cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repairable Systems: Statistical Inference

This article discusses statistical inference procedures for a general class of models for repairable systems. In particular, estimation procedures as well as goodness-of-fit testing for an age-dependent minimal repair model that incorporates covariates are presented. Examples involving real datasets are used to illustrate the applicability of the procedures. Keywords: counting processes; goodness-of-fit testing; hazard-based smooth tests; homogeneous maximum-likelihood estimation; models; nonhomogeneous Poisson process
URSA: the universal robotic service architecture

In a distributed heterogeneous robotic system, robots have different drivers, API's, sensor data format, and capabilities. Some of the information may not be available prior to the application development. This presents difficulties in the interaction between users/programs and robots. It also limits the scalability of the robotic system. In this paper, we propose the Universal Robotic Service Architecture (URSA) with the goals of simplicity, adaptability, and scalability. The architecture allows the system to interact with any type and/or different manufacture's robot systems. It also simplifies the application program by only focusing on the applications and not about the communication and data mapping implementations.
Influence of parathyroid state on calcium uptake in bone

The exchange of calcium and strontium ions in bone was studied in control dogs, dogs made hypocalcemic by parathyroidectomy, and dogs rendered hypercalcemic by injection of parathyroid hormone. After injections of tracer into the tibial nutrient artery, extraction of tracer during transcapillary passage was measured and expressed as a fraction of 1. Extraction over the first 3 min in normal dogs was 0.46 +/- 0.09 (n = 6), in hypocalcemic dogs it was increased to 0.53 +/- 0.07 (n = 6), and in hypercalcemic dogs it was decreased to 0.39 +/- 0.07 (n = 5). Subsequent washout was less rapid than normal in hypoparathyroid dogs and more rapid than normal in hyperparathyroid dogs. We conclude from this that the immediate volume of distribution in bone (or the number of available binding sites) for strontium diminishes as the parathyroid hormone level increases.
Replacement of styrene with acrylated epoxidized soybean oil in an unsaturated polyester resin from propylene glycol, isophthalic acid, and maleic anhydride

Commercial unsaturated polyester (UPE) resins typically contain a high amount of volatile toxic styrene. A non-volatile acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) was found to be an excellent replacement of styrene in a commercially available UPE resin [designated as Styrene-(PG-IPA-MA)] that is derived from propylene glycol (PG), isophthalic acid (IPA), and maleic anhydride (MA) in terms of the mechanical properties of the resulting kenaf fiber-reinforced composites. The AESO-(PG-IPA-MA) resins had low viscosity and long pot life below 70°C for a typical fiber-reinforced composite application. AESO and PG-IPA-MA were not able to form a strong polymer matrix individually for fiber-reinforced composites. However, a combination of AESO and PG-IPA-MA saw strong synergistic effects between them. The flexural, tensile, and water absorption properties of kenaf fiber-reinforced composites made from AESO-(PG-IPA-MA) resins were comparable with or even superior to those from the Styrene-(PG-IPA-MA) resin. The AESO/(PG-IPA-MA) weight ratio was investigated for maximizing the mechanical properties of the kenaf fiber-reinforced composites. The curing mechanism of the AESO-(PG-IPA-MA) resins is discussed in detail. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43052.
Phase I Clinical and Pharmacological Study of O6-Benzylguanine Followed by Carmustine in Patients with Advanced Cancer

O6-benzylguanine (BG) is a potent inactivator of the DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) that enhances sensitivity to nitrosoureas in tumor cell lines and tumor-bearing animals. The major objectives of this study were to define the optimal modulatory dose and associated toxicities of benzylguanine administered alone and in combination with carmustine; to define the maximally tolerated dose and associated toxicities of carmustine administered with benzylguanine and to describe the pharmacokinetics of BG in humans and its effects on AGT depletion and recovery in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Patients with histologically confirmed advanced solid tumors or lymphoma that had failed to respond to standard therapy or for which no standard therapy was available were eligible to participate in this study. Patients initially received BG as a 1-h i.v. infusion without carmustine. After a 14-day washout (ie., without therapy) period, patients received BG as a 1-h i.v. infusion followed, 1 h later, by a 15-min i.v. infusion of carmustine. Cycles of chemotherapy were repeated every 6 weeks. Cohorts of patients received BG doses ranging from 10 to 120 mg/m2 and carmustine doses ranging from 13 to 50 mg/m2. Plasma and urine samples were collected and analyzed for BG, and O6-benzyl-8-oxoguanine concentrations and AGT activity was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. There was no toxicity attributable to BG alone at any dose tested. Bone marrow suppression was the primary and dose-limiting toxicity of BG combined with carmustine and was cumulative in some patients. The neutrophil nadir occurred at a median of day 27, with complete recovery in most patients by day 43. Nonhematological toxicity included fatigue, anorexia, increased bilirubin, and transaminase elevation. Recommended doses for Phase II testing are 120 mg/m2 BG given with carmustine at 40 mg/m2. BG rapidly disappeared from plasma and was converted to a major metabolite, O6-benzyl-8-oxoguanine, which has a 2.4-fold higher maximal concentration and 20-fold higher area under the concentration versus time curve than BG. AGT activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was rapidly and completely suppressed at all of the BG doses. The rate of AGT regeneration was more rapid for patients treated with the lowest dose of BG but was similar for BG doses ranging from 20-120 mg/m2. In conclusion, coadministration of BG and carmustine is feasible in cancer patients, but the maximal dose of carmustine that can be safely administered with BG is approximately one-third of the standard clinical dose. Bone marrow suppression, which may be cumulative, is the dose-limiting toxicity of the combination. Prolonged AGT suppression is likely attributable primarily to the effect of O6-benzyl-8-oxoguanine.
Baseline Predictors of Singular Action Among Participants With Multiple Health Behavior Risks.

Abstract Purpose. Previous studies found that treatment effects can change two behaviors, but not one. This study examined baseline transtheoretical model constructs as three alternative predictors (stage of change, effort, and severity) of singular action among participants with co-occurring health behavior risks. Design. The study examined participants at risk for three pairs of behaviors (sun and smoking; smoking and diet; and diet and sun). Analyses were conducted with participants who changed only one behavior in a pair (singular action). Setting. School and home-based behavior change programs recruited participants via schools, worksites, and physician practices. School, worksite, medical, and home-based prevention programs were the study setting. Subjects. The sample (N = 3213) was age 44.6 years (SD, 11.1 years), 94.6% white, and 63.7% female. Measures. Stages of change, effort, and severity variables were measured. Analysis. Pooled data were analyzed using logistic regressions from three randomiz...
Miniature Charge Sensitive Preamp-Amplifier for Use with Silicon Surface Barrier Detectors

A compact, high speed, low cost, charge sensitive preamp-amplifier has been constructed for use in a mass spectrometer data readout array. The device, which is capable of handling count rates up to 1 MHz, can be mounted on a 2 x 8 cm circuit board. The circuit was designed as a high rate counter-amplifier, but it has also been determined to be sufficiently linear so that with suitable shaping of the output signal, pulse height analysis is feasible.
Changes in the capillarity of skeletal muscle in the growing rat.

Capillary density (CD), capillary to fiber ratio (C/F), fiber cross sectional area (FCSA) and fiber composition were measured in the soleus and the gastrocnemius (medial head) muscles of rats weighing between 99 and 666 g. Muscle samples obtained from the anesthetized animal were rapidly frozen (−130°C) sliced transversely at 16–18 μm, and treated histochemically by the ATPase method after preincubation at pH's of 4.0 and 4.4 to visualize capillaries and typify fibers. In both muscles the FCSA was positively related to body weight (BW) and muscle weight. At a given BW, the FCSA of the soleus was greater than that of the gastrocnemius. In both muscles CD decreased hyperbolically with FCSA (soleus: CD=1.0613 ×106/FCSA+298.71; gastrocnemius: CD=1.0349 ×106/FCSA+240.74). At the same time a positive linear correlation between C/F and FCSA was found (soleus: C/F=3.92×10−4 FCSA+0.82; gastrocnemius: C/F=2.90×10−4 FCSA+0.93). At a given FCSA, CD and C/F were greater in the soleus than in the gastrocnemius because of differences in fiber composition between the two muscles. The soleus had only oxidative fibers (STO and FTOG) whereas the gastrocnemius had 54% glycolytic fibers (FTG). The very large variability in CD and C/F values reported in the literature could, in part, be due to the differences in capillarity observed with maturation. A change in fiber composition with BW was observed in the soleus, but no systematic change occurred in the gastrocnemius.
The htrM gene, whose product is essential for Escherichia coli viability only at elevated temperatures, is identical to the rfaD gene

Abstract We have identified a new E. coli gene, htrM. The htrM gene was identified because its insertional inactivation by the Tn5 transposon results in E. coli's inability to form colonies at temperatures above 43 degrees C. The corresponding htrM+ gene was cloned on the basis of its ability to correct the temperature-sensitive phenotype of the htrM::Tn5 insertion mutations. The htrM gene has been mapped to 81.2 min on the conventional E. coli genetic map. It was sequenced and shown to code for an acidic, 34,893-Da polypeptide. Three transcriptional starts were located 48, 90 and 123 nucleotides upstream of the ATG, initiation codon referred to as the P1, P2 and P3(hs) promoters, respectively. The -10 and -35 regions of the P1 promoter bear a close similarity to the E sigma 70-recognized consensus sequences, while the -12 region of the P2 promoter resembles the consensus promoter sequence transcribed by the rpoN gene product. Transcripts of the htrM gene accumulate with increasing temperature. The -10 and -35 regions of the P3(hs) promoter, represented by nucleotides 160 to 130 upstream of the ATG initation codon, are similar to the E sigma 32-recognized consensus sequences. The sigma 32 transcription factor is essential for maximal htrM gene transcription, since htrM RNA transcripts are made at reduced rates in a rpoH null mutant background. Surprisingly, the htrM gene turns out to be identical to rfaD, whose product is required for the biosynthesis of the ADP-L-glycero-D manoheptose lipopolyaccharide precursor [Pegues et al. (1990) J. Bacteriol. 172, 4652-4660].
Kinetic evidence for pentachlorophenol-dependent growth of a dehalogenating population in a pentachlorophenol- and acetate-fed methanogenic culture.

A method was developed to evaluate growth of a reductively dechlorinating bacterial population within a pentachlorophenol (PCP)- and acetate-fed, mixed, methanogenic culture. In 6- to 12-day experiments, a computer-monitored/feedback-controlled bioreactor was used to maintain constant pH, temperature, and acetate concentration, while transformation of multiple PCP additions was monitored. The potential at a platinum electrode, EPt, was not controlled externally, but was maintained constant at −0.25 ± 0.002 V (vs. SHE) by iron sulfides in the medium and the activity of the culture. PCP was reductively dechlorinated at the ortho position, yielding 3,4,5-trichlorophenol (3,4,5-TCP) via 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorophenol (2,3,4,5-TeCP). Below an initial PCP concentration of 0.5 μM, PCP was transformed to 3,4,5-TCP within 3 to 6 h. Biomass concentration changes were small during this period, and PCP and 2,3,4,5-TeCP transformations were modeled as pseudo-first-order reactions. Increases in pseudo-first-order rate constants for PCP and 2,3,4,5-TeCP were directly related to the amount of PCP transformed to 3,4,5-TCP, suggesting enrichment of a PCP-catabolizing population. Moreover, rate constant increases were independent of the amount of acetate consumed, changes in the overall volatile suspended solids (VSS) concentration, and the experimental duration. When PCP was added to the reactor at increasingly shorter time intervals in an exponential pattern, pseudo-first-order rate constants increased exponentially. An average rate constant doubling time of 1.7 days (1.4 to 2.3 d) was estimated. While the VSS concentration of the culture increased 60% in an 8-day period, pseudo-first-order rate constants increased by a factor of approximately 6. This large increase in transformation rate constants suggests growth of a bacterial population capable of using PCP and 2,3,4,5-TeCP as terminal electron acceptors. ©1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 57: 420-429, 1998.
37 Autonomic nervous system response to a solid meal in healthy children: its relation to gastric myoelectrical activity

Electrogastrogram (EGG) is a measurement of gastric electrical activity using cutaneous electrodes. Autonomic nervous function is an important modulator of gastric activity, but little is known regarding its relation with the EGG parameters. The aims of this study were to investigate the patterns of myoelectrical and autonomic activities both in the fasting and in the fed state and their correlation in healthy children. Methods: Simultaneous recordings of EGG and electrocardiogram were performed in 28 healthy children (13 M, 15 F, mean age: 12.4 years, range: 8–17) for 30 min in the fasting state and 60 min after a solid test meal. Spectral analysis was performed to compute EGG parameters and their postprandial changes. The autonomic activity was assessed based on spectral analysis of the heart rate variability (HRV) signal which was derived from the electrocardiogram. Data are presented as mean ± SE. Results: The solid meal resulted in a postprandial increase in the EGG dominant frequency (2.92 ± 0.08 cpm vs. 3.16 ± 0.07 cpm, P < 0.05), dominant power (46.9 ± 0.8 dB vs. 53.7 ± 1.5 dB, P < 0.05), and percentage of normal slow waves (81.9 ± 2.0% vs. 89.0 ± 2.0%, P < 0.05). Spectral analysis of HRV revealed that sympathetic activity primarily associated with power in the low-frequency band of HRV (LF) was increased in the postprandial state (0.34 ± 0.02 vs. 0.43 ± 0.03, P < 0.05). The parasympathetic activity primarily associated with power in high-frequency band of HRV (HF) was significantly higher in the fasting state (0.66 ± 0.02 vs. 0.58 ± 0.03, P < 0.05). The sympathovagal balance associated with the LF-to-HF ratio was much higher in the postprandial state (0.56 ± 0.05 vs. 0.90 ± 0.13, P < 0.05). Moreover postprandial LF was positively and HF was negatively correlated with the postprandial increase in EGG dominant power (r = 0.39; P = 0.04, respectively). Conclusions: The solid meal resulted in a significant increase in EGG dominant frequency, dominant power and percentage of normal slow waves as well as sympathovagal balance in healthy children, suggesting that both vagal and sympathetic pathways are involved in modulation of gastric myoelectrical activity.
Retinal connectomics: towards complete, accurate networks.

Abstract Connectomics is a strategy for mapping complex neural networks based on high-speed automated electron optical imaging, computational assembly of neural data volumes, web-based navigational tools to explore 10 12 –10 15 byte (terabyte to petabyte) image volumes, and annotation and markup tools to convert images into rich networks with cellular metadata. These collections of network data and associated metadata, analyzed using tools from graph theory and classification theory, can be merged with classical systems theory, giving a more completely parameterized view of how biologic information processing systems are implemented in retina and brain. Networks have two separable features: topology and connection attributes. The first findings from connectomics strongly validate the idea that the topologies of complete retinal networks are far more complex than the simple schematics that emerged from classical anatomy. In particular, connectomics has permitted an aggressive refactoring of the retinal inner plexiform layer, demonstrating that network function cannot be simply inferred from stratification; exposing the complex geometric rules for inserting different cells into a shared network; revealing unexpected bidirectional signaling pathways between mammalian rod and cone systems; documenting selective feedforward systems, novel candidate signaling architectures, new coupling motifs, and the highly complex architecture of the mammalian A II amacrine cell. This is but the beginning, as the underlying principles of connectomics are readily transferrable to non-neural cell complexes and provide new contexts for assessing intercellular communication.
Neurogenesis in juvenile and adult ring doves

Studies in songbirds suggest that neurogenesis during the first few years of life is related to song learning. In this study, we examined whether postnatal neurogenesis occurs in a nonsongbird, the ring dove (Streptoplia risoria), and whether it persists to old age. Twenty-four hours after a single intramuscular injection of [3H]thymidine, labeled cells were present in the brains, particularly in the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle of juvenile (3-month and 8-month) and adult (1-year to 8-year) doves. Two months after multiple [3H]thymidine injections, there were fewer labeled cells in the ventricular zone (VZ), but many labeled cells with neuronal morphology in the parenchyma of the forebrain; labeled cells were confirmed as neurons by using neuron-specific markers, microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and anti-neuronal nucleus (NeuN). In general, new neurons were distributed in the forebrain without clustering in any particular nucleus. During the first year of life, however, neostriatum caudale and hyperstriatum, the regions known to be essential for proper integration of sensory cues and reproductive behavior, contained more new neurons than any other brain regions. These neuronal additions showed an age-related decline; the first reduction coincided with the dove's attainment of adult physical size (about 3 months old) and the second occurred when the dove would normally attain reproductive fitness (about 1 year old). A low level of forebrain neurogenesis persisted up to 8 years of age (the oldest animals studied). These observations suggest that neurogenesis in adulthood is widespread among birds but that the biological significance of adult neurogenesis in the ring dove remains to be determined.
Poison-induced neophobia in rats: Role of stimulus generalization of conditioned taste aversions

Rats repeatedly injected with lithium chloride were subsequently tested drinking novel and familiar solutions of both casein hydrolysate and vinegar. Injections in the absence of edibles result in only a small, and sometimes not reliable, increased avoidance of the novel casein and vinegar solutions. In contrast, if subjects acquired an aversion to saccharin as a result of the lithium injections, this learned aversion generalized to casein hydrolysate, with the generalization greatly enhanced by novelty of the casein flavor. However, the saccharin aversions did not generalize to the novel vinegar solution nearly as much as to the novel casein flavor. These results suggest that previous observations of poison-induced neophobia were probably in part a result of the stimulus generalization of conditioned taste aversions and that in addition to test stimulus novelty some other factor, such as stimulus salience or similarity to the conditioned aversive flavor, is also involved in the generalization of learned taste aversions.
Evolutionary replacement of ecological equivalents in Late Devonian benthic marine communities

Abstract Temporal changes in taxonomic diversity, dominance structure, trophic structure, niche structure, and community composition are examined in equivalent nearshore and offshore Late Devonian benthic marine communities of New York and the central Applachians. The study interval spans an approximately 5-m.y. record of Frasnian tropical marine environments. Community structures remain relatively constant during the five million year interval, though offshore communities appear to be more unstable than nearshore communities. Considerable change in community composition occurs, however, with the total replacement of dominant spiriferacean brachiopods in the early Frasnian by their ecological equivalents in the late Frasnian. Ecological replacement of dominant species affected both offshore and nearshore communities, and does not appear to be a function of spatial environmental gradients.
Reconstruction of permittivity profiles through a transformation of the differential equation for the reflection coefficient

In this paper a one-dimensional inverse scattering problem is considered. An approximate inversion formula in a closed-form is derived. Using this formula, an approximate permittivity profile is generated from the partial knowledge of the frequency domain reflection coefficient. This formula is deduced through the application of a linear transformation to a nonlinear differential equation for the frequency domain reflection coefficient. Examples are given to demonstrate the accuracy of this approximate inversion formula.
Stresses Near the End of an Internal Electrode in Multilayer Electrostrictive Ceramic Actuators

Stresses near the end of an internal electrode in a multilayer electrostrictive ceramic actuator are studied in detail. A finite element program capable of overcoming two major difficulties is developed. The program solves both the mechanical and electrical coupling problem and the nonlinear electric field and electric displacement relationship for these materials. Results indicate that the stress difference between the coupled and the uncoupled cases can only be distinguished when a stress singularity is present. Tensile stresses are found both in front, and behind, the end of an internal electrode. The magnitude of the stresses is predetermined by the material constants.
Federal Wetlands Jurisdiction – The Quagmire of Rapanos v. United States

Federal jurisdiction over wetlands under the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) 1 has always been difficult to delineate. Wetlands, by definition can be difficult to classify as either water or land. The CWA attempts to regulate these areas; it prohibits discharge of material without a permit into “navigable waters,” which are in turn defined in section 1362(7) of the CWA as the “waters of the United States.” The Army Corps of Engineers 2 is charged with granting permits, and must make the determination of whether or not certain areas of wetlands fall within the jurisdiction of the CWA. 3 The Corps has interpreted the phrase “navigable waters” very broadly to include waters “which are currently used, or were used in the past, or may be susceptible to use in interstate or foreign commerce.” 4 The tributaries of any of these “waters” also fall within the Corps’ jurisdiction. 5 Intrastate waters are covered if their “use, degradation or destruction . . . could affect interstate or foreign commerce.” 6 Wetlands “adjacent” to waters, such as those described above, except waters that are themselves wetlands, also clearly fall within federal jurisdiction under the CWA. 7 Jurisdictional problems arise however when there are bodies of water or wetlands close to but not directly connected to navigable waters. These areas may still have significant impact on the neighboring navigable waters if a developer fills them in, or an industrial site discharges pollutants into them. Thus the Corps of Engineers has sought to regulate some of these wetland areas, in order to hold true to the CWA’s overall goals “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.
Learning to attend transfers across spatial locations

Paradigm -2 AFC grating detection task -4 orientations: 30°, 70°, 110°, 150° -6 stimulus contrast levels logarithmically spaced from .05 to .5 -Orientation cue -80% Valid -20% Invalid Conclusion •Feature-based attention mediates perceptual learning -Performance improves after training for validly cued trials •Feature-based attention mediates transfer of learning -Learning-induced improvements only transfer for validly cued trials Results: Accuracy Results: Contrast Thresholds
Significance of anticardiolipin antibodies on short and long term allograft survival and function following kidney transplantation.

The significance of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) prior to renal transplantation is unclear. We studied a cohort of 337 patients who underwent renal transplantation from 1996 to 2001. Follow-up continued until allograft loss, patient death or 31 December 2002. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of death-censored allograft loss or a 25% reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from 1-month post-transplant. Secondary outcomes were allograft loss, a 25% reduction in GFR, acute rejection and creatinine at 1 year. IgG and IgM ACA titers were positive (≥15) in 18.1% of recipients. There were no significant differences at baseline between recipients, except coumadin therapy in those with positive ACA titers (20% vs. 7.4%). Post-transplant, there was no increase in the primary outcome in ACA-positive patients, even after adjustment for anticoagulation with coumadin (HR = 1.42 [0.68, 2.96]). There was no difference in secondary outcomes between those with or without positive titers. Two of five patients with very high titers (>50) who were not anticoagulated had early graft loss. A positive ACA titer prior to kidney transplantation was not associated with inferior renal outcomes after transplantation, although more research is required to address the prognostic significance of very high ACA titers.
Effect of Stress on the Electrical Resistivity of Solder

The electrical resistivity of tin-lead eutectic solder was found to increase upon tension. The effect was partially reversible. The fractional change in resistance per unit strain was 60. The irreversible part of the effect was due to plastic deformation.
New results in binary multiple descriptions

An encoder whose input is a binary equiprobable memoryless source produces one output of rate R_{1} and another of rate R_{2} . Let D_{1}, D_{2}, and D_{0} , respectively, denote the average error frequencies with which the source data can be reproduced on the basis of the encoder output of rate R_{l} only, the encoder output of rate R_{2} only, and both encoder outputs. The two-descriptions problem is to determine the region R of all quintuples (R_{1}, R_{2}, D_{1}, D_{2}, D_{0}) that are achievable in thc usual Shannon sense. Let R(D)=1+D \log_{2} D+(1-D) \log_{2}(1-D) denote the error frequency rate-distortion function of the source. The "no excess rate case" prevails when R_{1} + R_{2} = R(D_{0}) , and the "excess rate case" when R_{1} + R_{2} > R(D_{0}) . Denote the section of R at (R_{1}, R_{2}, D_{0}) by D(R_{1} R_{2}, D_{0}) =\{(D_{1},D_{2}): (R_{1}, R_{2}, D_{1},D_{2},D_{0}) \in R} . In the no excess rate case we show that a portion of the boundary of D(R_{1}, R_{2}, D_{0}) coincides with the curve (\frac{1}{2} + D_{1}-2D_{0})(\frac_{1}_{2} + D_{2}-2D_{0})= \frac{1}{2}(1-2D_{0})^{2} . This curve is an extension of Witsenhausen's hyperbola bound to the case D_{0} > 0 . It follows that the projection of R onto the (D_{1}, D_{2}) -plane at fixed D_{0} consists of all D_{1} \geq D_{0} and D_{2} \geq D_{0} that lie on or above this hyperbola. In the excess rate case we show by counterexample that the achievable region of El Gamal and Cover is not tight.
Efficacy of role‐playing pedagogy in training leaders: some reflections

As the need is rife for today's leaders to make swift and perfect decisions, they need to learn critical thinking and interpersonal skills as quickly as they can. The traditional pedagogical techniques of training lack the potentiality to make these happen. Not only are they rigorous, and less dynamic, but also they are less learner‐centered, less experiential, and often predispose learners to evaluation anxiety situations. The method of role‐playing differs in many unique ways. Its ability to induce participants to quick understanding notwithstanding, it also has the potential to transform theoretical concepts into an experiential format. In all the scenarios presented in this paper, role‐playing has presented itself as one of the most promising training techniques today. This paper attempts to reflect on the efficacy of role‐playing as an effective pedagogical technique. Implications for practice and research are also discussed.
Genotypic variation influences reproductive success and thermal stress tolerance in the reef building coral, Acropora palmata

The branching coral Acropora palmata is a foundation species of Caribbean reefs that has been decimated in recent decades by anthropogenic and natural stressors. Declines in population density and genotypic diversity likely reduce successful sexual reproduction in this self-incompatible hermaphrodite and might impede recovery. We investigated variation among genotypes in larval development under thermally stressful conditions. Six two-parent crosses and three four-parent batches were reared under three temperatures and sampled over time. Fertilization rates differed widely with two-parent crosses having lower fertilization rates (5–56 %, mean 22 % ± 22 SD) than batches (from 31 to 87 %, mean 59 % ± 28 SD). Parentage analysis of larvae in batch cultures showed differences in gamete compatibility among parents, coinciding with significant variation in both sperm morphology and egg size. While all larval batches developed more rapidly at increased water temperatures, rate of progression through developmental stages varied among batches, as did swimming speed. Together, these results indicate that loss of genotypic diversity exacerbates already severe limitations in sexual reproductive success of A. palmata. Nevertheless, surviving parental genotypes produce larvae that do vary in their phenotypic response to thermal stress, with implications for adaptation, larval dispersal and population connectivity in the face of warming sea surface temperatures.
Calmodulin resolution of multiple peaks of activity by preparative electrofocusing

Abstract When the supernatant fractions from rat brain homogenates were subjected to preparative electrofocusing in a bed of Sephadex G75, several peaks of calmodulin were resolved. A minor peak representing free calmodulin migrated with a pI of 3.8–4.4. Other peaks of calmodulin activity were observed with isoelectric points at pH 4.8, 5.2, 6.0 and 6.8. The peak of calmodulin activity at 5.2 co-migrated with phosphodiesterase activity which was stimulated 1.8-fold by calcium. A second peak of phosphodiesterase activity detected at pH 8.0 was stimulated 1.2-fold by calcium and occurred in an area where no calmodulin activity could be detected. If isoelectric focusing was done in the presence of 8 M urea only one peak of calmodulin activity was observed with a pI of 4.0–4.4. It is suggested that the multiple peaks of calmodulin resolved by electrofocusing represent calmodulin associated with various proteins which are subject to modulation by calmodulin and calcium.
DisseminatedNocardia farcinica infection in an AIDS patient

This report describes an AIDS patient presenting with disseminatedNocardia farcinica infection diagnosed by percutaneous kidney biopsy. The isolate was initially identified asNocardia asteroides. ThoughNocardia asteroides remains sensitive to most antimicrobial agents,Nocardia farcinica is resistant to gentamicin, tobramycin and cephalosporins and is indistinguishable fromNocardia asteroides by regular laboratory methods. In view of the rising incidence of infections withNocardia farcinica, third-generation cephalosporins should not be used in the initial management ofNocardia infections, and all isolates should be submitted for antibiotic susceptibility testing.
Trends in the Indication and Method of Liver Biopsy for Hepatitis B and C

Liver biopsy plays a crucial role in assessing inflammation and fibrosis in chronic hepatitis. The aim of this study was to compare the indications and methods for performing a liver biopsy over a 15-year period when there were evolving strategies and increasing therapeutic options for the treatment for chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV). We reviewed all percutaneous liver biopsies performed at our center from 1992 to 2007 using a pathology database. Variables collected included indication for biopsy, use of real-time ultrasound (US) guidance, and complications associated with the biopsy. A total of 3,572 total liver biopsies were performed between 1992 and 2007 with a gradual increase in annual liver biopsies from 1992 to 2001. After a peak in 2003, there was a gradual decline in liver biopsies performed. The number of liver biopsies done for HCV peaked in 2003, followed by an annual decrease until 2006, while the number of annual biopsies done for HBV increased during the same period. In addition, the proportion of liver biopsies performed with real-time US-guidance increased steadily since 1997. Changes in liver biopsy trends at our center may be related to several factors, including the evolving treatment strategies for HCV and HBV. Percutaneous liver biopsies were increasingly performed using real-time US-guidance over the past decade, a change that may reflect practice patterns around the country.
Effect of cytochalasin B on epidermal cell migration in vitro.

Summary Epidermal cell migration occurs at the edges of human skin fragments when these are placed in a suitable medium containing serum. In this investigation, in which seventy-four skin explants were used, it was found that cytochalasin B reversibly inhibited this migratory process. Inhibition was observed at concentrations of greater than 2μg/ml, and only in a small proportion of explants cultured in the presence of cytochalasin at a concentration of Iμg/ml. The reversible inhibition of cell movement by cytochalasin B has been thought due to the disruption of cytoplasmic microfilaments and it is possible that this is the mode of action of this substance on the epidermis as well.
Neutron-rich freeze-out in viscously spreading accretion discs formed from compact object mergers

Accretion discs with masses ∼10 −3 -0.1 Mare believed to form during the merger of a neu- tron star (NS) with another NS and the merger of a NS with a black hole (BH). Soon after their formation, such hyperaccreting discs cool efficiently by neutrino emission and their composi- tion is driven neutron-rich by pair captures under degenerate conditions. However, as the disc viscously spreads and its temperature drops, neutrino cooling is no longer able to offset vis- cous heating and the disc becomes advective. Analytic arguments and numerical simulations suggest that once this occurs, powerful winds likely drive away most of the disc's remaining mass. We calculate the thermal evolution and nuclear composition of viscously spreading accretion discs formed from compact object mergers using one-dimensional height-integrated simulations. We show that freeze-out from weak equilibrium necessarily accompanies the disc's late-time transition to an advective state. As a result, hyperaccreting discs generically freeze-out neutron-rich (with electron fraction Y e ∼ 0.2-0.4), and their late-time outflows ro- bustly synthesize rare neutron-rich isotopes. Using the measured abundances of these isotopes in our Solar system, we constrain the compact object merger rate in the Milky Way to be 10 −5 (Md,0/0.1 M� ) −1 yr −1 , where Md,0 is the average initial mass of the accretion disc. Thus, either the NS-NS merger rate is at the low end of current estimates or the average disc mass produced during a typical merger is � 0.1 M� . Based on the results of current general relativistic merger simulations, the latter constraint suggests that prompt collapse to a BH is a more common outcome of NS-NS mergers than the formation of a transient hypermassive NS. We also show that if most short-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced by compact object mergers, their beaming fraction must exceed f b ≈ 0.13(Md,0/0.1 M� ), corresponding to a jet half-opening angle 30 ◦ (Md,0/0.1 M� ) 1/2 . This is consistent with other evidence that
The objectivity of scientific measures

Abstract The fundamental constants of nature, as presented by modern science, can be conceived as natural measures of the universe. In comparison, the standards of the International System of Units, including the kilogram and the meter, are mind-made and hand-crafted to meet the demands of human life. In this paper, the gap between the natural and the conventional is squeezed from two directions. In the first place, we come to understand why the metric measures were originally conceived, by the best of scientists, as being “taken from nature” and “in no way arbitrary”. The kilogram of yesteryear was anchored in yesteryear's science and is reasonably considered natural with respect to that science. We also review a contemporary debate amongst physicists that questions whether any quantity, being necessarily written with units, can be truly fundamental. Modern notions of a fundamental constant are put under the spotlight; the kilogram emerges as bound up with contemporary science today as ever it was. In the picture being painted here, our measures are drawn as dynamic entities, epistemic tools that develop hand-in-hand with the rest of science, and whose significance goes much further than a metal artefact dangled from an abstract number line.
The 2 and 3 representative projective planar embeddings

Abstract A graph embedded on a surface is n-representative if every nontrivial closed curve in the surface which does not intersect edges of the embedding must contain at least n vertices of the graph. The property of being n-representative on a surface is closed upward under minor inclusion; hence, by the results of N. Robertson and P. D. Seymour (Graph minors. VIII. A Kuratowski theorem for general surfaces, submitted for publication), the set of minor minimal n-representative embeddings on a surface is finite up to isomorphism. The property of being minor minimal n-representative is invariant under Y-Δ operations. The set of minor minimal 2 and 3 representative embeddings on the projective plane are found. These embeddings are used to produce the topologically minimal 2 and 3 representative projective embeddings.
H ∞ model matching problem for singularly perturbed systems

Abstract The model matching problem for single-input single-output singularly perturbed systems is considered. Two sets of sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the existence of a two-frequency-scale solution: one for the optimal and one for a suboptimal case. Both the minimum-phase and the non-minumum-phase cases are treated. The sub-optimal two-frequency-scale solution constructed in this paper uses the solutions of two well-defined lower-order problems, and therefore it is numerically better conditioned and computationally less demanding than the traditional optimal methods. A two-stage algorithm for the computation of the suboptimal TFS solution is presented.
Anomalous Xenon Isotopes in Carbonaceous Chondrites

The origin of the isotopically anomalous xenon components reported to have been isolated from the carbonaceous chondrites Allende and Murchison can be attributed to the products of known nuclear processes, which also produce isotopic anomalies in a wide variety of substances including the light elements carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and magnesium.
Dynamic Digital Map of the Springerville Volcanic Field and the DDM-Template: An example of an open-source tool to distribute maps, data, articles, and multi-media materials

Dynamic Digital Maps (DDMs) are computer programs that manage the display and distribution of high-quality color maps, digital images, movies, analytical data, and explanatory text, including field guides. They do this in a cross-platform format that opens associated files of maps, images, and movies either from a local device (e.g., a hard drive) or from a web source (server). DDMs are intuitive to use, can be easily and quickly searched for sample and image sites and analytical data, and require no additional software such as web browsers or readers to operate. DDMs fill a niche between the extremes in the digital mapping world that range from a simple digital copy of a paper map to the highly linked geographic information system (GIS) product. A DDM enables one to create an integrated study that confines its focus on a specific map, unlike other interfaces. They offer an ideal way to present, for example, premeeting or postmeeting field trips, so they can be pre-run or revisited, enriching the experience. All DDM maps and images can be saved to disk for printing, and data saved to tab-delimited files. DDMs are made using the open-source DDM-Template, written in the cross-platform programming environment Runtime Revolution, as assisted by videos, tutorials, and the DDM-Cookbook. The DDM of the Springerville volcanic field, the example used here to demonstrate these capabilities, was made from this template. The template is highly extensible, and ongoing modifications and updates are available, as are more than 20 other examples of DDMs.
NEW CLINICAL ISSUES IN CELIAC DISEASE

Celiac sprue is a condition of permanent gluten intolerance, whereby removal of gluten from the diet results in complete clinical and histologic recovery. Although Gee 28 initially described the clinical features of childhood celiac disease, Dicke et al 20 observed that ingestion of wheat flour was harmful to children with celiac disease, and subsequently van de Kamer et al 85 demonstrated that gliadin, the alcohol-soluble component of wheat gluten, was responsible for the fat malabsorption in patients with celiac sprue. There has been considerable progress in genetic and immunobiologic research, and this article focuses on evolving issues in the diagnosis and management of patients with celiac disease.
Electrostatic free energy of the DNA double helix in counterion condensation theory.

Polyelectrolyte theory based on counterion condensation is extended from the standard line charge model to helical and double helical charge arrays. The number of condensed counterions turns out to be the same as for a line charge with charge density equal to the axial charge density of the helix. Also, the logarithmic salt dependence of the electrostatic free energy is the same in the range of lower salt concentration, so that the limiting laws remain unchanged. However, the internal free energy of the condensed layer of counterions and the overall electrostatic free energy depend on the helical parameters. At higher salt, the free energies of both single and double helix are negative, indicating electrostatic stabilization of the helical charge lattices due to the mixing entropy of the condensed counterions. Except at very low salt, the free energy of a single helix is higher than the free energy of a double helix with twice the charge density. With B-DNA parameters and single strands modeled as single helices, the predicted salt dependence of the free energy of transition from double helix to separated single strands has a maximum at approximately 0.2 M salt, close to the location in the laboratory of this well-known feature of the DNA strand separation transition. We also calculate the electrostatic free energy for the transition of the DNA double helix from the B to the A conformation. The B form is electrostatically stable over most of the salt range, but there is a spontaneous electrostatic transition to A near 1 M salt. The electrostatic free energy values are close to the experimental values of the overall (electrostatic plus non-electrostatic) transition free energies for A-philic base pair sequences. We are led to suggest that the experimentally observed B-to-A transition for A-philic sequences near 1 M salt in water is governed by the polyelectrolyte properties of these two conformations of the DNA double helix. The effect of ethanol, however, cannot be attributed to lowering of the bulk dielectric constant.
A Content Analysis of Music Placement in Prime-Time Television Advertising

ABSTRACT Music is very popular in advertising. You can hear as much music in commercials as you can on some commercial radio stations. This research analyzed 3,456 prime-time television commercials to not only quantify, but qualify the placement of music in advertising. Overall, 94 percent of the total advertisements (3,456) and 86 percent of the unique advertisements (715) contained some type of music. Of the unique music advertisements, 14 percent contained popular music, 81 percent used needledrop, and 5 percent utilized jingles. Popular music (primarily pop and rock) was observed more often in automotive, audio/video, and food commercials than any other product category. Popular music was more likely to be relevant to the narrative in the commercial than the product or service. This study facilitates future trending and encourages further investigation of the role of music in advertising effectiveness.
Observation of brittle-deformation features at the maximum stress of westerly granite and solenhofen limestone

Abstract The nature and sequence of deformation in the region of the maximum stress were investigated in specimens deformed in uniaxial stress compression at room temperature and at constant strain rates from 10−4/sec to 103/sec. Microscopic observations show that no visible fracture (> 0·01 mm long ) or other evidence of deformation takes place until > 99% of the average maximum stress at a strain rate of 10−4/sec is attained by the granite. Detailed examination of an incipient shear fracture in a granite specimen suggests that the fracture is formed by the coalescence of links between en echelon inclined grain boundaries and cleavages. Photographs taken during loading in the split-Hopkinson bar device illustrate that macroscopic shear fractures develop before extension fractures in the sequence of events leading to gross failure of the specimens.
Parton spin asymmetries in polarized hadrons at high energies

Abstract The predictions of perturbative QCD for the evolution of quark and gluon distributions for polarized hadrons, in general, and for polarized protons, in particular, are developed. Analytical and numerical studies suggest that quark and gluon polarizations increase with increasing energy at fixed Feynman x. Moreover, the average gluon asymmetry grows as ln Q2 receiving contributions from both quark and gluon asymmetries at lower energy. This has important implications for the growth of orbital angular momenta of partons and presents a challenge to model building. A new sum rule for a particular moment of the quark and gluon asymmetries is derived. We conclude that more work is needed to determine how useful polarized proton beams might be in the search for and exploration of new physics in lepton-proton, p p and pp colliders.