cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Internal Forces and Moments in Beams

Consider a straight, horizontal beam with arbitrary supports. Let a cartesian coordinate system be oriented with its origin at the centroid of the beam’s cross section, the x axis extending to the right along the beam’s axis, and the y axis upward. Assume that the external forces and couples on the beam and the reactions due to its supports exert a two-dimensional system of forces and couples in the x‐y plane. Let a plane be passed through the beam perpendicular to its axis, and consider the free-body diagram of the part of the beam to the left of the plane. The distribution of stress on the plane can be represented by an equivalent system consisting of two components of force and a couple. One of the force components is the axial force P perpendicular to the cutting plane, which is assumed to act at the centroid of the cross section and be positive in the positive x direction. The other force component is the shear force V tangential to the cutting plane, assumed to be positive in the negative y direction (downward). The couple is the bending moment M, assumed to be positive in the counterclockwise direction about the z axis. If the external loads on the beam and the reactions due to its supports are known, the equilibrium equations can be applied to the free-body diagrams on either side of the cutting plane to determine the internal forces and moment P, V, and M. Graphs of V and M as functions of x are called the shear force and bending moment diagrams, respectively. It can be shown that the shear force and bending moment in a beam subjected to a distributed load w satisfy the differential equations dV/dx = − w, dM/dx = V. In principle, these equations can be used to determine the shear force and bending moment as functions of x. The first equation is integrated to determine V, and then the second equation is integrated to determine x. In doing so, the effects of point forces and couples must be accounted for. A substantial complexity is that each time the equation describing the distributed force on the beam changes, or at each location where a point force or couple acts, a new free-body diagram must be used or new solutions of the two differential equations must be obtained. It would be convenient if the loading on an entire beam could be expressed by a single function. This can be done using what are called singularity functions. These are defined and it is shown how point forces are represented by delta functions, couples are represented by dipoles, and distributed forces are represented by Macaulay functions. Examples of using singularity functions to determine the shear and bending moment diagrams are presented.
Organophosphate Poisoning: Of Mice and Men

Exposures to organophosphate and carbamate compounds acting as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can present to the emergency department as accidental or intentional poisonings. These can result from exposures to pesticides, prescribed medications, and even chemical nerve agents, also known as war gases. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase leads to large amounts of acetylcholine that affect both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors resulting in a characteristic toxidrome of salivation, lacrimation, urinary frequency, gastrointestinal (GI) hypermotility, miosis, fasciculations, and muscular paralysis. The muscarinic side effects are typically treated with atropine while the nicotinic side effects are treated with supportive care and often the use of pralidoxime which serves to lyse the bond between the acetylcholinesterase and the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.
Unidirectional en masse larval dispersal of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract Decomposition of carrion is a complex ecological process wherein nutrients and energy are recycled in the environment. After feeding but prior to pupation, blow fly larvae disperse from decomposing carrion, presumably to escape unfavorable microsite conditions or perhaps predation. By leaving the immediate area, larvae are effectively transporting carrion-derived nutrients throughout the ecosystem. This dispersal is generally characterized as individual-based and moving randomly from the carcass in every direction, however, non-random, en masse maggot dispersal has been documented at least twice. Here, we report another incidence of en masse blow fly larval dispersal traveling due east in a small column. At approximately 2 m, the column stopped its unidirectional path and dispersed in a radial, 360° pattern. A subsample of 5 larvae was collected, returned to the lab, and identified as Lucilia coeruleiviridis, a common blow fly often involved in carrion decomposition in nature. These observations contribute to an increasing body of evidence that migrating fly larvae do not always disperse randomly, which may have important implications for the dispersal of carrion-derived nutrients as well as interactions with blow fly predators.
The effect of gas-phase transport on Marangoni convection in volatile binary fluids driven by a horizontal temperature gradient

Abstract Recent experimental and numerical studies of convection in confined layers of volatile binary liquids with a free surface subjected to a horizontal temperature gradient have observed a reversal in the direction of interfacial flow as the concentration of air in the vapor space above the liquid is decreased. These observations suggest that transport in the gas phase has a significant effect on the balance between thermocapillary and solutocapillary stresses, the competition between which determines the flow direction. In order to develop a quantitative description of the flow reversal, we use the two-sided (liquid/gas) transport model introduced previously to obtain approximate analytical solutions for the interfacial temperature and composition of the liquid, hence predict thermocapillary and solutocapillary stresses, and the flow direction. Therefore, our solutions provide useful guidelines for choosing the optimal binary coolants composition and operating conditions for thermal management applications. Despite the complex nature of this problem, we have found that the mass transport in the gas phase is effectively one-dimensional and independent of the flow in moderate to large aspect-ratio cavity for sufficiently low temperature gradients, which allows this problem to be simplified and solved analytically in a sequential manner. Our theoretical predictions agree well with the results of numerical simulations, which indicates that the analytical analysis captures the essential physics of the problem.
Clinical discussion of Medical Aid-in-Dying: minimizing harms and ensuring informed choice.

Abstract Objective The implementation of medical aid-in-dying (MAID) poses new challenges for clinical communication and counseling. Among these, health care providers must consider whether to initiate a discussion of MAID with eligible patients who do not directly ask about it. Norms and policies concerning this issue vary tremendously across jurisdictions where MAID is legally authorized, reflecting divergent assumptions about patients’ rights to information about end-of-life options and the purpose and potential harms of clinical disclosure. Method This discussion forum essay draws on informed consent doctrine to analyze two policies concerning clinical communication about MAID: the legal prohibition against provider-initiated discussions of MAID in Victoria, Australia, and the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers (CAMAP) position that providers have an ethical and professional responsibility to inform eligible patients about MAID. Conclusions Informed consent requires that clinicians strike a balance between minimizing potential harms to patients caused by initiating discussions of MAID and the imperative to inform and counsel patients about all of their legally available medical options. Practice implications Clinicians should be aware of both the importance of communication as a tool to inform patients and the potential for clinical language to cause harm to or to unduly influence patients.
The Spread of the Mercator Projection in Western European and United States Cartography

En 1569, le cartographe hollandais Gerard Mercator publiait une projection qui allait revolutionner la navigation maritime. Bien que l’importance de la projection de Mercator soit soulignee dans la...
Differential Impact of a Universal Prevention Program on Academic Self-Efficacy: the Moderating Role of Baseline Self-Control.

Self-control (SC) plays a critical role in development across the life course; poor SC is a common antecedent of outcomes with high public health and societal burden including lower educational and occupational attainment, problem substance use, depression, obesity, and antisocial behavior. Further, SC is associated with academic self-efficacy and academic success; therefore, optimizing SC in early childhood could have long-term health and educational implications. However, it remains unknown whether the impact of early childhood prevention programs varies by baseline levels of SC, and whether better SC in early childhood leads to better self-efficacy in adolescence. This study leverages a sample of predominately low-/middle-income Black participants (n = 678) who were part of a randomized universal preventive trial in first grade (1993-1995). Teacher-reported SC was measured at baseline. Utilizing a three-step latent transition analysis, transitions between SC classes and academic self-efficacy trajectories were explored. Intervention status was explored as a predictor of the transition. Results suggest that teacher-rated SC in early childhood predicts academic self-efficacy up to 11 years later. Moderation analyses suggest that there are individual differences in prevention program effectiveness by baseline behavioral regulation skills. Implications for school-based universal prevention programming having an impact on low risk children and methods for exploring moderation within a prevention context are discussed.
Standardization as performative accountability in biobanking

In the last two decades, biobanks have become critical components in researchers’ efforts to cure, treat or prevent cancer, diabetes and many other diseases. At the same time, the amassing of specimens has been brought into question by recognition that the lack of standardization across highly diverse collections presents an impediment for future biomedical research. By looking at standardization as a practice of accountability in biobanking, this article examines the relationship between standardization and ethics in the work of six biobanks in the United States. Standards, we argue, are necessary to biobanking, yet there is also an unquestioned faith put into the standardization of biobank practice and products. This, we argue, reveals that beyond their immediate function, standards do other work. Using interview data, we show how standardization can serve as a performance of accountability, which, as we explain using the concept of audit cultures, constitutes biobanks as an ethical subject. We conclude by pointing out that while efforts to standardize are important for making best use of samples and data, when calling for standardization, we should be mindful of the other (ethical) work that standardization does and contemplate its particular consequences.
Feeding studies in low-birth-weight infants: I. Relationships of dietary protein, fat, and electrolyte to rates of weight gain, clinical courses, and serum chemical concentrations*‡

The relationship of gain in weight to variable intakes of dietary protein has been evaluated in 442 low-birth-weight (LBW) infants. Isocaloric formulas made with proprietary milk mixtures composed of cow's-milk protein, corn oil, and Dextri-maltose were adjusted so that intakes of protein of 6, 4, 3, and 2 Gm. per kilogram per day, respectively, were fed to infants selected on a random basis. The specific formulas fed to individual infants were not known to any physician or nurse until the feeding experiment had been completed. The minimal intake of protein which was associated with consistently high rates of gain in weight (RGW) was 4 Gm. per kilogram per day. In addition, observations in respect to two different dietary intakes of fat and minerals were made in a limited number of infants. Within the range of variation in the daily intake of either fat or minerals there were no effects on gain in weight among the infants studied. Other metabolic evaluations, such as those of serum protein and calcium, blood-urea, and hemoglobin are detailed in the text.
The Uneasy Case for a Comprehensive Tax Base

In discussing tax simplification, commentators often advocate a comprehensive income tax system that has a broad base and low rates over income tax systems that have a narrow base and higher marginal rates (such as the one in the US). Advocates assert that a comprehensive tax base with low marginal rates will reduce tax evasion and tax avoidance and increase economic efficiencies. This paper shows that two of the benefits often attributed to a comprehensive tax base, decreased tax evasion and increased economic efficiency, are not as certain as may first appear. With respect to tax evasion, economic theory cannot predict whether reduced tax rates will result in less tax evasion. Depending upon assumptions about how risk aversion changes in response to income, some models predict that tax evasion will actually increase as tax rates decrease. Since there is significant uncertainty about how risk aversion actually functions in the real world, there is no basis for preferring any particular set of assumptions regarding risk aversion. Thus, the effect of tax rates on evasion has to be viewed as an empirical question. The empirical studies, however, have produced contradictory results. As to the other claimed benefit, increased efficiency, economic theory also cannot predict whether broadening the tax base and reducing the marginal rates will increase economic efficiency as compared to a narrower tax base with higher rates. Increasing the tax base will cause items that had previously not been taxed to be taxed and, therefore, increase the excess burden with respect to those items. At the same time, the lower tax rate will decrease the excess burden of items that had already been taxed in the narrow base. Whether the increases will exceed the decreases cannot be predicted by theory. Instead, the question is again an empirical one that is very difficult to resolve. With respect to the benefits of a comprehensive income tax that are discussed herein, the only certain one is that it should reduce the opportunity for tax avoidance since it reduces differential treatment of items.
The Psychological Basis of Quality Decision Making

Author(s): Nemeth, Charlan Jeanne | Abstract: Effective strategic management requires analysis, decisions and actions by an organization to create and sustain competitive advantage. Gooddecisions are obviously desirable but whether the decision is good is a judgment call, often after the fact, and is itself subject to bias. What is less subject to debate is the process that leads to accuracy or quality decision making. This requires not just access to available information but proper processing, interpretation and integration of that data. Critical is the consideration of multiple options and perspectives at all stages and there are a myriad of reasons why people do not do that. Defective decisions come from poor information search, selective bias in processing the information, a lack of considering alternatives, a failure to examine the risks of the preferred choice and a rush to judgment (Janis and Mann 1977). In short, the selection, interpretation and integration of information is “biased”. In this brief overview, we consider “bias” both at the individual and the group level. The overarching perspective is that there are psychological reasons that constrain and bias thought and there are also psychological antidotes that can improve it. The former are more numerous and well documented than the latter but in both individual and group decision making, the influences are predictable, pervasive and profound, leading at times to defective decision making and at other times to better and even creative decision making.
Probabilistic Methods for a Japanese Syllable Cipher

This paper attacks a Japanese syllable-substitution cipher. We use a probabilistic, noisy-channel framework, exploiting various Japanese language models to drive the decipherment. We describe several innovations, including a new objective function for searching for the highest-scoring decipherment. We include empirical studies of the relevant phenomena, and we give improved decipherment accuracy rates.
President's Column: Making an Impact in the Time That is Given to Us

In an early chapter in The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, Frodo laments having found the one Ring and Gandalf tries to console him by saying, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” This is one of my favorite quotes in the Lord of the Rings series because it inspires us to rise to the occasion and perform to the best of our abilities. It also implies that that we have a purpose to fulfill within a predetermined time period.
IL-1 and TNF independent pathways mediate ICAM-1/VCAM-1 up-regulation in ischemia reperfusion injury.

In vitro studies have suggested that tar- geting interleukin (IL)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) can be used to regulate intercellular adhe- sion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhe- sion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and potentially treat kidney inflammation. We therefore evaluated ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 regulation in knockout (KO) mice deficient in both IL-1 receptor 1 (R1) and TNF-R1 during renal ischemia reperfusion injury. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA expression was mea- sured with specific murine probes and Northern blotting (n54/group). Protein expression was mea- sured using immunohistochemistry. Serum creati- nine (SCr), tubular histology, and neutrophil infil- tration into postischemic kidneys were also quan- tified. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA expression increased in both wild-type (WT) and KO mice at 2, 6, and 24 h. Protein expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 was also increased at 24 h postischemia. SCr levels and tubular necrosis scores were com- parable in WT and KO mice at 24 and 48 h. Neutrophil migration in KO mice was decreased at 24 h but comparable to WT at 48 h. These data demonstrate that IL-1 and TNF are not essential for postischemic increases in ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. J. Leukoc. Biol. 70: 192-198; 2001.
Teaching Expressive Writing to Hearing-Impaired Students

Many hearing-impaired students have great difficulty communicating effectively and sharing ideas using written language. The traditional approach of assigning writing correcting the errors, returni...
Cysteine proteases XCP1 and XCP2 aid micro‐autolysis within the intact central vacuole during xylogenesis in Arabidopsis roots

Establishing the mechanisms regulating the autolysis of xylem tracheary elements (TEs) is important for understanding this programmed cell death process. These data demonstrate that two paralogous Arabidopsis thaliana proteases, XYLEM CYSTEINE PROTEASE1 (XCP1) and XCP2, participated in micro-autolysis within the intact central vacuole before mega-autolysis was initiated by tonoplast implosion. The data acquisition was aided by the predictable pattern of seedling root xylogenesis, the availability of single and double total knock-out T-DNA lines, anti-sera that recognized XCP1 and XCP2, and the microwave-assisted processing of whole seedlings prior to immunolabeling and observation in the transmission electron microscope. During secondary wall thickening, XCP1 and XCP2 (in wild type), XCP1 (in xcp2 seedlings) or XCP2 (in xcp1 seedlings) were imported into the TE central vacuole. Both XCP1 and XCP2 heavily labeled dense aggregates of material within the vacuole. However, because of XCP1 deficiency in xcp1 and xcp1 xcp2 TEs, non-degraded cellular remnants first accumulated in the vacuole and then persisted in the TE lumen (longer than in the wild type) after the final mega-autolysis was otherwise complete. This delayed TE clearing phenotype in xcp1 was rescued by complementation with wild-type XCP1. Although TEs in the xcp2 single knock-out cleared comparably with wild type, the non-degraded remnants in xcp1 xcp2 TEs were more densely packed than in xcp1 TEs. Therefore, XCP2 has a minor but distinct role in micro-autolysis. After tonoplast implosion, XCP1 and XCP2 remained associated with disintegrating cellular material as mega-autolysis, aided by additional lytic enzymes, destroyed the bulk of the cellular contents.
Propagule Banks: Potential Contribution to Restoration of an Impounded and Dewatered Riparian Ecosystem

The Agua Fria River in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert was impounded and diverted more than 70 years ago. Immediately below New Waddell dam there are semi-permanent pools, but water has been released into the channel only during rare wet years. To determine whether a propagule bank exists below the dam, and whether it could contribute to the revegetation of the Agua Fria riparian ecosystem should flow be restored to the dewatered reach, we collected 45 soil cores from four plant associations. We examined species in the samples in a growth chamber using the seedling emergence method. A total of 74 species (mostly herbaceous) and an abundance of individuals were present in propagule banks. The propagule banks were similar to those of a free-flowing reference river despite considerable differences in extant vegetation. Riparian species were present in propagule banks of all four associations and were the dominant type in three (Tamarix forests, Tamarix-Salix forests, and Baccharis-Bebbia shrublands). Propagule distribution varied with soil depth in three of the associations (Tamarix forests and the two xerophytic shrublands) with riparian species more prevalent in deep sediment and upland species more prevalent in surface soil and litter. Collectively these patterns suggest that a riparian legacy is present in Agua Fria propagule banks. However, riparian propagule density was low in the Hymenoclea-Bebbia shrublands, reflecting xerification of the riparian corridor. Given the physical barrier of the dam, continued diversion of stream flow, and rare flood releases, local inputs from xerophytes will dominate propagule bank dynamics in the future. Although propagule banks could contribute to redevelopment of the herbaceous component of the vegetation should stream flows be restored to this river reach, the riparian legacy likely will decline over time as riparian propagules reach the end of their lifespan while propagules of xerophytes continue to be replenished.
What is a just economy in a globalized world

This paper aims to address the ethical and social issues raised by economic development in a globalized world. It argues that development has not delivered economic wellbeing to all nations and peoples and questions the view of development as the main achievement by economics. It attempts to define what a just economy is and examines how economic justice can be achieved when the economic system is structurally unjust.
Laparoscopic appendectomy in children with perforated appendicitis.

Purpose: There is persistent controversy regarding the optimal surgical therapy for children with appendicitis. We have recently adopted laparoscopic appendectomy in lieu of the open technique for children with perforated appendicitis. We hypothesized that laparoscopic appendectomy would be as effective as open appendectomy in preventing postoperative complications. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of children admitted to our hospital over a 5-year period with the diagnosis of perforated appendicitis. Patients were divided into two groups based on the operative approach: laparoscopic vs. open appendectomy. Demographic data, duration of presenting symptoms, initial white blood cell (WBC) count, length of stay, and complications were abstracted. Data were compared using appropriate statistical analyses. Results: There was no difference between the laparoscopic (n = 43) and open (n = 77) groups with respect to gender, duration of presenting symptoms, initial WBC, or length of stay. Howe...
Long-term Time-lapse Surface And Borehole Electrical Resistivity Monitoring of Natural Rechargeinduced Contaminant Plume Behavior

Summary Geophysical measurements, and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data in particular, are sensitive to properties that are related (directly or indirectly) to hydrological processes. The challenge is in extracting information from geophysical data at a relevant scale that can be used quantitatively to refine hydrological models and interpret plume behavior. We consider the use of ERT data for examining the impact of recharge on subsurface contamination at the southern-most corner of the S-3 ponds at the Oak Ridge Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site, TN. The approach we have developed involves the coupled inverse modeling of time-lapse borehole ERT data and hydrogeochemical data, including water level and solute concentration data. The time variations in resistivity are due to changes in total dissolved solids (primarily nitrate), saturation, pH, and temperature. The current approach is to use our understanding of the borehole ERT response to recharge-related processes at the local scale to aid in interpretation of more spatially extensive surface ERT data. We consider a large dataset of time-lapse borehole and surface ERT data collected at the site in 2008 and 2009. We find that the system response to short-term heavy rainstorms is different from the response to seasonal and annual fluctuations and that there is a very good agreement between resistivity structures recovered from borehole and surface ERT data. These results suggest that we can transfer derived insights about petrophysical models and plume behavior across scales, thus permitting remote quantification of recharge-induced processes (such as nitrate dilution) over field-relevant scales.
F-actin bundles in Drosophila bristles are assembled from modules composed of short filaments

The actin bundles in Drosophila bristles run the length of the bristle cell and are accordingly 65 microns (microchaetes) or 400 microns (macrochaetes) in length, depending on the bristle type. Shortly after completion of bristle elongation in pupae, the actin bundles break down as the bristle surface becomes chitinized. The bundles break down in a bizarre way; it is as if each bundle is sawed transversely into pieces that average 3 microns in length. Disassembly of the actin filaments proceeds at the "sawed" surfaces. In all cases, the cuts in adjacent bundles appear in transverse register. From these images, we suspected that each actin bundle is made up of a series of shorter bundles or modules that are attached end-to-end. With fluorescent phalloidin staining and serial thin sections, we show that the modular design is present in nondegenerating bundles. Decoration of the actin filaments in adjacent bundles in the same bristle with subfragment 1 of myosin reveals that the actin filaments in every module have the same polarity. To study how modules form developmentally, we sectioned newly formed and elongating bristles. At the bristle tip are numerous tiny clusters of 6-10 filaments. These clusters become connected together more basally to form filament bundles that are poorly organized, initially, but with time become maximally cross-linked. Additional filaments are then added to the periphery of these organized bundle modules. All these observations make us aware of a new mechanism for the formation and elongation of actin filament bundles, one in which short bundles are assembled and attached end-to-end to other short bundles, as are the vertical girders between the floors of a skyscraper.
Glucocorticoid feedback sensitivity and adrenocortical responsiveness in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Abstract Background: Decreased basal cortisol levels have been reported in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is evidence for enhanced negative feedback sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in PTSD, which could account for this, but other possible mechanisms have not been ruled out. We examined the HPA axis employing a metyrapone-cortisol infusion protocol designed to study negative feedback sensitivity. Methods: Vietnam combat trauma-exposed subjects met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Exclusion criteria included substance abuse and most medications. Endogenous feedback inhibition was removed by blocking cortisol synthesis with oral metyrapone and reintroduced by intravenous infusion of cortisol. In a placebo condition, subjects received oral placebo and normal saline infusion. Serial blood samples drawn over 4 hours were assayed for adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and 11-deoxycortisol. Selected samples were assayed for cortisol binding globulin (CBG) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Results: Basal plasma cortisol was significantly decreased in PTSD subjects ( n = 13) compared with control subjects ( n = 16). No significant difference in the ACTH response to cortisol infusion following metyrapone was observed; however 11-deoxycortisol was significantly decreased in PTSD subjects. In addition, CBG was significantly increased in PTSD subjects, and DHEA was significantly decreased in both PTSD and combat-exposed control subjects. Conclusions: These observations suggest decreased adrenocortical responsiveness may be an additional or alternative mechanism accounting for low cortisol in PTSD.
Pursuing self-interest or self-actualization? From capitalism to a steady-state, wisdom economy

The co-evolution of capitalism, democracy and science since 1800 has led to enormous progress but also major existential problems. This article asserts that these problems are rooted in neo-classical economics' narrow focus within human nature on self-interest, which causes intense conflicts for scarce resources among people, societies, species and generations. It describes how an emphasis on the totality of human nature in life, with a focus on self-actualization instead of self-interest as the main driving force and wisdom rather than wealth as the ultimate aim, can lead to a steady-state, wisdom economy that can simultaneously ensure high personal welfare and collective sustainability.
Collective improvisation and narrative structure in Toni Morrison's Jazz

(2001). Collective improvisation and narrative structure in Toni Morrison's Jazz. Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory: Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 165-187.
Inelastic processes leading to excited-state formation in He + and H + collisions with Na and K

Energy partitioning among accessible product excited states has been spectroscopically studied in a beam apparatus for ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ collisions with Na and K atoms in the kinetic energy range 10-800 eV. The dominant observable inelastic channel in all collision systems was found to be collision-induced excitation yielding resonance radiation. While excited states of ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ formed by charge exchange were also observed, no analogous ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$ emissions were detected; the absence of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$ emissions is attributed to inefficient energy conversion. Comparison of data from one-electron and two-electron processes supports the propensity rule which states that the former are generally favored.
Sterol and bile acid metabolism during development. 3. Occurrence of neonatal hypercholesterolemia in guinea pig and its possible relation to bile acid pool.

Abstract The relationship of the changes in plasma cholesterol to bile acid pool was studied in the newborn guinea pig. Plasma cholesterol reached the maximum on the fifth day and gradually declined to adult levels. The cholesterol concentration in the high density lipoproteins (HDL) was higher in the newborn guinea pig than in the adult. Plasma triglycerides peaked on the third day and decreased markedly. The bile acid pool increased progressively after birth with a 13-fold increase at 5 days of age. While the hepatic triglycerides decreased sharply in the newborn guinea pig, hepatic cholesterol increased in the first 5 days and then decreased to adult levels. This study has described the occurrence of “neonatal hypercholesterolemia” in the guinea pig and its possible relationship to the low level of bile acid synthesis.
Qualitative Forecast Evaluation: A Comparison of Two Performance Measures

Agricultural producers and marketers often have access to several sets of forecasts on the same series. Decision makers must be able to evaluate the relative accuracy of the forecasts. The ability to evaluate whether a series will move up or down is important for series related to futures, options, other asset prices, and situations where processes can be modified according to changing economic conditions. A measure of qualitative forecast accuracy from Naik and Leuthold is compared to a probability-based measure developed by Henriksson and Merton. The Henriksson-Merton measure is shown to provide additional, and more accurate, information concerning a model's qualitative forecasting ability.
Auditory analysis of the electroencephalogram: electroencephalophony.

Abstract 1. 1. Since the ear is a better harmonic analyzer than the eye, a technique which makes it possible to listen to brain waves might provide significant information more easily than looking at EEG records. 2. 2. Due to their sub-audible frequency spectrum, brain waves must be transformed in some fashion to be made audible. Combined amplitude and frequency modulation of an audio carrier by the brain waves provides a highly satisfactory method. The circuit of an AM-FM encephalophone (EEP) for accomplishing this is described. 3. 3. Brain waves result in characteristic sound patterns from the EEP, and these patterns are detected and recognized very easily, as predicted. The EEP is recommended as a routine supplement to the standard EEG, both as a monitor, and to aid in the analysis of records. 4. 4. The use of the EEP as a convenient tool for studying concentration and attention phenomena is suggested by the results of experiments in which subjects monitored their own alpha rhythms.
Rate of intra-abdominal injury after a normal abdominal computed tomographic scan in adults with blunt trauma.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study is to determine the rate of intra-abdominal injury (IAI) in adults with blunt abdominal trauma after a normal abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan. We hypothesize that the risk of subsequent IAI is so low that hospital admission and observation for possible IAI are unnecessary. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of adults (>18 years) with blunt trauma who underwent abdominal CT scanning in the emergency department. Computed tomographic scans were obtained with intravenous contrast but no oral contrast. Abnormalities on abdominal CT included all visualized IAIs or any finding suggestive of possible IAI. Patients were followed up to determine the presence or absence of IAI and the need for therapeutic intervention if IAI was identified. Results Of the 3103 patients undergoing abdominal CT, 2734 (88%) had normal CT scans. The median age was 39 years (interquartile range, 26-51 years); and 2141 (78%) were admitted to the hospital. Eight (0.3%; 95% confidence interval, 0.1%-0.6%) were identified with IAIs after normal abdominal CT scans including the following injuries: pancreas (5), liver (4), gastrointestinal (2), and spleen (2). Five underwent therapy at laparotomy. Abdominal CT had a likelihood ratio (+) of 20.9 (95% confidence interval, 17.7-24.8) and likelihood ratio (−) of 0.034 (0.017-0.068). Conclusion Adult patients with blunt torso trauma and normal abdominal CT scans are at low risk for subsequently identified IAI. Thus, hospitalization for evaluation of possible IAI after a normal abdominal CT scan is unnecessary in most cases.
Abstract P5-11-09: Crk II adaptor proteins as positive regulators of HER3 signaling in breast cancer

HER3 (ErbB3), which is a member of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family has emerged as a key oncogene in cancer progression. HER3 overexpression has been observed in lung, prostate, melanomas and colon cancers and is associated with poor patient prognosis. HER3 has been known to play a role in resistance mechanisms towards EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors like Gefitinib and anti-HER2 antibodies like Trastuzumab in lung and breast cancers respectively. Upon ligand (neuregulin) binding, HER3 heterodimerizes with its partner receptors, inducing phosphorylation of its tyrosine residues in the c-terminal tail, which mediate HER3-dependent signaling. By binding to the HER3 c-terminal tail, Src homology 2 domain (SH2) or phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) proteins may regulate the neuregulin-induced signaling. Here, we used a SH2 profiling approach to discover novel SH2 adaptor proteins interacting with HER3 and found that the SH2 adaptor protein Crk II (C10 regulator of kinase II) interacts strongly with phosphotyrosines in CHO cells overexpressing HER3 with or without neuregulin stimulation. Crk II and HER3 are critical in proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. In this study, we investigate the protein-protein interaction of Crk II and HER3 in breast cancer. Our preliminary protein-protein interaction data confirmed that Crk II interacts with HER3 in MCF-7, MDA-MB-453 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. We hypothesize that Crk II affects HER3-induced signaling, thus affecting growth and migration in breast cancer cells. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P5-11-09.
Synthesis of superconducting ceramic coated metal wires by a glass-ceramic technique

Abstract A metal wire, coated with a glass of the stoichiometry (Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu) 2-2-1-2 by a melt-quench process, is subjected to a suitable heat treatment which results in subsequent superconducting behavior due to devitrification of the Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O 8 phase. The composite wire has a superconducting transition around 60 K and can be flexed and wound without losing its superconducting behavior.
Contribution of “Old” carbon from natural marine hydrocarbon seeps to sedimentary and dissolved organic carbon pools in the Gulf of Mexico

Natural radiocarbon (14C) abundances and stable carbon isotope (δ13C) compositions were measured for sediment total organic carbon (TOC), and total lipid fractions of sediments, bottom water, and hydrate-water collected from two hydrocarbon seepage sites in Green Canyon, Northern Gulf of Mexico to determine the contribution of “old” carbon from seeps to sediment TOC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pools. Our results indicate that 40–60% of the organic carbon preserved in the sediments and 30% of the DOC in the deep water above the seeps were seep-derived 14C-depleted organic carbon. This new evidence along with our previous studies suggest that natural marine hydrocarbon seepage could be a significant source contributing “old” carbon to the marine environment. Our findings suggest that the global importance and the long-term impact of this contribution to biogeochemical carbon cycling in the ocean need to be more thoroughly investigated.
The activation domain of the enhancer binding protein p45NF-E2 interacts with TAFII130 and mediates long-range activation of the alpha- and beta-globin gene loci in an erythroid cell line.

We have used the interaction between the erythroid-specific enhancer in hypersensitivity site 2 of the human β-globin locus control region and the globin gene promoters as a paradigm to examine the mechanisms governing promoter/enhancer interactions in this locus. We have demonstrated that enhancer-dependent activation of the globin promoters is dependent on the presence of both a TATA box in the proximal promoter and the binding site for the erythroid-specific heteromeric transcription factor NF-E2 in the enhancer. Mutational analysis of the transcriptionally active component of NF-E2, p45NF-E2, localizes the critical region for this function to a proline-rich transcriptional activation domain in the NH2-terminal 80 amino acids of the protein. In contrast to the wild-type protein, expression of p45 NF-E2 lacking this activation domain in an NF-E2 null cell line fails to support enhancer-dependent transcription in transient assays. More significantly, the mutated protein also fails to reactivate expression of the endogenous β- or α-globin loci in this cell line. Protein-protein interaction studies reveal that this domain of p45 NF-E2 binds specifically to a component of the transcription initiation complex, TATA binding protein associated factor TAFII130. These findings suggest one potential mechanism for direct recruitment of distal regulatory regions of the globin loci to the individual promoters.
The Effects of Culture Conditions and Implantation on the Structural and Mechanical Characteristics of a Tissue Engineered Urethral Wrap

Urethral dysfunction is a common complication of diabetes mellitus, spinal cord injury, vaginal childbirth, and pelvic trauma. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary loss of urine due to the inability of the urethral sphincter to maintain a tight seal during the storage phase, and is a disease that physically and emotionally affects 25 million American women annually [1]. There are currently several treatments for SUI including surgery, Kegel exercises, and electrical stimulation, each accompanied by limited effectiveness and/or complications [2–3]. We believe that regenerative medicine techniques applied to the native urethra may aid in improving the function and support of the diseased urethra. Thus, we have begun the development of a tissue engineered urethral wrap (TEUW) for placement as a cuff around the native urethra and integration with the host tissue. The goal of this work was to determine optimized culture conditions for TEUWs and to determine if their use in vivo improves urethral function.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Using Computer Spreadhseets for Instruction in Cost Control Curriculum At the Undergraduate Level

This paper discusses how the instructional use of spreadsheets can help focus student attention on the influence of cost control variables and provide increased practice opportunities for students learning cost control concepts. Discussion addresses the question of whether any instructional improvements would justify increased use of computer spreadsheets for teaching content in undergraduate cost control courses.
Molecular basis of Canavan disease.

Canavan disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by spongy degeneration of the white matter of the brain. The brain pathology of the disease was described by Canavan in 1931 in a child thought to have Schilder’s disease.’ In 1949, van Bogaert and Bertrand in their report of three children of Jewish extraction with Canavan disease, recognized that this was a new autosomal recessive disease.* Since then, numerous cases have been reported with prevalence among Jewish individuals.3 The enzyme defect in Canavan disease, aspartoacylase deficiency, was identified by Matalon et al. in 1988.4 The gene for aspartoacylase was cloned in 1993 and mutations causing Canavan disease have since been identified.w Interestingly, only two mutations were found to be the basis for Canavan disease among 98% of individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, while the molecular basis of Canavan disease among non-Jewish individuals is caused by a wide range. of mutations. Therefore, because of the limited number of mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish people, screening programmes to identify carriers can be performed on this population.
A Method to Assess a Fuzzy-Based Mechanism to Improve Military Decision Support

Tremendous amounts and types of information are available on today's battlefields. Military intelligence analysts are responsible for sifting through this information and providing commanders with the appropriate portion that is accurate, timely, and relevant to their particular mission characteristics. There is no doubt that analysts would benefit from automated tools to help them quickly identify which information is of "value" in a given context. The research discussed in this paper proposes a method for assessing the impacts of a fuzzy-based military decision support system.
Development and weighting of a life cycle assessment screening model

Nearly all life cycle assessment tools available today are high priced, comprehensive and quantitative models requiring a significant amount of data collection and data input. In addition, most of the available software packages require a great deal of training time to learn how to operate the model software. Even after this time investment, results are not guaranteed because of the number of estimations and assumptions often necessary to run the model. As a result, product development, design teams and environmental specialists need a simplified tool that will allow for the qualitative evaluation and "screening" of various design options. This paper presents the development and design of a generic, qualitative life cycle screening model and demonstrates its applicability and ease of use. The model uses qualitative environmental, health and safety factors, based on site or product-specific issues, to sensitize the overall results for a given set of conditions. The paper also evaluates the impact of different population input ranking values on model output. The final analysis is based on site or product-specific variables. The user can then evaluate various design changes and the apparent impact or improvement on the environment, health and safety, compliance cost and overall corporate liability. Major input parameters can be varied, and factors such as materials use, pollution prevention, waste minimization, worker safety, product life, environmental impacts, return of investment, and recycle are evaluated. The flexibility of the model format will be discussed in order to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness within nearly any industry sector. Finally, an example using audience input value scores will be compared to other population input results.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Desferrioxamine inhibits protein tyrosine nitration: Mechanisms and implications

Tissues are exposed to exogenous and endogenous nitrogen dioxide ((·)NO(2)), which is the terminal agent in protein tyrosine nitration. Besides iron chelation, the hydroxamic acid (HA) desferrioxamine (DFO) shows multiple functionalities including nitration inhibition. To investigate mechanisms whereby DFO affects 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) formation, we utilized gas-phase (·)NO(2) exposures, to limit introduction of other reactive species, and a lung surface model wherein red cell membranes (RCM) were immobilized under a defined aqueous film. When RCM were exposed to ()NO(2) covered by +/- DFO: (i) DFO inhibited 3-NT formation more effectively than other HA and non-HA chelators; (ii) 3-NT inhibition occurred at very low[DFO] for prolonged times; and (iii) 3-NT formation was iron independent but inhibition required DFO present. DFO poorly reacted with (·)NO(2) compared to ascorbate, assessed via (·)NO(2) reactive absorption and aqueous-phase oxidation rates, yet limited 3-NT formation at far lower concentrations. DFO also inhibited nitration under aqueous bulk-phase conditions, and inhibited 3-NT generated by active myeloperoxidase "bound" to RCM. Per the above and kinetic analyses suggesting preferential DFO versus (·)NO(2) reaction within membranes, we conclude that DFO inhibits 3-NT formation predominantly by facile repair of the tyrosyl radical intermediate, which prevents (·)NO(2) addition, and thus nitration, and potentially influences biochemical functionalities.