatedly discharged at an 85 C rate and 10 kHz frequency while recharged at a 1C rate. A second identical type of cell has been repeatedly discharged at a 1C rate but recharged using a 33C rate (100A) and a switching frequency of 0.11 Hz with a 33% duty cycle. Finally, a third identical type of cell has been cycled using a 1C charge and 1C discharge procedure for comparison of the aging through rated operation. A discussion concerning a wide variety of cells which are of interest for these applications will be presented. Additionally, a discussion of prime power source topologies along with the experimental setup used here and the results collected thus far will also be presented.
The Development of Coda Perception in Second Language Phonology: A Variationist Perspective.

Within a variationist approach for data collection and analysis, this study investigates the acquisition in perception of post-vocalic word-final stops (codas) by speakers of Brazilian Portuguese learning English as a foreign language in a classroom environment. Because codas are illicit in this variety of Portuguese, the hypothesis holds that learners will process this foreign structure as followed by an illusory epenthetic vowel, [i], a manifestation of ‘perceptual foreign accent’. In a forced-choice phone identification task, 51 participants listened to series of English pseudowords and then decided on whether each word ended in a consonant or in a vowel. The statistical results of the experiment indicate that codas are more likely to be perceived in the following cases: (1) in more advanced levels of proficiency, (2) in the context of segments that belong to the class of coronals [t d] and labials [p b], and (3) when the coda consonant is preceded by a lax vowel. The latter as well as the non-signific...
Optimal expenditures on police protection

Abstract The object of this paper is to propose an approach for operationalizing Rubin's (Minimizing Harm: a New Crime Policy for modern America, Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 1999) idea that minimizing harm is a solution to the crime policy conundrum. Harm is defined to be the total cost of damages due to crime plus the cost of police protection. Its minimization determines optimal expenditures for protection. This is an appropriate basis for specifying the optimal size of a police force, and provides a term of reference for actual policy decisions. Data for the states of the US are used to make the presentation more concrete and to clarify some of the problems that must be solved in actual applications of the method suggested. This does not eliminate the applicability of the approach to any other country or to the geo-political subdivisions within a country. The results obtained are of interest to policy makers dealing specifically with expenditures for police at local, regional or national levels or, more generally, with similar uses of public or private financial resources.
Consumer Grudgeholding: Does Age Make a Difference?

Bad service experiences potentially leading to long‐standing grudges can be quite costly for an organization. In many cases, corporate actions and policies cause grudges as consumers grow more and more frustrated about their interactions with large, impersonal companies. The primary objectives of this study were to examine through empirical research the causes of consumer grudgeholding, the behaviors undertaken by grudgeholders in response to their outcome, the impact of grudges against businesses, and whether differences exist depending on the grudgeholder’s age. The findings suggest that older consumers are more likely to discuss their concerns with store, company or organization employees, and in addition, they can be expected to tell more people outside of the firm than younger consumers. While neither younger nor older consumers appear highly inclined to purchase products or services from the firm following a bad experience, older respondents displayed a stronger aversion to the company, store or firm in question.
Wealth, Consumerism, and Culture among the Artisans of Göppingen: Dynamism and Tradition in an Eighteenth-Century Hometown

April 21, 1771, brought unusual weather conditions, namely a springtime blizzard, to the Swabian town of Goppingen. We know this because the worsted-wool weaver Ernst Jacob Vayhinger wrote about it in a chronicle that he kept from 1756 to 1784. His exact words were, “The weather is also quite something. I have a barometer, which indicates the clearest weather today, and yet it is snowing so badly. The same thing happened a year ago. As the upper wind brought rain, it [the barometer] was instead showing nice conditions, and the rain was freezing cold.” While the vivid description of inclement weather certainly catches the eye, the presence of a barometer in this weaver's household in 1771 stands out even more. In fact, this weather-based technology was barely a century old in the latter half of the eighteenth century, having been invented by Evangelista Torricelli, an Italian mathematician, in 1643. To be sure, Vayhinger's malfunctioning barometer was almost certainly a water-filled glass instrument rather than the more precise mercury-based instruments of early-modern natural philosophers, but what matters here is that Vayhinger had a relatively new, ornamental wall hanging that indicated an awareness of new scientific principles. And, as this article will show, he was not at all the only one to acquire such novelties in this hometown full of Handwerker (artisans).
A new methodology to investigate fracture toughness of freestanding MEMS and advanced materials in thin film form

This work presents a novel membrane deflection fracture experiment (MDFE) to investigate the fracture toughness of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and other advanced materials in thin film form. It involves the stretching of freestanding thin-film membranes, in a fixed-fixed configuration, containing preexisting cracks. The fracture behavior of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD), a material developed at Argonne National Laboratory, is investigated to illustrate the methodology. When the fracture initiates from sharp cracks, produced by indentation, the fracture toughness was found to be 4.5/spl plusmn/0.25 MP m/sup 1/2/. When the fracture initiates from blunt notches with radii about 100 nm, machined by focused ion beam (FIB), the mean value of the apparent fracture toughness was found to be 6.9 MPa m/sup 1/2/. Comparison of these two values, using the model proposed by Drory et al., provides a correction factor of two-thirds, which corresponds to a mean value of /spl rho//2x=1/2.
Fusionplex: resolution of data inconsistencies in the integration of heterogeneous information sources

Fusionplex is a system for integrating multiple heterogeneous and autonomous information sources that uses data fusion to resolve factual inconsistencies among the individual sources. To accomplish this, the system relies on source features, which are meta-data on the merits of each information source; for example, the recentness of the data, its accuracy, its availability, or its cost. The fusion process is controlled with several parameters: (1) with a vector of feature weights, each user defines an individual notion of data utility; (2) with thresholds of acceptance, users ensure minimal performance of their data, excluding from the fusion process data that are too old, too costly, or lacking in authority, or numeric data that are too high, too low, or obvious outliers; and, ultimately, (3) in naming a particular fusion function to be used for each attribute (for example, average, maximum, or simply any) users implement their own interpretation of fusion. Several simple extensions to SQL are all that is needed to allow users to state these resolution parameters, thus ensuring that the system is easy to use. Altogether, Fusionplex provides its users with powerful and flexible, yet simple, control over the fusion process. In addition, Fusionplex supports other critical integration requirements, such as information source heterogeneity, dynamic evolution of the information environment, quick ad-hoc integration, and intermittent source availability. The methods described in this paper were implemented in a prototype system that provides complete Web-based integration services for remote clients.
Angiotensin Type-1 Receptor Blockade Increases ACE 2 Expression in the Heart

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a coordinated hormonal cascade, the major effecter of which is angiotensin II (Ang II).1,2 The RAS regulates blood pressure and fluid and electrolyte balance through actions on the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and adrenal glands. The classical RAS pathway begins with the biosynthesis, storage, and release of the glycoprotein enzyme renin by the juxtaglomerular cells of the renal afferent arteriole. Renin acts on the circulating precursor angiotensinogen (AGT) to form a dipeptide, angiotensin I (Ang I). Ang I has little or no biological activity but is converted across vascular beds, particularly in the lungs, to the octapeptide Ang II by the action of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), an enzyme with soluble and membrane-bound forms. Most of the ACE is localized on the plasma membranes of vascular endothelial cells and the brush borders of epithelial (eg, renal tubular) cells. A potent vasopressor, Ang II acts at target cells by binding to 1 of 2 G protein-coupled receptors—angiotensin type-1 (AT1) and type-2 (AT2) receptors. The vast majority of the cardiovascular, renal, and adrenal actions of Ang II are mediated by the AT1 receptor, including vascular smooth muscle contraction, aldosterone secretion, dipsogenic responses, adrenergic stimulation, renal sodium reabsorption, and pressor and chronotropic responses. Ang II also binds to AT2 receptors, inducing a counter-regulatory vasodilatation that is largely mediated by bradykinin (BK) and nitric oxide (NO). In addition to the conversion of Ang I to Ang II, ACE also inactivates two vasodilator peptides, BK and kallidin. Thus, ACE inhibition, which has constituted an important therapeutic approach to hypertension, derives its benefits by way of 2 mechanisms: inhibition of Ang II formation and facilitation …
Demonstration of WDM weighted addition for principal component analysis

We consider an optical technique for performing tunable weighted addition using wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) inputs, the enabling function of a recently proposed photonic spike processing architecture [J. Lightwave Technol., 32 (2014)]. WDM weighted addition provides important advantages to performance, integrability, and networking capability that were not possible in any past approaches to optical neurocomputing. In this letter, we report a WDM weighted addition prototype used to find the first principal component of a 1Gbps, 8-channel signal. Wideband, multivariate techniques have immediate relevance to modern radio systems, and photonic spike processing networks enabled by WDM could open new domains of information processing that bring unprecedented bandwidth and intelligence to problems in radio communications, ultrafast control, and scientific computing.
Lippard in Part(s)

Christopher Looby, “Lippard in Part(s): Seriality and Secrecy in The Quaker City ” (pp. 1–35) Why did George Lippard publish The Quaker City (1844-45) originally in ten separate parts, issued at intervals over time? Answering this question involves some inference and speculation, but the argument is that the material form of part publication served not only strategic and practical purposes in the print marketplace but served also as an expressive form for Lippard. His early journalistic career was a schooling in seriality (his most interesting publications were ad hoc serials), but it was also where his ambition for long form fiction writing developed; The Quaker City then united serial form with an extended novel. This novel was driven by an animus against secrecy (the secret machinations of the powerful) and a converse devotion to democratic publicity, but serial publication itself entailed a form of secrecy (in a particular sense), and as Lippard wrote and issued the novel over an extended period of time he discovered the paradoxical value of secrecy for democracy. Finally, his little-known and belatedly published Key to the Quaker City (1845) embodied the antinomy of secrecy and publicity: it both revealed the novel’s secrets and manufactured new ones, preserving secrecy in perpetuity—that is, preserving the openness of the future for democratic agency.
Changing reactions of preadolescent girls to tasks requiring creative scientific thinking.

(1963). Changing Reactions of Preadolescent Girls to Tasks Requiring Creative Scientific Thinking. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 102, No. 2, pp. 217-223.
Cyclic vomiting : The pattern and syndrome paradigm

Although it remains a mysterious disorder since its description over a century ago, cyclic vomiting syndrome appears to be more prevalent than previously thought. With the goal of improving detection of affected children, two quantitative historical criteria-peak intensity ≥4 emeses/h) and a episode frequency ≤ 9/month-can differentiate those with an explosive, intermittent cyclic pattern from those with a low-grade, daily chronic pattern. Diagnoses that can cause a cyclic vomiting pattern includes abdominal migraine, chronic sinusitis, intracranial neoplasm, anomalies of and mucosal injury to the gastrointestinal tract, urologic abnormalities, and metabolic and endocrine disorders. Because many organic disorders can mimic cyclic vomiting syndrome, a systematic diagnostic evaluation of potential underlying disorders is recommended. The following terminology is proposed : a cyclic pattern is differentiated from a chronic pattern of vomiting on the basis of a higher peak intensity of emesis and lower frequency of episodes ; and of those with a cyclic vomiting pattern, an idiopathic subgroup who is not found to have an underlying disorder on diagnostic testing can be labeled as having cyclic vomiting syndrome.
Feminist Methodology in Social Movements Research

Feminist social scientists have developed distinctive principles of inquiry that depart from the positivist ideal of the detached, value-free scientist and are consistent with the feminist goal of rendering women's experiences visible and challenging gender inequality. In this article, I show how my research on the postpartum depression self-help movement illustrates five features of feminist methodology: a gender perspective, accentuation of women's experiences, reflexivity, participatory methods, and social action. My intent is to demonstrate how attention to the epistemological and methodological questions posed by feminist researchers produces new standards of evidence that allow us to recognize the gendering of social movement processes and theory.
Be El Caudillo’s Guest: Postwar American Tourism to Franco Spain

In August 1947 Generalissimo Francisco Franco sat down for an interview with conservative American writer Merwin K. Hart, whom Franco periodically utilized as a message transmitter in the US media.1 The Spanish dictator received Hart at his summer residence in San Sebastian, a cool northern coastal Spanish refuge from Madrid’s oppressive summer heat. Attired in mufti for the occasion—a neatly tailored gray business suit with conspicuously well-polished tan leather shoes—Franco’s mien as he spoke with Hart was reminiscent of “any ordinary well-dressed European businessman.” Building on the US charm offensive he had begun a year earlier with the interviews he had conducted with the Associated Press’s DeWitt MacKenzie, Franco affected a “simple, earnest, unaffected, modest, friendly” demeanor as he made his latest pitch for US-Spanish reconciliation and alliance. A central element of his message concerned tourism: Hart offered the Jefe del Estado the set-up question, “Would the people of Spain like to have Americans visit Spain in considerable numbers?” Franco replied enthusiastically, “Very much. The Spanish people are an hospitable people who preserve their customs, traditions and famous monuments of the different civilizations which clashed in Spain.” He waxed on, sounding more like a travel agent than an autocrat, “The variety of its climate and its natural beauties, as well as the contrast of the tranquility of its life and the kindness of its inhabitants, make Spain much loved by all foreigners who visit it[.]”2
Race and General Strain Theory: Examining the Impact of Racial Discrimination and Fear on Adolescent Marijuana and Alcohol Use.

ABSTRACTBackground: To extend our knowledge of general strain theory by exploring how under-researched strains such as racial discrimination, witnessing violence, physical victimization and verbal bullying affect adolescent substance use while considering differences according to racial identification. Methods: This research utilized data from wave three of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Statistical analysis was primarily composed of path analysis using full information maximum likelihood parameter estimates. Results: The findings reveal that reporting fear decreased alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents and that racial discrimination, witnessing violence, and being the victim of verbal bullying indirectly affected marijuana and alcohol use through fear. No support was found for depression as a mediating variable. Physical victimization was the only social strain that had a direct positive effect on marijuana and alcohol use but only for Hispanics and African Americans. C...
Analysis by Modeling Data

Models are created as the output of “machine learning,” which is based on first establishing a hypothesis. The model can be improved by using a variety of different methods and combining them as an “ensemble.” Each model can be “measured” for usefulness and validated against an independent dataset. Since datasets are often “unbalanced,” propensity scores and instrumental variables can be used to “approximate” a randomized trial.