cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of mechanistic models to identify critical formulation and process variables of pastes for 3D printing of modified release tablets.

Abstract The future of pharmaceutical manufacturing may be significantly transformed by 3-dimensional (3D) printing. As an emerging technology, the indicators of quality for materials and processes used in 3D printing have not been fully established. The objective of this study was to identify the critical material attributes of semisolid paste formulations filled into cartridges for 3D printing of personalized medicine. Nineteen semisolid formulations were prepared per a fractional factorial design with three replicates of the center point. The variables investigated included percent loading of API and various soluble and insoluble excipients. Pastes were characterized for viscoelastic characteristics during the 3D printing process including creep recovery, cross-modulus and extrudability models. Packing efficiency of pastes into 3D printing cartridges was also evaluated by X-ray tomography. Changes in composition of 3D printing pastes resulted in significant variations in their viscoelastic parameters, namely their elastic deformation, flow and relaxation behaviors. The percent of soluble excipients incorporated was the most significant factor affecting the creep behavior of pastes. Cross-over stresses were assessed to indicate the minimum pressure needed for the pastes to initiate flow. Increasing solid and swellable contents of the pastes from 7% to 63% w/w increased significantly (p
Synchronization of oscillators via active media.

In this paper, we study pairs of oscillators that are indirectly coupled via active (excitable) cells. We introduce a scalar phase model for coupled oscillators and excitable cells. We first show that one excitable and one oscillatory cell will exhibit phase locking at a variety of $m:n$ patterns. We next introduce a second oscillatory cell and show that the only attractor is synchrony between the oscillators. We will also study the robustness to heterogeneity when the excitable cell fires or is quiescent. We next examine the dynamics when the oscillators are coupled via two excitable cells. In this case, the dynamics are very complicated with many forms of bistability and, in some cases, chaotic behavior. We also apply weak-coupling analysis to this case and explain some of the degeneracies observed in the bifurcation diagram. Further, we look at pairs of oscillators coupled via long chains of excitable cells and show that small differences in the frequency of the oscillators makes their locking more robust. Finally, we demonstrate many of the same phenomena seen in the phase model for a gap-junction coupled system of Morris-Lecar neurons.
Ethics and Surgical Innovation

Innovation is important in medicine and surgery, as new technologies and techniques have immensely improved patient care. However, innovation has required collaboration between physicians, industry, engineers, investors, and entrepreneurs, among others. Because of these relations, ethical conflicts can exist. The following chapter will review the ethical challenges that surgeons face today when confronted to innovative procedures or developments.
Search for the best site in islet xenotransplantation

Abstract It can reasonably be anticipated that, within 5-10 years, islet allotransplantation or pig islet xenotransplantation may be the preferred options for s-cell replacement therapy. The portal vein/liver is currently the preferred clinical site for free islet transplantation, constituting 90% of clinical islet transplants. Despite being the site of choice for rodent and some large animal studies, the renal subcapsular space is rarely used clinically, even though the introduction of islets intraportally is not entirely satisfactory (particularly for pig islet xenotransplantation). We questioned why this might be so. Is it perhaps based on prior clinical evidence, or from experience in nonhuman primates? When we have questioned experts in the field, no definitive answers have been forthcoming. We have therefore reviewed the relevant literature, and still cannot find a convincing reason why the renal subcapsular space has been so relatively abandoned as a site for clinical islet transplantation. Owing to its sequestered environment, subcapsular transplantation might avoid some of the remaining challenges of intraportal transplantation. This may be particularly true when using pig islets for xenotransplantation, which are exceptionally pure in comparison to human islets used in auto- or allo-transplantation. With evidence from the literature, we question the notion that the subcapsular space is inhospitable to islet transplantation and suggest that, when porcine islet transplantation is introduced, this site should perhaps be reconsidered.
EarlGrey: iOS UI automation testing framework

In this paper, we outline the challenges faced in scalable UI testing of applications on Apple's iOS platform. We analyze how different existing UI testing Tools have provided solutions for them and highlight EarlGrey, Google's in-house UI testing tool. We delve into the technical aspects of EarlGrey 2.0, a multi-process UI testing tool in regards to these challenges.
Toxicity Management of Front-Line Pembrolizumab Combined With Axitinib in Clear Cell Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Study Approach

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved clinical outcomes in many malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Awareness of potential adverse events and effective management of these toxicities is critical to maximizing clinical outcomes. Pembrolizumab plus axitinib is approved as front-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC), making it the first checkpoint inhibitor and tyrosine kinase inhibitor combination approved for any malignancy. Given overlapping toxicities with this combination, the toxicity profile of each drug must be considered when assessing and managing toxicities in patients treated with pembrolizumab and axitinib. Use of online resources, including published guidelines from ASCO, the Immuno-Oncology Essentials Web site, and other organizations, can assist oncology and nononcology health care professionals to more effectively manage toxicities, maximize clinical outcomes, and improve quality of life for patients with aRCC. Herein, we describe a case of a patient with aRCC treated with pembrolizumab and axitinib, highlighting a systematic approach to toxicity management.
Dynamic Competition and Arbitrage in Electricity Markets: The Role of Financial Traders

I study the role of purely financial players in electricity markets, where they trade alongside physical buyers and sellers. In this context, physical sellers intertemporally price discriminate, leading to price differences that financial traders arbitrage, thus restricting producers' market power. Using detailed individual data, I examine physical and financial firms' response to regulation that exogenously increased financial trading. I show that the effect of financial traders on generators' market power depends on whether firms are in a static Nash equilibrium or not. I then develop a structural test of static Nash equilibrium and show the null of static Nash does not hold during the period of reduced financial trading. To implement the test, I present a new method to study the competitive structure of electricity markets using machine learning tools to define markets. I find that increased financial trading reduced generators' market power and increased consumer surplus.
Remote Learning in the Time of COVID-19

With the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S., medical schools across the nation have taken measures to protect the health and safety of their students. Notably, most schools have elected to suspend clinical experiences for medical students as the pandemic evolves. Many schools have demonstrated creativity and adaptability by developing online, non-clinical electives for their students to engage in.
To Screen or not to Screen: Criterion-Related Validity of Math and Reading Curriculum-Based Measurement in Relation to High-Stakes Math Scores:

This study analyzed the relationship between benchmark scores from the newly published Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Math (i.e., Acadience™) math probes and student performance ...
Smaller caudate gray matter volume is associated with greater implicit suicidal ideation in depressed adolescents.

Abstract Background Objective biomarkers of cognitive vulnerabilities related to suicidal ideation (SI) may assist in early prevention in adolescents. Previously, we found that smaller gray matter volumes (GMVs) of the dorsal striatum prospectively predicted implicit SI, measured using a computerized implicit association test (IAT) assessing associations between “self” and “death,” in a community sample of adolescents. Here, we sought to replicate these findings in an independent sample of depressed adolescents. Methods 53 depressed adolescents who varied in severity of suicidal thoughts and behaviors completed high-resolution structural MRI. Caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens GMVs were estimated using FreeSurfer 6.0. Robust linear regressions were used to examine associations between striatal GMVs and implicit and explicit SI, covarying for sex, age, total intracranial volume, medication use, and depression severity. Significance was determined using Bonferroni correction. Finally, LASSO regression was used to identify which striatal GMV contributed most to prediction of implicit SI. Results Smaller bilateral caudate and right nucleus accumbens GMVs were associated with higher IAT scores (all ps Conclusions This study is the first to demonstrate that caudate GMVs are significantly associated with implicit self-associations with death in a sample of depressed adolescents. When considered with our previous work, smaller caudate GMVs may be a robust biomarker of implicit SI in adolescents, with clinical implications for early identification of youth at risk for engaging in suicidal behaviors.
Artificial Intelligence Technology in Cancer Imaging: Clinical Challenges for Detection of Lung and Breast Cancer

In the domain of Artificial Intelligence, deep learning is part of a broader family of machine learning methods based on deep neural networks, deep belief networks, recurrent neural networks and convolutional neural networks that have been applied to fields including computer vision, medical image analysis, histopathological diagnosis, with results comparable to and in some cases superior to human experts. This study shows that these methods applied to medical imaging can assist pathologists in the detection of cancer subtype, gene mutations and/or metastases for applying appropriate therapies. Results show that trajectories of AI technology applied in cancer imaging seems to be driven by high rates of mortality of some types of cancer in order to improve detection and characterization of cancer to apply efficiently anticancer therapies. This new technology can generate a technological paradigm shift for diagnostic assessment of any cancer type. However, application of these methods to medical imaging requires further assessment and validation to support the efficiency of the workflow of pathologists in clinical practice and improve overall healthcare sector.
The Animal Welfare Act and Alternatives to Animal Testing

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA), enacted in 1966, is the only federal law regulating animals used in scientific research. A basic presumption underlying enactment of the AWA was that animal testing is necessary. This short piece explores whether fifty years later, in the wake of significant advances in scientific research, it is time to challenge that notion and change the AWA accordingly.
Resource Allocation and the Funding of HIV Prevention

Issues of priority setting in the health sector force decision makers to confront a tangled web of competing obligations. Confronted with limited resources and a seemingly infinite array of attractive programs, decision makers face a constant struggle to balance their ethical duty to do what is best for the individual against their responsibility to use society’s resources to promote the collective safety and well-being efficiently and fairly. In HIV prevention, these painful trade-offs are further complicated by the fact that they must be made against the backdrop of a tragic epidemic, contentious political and social debate, aggressive community activism, and limited information regarding the costs and consequences of intervention.
IMPACT RESPONSE AND TOLERANCE OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES

This paper presents the results of direct impact tests and driving point impedance tests on the legs of seated unembalmed human cadavers. Variables studied in the program included impactor energy and impact direction (axial and oblique). Multiple strain gage rosettes were applied to the bone to determine the strain distribution in the bone. The test results indicate that the unembalmed skeletal system of the lower extremities is capable of carrying significantly greater loads than those determined in tests with embalmed subjects (the only similar data reported in the present literature). The strain analysis indicated that significant bending moments are generated in the femur with axial knee impact. The results of the impedance tests are used to characterize the load transmission behavior of the knee-femur-pelvis complex, and the impact test results are combined with this information to produce suggested response characteristics for dummy simulation of knee impact response.
The effect of repeated microwave irradiation on the dimensional stability of a specific acrylic denture resin.

Objective: The premise of this study was to determine the dimensional stability of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) acrylic resin when subjected to multiple sessions of repeated microwave radiation at two different powers, 700 Watts, and 420 Watts. Materials and Methods: Two groups each of ten standardized denture bases (N=20 in total) were fabricated using PMMA acrylic resin. Points of measurement were marked on the denture bases using a standardized template. A base measurement of each denture bases was recorded. The denture bases were randomly selected into two experimental groups. The first group of 10 denture bases were subjected to two periods of microwave radiation, 700 Watts for 3 minutes in 200 ml of room temperature deionized water. The second group of 10 denture bases were subjected to 420 Watts of microwave radiation for 3 minutes in 200 ml of room temperature deionized water. Measurements of each denture base were recorded after each period of microwave radiation. Dimensional changes were analyzed using a Student’s t-test. Results: All denture bases experienced approximately 1.0-2.0 mm of deformation in all recorded measurements after each period of microwaving. Results were very significant with all t-test having values of p<0.05. Conclusion: It maybe concluded that the denture bases deformed a significant amount under experimental conditions at either 700 Watts for 3 minutes in 200 ml of water or 420 Watts for 3 minutes in 200 ml of water.
Mathematical models use varying parameter strategies to represent paralyzed muscle force properties: a sensitivity analysis

Mathematical muscle models may be useful for the determination of appropriate musculoskeletal stresses that will safely maintain the integrity of muscle and bone following spinal cord injury. Several models have been proposed to represent paralyzed muscle, but there have not been any systematic comparisons of modelling approaches to better understand the relationships between model parameters and muscle contractile properties. This sensitivity analysis of simulated muscle forces using three currently available mathematical models provides insight into the differences in modelling strategies as well as any direct parameter associations with simulated muscle force properties. Three mathematical muscle models were compared: a traditional linear model with 3 parameters and two contemporary nonlinear models each with 6 parameters. Simulated muscle forces were calculated for two stimulation patterns (constant frequency and initial doublet trains) at three frequencies (5, 10, and 20 Hz). A sensitivity analysis of each model was performed by altering a single parameter through a range of 8 values, while the remaining parameters were kept at baseline values. Specific simulated force characteristics were determined for each stimulation pattern and each parameter increment. Significant parameter influences for each simulated force property were determined using ANOVA and Tukey's follow-up tests (α ≤ 0.05), and compared to previously reported parameter definitions. Each of the 3 linear model's parameters most clearly influence either simulated force magnitude or speed properties, consistent with previous parameter definitions. The nonlinear models' parameters displayed greater redundancy between force magnitude and speed properties. Further, previous parameter definitions for one of the nonlinear models were consistently supported, while the other was only partially supported by this analysis. These three mathematical models use substantially different strategies to represent simulated muscle force. The two contemporary nonlinear models' parameters have the least distinct associations with simulated muscle force properties, and the greatest parameter role redundancy compared to the traditional linear model.
Ford Escort All-Thermoplastic Bumper

Development of the 1984 Ford Escort thermoplastic bumper is reviewed. This bumper consists of an injection-molded facebar and backplate which are friction-welded together to form a box beam. This design provides the necessary stiffness and load-management capability to meet 5-mph bumper impacts without a metal reinforcement beam, thus providing substantial weight and cost benefits compared to alternative systems. In addition, benefits of bumper resiliency, corrosion resistance, styling freedom and component integration are obtained.
Injective Modules, Projective Modules, and Their Decompositions

In this chapter we return to the study of decompositions of modules—specifically of injective and projective modules. First we examine characterizations of noetherian rings in terms of the structure of injective modules. Then, after considering the decomposition theory of direct sums of countably generated modules, we proceed to the study of semiperfect and perfect rings (those over which all finitely generated modules and, respectively, all modules have projective covers). In the final section we show that the structure of the endomorphism ring of a finitely generated module determines whether direct sums of copies of that module have decompositions that complement direct summands.
Properties and microstructures of a mixed-valency solid electrolyte: Na−Eu(II)-β″-alumina

The Na content of the fast ionic conductor Na-β″-alumina can be fully replaced by ion exchange with a wide variety of divalent ions. The Na−Eu(II)-β″-alumina system has been studied by DSC, TEM, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The structure and optical properties of the system are greatly affected by both composition and thermal treatment, which determine the balance between the configurational entropy, site preference, and Coulombic repulsions of the cations in the conduction planes.
In vitro and in situ tracking of choline-phospholipid biogenesis by MALDI TOF-MS.

The quantitative monitoring of newly synthesized species of phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and sphingomyelins (SMs) has been achieved in cultured human lens epithelial cells, both in situ and in vitro, with the use of MALDI TOF-MS. As the cells were cultured with deuterated choline-d9, new peaks that differed from the hydrogenated species by 9.06 Da appeared in the mass spectra. The initial rates of appearance of all deuterated species of PCs were comparable and 4 times higher than those for SMs. After 12 h, those rates began to decrease for PCs but not for deuterated SMs, whose relative contents continued to increase throughout the 72 h of the experiment. The differences in initial rates are consistent with the reported initial generation of PCs, their subsequent degradation, and transfer of their headgroup, phosphorylcholine, to SMs. To further test the ability of MALDI TOF-MS to quantify changes in phospholipid (PL) metabolic pathways, myriocin, an inhibitor of SM synthesis, was added to the cells. In vitr...
Tamoxifen downregulation of miR-451 increases 14-3-3ζ and promotes breast cancer cell survival and endocrine resistance

Many estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers respond well initially to endocrine therapies, but often develop resistance during treatment with selective ER modulators (SERMs) such as tamoxifen. We have reported that the 14-3-3 family member and conserved protein, 14-3-3ζ, is upregulated by tamoxifen and that high expression correlated with an early time to disease recurrence. However, the mechanism by which tamoxifen upregulates 14-3-3ζ and may promote the development of endocrine resistance is not known. Our findings herein reveal that the tamoxifen upregulation of 14-3-3ζ results from its ability to rapidly downregulate microRNA (miR)-451 that specifically targets 14-3-3ζ. The levels of 14-3-3ζ and miR-451 were inversely correlated, with 14-3-3ζ being elevated and miR-451 being at a greatly reduced level in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells. Of note, downregulation of miR-451 was selectively elicited by tamoxifen but not by other SERMs, such as raloxifene or ICI182,780 (Fulvestrant). Increasing the level of miR-451 by overexpression, which decreased 14-3-3ζ, suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation, markedly reduced activation of HER2, EGFR and MAPK signaling, increased apoptosis, and, importantly, restored the growth-inhibitory effectiveness of SERMs in endocrine-resistant cells. Opposite effects were elicited by miR-451 knockdown. Thus, we identify tamoxifen downregulation of miR-451, and consequent elevation of the key survival factor 14-3-3ζ, as a mechanistic basis of tamoxifen-associated development of endocrine resistance. These findings suggest that therapeutic approaches to increase expression of this tumor suppressor-like miR should be considered to downregulate 14-3-3ζ and enhance the effectiveness of endocrine therapies. Furthermore, the selective ability of the SERM tamoxifen but not raloxifene to regulate miR-451 and 14-3-3ζ may assist in understanding differences in their activities, as seen in the STAR (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene) breast cancer prevention trial and in other clinical trials.
Calculation of temperature profile in ablator char using MIMIC

Differential equation of temperature profile in carbon zone of ablator simulated using digital- analog simulator language /MIMIC/
Role of Iridium in Pt-based Alloy Catalysts for the ORR: Surface Adsorption and Stabilization Studies

Pt 2 IrCo and Pt 2 IrCr ternary alloys are studied using density functional theory and compared with the bimetallic Pt 3 Co and Pt 3 Cr alloys to determine the effect of the substitution of platinum by iridium on surface adsorption properties and catalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as well as electrochemical stability against dissolution of the Pt atoms from the ternary alloy surfaces. Ternary alloys exhibit a strong Pt surface segregation tendency leading to the formation of a Pt monolayer (ML) on their surfaces. The presence of such top Pt ML induces relatively weaker binding strengths of 0 and OH in the ternary alloys, suggesting further activity enhancement for the ORR compared to the corresponding bimetallic alloy surfaces. Moreover, the Pt-skin surfaces of Pt 2 IrCo and Pt 2 IrCr show an enhanced electrochemical stability with respect to the dissolution of Pt atoms from the alloy surface. The origin of the catalytic activity and stability enhancement for the alloys is analyzed.
Lorentz structure of weak current in ν interactions and inverse muon decay

Abstract Neutrino interactions uniquely convey the Lorentz structure of weak current. Two studies that probe this structure are reviewed: structure functions from ν μ − and ν μ − induced charged current events; and the inverse muon decay process, νμ+e−→μ−+νe. In the first study, the relative absence of ν μ -induced charged current events with respect to νμ-induced events at large z (> 0.45) and large y (> 0.70) (investigated by CDHS and CCFR) restricts |η| 2 = |g R /g L | 2 with 90 % CL (CCFR). Within the framework of left-right symmetric models, this measurement imposes a limit upon the mixing angle of the left and right handed bosons. Unlike the limits imposed by the μ-decay and the nuclear β-decay experiments, the present limit is valid irrespective of the mass of the right handed neutrino. In the second study, recent high statistics measurements of inverse muon decay by CCFR and CHARM II yield a total cross section, σ(νμ+e−→μ−+νe) = (17.3±0.72(stat)±0.39(syst)]Eν10−42 cm2/GeV. This restricts the scalar coupling of the muon |gLLS|
Femtosecond dynamics of short-scale-length laser plasmas

With a time-resolved pump-probe setup, the dynamical interactions of intense 400-fs laser pulses with a solid target are studied with a time resolution of about 250 fs. The motion of the plasma critical surface is measured by the means of the doppler shift of the probe laser. It is found that when the average electron quiver energy (mv2os/2) becomes comparable to the electron thermal energy (kTe), the ponderomotive force of the high-intensity laser significantly reduces the thermal expansion of the laser-plasma.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Theory of mean removal energies for single particles in nuclei.

A useful way to characterize the hole-energy spectrum excited in a direct particle-removal reaction like ($p,2p$) or ($e,{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}p$) is through the centroid or mean removal energy. We derive the rules for computing this quantity in a linked-cluster expansion, and give some examples. We demonstrate the close relation of the mean removal energy to Brandow's self-consistent orbital energy, and discuss briefly the connection with Green's function theory.[NUCLEAR STRUCTURE Linked-cluster theory of mean or centroid removal energies measured in ($p,2p$) or ($e,{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}p$); applications and relation to other hole energies.]
The Implications of Polymer Selection in Regenerative Medicine: A Comparison of Amorphous and Semi‐Crystalline Polymer for Tissue Regeneration

Biodegradable polymeric scaffolds are being investigated as scaffolding materials for use in regenerative medicine. While the in vivo evaluation of various three-dimensional (3D), porous, biodegradable polymeric scaffolds has been reported, most studies are ≤3 months in duration, which is typically prior to bulk polymer degradation, a critical event that may initiate an inflammatory response and inhibit tissue formation. Here, a 6 month in vitro degradation and corresponding in vivo studies that characterized scaffold changes during complete degradation of an amorphous, 3D poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (3D-PLAGA) scaffold and near-complete degradation of a semi-crystalline 3D-PLAGA scaffold are reported. Using sintered microsphere matrix technology, constructs were fabricated in a tubular shape, with the longitudinal axis void and a median pore size that mimicked the architecture of native bone. Long-term quantitative measurements of molecular weight, mechanical properties, and porosity provided a basis for theorization of the scaffold degradation process. Following implantation in a critical size ulnar defect model, histological analysis and quantitative microCT indicated early solubilization of the semi-crystalline polymer created an acidic microenvironment that inhibited mineralized tissue formation. Thus, the use of amorphous over semi-crystalline PLAGA materials is advocated for applications in regenerative medicine.
Calcium-Dependent Intracellular Degradation of Parathyroid Hormone: A Possible Mechanism for the Regulation of Hormone Stores

The dynamics of parathyroid hormone (PTH) biosynthesis, storage, and secretion in bovine parathyroid slices in vitro in response to alterations in the concentrations of extracellular calcium were studied. Hormone biosynthesis was evaluated by using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to measure incorporation of [3H]leucine into newly synthesized PTH and proparathyroid hormone (ProPTH) during short (35 min) incubations. Amounts of newly synthesized PTH stored in and secreted from the tissue slices were determined by electrophoretic analysis of [3H]PTH in extracts of tissue and media. Total PTH and ProPTH is slices and media were measured by specific radioimmunoassays. PTH secretion rates changes 5-fold when calcium was lowered from 2mM to 1mM. Secretion of some PTH continued despite high concentrations of calcium (5 mM). Biosynthesis of ProPTH was changed only slightly, and conversion of ProPTH to PTH was independent of the extracellular calcium concentration. Tissue stores of PTH increased during incubation of parathyroid slices in medium containing high amounts of calcium. The increase in stores was much less, however, than predicted by the findings of marked suppression of secretion and little change in rates of PTH biosynthesis. In high concentrations of calcium, a large fraction (up to 50%) of newly synthesized PTH was degraded within the tissue, whereas in low concentrations of calcium, little (less than 10%) of the PTH was degraded. No fragments of PTH or ProPTH were identified in either extracts of tissue or media, suggesting that degradation occurred rapidly by general proteolysis rather than by limited, specific endopeptidase activity. The data suggest that the parathyroid cell contains a calcium-sensitive degradative pathway for PTH and that this pathway may be involved in the regulation of hormone production and secretion.
Policy Orientations and Environmental Regulation A Case Study of Florida's Legislators

The research explores the manner in which perception and definition shape legislative environmental attitudes. The central hypothesis is that a legislator's perceptual orientation of air pollution predicts his policy position. A survey of Florida state legislators revealed two competing formulations of air pollution. One saw pollution as essentially a question of economics. The second saw pollution as a health and environmental issue. Scales were constructed to measure each of these dimensions. It was found that those legislators scoring high on the health and environmental dimension: (1) were less receptive to environmental deterioration, (2) found present controls less adequate, (3) saw a wider and more beneficial scope of social outcomes, (4) prosecuted their claims more vigorously, even in the face of opposition from constituents, and (5) advocated an expanded governmental approach to the problem. Those policy actors with an economic orientation to air pollution functioned as polar opposites in each instance. In addition, it was found that air pollution stances were not easily transferable to other environmental issues such as water pollution or natural resource conservation.
Jets in minimum bias physics

Abstract We discuss and present phenomenological evidence to support the hypothesis that several new phenomena observed in low- p t physics are due to the presence of low- x QCD jets in minimum bias physics. The phenomena we examine are KNO scaling violations, growth of 〈 p t 〉 with multiplicity and rise of the non-diffractive part of the total cross section.
Obtaining error estimates for optimally constrained incompressible finite elements

Abstract Elements which were predicted to be optimal for incompressible media based on their constraint counts often fail to satisfy the discrete LBB condition. Error estimates for finite element solutions to incompressible Stokesian flows are considered. The estimate for the velocities does not require the satisfaction of the discrete LBB condition. Conditions for convergence of the raw pressures in a negative norm are established. A semi-norm inf-sup condition can be used to establish more usual error estimates for pressures projected into an auxiliary trial space. Numerical evidence suggests that such post-processing may only be necessary for problems with sufficiently rough exact solutions. An example is given of pressure measurements in flows over a transverse slot. Small—but numerically significant—pressure differences are extracted from a pressure field with seemingly chaotic checkerboarding. Similar examples indicate that the Stokesian results carry over to problems with convective and non-Newtonian nonlinearities.
JUDGING REDUCED PRICE EFFECTS ON PRODUCT TRIAL, REPEATED PURCHASE, AND ATTITUDES

Summary.-Price incentives have traditionally been utilized to influence consumers to purchase new produccs with the long-run objective being repeated purchase. An analysis of triers of new products suggests that this strategy is questionable and further srudy should be undertaken. Cognitive dissonance theory may account for the behavior resulting from a change in attirude induced by various levels of incentive. A traditional practice in marketing is the use of reduced-price offerings on both regular packaged products and/or special-size sample-packs. A common rationale for such temporary, lower-than-normal pricing is to stimulate producttrial, obtain subsequent repeaced purchasing, and eventually enhance brand loyalty. The reduced price is a short-term exp-nditure designed to increase buyers of the brand, however, success should be measured not only in terms of immediate trial but, also, by subsequent repeaced buying at the regular price and shifts in buyers' perceptions of the brand. General economic theory proposes that the lower the item price the greater the sales volume will be among present buyers who recognize a cost savings and, also, among new buyers attracted for obvious bargain reasons and reducedrisk trial motives. The theory, however, does not explicitly consider the effect of a temporary lower price on subsequent sales at regular price. Previous research has indicated that the viability of reduced-price may, in fact, lead to lowered repeated purchase rates when the regular price is restored (Doob, Carlsmith, Freedman, Landauer, & Tom, 1969). Explanations for this behavior have included: (a) lesser needs in the class of product among the buying group due to stocking up during the deal, (b) attraction of bargain-conscious, potentially less brand-loyal, consumers who have limited interest in repeated buying per se, and (c) the product perceived as being overpriced when customer compares higher regular price with lower introductory price (Doob, et al., 1969). Another explanation might be that the offer at a reduced price itself dampens subsequent repeated purchase because of brand perceptions inherent in the trial purchase. Cognitive dissonance theory may be involved to handle changing attitudes when the behavior-producing incentive is small and therefore difficult to rationalize; conversely, only slight change in attitude has followed induced behavior with a large incentive, the thought being that a more attractive offer is more easily justified without necessitating any adjustment in attitudes (Fes'School of Business Administration, 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63121.
Mapping 6D \( \mathcal{N} = 1 \) supergravities to F-theory

We develop a systematic framework for realizing general anomaly-free chiral 6D supergravity theories in F-theory. We focus on 6D (1, 0) models with one tensor multiplet whose gauge group is a product of simple factors (modulo a finite abelian group) with matter in arbitrary representations. Such theories can be decomposed into blocks associated with the simple factors in the gauge group; each block depends only on the group factor and the matter charged under it. All 6D chiral supergravity models can be constructed by gluing such blocks together in accordance with constraints from anomalies. Associating a geometric structure to each block gives a dictionary for translating a supergravity model into a set of topological data for an F-theory construction. We construct the dictionary of F-theory divisors explicitly for some simple gauge group factors and associated matter representations. Using these building blocks we analyze a variety of models. We identify some 6D supergravity models which do not map to integral F-theory divisors, possibly indicating quantum inconsistency of these 6D theories.
Heat release rate calorimetry

A simple, theoretically sound method for eliminating the effects of internal heat absorption on rate of heat release is described for the Ohio State University (OSU) Release Rate apparatus. By monitoring the temperature of metal walls and calculating the heat loss to surroundings caused by changes in wall temperature due to heat absorption, a complete energy balance on the system allows the calculation of a true heat of release rate.
Religion's Death Drive and the Future of Religious Studies

This paper seeks to recalibrate Lease's place within what Samuel Preus called the "explanatory tradition" of Religious Studies. While others sought to humanize religion by stressing its latent rationality, Lease humanized religion by stressing that it is constantly interrupted by its own internal movement towards failure. "Failure" is for me the central theme of "The History of 'Religious' Consciousness and the Diffusion of Culture."
Operant control of precentral neurons: Control of modal interspike intervals

Abstract The objects of these expirements were: (a) to determine modal interspike intervals (ISIs) of precentral cells involved in repetitious, gross motor movements; (b) to compare those modal ISIs to the modal ISIs of similar neurons under operant control; and (c) to determine if monkeys could change the modal ISIs of operantly controlled precentral neurons. Data were obtained from 4 monkeys conditioned to produce tonic firing of precentral neurons and one monkey trained to produce repetitious movements of the neck and contralateral limbs. Results are: (a) the modal ISIs from operantly controlled precentral units do not differ significantly from precentral neurons involved in repetitive gross motor movements; and (b) while under operant control, the monkeys cannot modify significantly the modal ISI of the majority of precentral neurons.
Fast Algorithm For Pattern Recognition Using Test Theory

By applying the test theory, an object can be placed into a subspace within the hyperspace of features, which in turn gives a probability of correct classification (predictive value or diagnosability). Once the predictive value reaches or exceeds the predetermined confidence limit after a finite number of observations (tests) of the features, no additional observation is necessary. A discriminant for a given feature is set from empirical values ("experiences"), an observation of a feature needs not be a precise measure. Instead, a comparison whether the feature is greater or lesser than the discriminant can be used. Information of tests will give clues to decide the sequence of the tests in a descending order of information to classify an object with the minimum number of observa-tions. These strategies reduce the time required for observations of features and computation, and shortens the execution of pattern recognition.
Lightning and precipitation history of a microburst‐producing storm

Quantitative measurements of the lightning and precipitation life cycle of a microburst-producing storm are discussed. The storm, which occurred on July 20, 1986 at Huntsville, Alabama, was studied using Doppler radar data. The storm produced 116 flashes, 6 of which were discharges to the ground. It is suggested that an abrupt decrease in the total flash rates is associated with storm collapse, and serves as a precursor to the arrival of the maximum microburst outflows at the surface. Ice-phase precipitation is shown to be an important factor in both the formation of the strong downdraft and the electrification of the storm.
The Modulating Effect of Mechanical Changes in Lipid Bilayers Caused by ApoE-Containing Lipoproteins on Aβ Induced Membrane Disruption

A major feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder, is the ordered aggregation of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) into fibrils that comprise extracellular neuritic plaques found in the disease brain. One of many potential pathways for Aβ toxicity may be modulation of lipid membrane function. Here, we show by in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) that astrocyte secreted lipoprotein particles (ASLPs) containing different isoforms of apolipoprotein E (apoE), of which the apoE4 allele is a major risk factor for the development of AD, can protect total brain lipid extract bilayers from Aβ(1-40) induced disruption. The apoE4 allele was less effective in protecting lipid bilayers from disruption compared with apoE3. Size analysis of apoE-containing ASLPs and mechanical studies of bilayer properties revealed that apoE-containing ASLPs modulate the mechanical properties of bilayers by acquiring some bilayer components (most likely cholesterol and/or oxidatively damaged lipids). Measurement of bilayer mechanical properties was accomplished with scanning probe acceleration microscopy (SPAM). These measurements demonstrated that apoE4 was also less effective in modulating mechanical properties of bilayers in comparison with apoE3. This ability of apoE to alter the mechanical properties of lipid membranes may represent a potential mechanism for the suppression of Aβ(1-40) induced bilayer disruption.
Determining vanishing points from perspective images

Abstract This paper describes a computationally inexpensive algorithm for the determination of vanishing points once line segments in an image have been determined. The approach is particularly attractive since it has no computationally degenerate cases and the only operations necessary are vector cross products and arc tangents. The need to know the distance to the focal plane is also eliminated thus avoiding tedious calibration procedures.
Particle chaining and chain dynamics in viscoelastic liquids

Abstract Viscoelastic fluids can dramatically change the stress field around rigid spherical particles in shear flows, and these changes can cause microstructure and particle chain formation as a result of hydrodynamic interaction between particles. This paper introduces a new microscopic based approach for quantifying the kinetics of particle chaining. By monitoring the number of particles in the form of singlets, doublets, triplets, and multiplets, an absolute measure of string formation is presented. This approach enables finding the shear induced microstructural length scales in the medium. The concept of a String Factor (SF) is defined as a direct and reliable measure of chaining strength. The SF, which can be plotted over time, considers and accordingly weights the long range orientational correlations within each cluster. Real-time monitoring of particles is carried out by confocal microscopy imaging in a cone and plate setup that ensures a constant shear rate all over the field. Monodisperse polystyrene spheres with 5 μm diameter in a viscoelastic solution of polyethylene oxide in DI water (0.8% PEO, 1.7% PEO) are used as test suspensions to demonstrate quantifiable differences in chain dynamics over a small range of Weissenberg number.
The phosphatidate-phosphoinositide cycle: an intracellular messenger system in the action of hormones and neurotransmitters.

Many hormones and neurotransmitters provoke rapid and striking changes in the metabolism of phospholipids in the phosphatidate-inositide cycle. These changes appear to occur before and after the generation of other accepted "second messengers" (e.g., Ca++ and cAMP), and seem to be important intracellular effector substances for the elicitation of biological effects. The two major mechanisms for perturbing the phosphatidate-inositide cycle are phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and de novo phosphatidate-inositide synthesis. Phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis occurs in the action of all agents which operate via Ca++ and appears to be provoked both by Ca++-dependent and Ca++-independent mechanisms. Ca++-independent phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis may be triggered directly by receptor activation and may control Ca++ release or entry into the cytosol. Ca++-dependent phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis may be important for further changes in cellular Ca++ distribution and membrane fusion during exocytosis. The de novo phosphatidate-inositide synthesis effect has been observed in the action of most steroidogenic agents (ACTH, luteinizing hormone, angiotensin II, K+, serotonin), parathyroid hormone and insulin. The de novo effect is inhibited by cycloheximide, requires Ca++, and appears to serve as a post-second messenger mechanism to alter membrane structure and the function of membrane associated substances. Considerable evidence suggests that the de novo effect is important in the control of steroidogenesis by the above-mentioned agents; it may also be important in the action of insulin in adipose tissue.
Effect of the Goos–Hänchen shift on the geometrical-optics model for spherical-cavity mode spacing

In the geometrical-optics framework, the internal fields near morphology-dependent resonances (MDR) of dielectric spheres are represented by rays undergoing total internal reflection at the sphere surface. The round-trip path length of rays circumnavigating the sphere is used to compute the mode spacing of MDR’s. The Goos–Hanchen shift of the total internally reflected rays at the sphere surface is included in the ray picture to explain the qualitative behavior of the MDR frequency spacing in the Lorentz-Mie formalism for the entire size-parameter (circumference/wavelength) range. The MDR’s are characterized by a radial distance rm′. A connection between the ray picture and the Mie theory is established, based on rm′.
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY DECOMPOSITION, INPUT PRICE INEFFICIENCIES, AND PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS

Abstract This paper decomposes the rate of growth of total factor productivity (TFP) in public transit systems among input demand effects, an indirect output effect, an indirect technical change, pure scale effects and pure technical change. An application of the decomposition to selected transit systems is provided. The application shows that the effects of the changes in input price inefficiencies on TFP are sizeable, and that the total subsidy effects on TFP are larger than the total effects from utility maximization behavior. Furthermore, the traditional sources of TFP (i.e., pure scale and technical change) reduce TFP and the Divisia index overestimates TFP in public transit systems.
RAE1 Is a Shuttling mRNA Export Factor That Binds to a GLEBS-like NUP98 Motif at the Nuclear Pore Complex through Multiple Domains

Gle2p is implicated in nuclear export of poly(A)+ RNA and nuclear pore complex (NPC) structure and distribution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gle2p is anchored at the nuclear envelope (NE) via a short Gle2p-binding motif within Nup116p called GLEBS. The molecular mechanism by which Gle2p and the Gle2p-Nup116p interaction function in mRNA export is unknown. Here we show that RAE1, the mammalian homologue of Gle2p, binds to a GLEBS-like NUP98 motif at the NPC through multiple domains that include WD-repeats and a COOH-terminal non-WD-repeat extension. This interaction is direct, as evidenced by in vitro binding studies and chemical cross-linking. Microinjection experiments performed in Xenopus laevis oocytes demonstrate that RAE1 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and is exported from the nucleus in a temperature-dependent and RanGTP-independent manner. Docking of RAE1 to the NE is highly dependent on new mRNA synthesis. Overexpression of the GLEBS-like motif also inhibits NE binding of RAE1 and induces nuclear accumulation of poly(A)+ RNA. Both effects are abrogated either by the introduction of point mutations in the GLEBS-like motif or by overexpression of RAE1, indicating a direct role for RAE1 and the NUP98-RAE1 interaction in mRNA export. Together, our data suggest that RAE1 is a shuttling transport factor that directly contributes to nuclear export of mRNAs through its ability to anchor to a specific NUP98 motif at the NPC.