cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resonance method of measuring internal friction in refractory materials

A method was developed for determining the internal friction (attenuation coefficient) in refractory materials at room temperature, based on measuring the width of the resonance curve of forced oscillations. Information is obtained for the first time on the amplitude-independent attenuation coefficient of basic, aluminosilicate, and dinas refractories produced by industry.
Stalking in college student dating relationships: a descriptive investigation

Violence in college student dating relationships is a prevalent problem. However, little research has examined stalking, behaviors that have most commonly been examined after relationship termination, not within intact relationships. The purpose of the present study was to descriptively examine the prevalence and frequency of various stalking behaviors among male and female college students in a current dating relationship (N = 650). Results demonstrated that the prevalence of some stalking behaviors were as high as 38 % in the previous 6 months. Additionally, out of 15 potential stalking behaviors, men and women only differed on the frequency of one stalking behavior (leaving unwanted items for a partner). Findings demonstrate that stalking behaviors are relatively common among college students in dating relationships.
Charge-consistent redefinition of Fock integrals

Abstract The Fock integrals in the Hartree–Fock (HF) theory have been redefined such that every orbital pair density of an electron appearing in the conventional definition is replaced by a net neutral density that is the sum of the orbital pair density and an appropriate portion of the nuclear charge density. These charge-consistent Fock integrals in the canonical HF orbitals are shown to differ from the conventional ones only in the diagonal elements and by merely a constant, thus not altering the HF energy, orbitals, correlation energies, etc. They are shown numerically to converge much more rapidly with respect to the number of unit cells included in the lattice sums for one-dimensional solids because they contain no charge-multipole interactions in their definition unlike the conventional Fock integrals. The multipole expansion of the long-range lattice sums in the charge-consistent Fock integrals is also formulated and implemented for one-dimensional solids.
Anxiety sensitivity: Unitary personality trait or domain-specific appraisals?

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) measures a unitary personality variable. College students ( N = 840) were administered the ASI along with a questionnaire assessing panic and anxiety symptomatology. The ASI demonstrated adequate internal reliability (α = .82) and showed modest discrimination on two of three anxiety disorder indices (i.e., anxiety medication usage and panic history). Results of a principal components analysis with varimax rotation revealed a four-factor solution which explained 53.5% of the total variance. Our findings seriously challenge previous claims that the ASI measures a single factor. Rather, our data suggest that the ASI measures several loosely-related cognitive appraisal domains concerned with the anticipated negative consequences of anxiety. The four factors that emerged from our analysis were (a) concern about physical sensations, (b) concern about mental/cognitive incapacitation, (c) concern about loss of control, and (d) concern about heart/lung failure. It is concluded that the ASI is a convenient and reliable instrument for assessing perceived physical consequences of anxiety but that the instrument is lacking in its coverage of anxiety consequences related to social concerns. Implications of the findings for treatment are discussed.
A new proposal for polymer dynamics in steady shearing flows

Beginning with a recently proposed expression for the drag force on a single macromolecule pulled with constant velocity through a fluid of long-entangled molecules (V. R. Mhetar and L. A. Archer, Macromolecules 1998, 31, 6639), we investigate the effect of entanglement loss on polymer dynamics in steady shearing flows. At steady-state, a balance between the elastic restoring force and viscous drag acting on entangled polymer segments reveals a critical molecular strain γm,c beyond which the drag force exerted on polymer molecules by their neighbors is insufficient to support arbitrarily small orientation angles. Specifically, we find that in fast steady shear flows τ < γ˙ < τ, polymer orientation in the shear plane approaches a limiting angle χc ≈ atau(1/(1 + γm,c)) beyond which flow becomes incapable of producing further molecular alignment. Shear flow experiments using a series of concentrated polystyrene/diethyl phthalate solutions with fixed entanglement spacing, but variable polymer molecular weight 0.94 × 106 ≤ Mw ≤ 5.48 × 106, reveal a limiting steady-state orientation angle between 6° and 9° over a range of shear rates; confirming the theoretical result. Orientation angle undershoots observed during start-up of fast steady shearing flows are also explained in terms of a transient imbalance of elastic restoring force and viscous drag on oriented polymer molecules. Our findings suggest that the Doi–Edwards affine orientation tensor (Q) is not universal, but rather depends on deformation type and deformation history through a balance of elastic force and viscous drag on polymer molecules. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 222–233, 2000
Ferromagnetism in the RhGd and PtGd systems

Rhodium and platinum have been studied with up to 33% additions of gadolinium. The magnetic properties of the constituents in the layers of a eutectic structure are different from the bulk properties of the constituents. The compound GdPt5 orders ferromagnetically at 13.9 K.
Boulding's typology elaborated: A framework for understanding school and classroom systems

The scope of current educational reform themes is wide. Power is shifted from central governments to local, from administrative office to school site, from principal to teachers, from teacher to students. This is hopeful because traditional reform efforts have been counterproductive. These new themes parallel a worldwide paradigm shift from viewing relationships as monocausal and top-down regulating to interactive and self-regulating. The new themes are also problematic because resulting reform efforts are conflicting, proposing either control or flexibility, which increases harmful out-comes. This paper elaborates Boulding's typology of system complexity drawing from education and related disciplines. The elaboration unifies conflicting perspectives and explains why school reforms fail. Agency in change is clarified. The change model that results highlights system adjustment capacities and specifies both control and flexibility: control of morphostatic subsystems for maintaining access to resources of time, materials, equipment, and energy; and flexibility in morphogenic subsystems for learning, growth, and differentiation.
Effects of Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Accumulation on Calvarial Osteoblast Differentiation

Statins, drugs commonly used to lower serum cholesterol, have been shown to stimulate osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Statins inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), the first step of the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway, leading to the depletion of the isoprenoids farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). The effects of statins on bone have previously been attributed to the depletion of GGPP, because the addition of exogenous GGPP prevented statin-stimulated osteoblast differentiation in vitro. However, in a recent report, we demonstrated that the specific depletion of GGPP did not stimulate but, in fact, inhibited osteoblast differentiation. This led us to hypothesize that isoprenoids upstream of GGPP play a role in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation. We demonstrate here that the expression of HMGCR and FPP synthase decreased during primary calvarial osteoblast differentiation, correlating with decreased FPP and GGPP levels during differentiation. Zaragozic acid (ZGA) inhibits the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway enzyme squalene synthase, leading to an accumulation of the squalene synthase substrate FPP. ZGA treatment of calvarial osteoblasts led to a significant increase in intracellular FPP and resulted in inhibition of osteoblast differentiation as measured by osteoblastic gene expression, alkaline phosphatase activity, and matrix mineralization. Simultaneous HMGCR inhibition prevented the accumulation of FPP and restored osteoblast differentiation. In contrast, specifically inhibiting GGPPS to lower the ZGA-induced increase in GGPP did not restore osteoblast differentiation. The specificity of HMGCR inhibition to restore osteoblast differentiation of ZGA-treated cultures through the reduction in isoprenoid accumulation was confirmed with the addition of exogenous mevalonate. Similar to ZGA treatment, exogenous FPP inhibited the mineralization of primary calvarial osteoblasts. Interestingly, the effects of FPP accumulation on osteoblasts were found to be independent of protein farnesylation. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that the accumulation of FPP impairs osteoblast differentiation and suggests that the depletion of this isoprenoid may be necessary for normal and statin-induced bone formation.
Enumeration of Connected Invariant Graphs

Let h be a finite group acting on unlabeled graphs which does not change connectivity. Examples include edge reversal in directed graphs and permutations of colors in edge and/or vertex colored graphs. The generating functions of h-invariant (directed) graphs and h-invariant (weakly) connected (directed) graphs are discussed. This leads to a recursive formula for calculating the number of connected graphs when the total number of graphs is known. This is then applied to self-dual signed graphs, self-converse digraphs, and color cyclic graphs. Asymptotic expansions are also obtained. As expected, almost all of the above h-invariant graphs are connected and the asymptotic number of disconnected graphs has a simple interpretation.
Epoxy-lignin polyblends. Part II. Adhesive behavior and weathering

A bisphenol-A based epoxy polymer adhesive was modified by polyblending with Kraft lignin. Lignin, with amounts between 10 and 20% by weight, improved the adhesive tensile strength of the epoxy polymer system. However, polyblending with 5-20% lignin had little effect on the adhesive shear strength (by tension loading) or the weatherability of the epoxy system. A significant improvement of the adhesive strength in shear of both the epoxy systems and the epoxy-lignin polyblends was produced after a post-curing process (4 h at 75°C). The temperature dependence of the polyblends' adhesive joint strength is typical of epoxy polymer adhesives.
Effects of a Fertilizer Subsidy on Brazilian Crop Production and Exports

Wheat is one of Brazil's principal imports, exceeded in value in recent years only by petroleum. On the other hand, soybeans have become a major export, increasing from 1.3% of total exports in 1968 to 17.6% in 1977 (Banco do Brasil 1972 and 1977). Increased domestic production of either commodity could have salutary effects on the Brazilian economy. Any such increases would be the aggregate result of independent choices made by individual farmers, presumably acting in their own self-interest within the context of government price policy. Roughly half of Brazil's soybeans and wheat are produced in the southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul. Rio Grande do Sul's share has fallen recently as production by its neighboring state, Parana, expanded. Between 1966 and 1978, soybean production in Rio Grande do Sul increased 10.5 times, wheat production 2.5 times (Fundacao IBGE 1969 and 1979). Most of these increases came from increases in planted area, although yields also increased. The area of soybeans increased by 620%, the area of wheat by 144%; soybean yields increased by 46%, wheat yields by 2%. These increases in domestic production occurred despite an overvalued cruzeiro during much of the period.' Wheat and soybean yields can be increased, in the short run mainly by heavier fertilization, but the area planted can be expanded only at the expense of other crops or livestock. This paper examines the effects of alternative fertilizer prices on the production of soybeans and wheat in two counties of RioGrande do Sul. The alternative fertilizer prices are presumed to arise from a subsidy-taxation scheme administered by the Brazilian government. Soybean and wheat production at the various fertilizer prices are estimated for each of several representative farms assuming that Brazilian farmers are risk averse. These representative-farm results are expanded to aggregate production estimates for the two counties. The aggregate production estimates were the original goal of this study, but they appear to have implications both for Brazil's domestic agricultural policy and for its foreign exchange position, and some of these implications are discussed later.
Phylogenetic Analysis of the Kinesin Superfamily from Physcomitrella

Kinesins are an ancient superfamily of microtubule dependent motors. They participate in an ex-tensive and diverse list of essential cellular functions, including mitosis, cytokinesis, cell polari-zation, cell elongation, flagellar development, and intracellular transport. Based on phylogenetic relationships, the kinesin superfamily has been subdivided into 14 families, which are represented in most eukaryotic phyla. The functions of these families are sometimes conserved between species, but important variations in function across species have been observed. Plants possess most kinesin families including a few plant-specific families. With the availability of an ever in-creasing number of genome sequences from plants, it is important to document the complete complement of kinesins present in a given organism. This will help develop a molecular frame-work to explore the function of each family using genetics, biochemistry and cell biology. The moss Physcomitrella patens has emerged as a powerful model organism to study gene function in plants, which makes it a key candidate to explore complex gene families, such as the kinesin superfamily. Here we report a detailed phylogenetic characterization of the 71 kinesins of the kinesin superfamily in Physcomitrella. We found a remarkable conservation of families and sub-family classes with Arabidopsis, which is important for future comparative analysis of function. Some of the families, such as kinesins 14s are composed of fewer members in moss, while other families, such as the kinesin 12s are greatly expanded. To improve the comparison between spe-cies, and to simplify communication between research groups, we propose a classification of subfamilies based on our phylogenetic analysis.
A gene expression predictor of response to EGFR-targeted therapy stratifies progression-free survival to cetuximab in KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer

Background The anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab is used in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), and predicting responsive patients garners great interest, due to the high cost of therapy. Mutations in the KRAS gene occur in ~40% of CRC and are a negative predictor of response to cetuximab. However, many KRAS-wildtype patients do not benefit from cetuximab. We previously published a gene expression predictor of sensitivity to erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor. The purpose of this study was to determine if this predictor could identify KRAS-wildtype CRC patients who will benefit from cetuximab therapy.
A Soft Error Tolerant Network-on-Chip Router Pipeline for Multi-Core Systems

Network-on-Chip (NoC) paradigm is rapidly evolving into an efficient interconnection network to handle the strict communication requirements between the increasing number of cores on a single chip. Diminishing transistor size is making the NoC increasingly vulnerable to both hard faults and soft errors. This paper concentrates on soft errors in NoCs. A soft error in an NoC router results in significant consequences such as data corruption, packet retransmission and deadlock among others. To this end, we propose S oft Error T olerant N oC R outer (STNR) architecture, that is capable of detecting and recovering from soft errors occurring in different control stages of the routing pipeline. STNR exploits the use of idle cycles inherent in NoC packet routing pipeline to perform time redundant executions necessary for soft error tolerance. In doing so, STNR is able to detect and correct all single transient faults in the control stages of the pipeline. Simulation results using PARSEC and SPLASH-2 benchmarks show that STNR is able to accomplish such high level of soft error protection with a minimal impact on latency (an increase of 1.7 and 1.6 percent respectively). Additionally, STNR incurs an area overhead of 7 percent and power overhead of 13 percent as compared to the baseline unprotected router.
Women and Mental Health: Augmenting Undergraduates' Knowledge and Critical Thinking

This article describes a course that introduces undergraduates to important information about women. This course prepares students to articulate controversies related to culture and women's mental health and provides a background for a more gender-balanced view of psychology. Cultural factors that influence mental health and treatment for women are explored in relation to specific mental health topics, such as eating disorders, self-esteem, sexual assault, depression, sex bias in diagnosis, and feminist therapy. Pretest and posttest scores collected on a 25-item true-false measure of relevant information showed a significant gain in knowledge.
A Shiftrix for High-Speed Multiplication

The concept of the shiftrix matrix is due to Dr. G. Estrin [1] of the UCLA Department of Engineering. In broad terms the shiftrix is a device for speeding up the multiplication operation in computers by making use of complete parallelism in the shifting operation to reduce the total shifting time to a negligible value. A similar device to accomplish the same purpose has been devised by Richards [2].
WebSphere portal: unified user access to content, applications and services

Portals provide end users with unified access to content, applications, and collaboration services in a highly personalized manner. WebSphere Portal provides a middleware framework and tools for building and managing portals using component applications called portlets. In this paper we provide an overview of WebSphere Portal and describe its role in modern information technology systems. We describe its highlevel architecture and main features, we detail some of its advanced features, and we outline directions for its future development.
Myth and reality: A cyclic convergence

Martin, Calvin, ed. The American Indian and the Problem of History. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987. xiv + 232 pp. including cumulative bibliography. $24.95 cloth, $9.95 paper. Bailey, Garrick, and Roberta Glenn Bailey. A History of the Navajos: The Reservation Years. Santa Fe, New Mexico: School of American Research Press, 1986. xx + 360 pp. including photographs, tables, appendices, chapter notes, bibliography, and index. No price.
Time-dependent fluctuations and the giant dipole resonance in hot nuclei: Solvable models

Abstract A recent macroscopic theory of time-dependent shape fluctuations in hot nuclei and their effects on the giant dipole resonance is investigated in the context of solvable models with one quadrupole shape degree of freedom. Using the framework of the Landau theory of shape transitions, both the quadrupole shape and the giant dipole degrees of freedom are described by a coupled set of stochastic equations. Two solvable models for which the dipole correlation function is found in closed form are discussed; one for a spherical nucleus and one for a deformed nucleus. The adiabatic and sudden limits of the models are examined. The latter limit is shown to produce a phenomenon known as motional narrowing. For the more general cases we introduce Monte Carlo techniques and test them against the solvable models.
Tumor cells switch to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation under radiation via mTOR-mediated hexokinase II inhibition--a Warburg-reversing effect.

A unique feature of cancer cells is to convert glucose into lactate to produce cellular energy, even under the presence of oxygen. Called aerobic glycolysis [The Warburg Effect] it has been extensively studied and the concept of aerobic glycolysis in tumor cells is generally accepted. However, it is not clear if aerobic glycolysis in tumor cells is fixed, or can be reversed, especially under therapeutic stress conditions. Here, we report that mTOR, a critical regulator in cell proliferation, can be relocated to mitochondria, and as a result, enhances oxidative phosphorylation and reduces glycolysis. Three tumor cell lines (breast cancer MCF-7, colon cancer HCT116 and glioblastoma U87) showed a quick relocation of mTOR to mitochondria after irradiation with a single dose 5 Gy, which was companied with decreased lactate production, increased mitochondrial ATP generation and oxygen consumption. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin blocked radiation-induced mTOR mitochondrial relocation and the shift of glycolysis to mitochondrial respiration, and reduced the clonogenic survival. In irradiated cells, mTOR formed a complex with Hexokinase II [HK II], a key mitochondrial protein in regulation of glycolysis, causing reduced HK II enzymatic activity. These results support a novel mechanism by which tumor cells can quickly adapt to genotoxic conditions via mTOR-mediated reprogramming of bioenergetics from predominantly aerobic glycolysis to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Such a “waking-up” pathway for mitochondrial bioenergetics demonstrates a flexible feature in the energy metabolism of cancer cells, and may be required for additional cellular energy consumption for damage repair and survival. Thus, the reversible cellular energy metabolisms should be considered in blocking tumor metabolism and may be targeted to sensitize them in anti-cancer therapy.
Modeling of Piezoelectric Response in PVDF for Monitoring of Mechanical Bending in Hinges

Monitoring of bending of hinges is very important to predict the motion of mechanical devices. Piezoelectric based monitoring systems have been utilized to detect the degree of motion and deflection. In order to apply piezoelectric layers on hinges, flexible materials have to be used. Subsequently, polymer materials attracted attention in connection with monitoring of large deflections. In this paper, feasibility of using PolyVinylidine DiFluoride (PVDF) layers to detect bending of a hinge was investigated based on finite element analysis (FEA). A device was designed by placing a PVDF layer on a hinge which can bend 90 degree from the straight position was constructed. Two possibilities of PVDF attachment were investigated: (i) uniformly bonded PVDF along the arms and (ii) attachment of PVDF at the end point of the arms. The effect of bending in different directions on piezoelectric voltage was also evaluated to check the possible noise levels on induced voltages. It was found that PVDF piezoelectric layers can be effectively used in detection of degree of bending and deflection of mechanical components. The voltage generated by PVDF films attached at end points is five times higher than the voltage generated by the uniformly bonded PVDF films indicating that the unbounded PVDF is more sensitive.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Concepts in Electromagnetic Scattering for Particulate-Systems Characterization

Abstract : This Special Issue was inspired by the workshop Concepts in Electromagnetic Scattering for Particulate-Systems Characterization that was held in Memphis, TN in May, 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together experts in the field of electromagnetic scattering to discuss questions related to basic science research aimed at the characterization of particulate media. Cutting-edge research in both theoretical and experimental contexts was sought. The overarching goal of the workshop was to identify the avenues of research that would be most promising to advance the state-of-the-art through coordinated, interdisciplinary research efforts. In all, 20 scientists attended and 19 presentations were given. Specific topics included remote sensing, polarimetry, analytic and numeric electromagnetic theory, camouflage in nature, wavefront shaping, optical binding, single-particle fluorescence cavity ringdown, and digital holography of aerosols.
Electronic structure study of hydrogen-bonded water clusters and linear-chain ice crystal using a modified mndo

Abstract A revised version of MNDO is employed particularly for the treatment of hydrogen-bonded water clusters and linear-chain ice. The computed results of the average hydrogen-bond energies and the first ionization energies for large water clusters and ice are found to correlate well with observation. In addition, using the tight-binding crystal orbital method of LCAO, the band structure of the linear-chain ice is reported.
The antihypertensive effect of acute intracerebroventricular administration of captopril in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

The ability of centrally administered angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to lower mean arterial pressure (MAP) has been demonstrated in numerous animal models of hypertension. In the present study, we assessed the effect of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of the ACE inhibitor captopril (10 micrograms) on MAP in conscious, freely moving hypertensive inbred Dahl salt-sensitive (DS/JR) rats and their normotensive control inbred Dahl salt-resistant (DP/JR) rats. Both DS/JR and DR/JR rats were maintained on an 8% salt diet from 4 weeks of age until experimentation at 7-8 weeks of age, at which time DS/JR pressures were significantly elevated as compared to DR/JR rats (185 +/- 6 vs. 99 +/- 2 mm Hg, respectively). Following i.c.v. administration of captopril, a significant depressor response lasting for several hours was observed in DS/JR rats, with a maximum reduction of 17.6 +/- 4.1 mm Hg. The same treatment had no effect on the MAP of DR/JR rats. Mean arterial pressures in both groups were not significantly affected by i.c.v. administration of vehicle alone or by intravenous (i.v.) administration of 100 micrograms of captopril. These findings indicate that i.c.v. captopril lowers MAP in hypertensive DS/JR rats. Further studies will be necessary to elucidate the mechanism of this antihypertensive effect.
Biotypes of Edovum puttleri (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): responses to developing eggs of the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

As eggs of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), age, they become less subject to parasitization and less suitable for development by the eulophid Edovum puttleri Grissell. Both biotypes tested (one from Colombia, South America; the other from Mexico) oviposited less frequently and produced smaller offspring in progressively older hosts (1–5 d old). Survival of both biotypes was higher in young (1–2 d old) than in old (3–4 d old) hosts. Compared with the Mexican biotype, females of the Colombian biotype oviposited more readily in old hosts, and a few parasitoids completed development in fully developed host eggs. In the Mexican biotype the proportion of females ranged between 82 and 91% and was unaffected by host age. The Colombian biotype produced a larger proportion of males in older hosts. Egg mortality attributable to host feeding was not dissimilar (68–79%) for the two biotypes, regardless of host age.
Laboratory tests of a motorized snow surface hardness gage

Abstract A motor-driven, spherical probe controlled by a handheld calculator and a microprocessor developed to measure the force and probe travel distance needed to break individual snow surface elements was tested for consistency and reliability. Consistency tests were run on automatic pencil leads; reliability tests on ice rods. Both proved satisfactory. Tests on two man-made snow surfaces showed the probe capable of measuring the strength of individual snow surface elements. Brittle failure occurred in such elements at loads varying from 0.200 to 174.631 grams (median 11.560 grams) for 118 samples. Probe travel distance varied from 0.003 to 0.099 mm (median 0.017 mm). The load needed to cause the first break was less than 1 gram for 21 (18%) of the samples.
Structural Elucidation of the Illustrious Tebbe Reagent

The Tebbe reagent, [Cp2Ti(μ2-Cl)(μ2-CH2)AlMe2] (1), has finally been structurally characterized due to the fortuitous formation of cocrystals of 1 and [Cp2Ti(μ2-Cl)2AlMe2] (2). Single crystals of 1 and 2, despite being extremely reactive and forming an amorphous white coat, can be mounted and data collected to high resolution, thereby providing for the first time a solid-state representation of a titanium methylidene adduct with diphilic AlClMe2.
Factors Causing Environmental Changes After an Oil Spill

The paper discusses the nine most important factors that individually and in combined interaction result in different changes after different oil spills. The factors are--the type of oil spilled; the dose of oil, the physiography of the area of the spill; weather conditions at the time of the spill; the biota of the area; the season of the spill; previous exposure of the area to oil; exposure to other pollutants; and the treatment of the spill.
Preliminary study of the flora in the lower genital tracts of sexually active adolescent females in relation to symptoms and inflammatory response

The lower genital tracts of 20 sexually active adolescent females were examined for the presence of Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Corynebacterium genitalium , and Corynebacterium pseudogenitalium . Fifty percent of the asymptomatic adolescent females and 50% of the symptomatic adolescent females were colonized with M. hominis , which is higher than the percentage reported in adult females. None of the asymptomatic adolescent females and only 10% of the symptomatic adolescent females were colonized with U. urealyticum , which is much lower than the percentage reported in adults. None of the study patients was colonized with C. genitalium , but 25% were colonized with C. pseudogenitalium . No relationship was found between the presence of M. hominis in the lower genital tract and a clinically identifiable vaginal discharge or inflammatory changes in exfoliated cervical and vaginal epithelial cells. The presence of M. hominis in the lower genital tract does not appear to be influenced by use of oral contraceptives or antecedent pregnancy.
A role for microRNA-155 modulation in the anti-HIV-1 effects of Toll-like receptor 3 stimulation in macrophages.

HIV-1 infection of macrophages plays a key role in viral pathogenesis and progression to AIDS. Polyinosine-polycytidylic acid (poly(I∶C); a synthetic analog of dsRNA) and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the ligands for Toll-like receptors (TLR) TLR3 and TLR4, respectively, are known to decrease HIV-1 infection in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), but the mechanism(s) are incompletely understood. We found that poly(I∶C)- and LPS-stimulation of MDMs abrogated infection by CCR5-using, macrophage-tropic HIV-1, and by vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein-pseudotyped HIV-1 virions, while TLR2, TLR7 or TLR9 agonists only partially reduced infection to varying extent. Suppression of infection, or lack thereof, did not correlate with differential effects on CD4 or CCR5 expression, type I interferon induction, or production of pro-inflammatory cytokines or β-chemokines. Integrated pro-viruses were readily detected in unstimulated, TLR7- and TLR9-stimulated cells, but not in TLR3- or TLR4-stimulated MDMs, suggesting the alteration of post-entry, pre-integration event(s). Using microarray analysis and quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, we found increased microRNA (miR)-155 levels in MDMs upon TLR3/4- but not TLR7-stimulation, and a miR-155 specific inhibitor (but not a scrambled control) partially restored infectivity in poly(I∶C)-stimulated MDMs. Ectopic miR-155 expression remarkably diminished HIV-1 infection in primary MDMs and cell lines. Furthermore, poly(I∶C)-stimulation and ectopic miR-155 expression did not alter detection of early viral RT products, but both resulted in an accumulation of late RT products and in undetectable or extremely low levels of integrated pro-viruses and 2-LTR circles. Reduced mRNA and protein levels of several HIV-1 dependency factors involved in trafficking and/or nuclear import of pre-integration complexes (ADAM10, TNPO3, Nup153, LEDGF/p75) were found in poly(I∶C)-stimulated and miR-155-transfected MDMs, and a reporter assay suggested they are authentic miR-155 targets. Our findings provide evidence that miR-155 exerts an anti-HIV-1 effect by targeting several HIV-1 dependency factors involved in post-entry, pre-integration events, leading to severely diminished HIV-1 infection.
Amorphous silicon thin film transistor image sensors

Amorphous silicon thin film transistors (TFT) are the underlying technology for flat panel displays and medical X-ray imaging. We describe some recent developments in TFT technology for high performance detectors and flexible image sensors. X-ray detectors with high gain now make it possible to detect the ionization tracks of individual X-rays and provide a new approach to neutron imaging. Development of the amorphous silicon deposition process makes it possible to fabricate image sensor arrays on plastic substrates.
Integrins regulate survival of pre-B-ALL cells through differential IAP and caspase-7 ubiquitination and degradation

The interactions between integrins and their ligands rescue normal and neoplastic B cells from apoptosis in several ways. The first we have found that integrin stimulation enhances the amount of antiapoptotic proteins from the IAP family members. Second, to further control the levels of these proteins, integrins regulate their proteasomal degradation by controlling their level of ubiquitination. Indeed, the understanding of the well-defined mechanisms controlling apoptosis might provide future therapeutic strategies to modulate the survival of neoplastic B cells.
The effect of fibrinogen sialic acid residues on ex vivo platelet deposition on biomaterials

The effect of fibrinogen sialic acid residues on platelet deposition onto polymer surfaces was examined using a canine ex vivo shunt model. To test the hypothesis that desialylated fibrinogen may enhance platelet deposition when precoated on biomaterials, canine fibrinogen was desialylated and precoated on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shunts. When protein-coated PVC shunts were exposed to flowing whole blood, both the native and the desialylated fibrinogen elicited the same profile of platelet deposition. This study indicates that platelet deposition and thrombus formation on biomaterial surfaces is not mediated by a mechanism which involves the sialic acid residues of fibrinogen.
Isotropic media and the simplified vector Preisach model

This paper addresses an orientation error discovered when the simplified vector Preisach model (SVPM) was applied to an isotropic medium. For a smoothly rotating field, the magnetization of an isotropic medium should rotate smoothly. Instead, the SVPM predicts a ratcheting motion. A correction for this problem is suggested.
Quantitative risk assessment of Cryptosporidium species infection in dairy calves.

Abstract Cryptosporidium parvum is a zoonotic protozoan that infects many different mammals including cattle and humans. Cryptosporidiosis has become a concern for dairy producers because of the direct losses due to calves not performing well and the potential for environmental contamination with C. parvum . Identifying modifiable control points in the dynamics of infection in dairy herds will help identify management strategies that mitigate its risk. The quantitative risk assessment approach provides estimates of the risk associated with these factors so that cost-effective strategies can be implemented. Using published data from epidemiologic studies and a stochastic approach, we modeled the risk that C. parvum presents to dairy calves in 2 geographic areas: 1) the New York City Watershed (NYCW) in southeastern New York, and 2) the entire United States. The approach focused on 2 possible areas of exposure—the rearing environment and the maternity environment. In addition, we evaluated the contribution of many risk factors (e.g., age, housing, flies) to the end-state (i.e., total) risk to identify areas of intervention to decrease the risk to dairy calves. Expected risks from C. parvum in US dairy herds in rearing and maternity environments were 41.7 and 33.9%, respectively. In the NYCW, the expected risks from C. parvum in the rearing and maternity environments were 0.36 and 0.33%, respectively. In the US scenarios, the immediate environment contributed most of the risk to calves, whereas in the NYCW scenario, it was new calf infection. Therefore, within the NYCW, risk management activities may be focused on preventing new calf infections, whereas in the general US population, cleaning of calf housing would be a good choice for resource allocation. Despite the many assumptions inherent with modeling techniques, its usefulness to quantify the likelihood of risk and identify risk management areas is illustrated.
Effects of vagal tone on resuscitation from experimental electromechanical dissociation.

Study objective: To determine if complete loss of vagal tone improves the return of spontaneous circulation rate in a canine model of electromechanical dissociation cardiac arrest. Design: Prospective, controlled laboratory investigation using an asphyxial canine cardiac arrest model randomized to receive bilateral cervical vagotomy or no vagotomy. Interventions: After the production of asphyxial electromechanical dissociation arrest, 16 mongrel dogs remained in untreated electromechanical dissociation for ten minutes and then were randomized to receive bilateral cervical vagotomy or no vagotomy. All animals received standard external CPR and epinephrine (0.02 mg/kg every five minutes) throughout resuscitation. Measurements and main results: Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 13% (one of eight) of no vagotomy and 75% (six of eight) of vagotomy animals ( P = .02). Survival to one hour was achieved in 100% (one of one) of no vagotomy and 83% (five of six) of vagotomy animals ( P = NS). The hemodynamic and arterial blood gas values at five, ten, and 15 minutes into resuscitation were not significantly different between groups. Conclusion: In this canine model of asphyxial electromechanical dissociation cardiac arrest, surgical vagotomy and complete loss of vagal tone improved the rate of return of spontaneous circulation.
Atomic layer deposition of epitaxial ZrO2 coating on LiMn2O4 nanoparticles for high-rate lithium ion batteries at elevated temperature

Abstract Epitaxial ZrO2 coating on LiMn2O4 nanoparticles using atomic layer deposition (ALD) shows high conformality, uniformity and precise thickness control at atomic scale. The thickness of ZrO2 coating can be precisely tailored at 2 A per ALD cycle. Cycling performance of ZrO2 ALD-modified LiMn2O4 cathode material is optimized by tuning the coating thickness via varying ALD growth cycles. The optimal thickness of ZrO2 coating for maximized electrochemical performance of LiMn2O4 is ∼1.2 nm grown via 6 ZrO2 ALD layers. LiMn2O4 nanoparticles coated with 6 ZrO2 ALD layers deliver a very high initial discharge capacity of 136.0 mAh/g at 1C at 55 °C, significantly higher than that of bare LiMn2O4 (124.1 mAh/g). The effect of ZrO2 ALD coating on improving capacity retention of LiMn2O4 is even more distinct at high charge/discharge rate at elevated temperature. LiMn2O4 nanoparticles coated with 6 ZrO2 ALD layers after heat treatment retain a discharge capacity of 90.3 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 5C at 55 °C, while bare LiMn2O4 nanoparticles exhibit a final capacity of 58.8 mAh/g. ZrO2-ALD-modified LiMn2O4 nanoparticles show significantly improved specific capacity and enhanced cycleability at high rate at elevated temperature due to the protective effect of ultrathin and high-quality ALD surface coatings.
Long-term planning on a corn-soybean farm: A dynamic programming analysis

Abstract A dynamic programming model was used to develop an optimal long-run farm plan for a representative corn and soybean farm. Results indicate that under the new triple-base provisions of the 1990 Farm Bill, planting soybeans on a portion of the corn base is an attractive alternative when the profitability of corn and soybeans are about equal. Contrary to expectations, the triple-base provision may result in fewer soybean acres planted under certain price conditions.
Semi-constitutive expression of an Arabidopsis thaliana α-tubulin gene

In Arabidopsis tissues, the pool of tubulin protein is provided by the expression of multiple α-tubulin and β-tubulin genes. Previous evidence suggested that the TUA2 α-tubulin gene was expressed in all organs of mature plants. We now report a more detailed analysis of TUA2 expression during plant development. Chimeric genes containing TUA2 5′-flanking DNA fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) coding region were used to create transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Second-generation progeny of regenerated plants were analyzed by histochemical assay to localize GUS expression. GUS activity was seen throughout plant development and in nearly all tissues. The blue product of GUS activity accumulated to the highest levels in tissues with actively dividing and elongating cells. GUS activity was not detected in a few plant tissues, suggesting that, though widely expressed, the TUA2 promoter is not constitutively active.
NMR Evidence against γ Turn and β Turn Models of Angiotensin II in Aqueous Solution

WE wish to report NMR data refuting both the γ turn and β turn models1 proposed for the conformation of [Asn1, Val5-antiotensin II in aqueous solution. The assignment of all the resolved resonances in the 220 MHz PMR spectrum in D2O to specific hydrogens has recently been published2. By studying the spectra in H2O as a function of pH, the peptide ΝΗ-α-CH coupling constants were determined at acid pH and partially assigned3: (1) 6.5 ± 0.3, Arg-2; (2) 6.0±0.5; (3) 7.2 ± 0.5; (4) 7.3±0.3, Phe-8; (5) 7.9 ± 0.3; and (6) 8.0±0.4. Bleich et al.4 have reported exchange experiments which allow the tentative assignment of the coupling constants (5) and (6) to the two valine residues at positions (3) and (5). Decoupling experiments (J. D. G., J. Dadok and G. R. M., unpublished) of the α protons in the presence of the water resonance have made possible unambiguous assignments of the amide resonances (Table 1).
Ensemble Methods for Binary Classifications of Airborne LIDAR Data

AbstractThis paper presents a framework that is aimed at improving the performance of two existing ensemble methods (namely, AdaBoost and Bagging) for airborne light detection and ranging (LIDAR) c...
Simulation-based mock codes significantly correlate with improved pediatric patient cardiopulmonary arrest survival rates.

Objective:To evaluate the viability and effectiveness of a simulation-based pediatric mock code program on patient outcomes, as well as residents' confidence in performing resuscitations. A resident's leadership ability is integral to accurate and efficient clinical response in the successful manage
The World the Students Made: Agriculture and Education at American Missions in Colonial Zimbabwe, 1930-1960.

The nature of the intellectual advance to be aimed at should be one of which advantage can be taken in the ordinary daily lives of the people, and should be a step forward in a field already familiar to them, rather than a violent tran sition into fields which belong to a different type of civilization. As the life of African peoples is to a preponderating extent agricultural, education should aim at making them better agriculturalists and better able to appreciate all the natural processes with which agriculture is connected.1
Music publishing & collecting: Essays in honor of Donald W. Krummel

Abstract LISR considers for review reference works, dissertations, research methods texts, computer software, and professional literature covering the research process and applications of research. Views expressed are those of the reviewers and do not necessarily reflect views of the Editorial Board or publisher. Anyone wishing to write reviews or suggest titles should contact Debora Shaw at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405 〈shawd@ indiana.edu or shawd@iubacs.bitnet〉. Publishers, likewise, are requested to forward announcements of new and forthcoming titles that may interest LISR readers.
The impact of personality on nurses' bias towards automated decision aid acceptance

In medical environments, it is imperative that patients' needs be assessed quickly and accurately to expedite patient care and flow through the system. One way to accelerate this process is to utilise automated decision aids (ADAs). To increase the rate of ADA acceptance, managers and information system (IS) developers must understand the elements that influence adoption. The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors that impact the adoption of a decision support system in a specific domain - nursing. This study investigates the role that personality plays in nursing information technology acceptance. We conducted an experiment with novice and experienced nurses to assess the role of personality on positive bias toward ADA utilisation. The results of the Myers-Briggs type indicator indicate that there is a significant difference in ADA bias for judging and perceiving personalities. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Rectifying separated nets

In our earlier paper [BuK] (see also McMullen’s paper [M]), we constructed examples of separated nets in the plane R2 which are not biLipschitz equivalent to the integer lattice Z2. These examples gave a negative answer to a question raised by H. Furstenberg and M. Gromov. Furstenberg asked this question in connection with Kakutani equivalence for R2-actions, [F]. Return times for a section of an R2-action form a separated net, and to represent the returns of an R2-action by a Z2-action, one has to have a biLipschitz identification of the return times for each point with Z2 (depending measurably on the point). As was pointed out to us by A. Katok, one can use a standard construction of R2-actions to represent our example as the set of return times for points from a set of positive measure, thus showing that not every section can be used (it is worth mentioning here that an old result of Katok [K] asserts that every R 2-action admits a section whose return times are biLipschitz equivalent to Z2). Gromov’s motivation for the question came from large scale geometry, and the definition of quasi-isometries. Two metric spaces are quasiisometric if they contain biLipschitz equivalent separated nets; hence one would like to know if the choice of separated net matters, and if a given space can contain nets which are not biLipschitz equivalent. This question is particularly interesting for spaces with cocompact isometry groups. The counterexample in [BuK] was based on a counterexample to another question which had been posed by J. Moser and M. Reimann in the 60’s, namely whether every positive continuous function on the plane is locally the Jacobian of a biLipschitz homeomorphism. Using well-known properties of quasi-conformal homeomorphisms, one can actually show that any
A LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF ESTROGEN LEVELS DURING NORMAL PUBERTY IN BOYS AS DETERMINED BY AN ULTRA-SENSITIVE BIOASSAY. † 532A

A LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF ESTROGEN LEVELS DURING NORMAL PUBERTY IN BOYS AS DETERMINED BY AN ULTRA-SENSITIVE BIOASSAY. † 532A