cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Fracture Mechanics in Estimating Structural Life and Inspection Intervals

As structural efficiency of aircraft has increased in the recent past, the Air Force has found it necessary to include, in the newer systems, damage tolerance criteria for fracture critical parts. These criteria are explained briefly, and sample calculations indicating methods for determining component structural life are demonstrated. Implicit in this calculation is the definition of inspection intervals. The second portion of this discussion details some of the assumptions that go into this analysis and their sensitivity. A large portion centers on stress spectrum definition. It is shown that, from one set of occurrence data, alternative spectra may be derived which have substantial differences in life.
Job-Specific Sex Differences in Organizational Reward Attainment: Wage Discrimination Vs. Rank Segregation

Aggregate analyses of sexual inequality fail to explore directly the resources of structurally induced earnings differences. These differences may derive from between- andlor within-employer differences in the rewardattainment processes of working men and women. This paper examines the second of these two issues, i.e., within-employer sex differences in salary for the same job. Two hypotheses are considered: the so-called wage discrimination hypothesis refers to inequality generated by male-female differences in the direct rates of return to productive resources and hierarchical rank; the rank segregation hypothesis refers to inequality generated by denying women equal access to the higher-paying ranks to which a particular job ladder leads. Our results suggest that sex differences in salary attainment result more from rank segregation than from wage discrimination per se. The implications for the problem of sexual discrimination and the generalizability of the findings are discussed.
Simulations of Flowing Mildly-Cracked Normal Alkanes Incorporating Proportional Product Distributions

Hydrocarbon fuels have been used as a cooling media in aircraft jet engines for many years. However, advanced aircraft engines are reaching a practical heat transfer limit beyond which the sensible heat transfer provided by fuels is no longer adequate. One solution is to use an endothermic fuel that absorbs heat through chemical reactions. A two-dimensional computational model is developed to calculate the heat and mass transport associated with a flowing fuel using a unique global chemical kinetics model. Most past models do not account for changes in the chemical composition of a flowing fuel and also do not adequately predict flow properties in the supercritical regime. The two-dimensional computational model presented calculates the changing flow properties of a supercritical reacting fuel by use of experimentally derived proportional product distributions. The calculations are validated by measured experimental data obtained from a flow reactor in which n-decane and n-dodecane are mildly cracked. It is believed that these simulations will assist the fundamental understanding of high-temperature fuel flow experiments.
Induction of alkoxyresorufin O-dealkylases and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase by phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene in primary cultures of porcine ciliary epithelial cells

Abstract Our previous studies have shown that drug-metabolizing activities in the eye are highest in the ciliary body, a tissue responsible for aqueous humor production. In this work, we have separated nonpigmented epithelial (NPE) cells and pigmented epithelial (PE) cells from porcine ciliary body and determined basal and induced activities of 7-ethoxyresorufin (ER) O -dealkylase, 7-pentoxyresorufin (PR) O -dealkylase, and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UDP-GT) using primary cultures of separated cells. ER and PR activities were associated primarily with NPE cells and were very low in PE cells. Treatment of NPE cells with phenobarbital (PB) for 48 hr resulted in about a 4-fold increase PR O -dealkylase activity but only a 1.3-fold rise in ER O -dealkylase activity. Conversely, 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) treatment augmented the ER O -dealkylase activity of NPE cells 6 times over the basal activity in 48 hr but had little effect on PR O -dealkylase activity. Both NPE and PE cells had low basal UDP-GT activities. UDP-GT activity increased about 5-fold in PB-treated PE cells and about 4-fold in PB-treated NPE cells in 48 hr. The results of MC treatment were similar to those of PB treatment; enhancement of UDP-GT was more pronounced in PE cells than in NPE cells. Induction by PB and MC of ER O -dealkylase, PR O -dealkylase and UDP-GT activities in ciliary NPE and PE cells was inhibited almost completely by 3.5 μM cyclohexamide and 40 nM actinomycin D. The heterogeneous distribution of these enzymes suggests that a harmonius interplay between NPE and PE cells is important for metabolic detoxification of blood plasma prior to aqueous humor formation.
The toxicity of heavy metals to embryos of the American oyster Crassostrea virginica

The acute toxicity of 11 heavy metals to embryos of the American oyster Crassostrea virginica was studied and the concentrations at which 50% of the embryos did not develop were determined. The most toxic metals and their LC50 values were mercury (0.0056 ppm), silver (0.0058 ppm), copper (0.103 ppm) and zinc (0.31 ppm). Those metals that were not as toxic and their LC50 values were nickel (1.18 ppm), lead (2.45 ppm) and cadmium (3.80 ppm). Those metals that were relatively non-toxic and their LC50 values were arsenic (7.5 ppm), chromium (10.3 ppm) and manganese (16.0 ppm). Aluminum was non-toxic at 7.5 ppm, the highest concentration tested.
Laboratory measurements of flow through culverts

Laboratory apparatus to simulate flow through culverts has been used to collect discharge and water level measurements. Two different shapes of culvert barrels, namely square and circular, were tested. The measurements presented in this note are intended to provide useful information regarding the variety of flow regimes (including overtopping) through culverts, and the transitions from one flow regime to another. It is known that modeling the culvert flow regimes and capturing the transitions among these regimes numerically is a challenging task. To that effect, the laboratory measurements presented herein can provide a testing and validation data set for numerical modeling of hydraulic structures such as culverts.
Expression of herpes simplex virus DNA fragments located in epidermal keratinocytes and germinative cells is associated with the development of erythema multiforme lesions

Skin from acute and healed herpes simplex virus or herpes simplex virus-associated erythema multiforme (HAEM) lesions was examined by polymerase chain reaction with primers for DNA polymerase, ICP8, thymidine kinase (5′ end of herpes simplex virus genome), and ICP27 (3′ end of herpes simplex virus genome). The primers were herpes simplex virus specific and equally sensitive. The four herpes simplex virus genes were seen in acute herpes simplex virus lesions, but except for one patient, only polymerase (or polymerase and ICP8) were seen in 7-d healed lesional skin. Herpes simplex virus DNA was not seen 1–1.5 mo after healing. HAEM skins from 18 of 24 patients (75%) were positive for polymerase DNA and four of 24 (17%) were also positive for ICP8 or thymidine kinase DNA. Only one tissue (4%) was positive for polymerase, ICP8, and 1CP27 DNA. Skin from healed HAEM lesions was still polymerase DNA positive 1–3 mo after lesion resolution. The polymerase DNA signal was in the basal and spinous cell layers of the epidermis and in the outer root sheath of the hair follicle. Polymerase RNA was identified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in skin from acute, but not healed polymerase DNA positive HAEM lesions, suggesting that polymerase expression is associated with HAEM lesion development.
Factors Related to the Distribution of Microbial Biomass in Salt-Marsh-Creeks*

The influence of tidal flux on the microbial populations in salt-marsh creeks was investigated. The characteristics of the water masses were demonstrated by the use of statistical analyses of the physical-chemical factors influencing the microbial community. Pearson's r, Kendall's τ, as well as simple and multiple regression analyses demonstrated the unique character of the water masses during ebb and flood tides. Water entering the creeks with a rising tide was characterized by a distinct absence of significant linear relationships between the variables, while significant associations were indicated in ebb-tide water. Particulate organic carbon was an important variable only during a falling tide.
Analysis of MET genetic aberrations in patients with breast cancer at MD Anderson Phase I unit.

Abstract Background c-MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase whose phosphorylation activates important proliferation pathways. MET amplification and mutation have been described in various malignancies, including breast cancer (BC), and c-MET overexpression is associated with worse survival outcomes in patients with BC. We describe MET mutation and amplification rates in a BC cohort of patients referred to a Phase I Unit. Methods We reviewed the electronic medical records of all patients with advanced BC tested for MET amplification, mutation, or both who were referred to the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at MD Anderson. Results A total of 107 patients with advanced BC were analyzed for MET mutation/variant (88 patients) or amplification (63 patients). Of these, 49 were tested for both genetic abnormalities. Three of 63 patients (4.7%) demonstrated MET gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization (2 in primary tissue; 1 in metastatic site). MET mutation/variant was detected in 8 of 88 patients (9%). High-grade tumors were characteristic of all patients harboring MET amplification and were present in 7 of 8 (87.5%) of those with MET mutation. Metastatic sites were greater in MET -amplified compared with wild-type patients (median of 7 vs. 3 sites). Five of 8 patients (62.5%) with MET mutations had triple negative BC compared with 46% in controls. In addition, patients with positive test results for MET aberrations (n = 11) had inferior overall survival (OS) from Phase I consult compared with wild-type patients (n = 37), although this was not statistically significant (median OS = 9 vs. 15 months, P = .43). Conclusions In this cohort of patients with BC who were referred to our Phase I Department, MET aberrations were associated with higher metastatic burden and high-grade histology. We could not demonstrate differences in survival outcomes because of a small sample size.
Method for Creating a Real-Time Distributed Travel History Database: Persistent Traffic Cookies Project

A novel distributed method for estimating a trip table in real time is described. The system is called "persistent traffic cookies" by analogy with the use of cookies by web servers to keep track of the current state of web browsers navigating a web site. The method uses traffic cookies placed on in-vehicle computers to maintain the state (current trip) of vehicles moving through the system. These cookies are persistent from day to day; taken together, they form a complete travel history for a traveler or vehicle. The method leverages the vehicles to store their own travel data and then physically do carry those data around the network. Advantages include scalability in both storage and computational effort as well as the unique ability to incorporate the travel behavior of individuals into real-time traffic predictions. A small-scale simulation is presented to illustrate the concept and its potential applications.
Behavioral methods for the assessment of alcohol tolerance and dependence.

Abstract The effect of ethanol (ALC) on human and animal behavior is readily apparent, but careful use of behavioral measures can provide sensitive and precise descriptions of the actions of ALC and the development of tolerance and dependence. Many of the most useful behavioral methods are reviewed in this report, as well as data from studies that used self-administration (SA) techniques. Intragastric SA experiments with monkeys illustrate the establishment of a durable animal model that exhibits many similarities to human drinking patterns. Recent intravenous SA experiments demonstrated that an opiate antagonist, naltrexone HC1, produces significant decreases in the intravenous SA of ALC, a finding that implicates central opiate systems in the reinforcing effects of ALC.
VERN: facilitating democratic group decision making online

VERN is an online collaborative tool that coordinates and distributes the process of finding optimal meeting times across the members of a group. The system combines the underlying democratic process inherent in email chain conversations with a remapping of the voting process to a calendar-based graphical user interface. As an alternative to existing forms of constrained democracy in which members vote from a previously defined set of options, we offer VERN as a case study for the potential of using a visual interface to enable all group members to contribute equally without constraints to the group decision making process.
Wideband Pulse Transmission from Switched Electrically Small Antennas

This paper addresses a fundamental issue regarding electrically small antennas. In conventional cases electrically small antennas suffer the fundamental limit of high Q and can not be used for broadband radiation. However, by integrating high-speed switch devices on the antenna, it is found that the bandwidth limit on the radiation can be overcome. This is because the high-Q value associated with electrically small antennas no longer limits the bandwidth of radiation in such a time-varying system
Organizational Culture and Climate: Implications for Services and Interventions Research

Efforts to disseminate and implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) in children's mental health service and other human service systems have had limited success. There is evidence that this limited success is in part a function of the characteristics of the human service organizations that provide the services. Human service organizations create a social context for the services they provide, and this context affects the quality and outcomes of the services in a variety of ways. A half century of research in a variety of organizations provides evidence that an organization's social context affects whether new core technologies (of which EBPs are an example) are adopted, how they are implemented, and whether they are sustained and effective. This article defines two dimensions of an organization's social context, climate and culture, that have been shown to be particularly important to human service quality and outcomes and reviews current organizational research to identify the potential mechanisms through which climate and culture influence the adoption and implementation of EBPs in mental health. A variety of organizational research methodologies are also suggested for integrating organizational culture and climate into services and interventions research.
Effect of prior rituximab on high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in follicular lymphoma

Autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) has been used in follicular lymphoma (FL) to achieve durable responses in first remission or in the relapsed or refractory settings. Addition of rituximab to chemotherapy for FL has been shown to improve survival. The impact of prior therapy with rituximab upon the effectiveness of high-dose therapy (HDT) and ASCT in patients with FL is unknown. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with FL who underwent HDT and ASCT. Patients were categorized according to prior therapy with rituximab. Outcomes were compared between groups in all patients and in a well-matched subset. In all 35 patients received prior rituximab and 71 rituximab-naive patients were analyzed. The rituximab-naive group had a median overall survival (OS) that was not reached during follow-up, with a median relapse-free (RFS) survival of 49.9 months. The prior rituximab group also did not reach median OS and had a median RFS of 24.6 months. Survivals were not significantly different in this group or in the well-matched subset. In conclusion, these results suggest that the use of rituximab-based regimens for the treatment of FL does not compromise the effectiveness of HDT and ASCT as a salvage strategy in patients with FL.
Titanium nitride precipitation behavior in thin-slab cast high-strength low-alloy steels

To assess the potential for obtaining and utilizing titanium nitride (TiN) refinement via the increased postsolidification cooling rates associated with thin-slab casting, TiN particle size distributions were evaluated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) examination of carbon extraction replicas. Eight commercially produced thin-slab cast TiN steels, nominally 0.05 pct C, 1.2 pct Mn, and one conventionally cast steel were received. Thin slab samples were taken from three locations in the production process: quenched after casting before the tunnel furnace, quenched after tunnel furnace soaking, and the as-rolled and air-cooled final product. Effects of cooling rate were evident in the results and agree with previously documented behavior, where precipitate size decreases with increased cooling rate. Statistical differences in particle size between specimens from steels with different chemistries were shown. These variations result from differences in the driving force for precipitation, rates of coarsening, and differences in volume fraction due to changes in steel composition. The interaction of composition and processing, such as soaking in the tunnel furnace and rolling, was found to be important. For example, the hyperstoichiometric steel (excess Ti) exhibited fine TiN after casting and soaking, but dramatic coarsening after hot rolling. This behavior was attributed to deformation enhanced particle coarsening, or incomplete precipitation after soaking, followed by continued growth during subsequent processing.
Managing art?technology research collaborations

Several forms of art practices like digital, new media and installation art, use technology as a media for creative expressions. Artists are more adept at providing unique user experience in technology based art and entertainment. However, artists need technical help in producing technology-based art. In academic settings, collaborations between art and technology face several challenges due to differences in: the professional cultures and traditions; nature of professional training received; dominant personality types and cognitive styles of the practitioners; professional expectations; practice methods; difficulty in communication; institutional factors; paucity of appropriate project management methods and software tools. This article provides insights into: the psychology of creativity, impact of personalities, practice sub-domains, work methods, skills, several other relevant factors and issues. Finally, several short and long-range strategies are suggested regarding management of art?technology collaboration in academic research and education.
Atmospheric oxidation of flue gases from coal-fired power plants—A comparison between conventional and scrubbed plumes

Abstract A series of plume samples was taken by instrumented aircraft to determine atmospheric oxidation rates of flue gases from coal-fired power plants. This study was carried out at two of TVA's large power plants: Colbert Steam Plant, located in Pride, Alabama, a conventional power plant that burns high (3.7%) sulfur coal; and Widows Creek Steam Plant, located at Stevenson, Alabama, which generates 29% of its electrical power from a boiler that burns high (3.9%) sulfur coal but that is equipped with a wet limestone SO 2 scrubber. The average atmospheric oxidation rates at both sites were almost identical, indicating that the atmospheric oxidation rate is not significantly affected by the presence of a scrubber. The average morning rates for SO 4 = and NO 3 − formation for both the scrubbed and unscrubbed plumes were found to be 0.012 and 0.029 h −1 respectively. Rates larger by a factor of two were found for the afternoon measurements. For both parts of this study, the average rate for NO conversion to NO 2 was found to be 0.51 h −1 , and the rate for NO x removal was estimated to be 0.12 h −1 . On one day during the second part of this study (August 23, 1978), net O 3 production in the plume was observed. Net production of O 3 was attributed to the mixing of the power plant plume with a polluted airmass transported from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
An Ontology-based Service Model for Smart Infrastructure Design

As a fundamental building block of smart cities, smart infrastructure has been increasingly drawing attention in both academia and industry across the globe. Many research efforts have been directed toward models for smart city infrastructure and city service. The existing models focus on either general description for features and criteria of smart infrastructure, or domain-specific investigation in an ad-hoc way, which, for example, applies optimization to smart transportation and smart buildings. However, a general model optimally augmenting smart features into traditional infrastructure is not reported in the literature so far. We propose such a service model for smart infrastructure designers to fill this gap in two steps. A static ontology of the service model is firstly setup to identify a general framework of the underlying infrastructure expressed by a multi-agent system (MAS) and a dynamic ontology is then designed to manage informed decision-making between global and local scales inside the system. With this approach we can accomplish the design of specific smart infrastructures based on expected goals, availability of information, and the feasibility of implementation. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach we design and present two smart transportation systems as examples of this procedure. We also propose some future improvements of the service model.
Assessment of Choroidal Thickness in Healthy and Glaucomatous Eyes Using Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Author(s): Zhang, Chunwei; Tatham, Andrew J; Medeiros, Felipe A; Zangwill, Linda M; Yang, Zhiyong; Weinreb, Robert N | Abstract: PurposeTo evaluate choroidal thickness (CT) in healthy and glaucomatous eyes using Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT).MethodsA cross-sectional observational study of 216 eyes of 140 subjects with glaucoma and 106 eyes of 67 healthy subjects enrolled in the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study. CT was assessed from wide-field (12×9 mm) SS-OCT scans. The association between CT and potential confounding variables including age, gender, axial length, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness and ocular perfusion pressure was examined using univariable and multivariable regression analyses.ResultsOverall CT was thinner in glaucomatous eyes with a mean (± standard deviation) of 157.7±48.5 µm in glaucoma compared to 179.9±36.1 µm in healthy eyes (Pl0.001). The choroid was thinner in both the peripapillary and macular regions in glaucoma compared to controls. Mean peripapillary CT was 154.1±44.1 µm and 134.0±56.9 µm (Pl0.001) and macular CT 199.3±46.1 µm and 176.2±57.5 µm (Pl0.001) for healthy and glaucomatous eyes respectively. However, older age (Pl0.001) and longer axial length (Pl0.001) were also associated with thinner choroid and when differences in age and axial length between glaucomatous and healthy subjects were accounted for, glaucoma was not significantly associated with CT. There was also no association between glaucoma severity and CT.ConclusionsGlaucoma was not associated with CT measured using SS-OCT; however, older age and longer axial length were associated with thinner choroid so should be considered when interpreting CT measurements.
Adaptation of Cortical Collecting Duct (CCD) Beta Intercalated Cells(β-ICCs) to Metabolic Acidosis • 1824

Alpha and beta ICCs of the renal collecting duct play a significant role in the regulation of acid-base transport and both have previously been shown through functional studies to adapt under conditions of metabolic acidosis.β-ICCs secrete bicarbonate via an apical Cl-HCO3 exchanger and basolateral H+ pump. They are further characterized by two unique surface antigen markers -- an apical glycoprotein which binds peanut agglutinin (PNA) and one which binds monoclonal antibody (Mab) B63, a probe that we have previously shown inhibits Cl-HCO3 exchange (AJP 266: F901, 1994). β-ICCs adapt to metabolic acidosis by decreasing bicarbonate secretion. We hypothesize that the adaptation may involve cell surface remodeling of β-ICCs. Isolated CCDs from control and one day acid-fed rabbits were perfused with Mab B63 and two fluorescent probes (FITC-PNA and Texas Red coupled anti-mouse secondary antibody vs. Mab B63). After microperfusion of the CCDs, labeling of β-ICCs, and fixation in a 3D state, specimens were examined using fluorescence microscopy. PNA(+) and B63(+) cells exhibited coincident staining under control and acid-fed conditions. The pattern of staining resembled a cap when the cell's luminal surface was orthogonal to the plane of the camera. Cell surface area was assessed by measuring cap lengths. With acid treatment, the cap length decreased in both the PNA(+) cells (7.2 ± 0.3 μm, n=27 cells vs. 5.6± 0.3, n=14; p<0.01) and B63(+) cells (7.8 ± 0.3, n=33 vs. 5.6 ± 0.3, n=19; p<0.01). The number of PNA(+) cells per high power field identified in one focal plane of the tubule also decreased with acid treatment (5.6 ± 0.3 cells per field, n=17 fields vs. 3.7 ± 0.3, n=7; p<0.01) as did the number of B63(+) cells (6.1 ± 0.3, n=15 vs. 3.5 ± 0.7, n=8; p<0.01). Findings of decreased B63 staining with acid treatment were confirmed with immunocytochemistry on PLP fixed tissue sections. These studies indicate that the β-ICC adaptation to metabolic acidosis involves apical cell surface remodeling probably by endocytosis. The observed decrease in bicarbonate secretion with acidosis may be mediated by internalization of apical Cl-HCO3 exchangers or associated regulatory proteins. (Data reported as mean ± SEM.)
Interplay between estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) and gamma (ERRγ) on the regulation of ERRα gene expression

Estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) modulates estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated activity and is participating in the energy homeostasis by regulation of downstream target genes. The ERRalpha gene itself is proposed to be regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC-1alpha) through an autoregulatory loop under physiological stimulation. We have previously shown that the close family member ERRgamma is a positive regulator of ERRalpha gene expression. ERRalpha and ERRgamma are coexpressed in metabolically active tissues such as heart, kidney and muscle, yet the physiological role of ERRgamma and its relationship with ERRalpha in gene regulation are currently unknown. The present study examined the interplay of ERRgamma and ERRalpha in regulation of ERRalpha gene expression. Using real-time PCR analyses we found that ERRgamma, like the ERRalpha and PGC-1alpha is induced in mouse liver during fasting. Overexpression of ERRgamma in the HEC-1B cells robustly stimulated the multi-hormone response element (MHRE) of the ERRalpha gene promoter and this activity was repressed by increasing expression of ERRalpha. The two ERRs bind MHRE simultaneously in electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and they were detected as multimeric complexes in cells by coimmunoprecipitation. Although ERRalpha and ERRgamma share high sequence identity, they differ in biochemical and molecular characteristics as examined by trypsin digestion, reporter activation and coactivator interaction and utilization. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, we showed that ectopic expression of both ERRalpha and ERRgamma modifies chromatin structure at the MHRE region while ectopic expression of PGC-1alpha in HEC-1B cells promotes ERRgamma but not ERRalpha occupancy at the MHRE region of the ERRalpha gene promoter and enhances the recruitment of coactivator SRC1. These data suggested that ERRalpha and ERRgamma regulate ERRalpha gene expression with different molecular mechanisms.
Indications and Strategies for the Surgery of Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease (regional enteritis) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the intestinal tract of unknown causation. Although the disease may be present in any part of the digestive tract, most commonly Crohn’s disease affects the terminal ileum (with or without colonic involvement) or is manifested in the large bowel alone. In general, the following three main clinicalanatomic patterns of Crohn’s disease are recognized: small-bowel pattern, ileocolic pattern, and colonic (including rectum) Crohn’s disease. There seems to be value in using this type of classification because indications for surgery, operative procedures, and even recurrence rates have some variance depending on the pattern under consideration. Recurrent disease, discussed elsewhere in this issue, is the counterpoint to curb the clinician’s enthusiasm for recommending surgery for patients with Crohn’s disease. Although there may be some differences in the rates at which recurrences develop following surgery for specific anatomic patterns of disease, there is a high cumulative probability (50%) of reoperation in Crohn’s disease. This specter of recurrence looms large, then, in the considerations of the clinician before surgery is recommended. Surgical treatment, like medical treatment, is attended by complications to a greater or lesser extent, dependent mostly on severity of illness in the peri-preoperative phase as well. Even without complications, patients will experience a variety of symptoms postoperatively, such as flatulence, reduced stamina, abdom
Foliations of knot complements in the bicylinder boundary

In this expository paper, we shall analyze a particularly important class of examples of surfaces and hypersurfaces in Euclidean 4-space, namely those which arise by considering real 4-space as the space of twocomplex variablesz andw and by taking geometric loci of the formf(z,w)=0 or hypersurfaces associated with such loci. Such surfaces and hypersurfaces are important in the study of the singularities of algebraic curves, as described for example in the book of Milnor [3], and they have been used recently in the construction of foliations of the 3-dimensional sphere by Lawson [2]. The examples of this paper were first presented at the International Symposium of Dynamical Systems and Foliations at Salvador in the summer of 1971, and the author expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in that conference.
Deriving network topologies from real world constraints

Realistic network topologies are crucial for network research and are commonly used for the analysis, simulation, and evaluation of various mechanisms and protocols. In this paper, we discuss network topology models to generate physical topologies for backbone networks. In order to gain better understanding of current topologies and engineer networks for the future, it is necessary to generate realistic physical topologies that are governed by the infrastructure as opposed to only logical topologies that are governed by policy or higher-layer abstractions. The objective of this work is to present the principles that are key to node distributions of realistic topologies and the challenges involved. We argue that the dominant factors that influence the location of the PoPs are population density distribution and the technology penetration of a given region. Hence we implement a clustering algorithm to accurately predict the location of PoPs and later explore cost constrained models to generate realistic physical topologies.
Topical sodium nitrite for chronic leg ulcers in patients with sickle cell anaemia: a phase 1 dose-finding safety and tolerability trial

Summary Background Well-tolerated and effective treatments are needed for chronic leg ulcers in sickle cell anaemia. Topical sodium nitrite, a known nitric oxide donor, enhances blood flow in ulcers and has known bacteriostatic effects. We aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of topical sodium nitrite in patients with sickle cell disease and chronic leg ulcers. Methods We enrolled adult patients from an ambulatory clinic at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA) with sickle cell anaemia with leg ulcers (with a surface area of 2·5–100 cm 2 ) persisting for at least 4 weeks into a safety and tolerability phase 1 dose-escalation trial of topical sodium nitrite. Increasing concentrations of sodium nitrite cream were applied twice weekly for 4 weeks to one ulcer per patient at five dose levels (0·5%, 1%, 1·5%, 1·8%, and 2%). The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability, with secondary endpoints of pharmacokinetics, blood flow, and wound healing. Pain relief was analysed post hoc. Endpoints were analysed over time for the whole study population and according to dose level. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01316796. Findings Between April 4, 2011, and March 19, 2013, we enrolled 18 adult patients with sickle cell anaemia and leg ulcers into our trial. We assigned three patients into each cohort, and each cohort was treated with a different concentration of sodium nitrite cream (cohort 1: 0·5%, cohort 2: 1·0%, cohort 3: 1·5%, and cohort 4: 2·0%). Patients were not enrolled into the next cohort dose until we were able to establish that no dose-limiting toxicities were observed. An additional six patients were enrolled to cohort 3a: 1·8%, after two patients in cohort 4 had asymptomatic drops in diastolic blood pressure. No grade 3–4 adverse events were observed, and there were no serious adverse events or dose-limiting side-effects. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that systemic absorption of sodium nitrite was very low. Application of topical sodium nitrite was associated with a significant increase in peri-wound cutaneous blood flow measured by laser speckle contrast imaging (p=0·0002), corroborated by increased peri-wound skin temperature by infrared thermography (p=0·0119). We recorded a dose-dependent decrease in leg ulcer size (p=0·0012) and pain (p Interpretation Our results indicate that topical sodium nitrite 2% cream is suitable for additional clinical trials in adults with sickle cell anaemia to promote healing of leg ulcers. Funding National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Division of Intramural Research (National Institutes of Health).
Some problems in market distribution

Lack of systematic study of market distribution. Emphasis on production explained by economic causes. Importance of a better organization of market distribution, 703. — Complexity of the problem facing the distributer. Consumer's surplus. Bearing on the distributer's problem, 707. — Selling at the market minus, selling at the market, and selling at the market plus, 712. — Social justification of the differentiation of commodities: Importance of trade-marking, 718. — Methods of sale: sale in bulk; sale by sample; sale by description, 721. — Available agencies for selling: middlemen, producers' salesmen, and advertising, direct and general, 723. — Emergence and rise in importance of the middleman. Modern tendency to decrease number of successive middlemen, 725. — Analysis of the functions of the middleman: sharing the risk, transporting the goods, financing the operations, selling or communication of ideas about the goods, and assembling, assorting, and re-shipping. Development of functional middlemen. Advantages of direct selling in some industries. Present day importance of the direct selling in some industries. Present day importance of the middleman, 731. — The producer's salesman as an agency in distribution, 740. — Advertising as an agency in distribution: relation to sale by description; relation to trade-marking; analysis of classes of demand created by advertising, 742. — Social waste in distribution. Practical problem of distributer, 746. — Analysis of market into geographic sections and economic and social strata, 749. — Laboratory study of distribution, 754. — Wide application of such method of study, 758. — Possibility of better organization of distribution, 763.
Doxorubicin toxicity in the Iron Age

Anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin, are cardiotoxic. Their administration may result in a refractory form of heart failure; the mechanism is imperfectly defined, although altered intracellular iron metabolism appears to play a role. In this issue, Corna et al. investigated the notion that iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) might mediate doxorubicin toxicity [1]. They gave doxorubicin to wild-type and IRP1 gene-deficient mice. The mice down-regulated iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2) but got sick anyway. The authors conclude that doxorubicin toxicity occurs independently of IRB1. Their precise electrophoretic mobility shift assays, Western blots, Northern blot analyses, oxidative stress estimates, and brain natriuretic peptide read-outs convince the hardened basic scientist, not to mention the naive clinician. In terms of doxorubicin toxicity, we remain the oxen standing in front of the mountain; we have not gotten very much smarter. However, perhaps we clinicians, who after all must prescribe the anthracyclines, should have another look at doxorubicin toxicity, the IRP molecules, and their function. [beginning of text]
A Strategy To Pursue in Selecting a Natural Antifoulant: A Perspective

With the ban of tributyl tin and its analogs and the fact that copper and its derivatives are under legislative pressure, we must consider alternatives for the control of biofouling. So-called fouling-release coatings are one potential solution, but they do not control microfouling well. Compounds derived from macrobiota that appear to be fouling-free appear to be suitable molecules for investigation as components of antifouling coatings. If a molecule is to be active against a variety of organisms, it is important that it inhibit some universal metabolic process. Ideally, such a molecule would interfere with the surface sensing process itself and the events that result from the reception of that signal. Cell signaling in all eukaryotes is mediated by changes in the internal Ca2+ concentration. Therefore, a molecule that interferes with Ca-mediated events would be an ideal candidate to inhibit cellular adhesion and thus fouling. Using an image analysis-directed assay with diatoms and Ca-fluorophores to detect Ca fluxes, we report how 2-n-pentyl-4-quinolinol, D-600,and trans, trans-2,4-decadienal influence diatom adhesion and motility. All three molecules show activity as antifoulants.
Traps and Trapping Techniques for Adult Mosquito Control

An overview is presented of the recent advancements in research activities conducted to evaluate mosquito traps, insecticide-impregnated targets baited with combinations of attractants, and strategies for using mass trapping techniques for adult mosquito population management. Technologies that use semiochemicals (attractants), traps and targets, and mass trapping are relatively new for management of adult mosquito populations. To date, emphasis has been placed primarily on developing barriers of attractant-baited and insecticide-impregnated targets. The most successful continuous use of this type of technology has been at Stevens' Landing, Collier County, Florida. Recently, commercially available traps have been evaluated for their ability to reduce nuisance populations of mosquitoes. Whereas use of Mosquito MagnetTM Pro (MM-Pro) traps along a nature trail on an isolated island (Atsena Otie) in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in a significant reduction in annoyance caused by the black salt-marsh mosquito, Ochlerotatus taeniorhynchus (Wied.), a perimeter of the same traps did not result in the same level of mosquito reduction in a residential area in Gainesville, FL.
Epithelial-mesenchymal signaling during the regionalization of the chick gut

The development of the vertebrate gut requires signaling between the endoderm and mesoderm for establishing its normal anteroposterior (AP) axis and for tissue-specific differentiation. Factors implicated in positional specification of the AP regions of the gut include endodermally expressed Sonic hedgehog (Shh), mesodermally expressed Bmp4 and members of the Hox gene family. We have investigated the roles of these factors during AP regional specification of the chick embryonic gut. Early in gut development, the endoderm sends inductive signals to the mesoderm. Shh has been implicated as one of these signals. We find a differential response to exposure of the inductive influence of Shh along the AP axis of the gut. Virally mediated misexpression of Shh results in ectopic upregulation of its receptor Ptc and a cellular proliferation throughout the gut mesoderm. Although ectopic Shh can induce Bmp4 in the mesoderm of the midgut and hindgut, Bmp4 is not induced in the stomach region of the foregut. The stomach region has a thicker layer of mesoderm than the rest of the gut suggesting that the normal function of Bmp4 could be to limit mesodermal growth in the non-stomach regions of the gut. Ectopic Bmp4 expression in the stomach results in a reduction of the mesodermal component consistent with this hypothesis. In addition to the regional restriction on Bmp4 induction, Shh can only induce Hoxd-13 in the mesoderm of the hindgut. These findings suggest that a prepattern exists in the primitive gut mesoderm prior to expression of Shh in the endoderm. The gut mesoderm is subsequently responsible for inducing region-specific differentiation of its overlying endoderm. We tested the role of Hoxd-13, normally restricted in its mesodermal expression to the most posterior region of the hindgut (cloaca), in controlling adjacent endodermal differentiation. When virally mediated Hoxd-13 is misexpressed in the primitive midgut mesoderm, there is a transformation of the endoderm to the morphology and mucin content of the hindgut. Thus, the positionally restricted expression of a Hox gene in the gut mesoderm influences the inductive signaling that leads to regionally specific differentiation of gut endoderm.
Increasing Tootling: The Effects of a Peer-Monitored Group Contingency Program on Students' Reports of Peers' Prosocial Behaviors.

In most educational ecologies, attention and consequences are focused on inappropriate behavior. Often students observe and report peers' antisocial behavior (i.e., tattle) and teachers investigate and consequent (i.e., punish) those behaviors. In the current study, a withdrawal design was used to investigate a corollary system. Fourth-grade students were trained to observe and report peers' prosocial behaviors (i.e., tootle), and interdependent group contingencies and public posting were used to reinforce those reports. Although the first intervention phase showed much variability, subsequent phases showed that an intervention composed of public posting and interdependent group contingencies increased prosocial behavior reports. Results are discussed in terms of using this system to increase student and teacher awareness of and reinforcement for incidental prosocial behaviors.
The Impact of Participant Characteristics, Perceived Motives, and Job Behaviors on Co‐Workers' Evaluations of Workplace Romances1

Using a policy capturing approach, we examined the importance that observers placed on 7 different factors when evaluating workplace romances. Nearly half the explained variation in observers' evaluations of workplace romances was accounted for by participants' marital status. Participants' organizational status relative to one another was also important in explaining the variation. A series of nomothetic analyses indicated that workplace romance participants' marital status, academic status, motive for entry into the relationship, and job performance affected observers' evaluations of these relationships. Observers' level of prior involvement in a workplace romance was also significantly related to a number of variables. Results suggest that when evaluating workplace romances, observers place the greatest importance on the personal characteristics of participants. Ramifications for policy formation are discussed.
Projection of Summer Precipitation over the Southeastern United States in the Superparameterized CCSM4

AbstractProjections of the hydrological cycle over the southeastern United States are compared between CCSM4 and the superparameterized model (SP-CCSM4). Under the extreme forcing of the representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) climate change scenario, in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky, SP-CCSM4 projects a decrease in summer precipitation, whereas the conventionally parameterized CCSM4 projects an increase in summer rainfall. The projected reduction in summer precipitation in SP-CCSM4 is due to the remote influence from the northwest intrusion of the North Atlantic subtropical high, as well as the local decrease of soil moisture content. Both models show that summer precipitation over the southern United States is characterized by a positive feedback with soil moisture. However, in CCSM4 rainfall increases with increasing soil moisture and in SP-CCSM4 rainfall decreases with decreasing soil moisture.The different representation of cloud processes in the two models yields d...
Object-oriented technology for enhancing activity-based modeling functionality

Computer simulation is a powerful tool for analyzing and optimizing real-world systems with a wide range of successful applications. However, construction engineers have difficulty in mastering such techniques, particularly in modeling a construction process because existing simulation modeling methods require the user to manipulate many modeling elements in order to construct a simulation model for the process. The activity-based construction (ABC) modeling method provides an easy-to-use approach with one single element, e.g., activity, for modeling a construction process. This paper discusses the integration of object-oriented technology with ABC. The object-oriented technology allows each activity contain six classes of attributes describing the characteristics of the activity including duration, logical sequence, resource requirement, etc. These attributes are relevant to individual activities, and can be easily understood by an engineer who is familiar with the process. After incorporating these attributes, powerful modeling and simulation functions are realized. The integration greatly enhances the capability of ABC so that the enhanced ABC system has achieved both flexibility and ease-of-use essential for a construction simulation system.