cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managing Externalities of Internet Security with Scoring Rules

Internet security is a major challenge in fulfilling the Internet's productivity potential. Without a secure Internet environment, individuals and organizations may not be able to efficiently connect through the Internet and could even refuse to connect due to security concerns. However, issues of incentive in Internet security have not been carefully considered. The incentive of the agent who designs and invests in a security system may not be fully aligned with social efficiency because such an investment would exert positive externalities on society and such a misalignment would generally lead to underinvestment. A challenge of addressing such externalities is information asymmetry, where the investment in the security systems and their potential failure is privately known by the agents who design or invest in these systems but not publicly revealed. We propose a mechanism for the agents to credibly communicate their security levels. We introduce a third party to whom the agents can report their beliefs on their systems' possibility of potential failure. The third party scores the agents based on their reports and the ex post observations of the security performance of their systems. These scores will influence the agents' payoff and thus provide them with additional incentives. We use a network contagion model with endogenous network formation as a benchmark to show how our mechanism can incentivize agents to both invest more in security and gain trust in each other's security and then make connections that create value.
Teaching Chemical Kinetics with Dynamic Simulations

Teaching chemical kinetics is often challenging because quantifying multistep reactions typically requires mathematically nontrivial analyses. Here, we describe the use of ‘KinTek Explorer’ kinetic modeling software to fit kinetic data from a common two-step reaction [i.e., reduction of chromium(VI) by glutathione], thereby facilitating students’ intuitive understanding of chemical kinetics.
Health literacy, nutrition knowledge, and health care transition readiness in youth with chronic kidney disease or hypertension: A cross-sectional study.

This study evaluates the associations of nutrition knowledge and health literacy with health care transition (HCT) readiness and self-management in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic ...
Understanding How Information Affects Loan Aversion: A Randomized Control Trial of Providing Federal Loan Information to High School Seniors

ABSTRACTAlthough the literature offers evidence of students’ aversion to borrowing for postsecondary education, it offers no insight into whether such attitudes are mutable. Through a blocked, clus...
Shale gas transport in rock matrix: Diffusion in the presence of surface adsorption and capillary condensation

Abstract One characteristic of unconventional shale rock is the abundance of nanoscale pores and pore throats. For many shale reservoirs, these are the dominant factors controlling the total reserve, production rate, and overall production. Accordingly, many new phenomenon related to nanopore physics need to be considered for shale reservoir. A key mechanism controlling hydrocarbon gas transport from pores to fractures in shale reservoirs is molecular diffusion. As a result, the diffusion coefficient of light hydrocarbon becomes an important parameter in reservoir simulation to estimate production rate, especially for the long-term or late time production. The diffusion coefficient is also a key parameter in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging for fluid typing in determining hydrocarbon-in-place. Diffusion in nanopore systems is complicated by two important factors. First, the gas molecules collide more with pore surfaces than with each other; therefore, simple diffusion theory based on gas molecule collision is not applicable. Second, the occurrence of capillary condensation in small pores or pore throats and the adsorption to the pore surface makes the hydrocarbon transport a mixed process of liquid diffusion and gas diffusion in the reservoir. We derived a theoretical model for mixed phase diffusion under fast exchange for shale gas reservoirs. We obtained that the effective diffusion coefficient of mixed fluid is a fractional average of the liquid and gas diffusivity. We verified this model using NMR to measure n-hexane diffusion in a well-characterized hierarchical carbon with both nanometer pores and micrometer pores so that both gas and liquid can be prepared to exist in the sample simultaneously. We found that the diffusion coefficient of hexane in these hydrophobic nanopores is approximately one magnitude of order larger than the bulk liquid value. The effective diffusion coefficient in this study can be used in reservoir simulation and interpretation of NMR logs for shale gas reservoirs.
The S-SH Confusion Test and the Effects of Frequency Lowering

Purpose Frequency lowering in hearing aids can cause listeners to perceive [s] as [ʃ]. The S-SH Confusion Test, which consists of 66 minimal word pairs spoken by 6 female talkers, was designed to help clinicians and researchers document these negative side effects. This study's purpose was to use this new test to evaluate the hypothesis that these confusions will increase to the extent that low frequencies are altered. Method Twenty-one listeners with normal hearing were each tested on 7 conditions. Three were control conditions that were low-pass filtered at 3.3, 5.0, and 9.1 kHz. Four conditions were processed with nonlinear frequency compression (NFC): 2 had a 3.3-kHz maximum audible output frequency (MAOF), with a start frequency (SF) of 1.6 or 2.2 kHz; 2 had a 5.0-kHz MAOF, with an SF of 1.6 or 4.0 kHz. Listeners' responses were analyzed using concepts from signal detection theory. Response times were also collected as a measure of cognitive processing. Results Overall, [s] for [ʃ] confusions were mi...
Social Media Use and HIV Screening Uptake Among Deaf Adults in the United States: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: About 46% of US adults obtain recommended HIV screening at least once during their lifetime. There is little knowledge of screening rates among deaf and hard-of-hearing adults who primarily use American Sign Language (ASL), or of social media as a potentially efficacious route for HIV prevention outreach, despite lower HIV/AIDS-specific health literacy and potentially higher HIV seropositivity rates than hearing peers. Objective: We investigated both the likelihood of HIV screening uptake among deaf adults in the past year and over one year ago, and the relationship between social media use and HIV screening uptake among deaf adult ASL users. Methods: The Health Information National Trends Survey in ASL was administered to 1340 deaf US adults between 2015-2018. Modified Poisson with robust standard errors was used to assess the relationship between social media usage as a predictor and HIV screening as an outcome (screened more than one year ago, screened within the past year, and never been screened), after adjusting for sociodemographics and sexually transmitted disease (STD) covariates. Results: The estimated lifetime prevalence of HIV screening uptake among our sample was 54% (719/1340), with 32% (429/1340) in the past year. Being of younger age, male gender, Black, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer, or having some college education or a prior STD were associated with HIV screening uptake. Adjusting for correlates, social media use was significantly associated with HIV screening in the past year, compared to either lifetime or never. Conclusions: Screening falls well short of universal screening targets, with gaps among heterosexual, female, Caucasian, or older deaf adults. HIV screening outreach may not be effective because of technological or linguistic inaccessibility, rendering ASL users an underrecognized minority group. However, social media is still a powerful tool, particularly among younger deaf adults at risk for HIV.
Validating modern methods for impurity analysis in fluoride salts

Abstract Salt impurities directly affect degradation of structural materials in molten salt environments, so impurity quantification and analysis of salts is important for the deployment of next generation molten salt nuclear reactors. Despite the importance of moisture and other oxygen containing impurities, reliable methods of measuring these impurities are not well qualified or commonly used. Herein, we present two methods for analysis of oxygen content and one method for analysis of hydrogen content in fluoride salts demonstrated on two batches of LiF-NaF-KF (FLiNaK) salt with differing purity levels. The intentional addition of varying amounts of oxygen and hydrogen to the FLiNaK salt as internal standards produced a linear response using a commercial combustion analysis instrument, and measured amounts were consistent with the standards. These results indicate the technique is a valid method for measuring oxygen and hydrogen content in fluoride salts. Corrosion studies of 316H in FLiNaK revealed 5 times more mass loss in the salt containing more impurities including hydrogen and transition metals.
Empirical Analysis Adopters of Economic Value Added

Economic Value Added is a new measure of performance that is purported to better align managers' incentives to that of the shareholders. Accordingly, firms that experience higher agency conflicts should be more included to use this performance evaluation system. Additionally, the organizational strategy of the firm should influence the likelihood of employing EVA. Prospector firms are defined as firms that apply a differentiation strategy while defender firms focus on being cost-leaders. Firms identified as prospectors should be less likely to use EVA. One hundred and fifteen firms were identified as being adopters of EVA. Logistic regression was performed to contrast these firms to a control group of 1,271 non-adopters. The results indicate that firms using EVA exhibit a higher percentage of institutional ownership and a lower percentage of insider ownership than non-adopters. Prospector firms as defined by a higher ratio of research and development to sales tend to use EVA less than defender firms. Accounting adjustments are a focal point of the EVA formulation and the results presented in this study suggest that providing appropriate incentives may be more complex than the developers of EVA imply.
Residual Analysis for Range Image Segmentation and Classification

This paper presents an algorithm for the segmentation and classification of dense range images of industrial parts. Range images, are unique in that they directly approximate the physical surfaces of a real world 3-D scene. The segmentation of images (range or intensity) is based on edge detection or region growing techniques. The approach presented in this paper segments range images by combining edge detection and region growing techniques. Jump and roof edges are detected using residual analysis. The residual is defined as the absolute value of the difference between the original image and a filtered version. We show that, at an edge, the difference after smoothing has a maxima in the direction perpendicular to the edge for jump and roof edges. The segmented surfaces is then classified into planar, convex, or concave. The classification is done in two steps. The first step utilizes a variation of the Wald-Wolfowitz runs test to classify the surfaces into planar or curved. The second step further classifies each curved surface into convex or concave using a multi-scale residual computation. The performance of the algorithm on a number of industrial parts range images is presented.
Filament Scintillation Chamber Experiments at Princeton University

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the filament scintillation chamber experiments at Princeton University. Initial work on filament scintillation chambers by the Princeton University group was directed toward assembling intensifier systems capable of viewing minimum ionizing tracks. This work focused on cathode efficiencies, overall system gains, background noise, angular distribution of light from phosphors, resolution and methods of recording. As a result of this work, it was concluded that a system adequate for reliable recording of minimum tracks had been assembled, and many examples of cosmic ray mesons were recorded. These were obtained using a system consisting of a two-stage RCA 70050 intensifier, lens-coupled to an RCA two-stage intensifier orthicon. In the later stages of the work, systems of image tubes and lenses were assembled and used without precise measurements of overall gains. However, it generally turns out that an overall gain of about 106 is used, assuming that the video stage accounts for a factor of l02.
Rapid and precise δ13C measurement of dissolved inorganic carbon in natural waters using liquid chromatography coupled to an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer

The measurement of the carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in natural systems has provided a tool for examining a variety of processes, from net primary production to anthropogenic signatures of CO2 uptake in the oceans. Over the past decade, new δ13C-DIC methods have steadily decreased the sample analysis time and volumes for this measurement. The development of a new interface capable of inline acidification and extraction of CO2 from a liquid stream (LC-Isolink™; Thermo Electron) provides break-throughs in sample size, ease of sample handling, and speed of analyses. Typical sample size injections of 25 µL provide precision and accuracy of 0.04‰, comparable to that obtained by off-line extractions/dual inlet analyses on much larger samples. Single-sample injection runs can be accomplished within 4 min, whereas sample preparation is limited to filtration to remove particulates. Thus combined runs of 200 samples over a 20-h period are possible. Highest-precision triplicate injection analyses of single samples require 11 min. Manually injected marine sample sizes of 2.5 µL provide nearly the same precision and accuracy as the larger loop sizes. For maximum precision, care must be taken to match sample and standard sizes to correct for linearity effects. Over wider concentration ranges typically found within estuarine systems, the overall precision of the method decreases to 0.06‰ with such correction.
Provenance-Based Strategies to Develop Trust in Semantic Web Applications

Linked data and Semantic Web technologies enable people to navigate across heterogeneous sources of data thus making it easier for them to explore and develop multiple perspectives for use in making decisions and solving problems. While the Semantic Web offers benefits for developers and users, several new challenges are emerging that may negatively impact users’ trust in Web-based collaborative systems.
Correlated quantitative studies of the neostriatum, nucleus accumbens, substantia nigra, and ventral tegmental area in normal and weaver mutant mice

Normal mice (+/+) and homozygous weaver mutant mice (wv/wv) at 1 year of age were used for three-dimensional computer-aided reconstructions of the nucleus accumbens (NA) and neostriatum (ST) and for quantitative estimations of the total number of medium-sized neurons in the NA and ST, and for the total number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN). The three-dimensional reconstructions showed that the weaver NA and ST are smaller than they are in +/+. Quantitative volumetric measurements of the NA and ST showed wv/wv were smaller than +/+ by nonsignificant differences of 14% and 13%, respectively. The wv/wv group showed statistically significant depletion of neurons in all four structures. On average, NA neurons are reduced by 27%, ST neurons by 22%, VTA-TH neurons by 40%, and SN-TH neurons by 79%. In wv/wv animals, there was a high positive correlation (r = 0.836) between the numbers of SN-TH neurons and ST neurons and a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.534) between the numbers of SN-VTA neurons and NA neurons. The nuclei in TH-containing neurons in wv/wv and +/+ had the same diameters, but in all animals, the SN-TH neurons contained larger nuclei than the VTA-TH neurons. Cytoarchitectonic measurements in control and weaver NA and ST were also similar. In all animals, the NA contains more densely packed neurons with smaller nuclei than those in the ST.
Job shop scheduling by means of simulation and an optimum-seeking search

The paper discusses a job shop simulator designed for use in the scheduling of a set of jobs. The simulator has been implemented in the form of a Fortran program. The simulator can be used in conjunction with a search program that adjusts priority rule parameters in seeking an improved schedule.
Open face flat embedding technique

Preliminary studies of bacterial structure revealed, that these organisms were susceptible to damage during the polymerization of the acrylic embedding matrix, when a cure temperature of 60° C was used (1). Utilizing the principle that the internal stresses responsible for the damage could be relieved by maintaining the matrix in as fluid a condition as possible to the termination of the polymerization reaction (2, 3), the temperature of the curing oven was raised until, at a temperature of 95° C, polymerization damage of the bacteria could not be detected with an optical microscope.
10 MWe Solar Thermal Central Receiver Pilot Plant Total Capital Cost

A cost analysis of the 10MWe Solar One Thermal Central Receiver Plant near Barstow, California, is presented to help predict costs of future solar thermal central receiver plants. In this paper, the Solar One Pilot Plant’s total capital cost ($141,200,000) has been broken down into four different structures: (l) project cost, (2) plant system cost, (3) elements of work cost, and (4) recurring and nonrecurring cost. These cost breakdown structures have been correlated to show the interaction and the assignment of costs for specific areas. Since the Solar One Pilot Plant is a first-of-a-kind facility, many of its costs will be greater than those of future plants with similar designs. However, as the world’s largest solar central receiver plant, Solar One offers a unique opportunity to examine actual design and construction costs.
Flexible backhaul design with cooperative transmission in cellular interference networks

We propose a novel interference management framework for the cellular downlink through cooperative transmission. A sectored cellular network is studied where the interference is only due to sectors in neighboring cells and intra cell interference is ignored. We first explore the potential degrees of freedom (DoF) gain in a scenario where mobile receivers can be associated to any neighboring cell but no cooperative transmission is allowed. We show that the maximum achievable per user DoF for orthogonal schemes is between 1/3 and 3/7. On the other hand, if cooperative transmission is combined with flexible message assignment to the transmitters, we show that it is possible to achieve a per user DoF of 7/15. In addition, the proposed cooperative transmission scheme does not require extra backhaul capacity, as it uses a smart assignment of messages to transmitters to meet an average backhaul load constraint of one message per transmitter.
Acinetobacter and Moraxella

1 Taxonomic Review: Family Moraxellaceae 2 Acinetobacter 3 Moraxella 4 Moraxella nonliquefaciens 5 Moraxella lacunata 6 Moraxella osloensis 7 Minor Species 8 Animal-Associated Species 9 Moraxella (Branhamella) Catarrhalis 10 Acknowledgments Keywords: Acinetobacter and Moraxella; genus Moraxella-several taxonomic revisions; Acinetobacters-saprophytic and ubiquitous; virulence and pathogenic factors; management, therapeutic options and susceptibility testing; Moraxella nonliquefaciens-commonly isolated species of genus; M. catarrhalis-gram-negative diplococci; M. catarrhalis-susceptible to penicillin and β-lactamase negative
Hepatic metabolism of glucose, galactose, and lactate after milk feeding in newborn lambs

The purpose of this study was to test the ability of the liver to efficiently clear substrates absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract after a feeding before entry into the systemic circulation. We placed a hepatic vein (HV) catheter in utero at 135-140 days gestation. The lamb was then allowed to deliver spontaneously, and additional catheters were placed in the portal vein (PV) and femoral artery (FA) at 1-3 days postnatal age. After at least 2 days recovery, lambs were fasted overnight at 4-10 days of age and then allowed to nurse ad libitum. There was significant hepatic glucose release during fasting and after 80 min postprandially. No net hepatic uptake of glucose was observed before or after feeding. PV galactose was significantly greater than FA and HV from 40 to 160 min after feeding (P less than 0.005). Hepatic glucose extraction was negligible in the fasted state (1 +/- 3%) and increased after feeding to 75 +/- 2% when PV galactose was less than 1.0 mM. There was a significant hepatic arteriovenous concentration difference of lactate (0.23 +/- 0.03 mM) and of oxygen (0.27 +/- 0.01 mM), which did not change significantly after feeding. The metabolic quotient for galactose increased significantly after feeding, such that galactose was the largest carbon contributor for postprandial hepatic carbon accretion. After a milk feeding, the newborn liver efficiently extracts galactose, lactate, and oxygen, but not glucose.
Targeting EPO and EPO receptor pathways in anemia and dysregulated erythropoiesis

Introduction: Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) is a first-line therapeutic for the anemia of chronic kidney disease, cancer chemotherapy, AIDS (Zidovudine therapy), and lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. However, rhEPO frequently elevates hypertension, is costly, and may affect cancer progression. Potentially high merit therefore exists for defining new targets for anti-anemia agents within erythropoietin (EPO) and EPO receptor (EPOR) regulatory circuits.Areas covered: EPO production by renal interstitial fibroblasts is subject to modulation by several regulators of hypoxia-inducible factor 2a (HIF2a) including Iron Response Protein-1, prolyl hydroxylases, and HIF2a acetylases, each of which holds potential as anti-anemia drug targets. The cell surface receptor for EPO (EPOR) preassembles as a homodimer, together with Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2), and therefore it remains attractive to develop novel agents that trigger EPOR complex activation (activating antibodies, mimetics, small-molecule agonists). ...
Biological factors involved in blood clearance of liposomes by liver

Abstract The mechanisms underlying the removal of liposomes from the blood by liver were investigated by employing an in situ single-pass liver perfusion technique. Using liposomes with different composition and diameter, we demonstrated that two different mechanisms are involved in liposome clearance, one requires complement activation, called serum-dependent mechanism, and the other, named serum-independent mechanism, does not require serum components. For serum dependent mechanism, activated C3 component bound to the surface of liposomes is likely to serve as the opsonin to lead the binding of liposomes to liver macrophages. For serum-independent liposome uptake, it appears that liver uptake of liposomes involves multiple receptors, some of which may be shared by different types of liposomes. Fluorescence microscopic studies using a dual fluorescence label system in combination with a Kupffer cell elimination technique revealed that, in addition to a dominant role of Kupffer cells for taking up liposomes, non-Kupffer cells are also involved in taking up liposomes with specific lipid composition.
Importance of considering testosterone-cortisol interactions in predicting human aggression and dominance

A novel "field" study recently published in Aggressive Behavior found that individual differences in baseline testosterone concentrations were positively correlated with endorsement of political aggression and that baseline cortisol concentrations were negatively correlated with self-reported aggression among Palestinian boys living in Gaza. Here, we discuss recent evidence indicating that testosterone and cortisol interact to predict competitive, aggressive, and dominant behaviors and urge researchers collecting both hormones to perform and report analyses that formally test for such interaction effects.
An integrin-like protein in Candida albicans: implications for pathogenesis

Candida albicans is the foremost fungal pathogen in neonates, diabetics and immunocompromised people. The discovery of integrin-like proteins in this yeast and the involvement of these proteins in adhesion, morphogenesis and signal transduction suggest important roles for primitive integrins in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, and as paradigms for signaling and differentiation in vertebrate cells.
Stopping the swinging pendulum of postnatal corticosteroid use

In this issue of The Journal, Stark et al1 remind us of an unsolved dilemma in neonatal medicine: Does the use of postnatal corticosteroids to treat or prevent broncho-pulmonary dysplasia (BPD) convey more benefit than harm? The neonatal community's answer to this question has swung like a pendulum violently from side to side: At one extreme, large doses of “prophylactic” steroids were given early in life to very low birthweight infants at varying risk of developing BPD and its sequelae. At the other extreme, physicians virtually stopped using postnatal corticosteroids, even for the indication of weaning a chronically ventilator-dependent preterm infant off respiratory support. Since learning from history may free us from repeating it, we will first place the report by Stark et al1 in historical perspective.
Rescaling of the retinal map of visual space during growth of the kitten's eye

Abstract We have measured the angle between the visual axis and the axis projected from the center of the optic disk in 35 cats ranging in age from two weeks to adulthood. Our results show that this angle, a , declines from around 27° in very young kittens to about 16° in adult cats, with most of the change occurring during the first 6 weeks after birth. We interpret this change as reflecting a progressive contraction of the area of object space projected onto the retina. For this to occur, the posterior nodal distance of the eye's optical system must increase by a larger factor than the transvers extent of the retina. This process undoubtedly contributes to maturation of the kitten's visual function, causing a reduction of the size of neuronal receptive fields and an enhancement of spatial resolution.
A solvent partitioning procedure for the separation of chlorophylls from their degradation products and carotenoid pigments

A simple liquid/liquid partitioning procedure was developed which employed aqueous acetonitrile and hexane, for the isolation of chlorophyll and pheophytin. This procedure separated these pigments from other interfering pigmented compounds. The efficacy of this solvent separation method was evaluated using commercially available chlorophylla, b, pheophytina, b, carotenoids, and algal pigment extracts. The recovery efficiencies of this solvent partitioning process for chlorophyll a and pheophytina have been shown to be 95–98% and 93–96%, respectively, furthermore, the chlorophylla fraction was practically free of any contaminating pigments. It appears that a more accurate assessment of chlorophylla and pheophytina can be accomplished employing liquid/liquid partitioning than with the present standard method.
THE AURICULO-GENITAL REFLEX IN CATS

A reflex is described which can be obtained in about 90 per cent. of cats by manual stimulation of the external ear. The response consists of contraction of subcutaneous muscle about the genital organs. The pathway involved is shown to be afferent over the auricular branch of the vagus, efferent over the eighth cervical and first thoracic anterior roots, the brachial plexus, and over a long nerve coursing down the lateral abdomen and then medially to the genitalia. The efferent pathway crosses above the second cervical segment, probably in the brain stem (fig. 2). The response to aural stimulation is strictly a crossed one, the almost symmetrical contraction of the muscle being due to partial dual innervation of the muscle by the nerves of the two sides. Evidence is adduced to show that the absence of the reflex in certain instances is probably due to local conditions affecting the ears. The subcutaneous muscle of the genitalia is probably a separated portion of the cutaneus maximus muscle.
Differential bacteriophage DNA replication after induction of a strain of Escherichia coli doubly lysogenic for ∅80 and ∅80dlac

Abstract A double lysogen of Escherichia coli containing prophages ∅80 and ∅80dlac (with a temperature-sensitive repressor for phage induction) has been investigated for yields of the two bacteriophages under different conditions of growth and lysis. The yield of ∅80dlac is strongly dependent on the growth medium used. In growth medium A approximately equal amounts of ∅80 and ∅80dlac are obtained. In growth medium B a reasonable yield of ∅80 is produced but very little ∅80dlac is produced. This is due to the fact that very little ∅80dlac DNA is produced in an induced culture in medium B. A minor modification of Campbell's model for prophage excision is suggested in which homologous parts of the two prophages interact to form one intact phage chromosome. If this mechanism of excision prevailed in medium B it could account for the low yield of transducing phage.
Electron lithography for the fabrication of microelectronic devices

Electron lithography is a technique which is in widespread use for making masks and reticles for the manufacture of integrated circuits. It is also commonly used in research laboratories for exposing micron or sub-micron patterns directly on wafers. In addition, direct exposure is used, to a limited extent, in manufacturing plants, although generally at coarser resolutions. The reasons for using electron lithography in these applications are explained, and a history of the technique's evolution is given. The two major types of instrument-the scanning instrument and the projection instrument-are described and their limitations are pointed out. Interactions between electrons with energies of tens of keV (the energies typically used in electron lithography), the substrate (wafer or mask plate) and the resist material (in which a latent image is formed) are discussed. It is shown how these interactions affect the quality of the resist image before and after development.
Effects of the surface structure of Rhγ-Al2O3 on the hydrogenolysis of n-pentane, on the oxidation of n-butane, and on the reduction of nitric oxide

Abstract In low-concentration Rh catalysts, supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 , the metal is present in a dispersed phase with every Rh atom or ion exposed on the surface. This form persists up to a surface concentration of 2.5 μmol/m 2 (BET). At higher concentrations three-dimensional particles are formed. Three model reactions were investigated on Rh catalysts of both kinds: hydrogenolysis of n -pentane under strongly reducing conditions, oxidation of n -butane under strongly oxidizing conditions, and reduction of nitric oxide by hydrogen under mildly oxidizing conditions. The n -butane oxidation proceeded in the same fashion on both types of Rh catalysts, while the two other reactions were found to be structure sensitive. On the dispersed phase, n -pentane cleaves predominantly into ethane and propane, while on the three-dimensional particles this activity is sharply diminished. Similarly, the product selectivity and the kinetic parameters of the NO-H 2 reaction differ distinctly on the two phases of supported Rh.
On the mean convergence of Markov operators

Throughout the paper, T will be a Markov operator on C ( X ) ( X compact T 2 ), i.e. a continuous positive operator such that Te = e ( e the unit function). P will be the set of Borel probability measures on X , which we shall often think of as linear functionals on C ( X ), and , where T ' is the adjoint of T . Let
A successive approximations method for a cellular manufacturing problem

The problem of interest is to partition a collection of machines into production cells so that a given set of part-manufacturing requirements may be carried out optimally. In the present case transitions of parts between different cells is the only measure of machine partition goodness. The present formulation and approximate solution of this optimization problem is best described as one of successive approximations or as a one-at-a-time method. An initial cellular structure is taken and an easy part assignment optimization routine executed. With the part assignment fixed, a heuristic is employed to find an improved cell structure. These bipartite iterations continue until a convergence criterion is satisfied. Several small computer examples are provided and the straightforward requirements for large problem adaptation.
Submeasures and decomposition of measures

Abstract Using submeasures and Boolean spaces, new proofs are given for Hewitt-Yosida type decompositions of group-valued exhaustive measures; these give new insight into these decompositions.
Generation of T-cell receptor retrogenic mice

T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic (Tg) mice have revolutionized our understanding of many aspects of T-cell biology. Whereas they provide an almost unlimited source of T cells with a single specificity, breeding them onto different backgrounds and/or new knockout/knock-in mouse models is often time-consuming (6 months to several years), which can make the process costly and can significantly delay research. This protocol describes a new method for expressing defined TCR-alpha and TCR-beta proteins from a single 2A peptide-linked multicistronic retroviral vector in mice, using retrovirus-mediated stem cell gene transfer. We refer to these as 'retrogenic' (Rg) mice ('retro' from retrovirus and 'genic' from Tg) to avoid confusion with traditional transgenic mice. We have successfully used this approach to express over 50 different TCRs on several different mouse backgrounds in as little as 6 weeks.
A sequential algorithmic approach to synthesizing minimum cost solar collector fields

A sequential optimization approach to finding minimum cost solar collector fields is presented. Minimum cost fields are found for various values of useful thermal power as measured by the fluid mass flow rate and temperatures in and out of the field. The optimum piping arrangements, field geometries, mixes of collector types, pipe diameters and insulation thicknesses are determined for each minimum cost field. Examples of the application of the optimization approach are also presented.
P300 Latency after Ethanol Ingestion in Sons of Alcoholics and in Controls

The magnitude and persistence of ethanol-induced increases in the latency of the P3 event-related potential from auditory stimuli were evaluated in 21 sons of alcoholic fathers (FHP) and 21 control sons of nonalcoholics (FHN) matched on demography and drinking history. The men were assessed at baseline, 70 min after imbibing a beverage, and 240 min after drinking, with observations carried out for each individual in 3 dosage conditions (placebo, 0.75 ml/kg of ethanol, and 1.1 ml/kg of ethanol). There were no family group differences for baseline (prechallenge) P3 latencies, nor any significant group differences after placebo or low-dose ethanol challenges. However, in the high alcohol dose challenge condition, P3 latencies for FHP subjects returned toward baseline measures more quickly than for FHN men. These results are consistent with previous reports of behavioral and biochemical measures in which FHP subjects demonstrated less intense reactions or returned toward baseline conditions more rapidly after ethanol ingestion relative to the FHN controls.
Kinetics of RDX degradation by zero-valent iron (ZVI)

Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) is a common groundwater contaminant at military facilities. The current research has been conducted to evaluate the use of zero-valent iron (ZVI) for the remediation of water contaminated with RDX. RDX was found to degrade rapidly in the presence of ZVI. The observed first-order kinetic constant for RDX reduction follows an enzymatic-like kinetic model with respect to the ZVI concentration. At low ZVI concentrations, RDX reduction follows pseudo first order kinetics with respect to ZVI concentration; while at high ZVI concentrations the RDX reduction is zero-order. Nitroso compounds (MNX, DNX, and TNX), nitrate, nitrite and nitrous oxide were identified as the main by-products for the RDX reduction by ZVI. The nitroso compounds were found to undergo reduction by ZVI.
Message from the technical program chairs

We were able to put together an excellent technical program for ICNP 2013, thanks to the joint efforts by our authors, TPC members, and technical area leads. We received 251 submissions to the main conference this year, the highest number in ICNP's 21-year history. Each paper received at least three reviews, and the 66 technical program committee members produced 765 paper reviews. The 11 area chairs ensured review quality and consistency between reviewers. The final papers for the main conference were selected during a TPC meeting in July. To accommodate for the larger number of submissions, we decided to shorten paper presentations slightly. Overall, 46 papers were accepted for presentation at the conference, which corresponds to an acceptance rate of 18.3%.
In Vitro Effects of Interactions of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone, and Prolactin on Progesterone Synthesis by Rat Luteal Cells during Pregnancy

The in vitro ability of ovine (o) follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), (o)luteinizing hormone (LH), (o)prolactin (PRL), and recombinant human FSH (rhFSH) to stimulate progesterone (P4) synthesis by rat corpora lutea on Day 4 of pregnancy was investigated. Dispersed luteal cells (large + small cells) were incubated in the presence of the gonadotropins (1-100 ng) alone or in various combinations (10 ng each) for 4 or 24 hr. Given alone, all the ovine preparations stimulated P4 in a dose-dependent manner with even 1 ng of each hormone significantly enhancing P4 production. Significantly, rhFSH--which is devoid of LH contamination--at 10 and 100 ng also stimulated P4 production, thus clearly establishing for the first time that FSH is a luteotropic hormone in the rat. The combination of oFSH + LH + PRL (10 ng each) significantly stimulated P4 synthesis to a greater extent than the combination of any two hormones or individual hormones at both 4 hr or an additional 24 hr of incubation (P < 0.05). This verified in vitro a previously established in vivo luteotropic complex. One hundred nanamolars of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) did not affect basal P4 secretion but inhibited cAMP, oFSH, and oLH stimulation of P4. Thus, the luteotropic effects of FSH, LH, and activators of protein kinase A are antagonized by the protein kinase C pathway.
The sleep-inducing effect of ethanol microinjection into the medial preoptic area is blocked by flumazenil.

Previous studies have shown that a wide range of sedative/hypnotic agents, including ethanol, induce sleep when microinjected into the medial preoptic area (MPA) of the anterior hypothalamus. The mechanism by which ethanol acts at this site to induce sleep has not been clear, though possibilities include alterations of chloride channel function in the GABAA–benzodiazepine receptor complex, or increases in neuronal membrane fluidity. In order to explore the former possibility, we have microinjected into the MPA ethanol 0.24 and 0.47 μM, alone and in combination with the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil, which has no effects on membrane fluidity or voltage-dependent calcium channel function. Ethanol microinjections significantly reduced sleep latency, and tended (P<0.06) to increase total sleep time. Flumazenil given by itself had no significant effects on sleep, but when given in combination with both doses of ethanol, blocked its hypnotic effects. These data suggest that the sleep-inducing action of ethanol microinjections into the MPA is mediated by ethanol-induced alteration of GABAA–benzodiazepine receptor function.
Evaluation of DNA preparation techniques for detection of the SLT-1 gene of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 in bovine faeces using the polymerase chain reaction

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has the potential to detect low levels of the human pathogen Escherichia coli 0157 : H7 in bovine faeces. To improve the utility of PCR for this application, several methods for preparing template DNA from bovine faeces, both directly and after non-selective enrichment, were tested. These were boiling, enzyme treatment, enzyme treatment plus phenol-chloroform extraction, and enzyme treatment plus phenol-chloroform extraction plus Geneclean® purification. Of these, the boiling method was the most consistent and had a sensitivity of approximately 3 cfu g -1 faeces, with an assay time of less than 32 h. The boiling method was also combined with immunomagnetic separation (IMS) to detect E. coli 0157: H7 in less than 8 h, but with a sensitivity of approximately 10 3 cfu g -1 faeces. These methods can be used to prepare template for PCR screening of bovine faeces using any appropriate PCR primers.
Numerical solutions for the time-dependent viscous flow between two rotating coaxial disks

The nature of the steady-state viscous flow between two large rotating disks has often been discussed, usually qualitatively, in the literature. Using a version of the numerical method described in the preceding paper (Pearson 1965), digital computer solutions for the time-dependent case are obtained (steady-state solutions are then obtainable as limiting cases for large times). Solutions are given for impulsively started disks, and for counter-rotating disks. Of interest is the fact that, at high Reynolds numbers, the solution for the latter problem is unsymmetrical; moreover, the main body of the fluid rotates at a higher angular velocity than that of either disk.
Worker senescence and the sociobiology of aging in ants

Senescence, the decline in physiological and behavioral function with increasing age, has been the focus of significant theoretical and empirical research in a broad array of animal taxa. Preeminent among invertebrate social models of aging are ants, a diverse and ecologically dominant clade of eusocial insects characterized by reproductive and sterile phenotypes. In this review, we critically examine selection for worker life span in ants and discuss the relationship between functional senescence, longevity, task performance, and colony fitness. We did not find strong or consistent support for the hypothesis that demographic senescence in ants is programmed, or its corollary prediction that workers that do not experience extrinsic mortality die at an age approximating their life span in nature. We present seven hypotheses concerning how selection could favor extended worker life span through its positive relationship to colony size and predict that large colony size, under some conditions, should confer multiple and significant fitness advantages. Fitness benefits derived from long worker life span could be mediated by increased resource acquisition, efficient division of labor, accuracy of collective decision-making, enhanced allomaternal care and colony defense, lower infection risk, and decreased energetic costs of workforce maintenance. We suggest future avenues of research to examine the evolution of worker life span and its relationship to colony fitness and conclude that an innovative fusion of sociobiology, senescence theory, and mechanistic studies of aging can improve our understanding of the adaptive nature of worker life span in ants.
Corrosion and Colorimetry of MS Copper-Aluminum Dental Restorative Alloy

Abstract The corrosion and tarnishing of a Cu-Al alloy in solutions simulating saliva were investigated by electrochemical, immersion, microstructural and colorimetry analyses. The electrochemical ...
The Cinema of the Low Countries

This is the fourth title in Wallflower Press's “24 Frames” series, which devotes its pages to the study of national and regional cinemas. Specifically, it approaches these cinemas’ “historical and ...
Allelopathic Influence on Blue-Green Bloom Sequence in a Eutrophic Lake

The bloom sequence in a eutrophic lake, Linsley Pond, over a period of 3 years is correlated to the effects of cell-free filtrates of dominant blue-green algae on both their successors and their predecessors. There is unbroken correspondence between the effects of heat-labile probiotic and antibiotic filtrates and the rise and fall of bloom populations in situ. All organisms in vitro were axenic or unialgal (bacterized) isolates from Linsley Pond.
Chemical and biological sensing through optical resonances in pendant droplets

A microdroplet can act as a high quality factor optical cavity that supports Morphology Dependent Resonances (MDRs). Enhanced radiative energy transfer through these optical resonances can also be utilized as a transduction mechanism for chemical and biological sensing. Enhancement in radiative energy transfer is observed when a donor/acceptor pair is present in the resonant medium of a microcavity. Here, we demonstrate avidin-biotin binding and its detection through a FRET pair as a potential application for ultra-sensitive detection for fluoroimmunoassays. The binding interaction between the biotinylated donor molecules and streptavidin-acceptor conjugate was used to observe the energy transfer between the dye pairs. The radial modes of MDRs extend to approximately 0.6 r 0 inside the droplet. As a result, the fluorescent emission around the center is not coupled to the optical resonances losing sensitivity. To address this problem, we prepared water-in-oil emulsions of avidin and biotin containing solutions. The water phase contains the streptavidin-Alexa Fluor 610 and the oil phase contains biotinylated fluorescent bead. Streptavidin-biotin binding reaction occurs at the water-oil interface. The water phase accumulates at the droplet air interface due to higher specific density enhancing the resonance coupling. Water and oil phase are index-matched to avoid scattering problems. As a result, a large portion of the avidin-biotin complex was localized at the pendant droplet and air interface. Strong coupling of acceptor emission into optical resonances shows that the energy transfer is efficiently mediated through these resonances.
On nonnegativity of even polynomials

A general procedure, based on the Routh-Hurwitz scheme, is presented to obtain the conditions on the coefficients required to ensure nonnegativity of even polynomials. Explicit conditions for fourth- and sixth-order even polynomials are given to illustrate the method.
Saints and psychiatry.

The Irish Saint Dympna, a distant and misty figure, with her martyrdom inspired a millenary tradition of family and community care for the mentally ill at Geel, in Belgium. She is the Catholic patron of the mentally afflicted. The French Saint Vincent de Paul, a powerful leader, took care of the insane and the poor in gentle ways; worked for reforms in hospitals, education, delinquency, and penology; founded religious orders dedicated to the sick; and set in motion the hospitals of La Salpetriere and Le Bicetre. The portuguese-Spaniard Saint John of God, a humble shepherd, a marginal soldier, an ignorant construction worker, and a modest salesman of books, has had more relevance to psychiatry than has Dympna, the martyr, or Vincent de Paul, the social reformer. No other saint has had more practical and sustained influence on hospital psychiatry than he, and it is a mystery of sorts that his name still awaits the distinguished place of honor it so richly deserves.