cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experiences with managing student software projects using the internet

Declining funding sources for courseware creates problems for providing adequate technology in the classroom for many institutions [1], [3]. In addition, the changing nature of the student population and the increased use of distance learning courses require new approaches to course delivery and control [7]. The use of the Internet as a project management environment provides the potential to solve some of the problems with existing methods for managing software projects. This paper describes experiences in the use of readily available Web-based technologies as an effective and economical alternative to a commercial, network-based project management environment to manage software and other computer-related projects in an educational setting.
Methionine oxidation contributes to bacterial killing by the myeloperoxidase system of neutrophils

Reactive oxygen intermediates generated by neutrophils kill bacteria and are implicated in inflammatory tissue injury, but precise molecular targets are undefined. We demonstrate that neutrophils use myeloperoxidase (MPO) to convert methionine residues of ingested Escherichia coli to methionine sulfoxide in high yield. Neutrophils deficient in individual components of the MPO system (MPO, H2O2, chloride) exhibited impaired bactericidal activity and impaired capacity to oxidize methionine. HOCl, the principal physiologic product of the MPO system, is a highly efficient oxidant for methionine, and its microbicidal effects were found to correspond linearly with oxidation of methionine residues in bacterial cytosolic and inner membrane proteins. In contrast, outer envelope proteins were initially oxidized without associated microbicidal effect. Disruption of bacterial methionine sulfoxide repair systems rendered E. coli more susceptible to killing by HOCl, whereas over-expression of a repair enzyme, methionine sulfoxide reductase A, rendered them resistant, suggesting a direct role for methionine oxidation in bactericidal activity. Prominent among oxidized bacterial proteins were those engaged in synthesis and translocation of peptides to the cell envelope, an essential physiological function. Moreover, HOCl impaired protein translocation early in the course of bacterial killing. Together, our findings indicate that MPO-mediated methionine oxidation contributes to bacterial killing by neutrophils. The findings further suggest that protein translocation to the cell envelope is one important pathway targeted for damage.
A framework for advanced video traces: evaluating visual quality for video transmission over lossy networks

Conventional video traces (which characterize the video encoding frame sizes in bits and frame quality in PSNR) are limited to evaluating loss-free video transmission. To evaluate robust video transmission schemes for lossy network transport, generally experiments with actual video are required. To circumvent the need for experiments with actual videos, we propose in this paper an advanced video trace framework. The two main components of this framework are (i) advanced video traces which combine the conventional video traces with a parsimonious set of visual content descriptors, and (ii) quality prediction schemes that based on the visual content descriptors provide an accurate prediction of the quality of the reconstructed video after lossy network transport. We conduct extensive evaluations using a perceptual video quality metric as well as the PSNR in which we compare the visual quality predicted based on the advanced video traces with the visual quality determined from experiments with actual video. We find that the advanced video trace methodology accurately predicts the quality of the reconstructed video after frame losses.
Pricing Eurodollar futures options with the Ho and Lee and Black, Derman, and Toy models: An empirical comparison

This article compares empirically the Ho and Lee (1986) and Black, Derman, and Toy (1990) discrete-time debt option pricing models in the pricing of Eurodollar futures options over the period from March 1997 through February 1998 using daily data. The results indicate that both models performed well. The average absolute pricing errors over the sample period were less than one tick (0.01) in every case. The Black, Derman, and Toy model slightly outperformed the Ho and Lee model in the pricing of in-the-money call options and out-of-the-money put options over the period studied. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 19: 291–306, 1999
A method for constructing message systems for smooth performance functions

Abstract This paper examines the information content associated with any smooth, explicitly determined allocation function or performance function. The information content is characterized by the type of admitted privacy preserving message networks which implement the performance function (in the sense introduced by L. Hurwicz) and which belong to a specified class. A method is developed which provides the necessary and sufficient conditions which are satisfied by any admissible message network. This can be viewed as providing an alternative approach and extending the theory developed by L. Hurwicz, S. Reiter and D. Saari. Examples are provided to illustrate how these conditions can be used to obtain impossibility theorems and to construct message networks.
Velocity Profiles in Repulsive Athermal Systems under Shear

We conduct molecular dynamics simulations of athermal systems undergoing boundary-driven planar shear flow in two and three spatial dimensions. We find that these systems possess nonlinear mean velocity profiles when the velocity $u$ of the shearing wall exceeds a critical value ${u}_{c}$. Above ${u}_{c}$, we also show that the packing fraction and mean-square velocity profiles become spatially dependent with dilation and enhanced velocity fluctuations near the moving boundary. In systems with overdamped dynamics, ${u}_{c}$ is only weakly dependent on packing fraction $\ensuremath{\phi}$. However, in systems with underdamped dynamics, ${u}_{c}$ is set by the speed of shear waves in the material and tends to zero as $\ensuremath{\phi}$ approaches ${\ensuremath{\phi}}_{c}$, which is near random close packing at small damping. For underdamped systems with $\ensuremath{\phi}l{\ensuremath{\phi}}_{c}$, ${u}_{c}$ is zero; thus they possess nonlinear velocity profiles at any nonzero $u$.
Derivation of the Skyrme-Witten lagrangian from QCD

Abstract A derivation of the Skyrme-Witten lagrangian from the QCD action is presented. The chiral field is identified with the phases of the left- and right-handed quarks and its action is derived by integrating over the fermion modulu those phases. This integration is effected by gauging the chiral symmetry through the introduction of pure-gauge fields operating on the flavor indices. As a result, an identification of the parameters of the SW lagrangian with QCD correlation functions is made.
On the growth kinetics of ferrite plates and allotriomorphs in high-nickel FeCNi alloys

On recalcule les donnees de Rao et Winchell sur la cinetique d'allongement des plaquettes de ferrite/bainite a 400 C dans Fe-C-10,2% at. Ni: en utilisant le traitement de Trivedi et l'approche de Trivedi-Pound
An educational exercise examining the role of model attributes on the creation and alteration of CAD models

Computer-aided design (CAD) is a ubiquitous tool that today's students will be expected to use proficiently for numerous engineering purposes. Taking full advantage of the features available in modern CAD programs requires that models are created in a manner that allows others to easily understand how they are organized and alter them in an efficient and robust manner. The results of a class-based exercise are presented to examine the role of model attributes on model creation, alteration, and student perception. Two popular CAD programs are used for the exercise: SolidWorks and Pro|Engineer. General results from both programs are reported. Fewer more complex features are found to be correlated with reduced modeling time. Simple features are shown to be positively correlated with the number of features retained without change. More complex features are found to be negatively correlated with the number of new features. Student perceptions of model quality and intuitiveness are positively correlated with the amount of feature reuse. Student survey data shows a preference for simpler features, the naming of features, and the use of reference geometry. The results do not allow for a generic approach regarding feature complexity to be prescribed. Overall, properly conveying design intent is shown to be positively correlated with design retention and negatively correlated with alteration time.
Fatigue, countermeasures, and performance enhancement in resident physicians.

To the Editor: While reviewing the November edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, I read the article by Drs Steven Rose and Timothy Curry1 regarding residents' fatigue and the medication armodafinil to improve performance, minimize risk of medical errors, and allow residents to work long shifts without feeling sleep deprived. Being a third-year resident in internal medicine, I have worked 30 hours continuously and have committed medical errors due to fatigue and sleep deprivation. Therefore, I understand the rationale for trying to find means by which residents can cope with both fatigue and sleep deprivation and, if possible, eliminate errors and poor patient outcomes. However, as a physician, above all, I bear in mind the Hippocratic oath: First, do no harm. I strongly think that the authors are suggesting that this ethical law be broken, by harming residents both physically and mentally. They think that using medications to stimulate the release of neuromediators during normal sleep cycle would increase performance of residents, most likely without major adverse effects, and that this could be an appropriate strategy to enhance learning, training, and overall performance. I feel insulted as a physician, a scientist, and a human being by the violence encrypted in that statement. I fear that our humanitarian qualities have been lost. Residents are human beings, and even though they are in training, they are not experimental subjects under a fascist regime. Nobody can expect a physician to use a sleep suppressant and an attention stimulant to perform better under any conditions. As physicians, we counsel our patients who use illegal stimulants to stop such “abuse;” now the authors are proposing that physician residents become drug users. If resident training with a 16-hour call model is inadequate, the duration of residency can be increased to 4 or even 5 years. Since attending physicians do not have an hourly limit or a cap, physicians should press the Federal Government to pass a law to make their work hours more manageable. With this approach, residents would work the same hours after graduating from their residency program, and their quality of life would improve. This would not push physicians to use stimulants or other substances in order to tolerate the stress of the work hours, and this would definitely increase the time and the quality of that time spent with the physician's family and overall satisfaction. Finally, I think that instead of moving backward, allowing residents to use stimulants to compensate for their fatigue, a policy should be instituted that respects the dignity and promotes the independence of all human beings; with this approach, such intense fatigue would not be a problem. This policy should respect the personality of the physician, during and after training. Such a policy should oversee the working hours and duties of both attending physicians and residents, in all specialties and training levels, and should strictly follow the Institute of Medicine recommendations.
The effect of mining on the sediment - trace element geochemistry of cores from the Cheyenne River arm of Lake Oahe, South Dakota, U.S.A.

Abstract Six cores, ranging in length from 1 to 2 m, were collected in the Cheyenne River arm of Lake Oahe, South Dakota, to investigate potential impacts from gold-mining operations around Lead, South Dakota. Sedimentation rates in the river arm appear to be event-dominated and rapid, on the order of 6–7 cm yr.−1. All the chemical concentrations in the core samples fall within the wide ranges previously reported for the Pierre Shale of Cretaceous age and with the exception of As, generally are similar to bed sediment levels in the Cheyenne River, Lake Oahe and Foster Bay. Based on the downcore distribution of Mn, it appears that reducing conditions exist in the sediment column of the river arm below 2–3 cm. The reducing conditions do not appear to be severe enough to produce differentiation of Fe and Mn throughout the sediment column in the river arm. Cross-correlations for high-level metal-bearing strata within the sediment column can be made for several strata and for several cores; however, cross-correlations for all the high-level metal-bearing strata are not feasible. As is the only element which appears enriched in the core samples compared to surface sediment levels. Well-crystallized arsenopyrite was found in high-As bearing strata from two cores and probably was transported in that form from reducing sediment-storage sites in the banks or floodplains of Whitewood Creek and the Belle Fourche River. It has not oxidized due to the reducing conditions in the sediment column of the Cheyenne River arm. Some As may also be transported in association with Fe- and Mn-oxides and -hydroxides, remobilized under the reducing conditions in the river arm, and then reprecipitated in authigenic sulfide phases. In either case, the As appears to be relatively immobile in the sediment column.
Lumen-loaded paper pulp: Mechanism of filler-to-fibre bonding

Abstract The effects of various additives to the impregnation stage of the lumen-loading procedure have been studied. For all treatments considered, the lumen surface remained negatively charged. A high level of loading of well-bonded filler was found to be associated with conditions leading to a positive charge on the filler. A low level of loading of weakly-bonded filler was associated with a negative charge on the filler. The findings are in agreement with the bonding mechanism being a combination of electrostatic and van der Waals forces as described by the DLVO theory. For a series of titanium dioxide pigments, the electrostatic charge most favourable to lumen loading was found to be developed under distinctly acidic conditions with, for some fillers, the addition of an optimum amount of aluminum sulphate. Alkaline conditions and also the addition of an anionic dispersant were found to develop a more negative charge on the filler particles and so reduce lumen loading. High concentrations of electrolyte (sodium chloride) had a screening effect and thus reduced the effectiveness of any electrostatic forces whether these were attractive or repulsive in nature.
H-enrichments of Topologies

Abstract An H-enrichment of a topology T on a set X is a topology L on X such that L ⊇ T and every homeomorphism from X to itself with respect to T is also a homeomorphism with respect to L . An H-enrichment is a C-enrichment if “homeomorphism” can be replaced by “continuous function” above. Generally in “nice” spaces, there is a scarcity of C-enrichments and an abundance of H-enrichments. We capitalize on the scarcity of C-enrichments to prove classification theorems for minimally free rings of continuous real-valued functions; with H-enrichments in general, we focus on separation and connectedness axioms.
Polypeptide translocation machinery of the yeast endoplasmic reticulum.

Proteins enter the secretory pathway by two general routes. In one, the complete polypeptide is made in the cytoplasm and held in an incompletely folded state by chaperoning adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) such as hsp70. InSaccharomyces cerevisiae, fully synthesized secretory precursors engage the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by interaction with a set of Sec proteins comprising the polypeptide translocation apparatus (Sec61p, Sec62p, Sec63p, Sec71p, Sec72p). Productive interaction requires displacement of hsp70 from the precursor, a reaction that is facilitated by Ydj1p, a homologue of theEscherichia coli DnaJ protein. Both DnaJ and Ydj1p regulate chaperone activity by stimulating the ATPase activity of their respective hsp70 partners (E. coli DnaK andS. cerevisiae Ssa1p, resepectively). In the ER lumen, another hsp70 chaperone, BiP, binds ATP and interacts with the ER membrane via its contact with a peptide loop of Sec63p. This loop represents yet another DnaJ homologue in that it contains a region of ∼70 residue similarity to the ‘J box’, the most conserved region of the DnaJ family of proteins. In the presence of ATP, under conditions in which BiP can bind to Sec63p, the secretory precursor passes from the cytosol into the lumen through a membrane channel formed by Sec61 p. A second route to the membrane pore that is used by many other secretory precursors, particularly in mammalian cells, requires that the polypeptide engage the ER membrane as the nascent chain emerges from the ribosome. Such cotranslational translocation bypasses the need for certain Sec proteins, instead utilizing an alternate set of cytosolic and membrane factors that allows the nascent chain to be inserted directly into the Sec61p channel.
Mechanism of the increase in intracellular sodium during metabolic inhibition: Direct evidence against mediation by voltage-dependent sodium channels

Abstract During ischemia or metabolic inhibition, intracellular Na + concentration ([Na + ] i ) increases considerably. Elevation of [Na + ] i figures critically in the mechanism of cellular injury by promoting Ca 2+ influx via the Na + Ca 2+ exchanger, but the exact mechanism of this intracellular Na + accumulation remains unknown. To test directly the hypothesis that voltage-dependent Na + channels are involved, we measured Na + currents ( I Na ) in isolated guinea-pig ventricular myocytes using the patch-clamp technique. The cell-attached configuration was used in order to avoid disturbing the intracellular milieu. Metabolic inhibition was induced by exposing the cells to either iodoacetate (IAA, 1 m m ) to inhibit glycolysis or 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP, 0.2 m m ) to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation. The amplitude of I Na was measured in multichannel patches before and during exposure to IAA or DNP, by depolarizing the cell to different membrane potentials from a holding potential of −135 mV. Analysis of current-voltage relations before and during metabolic inhibition revealed a modest but significant reduction of peak I Na at test potentials positive to −40 mV with DNP; no change was observed with IAA. The voltage dependence of steady-state parameters of inactivation was not altered by either intervention; specifically, no steady-state (“window”) current was induced. Although we cannot exclude the possibility that other factors not explored here might lead to different conclusions during genuine ischemia, metabolic inhibition alone does not up-regulate the function of Na + channels. Thus, we conclude that other mechanisms underlie the accumulation of intracellular Na + observed during metabolic inhibition.
Condition of trucks and truck crash involvement: Evidence from the large truck crash causation study

This study, using the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS), examined the relationship between the mechanical condition of heavy trucks and crash involvement. Two specific hypotheses were tested. First, trucks with defects and out-of-service (OOS) conditions were statistically more likely to be in the role of precipitating a crash than trucks with no defects or OOS conditions. Second, defects in specific systems, such as the brake system, were associated with crash roles in which those systems were primary mechanisms for avoiding the crash and physical mechanisms that link the vehicle defect with the crash role. Post-crash inspections showed that the condition of the trucks in the LTCCS was poor. Almost 55% of the vehicles had one or more mechanical violations. Almost 30% had at least one OOS condition. Of mechanical systems, violations in the brake system (36% of all) and the lighting system (19%) were the most frequent. Both driver and vehicle factors were found to contribute to crashes. A brake OOS...
Rheb fills a GAP between TSC and TOR

There has been much interest in determining the molecular and cellular functions of hamartin and tuberin, which are encoded by the genes TSC1 and TSC2 that are mutated in the tuberous sclerosis complex disease. Recently, several laboratories have independently reported a major breakthrough in this field. Together, these genetic, biochemical and cell-biological studies have demonstrated that the tuberin-hamartin complex inhibits target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling by acting as a GTPase-activating protein for the Ras-related small G protein Rheb.
SERUM CHANGES FOLLOWING KAOLIN INJECTIONS STUDIES ON FERMENT ACTION. XXV.

1. The intoxication produced by the intravenous injection of inert substances such as kaolin is due to protein split products derived from the serum proteins. 2. The kaolin acts as an adsorbing medium for the serum antiferment, bringing about an alteration in the ferment-antiferment balance. 3. The intoxication is accompanied by an increase in serum protease, and of proteoses. 4. The serum lipase, the amino-acids, and the total non-coagulable nitrogen show relatively little change. 5. The antiferment shows an initial increase, followed by a loss.
Neuronal uptake inhibitors, nisoxetine and fluoxetine on rat vascular contractions

Abstract The importance of neuronal uptake processes in rat arteries and veins was compared using nisoxetine and fluoxetine, selective inhibitors for neuronal uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin, respectively. Nisoxetine (10−7–10−5 M) increased the sensitivity to exogenous norepinephrine in the portal and mesenteric veins (10-fold) and in the mesenteric artery (2.5-fold). Responses to field stimulation were also increased after nisoxetine in all three vessels. After nisoxetine, aortic responses to norepinephrine were unaltered and in all tissues, serotonin-induced contractions were reduced. Fluoxetine did not potentiate responses to norepinephrine or to field stimulation except in the mesenteric vein where sensitivity to norepinephrine was increased and the relaxation rate after field stimulation was prolonged. Although serotonin has been detected in blood vessels, fluoxetine did not increase vascular responses to serotonin. These studies suggest that rat mesenteric veins have a highly sensitive neuronal uptake mechanism for norepinephrine. Furthermore, these data provide indirect evidence against a functionally important serotonergic uptake process in rat blood vessels and suggest that neuronal uptake of serotonin does not exert a major role in terminating the vascular action of this biogenic amine.
Exaggeration of Wind Conditions in Hurricane Floyd and Other Tropical Cyclones

In recent years the United States has developed a number of networks of automatic weather stations producing data accessible via the Internet and, in may cases, also by telephone. In September 1999 the passage of Hurricane Floyd up the East Coast of the United States was monitored by many of these stations. In this paper wind speed reports are compared with the statements issued by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), paying particular attention to those areas experiencing “hurricane-force” conditions. Considerable differences are found between the statements of wind conditions issued by the NHC and reports from official recording stations, the NHC often grossly overstating the severity of the conditions. Similar situations in other recent tropical cyclones are also cited. Recommendations are made for changes in the NHC’s practices to avoid such situations occurring in the future.
Transcatheter device closure of interatrial septal defects in patients with hypoxia.

Background: There has been growing interest in transcatheter closure of interatrial septal defects (IASDs) for a variety of indications, but reports are limited in patients with hypoxia from right-to-left shunting. Methods: Between August 2000 and October 2004, 181 patients were referred to our institution for elective closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) or atrial septal defect (ASD). Among these patients, 10 (5.5%) underwent closure for hypoxia due to persistent or intermittent right-to-left shunting. Clinical evaluation, including echocardiography with color Doppler and agitated saline, was performed in all patients to determine the degree of right-to-left shunting. Defects were closed with Amplatzer (n = 4) or Cardioseal (n = 6) devices, under transesophageal (TEE) or intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) guidance. Results: Mean age was 62.7 years (range: 31–88 years) with 70% female. Characteristics for closure included four patients with persistent hypoxia and six with intermittent hypoxia, including two with platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome. All patients had echocardiography showing moderate (n = 6) or severe (n = 4) shunting. Patients had significant comorbidities, including chronic lung disease requiring supplemental oxygen (n = 5) and congestive heart failure (n = 2). TEE guidance was used in three patients, and ICE was performed in the remainder. Mean closure device diameter was 27 mm. Mean preprocedural arterial oxygen saturation of 86.7% improved to 95.9% immediately after closure, with color Doppler and agitated saline revealing the absence of (n = 5) or mild (n = 5) shunting. In-hospital major complications were limited to one patient with a transient ischemic attack after an initially unsuccessful closure attempt. Conclusions: Percutaneous closure of IASDs in a heterogeneous group of patients with hypoxia can be safely and effectively performed. The procedure results in immediate arterial saturation improvement and reduced right-to-left shunting.
Gamma-gamma directional correlations in 140Ce

Abstract Directional correlation measurements have been performed on six γ-ray pairs occurring in the de-excitation of 140 Ce. Of these, two are 1–3 correlations with an unobserved intermediate γ-ray. Both NaI(T1)-Ge(Li) and Ge(Li)-Ge(Li) detector systems were used. The following mixing ratios were deduced for the 329, 433, 487, 752, 816 and 868 keV transitions: δ (329; D , Q ) = 0.018±0.007, δ (433; D , Q ) = 0.36 ±0.02 or −0.14±0.03, δ (487; Q , O ) = −0.002±0.007, δ (752; D , Q ) = −0.33 ±0.03, δ (816; D , Q ) = 0.031±0.005, −0.09 δ (868; D , Q )
Confirmation and qualitative evidence-instances: justifying the use of qualitative research methods

This article is a preliminary attempt in outlining the directions for a new approach in confirming qualitative research findings. The basic argument is that traditional Confirmation Theory may be applied to establish a firmer epistemological foundation for the acceptance of hypotheses within qualitative-ethnographic research. While all aspects of Confirmation Theory are not applicable to the qualitative case, because the probability calculus is not used in qualitative studies, the basic logical framework of this theory, nevertheless, may be utilized to establish the credibility of qualitative findings. It is argued, therefore, that qualitative research findings, as they bear on the confirmation issue, may be properly considered as a sub-set of traditional Confirmation Theory. To do this, however, requires the development of certain justification rules unique to qualitative research. Some of these rules are developed, and an attempt is made to show how they conform to Hempel's classic development of confirmation.
Experience with integrating a filmless PACS into an emergency department

The University of Pennsylvania Radiology Department is moving towards having a 'Filmless' Emergency Department (ED). Different modalities like computed radiography (CR), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) together with the IDXRad Radiology Information System (RIS) have been integrated into a centralized PACS. ED radiologists can view studies simultaneously from one of many four-monitor diagnostic workstations using various unread study worklists with patient demographics and examination details, along with prior images and reports. ED clinicians can immediately view the diagnostic quick readings, preliminary and final reports.
Dependency among alcoholic and non-alcoholic institutionalized patients.

Relationships among alcoholism, length of hospitalization and 2 measures of dependency were studied in hospitalized tuberculous patients. While the alcoholic group was somewhat more dependent than the non-alcoholic group, the 2 measures of dependency were relatively unrelated.
Protecting against rare event failures in archival systems

Digital archives are growing rapidly, necessitating stronger reliability measures than RAID to avoid data loss from device failure. Mirroring, a popular solution, is too expensive over time. We present a compromise solution that uses multi-level redundancy coding to reduce the probability of data loss from multiple simultaneous device failures. This approach handles small-scale failures of one or two devices efficiently while still allowing the system to survive rare-event, larger-scale failures of four or more devices. In our approach, each disk is split into a set of fixed size disklets which are used to construct reliability stripes. To protect against rare event failures, reliability stripes are grouped into larger super-groups, each of which has a corresponding super-parity; super-parity is only used to recover data when disk failures overwhelm the redundancy in a single reliability stripe. Super-parity can be stored on a variety of devices such as NV-RAM and always-on disks to offset write bottlenecks while still keeping the number of active devices low. Our calculations of failure probabilities show that adding super-parity allows our system to absorb many more disk failures without data loss. Through discrete event simulation, we found that adding super-groups has a significant impact on mean time to data loss and that rebuilds are slow but not unmanageable. Finally, we showed that robustness against rare events can be achieved for a fraction of total system cost.
LIPASE RELEASE FROM LYSOSOMES OF RAINBOW TROUT (Salmo gairdneri) MUSCLE SUBJECTED TO LOW TEMPERATURES

Lysosomal lipases of the dark lateral line muscle of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) had pH optima of 4.2–4.5 and 7.8. The acid lipase was chosen for further study. Presence of Triton X-100 in the reaction mixture enhanced the activity of the acid lipase. Fasting the fish for 24 and 72 hr prior to sacrifice resulted in higher acid lipase activities. Lysosomal preparations contained 60% of the acid lipase of the dark lateral line muscle. Storage on ice and fast and intermediate rates of freezing did not cause the release of acid lipase from the lysosomes. However, slow freezing and fluctuation of temperatures (−12° to −3.5° for 96 hr) of the frozen fillets resulted m appreciable release of the acid lipase from lysosomes. During frozen storage most of the release of acid lipase from the lysosomal fraction occurred within the first month of storage. Lower storage temperatures decreased the rate of acid lipase release from the lysosomal fraction.
Racial differences in the interaction between family history and risk factors associated with diabetes in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 1999-2004.

Purpose: We sought to determine whether the association between family history, a surrogate for genetic predisposition, and diabetes was modified by any known diabetes risk factors and if these relationships were constant across different ethnic groups. Methods: We examined 10,899 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2004) to identify interactions between family history and clinical, demographic, and lifestyle variables for the outcome of diabetes using logistic regression analysis in racial/ethnic subgroups. Results: There was significant heterogeneity by race/ethnicity in the interaction between covariates and family history in relation to diabetes. In black (P = 0.0001) and Hispanic (P = 0.013), but not white (P = 0.75) subgroups, high-familial risk was a strong risk factor for diabetes among lean individuals but less so among overweight or obese subjects. Among blacks, high-familial risk conferred a 20-fold increased odds of diabetes among lean subjects and only a sixfold increased odds among obese individuals. Conclusions: These findings suggest possible race/ethnic-specific differences in gene by environment interaction and identify body mass index as an important effect modifier of familial risk in diabetes in non-white populations. These findings may help guide future genetic studies and improve the utility of family history as a public health screening tool.
Laboratory calibration of chemical volcanic gas sampling techniques using an artificial fumarole

Abstract We have constructed an artificial laboratory fumarole to calibrate the most common chemical volcanic gas sampling techniques and obtain a quantitative measure of their efficacy. We have also developed and tested a new rugged and portable venturi spray gas sampler. The venturi sampler reproduced the output gas composition most accurately, followed by the Giggenbach bottles, filter packs, and lastly alkaline traps. Passive alkaline traps, however, did better than filter packs when sampling more concentrated fumarole gases. Under ideal conditions, the accuracy of the Giggenbach bottles was identical to the venturi sampler, although there was slightly more scatter. The Giggenbach sampler was more susceptible to problems with condensation on the input train even in a laboratory setting, and this technique was only effective in relatively concentrated gas streams. Filter packs are also effective, but extreme care must be exercised to maintain strong undersaturation with respect to the acid gas. If strong undersaturation (high pH) is not maintained, the filter packs return erroneously low S/Cl and S/F ratios. Use of a pH indicator is an effective way of avoiding this problem. The passive alkaline traps also under-sample sulfur, resulting in low reported S/Cl and S/F ratios. It appears that the overall sampling efficiency of all techniques was not strongly affected by oxygen fugacity over the limited range tested. When detecting sulfate and sulfite simultaneously, we found no difference in total sulfur before and after oxidation. This suggests that all sulfur from the gas regardless of oxidation state was absorbed as sulfite or sulfate and/or was quickly oxidized in solution. This conclusion is supported by IC HS− reference samples.
General Mechanisms for the Folding and Assembly of Myoglobins and Hemoglobins

Mammalian myoglobin has served as the archetype globin for understanding the folding properties of single domain globins with the 3 on 3 helical fold. After removal of heme, the resultant apo-Mb shows a loss of structure in the proximal F helix and adjacent loops, and during acid or GdmCl-induced denaturation, apo-Mb populates at least one intermediate. In contrast, unfolding of holo-Mb appears to be a simple two-state process with little protein concentration dependence but the underlying mechanism is much more complex. The lack of protein concentration dependence implies that heme either interacts with the unfolded polypeptide, self-associates, or both. The observed steepness of the unfolding curves for holo met-Mb requires that the affinity of hemin for the intermediate and completely unfolded states must be at least be 1000 fold weaker than that for the native apo-state, and as a result, unfolding of holo met-Mb is governed primarily by the affinity of the folded native apo-state for hemin. The generality of this conclusion for holo-Mb has been tested in several other monomeric hemoglobins, including the miniglobin from Cerebratulus lacteus and the thermoglobin from Aquifex aeolicus.Human hemoglobin unfolding is even more complex due to association of the α and β subunits into dimers and tetramers. Removal of hemin leads to formation of an apo-α1β1 dimer and its unfolding appears to involve an intermediate whose stability is dependent on protein concentration. This dependence suggests the formation of a dimer intermediate with partially folded subunits still attached to each other through the α1β1 interface. Folding and assembly of holo-Hb is even more complex because there are significant differences in hemin affinity between the α and β subunits, and between tetramers, dimers and monomers.
Comparison of the Ability of Three Coagulants to Enhance Filter Performance

In the operation of porous media filtration systems, poor initial performance is often observed, in which particle removal is less than desired. Alum (Al2(SO4)3•14H2O), ferric chloride (FeCl3), and polyaluminum chloride (PACl), are often used in drinking-water treatment to modify the surface properties of the particles being filtered and enhance their removal by filters; however, modification of the filter medium is not a common practice. In this research, these three coagulants were used to artificially modify a sand medium in situ by adding metal hydroxide precipitates onto the top of the filter before challenging the filter with an otherwise untreated kaolin suspension. After modification of the filter medium, high particle-removal efficiencies were achieved using a short (7.5 cm) sand column with ≅1 mm diameter sand. The best observed particle removal (96%) using alum and PACl occurred at the surface loading of 550 mmol of Al/m2. The filter performance deteriorated at higher surface loadings. Fractio...
Ectopic bone secondary to avulsion of periosteum

Avulsion of a linear portion of the tibial periosteum, without apparent injury to the underlying cortical bone, eventually led to the formation of a longitudinal segment of ectopic bone. This bone was membranous, laminar bone derived from the avulsed periosteum. No remodeling (osteon formation) was evident. Two regions of pseudarthrosis were present, with one being the source of the patient's chronic pain. This injury represents specific trauma to the membranous, appositional growth mechanism of the diaphysis comparable to a fracture disrupting the endochondral ossification mechanism of the epiphysis and physis.
Encoding FT-IR Spectra in a Hopfield Network and Its Application to Compound Identification in Open-Path FT-IR Measurements

Vapor-phase Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) reference spectra of five alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and 1-butanol) from 1277 to 891 cm-1 were encoded as prototype vectors for a Hopfield network, along with four baseline spectra in the same spectral region. For each input spectrum, the Hopfield network is designed to identify one component of a mixture at a time (usually the major component). Inclusion of the baseline spectra in the Hopfield network allowed the network to classify spectra as unknowns, when they were not stored as prototype vectors in the network. A method that can minimize the number of spurious points and maximize the domain of attraction of the designed equilibrium points was used to design the Hopfield network. Over 100 spectra of different compounds were input to this network, and only three of them were incorrectly classified. The network could usually identify each of the five alcohols correctly even in the presence of noise and interfering compounds. When r...
Neurologic effects of the adjustment

This paper discusses the several theories pertaining to the chiropractic adjustment, including the nerve compression theory, reflex theories, and pain relief theories. There is now sufficient scientific research to consider these theories reasonable working models to explain the effects of the adjustment but insufficient to consider them valid.
FEDERAL TRIAL AND APPELLATE JUDGES: HOW DO THEY DIFFER?

STUDENTS of the American judiciary have long been interested in identifying the qualities that go into the making of a "good" federal judge. Several analysts have gone so far as to report on the empirical similarities and differences between judges appointed by different presidential administrations. 1 Work in this genre has been limited, however, by the inherent difficulties of uncovering accurate and important data about the largely invisible federal judgeship appointees. One area which has gone relatively unexamined concerns the question of how federal trial and appellatejudges differ from each other when they are compared and contrasted in aggregate analysis. Conventional wisdom suggests that the more prestigious U.S. Courts of Appeals will be staffed by judges who are "better" trained and more "qualified" in several respects than their counterparts on the U.S. District Courts. Indeed, such a perspective appears to be shared by the American Bar Association itself as evidenced by the different evaluative criteria employed by the ABA's Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary when it reports its views on candidates for the different levels of the federal bench.
Cisapride stimulates antral motility and decreases biliary reflux in patients with severe dyspepsia.

Duodenogastric reflux has a deleterious effect on the gastric mucosa. It was the aim of this study to assess the acute effects of cisapride on antroduodenal motility and duodenogastric reflux in seven patients with severe dyspepsia and increased biliary reflux, as evidenced by increased bile salt output in their gastric aspirates. Each patient underwent two studies on separate days. On each day, after an overnight fast, each patient swallowed a multilumen tube for manometric recording of gastroduodenal motility. Phenol red was infused into the second portion of the duodenum, gastric juice was aspirated, and motor activity was monitored for 90 min. At the end of this period, the patient received either cisapride or placebo intravenously in a double-blind randomized fashion. Antroduodenal motility and duodenogastric reflux were monitored for the subsequent 90 min. A significantly (P<0.01) higher motility index was found in the antrum after cisapride (2678±712 vs 1110±412 in the basal period) while placebo had no effect. The duodenal motility index was not affected by cisapride or placebo. Bile salt outputs in gastric aspirates were significantly (P<0.05) reduced following cisapride injection (0.42±0.6 mmol vs 1.6±1.2 mmol during basal period). Conversely, outputs of phenol red in the gastric aspirates were unaffected by cisapride. In conclusion, cisapride stimulates antral motility and decreases biliary reflux in patients with dyspepsia and increased duodenogastric reflux.
A model for rolling contact failure

Abstract Rolling contact stress and failure analyses were conducted for the Hadfield steel (manganese steel) and the Bainitic alloy (J7). The first alloy is used in diamond crossings and frogs in the railroad industry while the second alloy is a candidate for such applications. A series of fatigue experiments were conducted on these alloys to establish the damage parameters. The proposed fatigue damage parameter incorporated the role of both shear and normal stress ranges on the `critical' plane upon surveying all planes at a material point. Maximum local plastic strains, accumulated strains, and three-dimensional residual stresses were computed under pure rolling conditions for p o / k (Hertzian pressure normalized by yield stress in shear) values in the range 4.0 to 8.0 using a semi-analytical approach. A multiaxial stress–strain plasticity model developed by the authors was used in the calculations of the contact stress and strain fields. The advantage of this model over the previous models is that it predicts the correct trends in the material ratchetting rate and non-proportional loading response. For life prediction, a new combined ratchetting–multiaxial fatigue damage model was presented. The damage at different depths below the surface was interrogated with this model to determine the location where failure will originate. The results show that the Bainitic alloy exhibits longer lives under the same Hertzian pressure and for both materials the life is finite when the normalized pressure, p o / k ratio, exceeded 4.0.
ON TWO TYPES OF EXOTIC ADDITION

We classify, under reasonable assumptions, all differentiable functions f for which the ‘secant method’ [xf(y) − yf(x)]/[f(y) − f(x)] is continuous and associative. Further, we classify all differentiable functions for which the similar type of addition xf(y) + yf(x) is associative.
The translation planes of order q2 that admit SL(2,q) as a collineation group. II. Odd order

Let π be a translation plane of odd order q2, where q=pr and p is a prime. If π admits SL(2,q) (or PSL(2,q)) as a collineation group then π is a Desarguesian, Hall, or Hering plane, or one of two Walker planes of order 25.
Experimental performance of a 1-kilowatt arcjet thruster

A formerly unused cathode and anode/nozzle assembly from a flight model arcjet was tested with nitrogen, hydrogen, and nitrogen-hydrogen mixture simulating ammonia decomposition products at arc power levels from about 300 to 950 W. Two different power sources and two nozzle configurations were tested at low back-ground pressures to exclude facility effects. Increased nozzle expansion ratio improved cold flow nozzle efficiency from 0.8 to 0.9. Hydrogen thrust efficiency of 0.26 at 872 sec specific impulse matched some 1964 performance on a similar device. Simulated ammonia thrust efficiency was 0.31 at 422 sec. Spontaneously occurring voltage mode changes at constant arc current could be partially stabilized with appropriate power source characteristics. In the higher voltage mode specific impulse was higher, but thrust efficiency changed only slightly from that of the lower voltage mode. Sustained tests of up to 2 hr duration exhibited no apparent performance degradation with time.
How Science Textbooks Treat Scientific Method: A Philosopher's Perspective

This paper examines, from the point of view of a philosopher of science, what it is that introductory science textbooks say and do not say about ‘scientific method’. Seventy introductory texts in a variety of natural and social sciences provided the material for this study. The inadequacy of these textbook accounts is apparent in three general areas: (a) the simple empiricist view of science that tends to predominate; (b) the demarcation between scientific and non-scientific inquiry and (c) the avoidance of controversy—in part the consequence of the tendency toward textbook standardization. Most importantly, this study provides some evidence of the gulf that separates philosophy of science from science instruction, and examines some important aspects of the demarcation between science and non-science—an important issue for philosophers, scientists, and science educators.
Religion and Moral Prohibition in Hume's "Of Suicide"

This paper presents a new analysis of the logical structure of Hume's attack on the theological objection to suicide. I suggest that Hume intends his reasoning in "Of Suicide" to generalize, covering not just suicide but any arbitrary action: his implied conclusion is that no human action can violate a duty to God. I contrast my reading with a series of recent interpretations, and argue that the various criticisms of Hume's reasoning are based on a misunderstanding of what he is about. Finally, I also show the integration of Hume's discussion of suicide with his broader critique of attempts to generate moral conclusions by way of natural religion.
Drug‐induced cholestasis

Recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of bile formation and cholestasis have led to new insights into the pathogenesis of drug-induced cholestasis. This review summarizes their variable clinical presentations, examines the role of transport proteins in hepatic drug clearance and toxicity, and addresses the increasing importance of genetic determinants, as well as practical aspects of diagnosis and management.