cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ninhydrin inhibition of glucose-induced insulin release.

Ninhydrin, a compound which shares chemical properties strikingly similar to alloxan was found to mimic basically the inhibitory effect of alloxan on glucose-induced insulin release. Exposure of pancreatic islets for five minutes to 85 μmol/l ninhydrin produced approximately ninety percent inhibition of subsequent glucose-induced insulin release without altering basal secretion. Both D-glucose and D-mannose provided substantial protection against the inhibitory effect of ninhydrin, and the alpha anomer of D-glucose was more effective than the beta anomer in preventing ninhydrin inhibition of insulin release. Evidence for a common site of inhibition by ninhydrin and alloxan in the insulin release process is discussed.
Energetic neutral atom imaging of magnetospheric ions from high- and low-altitude spacecraft

Abstract We present a mapping from the 2-dimensional images formed by energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) to the phase space of physically relevant parameters of the energetic ion distributions that generate the images. This mapping of the lines of sight (LOS) for each image pixel into the L -MLT plane reveals the manner in which the LOS probe the spatial volume of the ion distribution as well as the configuration of its boundaries. Thus this mapping has direct application to the unfolding of ENA images obtained from both high- and low-altitude spacecraft.
Child-care costs and family labor supply.

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the effects of child care costs on family labor supply and the demand for market child care. The model is a framework for cross-section estimation of the effects of child care costs on labor supply and child care use. It applies to households having young children requiring continuous care and in which both the mother and 1 other potential child care provider are present. The 3 potential sources of child care are the mother the potential informal provider and the market. Using data from the 1980 baseline household survey of the Employment Opportunity Pilot Projects this empirical analysis uses a subsample of 6170 households in which there is a married woman under age 45 with her spouse present at the time of the survey at least 1 child under age 14 and nonmissing data on key variables. Results show that 1) higher market child care costs discourage women from working even when an informal source of care is available indicating that such informal care is an imperfect substitute for market care; 2) a higher wage rate for the mother encourages her to work thus a higher wage rate increases the probability of using market child care; 3) the number of children requiring care has a negative impact on the probability of the women working with the largest impact caused by younger children; 4) nonwage income has a negative impact on the probability of the woman working; and 5) black women are more likely to work than whites and are statistically more likely than whites to use market child care if they do work. This family labor supply model predicts that the cost of market child care will affect household decisions on labor supply and child care use. Estimates of a qualitative choice model provide strong confirmation that child care costs affect such decisions. The responsiveness of the labor supply of mothers to child care costs demonstrated in this study indicate that such subsidies do have their intended effect of encouraging labor supply. The fact that a large proportion of current child care subsidies benefit primarily middle and upper income families via the income tax credit suggests that the labor supply effets of such subsidies may in practice be stronger for less needy families than for low income families. Employer-subsidized child care may become an increasingly popular tool for attracting mothers into the labor force.
First Report of Downy Mildew (Hyaloperonospora camelinae) on Camelina sativa in Florida.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, Brassicaceae, whose common name is Crantz-large-seeded false flax, is an annual oilseed species. It is grown as a forage and biofuel crop in Europe and North America. False flax is an ideal low-input crop for biodiesel production, because of its low requirements for nitrogen fertilizer and pesticides. Production costs of this crop are substantially lower than those of many other oilseed crops such as rapeseed, corn, and soybean. It is an excellent rotation crop and can reduce disease and insect and weed pressure in wheat fields. During the spring of 2011, commercial and research plantings of C. sativa cultivar Calena in Liberty and Gadsden counties in north Florida developed symptoms typical of downy mildew. In spring of 2012, the same symptoms were observed in experimental plantings of false flax. A white downy mold was observed on the upper third portion of the plants, on the upper stem internodes, and on the developing seed. The affected stems exhibited a twisted growth. Co...
Temporal resolution of biological and physical influences on bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli egg abundance near a river-plume frontal zone

Bay anchovy egg abundance in the Manatee River estuary, Florida, was compared with conditions in the spawning ground before and after spawning to distinguish prey-supply-based spawning responses from post-spawning advective effects. Plume fronts were a prominent feature of the spawning ground. Egg distribution, copepod distribution and front development were surveyed 25 times across a wide range of freshwater inflow conditions. Surface-front strength (maximum inter- polated salinity slope) was strongly correlated with the size of the frontal zone, as defined by surface areas having slopes >1 psu km -1 . Eggs were most abundant landward of the frontal zone at a location with consistently high abundance of the copepod Acartia tonsa, which is consumed by adult and larval bay anchovies. Large, significant changes in egg abundance were observed over both long (seasons) and short (<3 d) periods (Tukey 95% HSD multiple range tests). An El Nino-associated flood event caused the rapid evolution of a large, seaward-moving frontal system that initially had a negative effect on egg abundance. Spawning resumed in reduced salinity following passage of the front, demonstrating a level of plasticity in spawning response to salinity change. A stepwise regres- sion model explained 92% of the variation in egg abundance and suggested that tidal amplitude was not a significant determinant of abundance. Instead, egg abundance appeared to be determined ini- tially by pre-spawning prey supply and temperature, and subsequently by variable retention behind the frontal zone.
Rapid Identification of Staphylococcus aureus in Blood Cultures by Use of the Direct Tube Coagulase Test

Direct tube coagulase testing for identification of Staphylococcus aureus from BACTEC culture broth showed a sensitivity, a specificity, and positive and negative predicative values of 34%, 100%, 100%, and 80.2% with 2 h of incubation and 65%, 98.7, 99.7%, and 88.6% with 4 h of incubation. Anaerobic blood culture contributed significantly to the detection of S. aureus.
Effects of sediment mixing and benthic algal production on fossil pigment stratigraphies

Effects of sediment mixing and benthic algal production on fossil pigment profiles were quantified by fine-interval analysis of cores in a transect across the basin of Paul Lake, MI. Annually resolved profiles (1957–1986) of carotenoids and chlorophyll a from varved sediments at deepwater (15 m) sites were compared to fine-interval (2.5–3.5 mm) stratigraphies from sites with increasing sediment mixing and benthic algal production (4 m>7 m>9 m). The degree of sediment mixing was also modelled using running means of pigment concentrations in varved sediments and compared to disturbed profiles. Effects of sediment mixing included reduction of peak pigment concentrations, broadening of peaks and migration of maxima deeper into deposits. Sedimentary signal strength was defined as the ratio of peak concentrations to baseline levels. Short-lived or weak signals (∼ 1.5 x baseline) were resolved only in the least disturbed deposits, while strong signals (5 x baseline) withstood sediment homogenization to depths greater than 1 cm (>5 year accumulation). Comparison of core-wide mean pigment concentrations suggested that cores recovered from within the photic zone are influenced by benthic algal production and will not represent either historical or current ecological dynamics in the water column. We conclude that: moderate levels of mixing do not destroy fossil pigment profiles; disturbed stratigraphies can remain ecologically interpretable; and fine-interval analyses are warranted in lakes with undisturbed 137Cs profiles and where sediment porosity <90%.
Coach planning with opponent models for distributed execution

In multi-agent domains, the generation and coordinated execution of plans in the presence of adversaries is a significant challenge. In our research, a special "coach" agent works with a team of distributed agents. The coach has a global view of the world, but has no actions other than occasionally communicating with the team over a limited bandwidth channel. Our coach is given a set of predefined opponent models which predict future states of the world caused by the opponents' actions. The coach observes the world state changes resulting from the execution of its team and opponents and selects the best matched opponent model based on its observations. The coach uses the recognized opponent model to predict the behavior of the opponent. Upon opportunities to communicate, the coach generates a plan for the team, using the predictions of the opponent model. The centralized coach generates a plan for distributed execution. We introduce (i) the probabilistic representation and recognition algorithm for the opponent models; (ii) a multi-agent plan representation, Multi-Agent Simple Temporal Networks; and (iii) a plan execution algorithm that allows the robust distributed execution in the presence of noisy perception and actions. The complete approach is implemented in a complex simulated robot soccer environment. We present the contributions as developed in this domain, carefully highlighting their generality along with a series of experiments validating the effectiveness of our coach approach.
Generalized solution of time dependent traveling load problem via moving finite element scheme

Abstract A finite element methodology is described which can handle the transient response of moving structures which are themselves subject to time dependent traveling load fields. The generality of the approach is such that it can handle the overall transient response due to moving loads whose magnitude, zone of application and trajectory are time dependent. In addition to developing the overall transient solution methodology, attention is also given to establishing the overall eigenvalue properties of the linear problem as well as developing a solution for the steady vibrating case. To benchmark the overall procedure, the results of several numerical experiments are included in the presentation.
Investigation of cobalt drier retardation

Abstract The retardation of cobalt driers was investigated using a commercial alkyd. The onset of curing and crosslink density of the alkyd was used to evaluate four cobalt complexes, Co(acac)2, Co(acac)3, Co(OH)2, and Co(NH3)6Cl3. The catalytic activity of these complexes were compared to cobalt naphthenate. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis data were used to determine acceleration or retardation of the autoxidation drying mechanism. The Co(acac)2 accelerates the process in comparison to Cobalt(II) naphthenate, whereas the three other complexes seem to retard the process.
High Temperature Requirement A3 (HtrA3) Promotes Etoposide- and Cisplatin-induced Cytotoxicity in Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Here we show for the first time that HtrA3 is a mitochondrial stress-response factor that promotes cytotoxicity to etoposide and cisplatin in lung cancer cell lines. Exogenous expression of wild type HtrA3 domain variants significantly attenuated cell survival with etoposide and cisplatin treatment in lung cancer cell lines H157 and A549 compared with expression of protease inactive mutants (S305A) or vector control. Conversely, HtrA3 suppression promoted cell survival with etoposide and cisplatin treatment in lung cancer cell lines Hop62 and HCC827. Survival was attenuated by re-expression of wild type HtrA3 variants during treatment but not by protease inactive mutants or vector control. HtrA3 also co-fractionated and co-localized with mitochondrial markers with both endogenous and exogenous expression in normal lung and lung cancer cell lines but was translocated from mitochondria following etoposide treatment. Moreover, HtrA3 translocation from mitochondria correlated with an increase in cell death that was attenuated by either HtrA3 suppression or Bcl-2 overexpression. Taken together, these results suggest that HtrA3 may be a previously uncharacterized mitochondrial cell death effector whose serine protease function may be crucial to modulating etoposide- and cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in lung cancer cell lines.
Energy transfer in polynucleotide homopolymers and copolymers

Using the fluorophore Tb3+ as a reporter, the effect of thallium (Tl+1) on the transfer of energy in polyribonucleotides and polydeoxynucleotides at room temperature has been studied. In p(G), p(G, I), and pd(G)6 thallium greatly increases the transfer of uv energy absorbed by the bases to Tb3+. In DNA, p(G, U), p(G, A), p(A, U), p(X), p(A), p(U), p(I), pd(G, A)6, and pd(G, T)5 thallium has little or no effect. Thallium increases intersystem crossing to the triplet states only in p(G), p(G, I), and pd(G)6, and the triplets overlap the excited singlet state in Tb3+. In those G- and X-containing polymers showing little thallium effect, the evidence suggests that intersystem crossing is comparatively high to begin with. These polymers, including DNA, appear to transfer absorbed energy to triplet states efficiently at room temperature.
Influence of Unsteady Wake on Heat Transfer Coefficient From a Gas Turbine Blade

The effect of unsteady wake on surface heat transfer coefficients of a gas turbine blade was experimentally determined using a spoked wheel type wake generator. The experiments were deformed with a five-airfoil linear cascade in a low-speed with tunnel facility. The cascade inlet Reynolds number based on the blade chord was varied from 1 to 3×010 5 . The wake Strouhal number was varied between 0 and 1.6 by changing the rotating wake frequency (rod speed and rot number), rod diameter, and cascade inlet velocity. A hot-wire anemometer system was located at the cascade inlet to detect the instantaneous velocity, phase-averaged mean velocity, and turbulence intensity induced by the passing wake
Welfare leaving and the health of young children in immigrant and native families

Abstract Research examining the effects of welfare dynamics on children’s development has provided little information to date on the experiences of immigrant children. Using longitudinal data collected during the period of welfare reform (1995–1999; the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, PHDCN), this study investigates whether welfare leaving is associated with changes in preschool-aged children’s (n = 550) physical health (i.e., general health status, sick days, respiratory illness and emergency room visits) over time, and whether these associations differ by parents’ nativity status. We find that children of immigrant welfare leavers fare significantly worse in terms of their health than their peers in either native leaver families, or immigrant families who continued to receive assistance. Associations are robust to the inclusion of a wide range of control variables including children’s initial health status, family demographic characteristics, qualities of the home environment, and indicators of parents’ physical and mental health. Negative impacts of welfare leaving on children’s health appear to be concentrated among immigrants who have multiple “barriers” to program participation (i.e., limited English proficiency, fewer years residing in the US, households with no citizen parent, and self-reported experiences of discrimination).
The firm's administrative structure: Theory, measurement and applications to growth accounting and income distribution

This paper attempts to analyze the implications of the organizational structure of the firms on economic growth and income distribution. The approach used byBeckmann [1977] is generalized and used explicitly as the starting point. The impact of the administrative structure on output growth is then studied using an extension of the Growth-Accounting-Method incorporating the quality of the labor force. Regarding income distribution it is shown that the coefficients of Pareto distributions can be obtained from the characteristics of the administrative structure. Their contribution to growth is evaluated.
Coded‐aperture x‐ or γ‐ray telescope with least‐squares image reconstruction. I. Design considerations

Reconstruction of multiplex images produced by coded‐aperture telescopes for extended sources of radiation which cannot be reflected or refracted (moderate‐ to high‐energy x rays and low‐energy γ rays) can be accomplished by least‐squares solution of an overdetermined set of simultaneous equations linking the object, the aperture, and the image. A necessary condition is that the object field (an area of the sky) have a smaller number of pixels than the multiplex image recorded by the position‐sensitive detector, which requires that the projection of the object field onto the detector plane be smaller than the detector. This can be achieved by the use of an auxiliary completely open aperture of carefully chosen size and position (‘‘limiter’’) ahead of the coded aperature. The latter consists of regularly spaced elements which are made open or closed either randomly or according to some pattern, subject to solubility of the resulting set of equations. It may be larger or smaller than the detector, the under...
The effect of shear and stratification on the stability of a rotating fluid layer

The stability of a layer of Newtonian fluid confined between two horizontal disks which rotate with different angular velocities is studied. Both isothermal and adversely stratified fluids are considered for small shear rates at low to moderate Taylor numbers. The linearized formulation of the stability problem is given a finite-difference representation, and the resulting algebraic eigenvalue problem is solved using efficient numerical techniques. The critical parameters and disturbance orientations are determined as a function of the Taylor number for the isothermal flow, and for the stratified flow for Prandtl numbers of 0·025, 1·0 and 6·0.At high Taylor numbers, the unstratified fluid flows in Ekman-like layers near the disks, and two modes of instability are noted: the viscous-type ‘class A’ travelling wave, whose existence depends on Coriolis forces, and the inflexional ‘class B’ mode, which is nearly stationary with respect to the nearer bounding disk. As the Taylor number is decreased, the Ekman layers coalesce to form a fully developed flow. In this regime there is a Taylor number below which the class A waves are always damped. The critical Reynolds number for the class B waves increases rapidly as the Taylor number approaches zero.For Prandtl numbers of 1·0 and 6·0, the adversely stratified flow exhibits two distinct types of instability: convective and dynamical. At low Reynolds numbers, a stationary mode associated with Benard convection in a rotating fluid is critical. It is stabilized and given orientation by the shear. At higher Reynolds numbers, the critical mode is a travelling wave of the nature of either the class A or class B waves, depending upon the Taylor number. For a Prandtl number of 0·025, the critical mode resembles oscillatory convection at small Reynolds numbers and a class A wave at larger shear rates.
ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF LAMELLAR BODIES AND TUBULAR MYELIN FROM RAT LUNG HOMOGENATES

Three surface-active fractions which differ in their morphology have been isolated from rat lung homogenates by ultracentrifugation in a discontinuous sucrose density gradient. In order of increasing density, the fractions consisted, as shown by electron microscopy, primarily of common myelin figures, lamellar bodies, and tubular myelin figures. The lipid of all three fractions contained approximately 94% polar lipids and 2% cholesterol. In the case of the common myelin figures and the lamellar bodies, the polar lipids consisted of 73% phosphatidylcholines, 9% phosphatidylserines and inositols, and 8% phosphatidylethanolamines. In the case of the tubular myelin figures, the respective percentages were 58, 19, and 5. Over 90% of the fatty acids of the lecithins of all three fractions were saturated. Electrophoresis of the proteins of the fractions in sodium dodecyl sulfate or Triton X-100 revealed that the lamellar bodies and the tubular myelin figures differed in the mobilities of their proteins. The common myelin figures, however, contained proteins from both of the other fractions. These data indicate that, whereas the lipids of the extracellular, alveolar surfactant(s) originate in the lamellar bodies, the proteins arise from another source. It is further postulated that the tubular myelin figures represent a liquid crystalline state of the alveolar surface-active lipoproteins.
Compact toroid experiments: Spheromaks and field-reversed configurations

Abstract Compact toroids (CT) containing both poloidal and toroidal magnetic field, spheromaks, are generated in the CTX experiment using a magnetized coaxial plasma gun, and are trapped and stably confined in an oblate flux conserver. Total configuration lifetimes are observed up to ∼ 0.8 ms, consistent with classical resistive decay. The field reversed configuration (FRC) is a high beta, axisymmetric, highly prolate compact toroid, containing only poloidal magnetic field, formed in a field-reversed theta pinch. A quiescent confinement period of 30 to 90 μs with T i ∼ 200–500 eV and n ∼ 5 × 10 15 cm −3 is terminated by an n = 2 rotational instability. The FRC is stable to MHD modes including the tilting instability.
Politics of wartime relief in Ottoman Beirut (1914–1918)

By the early spring of 1915, grain and flour shortages had become a serious issue in the Greater Syrian provinces of the Ottoman Empire, and culminated into a full-fledged famine that would claim the lives of approximately one-third of population by the time Allied troops began occupying the region in October 1918. In the Ottoman provincial capital Beirut, food scarcities quickly became a matter of life and death, as the city became a gathering point for thousands of destitute refugees from miles around. In light of the tragedy, humanitarians rushed to provide aid to those in need. The historiography of wartime relief in the Ottoman Empire generally has focused on the well-documented international efforts in the Anatolian provinces, and in particular the tremendous work of foreign missionaries and relief organizations, such as the Near East Relief and the Red Cross. This focus on international relief agencies, no doubt, obscures the fact that humanitarian relief workers indeed operated in a crowded and co...
Functional selectivity of G protein signaling by agonist peptides and thrombin for the protease-activated receptor-1

Thrombin activates protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) by cleavage of the amino terminus to unmask a tethered ligand. Although peptide analogs can activate PAR-1, we show that the functional responses mediated via PAR-1 differ between the agonists. Thrombin caused endothelial monolayer permeability and mobilized intracellular calcium with EC(50) values of 0.1 and 1.7 nm, respectively. The opposite order of activation was observed for agonist peptide (SFLLRN-CONH(2) or TFLLRNKPDK) activation. The addition of inactivated thrombin did not affect agonist peptide signaling, suggesting that the differences in activation mechanisms are intramolecular in origin. Although activation of PAR-1 or PAR-2 by agonist peptides induced calcium mobilization, only PAR-1 activation affected barrier function. Induced barrier permeability is likely to be Galpha(12/13)-mediated as chelation of Galpha(q)-mediated intracellular calcium with BAPTA-AM, pertussis toxin inhibition of Galpha(i/o), or GM6001 inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase had no effect, whereas Y-27632 inhibition of the Galpha(12/13)-mediated Rho kinase abrogated the response. Similarly, calcium mobilization is Galpha(q)-mediated and independent of Galpha(i/o) and Galpha(12/13) because pertussis toxin Y-27632 and had no effect, whereas U-73122 inhibition of phospholipase C-beta blocked the response. It is therefore likely that changes in permeability reflect Galpha(12/13) activation, and changes in calcium reflect Galpha(q) activation, implying that the pharmacological differences between agonists are likely caused by the ability of the receptor to activate Galpha(12/13) or Galpha(q). This functional selectivity was characterized quantitatively by a mathematical model describing each step leading to Rho activation and/or calcium mobilization. This model provides an estimate that peptide activation alters receptor/G protein binding to favor Galpha(q) activation over Galpha(12/13) by approximately 800-fold.
Blockage of Progesterone-Induced Release of Luteinizing Hormone by Actinomycin-D or Reserpine and Comparison of Effects of Progesterone and Estrogen on Release of Luteinizing Hormone in the Rat

ABSTRACT. Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. A single injection of 2.5 mg of testosterone propionate (TP) or of 20 ng of estradiol benzoate (EB) significantly lowered serum LH for at least 80 hr in ovariectomized rats. A single injection (2 mg) of progesterone (P) given at 1100 hr, 74 hr after the TP or EB, caused a significant increase in serum LH 5 hr later. However, a single injection of P given at 0600 hr, also 74 hr after TP, did not induce an increase in serum LH by 1100 hr. The ability of P to induce LH release was blocked by either actinomycin-D (A-D) or reserpine (R). The positive effect of P on LH release was not duplicated by any of 3 doses (10, 20, or 50 ng) of EB within the time periods studied. Thus, P induced LH release in both EB and TP pretreated animals when given at the proper time, but EB failed to effect a comparable release of LH in either type of animal. The major conclusions drawn from these experiments are (a) that P and E cause release of LH by dif...
Beyond faculty development: How centers for teaching and learning can be laboratories for learning

The author articulates how she helped create learning through a center for teaching and learning and other strategies.
Coherence resonance and ice ages

[1] The processes and feedbacks responsible for the 100-kyr cycle of Late Pleistocene global climate change are still being debated. This paper presents a numerical model that integrates (1) long-wavelength outgoing radiation, (2) the ice-albedo feedback, and (3) lithospheric deflection within the simple conceptual framework of coherence resonance. Coherence resonance is a dynamical process that results in the amplification of internally generated variability at particular periods in a system with bistability and delay feedback. In the Late Pleistocene climate system, bistability results from a combination of long-wavelength outgoing radiation and the ice-albedo feedback. These processes are in equilibrium at interglacial and full-glacial conditions. Delay feedback results from the influence of lithospheric deflection on ice sheet advance and retreat. This process has commonly been represented in numerical climate models by complex models of ice sheet dynamics. As an alternative, the present model incorporates ice sheet dynamics implicitly by using the observed relationship between ice coverage and global temperature. The result is a simple, well-constrained model for the Late Pleistocene global climate system with only one free parameter. The model accurately reproduces the climate variability recorded in the Vostok ice core from timescales of several thousand to one million years, including the histograms and power-spectral behavior of the data. The 100-kyr cycle is a free oscillation in the model, present even in the absence of external forcing. The model also reproduces smaller-amplitude periodicities at odd harmonics of 100 kyr, suggesting that a significant portion of the spectral power at the Milankovitch bands of 41 and 29 kyr may be internally generated. Finally, the development of 100-kyr oscillations in the Mid-Pleistocene may be understood within this model framework as the transition from a climate with one stable state to a system with two stable states brought about by the development of large continental ice sheets and the addition of the ice-albedo feedback to the climate system.
Cmos latchup theory

The purpose of this paper is to study the CMOS latchup phenomenon from a non-linear circuit theoretic standpoint by using some recently developed results on negative-resistance devices. We introduce a simple mechanism to describe the latchup phenomenon based on a special circuit topology called feedback structure, which is shown to be responsible for the occurrence of latchup. Several guidelines are proposed to prevent latchup by destroying the feedback structure. In addition to the characterization of the steady-state behaviour, we use a first-order circuit model to analyze the latchup dynamics during the turn-on process and give a stability analysis of the circuit dynamics. All existing techniques to prevent latchup are shown to follow naturally from our guidelines, which are derived using nonlinear circuit theory.
Use of pole figure data to compute elasticity coefficients of zirconium sheet

Abstract The elastic coefficients of polycrystalline zirconium can be computed by combining the known coefficients of zirconium monocrystals with pole figure data as measured by X-ray diffraction. The method uses a space average of the monocrystal compliance coefficients, weighted by the crystallographic pole density. The method is applicable to commercial Zircaloy, giving the anisotropy of the elastic properties. This analysis and method provide all of the compliance coefficients needed for a complete solution of the generalized Hooke's Law equation for product forms with orthotropic symmetry (e.g. rolled sheet). It approximates a complete solution for thin-walled tubes. Sufficient monocrystal data exist for calculation of elastic properties over a range of temperatures.
Energy spectrum of harmonically trapped two-component Fermi gases: Three- and four-particle problem

Trapped two-component Fermi gases allow the investigation of the so-called BCS-BEC crossover by tuning the interspecies atom-atom $s$-wave scattering length ${a}^{(\mathit{aa})}$ from attractive to repulsive, including vanishing and infinitely large values. Here, we numerically determine the energy spectrum of the equal-mass spin-balanced four-fermion system---the smallest few-particle system that exhibits BCS-BEC crossoverlike behavior---as a function of ${a}^{(\mathit{aa})}$ using the stochastic variational approach. For comparative purposes, we also treat the two- and three-particle systems. States with vanishing and finite total angular momenta as well as with natural and unnatural parities are considered. In addition, the energy spectrum of weakly attractive and weakly repulsive gases is characterized by employing a perturbative framework that utilizes hyperspherical coordinates. The hyperspherical coordinate approach allows the straightforward assignment of quantum numbers and furthermore provides great insight into the strongly interacting unitary regime.
OpenArXiv = arXiv + RDBMS + web services

The OpenArXiv project aims to significantly improve the arXiv digital library in two ways: (1) by managing digital documents with an RDBMS and exploiting state-of-the-art database techniques, we add more sophisticated and flexible services, e.g., contents-based search, advanced query processing and triggers technology; and (2) by utilizing the standard XML-based Web services framework, we build a programmable interface to arXiv so that not only human users but also software agents can freely access the contents of arXiv in many applications
Individual predictors of the subjective effects of intravenous cocaine

Abstract The subjective and reinforcing effects of addictive substances can vary greatly between individuals. This study compared the relative contributions of baseline drug use, craving, stressful life events, and social factors in determining the subjective effects of cocaine in individual participants. Twelve veterans meeting criteria for cocaine dependence were evaluated in a laboratory setting. Self-report of the subjective effects of intravenous cocaine was recorded following single- and double-blind, placebo-controlled injections. Increased positive subjective effects of cocaine, including drug-induced ‘good’ effects and the value of intravenous injections, were most strongly correlated with greater family and social dysfunction measured through the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). Social dysfunction was the strongest predictor of cocaine-induced euphoria, accounting for approximately one-half of its variability. Participants who were dissatisfied with their current marital status reported almost no ‘bad’ effects of cocaine but instead reported increased drug-induced ‘high’, euphoria, and injection value. Although further research is required to determine the generalizability of this association, our findings are parallel to recent preclinical results showing that social interaction can attenuate psychostimulant reward. Effects of substance abuse treatment that rely on improved social function may be mediated through changes in the brain's reinforcement system that modify the rewarding effects of cocaine.
A study regarding abdominal adhesions and of cotton and gauze sponges

Abstract 1. 1. Experimental evidence by trauma measurement methods, indicating that sponging and packing as it is ordinarily done in abdominal operations does not alone cause adhesions, is presented. 2. 2. Cotton or gauze pledgets left attached to the gut within the closed abdominal cavity for two hours in an attempt to simulate some of the effects of the abdominal pack, produced no permanent adhesions, except when bacterial contamination was present. 3. 3. Cotton or gauze sponges left attached to the gut for nineteen to thirty hours did not invariably produce permanent adhesions. 4. 4. Cotton or gauze pledgets left for three days or over, almost invariably produced suffxcient irritation to cause permanent adhesions. Occasionally, the pledgets eroded through the gut wall. A study of Table I may illustrate the damage that can result from an injudiciously used drain. 5. 5. Some evidence is produced that implanted moist cotton pledgets are less irritating to the peritoneum than gauze ones. At this time, however, we do not consider this observation of practical value. TABLE I . Animal Serial Number Time Pledgets Left In Original Reaction to Cotton Original Reaction to Gauze Complications Degree of Permanent Adhesions. Cotton Degree of Permanent Adhesions. Gauze 19 18 hrs. x xx Died 18 hrs. cause unknown N.G. N.G. 14 19 hrs. o x o o x 25 25 hrs. x x o o o 15 27 hrs. x xx Gut torn in removal gauze Cotton favored Cotton favored 24 28 1 2 hrs. x x o o o 13 29 hrs. o o Killed 28 30 hrs. x xxx Gut torn in removal gauze Cotton favored Cotton favored xxxx xxxx 16 3 days x xx o x xx 18 3 days x xx Died 3 days intestinal obstruction N.G. N.G. 29 4 days xx xx o xxx xx 30 4 days x x o xx xx 37 5 days x None used o xx 38 5 days x None used o o 39 5 days x None used o xx 40 5 days None used xxx Gut torn in removal gauze Cotton favored Cotton favored 41 5 days None used xx o xx 42 5 days None used xxx Some contamination Cotton favored xxx 43 5 days None used xx o xx 34 7 days xx xx o xx xx 32 7 days xx xx Hole torn in gut by adhesion N.G. N.G. 27 8 days xxx xxx None xxx xxx 33 10 days xxx xxx Gut torn in removal cotton Gauze favored Gauze favored 35 13 days xxxx xxxx Hole torn in gut by adhesion N.G. N.G. 31 16 days xx xxx Gut torn in removal gauze Cotton favored Cotton favored 21 ? x xx Gut torn in removal gauze Cotton favored Cotton favored 6. 6. Though we have produced evidence that sponging and packing alone will not produce adhesions, we think it may be possible that suff+cient irritation may come from these procedures, particularly that of packing, to enhance adhesion formation by bacteria. We believe, with other investigators, that bacteria introduced into the abdominal cavity at operation, may sometimes cause adhesions, and that great care should be used to minimize their introduction. Other measures which are prophylactic against adhesion formation are briefly listed. 7. 7. Data regarding the use of a cotton base sponge is presented; and it is felt that hospitals concerned with strict economy might profitably seek the cooperation of their surgica staffs in its use.
The effect of arousal level on visual preferences in preterm infants

The influence of arousal level on visual preferences was investigated in preterm infants (X PCA = 37.9 weeks) in different feeding and swaddling conditions. Infants (N = 16 each of two studies) viewed cubes varying in size and number or viewed light panels varying in frequency of illumination. They showed preferences for more cubes or faster frequencies when least aroused (postfeeding swaddled); decreased preferences as arousal increased; and no preferences when most aroused (prefeeding unswaddled). To determine whether this absence of preference was due to a truncated stimulus range or disruption, 12 additional infants viewed an extended range of cube stimuli when in the most and least aroused conditions. In both conditions, significant inverted U-shaped preference functions were found. In addition, these functions differed from each other due to a shift in their maxima toward more cubes when infants were less aroused and less cubes when more aroused. The findings support the view that looking preferences are determined by the effective intensity of stimulation which, as defined by Schneirla (1965) , varies with both stimulus intensity and organismic characteristics.
Factor Analysis at 100

Robert Cudeck & Robert C. MacCallum (Eds.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2007, 381 pages, $42.95 (paperback). This is a volume of papers presented at a conference held at the Univ...
Electronic band structure of (001) GaAs-AlAs superlattices

Abstract We present the results of a theory of electronic energy bands of superlattices using an application of a recent novel empirical tight binding method. The theory is applied to GaAs-AlAs (001) superlattices with very good agreements with available experimental results for both the direct and indirect energy gaps.
Perceptions of well-being by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan populations in the United States

Abstract The present study compared what are considered salient sociological variables associated with the general public's perception of well-being with various aspects of life in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in the United States. Data were collected from the national probability sample of the General Social Surveys of 1978 and 1988 of the National Opinion Research Center. Demographic variables such as gender, age, race, marital status, education, financial status, and location of residence were considered independent variables. A composite score of subjective well-being was treated as the dependent variable. The regression analysis results formed the basis for discussion of any observed differences in the perception of well-being as related to its predictors. Although no significant differences were noted among metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan living, financial status, marital status, and education appeared to be the important factors in an individual's perception of well-being. Race and ag...
Solar System Exploration Augmented by In-Situ Resource Utilization: Human Mercury and Saturn Exploration

Human and robotic missions to Mercury and Saturn are presented and analyzed. Unique elements of the local planetary environments are discussed and included in the analyses and assessments. Using historical studies of space exploration, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and industrialization all point to the vastness of natural resources in the solar system. Advanced propulsion benefitted from these resources in many way. While advanced propulsion systems were proposed in these historical studies, further investigation of nuclear options using high power nuclear thermal and nuclear pulse propulsion as well as advanced chemical propulsion can significantly enhance these scenarios. Updated analyses based on these historical visions will be presented. Nuclear thermal propulsion and ISRU enhanced chemical propulsion landers are assessed for Mercury missions. At Saturn, nuclear pulse propulsion with alternate propellant feed systems and Titan exploration with chemical propulsion options are discussed.
Effects of the label “stutterer” on student perceptions

Abstract This study explored the issue of potential discrimination based on terminology regarding stuttering. Two survey forms were written to include a paragraph description of a hypothetical person who stutters. The paragraph description was followed by a list of nine trait pairs with a 7-point Likert rating scale. These two forms differed only in the terminology that was used to inform the reader that the person stuttered. One form used the word “stutterer,” the other used “noun + who stutters” and “noun + has had a stuttering problem.” These forms were alternated in a stack and then distributed to undergraduate college students in general education classes. Analysis of the 544 completed forms revealed that subjects rated the two paragraphs similarly, with no significant difference between the forms of terminology used. Females rated the character traits on both forms more favorably than did the male raters. Educational Objectives: The reader will learn and be able to discuss (1) the negative character traits attributed to persons who stutters, (2) the rationale of person-first terminology policies, and (3) the empirical support for such policies.
Response to Letter by Barili et al

Response: We appreciate the comments by Dr Barili et al regarding our recent article on watershed strokes after cardiac surgery.1 They point out that we did not study patients who did not have strokes after cardiac surgery, and therefore cannot comment on risk of stroke, in general, in patients exposed to a decrease in mean arterial pressure. We agree and would like to emphasize that the increased risk of bilateral watershed strokes in patients exposed to a drop in mean arterial pressure of at least 10 mm Hg is …
A role for “self” in T-cell activation

Abstract The mechanisms by which αβ T-cells are selected in the thymus and then recognize peptide MHC (pMHC) complexes in the periphery remain an enigma. Recent work particularly with respect to quantification of T-cell sensitivity and the role of self-ligands in T-cell activation has provided some important clues to the details of how TCR signaling might be initiated. Here, we highlight recent experimental data that provides insights into the initiation of T-cell activation and also discuss the main controversies and uncertainties in this area.
The Perpetual Enterprise Machine: Seven Keys to Corporate Renewal Through Successful Product and Process Development

The article reviews the book “The Perpetual Enterprise Machine: Seven Keys to Corporate Renewal Through Successful Product and Process Development,” by Kent Bowman.
Acoustic bed velocity and bed load dynamics in a large sand bed river

[1] Development of a practical technology for rapid quantification of bed load transport in large rivers would represent a revolutionary advance for sediment monitoring and the investigation of fluvial dynamics. Measurement of bed load motion with acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) has emerged as a promising approach for evaluating bed load transport. However, a better understanding of how ADCP data relate to conditions near the stream bed is necessary to make the method practical for quantitative applications. In this paper, we discuss the response of ADCP bed velocity measurements, defined as the near-bed sediment velocity detected by the instrument's bottom-tracking feature, to changing sediment-transporting conditions in the lower Missouri River. Bed velocity represents a weighted average of backscatter from moving bed load particles and spectral reflections from the immobile bed. The ratio of bed velocity to mean bed load particle velocity depends on the concentration of the particles moving in the bed load layer, the bed load layer thickness, and the backscatter strength from a unit area of moving particles relative to the echo strength from a unit area of unobstructed bed. A model based on existing bed load transport theory predicted measured bed velocities from hydraulic and grain size measurements with reasonable success. Bed velocities become more variable and increase more rapidly with shear stress when the transport stage, defined as the ratio of skin friction to the critical shear stress for particle entrainment, exceeds a threshold of about 17. This transition in bed velocity response appears to be associated with the appearance of longer, flatter bed forms at high transport stages.
A Novel Zinc Finger Transcription Factor with Two Isoforms That Are Differentially Repressed by Estrogen Receptor-α

Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) can induce the expression of genes in response to estrogen by binding to estrogen response elements in the promoters of target genes. There is growing evidence that ERα can alter patterns of gene expression in response to ligand by regulating the activity of other factors through a direct protein-protein interaction. To identify other factors that are regulated by ERα, a yeast two-hybrid screen was performed that identified a novel Cys2His2 zinc finger protein named ZER6. The ZER6 protein contains a Kruppel-associated box domain and six Cys2His2 zinc fingers. Transcripts from theZER6 gene can have alternate 5′ exons and encode either a p71 or p52 isoform. The p52-ZER6 protein interacts strongly with ERα in the presence of 17β-estradiol, whereas the p71-ZER6 isoform has a HUB-1 amino-terminal domain that inhibits the interaction with ERα. A consensus ZER6 binding element was defined using PCR-assisted binding site selection. In COS-1 cells, both the p52 and p71 isoforms can activate transcription through the ZER6 binding element; however, in the presence of ERα, transactivation by the p52 isoform is specifically repressed. Overexpression of the p52 isoform was able to abrogate activation by p71-ZER6. Expression of ZER6 was largely restricted to the mammary gland with a lower level of expression in the kidney. We conclude that ZER6 is a novel zinc finger transcription factor in which regulation of transcription in hormone-responsive cells can be controlled by the relative level of expression of two distinct isoforms.