cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ten questions concerning the large-eddy simulation of turbulent flows

In the past 30 years, there has been considerable progress in the development of large-eddy simulation (LES) for turbulent flows, which has been greatly facilitated by the substantial increase in computer power. In this paper, we raise some fundamental questions concerning the conceptual foundations of LES and about the methodologies and protocols used in its application. The 10 questions addressed are stated at the end of the introduction. Several of these questions highlight the importance of recognizing the dependence of LES calculations on the artificial parameter Δ (i.e. the filter width or, more generally, the turbulence resolution length scale). The principle that LES predictions of turbulence statistics should depend minimally on Δ provides an alternative justification for the dynamic procedure.
Experimental study on the short-circuit contribution of induction machines

Induction machines are widely used in industrial facilities as motors and increasingly in distributed generation, particularly in wind turbines. The short-circuit current contributed by induction machines in the first cycle following a fault outside the machine can be significant, and common practices for calculating these currents are well established. However, experimental short-circuit tests described in this paper indicate that conventional steady-state tests used to determine the induction machine parameters do not accurately characterize the short-circuit behavior of the induction machine. Test results for both balanced and unbalanced short-circuit faults applied to a 6.8 kVA, 230 V wound-rotor induction machine are described in this paper, and compared with transient simulations run in PSCAD and short-circuit calculations using conventional techniques. The results indicate that for faults at the machine terminals, leakage flux saturation causes a significantly higher short-circuit current magnitude from the induction machine than would otherwise be expected using a linear model obtained from steady-state tests.
Dying to win: Elections, political violence, and institutional decay in Kenya

Abstract This paper examines the lessons learned from Kenya's 2007 post election violence and what has happened since then. It notes that the root causes of the violence still persist, have not been addressed, and easily could be reignited. Faced with a situation where institutions and the rule of law have been weakened deliberately and where diffused violence is widespread, both Kenya's transition to democracy and the fate of the nation remain vulnerable. The argument here is that the problems faced in holding and managing elections in conflict situations often are not simply technical. Instead, in Kenya and elsewhere, many difficulties are symptomatic of larger political and institutional questions related to democratic change that are more difficult to analyze in causal terms or to address.
Multichip packaging for very-high-speed digital systems

Abstract High-speed computing systems are limited by integrated circuit (IC) packaging technology. For system speed and compactness, IC's should be bonded in close proximity; however, this leads to heat-dissipation problems with conventional packaging. Residual inductance in chip-to-board connections also limits system speed. A packaging technology is being developed for very-high-speed, compact, and rugged computing systems, which is particularly well suited to high-power and high-I/O systems. A complete package consists of IC's bonded to a silicon circuit board (SiCB) which is, in turn, bonded to a microchannel heat-sink. The thin-film, eutectic bond between silicon dice and the SiCB provides intimate thermal and mechanical contact. The SiCB provides speed-of-light interconnect between IC's using SiO 2 as the dielectric and copper metallization. A novel electrochemical metal planarization process is used in applications requiring multiple levels of interconnection on the silicon circuit board. Laser patterning permits chip-to-SiCB interconnect to be fabricated directly on the vertical walls of attached die, which results in higher I/O density and better electrical characteristics than allowed by wire bonding or tape automated bonding (TAB). Incorporation of the microchannel heat-sink reduces overall package thermal resistance per unit area by a factor of more than 50 compared to conventional technology. Memory modules have been produced with the technology and tested according to US space qualification procedures. Enhanced thermal-shock tests (500 K temperature change, 10 s cycle time) have demonstrated the ruggedness of the technology.
IMPACT OF ANOMIA AND LIFE SATISFACTION ON OLDER ADULT LEARNERS

An examination of the relationship between the attitudes of two populations of older adults and their participation in education‐related activities reveals statistically significant associations in both populations between Anomia and Zest and Participation in Educational Activities, and between Life Satisfaction, Mood Tone, and Zest and Self‐Directed Learning Participation. These findings indicate that self‐directed learning participation is correlated with a person's affirmation of self and its accomplishments, sense of satisfaction and pleasure, and a high level of enthusiasm and ego involvement in activities. The correlation between Anomia and Zest and Participation in Educational Activities reinforces the need for a strong social dimension in education‐related activities among older adults in order to mitigate the effects of personal isolation or anomia. The findings also call for an understanding of nonpartidpation in education‐related activities as an expression of anomia, alienation, or power‐lessn...
Preprocedural Imaging: New Options to Reduce Need for Contrast Angiography

In vascular surgery, the gold standard for evaluation of the lower-extremity arterial tree has long been contrast arteriography (CA). Associated risks of CA are well-documented and include severe allergic reactions, arterial injury and/or hemorrhage, and contrast-induced nephropathy. Increasingly, less-invasive techniques, with fewer inherent risks for complication, are being explored as diagnostic alternatives. Magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography angiography, and duplex arteriography, each offer distinct advantages, though are not without limitation. This review explores the indications, advantages, and disadvantages of these newer technologies and provides a comparison to CA as a means for defining the anatomic features of patients undergoing lower-extremity revascularization. This data suggests that noninvasive imaging technologies may, in the future, play an increasingly important role in the surgical evaluation of the patient with lower-extremity ischemia.
No Impairment in host defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae in obese CPEfat/fat mice.

In the US and globally, dramatic increases in the prevalence of adult and childhood obesity have been reported during the last 30 years. In addition to cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and liver disease, obesity has recently been recognized as an important risk factor for influenza pneumonia. During the influenza pandemic of 2009, obese individuals experienced a greater severity of illness from the H1N1 virus. In addition, obese mice have also been shown to exhibit increased lethality and aberrant pulmonary inflammatory responses following influenza infection. In contrast to influenza, the impact of obesity on bacterial pneumonia in human patients is controversial. In this report, we compared the responses of lean WT and obese CPEfat/fat mice following an intratracheal infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. At 16 weeks of age, CPEfat/fat mice develop severe obesity, hyperglycemia, elevated serum triglycerides and leptin, and increased blood neutrophil counts. There were no differences between lean WT and obese CPEfat/fat mice in survival or lung and spleen bacterial burdens following intratracheal infection with S. pneumoniae. Besides a modest increase in TNF-α levels and increased peripheral blood neutrophil counts in CPEfat/fat mice, there were not differences in lung or serum cytokines after infection. These results suggest that obesity, accompanied by hyperglycemia and modestly elevated triglycerides, at least in the case of CPEfat/fat mice, does not impair innate immunity against pneumococcal pneumonia.
NANOFIBROUS BIOLOGIC LAMINATES REPLICATE THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF THE ANNULUS FIBROSUS

Successful engineering of load-bearing tissues requires recapitulation of their complex mechanical functions. Given the intimate relationship between function and form, biomimetic materials that replicate anatomic form are of great interest for tissue engineering applications. However, for complex tissues such as the annulus fibrosus, scaffolds have failed to capture their multi-scale structural hierarchy. Consequently, engineered tissues have yet to reach functional equivalence with their native counterparts. Here, we present a novel strategy for annulus fibrosus tissue engineering that replicates this hierarchy with anisotropic nanofibrous laminates seeded with mesenchymal stem cells. These scaffolds directed the deposition of an organized, collagen-rich extracellular matrix that mimicked the angle-ply, multi-lamellar architecture and achieved mechanical parity with native tissue after 10 weeks of in vitro culture. Furthermore, we identified a novel role for inter-lamellar shearing in reinforcing the tensile response of biologic laminates, a mechanism that has not previously been considered for these tissues.
Get Out on Behalf of Your Group: Electoral Participation of Latinos and Asian Americans

With the continuous inflow of new immigrants, political participation of Latinos and Asian Americans has become increasingly important for understanding the American electoral politics. A few previous studies examining how political participation of Latinos and Asian Americans is contextually determined reported mixed empirical findings, and this paper re-examines the issue by considering how different features of racial contexts interact to influence the voting turnout of individual Latinos and Asian Americans. Theoretically, we present a model of turnout where a rational individual is motivated to participate, not only by individualistic benefits accrued to him- or herself, but also by perceptions of group-level benefits—concerns regarding the welfare of other members of the racial group. We argue that racial contexts provide distinctive (dis-)incentives to participate, by influencing their perception of participatory benefits at the group level. Empirically, we find that the size of the group exerts a significant effect on turnout decisions of Latino and Asian American individuals, and, particularly for Latinos, its effect interacts with the economic status of the group and the overall racial heterogeneity in the county of residence.
How Much is Enough? Willingness to Participate in Alcohol Interventions

Abstract This study examined the willingness of drinkers to participate in alcohol interventions designed to cut down or stop alcohol use by degree of service-provider contact. One hundred fifty-six university students and staff who attended a campus health fair participated in an alcohol survey. Of the college drinkers, 73.7% reported they were willing to participate in one or more alcohol interventions with minimal provider contact, compared with 48.5% who said they would participate in programs with high provider contact. Respondents preferred minimal-contact strategies (use of nonalcoholic or low-alcohol beverages, information pamphlets, cash awards, television programs, and mailed instructions) to high-contact approaches. Men were significantly more willing (ps < .05) than women to participate in nearly half (11 to 21) of the alcohol interventions. Three measures indicative of motivation to control drinking were significantly associated with greater willingness to participate in nearly all strategies...
Nondestructive low-cycle fatigue characterization of multi-layer thin film structures

A multi-layered thin film structure (namely, electrodeposited Cu/sputtered Cr/Kapton substrate/sputtered Cr/electrodeposited Cu), utilized as a flexible component for computers, has been exposed to fatigue. Although a standardized testing method for fatigue ductility is available for a solid monolayer of electrodeposited foil, there is no method available for examining such a multi-layered thin film structure. In this study, four different methods were employed to characterize the low-cycle fatigue damage: (1) DC resistance measurement, (2) residual stress development by x-ray diffraction, (3) dislocation density calculation by using obtained x-ray diffraction line profiles, and (4) microscopic observations. Low-cycle fatigue was conducted at eight levels of applied total strain, i.e., δe T =13.95%, 7.69%, 5.83%, 4.69%, 3.37%, 2.37%, 1.59%, and 1.19%. The number of fatigue cycles, when the crack was first observed on the outer Cu layer, was identical to that observed with the onset of increased resistance. This cycle number is thus designated as the number of cycles-to-fatigue crack initiation,N c . AtN c , the residual stresses also show a noticeable relaxation, and the dislocation density shows a remarkable increase. IfN c is plotted against the applied total strain amplitudes, a Manson-Coffin's relationship is obtained with an exponent of 0.39. It is recommended that monitoring the continuous changes in DC resistance could provide a reliable nondestructive evaluation of low-cycle fatigue life of a multi-layered thin film structure.
Local binary pattern texture-based classification of solid masses in ultrasound breast images

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality among women. Ultrasound examination can be used to assess breast masses, complementarily to mammography. Ultrasound images reveal tissue information in its echoic patterns. Therefore, pattern recognition techniques can facilitate classification of lesions and thereby reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies. Our hypothesis was that image texture features on the boundary of a lesion and its vicinity can be used to classify masses. We have used intensity-independent and rotation-invariant texture features, known as Local Binary Patterns (LBP). The classifier selected was K-nearest neighbors. Our breast ultrasound image database consisted of 100 patient images (50 benign and 50 malignant cases). The determination of whether the mass was benign or malignant was done through biopsy and pathology assessment. The training set consisted of sixty images, randomly chosen from the database of 100 patients. The testing set consisted of forty images to be classified. The results with a multi-fold cross validation of 100 iterations produced a robust evaluation. The highest performance was observed for feature LBP with 24 symmetrically distributed neighbors over a circle of radius 3 (LBP24,3) with an accuracy rate of 81.0%. We also investigated an approach with a score of malignancy assigned to the images in the test set. This approach provided an ROC curve with Az of 0.803. The analysis of texture features over the boundary of solid masses showed promise for malignancy classification in ultrasound breast images.
Development of compact resonator and transmission lines based on multi-layer CRLH structure

We present the design and development of a compact resonator and a 4-cell transmission line based on the concept of composite right/left-handed transmission lines (CRLH TL). The CRLH TL is composed of unit cells which are built on a multilayer substrate with series metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors on the top and shunt inductors etched on the ground plane. A compact resonator and a 4-cell CRLH TL are designed and fabricated based on this multi-layer CRLH structure. The experimental results demonstrate that the CRLH TL resonator with a length of 125 mils has a measured resonant frequency at 4.2 GHz. The 4-cell CRLH TL having left-handed band from 1 GHz to 2 GHz with a physical length of 590 mils is also demonstrated. Within this left-handed band, the measured electrical lengths of the TL are 180 degree at 1.031 GHz and 1.712 GHz and 90 degree at 1.109 GHz and 1.435 GHz.
Hypotonous maculopathy after trabeculectomy with subconjunctival 5-fluorouracil

Long-term success in trabeculectomy has been enhanced in recent years by postoperative subconjunctival 5-fluorouracil injections and intraoperative mitomycin C applications. During 1990 and 1991, after trabeculectomy with a small scleral flap (2 × 3 mm) augmented by antimetabolite therapy, hypotonous maculopathy developed in eight eyes of six patients. The maculopathy was characterized by loss in visual acuity, retinal striae, and choroidal folds without evidence of vascular leakage. The average loss in visual acuity was four Snellen lines. Visual acuity did not return to preoperative levels even when the hypotony could be reversed. Reversing the hypotony with various strategies aimed at stimulating subconjunctival scarring has been relatively ineffective. During that same period, an additional seven eyes in six patients had prolonged hypotony but without development of maculopathy. Features common to patients who developed maculopathy included age (mean age, 46 years; range, 32 to 60 years) and myopia (mean, -7.5 diopters; range, -0.75 to -11.75 diopters). The patients with hypotony but no maculopathy were older (mean age, 73 years; range, 63 to 82 years) and were closer to emmetropia (mean, -1.11 diopters; range, +1.50 to -9.00 diopters). The means of the ages and refractive errors were statistically significantly different in the two groups (P = .007 and .04, respectively). Trabeculectomy with adjunctive antifibrosis therapy should be used with caution in young myopic patients.
The development of an adaptive decision support system

Abstract An integrated conceptual model of an adaptive decision support system (ADSS) is proposed by following a unified research methodology. Adaptive behaviors of the DSS are identified based on previous research into adaptivity of information systems. A variety of knowledge that enables the system to adaptively behave is recognized. The concept of a reflexive system and a conceptual framework of decision-making organization are adopted to structure various components. This model consists of several components at two levels: the meta-level and the basic-level. The components in the basic-level unit communicate with the user and carry out the task of decision support. The meta-level is a controlling unit capable of introspecting the system's capabilities and limitations, and determining an appropriate action to adjust the capabilities of components in the basic-level unit.
Palliation and Pleurodesis in Malignant Pleural Effusion: The Role for Tunneled Pleural Catheters

Introduction: Despite increasing use of tunneled pleural catheters (TPCs), their efficacy as a definitive procedure for achieving palliation or spontaneous pleurodesis (SP) in the management of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) remains unclear. In the largest TPC series to date, we evaluate the efficacy for palliation and review the rate and predictors of SP. Methods: Retrospective review of 418 TPCs (355 patients) over 2 years (September 2007–September 2009) was performed. Palliation was deemed successful when the patient did not require any other subsequent effusion-directed drainage procedure. SP was defined as satisfying the following criteria: (a) TPC removal without need for further effusion-directed intervention during the patient's lifespan and (b) no evidence of effusion reaccumulation by clinical and radiographic evidence at 1-month postremoval follow-up. Results: After TPC placement, no subsequent effusion-directed procedure was required for 380 of 418 (91%). SP was achieved after only 26% of TPCs (110 of 418), in which the median time to catheter removal was 44 days. Neither demographics nor primary tumor type predicted SP. In patients selected for TPC placement in the operating room, SP occurred in 36% (39 of 107), with 45% in loculated MPE (13 of 29, p = 0.014). Complications occurred after 20 TPCs (4.8%), with none occurring after bedside placement. Conclusion: TPC placement is safe and provides durable palliation, most often obviating the need for subsequent procedures in MPE patients. TPC, however, remains suboptimal at achieving pleurodesis.
Relationship between Perceived and Actual Frequency Represented by Common Rating Scale Labels.

Two experiments investigated the relationship between subjective interpretation of frequency terms and corresponding objective values. Evidence supported the existence of a nonlinear relationship that is well described by a logarithmic function. The general form of this relationship was consistent across different methods of eliciting subjective frequency estimates and different frequency response scales. These findings, in combination with prior research, suggest that individuals can be highly accurate in reporting the frequency of prior experiences but that subjective reports using common frequency response scales and scoring methods should not be taken to reflect equal intervals of actual frequency. This bears similarity to psychophysical relationships observed between sensation and stimulus intensity, and it has implications for the interpretation and analysis of self-report measures that use Likert-type frequency response scales.
Properties of Anabaena variabilis cells grown in the presence of diphenylamine.

Abstract Anabaena variabilis cells have been cultivated in the presence of diphenylamine (12 mg/l) which inhibits the biosynthesis of β-carotene, echinenone and zeasanthin. The content of chlorophyll a is also reduced by diphenylamine. The biosynthesis of myxoxanthophyll is, however, stimulated by this reagent. The membrane fragments prepared from Anabaena cells grown in the presence of diphenylamine have the activities of both Photosystem 1 (NADP + reduction with DCIP-ascorbate as electron donor) and Photosystem 2 (DCIP reduction with 1,5-diphenylcarbazide as electron donor). The fluroescence spectra of these cells at 77°K show peaks at 696 and 731 nm and a shoulder around 687 nm. The fluorescence intensity at 687 and 696 nm is higher in these cells than in normal-Anabaena cells.
[11C](+)McN5652 as a radiotracer for imaging serotonin uptake sites with PET.

The in vivo behavior of the stereoisomers of [11C]McN5652, a highly potent serotonin (5-HT) uptake blocker, was determined to evaluate their utility as radiotracers for imaging 5-HT uptake sites by positron emission tomography (PET). After intravenous injection into mice, [11C](+)McN5652 showed markedly higher uptake and longer retention in regions with high density of 5-HT uptake sites than the [11C]-labeled racemic mixture, while [11C](−)McN5652 washed out rapidly. With the [11C](+)-enantiomer, the ratio between hypothalamus and cerebellum reached 6 at 90 minutes. The binding of [11C](+)McN5652 was inhibited by 45–73% by pre-injection of 5 mg/kg of paroxetine, a selective 5-HT uptake blocker, in all regions examined except cerebellum where no significant effect of the drug was observed. [11C](−)McN5652 showed no specific binding in any of the regions. The [11C]-labeled cis isomer, [11C]McN5655, revealed surprisingly low brain penetration and showed no significantly higher uptake in regions of interest than cerebellum. These results suggest that [11C](+)McN5652 is a promising candidate as a PET radiotracer for studying 5-HT uptake sites in vivo.
Improving the Supply of Carbon Sequestration Services in Panama

Summary A global market for carbon sequestration services has emerged in recent years, driven both by regulations under the Kyoto Protocol and by private sector self-interests. However, the development of this market has been stymied by several factors, chief among them a tentative and dubious supply side. Land managers have been wary to enter the carbon market for three main reasons: high transaction and management costs, imperfect information, and a lack of institutional support. These factors have dissuaded potential suppliers from entering the market, even in the face of growing demand from governments and corporations looking to buy carbon sequestration services. As a nation with outstanding potential to capitalize on the global demand for carbon sequestration services, the Republic of Panama has much to gain from the maturation of a carbon market. In order to facilitate the growth of this market and stimulate the supply of carbon offset projects in Panama, policy mechanisms could be used by internat...
Data aggregation and Simpson’s paradox gauged by index numbers

Abstract Simpson’s paradox is a phenomenon occurring in data aggregation in complex systems. It consists in the increase (decrease) of the rate in the data aggregate at the higher level with the simultaneous decrease (increase) of the rate in each subgroup of the lower levels of the hierarchy. Although the nature of this paradox is known, it is difficult to interpret it without gauging the reasons of its occurrence. To capture the causes of the paradox, we elaborated some measures of index analysis. We suggest to apply these measures for estimation of changes due to the partial rates and the structural effects. Using numerical examples from the marketing research field, we show how the elaborated gauges evaluate absolute and relative changes, helping to interpret the incidence cases.
Inhibition of adrenocortical responsiveness to ACTH by actinomycin D in vivo.

IT has been reported recently1–3 that acute or chronic administration of ACTH to rats results in a marked increase in adrenal protein synthesis. This is evidenced by a rise in the DNA and RNA concentrations in the gland and an increased capacity for incorporation of 14C-glycine into protein in cell-free preparations of rat adrenals. Furthermore, Farese4 has suggested on the basis of studies of this type that these changes in adrenal protein synthesis are specifically concerned with the mechanisms whereby ACTH induces adrenal hypertrophy and that even the steroidogenic effect of ACTH may be mediated by an effect of this hormone on adrenal protein synthesis. In order to elucidate this problem it was decided to investigate the effect of actinomycin D on the production of corticosteroids by the adrenal cortex.
Magnetic moments and short - range correlations

Abstract Contrary to previous assertions, Brueckner correlations do affect magnetic moments. The parameterization that emerges seems to work also for lower energy correlations.
Chemical hardness and the adaptive coordination behavior of the d 0 transition metal oxide fluoride anions

Five new isostructural d0 transition metal oxide fluoride compounds Rb3Na(NbOF5)2·H2O and A3Na(MO2F4)2·H2O (A = K, Rb and M = Mo, W) have been synthesized by hydrothermal methods and their original structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In these compounds, the sodium ions preferentially engage in strong electrostatic interactions with the least polarizable fluoride ions and concurrently the Nb5+, M6+ (M = Mo, W) metal centers displace toward the oxide ion(s) located trans to the fluorides in order to maintain atomic valences. Consequently, the oxide and fluoride sites retain unequal charge and the most negatively charged ions form the most/strongest interactions with the cations. The electrostatic potentials and the chemical hardness differences of the oxide and fluoride ions thus determine the anion connectivities: the cis-oxo MO2F42– anions (M = Mo, W) engage in the most/strongest electrostatic interactions with the alkali counter-cations through the two fluorides trans to the cis oxides. The NbOF52– anion forms its most/strongest electrostatic interactions with the cations through the one fluoride position trans to the oxide.
Processing techniques for particulate-reinforced metal aluminium matrix composites

The critical need for high strength, lightweight and high stiffness materials has, in recent years, resurrected much interest in discontinuously reinforced powder metallurgy metal matrix composites. These hybrid materials have combined both standard wrought alloys of aluminium and a wide variety of discontinuous reinforcements such as particulates and whiskers of ceramic materials. Renewed interest in these materials as attractive candidates for use in the aerospace and transportation industry has resulted from an attractive and unique combination of physical and mechanical properties, and an ability to offer near isotropic properties coupled with the low cost of these materials when compared with existing monolithic materials. In this paper, the primary processing categories for discontinuously-reinforced metal-matrix composites are highlighted and the salient features of the various techniques in each category are discussed. The variables involved in each processing technique are examined, and the influence of alloy chemistry highlighted. Novel processing techniques for these materials such as the variable co-deposition method is presented as a means to process these novel engineering materials in order to improve their overall mechanical performance.
Speckle imaging with the PAPA detector.

A new 2-D photon-counting camera, the PAPA (precision analog photon address) detector has been built, tested, and used successfully for the acquisition of speckle imaging data. The camera has 512 x 512 pixels and operates at count rates of at least 200,000/sec. In this paper, technical details on the camera are presented and some of the laboratory and astronomical results are included which demonstrate the detector's capabilities.
Digital particle velocimetry technique for free-surface boundary layer measurements : Application to vortex pair interactions

A variation of the digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) technique was developed for the measurement of velocity at a free surface for low Froude number flows. The two-step process involves first determining the location of the free surface in the digital images of the seeded flow using the fast Fourier transform-based method of surface elevation mapping (SEM), which takes advantage of total internal reflection at the interface. The boundary-fitted DPIV code positions the interrogation windows below the computed location of the interface to allow for extrapolation of interfacial velocities. This technique was designed specifically to handle large surface-parallel vorticity which can occur when the Reynolds number is large and surface-active materials are present. The SEM technique was verified on capillary-gravity waves and the full boundary-fitted DPIV technique was applied to the interaction of vortex pairs with a free surface covered by an insoluble monolayer. The local rise and fall of the free surface as well as the passage and return of a contamination front was clearly observed in the DPIV data.
High-Speed Recorder

This paper describes a new electrical instrument for automatically recording variations of electrical functions at high speed. The rate of chart motion is lower than that of the oscillograph so that the envelope of an a-c. wave is produced. This recorder has been successfully applied in the analysis of breakdowns on transmission lines, giving data used as the basis of securing improved selective relay protection and for other problems involving automatic high-speed recording.
Alternative splicing of the human isoaspartyl protein carboxyl methyltransferase RNA leads to the generation of a C-terminal -RDEL sequence in isozyme II.

We have isolated two cDNA clones that correspond to the mRNAs for two isozymes of the human l -isoaspartyl/ d -aspartyl protein carboxyl methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.77). The DNA sequence of one of these encodes the amino acid sequence of the C-terminal half of the human erythrocyte isozyme I. The other cDNA clone includes the complete coding region of the more acidic isozyme II. With the exception of potential polymorphic sites at amino acid residues 119 and 205, the deduced amino acid sequences differ only at the C-terminus, where the -RWK sequence of isozyme I is replaced by a -RDEL sequence in isozyme II. The latter sequence is identical to a mammalian endoplasmic reticulum retention signal. With the previous evidence for only a single gene for the l -isoaspartyl/ d aspartyl methyltransferase in humans, and with evidence for consensus sites for alternative splicing in corresponding mouse genomic clones, we suggest that alternative splicing reactions can generate the major isozymes previously identified in human erythrocytes. The presence of alternative splicing leads us to predict the existence of a third isozyme with a -R C-terminus. The calculated isoelectric point of this third form is similar to that of a previously detected but uncharacterized minor methyltransferase activity.
Effects of prolonged warm-up exercise above and below anaerobic threshold on maximal performance

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of prolonged warm-up exercise above and below anaerobic threshold (AT) on maximal performance. Warm-up exercise consisted of pedalling the Monark cycle ergometer at either 40% (Below AT) or 68% (Above AT) of VO2max for 60 min. Each maximal performance consisted of two 40 s bouts of "all out" pedalling on the Monark cycle ergometer against 5.5 kg resistance separated by a 5 min rest period. These tests were administered on two occasions without warm-up exercise and were found to be reproducible for work output and peak blood lactate concentration. Below AT warm-up exercise significantly increased core temperature with no increase in steady state blood lactate concentration and was thus representative of a desired warmed-up status. This condition did not contribute to an improved maximal performance. Above AT warm-up exercise resulted in significant increases in core temperature and steady state blood lactate concentration. Work output and peak blood lactate concentration for maximal exercise were significantly decreased. It was concluded that task specific prolonged warm-up exercise below AT does not contribute to an improved maximal performance of the type employed in the present study. Following warm-up exercise above AT, maximal performance was impaired. This was attributed to probable glycogen depletion in fast twitch muscle fibers which in turn may have contributed to a decreased lactate production.
The effect of hospital ownership conversions on nonacute care providers.

Since 1985, the proportion of for-profit community hospitals has hovered around 15 percent (AHA 1988, 2002). Although nonprofit hospital conversions to for-profit status have yet to significantly alter the overall distribution of investor ownership in the hospital sector, the consequences continue to cause considerable concern (Claxton et al. 1997; Cutler 2000). This is true primarily because investor ownership imposes new fiduciary responsibilities that may undermine a hospital's implicit social contract to meet the needs of the community it serves, regardless of profitability. Given this, many worry that for-profit health institutions will harm local communities, particularly the availability of services for uninsured and underinsured populations. Thus, much attention has focused on the impact of ownership change on a hospital's provision of uncompensated care and other unprofitable but socially valuable services.
Developmental toxicity of ethanol in Drosophila melanogaster

Ethanol was tested for teratogenicity in Drosophila melanogaster. Treatment consisted of rearing the fly larvae in media containing initial ethanol concentrations of 0%, 4%, 8%, or 14% by weight. Emerging flies were inspected for gross malformations. A low frequency of malformations was seen among controls (0.82%), increasing to 10.36% of emerging adults at the highest ethanol dose. The most common malformation involved the legs (segments missing or distorted or complete absence) and wings (uninflated, distorted, or absent). Less frequent defects included fused or missing mouth parts and missing halteres. Also, by exposing staged larvae to ethanol and examining the emerging flies, developmental stage sensitivity of Drosophila was investigated in terms of timing of treatment initiation. The results suggested that the incidence of defects increased with length of exposure. These results support the assumption that ethanol itself is the causative agent in ethanol-induced developmental toxicity and further support the use of Drosophila for developmental toxicity screening.
Practicing Evidence-Based Education in Leadership Development

There are real challenges involved in achieving success in developing individuals into effective leaders. This seems to be particularly true for those of us interested in promoting leader developme...
Modeling requirements for model-driven engineering of large software solutions needing a modular approach

This paper accompanies a poster submission for the Modularity 2015 conference. The results described in the poster and this overview paper are the accumulation from six years of industry project experience. The projects were multi-year in length with development team sizes of 10 – 20 people, plus the customers. The long project times necessitated the modular structuring of the solution to enable the delivery of partial value as soon as possible. The modular structuring began at the requirements level. The poster lists a brief summary, some of the research questions, the process approaches used and some of the modeling artifacts found useful. There is still work to be done to convert the informal results to a more formal basis in terms of meta-models and cognitive effectiveness.
Differences in brain volumes among males and female hormone-therapy users and nonusers

Numerous studies have shown gender differences in the brain volumes of elderly adults. Some evidence shows that higher estrogen levels may be neuroprotective, suggesting that hormone therapy (HT) may in part be responsible for these gender differences; however, few studies have examined the relation between HT and brain volumes. Brain volumes of caudate, putamen, hippocampus, gray matter, white matter, white-matter lesions, and cerebrospinal fluid were measured on magnetic resonance imaging scans. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered. Women were separated into two groups based on HT use, and we used multiple regression analyses to compare these groups with one another and with men. Results of brain-volume measurements showed that HT users had significantly less gray matter and more cerebrospinal fluid than nonusers. Results of the neuropsychological testing showed that HT users performed better on the Shipley Vocabulary Test than males did.
Oocyte apoptosis: like sand through an hourglass.

Although the study of germ cell death is arguably still in its infancy as a field, several recent breakthroughs have provided the fodder for a story, replete with episodes of apparent mass cellular suicide if not murder, that will undoubtedly serve as a research base for many laboratories over the next several years. Death is known to strike the male and female germlines with roughly equal intensity, but the innate feature of male germ cells being self-renewing while those of the female are not places the death of oocytes in a completely different light. Indeed, the functional life span of the female gonads is defined in most species, including humans, by the size and rate of depletion of the precious endowment of oocytes enclosed within follicles in the ovaries at birth. This continuous loss of oocytes throughout life, referred to by many as the female biological clock, appears to be driven by a genetic program of cell death that is composed of players and pathways conserved from worms to humans. It is on this genetic pathway, and the role of its constituent molecules in regulating female germ cell fate, that this review will focus. Emphasis will be placed on those studies using genetic-null or transgenic models to explore the functional requirement of proteins, such as Bcl-2 family members, Apaf-1, and caspases in vertebrates to CED-9, CED-4, and CED-3 in Caenorhabditis elegans, in oocyte survival and death. Furthermore, hypotheses regarding the potential impact of translating what is now known of the oocyte death pathway into new approaches for the clinical diagnosis and management of female infertility and the menopause will be offered as a means to stimulate further research in this new and exciting field.
First-Year Breakdown of Leaf Litter in Southern Appalachian Forests

Breakdown of organic matter, an important step in the ecological circulation of chemical elements, was measured in Great Smoky Mountain and Oak Ridge forests. Greatest variation in first-year weight loss of leaves in nylon net bags was due to species (Fagus grandifolia 21 percent, Acer saccharum 32 percent, Quercus shumardii 34 percent, Quercus alba 39 percent, Morus rubra 64 percent). At elevations of 5200, 3400, and 850 ft, losses for all five species averaged, respectively, 29, 34, and 40 percent for leaves placed in spruce, hemlock, and pine stands, and 35, 40, and 46 percent for leaves placed in beech, cove hardwood, and whiteoak stands.
Impact of chronic renal insufficiency on the early and late clinical outcomes of carotid artery stenting using serum creatinine vs glomerular filtration rate.

Background This study analyzed the impact of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) on early and late clinical outcomes of carotid artery stenting (CAS) using serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Study Design There were 313 CAS patients classified into 3 groups: normal (serum creatinine Results Using serum creatinine, perioperative stroke rates for normal, moderate, and severe CRI were: 5%, 0%, and 25%, respectively, (p = 0.05) vs 4.6%, 3.7%, and 11.1%, respectively, (p = 0.44) using GFR. The perioperative MAE rates for symptomatic patients were 9.3% and 0% (p = 0.355) and 2% and 5.9% (p = 0.223) for asymptomatic patients for normal and moderate/severe CRI, respectively, using serum creatinine vs 8.1% and 7.8%, respectively, for symptomatic patients and 2.5% and 3%, respectively, for asymptomatic patients using GFR. At a mean follow-up of 21 months, late MAE rates in normal vs moderate/severe CRI patients were 8.2% and 14%, respectively, (p = 0.247) using serum creatinine vs 6.6% and 13.3%, respectively, (p = 0.05) using GFR. Late MAE rates for symptomatic patients in normal vs moderate/severe CRI were: 8.7% vs 27%, respectively, (p = 0.061) using serum creatinine and 5.7% vs 18.8%, respectively, (p = 0.026) using GFR. Late death rate was 0.55% in normal vs 7.6% (p = 0.002) for moderate/severe CRI. Freedom from MAE at 3 years in symptomatic patients was 81% in normal and 46% in moderate/severe CRI (p = 0.0198). A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that a GFR of Conclusions The GFR was more sensitive in detecting late MAE after CAS. Carotid artery stenting in moderate CRI patients can be done with a satisfactory perioperative outcome; however, late death was significant.
Changes in Adrenal Microsomal Cytochrome(s) P-450 with Aging in the Guinea Pig*

Studies were carried out to investigate the mechanism(s) responsible for the changes in adrenal microsomal mixed function oxidase activity which occur with aging (30–200 days) in guinea pigs. With aging, the rates of metabolism of xenobiotics [ethylmorphine and benzo(a)pyrene] by adrenal microsomes increased 3 to 5-fold. Steroid 17α and 21-hydroxylations, when expressed per mg protein, were similar in immature (30 days old) and mature (200 days old) animals. Adrenal microsomal NADPH and NADH-cytochrome c reductase activities and cytochrome b5 concentrations increased with aging, but cytochrome P-450 concentrations were not significantly different in young and old guinea pigs. Maximal type I difference spectra produced by steroids were the same in adrenal microsomes from 30 and 200-day-old guinea pigs, but the ethylmorphine-induced spectrum was far greater in the older animals. Progesterone enhanced NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase activity to about the same extent in adrenal microsomes from 30 and 200-day...
The Assessment of Hyperactivity in Preschool Populations A Multidisciplinary Perspective

The variety of methods available for the assessment of hyperactivity in preschool populations is described. A multidisciplinary perspective, integrating biophysical, behavioral, cognitive, and ecological models of assessment, is used to structure and guide the review. This perspective reflects the need for a comprehensive and multidimensional approach when assessing the heterogeneity of behaviors associated with hyperactivity in young children. Issues related to the identification of hyperactivity among preschool children are also discussed.
Enhanced lung toxicity of paraquat in selenium-deficient rats

Abstract In an attempt to further clarify the mechanisms of paraquat lung injury, paraquat toxicity was studied in selenium (Se)-deficient rats. Chronic respiratory disease-free rats fed a basal Se-deficient diet or a basal diet supplemented with 0.5 or 2.0 ppm of Se for 40 days after weaning were injected with 25 mg/kg of paraquat dichloride (ip). Within 4 hr after paraquat injection, 50% of the rats fed the Sedeficient regimen died, exhibiting neurological and respiratory signs of distress prior to death, whereas all rats fed Se-supplemented diets survived for this short time span. Excised lungs from surviving Se-deficient rats injected with paraquat showed extensive lung damage, as evidenced by gross examination, increased lung weights, and increases in cystosolic lung lysosomal enzymes, and exhibited a significant increase of thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactive products. Excised lungs from Se-supplemented rats failed to show similar increases in these indices of paraquat-induced lung injury. Our data confirms and extends previous findings of others that paraquat toxicity is enhanced in Se-deficient animals and suggests that lipid peroxide formations may play a role in the enhanced susceptibility.
Platelet Preservation by Freezing. Use of Dimethylsulfoxide as Cryoprotective Agent

Variables important in the preservation of platelets by freezing with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as cryoprotective agent were studied in normal volunteers and thrombocytopenic patients. Use of 5 per cent DMSO and a freezing rate of 1-3 degrees C/minute yielded optimal preservation of platelet viability. The addition of 5 per cent Dextrose did not improve results. In vivo yield using 5 per cent DMSO was superior to previous results in which glycerol was used as the cryoprotective agent. Viability after freezing was equivalent when platelets were frozen in small (10 ml) and large (60 ml) volumes of plasma. The larger volume had the advantage that a smaller percentage of the platelets was lost during transfer from one plastic container to another.
Generalized inverses of stochastic matrices

Abstract This paper describes all stochastic matrices which have a stochastic semi-inverse and gives a method of constructing all such inverses. Then all stochastic matrices which have a stochastic Moore-Penrose inverse are described.