cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bacterial diseases of nematodes and their role in controlling nematode populations

Abstract Nematodes and bacteria are two important interacting members of the soil biota. Of the several possible ecological interactions that occur between nematodes and bacteria, only two, amensalism and parasitism, are considered in depth here. Amensalism, bacterial antibiosis towards nematodes, happens in soil largely as the result of the stepwise bacterial degradation of plant and animal residues. These residual products released into soils range from simple to complex molecules. Several products accumulate locally in soils to concentrations that are toxic, antibiotic or inhibitory to plant nematodes. The second interaction, parasitism, emphasizes the bacterium, Pasteuria penetrans, and its interaction with the root-knot nematodes, major crop pests. Descriptions are given of the life stages of the bacterium that include its attachment to nematode larvae, penetration, vegetative growth, endosporogenesis and final release into soil. The ability of P. penetrans to prevent reproduction and eventually kill these root-knot nematodes offers the real possibility of biological control for these major plant pests.
Changes in the ostracodes of the Mediterranean with the Messinian salinity crisis

Abstract The likelihood of an environmental “crisis” in the evolution of the Tethys Ocean-Sea to the Mediterranean Ocean-Sea during Late Miocene is examined and tested against the present knowledge of the ostracode fossil record in Italy, Sicily, Crete, northern Tunisia, southern Spain and from some of the DSDP cores of the deep regions of the Mediterranean, especially in the Balearic Basin. It is concluded that there has been a substantial evolutionary and ecological change in the ostracode fauna that occurred at the time of the crisis. At the present time the best explanation available is that of isolation of deep basins from the World Ocean accompanied by extreme environmental change. The sudden oceanic “normalization” th that followed the “crisis” was perhaps just as extreme, but because of the buffering effects of the re-establishment of marine conditions in the newly formed Mediterranean, the shallower ostracode faunas coming from the Atlantic were not greatly different from those of westernmost Tethys.
Effects of Erythromycin on Performance of Laying Hens

Abstract REPORTS on the effects of antibiotics in the diet on the egg production of laying hens have been briefly reviewed in a recent publication (Ryan et al., 1961). In the following paragraph, a review of the work with antibiotics in the diet of laying hens at this experiment station is presented. In an experiment associated with the 1955–56 Storrs Egg Laying Test, hens fed a diet containing 100 grams chlortetracycline per ton for a 48-week period laid 13 more eggs per surviving bird than did the hens fed no antibiotic (Ryan et al., 1961). In a similar experiment conducted in the same facilities during 1956–57, little or no egg production increase was obtained when 50 grams of a combination of antibiotics (25 grams of terramycin, 18.75 grams of bacitracin, and 6.25 grams of procaine penicillin) per ton were fed (Ryan et al., 1957; and Singsen, 1958). The only…
Estimating Aggregate Automotive Income Elasticities From the Population Income-Share Elasticity

The conventional approach to estimating the income responsiveness of a product's sales involves collecting data on sales as a function of income and product prices and then estimating a demand model. In many cases, it is very difficult to either collect the required data or reliably estimate the demand model. This article develops an alternative approach toward estimating these income-responsiveness parameters using only the average income of the product's buyers and the population income distribution. We illustrate our technique with automotive data and obtain fairly intuitive results.
Field bioassays of cerambycid pheromones reveal widespread parsimony of pheromone structures, enhancement by host plant volatiles, and antagonism by components from heterospecifics

Recent research has revealed extensive pheromonal parsimony within the large beetle family Cerambycidae, with closely related species producing the same or very similar pheromone components. This article summarizes research that evaluated attraction of cerambycids to individual pheromone components, blends of pheromone components, and combinations of pheromones with host plant volatiles. Field bioassays were carried out, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the USDA Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey program, in 10–25 counties of Pennsylvania over 3 years. A total of 15,438 cerambycids of 134 species were captured, including two exotic species. Semiochemical lures attracted significant numbers of beetles in species of the subfamilies Cerambycinae, Lamiinae, and Spondylidinae, but were not attractive to species in the Lepturinae, Parandrinae, and Prioninae. These experiments reconfirmed the behavioral roles of semiochemicals for a number of species that have been studied previously, and yielded new information about semiochemistry of several species. The host plant volatile α-pinene enhanced attraction of species that were conifer specialists, whereas ethanol enhanced attraction of some species of hardwood specialists. The data suggest that species which share dominant pheromone components avoid cross attraction by differing in seasonal activity period, and by antagonistic effects of minor pheromone components on attraction of heterospecifics. This study further supports the concept that with careful choice of components, multiple pheromones can be deployed as single blends, and paired with host plant volatiles, to maximize the number and taxonomic diversity of cerambycid beetles that are attracted to a single lure, so that the number of different lures that must be deployed can be minimized.
Supplemental essential amino acids augment the somatomedin-C/insulin-like growth factor I response to refeeding after fasting

Plasma somatomedin-C (Sm-C)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations have been shown to reflect changes in nitrogen balance induced by manipulation of nutrient intake. To assess the Sm-C/IGF-I response to refeeding a protein restricted diet in which the nitrogen source was supplemented with essential amino acids, six normal adults were fasted for five days, then refed for nine days diets consisting of 35 kcals/kg and 0.48 g protein/kg body weight. In one diet, 80% of the nitrogen was supplied as essential amino acids, and in the other, 80% was supplied as nonessential amino acids. Following the first fast/refeed cycle, a control diet was eaten for two weeks before the fast was repeated and the other test diet was ingested. The refeeding diets were given a random order. Plasma Sm-C/IGF-I fell from a pre-fast mean of 1.64 +/- 0.24 U/mL (mean +/- 1 SEM) to 0.67 +/- 0.18 (P less than 0.001) following fasting, and rose to 1.41 +/- 0.19 U/mL (P less than 0.001) following ingestion of the diet with supplemental essential amino acids. In contrast, when the same subjects were refed a diet in which 80% of the nitrogen was in the form of nonessential amino acids, the plasma Sm-C/IGF-I concentrations rose from 0.74 +/- 0.17 to 1.15 +/- 0.15 U/mL (P less than 0.01). This increase was significantly less than that observed after ingestion of the essential amino acid supplemented diet (0.74 +/- 0.10 U/mL v 0.40 +/- 0.11 U/mL; P less than 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Expected productivity-based risk analysis in conceptual design

Abstract To be effectively used in design decisions, it is important to bring risk into the design process as a quantitative parameter that engineers can both understand and trade. One parameter that is often used when making design decisions is the productivity of a design. If instead of only the nominal value, it were possible to examine the expected value of the productivity metric, taking into account failures and risk items, the concept of risk could be brought into the design process in a very quantitative and tradable way. While the expected productivity is easy to calculate for a simple system, it is more complex if the system has a path-dependent productivity function. An approach has been developed to model the expected productivity of systems with path-dependent productivities, in an accurate and efficient manner. This approach has been tested against Monte Carlo simulations with excellent results. This paper discusses the need for the new modeling methodology, the details of the methodology that has been developed, and an example of how to use expected productivity in a trade study for a real mission, the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer.
Stages of improvement in visual fields after pituitary tumor resection

Abstract PURPOSE: To use static threshold perimetry to examine the stages of improvement and the potential for late improvement of visual fields after surgical resection of pituitary adenomas causing visual loss from compression of the anterior visual pathways. METHODS: Retrospective review of charts of patients with pituitary tumors and abnormal static threshold perimetry before or soon after treatment who had subsequent visual fields. Quantification of the visual field mean deviation overall, superotemporally, and inferotemporally was performed and compared between visits. Postoperative visits were considered in five time periods: visit 1 (surgery to 1 week), visit 2 (1 month to 4 months), visit 3 (6 months to 1 year), visit 4 (2 years), and visit 5 (3 or more years). RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were included (33 men and 29 women; mean age 54 years [SD ± 15 years; range, 22 to 83 years]). At visit 1, the relative improvement of the overall mean deviation for the right eye was 30.8% ( P = .01) and for the left eye was 13.7% ( P = .3067). At visit 2, the relative improvement of the overall mean deviation for the right eye was 30.4% ( P = .0142) and for the left eye was 32.6% ( P = .0092). At visits 1 and 2, the inferotemporal quadrants were the quadrants with greatest improvement (visit 1, right eye, 37.8% [ P = .0082]; visit 2, left eye, 30.8% [ P = .0074]). At visits 3, 4, and 5, an overall trend toward mild improvement was observed with statistical significance only for the inferotemporal quadrant of the left eye from visit 2 to visit 3, which improved 19.7% ( P = .0270). CONCLUSION: The pattern of recovery of visual function after decompression of the anterior visual pathways suggests at least three phases of improvement. The early fast phase (surgery to 1 week) of improvement may lead to normalization of visual fields in some individuals. The early slow phase (1 month to 4 months) is the period of most notable improvement. A late phase (6 months to 3 years) of mild improvement does not appear significant overall but may be marked in some individuals. Each of these phases may have one or more mechanisms underlying the observed improvement.
Heterogenity in Protein Copy Numbers induces Metabolic Variability in Modeled E. coli Populations

Heterogeneity in isogenic population of bacteria arises due to inherent stochasticity in the process of gene expression as well as local environmental fluctuations. Advances in quantitative fluorescence imaging of Escherichia coli has enumerated such heterogeneity in terms of protein copy numbers at genome scale.In this study we use genome scale model of metabolism for Ecoli to investigate the effect of this variability on their growth rates and metabolic pathway usage. Results suggest wide variation in growth rate of single cells around the bulk measurement obtained via optical density measurements. This prediction is in agreement with the variation in growth rates measured experimentally at single cell level. We also predict variability in metabolic pathway usage among these cells owing to tradeoffs between energy efficiency and enzyme usage efficiency. All the variability in metabolism can be attributed to variability in expression of few genes. This integration of a metabolic model, which is a bottom up reconstruction from the genome, with single cell proteomics data gives us new insight into the effect of noise on the physiology of cell populations.
Managing personal desktop computing at Argonne National laboratory

The increasing number of personal desktop computer users, coupled with rapidly changing personal desktop computer technology, has increased the demand for computing services at many computing centers. However, for many computing centers, budgets have not increased as rapidly as the demand for services. These centers can use several methods to help balance increasing demands and fixed resources.Providing personal desktop computing recommendations and encouraging users to follow them are effective means of meeting demands for computing services, even while operating within a constant or slowly growing budget. Providing personal desktop computing recommendations reduces evaluation costs, shifts the burden of evaluating personal desktop computing products from the user to the computing organization, and encourages expertise within the computing organization.
Rearrangement of sapA homologs with conserved and variable regions in Campylobacter fetus

Abstract The Campylobacter fetus surface-layer (S-layer) proteins mediate both complement resistance and antigenic variation in mammalian hosts. Wild-type strain 23D possesses the sapA gene, which encodes a 97-kDa S-layer protein, and several sapA homologs are present in both wild-type and mutant strains. Here we report that a cloned silent gene (sapA1) in C. fetus can express a functional full-length S-layer protein in Escherichia coli. Analysis of sapA and sapA1 and partial analysis of sapA2 indicate that a block of approximately 600 bp beginning upstream and continuing into the open reading frames is completely conserved, and then the sequences diverge completely, but immediately downstream of each gene is another conserved 50-bp sequence. Conservation of sapA1 among strains, the presence of a putative Chi (RecBCD recognition) site upstream of sapA, sapA1, and sapA2, and the sequence identities of the sapA genes suggest a system for homologous recombination. Comparison of the wild-type strain (23D) with a phenotypic variant (23D-11) indicates that variation is associated with removal of the divergent region of sapA from the expression locus and exchange with a corresponding region from a sapA homolog. We propose that site-specific reciprocal recombination between sapA homologs leads to expression of divergent S-layer proteins as one of the mechanisms that C. fetus uses for antigenic variation.
Two-prover one-round proof systems: their power and their problems (extended abstract)

We characterize the power of two-prover one-round (MIP(2,1)) proof systems, showing that MIP(2,1)=NEXPTIME. However, the following intriguing question remains open: Does parallel repetition decrease the error probability of MIP(2,1) proof systems?.We use techniques based on quadratic programming to study this problem, and prove the parallel repetition conjecture in some special cases. Interestingly, our work leads to a general polynomial time heuristic for any NP-problem. We prove the effectiveness of this heuristic for several problems, such as computing the chromatic number of perfect graphs.
Creation of an artificial frozen barrier using hybrid thermosyphons

Abstract Standard containment technologies for remediation of subsurface contaminants include slurry walls, reactive barriers, sheet piling, and grouting. Another less common technique is freezing contaminants in situ. Artificial freezing techniques can be used to create a frozen barrier that restricts migration of aqueous phase contaminants and, therefore, can provide subsurface containment at a variety of facilities, including underground tanks, nuclear waste sites, groundwater plumes, and in situ waste treatment areas. Frozen barriers are formed by using a series of subsurface freezing pipes. The adjacent soil forms a frozen column the length of the freezing pipe; and the diameter of the frozen soil column increases with time at a rate depending upon the specific soil properties, moisture content, and thermal conditions at a given site and refrigeration rate (i.e., pipe temperature). The barrier is completed once the increasing diameters of the frozen soil columns merge together, which is referred to as “freezing to closure”. A study was performed in Fairbanks, Alaska, to investigate how quickly a barrier can be created during the summer using actively cooled hybrid thermosyphons. Freezing to closure occurred after 42 days, the barrier was 1 m thick after approximately 49 days, and temperatures were below − 3 °C at the core of the barrier (in between the thermosyphons) after 60 days. The active system was turned off in the fall, and passive cooling of the ground continued through the winter. By the beginning of the following March, the frozen barrier was 3.8 m thick.
Using data science to understand tape-based archive workloads

Data storage needs continue to grow in most fields, and the cost per byte for tape remains lower than the cost for disk, making tape storage a good candidate for cost-effective long-term storage. However, the workloads suitable for tape archives differ from those for disk file systems, and archives must handle internally generated workloads that can be more demanding than those generated by end users (e.g., migration of data from an old tape technology to a new one). To better understand the variegated workloads, we have followed the first steps in the data science methodology. For anyone considering the use or deployment of a tape-based data archive or for anyone interested in details of data archives in the context of data science, this paper describes key aspects of data archive workloads.
Melt tearing and ovality in wire coating

We investigate how to avoid tearing, egg-shaped cross sections or foldover of the polymer melt cone in tube coating of wire. We use an isothermal Newtonian model for the melt cone. We calculate the melt stress and the draw ratio balance, the parameter used in industry to avoid process problems. The stress calculations help us explain ovality and tearing. To help practitioners apply the results we provide examples.
Porous Organosilicas: An Acid-Catalyzed Approach

Porous organosilica materials have been synthesized by co-condensation of bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane and N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AAPTS) under acidic conditions. Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride was used as a porogen using the surfactant template method. Formation of the mesoscopic composite was followed by surfactant extraction to form the porous organosilicas. These materials have been characterized by nitrogen gas sorption, metal ion adsorption, powder X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, and high-resolution thermogravimetric analysis. The acid-catalyzed materials formed much faster and with twice the yield of similar organosilicas synthesized under basic conditions. The final products of the acid synthesis also exhibited higher concentrations of the AAPTS functional silane. Although these acidic organosilicas show surface areas and total pore volumes similar to the corresponding base-catalyzed materials, they do not form ordered pore structures. The effects of AAPTS concentratio...
Integration of statistical models and visualization tools to characterize microRNA networks influencing cancer

Few consistent biomarkers of cancer survival have been reported. The identification of reliable expression biomarkers requires the simultaneous consideration of microRNAs (miRNA), and associated transcription factors (TFs) and target genes. A novel approach that integrates multivariate survival analysis, feature selection and regulatory network visualization was used to identify reliable biomarkers of ovarian cancer. Expression (799 miRNA and 17,814 TF and target genes) and clinical information on 272 patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer was analyzed. Overall survival was associated (P-value < 0.05) with 16 miRNA, 49 TF and 801 target genes. Among the miRNA, 11 have been associated with ovarian cancer in previous studies and 2 have been associated with other cancers.
Multidimensional coherent spectroscopy made easy

We have demonstrated a highly efficient fully coherent 2D spectrometer based on 2D pulse shaping and Fourier beam shaping. The versatility of the design allows one to measure different 2D spectral surfaces consecutively. Easy alignment, inherent phase stability, rotating wave frame detection, and arbitrary waveform generation in all of the beams are important features of this design. We have demonstrated the functionality of the 2D spectrometer by measuring a 2D spectral surface of a GaAs quantum well.
Characterizing the reflectivity of handheld display devices.

Purpose: With increased use of handheld and tablet display devices for viewing medical images, methods for consistently measuring reflectivity of the devices are needed. In this note, the authors report on the characterization of diffuse reflections for handheld display devices including mobile phones and tablets using methods recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 18 (TG18). Methods: The authors modified the diffuse reflectance coefficient measurement method outlined in the TG18 report. The authors measured seven handheld display devices (two phones and five tablets) and three workstation displays. The device was attached to a black panel with Velcro. To study the effect of the back surface on the diffuse reflectance coefficient, the authors created Styrofoam masks with different size square openings and placed it in front of the device. Overall, for each display device, measurements of illuminance and reflected luminance on the display screen were taken. The authors measured with no mask, with masks of varying size, and with display-size masks, and calculated the corresponding diffuse reflectance coefficient. Results: For all handhelds, the diffuse reflectance coefficient measured with no back panel were lower than measurements performed with a mask. The authors found an overall increase in reflectivity as the size of the mask decreases. For workstations displays, diffuse reflectance coefficients were higher when no back panel was used, and higher than with masks. In all cases, as luminance increased, illuminance increased, but not at the same rate. Conclusions: Since the size of handheld displays is smaller than that of workstation devices, the TG18 method suffers from a dependency on illumination condition. The authors show that the diffuse reflection coefficients can vary depending on the nature of the back surface of the illuminating box. The variability in the diffuse coefficient can be as large as 20% depending on the size of the mask. For all measurements, both luminance and illuminance increased as the size of the display window decreased. The TG18 method does not account for this variability. The authors conclude that the method requires a definitive description of the back panel used in the light source setup. The methods described in the TG18 document may need to be improved to provide consistent comparisons of desktop monitors, phones, and tablets.
Cold-hardiness strategies of some adult and immature insects overwintering in interior Alaska

Abstract 1. 1. A variety of adult and immature insects, most of which occupy highly exposed habitats. successfully overwinter in interior Alaska. 2. 2. A number of adult beetles are freezing-tolerant. All exhibit relatively high supercooling points and synthesize large quantities of polyhydric alcohols in response to cold. 3. 3. At least four other orders are represented by adult insects that tolerate freezing, but in contrast to adult beetles, all exhibit relatively low supercooling points associated with the build-up of glycerol. 4. 4. At least three species of larvae that overwinter in galls undergo a remarkable increase in supercooling capability (to ca. −60°C) associated with synthesis of large quantities of glycerol in winter. 5. 5. None of the larvae tested could survive freezing in spite of their high glycerol levels.
Status and prospects of the MINOS experiment

The MINOS experiment aims to conduct precision measurements of neutrino oscillation properties. Commissioning will start in early 2005, with two detectors separated by a baseline of 735km, and a beam of primarily ν μ .
Protection of normal tissues by WR2721 during fractionated irradiation

Abstract The radioprotective effect of S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethyl phosphorothioate (WR2721) was studied in two normal mouse tissues-skin and small intestine—that were given single and fractionated doses of 137 Cs radiation. A total of two-thirds of the toxic LD 50 of WR2721 could be given before single-dose irradiation. However, toxicity increased when the same drug dose was given in two or more fractions before split-dose irradiation: less than one-half of the single drug dose could he administered safely. In the skin, WR2721 was slightly less protective with fractionated irradiation (DMF = 1.3–1.5) than with single-dose irradiation (DMF = 1.5–1.7). The DMF decreased with increased radiation dose in both cases. In the small intestine, WR2721 protection was essentially the same with single-dose irradiation (DMF = 1.6) and fractionated doses (DMF = 1.7). This degree of radioprotection in skin and intestine, in spite of a greatly reduced drug concentration, supports the possibility of clinical use.
Company Values and Ethical Leadership

Abstract Decisions and behaviors are influenced by values. Because people today have differing values, it is necessary for organizations to foster common value systems within their organizations if decisions and behaviors are to be consistent with the objectives of the organizations. This consistency is only possible if the organizations' values are identified, people are hired who are willing and able to embrace the organizations' values, systems of operation support the value systems, and management and staff are trained to honor and follow the rules.
Renal response to saline load in experimental liver disease.

Abstract The renal response to saline load has been studied in 15 dogs with experimental liver disease due to common bile duct division. After a saline load in these animals, renal sodium retention occurred which was independent of changes in glomerular filtration rate. The abdominal caval pressure was elevated at this time and may have contributed to intrarenal pressure changes that altered tubular flux of sodium. Sodium retention may occur in experimental liver disease because of (1) hemodynamic factors either impeding tubular flux or causing an abnormal intrarenal distribution of blood flow, (2) decreased glomerular filtration rate, and (3) as a late event, an elevated plasma aldosterone.
Rapid Resolution of Hyperkinesis After Exercise: TWo-Dimensional Echocardiographic Studies in Normal Subjects

Abnormal wall motion detected with exercise echocardiography identifies ischemic myocardium, while normal myocardium exhibits hyperkinetic motion. The normal, hyperkinetic response to exercise is transient and is predictive of an excellent prognosis. However, there are few data on the duration of the hyperkinesis after peak exercise. Our purpose was to determine the time course of wall thickening after exercise in eight normal subjects with two-dimensional echocardiography. Percentage of wall thickening increased from 53±24 percent at baseline to 82±24 percent at 0 to 2 min postexercise (p
A new method for infiltration coating complex geometry matrices with compound materials for ISOL production target applications

Although a number of methods have been developed for depositing films of production target materials onto surfaces with thickness commensurate with fast diffusion release of short-lived radioactive species for Isotope Separator On-Line (ISOL) target applications, the methods are either inappropriate for coating interior surfaces of highly permeable matrices (non-infiltrating, non-penetrating) or require complex chemical processes that are only available for depositing a limited number of elemental or compound materials. A simple, fast, inexpensive and close to universal method, based on suspension of finely divided target material in a binder to form a paint, has been developed that can be vacuum infiltrated to uniformly coat the surfaces of highly permeable fibrous target matrices with compound target materials and thus, form fast diffusion-release, mechanically and thermally stable production targets for ISOL-based radioactive ion beam research applications. In this report, the paint infiltration technique is described and the universal character of the technique illustrated by preparing several nitride, carbide, oxide and sulfide targets for potential use at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility or at future high energy ISOL-based research facilities such as the Rare Isotope Accelerator facility, now under proposal for construction in the USA.
COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR CALCULATING VERTICAL DRAINAGE AND INFILTRATION FOR SOILS

Abstract The Youngs, Gardner, Ligon, and numerical analysis techniques for calculating the amounts of one-dimensional, vertical drainage from soil are discussed and compared with each other and with observed data, where possible. The same was done with the Green and Ampt, Philip, and numerical analysis methods for calculating the amounts of infiltration into soil profiles. Numerical analysis gave the best agreement with the observations, but required considerable input data and the calculation procedure was not simple. The Youngs drainage equation and the Green and Ampt infiltration equation were the easiest to use and gave reasonably accurate results, which are probably sufficient for most field problems.
Transverse Foliations to Nonsingular Morse–Smale Flows on the 3-Sphere and Bott-Integrable Hamiltonian Systems

In this note we apply results of Goodman, Yano and Wada to determine which nonsingular Morse–Smale flows on S3 have transverse foliations. We then observe that there is a connection to flows arising from certain Hamiltonian systems and from certain contact structures.
Neuroendocrine aging in the female rat: the changing relationship of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.

The reproductive axis undergoes alterations during aging, resulting in acyclicity and the loss of reproductive function. In the hypothalamus, changes intrinsic to GnRH neurons may play a critical role in this process, as may changes in inputs to GnRH neurons from neurotransmitters such as glutamate. We investigated the effects of age and reproductive status on neuroendocrine glutamatergic NMDA receptors (NRs), their regulation of GnRH neurons, and their expression on GnRH neurons, in female rats. First, we quantified NR subunit messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (POA-AH) and medial basal hypothalamus (MBH), the sites of GnRH perikarya and neuroterminals, respectively. In POA-AH, NR1 mRNA levels varied little with age or reproductive status. NR2a and NR2b mRNA levels decreased significantly between cycling and acyclic rats. In MBH, NR mRNAs all increased with aging, particularly in acyclic animals. Second, we tested the effects of N-methyl-d,l-aspartate (NMA) on GnRH mRNA levels ...
Cascade annealing simulations of bcc iron using object kinetic Monte Carlo

Abstract Simulations of displacement cascade annealing were carried out using object kinetic Monte Carlo based on an extensive MD database including various primary knock-on atom energies and directions. The sensitivity of the results to a broad range of material and model parameters was examined. The diffusion mechanism of interstitial clusters has been identified to have the most significant impact on the fraction of stable interstitials that escape the cascade region. The maximum level of recombination was observed for the limiting case in which all interstitial clusters exhibit 3D random walk diffusion. The OKMC model was parameterized using two alternative sets of defect migration and binding energies, one from ab initio calculations and the second from an empirical potential. The two sets of data predict essentially the same fraction of surviving defects but different times associated with the defect escape processes. This study provides a comprehensive picture of the first phase of long-term defect evolution in bcc iron and generates information that can be used as input data for mean field rate theory (MFRT) to predict the microstructure evolution of materials under irradiation. In addition, the limitations of the current OKMC model are discussed and a potential way to overcome these limitations is outlined.
The ethnography of good machines

This essay describes a critical approach to the study of military institutions through ethnographic attention to the predicaments of survival, endurance and the management of life exposed to death is that are central to the embodied experience of military personnel. This approach draws attention to the way that the institutionalized practice of war shapes and takes shape in the lives, bodies and feelings most directly bound up in its production and effects. Standard lines of questioning about contemporary war’s ostensive roots, aims and effects often take for granted the expectations and limits surrounding how human life is exposed to, sheltered from and empowered to carry out violence and harm—features of contemporary life in liberal democratic states that take on especially acute and contradictory form in military institutions. Critical accounts of war as embodied experience provide both a destabilizing challenge to the things we think we already know about war and a generative, concrete anchor to urgen...
Gauge invariance versus masslessness in de Sitter spaces

Abstract The connection between gauge invariance, masslessness and null cone propagation is a flat space property which does not persist even in constant curvature geometries. In particular, we show that both the gauge invariant spin 3 2 and 2 fields in anti-de Sitter space have support inside the cone, whereas where are conformally invariant, but gauge variant, models which do propagate on the light cone. The Maxwell field in constant curvature spaces of dimension other than four also does not have null cone propagation; again there is a conformally invariant model which does.
Financial performance of supply chains after disruptions: an event study

Purpose – This empirical analysis aims to shed light on the financial implications of supply chain design and in particular on the differences between pull‐ and push‐type designs. The focus is on risk exposure to difficult to foresee supply disruptions, like those resulting from natural and man‐made disasters.Design/methodology/approach – The event study framework is applied to the stock performance of four major personal computer (PC) producers after the 1999 earthquake in Taiwan and the computer memory price increases that ensued.Findings – It is shown that investors associate pull‐type supply chains for PCs with lower profitability after abrupt component price increases. A parallel analysis of push‐type producer stock returns does not show similar results. Furthermore, in‐depth analysis of Dell Computer reveals that after the catastrophe‐induced disruption the onset of losses to this major pull‐type PC producer was very fast.Practical implications – Without condemning pull‐type PC supply chains, earthq...
The impact of listening condition on background noise acceptance for young adults with normal hearing.

Purpose To evaluate the effect of different speech conditions on background noise acceptance. A total of 23 stimulus pairings, differing in primary talker gender (female, male, conventional), numbe...
Objectives to direct the training of emergency medicine residents on off-service rotations: administration.

Abstract Administrative knowledge and skills are essential for the emergency physician. This is the 12th article in a continuing series of “off-service” goals and objectives. It outlines a mechanism for conveying important points of Emergency Medicine Administration to the EM III resident. The article includes materials describing the Administrative Content, Goals and Objectives, Key Contact System, and Contents of the EM Administrative briefcase. This information should assist faculty charged with the development or revision of the Administrative literature review and experiential block rotation in an emergency medicine residency.
Two theories of home heat control

People routinely develop their own theories to explain the world around them. These theories can be useful even when they contradict conventional technical wisdom. Based on in-depth interviews about home heating and thermostat setting behavior, the present study presents two theories people use to understand and adjust their thermostats. The two theories are here called the feedback theory and the valve theory. The valve theory is inconsistent with engineering knowledge, but is estimated to be held by 25% to 50% of Americans. Predictions of each of the theories are compared with the operations normally performed in home heat control. This comparison suggests that the valve theory may be highly functional in normal day-to-day use. Further data is needed on the ways this theory guides behavior in natural environments.
Child Sexual Abuse: Demography, Impact, and Interventions

Because child sexual abuse (CSA) includes experiences from noncontact abuse to violent rape, the impact on victims varies greatly. Rape has the highest rates of posttraumatic stress disorder of any trauma. Depression and anxiety are associated with CSA, whereas sexualized behaviors, victim stigmatization, and shame are specific to it. The demography of CSA differs from other forms of child maltreatment by gender and social class, so that the risk factors for occurrence and prevention also differ. Evidence-based interventions for many kinds of childhood trauma and maltreatment were first established by CSA clinicians and researchers. Although well-established treatments for child and adult CSA victims now exist, evidence-based interventions are still needed for older adolescent CSA victims, especially those with polyvictimization histories.
Linkage of susceptibility to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis to the major histocompatibility locus in the rat.

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in rats of various genotypes by injection of 10 µg guinea pig basic protein in complete Freund's adjuvant containing 100 µg H37 RV M. tuberculosis . Histologically verified EAE was present in 20/20 Lewis, 17/17 (Lewis x BN)F1, 9/9 Lewis backcross, and 21/42 BN backcross rats. Among the BN backcross animals, 25/42 were determined to carry the major histocompatibility type characteristic of the Lewis strain and 21 of these had EAE. Separate groups of Lewis, BN, and (Lewis x BN)F1 rats were immunized as described and skin tested on day 13 with 10 µg guinea pig basic protein and rat S basic protein. Animals of each genotype had Arthus and delayed skin reactivity to both antigens. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that susceptibility to EAE in rats is controlled by an autosomal dominant gene linked to the major histocompatibility locus. It is proposed that this is an immune response gene, designated Ir -EAE, which controls T cell reactivity directed against a highly encephalitogenic portion of the basic protein molecule.
The relatedness of the emotionality variables

The variables of latency to emerge from the home cage; activity. defecation. and ratio of inner to outer units entered in the open field; start and goal times of the timidity test; and number of avoidances and inter-trial crosses during avoidance learning were intercorrelated. Of the 344 correlations that were neither test-retest reliabilities nor correlations between variables from the same test with the same unit of measure­ ment. the proportion of correlations that was significant in the predicted direction • . 128. was significantly different from the chance proportion value .. 025. Only four of 48 correla­ tions were significant in the unpredicted direction. The relatedness of the emotionality variables has been supported by about half the individual differ­ ence correlation studies reported. Significant corre­ lations in the predicted direction between defecation and frequency of eating in the open field, between defe­ cation and activity in the open field, and among defe­ cation, activity in the open field, latency to emerge, and timidity (Stone, 1932) were found by Hall (1934), Hall (1936), Biel & O'Kelly (1940), and Anderson 1938), respectively. Nonsignificant correlations among defecation and food consumption in the open field and latency to emerge, between defecation in the open field and latency to emerge, and defecation and activity in the open field were obtained by Bindra & Thompson (1953), Hunt & Otis (1953), Pare (1964), and Pare & Cullen (1965), respectively. The present study intercorrelated nine types of variables, Le., two latency to emerge times; ac­ tivity, ratio of inner to outer squares entered, and defecation in the open field; start and goal times of the timidity test; and number of avoidances and intertrial crosses during avoidance learning. High latency, defecation, start, and goal times and low activity, inner/outer, avoidances, and crosses scores were predicted to be associated with high fear. These predictions are based, in part, on the Mowrer & Aiken (1954), Kamin (1965), and Hunt & Otis (1953) reports that a CS that was followed by shock (and therefore presumably produced fear) inhibited on­ going activity and led to an increase in defecation. The predictions for four of the variables will be discussed briefly. Higher fear in avoidance condi­ tioning should inhibit movement and therefore lead to a decrease in avoidances and crosses. Higher fear in the open field should make the animal stay close to more familiar stimuli, which, in this ap­ paratus, are the outer units that are bordered by the more familiar wall. The aforementioned predic­ tion for the start variable may be incorrect because an animal with higher fear should be more moti
Sensitive determination of iodine species, including organo-iodine, for freshwater and seawater samples using high performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric detection

Abstract In order to more effectively use iodine isotope ratios, 129 I / 127 I , as hydrological and geochemical tracers in aquatic systems, a new high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of iodine speciation. The dissolved iodine species that dominate natural water systems are iodide, iodate, and organic iodine. Using this new method, iodide was determined directly by combining anion exchange chromatography and spectrophotometry. Iodate and the total of organic iodine species are determined as iodide, with minimal sample preparation, compared to existing methods. The method has been applied to quantitatively determine iodide, iodate as the difference of total inorganic iodide and iodide after reduction of the sample by NaHSO 3 , and organic iodine as the difference of total iodide (after organic decomposition by dehydrohalogenation and reduction by NaHSO 3 ) and total inorganic iodide. Analytical accuracy was tested: (1) against certified reference material, SRM 1549, powdered milk (NIST); (2) through the method of standard additions; and (3) by comparison to values of environmental waters measured independently by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method has been successfully applied to measure the concentrations of iodide species in rain, surface and ground water, estuarine and seawater samples. The detection limit was ∼1 nM (0.2 ppb), with less than 3% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for samples determined by standard additions to an iodide solution of 20 nM in 0.1 M NaCl. This technique is one of the few methods sensitive enough to accurately quantify stable iodine species at nanomolar concentrations in aquatic systems across a range of matrices, and to quantitatively measure organic iodine. Additionally, this method makes use of a very dilute mobile phase, and may be applied to small sample volumes without pre-column concentration or post-column reactions.
An eigenstructure approach to edge detection

A procedure for detecting step edges in noisy signals that does not involve any prefiltering of the data is proposed. It locates step edges in 1-D noisy signals as follows. First, it computes the eigenvectors corresponding to the three smallest eigenvalues of a matrix formed with the discrete Fourier transform of the given data. Next, it estimates the edge locations by finding the local minima in the sum of the spectra of the computed eigenvectors. The technique computes a point edge map for 2-D images by analyzing each row, column, and 45 degrees and 135 degrees diagonal in the image. The computational complexity of the proposed procedure is determined. >
Frequency waves, Grid Friendly Appliances and geographic limits in a smart grid

Grid Friendly Appliances (GFAs) are water heaters, refrigerators, and other domestic electrical appliances that sense and respond to frequency problems in the electric power grid. The controller in a GFA monitors the power signal at its plug and turns the device off when the frequency drops below 59.95 Hz. When the frequency recovers its nominal value of 60 Hz, the device is turned back on. Large numbers of these devices can act as a distributed control system that improves the resilience of the power system as a whole to sudden, large, and unexpected mismatches in supply and demand. Recently, it has been shown that the frequency signal acted on by GFAs moves at a relatively slow pace of about 500 miles per second, thereby introducing a previously unaccounted for delay into this distributed control system. In this paper, we use a simple, linear model to demonstrate that this propagation delay imposes a limit on the geographic extent of the distributed control system: if this limit is violated, then the controllers can cause instability and, potentially, precipitate a blackout.
A nested logit model of the choice of a graduate business school

Abstract Less than a handful of papers have used data on individuals to examine people's decisions about which school to attend. This paper develops a nested logit model of the determinants of choice of a graduate business school. Data are drawn from a new longitudinal survey of registrants for the Graduate Management Admission Test. One finding is that elasticity of school choice with respect to tuition is fairly low, about 0.08. Another is that, even after controlling for the effects of Affirmative Action in admissions, blacks and Hispanics are substantially more attracted to top-tier institutions, while women are less attracted to them.
Comparison of monoscopic insertable, remotely controlled imaging device with a standard laparoscope in a porcine model.

Laparoscopic imaging has remained relatively unchanged since the introduction of the rod—lens system. The intent here is to improve imaging by designing and building sensors and effectors placed directly into the body and controlled remotely. An 11-mm monoscopic insertable pan/tilt endoscopic imaging device with an integrated light source was studied. In vivo testing included simulated appendectomy, nephrectomy, suturing, and running the bowel in a porcine model (n = 6). Subjective impression and time for each procedure were compared using each imaging modality. The insertable imaging device seemed easier and more intuitive to use than a standard laparoscope. Time to perform procedures was better than or equivalent to a standard laparoscope. The insertable camera was subjectively preferred, and times for completion of complex tasks were shorter using the insertable camera. The insertable imaging device has the potential to be an integral part of surgical system platforms.