cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scaling properties of normal faults in the central Afar, Ethiopia and Djibouti: Implications for strain partitioning during the final stages of continental breakup

Abstract The central Afar depression offers an opportunity for quantitative analysis of the final stages of continental breakup at a divergent triple junction. Here, Quaternary faulting dissects Plio-Pleistocene flood basalts, providing a regionally pervasive datum to quantify the regional finite strain and fault scaling laws. To this end, we mapped and measured more than 8500 normal faults using remote sensing products. Fault length generally follows a power law distribution, but exponential distributions are found in areas of magmatic extension. Fault throw and fault length scale following a power law relationship where T = 0.031 L 0.96 , similar to previous studies in Afar and elsewhere in the world. Combining the power law distribution with this throw scaling enables a comprehensive assessment of Quaternary finite strain throughout the region. Strain is greatest near Manda Inakir, Lake Asal, and the Dobe-Hanle accommodation zone. The Makarassou fault zone shows low strain, suggesting it does not kinematically link the Manda Inakir and Asal rift segments. The presence of moderate to high strain in the amagmatic portions of the central Afar rift suggests that those areas accommodate a significant proportion of plate motion. This may provide a future path for propagation between the Gulf of Aden Rift and the Red Sea Rift.
The Psychology of Consumer Privacy

Experts bemoan consumers’ overall lack of concern about privacy and counterintuitive or even “paradoxical” behavior that exposes them to potential privacy violations. Vast evidence shows us that though consumers say that they are worried about privacy, they do not take the precautionary measures required to protect their personal information. These consumer-levied critiques become especially salient every time a large data breach or corporate privacy failure, such as the recent Facebook–Cambridge Analytica scandal or Equifax data breach, comes to light. Yet beyond these surface-level criticisms, far less attention has been devoted to the deep psychology of privacy.
TRAJECTORIES OF ORAL ANTICOAGULATION ADHERENCE AMONG MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Continuous adherence to oral anticoagulation (OAC) is crucial in stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). Using Medicare claims data, we identified continuously enrolled beneficiaries who were newly diagnosed with AF in 2014-2015 and initiated OAC (n=22,032) in the first year after diagnosis
Response to comment on “Giant electromechanical coupling of relaxor ferroelectrics controlled by polar nanoregion vibrations”

Gehring et al . argue that a splitting observed by us in the transverse acoustic (TA) phonon in the relaxor ferroelectric Pb[(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 ) 1− x Ti x ]O 3 with x = 0.30 (PMN-30PT) is caused by a combination of inelastic-elastic multiple scattering processes called ghostons. Their argument is motivated by differences observed between their measurements made on a triple-axis spectrometer and our measurements on a time-of-flight spectrometer. We show that the differences can be explained by differences in the instrument resolution functions. We demonstrate that the multiple scattering conditions proposed by Gehring et al . do not work for our scattering geometry. We also show that, when a ghoston is present, it is too weak to detect and therefore cannot explain the splitting. Last, this phonon splitting is just one part of the argument, and the overall conclusion of the original paper is supported by other results.
Zinc and Neurobiology

Zinc deficiency is known to affect the development of many derivatives of the primitive neural tube. Defects such as agenesis and dysmorphogenesis of the brain, spinal cord, eyes, and olfactory tract have been reported in the offsprings of zinc-deficient female rats (Hurley and Shrader, 1972). Hydrocephalus caused by closure of the aqueducts of Sylvius has also been noted as a result of zinc deficiency (Hurley, 1974). In general, the pattern of early brain malformations appears to be consistent with impaired mitosis during embryonic development and the involvement of zinc in DNA synthesis and cell division offers a plausible explanation of these observations (see Figs. 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3). It has also been suggested that the developing brain is more sensitive to zinc deficiency with respect to cell division than other organs (Eckert and Hurley, 1977).
Investigating the impact of requirements elicitation and evolution on course performance in a pre-capstone design course

This paper investigates the correlation between requirements evolution and course grades in a pre-capstone design course. A case study is performed whereby requirements are collected on a common de...
Thermodynamic Limit (ThL)

If we increase the size of the cluster ensemble at fixed mean, the ensemble becomes a container of every possible cluster distributions n with fixed mean. We call this thermodynamic limit (ThL) and define it by the condition
Tremorgenic Indole Alkaloids. 10. An Improved Asymmetric Synthesis of a Tricyclic Common Intermediate

An efficient third-generation asymmetric synthesis of tricyclic lactone (+)-1, designed to serve as the common intermediate for construction of the indole tremorgens, has been developed. The major challenge was stereocontrolled introduction of the vicinal quaternary methyl groups. Our initial approaches employed enolate chemistry to install the second methyl moiety; herein we exploit instead a hydroxyl-directed Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation followed by reductive opening of the three-membered ring. The new 15-step synthesis proceeds in 8.3% overall yield, nearly an eightfold increase over the second-generation route, and is amenable to large-scale production of (+)-1.
What We Have Learned and the Way Forward

This chapter discusses the study’s limitations and its implications for researchers, policymakers, and public managers.
ULTRASOUND-GUIDED STENT PLACEMENT

During the last 5 years, there has been a marked improvement in the quality of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images (Fig. 1). At the same time, ultrasound imaging catheter design and performance have been greatly enhanced. As a result, the indications for IVUS have expanded and presently include diagnostic imaging as well as IVUS-guided interventional therapy. IVUS has been used to assess the results of and direct balloon angioplasty, directional coronary atherectomy, rotational atherectomy, and stent placement. There are many opinions, however, concerning the requirement for IVUS in a laboratory performing coronary interventions. This lack of consensus most likely arises from the paucity of randomized data on acute procedural results and long-term patient outcome. This article examines the role of IVUS in coronary stent placement and reviews the available data from IVUS-guided stent placement clinical trials completed and in progress.
Synapsin 1 promotes Aβ generation via BACE1 modulation.

It has been revealed that β-amyloid (Aβ) is generated and released from the presynaptic terminals in activity-dependent manner. However, molecules modulating the presynaptic Aβ generation remain elusive. Here we test the hypothesis that Synapsin 1 (Syn1) may acts as a modulator of the Aβ production. Using biochemical and Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based imaging approaches we have found that Syn1 knock down decreases, whereas (over)expression of Syn1 in cells increases the Aβ levels. Mechanistically, Syn1 does not seem to affect the activity of Presenilin 1 (PS1)/γ-secretase, PS1 conformation, or the proximity between PS1 and amyloid precursor protein (APP). However, we found that Syn1 is involved in up-regulation of the β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1)/β-secretase activity and increases the APP/BACE1 interaction. Therefore, we conclude that Syn1 may promote Aβ production via the modulation of BACE1.
Comparative Orientalism in Latin American Revolutions: Antichinismo of Mexico and El Salvador

Across Latin America, mestizo nationalism became a common response to postcolonial independence, revolt, and revolution in the twentieth century. These different mixed-race nationalisms have been the subject of continuous debate in Latin American studies. The field of Asian American studies offers a different approach that highlights the political and cultural function of anti-Chinese politics beyond their targeting of racialized Chinese subjects. This article examines the anti-Chinese politics and mestizo nationalisms of Mexico and El Salvador to question if and when popular Orientalist racism aided indigenous and peasant consent to state-sponsored mestizo nationalism. This methodology underscores the historical role that ideological formations of Asia and Asians have contributed to the political and cultural life of race in Latin America even when actual populations remained small or nonexistent. By understanding racial formations in a multiracial context I underscore the notion that anti-Chinese racism is not only important in that it discriminated against Chinese, but also that it served non-Chinese Latin Americans remarkably well and helped build an unstable equilibrium of mestizo hegemony.
A 2020 perspective on “Digital blockchain networks appear to be following Metcalfe’s Law”

Abstract The value of several blockchain assets was shown to possibly be modeled based on Metcalfe’s law as well as a proposed network effects law in the original paper published in 2017. The models showed the growth in the value of the assets to be correlated to the growth in the number of daily unique addresses used on the network; data that is easily extracted from the blockchain. An update to that study is presented, extending the data from May 2017 to current, and showing the sustained correlation between current data and the models. A discussion of potential improvements to that model and its approach from a 2020 perspective is presented.
Experiment research of Apigenin improving insulin resistance in obesity type 2 diabetes mice

[Objective]To explore the effects of flavonoids chemical Apigenin to the glucose,lipids and insulin resistance in the obesity type 2 diabetes mice-db/db mice.[Methods]12 dh/db mice were divided into two groups:the normal chow group(6 mice)and the Apigenin group(6 mice).The mice were given normal chow and Apigenin(200 mg/kg per mouse) by gastric gavage,additionally the db/db standard control C57BL/KsJ mice were chosen as the normal control group and given the normal chow add the saline by gastric gavage once a day.After 12 weeks of Apigenin intervention,the variation of body weight,fasting blood glucose,lipids levels,insulin level and the insulin sensitivity were detected,additionally,the visceral fat tissue was studied by H&E stain.[Results]After 12 weeks of Apigenin intervention,the body weight,the blood glucose level,the lipids level and the insulin level were significantly decreased in db/db mice,and the insulin sensitivity was significantly improved.In H&E study,we found the size of the adipocytes from the visceral fat tissue was smaller than that of the db/db control group(P ＜ 0.05).[Conclusion]Apigenin can prevent the mice insulin resistance,lower the blood glucose and prevent the weight gain in db/db mice. Key words: Apigenin; Dh/db mice; Insulin resistance; Blood glucose level; Insulin sensitivity
Triple Top Line–Based Sustainability Measure for Water Distribution Systems

AbstractTo address the rapidly growing need for asset management of aging water distribution systems (WDS), this study introduces the adaptation of the triple top line (TTL) as a tool for WDS susta...
Economic Growth, US Aid or China's increasing Military expenditure? A Data Analysis of factors affecting Military Expenditure in ASEAN Nations embroiled in Territorial Conflicts with China

Over the past decade and prior, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, all of whom are members of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations), have been engaged in territorial disputes with China, particularly in regard to the South China Sea. Hence, in this paper, we perform a Data Analysis of how changes to US military aid to these countries, Economic growth in these states as well as pressure from China’s increasing Military Budget has affected changes towards Military Spending in these nations. We start off by performing a data analysis of these individual factors. Following so, we perform a multiple linear regression model to determine which factors prove the most significant, if any, towards changes in military spending in these countries. Our results show that based off data from 2008 to 2018, from a Statistical Multiple Linear Regression analysis, we could conclude that Individual Economic Growth is the most significant factor in affecting changes towards Vietnam’s military expenditure, while pressure resulting from China’s increasing Military Expenditure is the most significant factor in affecting changes towards Malaysia’s military expenditure. Additionally, at significance level α = 0.1, Indonesia’s individual economic growth is the most significant factor in affecting changes towards its military expenditure. However, at α = 0.1, we are inconclusive in determining any significant factor affecting changes towards Brunei and Philippine’s military expenditure.
Effects of online commenter sex cues and news receiver sex on commenter credibility

Online comments can affect news receivers’ news perceptions. But the role of individual online comment sources is still poorly understood. Using Sundar’s TIME (Theory of Interactive Media Effects) ...
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ANALYSIS FOR VITAMIN B6 IN FOODS.

Publisher Summary In foods and like materials, vitamin B 6 occurs naturally as pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine, either free or combined with other substances such as phosphate. No one assay procedure has been satisfactory for all three forms; therefore, procedures for separating and determining them individually are important and essential developments for the vitamin B 6 assay. This chapter discusses four different procedures for separating and determining vitamin B 6 : microbiological procedures, chromatographic separation, comparative data, and fluorometric procedures. Microbiological procedures have been used successfully in the assay of foods and biological materials for vitamin B 6 content, but physical and chemical methods were satisfactory only with relatively concentrated and pure preparations. Chemical procedures were proposed for the determination of pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine based on the fluorescence of the lactone of 4-pyridoxic acid. Several ion exchange resins were used, depending on circumstances, to separate pyridoxine or pyridoxal from the extracts or solutions.
Separation of p-Xylene from multicomponent vapor mixtures using tubular MFI zeolite membranes

Abstact MFI zeolite membranes have been synthesized on tubular α-alumina substrates to investigate the separation of p-xylene (PX) from m-xylene (MX) and o-xylene (OX) in multicomponent mixtures and ranges of feed pressure and operating temperature. 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene was added to the feed stream for online membrane modification. Separation of PX from MX and OX through the MFI membranes relies primarily on shape-selectivity when the xylene sorption level in the zeolite is sufficiently low. For an eight-component mixture containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons, PX, MX, and OX, PX/(MX+OX) selectivity of 7.71 with PX flux of 6.8×10 −6 mol/m 2 -s was obtained at 250 o C and atmospheric feed pressure.
The reaction of carbanions with 2-substituted-2-nitropropanes : Substitution and dimerization occurring by radical chain processes involving electron transfer

Abstract The reaction of mono-enolate anions with O2NCMe2X where X = Cl, NO2, p-MePhSO2 yield coupling (RCOCH(R′)(CMe2NO2) and enolate dimerization products (RCOCH(R′)CH(R′)COR) by free radical chain mechanisms involving bimolecular substitution or electron transfer reactions between the enolate anion and the intermediate nitro alkane radical anion (XCMe2NO2− ).
The Sustainability of University-Industry Research Collaboration: An Empirical Assessment

The concept of university-industry collaboration is an important social experiment in the nation's innovation system. This study examines the sustainability of this collaborative experience by focusing on the actual “give-and-take” outcomes between university faculty members and industrial firms. Based on two separate but similar surveys conducted in 1997, one for faculty members and another for industry technology managers, the study reports that participants in research collaboration appear to realize significant benefits, some expected and others unexpected. The most significant benefit realized by firms is an increased access to new university research and discoveries, and the most significant benefits by faculty members is complementing their own academic research by securing funds for graduate students and lab equipment, and by seeking insights into their own research. Reflecting on their collaborative experience, an overwhelming majority of these participants say that in the future they would expand or at least sustain the present level of collaboration.
Range of refractive independence and mechanism of action of a corneal shape–changing hydrogel inlay: Results and theory

Purpose To demonstrate the independence of visual performance over a range of preoperative refraction and age in presbyopes implanted with a corneal shape–changing inlay (Raindrop Near Vision Inlay). Setting Two multispecialty clinics, Monterrey and Tijuana, Mexico. Design Prospective case series. Methods The nondominant eyes of patients were implanted with the hydrogel corneal inlay beneath a femtosecond flap, centered on the pupil. Clinical outcomes included uncorrected near, intermediate, and distance visual acuity (UNVA, UIVA, and UDVA) and patient-assessed task performance in good light and dim light. Statistical analyses assessed the dependencies on preoperative age (45 to 60 years) and preoperative manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) (−0.5 to +1.5 diopters [D]). Using the inlay effect derived from wavefront measurements, an eye model was created through which letter charts were simulated. Results The study evaluated eyes of 188 patients. Postoperative UNVA, UIVA, and task performance at these distances in good light was independent of age and preoperative MRSE ( P > .05). Postoperative UDVA was weakly dependent on preoperative MRSE, but distance task performance in good light was not ( P > .05). In the treated eye, the mean postoperative UNVA was 20/25, UIVA was 20/25, and UDVA was 20/32. The clinical outcomes are explained by consideration of zones within the pupil generating good near, intermediate, and distance image quality. This was confirmed by visual acuity simulations. Conclusions The continuous center-near power profile induced by the corneal shape-changing inlay provides good visual acuity and performance from distance through near over a 2.0 D range of preoperative refraction and presbyopic age. Financial Disclosure Drs. Steinert, Schwiegerling, Barragan-Garza, and Chayet are consultants to Revision Optics, Inc. Drs. Lang and Holliday and Mr. Roy are employees of Revision Optics, Inc. Drs. Steinert, Schwiegerling, Barragan-Garza, and Chayet have no financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Alveolar macrophages of GM-CSF knockout mice exhibit mixed M1 and M2 phenotypes

Background Activin A is a pleiotrophic regulatory cytokine, the ablation of which is neonatal lethal. Healthy human alveolar macrophages (AMs) constitutively express activin A, but AMs of patients with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) are deficient in activin A. PAP is an autoimmune lung disease characterized by neutralizing autoantibodies to Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF). Activin A can be stimulated, however, by GM-CSF treatment of AMs in vitro. To further explore pulmonary activin A regulation, we examined AMs in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from wild-type C57BL/6 compared to GM-CSF knockout mice which exhibit a PAP-like histopathology. Both human PAP and mouse GM-CSF knockout AMs are deficient in the transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ).
Vibrational circular dichroism of gramicidin D in vesicles and micelles.

The vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) and absorption spectra of gramicidin D in three model membranes (dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride vesicles, dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine vesicles, and sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles) are presented. The absorption and VCD spectra suggest that the stable gramicidin D conformation in the model membranes is different from those in organic solvents. The presence of cations does not change the membrane-bound conformation of gramicidin D.
Keeping Spain Afloat: State Forestry and Imperial Defense in the Sixteenth Century

AbstractTimber resources were essential for maintaining the fleets that controlled Spain's transatlantic empire in the sixteenth century. This article argues that although the forest clearances for...
Cohomology and decomposition of tensor product representations of SL(2,R)

Abstract We analyze the decomposition of tensor products between infinite-dimensional (unitary) and finite-dimensional (non-unitary) representations of SL(2, R ) . Using classical results on indefinite inner product spaces, we derive explicit decomposition formulae, true modulo a natural cohomological reduction, for the tensor products.
Tissue residues from subacute oral feeding of polychlorinated biphenyl dielectric fluids

The results of this study can be summarized as follows: (1) Monochlorobiphenyl and the 30%-chlorinated biphenyl MCS 1043 did not accumulate in the lipid reservoir of the rats when fed at 25 ppm and 100 ppm in the diet. This result indicates that mono-, di-, and trichlorobiphenyls are readily metabolized and/or excreted under the conditions of this study. (2) Although a fraction of the ingested Aroclor 1242 and Aroclor 1016 was stored in the rats' lipid reservoir, most of this residue was depleted after the rats had been on the basal laboratory diet for several weeks. (3) Residues of Aroclor 1016 accumulated more slowly and to a significantly lesser extent than those of Aroclor 1242. During the recovery period these PCB residues decreased to lower values for Aroclor 1016. This result indicates that a product containing reduced amounts of the more highly chlorinated PCBs should have improved environmental compatibility.
Calculation of exact p-values when SNPs are tested using multiple genetic models

Several methods have been proposed to account for multiple comparisons in genetic association studies. However, investigators typically test each of the SNPs using multiple genetic models. Association testing using the Cochran-Armitage test for trend assuming an additive, dominant, or recessive genetic model, is commonly performed. Thus, each SNP is tested three times. Some investigators report the smallest p-value obtained from the three tests corresponding to the three genetic models, but such an approach inherently leads to inflated type 1 errors. Because of the small number of tests (three) and high correlation (functional dependence) among these tests, the procedures available for accounting for multiple tests are either too conservative or fail to meet the underlying assumptions (e.g., asymptotic multivariate normality or independence among the tests). We propose a method to calculate the exact p-value for each SNP using different genetic models. We performed simulations, which demonstrated the control of type 1 error and power gains using the proposed approach. We applied the proposed method to compute p-value for a polymorphism eNOS -786T>C which was shown to be associated with breast cancer risk. Our findings indicate that the proposed method should be used to maximize power and control type 1 errors when analyzing genetic data using additive, dominant, and recessive models.
Morphology of left anterior descending coronary territory lesions as a predictor of anterior myocardial infarction: A CASS registry study

Abstract Despite a growing awareness of the correlation of coronary artery stenoses morphology with clinical syndromes, no comprehensive, prospective analysis of the implications of stenosis morphology on risk of myocardial infarction has been reported. Angiograms from 118 patients, representative of the 4.9% of medically treated Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) patients who during subsequent 3 year follow-up study had an anterior myocardial infarction, were matched on the basis of arteriographic anatomy and disease with 141 patients who did not have an anterior infarction. Angiograms from these 259 patients with 557 left anterior descending artery stenoses were reviewed without knowledge of clinical outcome. Conditional regression analyses were performed to determine the importance of stenosis morphology, relative to computer-determined stenosis severity and other clinical variables, in the prediction of risk of infarction. Univariate analysis revealed luminal roughness (odds ratio 4.5; p = 0.001) and lesion length (odds ratio 1.7 per unit length; p = 0.007) to be highly correlated with future risk of infarction. Multivariate analysis revealed left anterior descending artery percent stenosis >_50%, lesion roughness, left circumflex artery stenosis and smoking, in that order, to be predictive of anterior myocardial infarction, whereas 22 other morphologic variables were not independently predictive of outcome. The importance of stenosis roughness may relate to its propensity for thrombogenesis and should be considered in clinical decision making.
Pressure-Induced Polymerization of Carbon Monoxide: Disproportionation and Synthesis of an Energetic Lactonic Polymer

We have studied pressure-induced chemical reactions in carbon monoxide using both a diamond anvil cell and a modified large volume press. Our spectroscopic data reveal that carbon monoxide disproportionates into molecular CO2 and a solid lactone-type polymer; photochemically above 3.2 GPa, thermochemically above 5 GPa at 300 K, or at 3 GPa and ∼2000 K as achieved by laser heating. The solid product can be recovered at ambient conditions with a high degree of conversion, measured to be up to 95% of the original CO. Its fundamental chemical structure includes β-lactone and conjugated CC, which can be considered a severely modified polymeric carbon suboxide with open ladders and smaller five-membered rings. The polymer is metastable at ambient conditions, spontaneously liberating CO2 gases exothermically. We find that the recovered polymer has a high energy density, 1−8 kJ/g, and is very combustible. We estimate the density of recovered CO polymer to be at least 1.65 g/cm3.
Some factors affecting productivity of Russet Burbank seed potatoes

Significant differences in behavior were found among Idaho certified Russet Burbank seed lots when grown both in the greenhouse and in the field. Investigations are being made to determine why variations exist. From this it is hoped that suggestions can be made for increasing the productive capacity of Russet Burbank seed.
Inhibition of rat brain and liver protein synthesis by amphetamine.

Abstract 1. 1. Dose-dependent, amphetamine-induced reductions in protein synthesis were determined in vivo by measuring [ 3 H]lysine incorporation into trichloroacetic acid precipitated protein in homogenates prepared from different regions of the brain or liver. 2. 2. Low-to-moderate doses of amphetamine (1–5 mg/kg) decreased striatal protein synthesis whereas higher doses (10 mg/kg) reduced it in the cerebral cortices, cerebellum, and remaining portions of the cerebrum, as well as in the striatum and liver. 3. 3. Reductions in regional brain protein synthesis occur following amphetamine treatment in relatively low doses known to change various aspects of physiology and behavior.
PROPOV-K: a Fortran program for computing a Kappa coefficient using a proportional overlap procedure

The computer program PROPOV-K allows the computation of an unweighted kappa coefficient for expressing interrater agreement in the general case in which multiple raters (not necessarily fixed in number) formulate a variable number of multiple diagnoses for each subject. PROPOV-K assesses agreement among lists of multiple diagnoses composed of nonordered categories. PROPOV-K calculates a kappa coefficient on the basis of estimating proportion of agreement between two diagnostic formulations as the ratio of the number of agreements between specific categories over the number of different specific categories mentioned in the two diagnostic lists. When multiple raters formulate a variable number of multiple diagnoses for each subject, the use of a kappa coefficient has been limited to researchers since there are no generally available computer programs. The purpose of this paper is to present a FORTRAN computer program allowing the computation of a kappa coefficient for the case mentioned above and to illustrate its use with examples respectively involving multiple psychiatric and multiple physical diagnoses.
Analysis of snake tissue and snake eggs for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin via fused silica GC combined with atmospheric pressure ionization MS

Abstract Several snake tissue samples and one set of snake eggs were collected and analyzed for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin. The isomer-specific analysis was performed using fused silica GC combined with atmospheric pressure ionization MS. The results ranged from a low of 38 parts-per-trillion (ppt) to high levels over 500 ppt.
Note on Difficulty of Material and Delay of Knowledge of Results

The effects of 3 different delays of knowledge of results over 3 stages of the acquisition process were investigated at 2 levels of list difficulty. Results from 90 college Ss indicate that delays have differing effects for different acquisition stages. Effects appear consistent by level of list difficulty.
Depletion of epilimnetic oxygen and accumulation of hydrogen sulfide in the hypolimnion of Onondaga Lake, NY, U.S.A.

The depletion of epilimnetic DO during fall, and the accumulation of H2S in the hypolimnion during summer, are documented for polluted hypereutrophic Onondaga Lake, NY, U.S.A. The fall epilimnetic DO depletion is so severe that in many, if not all years, the New York State standard for minimum DO of 4 mg- L−1 is violated for periods as long as 1 mo. The depletion is caused by the transport of O2 demanding species, particularly H2S, from the hypolimnion into the epilimnion. Hydrogen sulfide accumulates progressively through the summer, mostly via SO inf4 sup2− reduction, to unusually high concentrations; a maximum of 1.65 mM has been observed. These conditions are apparently manifestations of hypereutrophy, and thus may be subject to remediation through P management efforts.
Semistability and Robustness Analysis for Switched Systems

This article develops some new results on semistability of switched systems using multiple Lyapunov functions. The main results of the article involve sufficient conditions for guaranteeing semistability of switched systems using multiple Lyapunov functions and a class of switching conditions. Moreover, converse Lyapunov theorems for a finite family of pairwise commuting semistable systems are also developed. Using these stability results and an extended notion of homogeneity for switched systems, we derive some robustness results for semistability of switched systems.
Community Providers’ Views of Alcohol Problems and Drug Problems

This study contrasts community health and social service providers' views on alcohol vs. other drug abuse. A probability sample of 457 social work and other providers from a county's public and private medical and mental health clinics, welfare and criminal justice systems, and substance abuse programs, as well as clergy, private therapists, and physicians were interviewed. For both alcohol and drug problems, providers thought only of severe dysfunctions, which suggest that less severe forms of these problems may evade detection. In addition, drug problems were viewed as more harmful than alcohol problems, which may result in providers minimizing alcohol problems.
Truffle production in old-growth and mature fir stands in northeastern California

Abstract Few studies have examined fruiting patterns of hypogeous fungi, and relationships between sporocarp production of hypogeous fungi and forest habitat components such as organic soil depth and amounts of decayed wood are poorly understood. We sampled sporocarps of hypogeous fungi (truffles) in four old-growth (>200 years) and four paired, mature (ca 100 years) fir ( Abies spp.) stands during four sample periods in 1993 and three sample periods in 1994 in the Lassen National Forest in northeastern California. Truffles were collected from 4-m 2 circular plots systematically located at 36 grid points per stand during each sample period. Habitat characteristics were measured in 50.3-m 2 circles centered at each grid point in 1993. We found a total of 46 truffle species in 30.4% of the 2016 total plots, and the total standing dry weight of truffles was equivalent to 2.43 kg ha −1 . Total frequency and biomass of truffles and number of truffle species did not differ significantly between stand types in 1993 or 1994, but species composition did. We found no significant associations between measures of total truffle abundance and measures of habitat structure and composition at the 0.25-ha grid scale or at the 50.3-m 2 habitat plot scale. At the scale of the 4-m 2 truffle plot, plots with decayed wood were more likely to have truffles than plots without decayed wood during the final sample period of each year, but the association was significant only in 1993. Mean organic soil depth was greater in plots with truffles than plots without truffles in each sample period in both years, but ranked values were only marginally significant in one sample period. Goodness-of-fit tests to the Poisson distribution indicated that individual truffles had clumped distributions, but we could not reject the null hypothesis of random distribution of truffle collections. Our results indicate that total truffle production had recovered from stand-replacement wildfire in the mature stands, and that total truffle abundance was not strongly associated with habitat characteristics within the range of habitat variation exhibited in these stands. Individual species, however, were associated with old-growth stands and others with mature stands.
Intensifying effect of metallic screens on the sensitivity of x-ray films for 400-kV bremsstrahlung photons

Measurements are carried out to determine the relative photographic effect produced by electrons emanating from metallic screens on a typical radiographicfilm. The electrons are produced in metal foils of aluminum,copper, and lead by the interaction of photons in a 400‐kV bremsstrahlung beam. Intensification factors of up to 1.65, 2.05, and 5.90 for aluminum,copper, and lead screens, respectively, are determined as a function of the foil thickness. The equilibrium thickness screens are determined to be 20 mg/cm2 for aluminum and 30 mg/cm2 for copper and lead. These results are compared with the absorbed dose in the filmemulsions, calculated by Monte Carlo methods. The results of the present work are compared with those for 60Co and 137Cs photon beams. The dependence of the equilibrium thickness and the intensification factor on photon energy and the atomic number of the screen material is summarized and explained.
Rotating Cylinder Electrode — Geometry Relationships for Prediction of Velocity-Sensitive Corrosion

Abstract Corrosion can be accelerated by fluid flowing past a surface. The rotating cylinder electrode has practical applicability as a corrosion prediction tool for liquid flow. All that are neede...
Protein Kinase Signaling at the Crossroads of Myocyte Life and Death in Ischemic Heart Disease.

Myocardial ischemia results in death of cardiac myocytes via tightly regulated and interconnected signaling pathways. Protein kinases play crucial roles in this regulation and are highly amenable to therapeutic intervention, making targeted inhibition an attractive strategy for ischemic heart disease. Recent studies have uncovered numerous kinases that participate in the cardiomyocyte response to ischemic injury, thus potentiating the development of new therapeutics. Moreover, many kinase signaling pathways converge at the mitochondria, a key participant in both cardiomyocyte physiology and the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease. Herein we highlight kinase pathways regulating three major drivers of cell death: mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening (mPTP), programmed necrosis and Ca2+ overload-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Inhibition of each of these kinase pathways has been proposed as a means to limit cardiomyocyte death from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.
Local pharmaceutical release from a new hydrogel implant.

Abstract Background. Solid hydrogel polymers can act as reservoirs for controlled drug release. The object of this study was to quantify release kinetics for a single example of a class of uniquely structured hydrogels. The polymer of this study belongs to a class of permanent implants that release pharmaceuticals by diffusion from an entangled cross-linked matrix rather than by absorption of the implant by the body. The cross-linked matrix (CLM) of this study is biocompatible and polymerized in situ, forming a solid that is mechanically bonded to the implant site. It can seal tissue as well as deliver drugs at predetermined rates. We evaluated dye and antibiotic egress and assessed release kinetics and retention of antibiotic activity following elution from the CLM. Materials and methods. The prepolymerized test CLM was prepared in two ratios, 6 and 20% prepolymer, in an activating aqueous solution. Aqueous solutions were prepared from dyes of varying molecular weights. Aliquots of prepolymerized test CLM were allowed to solidify and dye release into the supernatant was quantified by spectrophotometry over a 168-h period. Antibiotic solutions were also employed to form solid CLMs. Tetracycline release over time was characterized by spectrophotometry. Antibiotic dosed solid CLMs were placed on agar plates streaked with Escherichia coli and incubated. Growth inhibition was assessed for each antibiotic. Results. In the test CLM, dye and antibiotic release were found to be inversely related to molecular weight and consistent with a diffusion model. CLMs formed from aqueous solutions containing higher molecular weight dyes and antibiotics released those constituents more slowly than lower molecular weight constituents. This finding, as well as the effect on release rate under varying prepolymer concentration, was consistent with a diffusion release mechanism. Antibiotic released from the tissue sealant was shown to be potent by consistent inhibition of E. coli. Conclusion. Pharmaceutical release by a representative CLM was found to be controllable by varying the concentration of the pharmaceutical in the activating aqueous solution. The polymerization and release mechanisms did not degrade antibiotic biologic activity. CLMs may be a general class of biocompatible polymers that can locally deliver clinically useful biologics, the release kinetics of which are unaffected by the variability of implant absorption/inflammation mechanisms.
Recent volcanic activity on Venus - Evidence from radiothermal emissivity measurements

Radiothermal emissivity measurements are analyzed in order to study large volcanic constructs on Venus and to correlate details of the reflectivity/emissivity patterns with geological landforms and stratigraphy visible in corresponding SAR images. There appears to be a correlation between locations on Venus where high emissivity at high altitudes and low emissivity at low altitudes are observed. These phenomena are attributed here to relatively recent volcanic activity: the former to summit eruptions that have not had time to weather to the low-emissivity state, the latter to continuing emission of volcanic gases from neighboring small plains volcanoes. The pattern of reflectivity and emissivity on Maat Mons is examined in the light of these findings. It is concluded that Maat Mons has undergone the most recent episode of volcanic activity of all the volcanoes studied here.
Fault Detection and Exclusion Using Normalized Solution Separation and Residual Monitoring Methods

: To achieve the navigational integrity required for civil aviation use of GPS, the GPS fault detection and exclusion (FDE) function is of considerable importance. In this paper, we propose a new FDE approach for tightly integrated GPS/inertial sensors that combines a normalized solution separation for fault detection and a residual monitoring scheme for fault exclusion. The computation of the detection threshold, the horizontal protection level (HPL), and the horizontal uncertainty level (HUL) is discussed, and simulation results are presented. We also develop an FDE algorithm for snapshot navigation methods based on a normalized solution separation scheme. This topic is of interest not only as a limiting case for the general filter problem, but also from a purely technical perspective. The normalized solution separation method is shown to be equivalent to other snapshot FDE algorithms.
Commercial Application of Steamflooding in an Oilfield Comprising Multiples Thin Sand Reservoirs

This paper documents the successful application of steamflooding in the multiple thin-sand reservoirs of the Loco Unit, Stephens County, OK. These reservoirs occur at depths from 50 to 1,200 ft (15 to 366 m) and range in thickness to 40 ft (12 m). Porosities of the productive zones vary from 20 to more than 30%, and permeabilities range from 100 to more than 4,000 md. Oil gravities of the various zones range from 16 to 24/sup 0/ API (0.96 to 0.91 g/cm/sup 3/). Reservoirs that occur at depths above approximately 700 ft (213 m) have little or no natural reservoir energy and generally contain viscous oils, ranging up to 10,000 cp (10 Pa X s). Consequently, there was no primary production from these reservoirs, and potential for waterflooding was marginal. Steamflooding has been the only recovery process applied successfully to these zones, except for one isolated instance. Reservoirs at depths greater than 700 ft (213 m) normally contain lower-viscosity oils. Six of these zones were produced by solution gas drive and were later waterflooded successfully. After 23 years of waterflooding, two of these six zones have been tested and have proved to support commercial steamflooding operations.
Surety of human elements of high consequence systems: An organic model

Despite extensive safety analysis and application of safety measures, there is a frequent lament, ``Why do we continue to have accidents?'' Two breakdowns are prevalent in risk management and prevention. First, accidents result from human actions that engineers, analysts and management never envisioned and second, controls, intended to preclude/mitigate accident sequences, prove inadequate. This paper addresses the first breakdown, the inability to anticipate scenarios involving human action/inaction. The failure of controls has been addressed in a previous publication (Forsythe and Grose, 1998). Specifically, this paper presents an approach referred to as surety. The objective of this approach is to provide high levels of assurance in situations where potential system failure paths cannot be fully characterized. With regard to human elements of complex systems, traditional approaches to human reliability are not sufficient to attain surety. Consequently, an Organic Model has been developed to account for the organic properties exhibited by engineered systems that result from human involvement in those systems.
Elastic-plastic rolling-sliding contact on a quarter space

The analysis of the steady state residual stresses and cyclic plastic strains of a quarter space under repeated contact loading may be a useful method to approximate wheel-rail contact. For this reason, a three-dimensional elastic-plastic rolling-sliding contact problem on a quarter space is investigated. In this paper, a direct analysis method for problems in repeated elastic-plastic rolling-sliding contact is employed. The method is shown to be a highly efficient technique for the determination of the steady state solution, such as residual stress, residual strain, and the cyclic strain range, under proportional or non-proportional cyclic loading and may be used to predict fatigue life. In addition to the direct analysis method, a numerical quarter space solution is applied to calculate the elastic stress field used in the modified projection process of the direct analysis method.
M‐F: Bipolar and probably multidimensional

Scores on the MMPI MF scale and the WAIS M-F index were found not to be correlated highly with each other, but to be correlated significantly with self-rated sexual orientation in a mixed-sex group of Ss. Only when the implicit bipolarity of each of the test scales were taken into account were the scales significantly related to sexual orientation. The combination of the two M-F indices accounted for significantly more of the variance in sexual orientation than either scale alone. The results suggest that M-F may be considered accurately to be both a bipolar and a multidimensional construct.
Enhanced Nonlinear Dynamics for Accurate Identification of Stiffness Loss in a Thermo-Shielding Panel

The dynamics of a panel forced by transverse loads and undergoing limit cycle oscillations and chaos is investigated. The nonlinear von Karman plate theory is used to obtain a model for healthy and damaged panels. Damage is modeled by a loss of stiffness in a portion of the plate. The presence of low levels of damage is identified by using an external nonlinear excitation and analyzing the attractor of the resulting dynamics in state space. Most of the current studies of such problems are based on linear theories and linear structures. In contrast, the results presented are obtained by using and enhancing nonlinear and chaotic dynamics, and have the advantage of an increased accuracy in detecting damage and monitoring structural health.
Determination of the number of independent parameters of a score matrix from the examination of rank orders

Two ordinal consequences are drawn from the linear multiple-factor analysis model. First, the numberR(s, d) of distinct ways in whichs subjects can be ranked by linear functions ofd factors is limited by the recursive expressionR(s, d)=R(s−1,d)+(s−1)R(s−1,d−1). Second, every setS ofd+2 subjects can be separated into two subsetsS* andS − S* such that no linear function ofd variables can rank allS* over allS − S*, and vice versa. When these results are applied to the hypothetical data of Thurstone's “box problem,” three independent parameters are found. Relations to Thurstone's suggestion for a non-correlational factor analysis are discussed.
On the exponentially self-regulating population model

Abstract A new type of discrete dynamical systems model for populations, called an exponentially self-regulating (ESR) map, is introduced and analyzed in considerable detail for the case of two competing species. The ESR model exhibits many dynamical features consistent with the observed interactions of populations and subsumes some of the most successful discrete biological models that have been studied in the literature. For example, the well-known Tribolium model is an ESR map. It is shown that in addition to logistic dynamics – ranging from the very simple to manifestly chaotic one-dimensional regimes – the ESR model exhibits, for some parameter values, its own brands of bifurcation and chaos that are essentially two-dimensional in nature. In particular, it is proved that ESR systems have twisted horseshoe with bending tail dynamics associated to an essentially global strange attractor for certain parameter ranges. The existence of a global strange attractor makes the ESR map more plausible as a model for actual populations than several other extant models, including the Lotka–Volterra map.