cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inclusion of the NS2-specific exon in minute virus of mice mRNA is facilitated by an intronic splicing enhancer that affects definition of the downstream small intron.

Alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs plays a critical role in maximizing the coding capacity of the small parvovirus genome. The small-intron region of minute virus of mice (MVM) pre-mRNAs undergoes an unusual pattern of overlapping alternative splicing, using two donors, D1 and D2, and two acceptors, A1 and A2, within a region of 120 nucleotides, that governs the steady-state ratios of the various viral mRNAs. In a previous report we demonstrated that a complex interaction between both donor and acceptor sequences, as well as the constraints of size, defines the small intron and governs its alternative splicing. We also identified a G-rich intronic splicing enhancer sequence (IES) that appeared to function as both an intron- and an exon-defining element. In this report we further examined the components that govern MVM small-intron splicing. In fully processed wild-type mRNAs, A1 is used preferentially over A2. In this report, we show that in the context of the wild-type small intron the position of the downstream acceptor A2 was preferred, and the primary sequence of A1 must be stronger for it to be utilized at wild-type efficiency. Use of A2 in generation of the minor spliced forms D2/A2 required the IES because of a weak A2 polypyrimidine tract and because of the relative strength of A1. The small size of the intron and the relative position of the IES were also shown to play a critical role in donor and acceptor site selection. Finally, we have further characterized how the IES functions as an intronic enhancer of upstream exon definition. When the small intron was expanded, upstream exon inclusion was dependent upon the position of the IES. Within the context of the small intron, alterations of the small intron that overcame the requirement for the IES for splicing to A2 also permitted wild-type levels of upstream exon inclusion in the absence of the IES, suggesting that, in its natural context, the IES facilitates upstream exon inclusion by affecting small-intron definition.
The role of mutual knowledge in the development of perspective taking

Abstract Analysis of research on the development of perspective taking and social cognition leads to a new theoretical synthesis centered around the concept of mutual knowledge. Mutual knowledge is shared, and assumed by the knower to be shared, with other people. Attention to individual mental states, the usual subject matter of social-cognitive research, is necessary only in problematic interactions such as misunderstandings, deceptions, or other strategic interactions in which the ordinary assumption of mutual knowledge must be put aside. The present formulation is able to account for the structural transformations in social-cognitive development while retaining the processing capacity assumptions of the information-processing approaches.
Long-range correlations for conservative dynamics.

We investigate the origin of long-range spatial correlations in certain anisotropic translation-invariant stationary nonequilibrium states of systems with conservative dynamics. We consider both lattice-gas models with anisotropic but reflection-invariant stochastic dynamics and driven diffusive systems described by a Ginzburg-Landau equation with an electric field E. Carrying out perturbation expansions about an equilibrium state with short-range correlations we find that, in general, the spatial correlations in the stationary state decay only via a power law; the spatial decay thus reflects the well-known diffusive decay in time for systems with conservative dynamics. The typical spatial decay of the pair correlation behaves like the electrostatic potential produced by a quadrupole charge density at the origin. Exponential decay of spatial correlations, so familiar from equilibrium, appears here as the exception; it occurs generically only when there are special constraints on the dynamics, such as detailed balance and possibly spatial symmetry. The paradigm for this generic long-range behavior or self-organized criticality is found in the solutions of the linear Langevin equation describing the behavior of fluctuations of a conserved macroscopic variable. The fluctuating hydrodynamics underlying such a description is justified here rigorously for the macroscopic scaling limit of certain lattice-gas models.
Infrared Reflectance Spectra of Lead Glasses Corroded in Acid

Infrared reflectance spectra of lead glasses are reported. Changes in the spectra on addition of K2O and Al2O3 to a binary PbO-SiO2 composition were observed, and comparisons were made between standard specimens and specimens corroded at several temperatures in 10% acetic acid. The leached glasses developed spectra very similar to that of fused quartz, indicating the formation of a surface silica layer as the corrosion proceeds. Assignments are made to the various spectral features and rationales put forward to explain their changes during leaching.
Using teacher learning walks to build capacity in a rural elementary school: repurposing a supervisory tool

This qualitative methods study examined a rural North Carolina elementary school that implemented teacher learning walks as a method of professional development. Adapted from the practice of principal walkthroughs, teachers followed a protocol for collaboratively observing colleagues’ classrooms and reflecting on teaching and learning. The findings presented here address two central questions of the original larger study: what happens within the networks of teachers who engage in learning walks? and what happens to the school culture? Individual teachers felt less professional isolation after several months of using the learning walk process. A more collaborative culture began to develop between and across grade levels from the purposeful increase in reflective dialogue, sharing of instructional practices and direct observation of teaching strategies. Administrators believed that student engagement seemed to be increasing. The findings indicate that principals and teachers who creatively adapt a tradition...
Simulation of Nanomanipulation Using Compliance-Based Contact Dynamics Modeling Technique

This paper describes dynamics modeling and simulation of AFM-based manipulation of a nano-scale object using the compliance-based contact dynamics modeling technique (also referred to as the penalty method). Such a modeling technique has been well developed and widely applied in macro-scale applications. Its applicability to nano-scale cases is, however, relatively new and thus, requires more investigation. The dynamics model developed in the paper includes the Van der Waals forces, electrostatic forces, contact forces (for modeling repulsion), and friction forces with consideration of contact geometry, stiffness, and friction properties of all the physically interacting objects. The model can simulate the dynamic behavior of interactions between nano-scale objects and its environment. For demonstration, the dynamic simulation results of an AFM-based manipulation process are presented. To provide confidence of the model fidelity, a simulation example which matches some published data is presented.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Slip in natural gas flow through nanoporous shale reservoirs

Abstract It is observed that to assess the shale gas flow in nanopores the recent literature relies on the flow regimes discovered by Tsien (1946). Tsien classified fluid flow systems based on the range of Knudsen number ( Kn ), the ratio of the mean free path to average pore diameter. The flow regimes are: continuum flow for Kn 0.01, slip flow for 0.001 Kn Kn Kn > 10. This scale was originally developed from the physics of rarefied gas flow. Is it then appropriate to use the classical Kn scale to develop models of shale gas flow in tight reservoirs where the nanopores are in the range of 1–1000 nm, and pore pressures can be as high as 10,000 psi? The present work explores answers to this question. We provide an analysis based on classical slip flow model. We validate the Kn scale incorporating PVT (Pressure–Volume–Temperatures) schemes. Our results show that in very tight shale (order of 1 nm pore size) there can be substantial slip flow based on the characteristics of pore walls in the reservoirs of high temperatures and low pressures. In the case of large pore size (∼1000 nm) there is zero slip flow irrespective of temperature and pressure. The Kn scale which was designed for rarefied gases cannot be true for the natural gas flow regimes at all temperatures and pressures. Therefore we must be careful in referring this scale to model the shale gas flows. Results presented here from simple calculations agree with those obtained from expensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and laboratory experiments.
Nonfasting Low-Density Lipoprotein Testing: Utility for Cholesterol Screening in Pediatric Primary Care

This prospective study assessed the clinical application of a nonfasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measure in a pediatric primary care population. A homogenous direct low-density lipoprotein cholesterol assay was tested in healthy children, aged 4 to 12 years, at risk for hyperlipidemia, as defined by American Academy of Pediatrics, and including patients with incomplete family histories. This nonfasting homogeneous assay was comparable to modified β quantification, the gold standard reference method of measuring low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the current recommended screening method, total cholesterol. Results from the study suggest that this nonfasting assay can provide more direct low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measurements for healthy children, with improved clinical utility and greater overall patient convenience in testing for important cholesterol abnormalities.
Effect of sulfasalazine on vitamin B-6 status and metabolism in vitamin B-6adequate and deficient rats

Abstract Diets adequate or deficient in vitamin B-6 were supplemented or not supplemented with sulfasalazine and fed to rats for 5 weeks. After that time period, 24 hour urine samples were collected, rats were sacrificed, and liver and blood samples were collected. During the 5 week feeding period, reduced weight gain was observed for rats fed the deficient diet supplemented with sulfasalazine compared to deficient controls. There was no difference in the plasma pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) concentrations, plasma or red blood cell aspartate aminotransferase activity, and urinary excretion of 4-pyridoxic acid between the deficient control rats and deficient rats fed sulfasalazine. Hepatic PLP concentrations were lower in deficient rats fed sulfasalazine compared to the deficient controls. Observations from this study would suggest that sulfasalazine intake may aggravate a vitamin B-6 deficiency.
46 DOES BREAST FEEDING PROTECT AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF LIFE IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Prior studies investigating the relationship between infant feeding and infectious illnesses in developed countries have concluded that there is a protective effect of breast feeding against gastrointestinal illness during the first 6 months of life. However methodological shortcomings such as the failure: (1)to include illnesses managed at home, (2)to define carefully “illness” and “breast feeding,” and (3)to consider the effect of confounding variables, have weakened the conclusions of these studies.
Controlled fabrication of InGaAs quantum dots by selective area epitaxy MOCVD growth

Control over the location, distribution, and size of quantum dots is essential for the engineering of next-generation semiconductor devices employing these remarkable nanostructures. We describe two approaches for achieving some level of this control in the InGaAs/GaAs material system. The first allows a degree of spatial selectivity by using strain differences in patterned InGaAs thin films as preferential sites for quantum dot growth. This method results in patterns of dots similar to those grown by self-assembly on an unpatterned InGaAs layer. The second method employs more conventional selective area epitaxy using a thin silicon dioxide mask patterned by electron beam lithography. This method allows control over the location of each quantum dot and variation of dot size through manipulation of the mask pattern. We present data on arrays of highly uniform InGaAs quantum dots fabricated in this manner.
EXCITATION OF HYDROGEN 3s, p, d STATES BY ELECTRON IMPACT.

The Ochkur approximation method was used to calculate the excitation cross section for the 1s→3s, p, d transitions of H in electron-hydrogen collisions. The results of this calculation are compared with those of other approximation methods and with experimental results.
Mechanism of GTP: Can all of the available data be accommodated?

Group transfer polymerization (GTP)a of acrylic monomers is a living system mediated by a trialkylsilyl capped growing chain end. The fact that it operates at temperatures as high as 100° C differentiates GTP from living anionic polymerization, which at best operates at 25° C for hindered methacrylates. To accommodate all of the mechanistic data available it appears that at least two mechanistic pathways are required: an associative process for mild nucleophilic catalysts and a dissociative process for strong nucleophilic catalysts.
The effect of surface roughness on the ac impedance of palladium in sulfuric acid

Abstract The ac impedance of palladium foil and palladium-plated AISI 304 stainless steel in deaerated 1 moll −1 H 2 SO 4 was determined at the open-circuit potential of each specimen. The surface of the plated electrode was rough and exhibited irregular features associated with the original surface of the substrate. Nevertheless, Nyquist plots for the palladium and palladium-plated electrodes were of a similar shape, indicating that the electrochemical behavior of the plated stainless steel resembled that of palladium. In both cases, Bode plots of log | Z | as a function of log ω exhibited a single linear region of slope −0.9 over at least four decades of frequency. It was shown that the data can be represented in terms of an equivalent circuit containing a capacitance associated with the double layer and an apparent impedance due to surface roughness.
Kinetic Mechanism of Activation of the Cdk2/Cyclin A Complex KEY ROLE OF THE C-LOBE OF THE Cdk

Eukaryotic cell cycle progression is controlled by the ordered action of cyclin-dependent kinases, activation of which occurs through the binding of the cyclin to the Cdk followed by phosphorylation of a conserved threonine in the T-loop of the Cdk by Cdk-activating kinase (CAK). Despite our understanding of the structural changes, which occur upon Cdk/cyclin formation and activation, little is known about the dynamics of the molecular events involved. We have characterized the mechanism of Cdk2/cyclin A complex formation and activation at the molecular and dynamic level by rapid kinetics and demonstrate here that it is a two-step process. The first step involves the rapid association between the PSTAIRE helix of Cdk2 and helices 3 and 5 of the cyclin to yield an intermediate complex in which the threonine in the T-loop is not accessible for phosphorylation. Additional contacts between the C-lobe of the Cdk and the N-terminal helix of the cyclin then induce the isomerization of the Cdk into a fully mature form by promoting the exposure of the T-loop for phosphorylation by CAK and the formation of the substrate binding site. This conformational change is selective for the cyclin partner.
Stress coping and changes in health behavior among cancer survivors: a report from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II (SCS-II).

This study used the transactional model of stress and coping to examine the relationship between cancer survivors’ self-reported efforts to manage stress and the adoption of health behaviors across various lifestyle behavior domains. The authors analyzed data of 2,888 cancer survivors from a national, population-based, cross-sectional survey. Cancer survivors who indicated making active efforts to control stress were more likely to make changes in their physical, psychosocial, and preventive health behaviors as compared to cancer survivors who used passive stress-coping approaches. Future interventions aimed at promoting health behaviors among cancer survivors may benefit from incorporating a stress-coping component.
Functional anatomy of the simian virus 40 late promoter.

Abstract We have examined the control sequences for the late promoter function of simian virus 40 (SV40) in COS-1 cells which produce SV40 T antigen constitutively. Plasmids were constructed by cloning mutant late promoter segments upstream from sequences coding for the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene, and were converted to “double-origin” type by inserting functional replication origin segments downstream from the CAT gene for replicative competence when necessary. The late promoter activity was determined by transient expression assay of the CAT mRNA and enzyme activity levels following DNA-mediated gene transfer into COS-1 cells. We find that the minimal replication origin and the 21-bp repeat containing T antigen and transcription factor Sp1 binding sites, respectively, are dispensable for late promoter function provided that one copy of the 72-bp repeat enhancer is present. We have mapped within the 72-bp repeat the major late promoter component in a 68-bp fragment (located between nucleotides 205 and 272), and found an overlapping 55-bp fragment (located between nucleotides 179 and 234) to have about one-fifth of the late: promoter activity. Both the 68- and 55-bp fragments lack some of the core sequence elements required of the 72-bp repeat for transcriptional enhancer activity, and lack the ability to enhance the activity of the SV40 early promoter. The results suggest that the organization of functional units of the 72-bp repeat required for transcriptional enhancement of the early promoter is different from that required for late promoter function. The 21-bp repeat was found to have some late promoter activity located within the origin-distal copy in the absence of the 72-bp repeat. In association with the 21-bp repeat, the otherwise dispensable origin-proximal 22-bp of the 72-bp repeat containing activator protein AP-1 binding site augmented late promoter activity by three- to fourfold.
Excessive reassurance-seeking and interpersonal dependency: Assessing incremental associations

Several researchers have claimed that excessive reassurance-seeking (ERS), a maladaptive interpersonal pattern, is unique and exclusive to depression. However, there is reason to believe that ERS is also related to interpersonal dependency, given the core features of dependency (e.g., fear of negative evaluation). The current study analyzed psychometric data collected from 78 undergraduate students. Results indicated that interpersonal dependency was positively associated with ERS, even after controlling for depressive symptoms. Fear of negative evaluation accounted for unique variance in ERS, above and beyond both dependency and depressive symptoms. These findings contradict the widely-held belief that ERS is exclusive to depression.
A2 expression and assembly regulates lysis in Qβ infections

The capsids of ssRNA phages comprise a single copy of an ~45 kDa maturation protein that serves to recognize the conjugative pilus as receptor, to protect the ends of the viral RNA and also to escort the genomic RNA into the host cytoplasm. In the Alloleviviridae, represented by the canonical phage Qβ, the maturation protein A2 also causes lysis. This is achieved by inhibiting the activity of MurA, which catalyses the first committed step of murein biosynthesis. Previously, it was shown that Qβ virions, with a single copy of A2, inhibit MurA activity. This led to a model for lysis timing in which, during phage infection, A2 is not active as a MurA inhibitor until assembled into virion particles, thus preventing premature lysis before a sufficient yield of viable progeny has accumulated. Here we report that MurA inactivates purified Qβ particles, casting doubt on the notion that A2 must assemble into particles prior to MurA inhibition. Furthermore, quantification of A2 protein induced from a plasmid indicated that lysis is entrained when the amount of the lysis protein is approximately equimolar to that of cellular MurA. Qβ por mutants, isolated as suppressors that overcome a murArat mutation that reduces the affinity of MurA for A2, were shown to be missense mutations in A2 that increase the translation of the maturation protein. Because of the increased production of A2, the por mutants have an attenuated infection cycle and reduced burst size, indicating that a delicate balance between assembled and unassembled A2 levels regulates lysis timing.
Protection, export promotion and development

Abstract Many countries provide simultaneous incentives to import competing and export sectors. We show that if such policies are temporary they expand the traded goods sector and improve the current account. Furthermore, with learning-by-doing externalities in the traded goods sector, they can increase growth. We conclude that trade orientation cannot be determined by comparing incentives given to the import and export sectors at a point in time.
Condition monitoring of slip-ring induction motors

Abstract A technique for real-time condition monitoring of slip-ring induction motors is presented. The proposed method utilizes on-line sensing and analysis of the rotor current to assess the integrity of the motor. The theoretical basis for this approach is presented; the results of an experimental investigation are given. The paper is concluded with a discussion of the efficacy of the proposed method in industrial power systems.
Percutaneous thrombin injection for treatment of a splenic artery aneurysm

Splenic artery aneurysms are an uncommon entity and are usually asymptomatic when diagnosed. Treatment is based on size, with aneurysms greater than 2 cm usually undergoing surgical repair. We present a case in which percutaneous thrombin injection was used for treatment of a splenic artery aneurysm.
Deformation Analyses in Cell and Developmental Biology. Part I—Formal Methodology

This study presents a computational approach for the deformation analyses of problems in cell and developmental biology. Cells and embryos are viewed mechanically as axisymmetric shell-like bodies containing a body of incompressible material. The analysis approach is based on the finite element method. It is comprised of three finite element ingredients: an axisymmetric shell/membrane element valid for modeling finite bending, shearing and stretching; a volume constraint algorithm for modeling the membrane-bound incompressible material; and a contact algorithm for modeling the mechanical interactions between deformable bodies. Part II of this study will demonstrate how these three ingredients can be applied to analyze mechanical experiments on cells. This same method is also useful for simulating embryonic shape changes during development.
Patterns in the abundance of pelagic plastic and tar in the north pacific ocean, 1976–1985

We determined the distribution and abundance of pelagic plastic and tar in the subtropical and subarctic North Pacific and the Bering Sea in June–August 1985 and compared them with similar observations from the same areas in 1976 and 1984. Large (aproximately 2.5 cm diameter or larger) plastic objects were counted from the deck of a ship, and small plastic objects and tarballs were caught with a neuston net. Densities (number items m−2) of large plastic in subtropical waters averaged two times those in subarctic waters and eight times those in the Bering Sea. Concentrations (mg m−2) of small plastic in subtropical waters averaged 26 times those in subarctic waters and 400 times those in the Bering Sea. Concentrations of tar in subtropical waters averaged three times those in subarctic waters; no tar was found in the Bering Sea. Densities of large plastic along 155°W in the Subarctic North Pacific were not significantly different between 1984 and 1985. Concentrations of small plastic increased significantly between 1976 (along 158°W) and 1985 (along 155°W), probably because of escapement into and subsequent accumulation in the oceans. Concentrations of tar decreased, although not significantly, between 1976 and 1985, possibly because of decreased dumping of petroleum compounds at sea. Densities of large plastic were strongly correlated with both densities and concentrations of small plastic, but neither densities nor concentrations of large or small plastic were correlated with densities or concentrations of tar.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Angiotensin-converting Enzyme in Interstitial Lung Diseases

In this study we evaluated the disease specificity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid angiotensin-converting enzyme (BALF-ACE), its correlation with cellular constituents of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and for sarcoidosis, with other proposed markers of disease activity. Furthermore, the question of the clinical value of BALF-ACE determinations in in interstitial lung diseases or any of its subgroups was addressed. The study population consisted of 222 patients, 69 with biopsy proven sarcoidosis, 3 with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, 4 with acute histoplasmosis, 27 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 4 with rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial fibrosis, 9 with pulmonary drug toxicity, 16 with pulmonary malignancies, 26 with other parenchymal lung disease entities, and 30 in whom the final diagnosis remained indeterminate. Elevated BALF-ACE concentrations were seen in all diagnostic categories. In sarcoidosis BALF-ACE levels correlated well with lavage lymphocyte counts (r = 0.49; p less than 0.0001), in contrast to IPF where they correlated well with lavage neutrophil counts (r = 0.51; p less than 0.007). The correlation of BALF-ACE and serum-ACE was significant. In sarcoidosis the mean BALF-ACE level was lower for patients with Stage-I chest roentgenographic patterns (0.664 U/L), compared to those with Stage II (1.112 U/L) and Stage III (1.083 U/L). It was concluded that elevated BALF-ACE levels are not specific for sarcoidosis. The correlations of BALF-ACE levels with different cellular constituents of BALF suggest a different cellular origin of BALF-ACE. In sarcoidosis BALF-ACE levels correlate well with other proposed markers of disease activity and seem to reflect pulmonary activity better than serum ACE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
New species and taxonomic changes in the Hypodermataceae.

Since the publication in 1935 of my studies of Lophodernium (15) I have had opportunity to examine numerous specimens belonging to that genus and to related genera. Some of the specimens had been collected recently, and there was among theml representative material of undescribed species; others represented recently described species or had been recently mentioned in literature; and still others were exsiccati, or other authoritative specimens, which I examined as reference material. From them I have accumulated a miscellany of new species, taxonomic reallocations, and particular notes, which I present below. Because the morphology and host relations of the hysterothecium have been emphasized, first by von H6hnel (7) and later by Nannfeldt (11), Darker (3), and Tehon (15), in the classification of the Hypodermataceae, I have deemed it necessary to follow a set of criteria, based on the characteristics of the hysterothecium, which would determine the disposition of species in families and genera. The criteria I have set up do not constitute a complete system, and they are not wholly consistent; but they have at least the advantage that they exclude from the Hypodermataceae species that could not reside permanently in that family. For inclusion in the Hypodermataceae, I have required a fungus to exhibit (1) an oval to elongated, covered ascoma containing a discoid hymenium; (2) a marginal separation of the hysterothecial wall into a cover-plate and a base-plate; (3) an elongated, morphologically defined ostiole; and (4) an ostiolar lining of periphyses. With scolecosporic species, those formerly assignable to Lophodermiunm, I have relied upon the level at which the hysterothecium is inserted in the host tissues to determine the generic assignment. But with species having stalked, clavate asci and elongated, oneto 674
New insights into the nation's carbon storage potential

Carbon sequestration is a method of securing carbon dioxide (CO2) to prevent its release into the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming as a greenhouse gas. Geologic storage of CO2 in porous and permeable rocks involves injecting high-pressure CO2 into a subsurface rock unit that has available pore space. Biologic carbon sequestration refers to both natural and anthropogenic processes by which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored as carbon in vegetation, soils, and sediments.
Reversible Nature of Chert-Carbonate Replacement in Sedimentary Rocks

Textural relationships observed in thin sections of chert-bearing carbonate rocks commonly indicate that chert, which originated by replacement of the carbonate host rock, has then been replaced by younger carbonate minerals. The principal evidences of such replacement reversals are: (1) localization of carbonate minerals along and adjacent to fractures in chert, (2) transection of authigenic siliceous textures by carbonate minerals, and (3) occurrence within carbonate minerals of inclusions that have been inherited from chert. In some chert-bearing carbonate rocks the textural relationships indicate that multiple replacement reversals have occurred between chert and carbonate minerals. The cause is not known, but data suggest that the reversals may occur in response to variations in pH where interstitial water is highly alkaline (above pH 9) or in response to variations in temperature where sediments have been deeply buried.
National Performance Mandates and Intergovernmental Collaboration: An Examination of the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART)

This exploratory research is aimed at offering insights into how intergovernmental dependencies influence Program Assessment Rating Tools (PART) ratings under circumstances when federal funds and responsibility are delegated downward in the system. The research offers formal support for the hypothesis that programs carried out under such circumstances score relatively lower on those portions of the PART instrument that are dependent on intergovernmental collaboration. The findings are important in that they draw attention to an opportunity to improve the consistency of PART ratings across programs. Specifically, they suggest that it may be necessary to revise the instrument to include questions that recognizes and gives credit to efforts of intergovernmental collaborative efforts as part of the PART scoring process.
Models and Heuristics for Product Line Selection

Recently, a number of articles have appeared in the marketing literature dealing with single product design optimization. The present paper represents a start toward extending this research to product line decisions. We first formulate two versions of the problem and describe their various characteristics. Since finding the optimum solution is computationally prohibitive, even for modest size problems, various heuristic approaches are presented and evaluated. Applications involving synthetic and real data are discussed. The paper concludes with comments on related problems and future application areas.
A Comparative Evaluation of Labor Tour Scheduling Methods

This paper presents an initial study of relative performance for a number of the labor tour scheduling heuristic methods proposed in the literature. These heuristic methods were classified as either linear programming (LP) based or construction. Each of the methods was applied to a tour scheduling problem, subject to a variety of labor demand requirements distributions, with the singular objective being the minimization of total labor hours scheduled. Statistical analysis revealed that effective tour schedule solutions were generated by both LP-based and construction methods. Since the performances of the Keith [13], Morris and Showalter [18], and Bechtold and Showalter [5] methods were superior, their solutions were also compared across a number of secondary criteria. An overall analysis of the performances of these three methods resulted in the identification of a number of important managerial and decision-making issues. We conclude that service operations management should consider integrating these heuristic methods into a decision support system. Finally, suggestions for future research are provided.
Stage: Controlling space robots from a CAVE on Earth

At the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mission Operations software places unusual demands on its developers and users that require new solutions. Scientists are often faced with the difficult task of interpreting the sizes and relative positions of objects in an environment when viewing an image of the environment on computer monitors or prints. We have created an immersive visualization environment, known as Stage, to address two critical visualization problems. First, people viewing imagery from surface spacecraft often incorrectly estimate the size of objects in the environment because imagery on a standard computer screen does not occupy the correct portion of their visual field. Second, people viewing panoramic images frequently fail to understand the relative positions of objects in the environment because the panoramic image is rolled out flat and presented in front of them instead of wrapping around them. These fundamental errors have well-documented and dramatic consequences. Viewers frequently believe an object is beside a robot when it is actually behind it, or think that a small rock is actually a large, hazardous obstacle that must be avoided. This misinterpretation can be very costly, especially when the environment is remote and/or only accessible by unmanned vehicles. Stage addresses both of these problems by immersing viewers in an accurate representation of the environment. Interaction in Stage must be natural and intuitive to preserve the immersion effect. We have incorporated the Microsoft Kinect and Wii Remote game controllers, each system rich with unique capabilities. Placing a Kinect sensor in our system allows users to navigate in an environment using gestures. A Wii Remote and Nunchuk provide users with the capabilities of a traditional joystick while having the benefit of being wireless, ergonomical, and versatile due to its mobility. Users have the ability to use these controllers along with a traditional mouse and keyboard, if the application requires more flexibility. In this paper, we will discuss our design decisions for our system and the advantage of a cylindrical display over traditional flat-walled Cave Automatic Virtual Environments (CAVEs). We will explain the challenges of rendering for a 270° display and how we overcome them in our 3D framework. We will explain our interaction layer and describe the types of applications that thrive in an immersive display. Finally, we will discuss our user experience and future directions.
Identification of Rotordynamic Force Coefficients of a Metal Mesh Foil Bearing Using Impact Load Excitations

Metal mesh foil bearings (MMFB) are an inexpensive compliant gas bearing type that aims to enable high speed, high temperature operation of small turbomachinery. A MMFB with an inner diameter of 28.00 mm and length of 28.05 mm is constructed with low cost and common materials. The bearing incorporates a copper mesh ring, 20% in compactness and offering large material damping, beneath a 0.127mm thick preformed top foil. Prior experimentation (published papers) provide the bearing structure force coefficients and the break away torque for bearing lift off. Presently, the MMFB replaces a compressor in a small turbocharger driven test rig. Impact load tests aid to identify the direct and cross-coupled rotor dynamic force coefficients of the floating MMFB while operating at a speed of 50 krpm. Tests conducted with and without shaft rotation show the MMFB direct stiffness is less than its structural (static) stiffness, ∼25% lower at an excitation frequency of 200 Hz. The thin air film acting in series with the metal mesh support, and separating the rotating shaft and the bearing inner surface while airborne, reduces the bearing stiffness. The equivalent viscous damping is nearly identical with and without shaft rotation. The identified loss factor, best representing the hysteretic type damping from the metal mesh, is high at ∼0.50 in the frequency range 0–200 Hz. This magnitude reveals large mechanical energy dissipation ability from the MMFB. The measurements also show appreciable cross directional motions from the unidirectional impact loads, thus generating appreciable cross coupled force coefficients. Rotor speed coast down measurements reveal pronounced subsynchronous whirl motion amplitudes locked at distinct frequencies. The MMFB stiffness hardening nonlinearity produces the rich frequency forced response. The synchronous as well as subsynchronous motions peak while the shaft traverses its critical speeds. The measurements establish reliable operation of the test MMFB while airborne.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Following Student Ratings over Time with a Catalog-Based System.

First, the longitudinal nature of student ratings of instructors has not received deserved emphasis from researchers. Second, the use of item banks for designing student rating questionnaires, especially for instructor feedback, has needed attention. These two factors are investigated in this study, which tracks 304 instructors over a four semester period. It was found that the type of questionnaire generated from the item bank led to statistically significant differences among designated groups. The longitudinal analysis, however, indicated only minor improvement over time, regardless of whether or not an instructor chose to use items yielding specific feedback on the instructional components of a course. Additionally, although main effect differences were noted between teaching assistants and regular faculty, other results were very similar.
Spinel in Martian meteorite SaU 008: implications for Martian magnetism

Shergotty–Nakhla–Chassigny (SNC) meteorites provide the only available samples of Martian material. The stable permanent magnetization of SNC meteorites has been traditionally attributed to magnetite (Fe3O4) or pyrrhotite (Fe7S8). On the basis of rock magnetic, microscopic, and electron microprobe analyses on rock chips and mineral separates, we suggest that a new material (Fe–Cr–Ti spinel) is responsible for the stable paleomagnetic record of Martian meteorite SaU 008. It is possible that SaU 008 acquired a primary remanence of thermal origin from the Martian crustal field. However, this proposition requires further testing because the effect of shock events on Fe–Cr–Ti spinel is unknown. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Diagnostic accuracy and practice effects in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set neuropsychological battery.

Introduction The Uniform Data Set (UDS) neuropsychological battery is frequently used in clinical studies. However, practice effects, effectiveness as a measure of global cognitive functioning, and detection of mild cognitive impairment have not been examined.
The −491A/T apolipoprotein E promoter polymorphism association with Alzheimer's disease: independent risk and linkage disequilibrium with the known APOE polymorphism

Abstract The ϵ 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) has repeatedly been associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Bullido and colleagues recently identified a polymorphism in the promoter region of the APOE gene (−491A/T) and found that −491A homozygosity predicted AD independently of APOE ϵ 4. Since the −491A/T polymorphism and the known APOE polymorphism must be in tight linkage disequilibrium, and the later polymorhism is know to be associated with the disease, we wished to determine to what extent this linkage disequilibrium explained the −491A/T polymorphism association with Alzheimer's disease. We genotyped a community-based control sample ( n =132) and a clinic-based Alzheimer's disease sample ( n =190) for the known APOE and −491A/T polymorphisms, and find that, while the −491A/T polymorphism confers some independent risk for AD, linkage disequilibrium between the known APOE and −491A/T polymorphic sites explains most of the −491A association. Furthermore, when considering the known APOE and −491A/T polymorphisms alone, APOE ϵ 4 status is the best predictor of the disease.
Economics of the solid rocket booster for space shuttle

The paper examines economics of the solid rocket booster for the Space Shuttle. Costs have been held down by adapting existing technology to the 146 in. SRB selected, with NASA reducing the cost of expendables and reusing the expensive nonexpendable hardware. Drop tests of Titan III motor cases and nozzles proved that boosters can survive water impact at vertical velocities of 100 ft/sec so that SRB components can be reused. The cost of expendables was minimized by selecting proven propellants, insulation, and nozzle ablatives of known costs; the propellant has the lowest available cost formulation, and low cost ablatives, such as pitch carbon fibers, will be used when available. Thus, the use of proven technology and low cost expendables will make the SRB an economical booster for the Space Shuttle.
Temporal Nature of Fatigue Damage in Highway Bridges

To develop a valid method of estimating fatigue life of a highway bridge, it is first necessary to have a reasonable understanding of the manner in which fatigue damage occurs over time. This paper presents the findings from an extensive highway bridge monitoring program focused on monitoring vehicle-induced strain cycles; the cause of fatigue damage. The purpose of the study was to identify the temporal character (if any) of fatigue damage accumulation. A sample of 24 bridges in the State of Ohio was monitored; each bridge in the sample for one year. The data collected during the study captured hourly, daily, and monthly variation in fatigue damage accumulation. The raw data were resolved to a fatigue damage metric representation. The damage metric was analyzed with the intent of determining the temporal nature of fatigue damage accumulation. The analyses led to the development of postulates regarding fatigue damage in highway bridges. The postulates stated in this study should provide a sound basis for development of a fatigue-life estimation procedure using site-specific strain cycle histograms collected over an abbreviated time window.
A multichromatic stain for Lowicryl K4M embedded tissues.

A staining procedure using celes-tine blue and chrome-trope 2R for Lowicryl K4M embedded tissues is presented. The stain produces a reliable multichromatic stain for light microscopy on Lowicryl embedded semithin sections.
An energy method for calculating the stiffness of aligned short-fiber composites

Abstract A procedure is presented for calculating the longitudinal elastic modulus of a composite possessing dilute concentrations of aligned cylindrical fibers. For a dilute concentration of fibers, the modulus can be written in terms of the perturbation that a single fiber induces in the displacement field of an otherwise homogeneous body subjected to remote uniaxial tension. A boundary value problem, referred to as the auxiliary problem, is formulated which yields the perturbed displacement field directly. The longitudinal modulus can then be expressed in terms of the potential energy of the auxiliary problem; thus, energy-based approximate methods (e.g. FEM) can be exploited to calculate the modulus accurately. With a small modification, this procedure is shown to be applicable to the case of fibers which are imperfectly bonded to the matrix. Moduli for a few representative cases are calculated using a finite element method. Finally, a new means of defining and computing the ineffective length of a fiber is introduced.
Caregiver perceptions of sexual abuse and its effect on management after a disclosure

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine caregiver management strategies for child sexual abuse (CSA) when presented with hypothetical scenarios that vary in physical invasiveness. METHODS: One hundred fifty three caregivers were given 3 scenarios of CSA with 7 management strategies presented in the 21-item Taking Action Strategies (TAS) scale. Caregivers were asked to rate strategies according to their willingness to carry out each action with rating of 5=greater likelihood of carrying out the action specified while a rating of 1=a lower likelihood of carrying out that action. CSA scenarios included exposure to pornography/masturbation, fondling, and penetration while management strategies including fighting the accused, blaming the child, and outreaching to the authorities. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare mean TAS scores for the management strategies across CSA scenarios. RESULTS: The difference between TAS scores across the abuse scenarios was statistically significant (p Language: en
The growth and nucleation of ice in a batch Couette flow crystallizer

Abstract An experimental investigation into the crystallization characteristics of ice crystals from brine solution was carried out using a batch Couette flow crystallizer. Particle size distributions were determined by a photographic technique. The nucleation rate was correlated by the power law model: B 0 = 26.2( P / V ) 0.52 (δ C * ) 1.8 μ 0.2 2 Qualitative growth characteristics were also inferred and found to be consistent with a diffusion controlling mechanism. The results obtained here suggest that early time data be emphasized in future batch crystallization experiments to more accurately determine the nucleation rate model.
A STUDY OF THE METABOLISM OF RAT TESTIS IN VITRO1

introduction During the course of a study of the effect of various gonadotrophins on rat testis it seemed pertinent to correlate previously described changes in chemical morphology (Tepperman and Tepperman, 1947) with the metabolism of the gland in vitro. A survey of the literature revealed that Schuler (1944) and Meier and Schuler (1941) had made careful studies of the metabolism of surviving testis. The present study is an outgrowth of experiments that were done for the purpose of confirming an observation made by these authors. In 1944, Schuler reported that the of normal adult testis and that of testicular tissue obtained from weanling rats is about the same in the presence of added glucose. However, when glucose was omitted from the medium, the of surviving gland obtained from adult rats was very low, whereas that of the weanling rat’s gonad was slightly higher without added substrate than it was in the presence of 0.2% glucose.