cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lessons learned: Assessing team creation by personality inventories in pharmacy students.

Abstract Background Proper team formation is critical for team performance and dynamics in the setting of team-based learning (TBL). Faculty should stratify students to ensure an even allocation of learner resources; however, the ideal method of team creation for TBL in pharmacy education has yet to be determined. A study aimed to assess team formation stratified by personality strengths on student performance for graded team activities, peer evaluations, and student perceptions of team dynamics compared to randomization of teams the previous semester with the same cohort. This Live and Learn piece will describe lessons learned throughout this project and research considerations for future studies on TBL team creation. Impact The study design compared team stratification by strengths vs. randomization, which resulted in similar distribution of CliftonStrengths domains with a variation of two teams between the semesters. Due to homogeneity in student strengths and negligible difference in purposeful team creation by strengths vs. randomization, the study was limited in its methodology and findings. Recommendations Through the description of this experience, the authors have outlined suggestions for designing studies to explore team creation methods, specifically capturing preliminary data, including a control group, and recognizing the influence of randomization. Discussion Future studies to identify the optimal method for team formation may include alternate stratification approaches and should be performed over multiple cohorts from varying institutions. It is equally plausible that randomization consistently generates teams with equitable resource distribution and team formation has no overall impact on TBL effectiveness.
FLEXIBILITY, PREDICTABILITY, AND ACCESS: AN EXPANDED VIEW OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.

The Federal Aviation Administration will need to effect significant changes to the procedures and infrastructure of its air traffic management system to support the transition to Free Flight operations. The transition should be guided by user benefits, so assessment of current and future system performance must be based on customer outcomes. Concepts of operations for future systems will provide benefits to users beyond reduced delay. These benefits include increased flexibility so users can implement strategies to fit their needs, increased predictability of the system’s impact on their operations, and increased access to system resources. Traditional metrics—delay and throughput—will need to be augmented to better represent these outcomes. This paper documents the first of several analyses needed to support the development of a more robust system performance assessment capability that includes flexibility, predictability, and access, along with delay. Indicators and metrics associated with these new mea...
Systems Design Paplications

The application of information system design is a multidisciplinary job. The various issues in application: 1) design for people, 2) integration of information systems with their environment level, 3) methods for reconstruction design performance evaluation, 4) bridging theory and applications gap, 5) access control (not brought up because the group said it wasn’t necessary).
TU-AB-207-01: Introduction to Tomosynthesis

Digital Tomosynthesis (DT) is becoming increasingly common in breast imaging and many other applications. DT is a form of computed tomography in which a limited set of projection images are acquired over a small angular range and reconstructed into a tomographic data set. The angular range and number of projections is determined both by the imaging task and equipment manufacturer. For example, in breast imaging between 9 and 25 projections are acquired over a range of 15° to 60°. It is equally valid to treat DT as the digital analog of classical tomography - for example, linear tomography. In fact, the name “tomosynthesis” is an acronym for “synthetic tomography”. DT shares many common features with classical tomography, including the radiographic appearance, dose, and image quality considerations. As such, both the science and practical physics of DT systems is a hybrid between CT and classical tomographic methods. This lecture will consist of three presentations that will provide a complete overview of DT, including a review of the fundamentals of DT, a discussion of testing methods for DT systems, and a description of the clinical applications of DT. While digital breast tomosynthesis will be emphasized, analogies will be drawn to body imaging to illustrate and compare tomosynthesis methods. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the fundamental principles behind tomosynthesis, including the determinants of image quality and dose. 2. To learn how to test the performance of tomosynthesis imaging systems. 3. To appreciate the uses of tomosynthesis in the clinic and the future applications of tomosynthesis.
Money and Monetary Policy: An Essay in Honor of Darryl Francis

It is a pleasure to take part in a conference honoring Darryl Francis. Recognition of his courage and leadership is long overdue. Darryl took a leadership role by encouraging the St. Louis monetarist tradition, when it was scorned and derided, by pointing to the need for more restrictive monetary policy in the late 1960s, and in continuing to make the case for lower inflation during his service on the open market committee and as President of the St. Louis Bank. The 1960s and 1970s were the Keynesian decades in U.S. economic policy. Keynesian policy views were mainstream views in the academic profession. The Council of Economic Advisers then had a more prominent role in economic policy than it has now. The chairmen of the Council in the 1960s were Walter Heller, Gardner Ackley, and Arthur Okun, all leading Keynesian economists. In the 1970s, the roster includes Paul McCracken, Herbert Stein, and Alan Greenspan, three conservative Keynesians at the time, but Keynesians nonetheless. They were followed by Charles Schultze in the late 1970s. The primary role of fiscal policy in economic stabilization was a distinguishing characteristic of Keynesian policy. I recall the fervor with which senior professors, young faculty, and bright graduate students sought to overturn Friedman and Meiselman’s (1963) demonstration that, except for the Great Depression, monetary velocity was more stable than the Keynesian investment multiplier. Similar fervor greeted Andersen and Jordan’s (1968) paper showing that changes in money had stronger and more reliable effects than budget expenditures on changes in nominal gross national product (GNP). As late as Jerome Stein’s (1976) conference volume on monetarism, these issues remained highly contentious and hotly debated. At the height of the controversy in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Darryl Francis was the principal, and usually the only, spokesman who challenged this orthodoxy at meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). At the time, I was aware of Darryl’s role, but I appreciate it even more now that I have access to the FOMC’s minutes for that period. I will soon give some examples suggesting that, if Darryl’s advice had been taken, we would have avoided the great inflation. The role of money in monetary policy remains an issue. The Federal Reserve recently gave up the publication of money growth estimates or targets when requirements to publish their estimates expired. The mistake occurred much earlier, when the FOMC stopped using money growth as a measure of the thrust of monetary policy. Federal Reserve history suggests that neglect of money growth is a major mistake. The Federal Reserve would have avoided mistakes such as the Great Depression and the Great Inflation if it had used money growth as an indicator of the thrust of monetary policy. Below I present some other examples and contrast the role assigned to money growth by the European Central Bank with its neglect by the Federal Reserve.
Returns to Traders and Existences of a Risk Premium of a Risk Premium in Agricultural Futures Markets

The purpose of the study is to examine the existence of a risk premium in futures markets to determine if hedgers pay speculators for protection against adverse price movements. Hartzmark (1987) addressed this same question but his time period of study from 1977 to 1981 is limited and outdated. The current state of the futures markets is quite different today than in was in the late 1970s. The data for this study extends from January 2000 to September 2009 and covers 12 commodity markets. The profitability of aggregate trader groups is calculated using end of day positions and prices for individual commodities; these commodities are then grouped according to price patterns over the sample period into three groups including grains (corn, soybeans, soybean oil, and wheat contracts), livestock (feeder cattle, lean hogs, and live cattle) in addition to cotton, and soft commodities (cocoa, coffee, and sugar). More importantly, long passive traders, called commodity index traders (CITs) emerged into the futures markets during 2004 and 2005 and provide a natural experiment to determine if naively holding positions opposite of hedgers results in positive profits and thereby evidence of a risk premium. Results do not find convincing evidence of the existence of a positive risk premium.
Past as Prologue: How History Becomes Psychologically Present

Social issues, especially when they implicate histories of injustices, often stay with us not only because they pose moral questions but also because of their consequences for individual psychologies and the relations between groups within societies. This special issue of the Journal of Social Issues focuses on different ways that social history and psychology—always co-constructing each other—matter. Focused on major events and social movements of the 20th century, we highlight work that psychologists have done that allows us, as a field, to take seriously the relationships between social-level events and individuals’ identities and self-representations, emotional lives and well-being, approaches to social justice and collective action, motivations, and accomplishments. The individual and collective pursuit of social justice is one arena that makes links between history and psychology visible along with their implications for relations within and between social groups.
Valsalva effect may mimic child abuse.

To the Editor.— The review by Grin et al1 on eye injuries in children reported the frequency and causes of serious ocular trauma in children. We recently had a patient with bilateral ecchymosis of the eyes due to a Valsalva effect that might have been confused with trauma or child abuse. This 11-year-old boy had had two previous urologic procedures to relieve a urethral stricture. During a 2-week period, he noted increased difficulty voiding and was observed by his parents to strain frequently to urinate.
Evading immune cell uptake and clearance requires PEG grafting at densities substantially exceeding the minimum for brush conformation

Coating nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol (PEG), which reduces particle uptake and clearance by immune cells, is routinely used to extend the circulation times of nanoparticle therapeutics. Nevertheless, due to technical hurdles in quantifying the extent of PEG grafting, as well as in generating very dense PEG coatings, few studies have rigorously explored the precise PEG grafting density necessary to achieve desirable "stealth" properties. Here, using polymeric nanoparticles with precisely tunable PEG grafting, we found that, for a wide range of PEG lengths (0.6-20 kDa), PEG coatings at densities substantially exceeding those required for PEG to adopt a "brush" conformation are exceptionally resistant to uptake by cultured human macrophages, as well as primary peripheral blood leukocytes. Less than 20% of these nanoparticles were cleared from the blood after 2 h (t1/2 ∼ 14 h) in BALB/c mice, whereas slightly less densely PEGylated and uncoated control particles were both virtually eliminated within 2 h. Our results suggest that the stealth properties of PEG-coated nanoparticles are critically dependent on achieving PEG grafting at densities exceeding those required for brush conformation.
Ground reaction forces and osteogenic index of the sport of cyclocross

Weight-bearing activity has been shown to increase bone mineral density. Our purpose was to measure vertical ground reaction forces (GRFs) during cyclocross-specific activities and compute their os...
An instructional interpreter for basic

The BASIC Instructional Program (BIP) was developed to investigate tutorial modes of interaction in computer-assisted instruction (CAI). BIP is a problem-solving laboratory that helps students while they are solving introductory programming problems in the BASIC language. The problems are presented in an individualized sequence based on a representation of the structure of the curriculum and a model of the student's state of knowledge. This paper describes the BIP system, with emphasis on recently developed features. The goal of the tutorial laboratory is informative interaction with the student, which is provided by an instructional BASIC interpreter, information on BASIC syntax cross-referenced with the BIP student manual, and debugging aids. The system also has access through the curriculum representation to features that the student may use to help her solve her current problem. These features include hints, easier “subtasks,” a stored solution that can itself be executed, and an interactive flow chart representation of the solution. The nature of the student-BIP interaction is captured in an annotated student dialogue of a typical session.
Enhancement of luminescence efficiency using surface plasmon polaritons

We develop a rigorous theory of the enhancement of spontaneous emission from a lightemitting device via coupling with the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). Using the GaN/Ag system as an example we show that using SPPs pays off only for emitters that have low luminescence efficiency.
Male courtship pheromones increase female receptivity in a plethodontid salamander

Abstract The effect of courtship pheromones on female receptivity was tested in the terrestrial plethodontid salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus by staging encounters between 50 male-female pairs. Male mental glands were ablated to prevent uncontrolled delivery of the pheromones. Glands were used to create a pheromone extract for experimental application. A female was treated with the extract 30 min prior to a courtship encounter and, in other encounters, the same female was treated with a saline control. Observations of courtship behaviour were taken by scan samples every 15 min for 6 h. A female receiving the pheromone treatment mated an average of 28% (59 min) sooner than she did after receiving the control treatment. These results are the first quantitative documentation that courtship pheromones function in salamanders directly to increase female receptivity.
A PROCEDURE FOR IDENTIFYING ITEMS CAPTURING COGNITIVE CHANGE ACROSS TIME: AN ILLUSTRATION USING THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE ASSESSMENT SCALE-COGNITIVE (ADAS-COG)

neuropsychological tests. Results: The Neuro-Norms program takes a case’s demographic data (age, years of education, and sex) and raw scores on neuropsychological tests as input (Figure). It then applies regression equations to express the raw scores as T scores and percentile ranks (these scores express an individual’s standing on the tests, controlling for the effects of age, sex, education and education 2). The number of scores for each case that are classified as abnormally low are provided accompanied by an estimate of the percentage of the normative population that would exhibit that number or more of abnormally low scores (Table). Discrepancy scores between pairs of tests are computed after adjusting for demographic effects and the percentage of the normative population expected to exhibit that number or more of abnormal differences are estimated. Finally, the Mahalanobis Distance Index of the overall abnormality of the case’s profile of scores is provided (including an estimate of the percentage of the normative population expected to exhibit a more unusual profile). Conclusions: This normative study together with the downloadable Neuro-Norms program will provide clinicians and researchers with an accurate and convenient means of analysing a patient’s performance against a large population-based dataset in real-time.
Laser system design for the generation of a sodium-layer laser guide star

The design considerations for a laser system used to generate a sodium-layer guide star are presented. Laser technology developed for the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) program is shown to be directly relevant to this problem and results of a demonstration using the AVLIS laser to generate such a guide star are shown. The design of a compact laser suitable for use at a large telescope such as the Keck is also presented.
Characterization of Novel Structured Packings for CO2 Capture

Abstract Structured packing is widely being considered for post-combustion CO2 capture because of its high mass transfer per unit of pressure drop. The hydraulic and mass transfer performances of structured packings with different corrugation angles were measured. The effective mass transfer area was measured by absorption of CO2 with 0.1 gmol/L NaOH. The liquid film mass transfer coefficient was measured by desorption of toluene into air. The gas film mass transfer coefficient was measured by absorption of SO2 from air into 0.1 gmol/L NaOH. The effective area and the liquid film mass transfer coefficient are dependent on liquid velocity while the gas film mass transfer coefficient is a function of gas velocity. Increasing the corrugation angle from 45° to 60° (Mellapak 250Y to Mellapak 250X) resulted in (1) a 54% decrease in pressure drop, (2) a 6% decrease in effective area, (3) a 17% decrease in kG, and (4) a 18% decrease in kL. Increasing the corrugation angle from 45° to 70°, a larger difference was found in pressure drop, kG and kL. However, the impact of corrugation angle on effective area is not significant. In conclusion, increasing the corrugation angle will have a benefit on pressure drop with a negative impact on mass transfer properties. Future work will be focused on economic analysis between operation costs (related to pressure drop) and capital costs (related to mass transfer properties) to determine the optimum corrugation angle for a particular separation task.
Ion trajectory modelling in time-dependent potential fields: Applicaion to RF-only quadrupoles

Abstract IONISM, a program to model ion trajectories in time-dependent potential fields, is described. The program uses the standard over-relaxation to create a
A loop technique for the safe, secure, and convenient fixation of subclavian central venous catheters to the chest wall

Central venous catheters are placed frequently at our institution. Residents are taught the technique of subclavian line placement starting in their first year of training. Frequently the teaching stops once the line is in the vein. We have developed a method of fixation for subclavian central venous catheters that provides a safe, secure, and convenient means of fixation to the chest wall. The central venous catheter can be inserted by that technique with which the physician is the most comfortable and familiar.
AN EFFICIENT METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE WAITING TIME DISTRIBUTION OF QUEUES

This paper presents a practical method for determining the waiting time distribution of a single-stage queueing system for general distribution of inter-arrival/service times. The method requires the matrix solution of Lindley's equation for waiting time distribution by treating time in discrete units. Some important characteristics of the method are: a) it is easily programmable; b) it has high accuracy; c) it has modest CPU time and storage requirements; and, d) it requires no mathematical functional form for inter-arrival/service time distributions.
The photoreduction of acetylene by band-gap irradiation of TiO2 using Mo2O4 (diethyldithiocarbamate)2 as a catalyst

Abstract The photoreduction of acetylene is catalyzed by Mo 2 O 4 (dedtc) 2 (dedtc, diethyldithiocarbamate) in the presence of 5–8 nm diameter colloidal TiO 2 . This photocatalytic process exhibits optimum activity at pH 6 and a loading of 30 catalyst molecules per TiO 2 particle. The same catalytic site(s) are responsible for C 2 H 2 reduction to C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6 and H + reduction to H 2 . The overall photonic efficiency is 1.3% for the transfer of reducing equivalents to products at full lamp intensity, and increases with decreasing intensity. The effects of pH, temperature, intensity and loading on the catalytic process are consistent with a mechanism in which the catalytic site associated with the TiO 2 surface promotes the transfer of H atoms or electrons to the bound substrate. The photocatalytic properties of this neutral molecular complex are compared with those observed for other Mo-containing catalysts.
Comments on ultra-high-resolution STEM

The resolution of an image in a scanning transmission electron microscope may be improved if an image of the specimen is recorded for each point in the nanodiffraction pattern. It is shown that the method suggested by Rodenburg et al. (Ultramicroscopy 48 (1993) 304) may serve as the basis for an experimentally feasible scheme in which a resolution of better than 0.1 nm is achieved for regions of 1 nm diameter chosen from normal STEM images.
Kinetic study of biphasic aldol condensation of n-butyraldehyde using stirred cell

Abstract Biphasic aldol condensation of n -butyraldehyde ( n BAL), catalyzed by aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, is a part of the 2-ethyl hexanol synthesis process. In this study, the intrinsic reaction rate is obtained in the industrially relevant range 110–150 °C and 0.76–1.9 M NaOH, which is in the mass transfer regime dominated by the reaction in the film. A stirred cell is used to obtain stable interface between the organic and aqueous phases. The reaction dominated mass transfer regime was confirmed by the plateau region experiment and calculations of mass transfer. As a result, considering n BAL solubility and diffusivity, the rate was found to be 1st order in both n BAL and NaOH concentrations, along with 13.5±0.4 kcal/mol activation energy. The kinetic parameter sensitivity using different models for solubility, diffusivity and salt effect was also studied. This work demonstrates that, using penetration theory, it is possible to determine intrinsic reaction kinetics in the mass transfer regime, governed by reaction in the film. The results of the present work will be useful for the design and optimization of reactors for the commercial biphasic aldol condensation of n BAL.
Pulsed-gradient spin-echo diffusion studies in nmr imaging. Effects of the imaging gradients on the determination of diffusion coefficients

Studies of self-diffusion by magnetic resonance imaging using variations of the pulsed-gradient spin-echo experiment are complicated by the presence of the imaging-gradient pulses. This problem is particularly severe in NMR microscopy, where the diffusion gradients are of the same order or even smaller than the imaging gradients. Due to cross terms between the diffusion gradient and parallel imaging gradients, the Stejskal-Tanner relation no longer applies. This commonly used equation could result in significant overestimation of the self-diffusion coefficient when used in such instances. The effect of diffusion on signal attenuation in a number of spin-echo diffusion imaging sequences has been analyzed, and analytical expressions including the cross terms with the imaging gradients have been derived. The equations derived were verified experimentally through measurements of the self-diffusion coefficient of water, using high-resolution microimaging (imaging gradients of 10–15 G/cm, pixel size of 23 μm) at 400 MHz. Including the cross terms in the data analysis yields values within the literature range (2.6 × 10−5 cm2/s) for the self-diffusion coefficient of water. Neglecting the cross terms is demonstrated to result in a tenfold over-estimation of the diffusion coefficient. When imaging gradients which are larger than the incremented diffusion gradient are used, the experiment becomes significantly more sensitive to diffusion effects, due to the cross terms between the gradients. This predicted and observed result improves the accuracy of imaging diffusion experiments and may also be applicable in spectroscopic diffusion measurements.
Differential effect of interleukin-1α on rat hepatic cytochrome P450 monooxygenases

Abstract Administration of recombinant human interleukin-1α to adult male rats caused a significant reduction in the levels of hepatic cytochrome P450 and P450 reductase activity at 24 h after the treatment. The mRNAs for cytochrome P450 1A2 and 2E1 were reduced more than 70% at 12 h after administration of interleukin-1a and remained decreased even after 48 h. By contrast, cytochrome P450 2C11 mRNA was reduced only by 30% at 12 h after the treatment and returned to the control levels by 48 h, suggesting that interleukin-1α has a differential effect on the expression of P450 mRNAs. Aniline hydroxylase, benzphetamine N-demethylase and 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activities were significantly decreased at 24 h after interleukin-1α treatment. The proteins for cytochrome P450 1A2 and 2E1 were reduced by about 50% at 24 h after interleukin-1a treatment.
Conductivity monitoring of inorganic anions with a Cu(II)-containing poly(3-methylthiophene) electrode in single-column ion chromatography

Abstract An amperometric detector unit equipped with a Cu(II)-containing poly(3-methylthiophene) working electrode is described for the single-column ion chromatographic detection of electroinactive inorganic anions, such as F − , Cl − , Br − , NO 2 − and NO 3 − . Chromatograms obtained with this unit and with a commercial conductivity detector are almost identical with regard to peak height. Thus, an amperometric unit employing this modified electrode can be used as a conductance monitor in ion chromatographic analysis. Although the responses of this electrode seem to be conductivity related, the detection principle is probably based on a dual mechanism involving equilibria between copper ions and various anions of the system in addition to simple conductivity changes associated with the passage of analyte plugs. This explains the difference in responses observed with platinum and stainless-steel electrodes used in the same cell configuration. The detector displays a linear range of at least two orders of magnitude on a logarithmic scale.
Comparative effects of multilevel muscle tendon surgery, osteotomies, and dorsal rhizotomy on functional and gait outcome measures for children with cerebral palsy.

Abstract Objective To compare the impact of common surgical interventions (selective dorsal rhizotomy, muscle-tendon surgery, and osteotomies) for patients with cerebral palsy (CP) on Gross Motor Function Measure and temporal, kinematic, and kinetic gait variables as assessed via 3-dimensional motion analysis. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Motion analyses laboratory. Participants Ninety-four patients with CP, 56 of whom underwent surgery (37, muscle-tendon surgery; 11, osteotomy; and 8, selective dorsal rhizotomy) and 38 of whom did not have surgery; the patients were ages 4-18 years, with a Gross Motor Function Classification System classification of I, II, or III. Interventions Single-event, multilevel muscle tendon surgery, selective dorsal rhizotomy, and osteotomy. Main Outcome Measures Change scores (postintervention – preintervention) in Gross Motor Function Measure and temporal, kinematic, and kinetic gait variables. Results No statistically significant differences in change scores were found between groups in the Gross Motor Function Measure, velocity, or stride length measures after the observation period. The selective dorsal rhizotomy group had greater improvements in knee extension when compared with the nonsurgical group and greater hip and knee total range of motion during the gait cycle when compared with nonsurgical group and the muscle-tendon surgery and osteotomy cohorts. Lastly, the muscle-tendon surgery group had greater improvements in total knee range of motion compared with the nonsurgical group. Conclusions Patients who undergo selective dorsal rhizotomy and, to a lesser extent, muscle tendon procedures demonstrate greater improvements in kinematic gait variables compared with nonsurgical interventions in patients with spasticity resulting from CP.
How effective is octreotide-LAR as a primary treatment for growth-hormone-secreting tumors?

How effective is octreotide-LAR as a primary treatment for growth-hormone-secreting tumors?
A new type of hybrid sterility in Drosophila paulistorum.

IT has been shown1 that Drosophila paulistorum is a group of at least six sub-species or incipient species, and that, at our time-level, reproductive isolation is in the process of formation between these incipient species. Crosses between three (Centro-American, Amazonian., Andean-South Brazilian) of the six sub-species result in the production of fertile female and sterile male hybrids. The male sterility2 has been found to depend on the genotype of the male's mother. Any female which carries any mixture of the chromosomes of different sub-species deposits eggs giving rise to sterile male zygotes and to fertile female ones. The male sterility is independent of the genotype of the male parent and the genotype of the sons themselves. What happens is evidently that the presence of a foreign chromosome in the female so alters the structure of her eggs, presumably by some modification of the egg cytoplasm, that male individuals developing from these eggs are sterile, and this regardless of the chromosome complement which they come to possess after fertilization. Furthermore, any one foreign chromosome (the species has three pairs of chromosomes) suffices to induce this male sterility3.
The MDA MicroSatellite Target System (MTS) for DoD Radar Calibration

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Advanced Systems Directorate (MDA/DV) is developing the MicroSatellite Target System (MTS) to research and develop the technologies necessary to build relatively inexpensive microsatellites for calibration of terrestrial radar. MTS-1 is designed to simulate reentry vehicle (RV) dynamics using the spacecraft (SC) Attitude Control System (ACS). The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate is the executing agent for MTS under MDA sponsorship.
Advanced earth-to-orbit transportation vehicles and their propulsion systems

This paper identifies some of the advanced transportation systems and their associated propulsion systems being considered by MSFC for near-term missions (1980-1990), future missions (1990-2000), and far-term missions (post 2000). The near-term launch-vehicle considerations center around the growth Shuttle and the Shuttle-derived Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) systems. The future and far-term considerations support the development of larger more advanced transportation systems. In such cases, the changing nature of the propulsion requirements needed by the launch vehicle are identified. The evolvement of chemical propulsion launch vehicles into the far future is prognosticated, and where applicable from a launch vehicle or propulsion viewpoint, orbit transfer vehicles are discussed.
Migration in Action: Profiling Border Cells

Acquiring the ability to migrate is essential for cells taking part in many developmental and disease processes. Two studies in this issue of Developmental Cell use gene expression profiling of purified border cells from the Drosophila ovary to characterize the molecular changes required in cells to initiate migration in vivo. Their results offer interesting new insights into a moving cell's physiology.
RIBONUCLEIC ACID SYNTHESIS AND TURNOVER IN RAT LIVER AND IN A RAPIDLY GROWING TRANSPLANTABLE HEPATOMA.

Abstract Rats bearing the McCoy MDAB hepatoma and normal animals were killed at different times after injection with [ 32 P]phosphate, and liver and hepatoma post-mitochondrial supernatants were separated into fractions from which the RNA was isolated. Rapidly labeled RNA was found in a membrane and high-speed supernatant fraction, while liver ribosomal RNA separated in a different fraction from that in which the hepatoma ribosomal RNA was found. Starch-gel electrophoresis of RNA extracts gave a number of components, and the base compositions of these were determined. The same types of RNA appear to be present in both liver and hepatoma, though the amounts and turnover are different. A possible mechanism though which ribosomal RNA controls the rate of protein synthesis is suggested.
Multi-agent path planning with multiple tasks and distance constraints

The DPC algorithm developed in our previous work is an efficient way of computing optimal trajectories for multiple robots in a distributed fashion with time-parameterized constraints on the distances between pairs of robots. In the present work we extend DPC to the problem of multiple task execution. While this extended problem inherits all the objectives, complexities and constraints of the basic DPC algorithm, each robot is also given an unordered set of tasks that it has to execute before it reaches its goal. There is no specific order imposed on the tasks assigned to a particular robot. The algorithm decides the order of execution of the tasks such that an optimal solution is attained while the time-parametrized distance constraints are satisfied along with successful execution of the tasks. We solve this problem by designing a “State-task Graph” that represents a product of the state-space graph and the task graph. We then develop an efficient heuristic function for performing searches in this graph.
A serotonergic system involved in the grooming behavior of cats with pontile lesion

Abstract Cats with pontile lesions exhibit an abnormal grooming behavior that consists of a disintegration of the appetitive and consummatory components. A serotonergic system is implicated because both 5-hydroxytryptophan and seryl-trihydroxybenzyl-hydrazine (but not dihydroxyphenylalanine) abolish the abnormal behavior, and because para-chlorophenylalanine abolishes the effectiveness of seryl-trihydroxybenzyl-hydrazine. The effectiveness of 5-hydroxytryptophan is abolished in cats pretreated with both para-chlorophenylalanine and seryl-trihydroxybenzyl-hydrazine. These results indicate that 5-hydroxytryptophan must first be decarboxylated to 5-hydroxytryptamine before it has an effect on the behavior. Additional evidence that a serotonergic system is involved in the grooming behavior was obtained by determining the activity of the enzyme, tryptophan hydroxylase, in the superior colliculi of cats with unilateral pontile lesions. A decreased activity ipsilateral to the unilateral lesion was found, suggesting that a transection of serotonergic input to the superior colliculus may be a primary effect of the lesion.
Fast, Small, and Static Combinatorial CMOS Circuits

We present ALPS, a new way to generate layout from boolean equations. We use an original tree-structured representation of arbitrary boolean expressions, more compact than classic disjunctive form, allowing fast symbolic manipulation and natural mapping onto silicon. This implementation of ALPS produces static CMOS layout using a cascode-switch style. We present measurements done on fabricated circuits. For a large class of functions, particularly semi-regular control logic, VLSI layout generated by ALPS compares favorably in speed and area to PLAS and Standard-Cell designs.
Bestimmung von Schwermetallen in reinsten Säuren durch anodische Amalgamvoltammetrie

Kupfer und Blei werden in reinster Salzsaure und Schwefelsaure mit Hilfe der anodischen Amalgamvoltammetrie bestimmt. Die Nachweisgrenzen fur beide Elemente liegen bei 10−7%. Die relative Standardabweichung (10 Meswerte) betragt im Konzentrationsbereich von 10−4 bis 3 · 10−6% fur Blei und Kupfer in konzentrierten Sauren 4–6%.
The Symbolic Function of Food as Iconic Representation of Culture and Spirituality in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival (ca 1205)

As recent cultural-historical studies have demonstrated, a careful analysis of food preparation and consumption can reveal much about a specific culture or society. Moreover, as this paper argues, a focus on a protagonist's attitude toward and reflection of foodstuff and meals can shed important light on his/her intellectual, cultural, and spiritual development. To test this thesis, this paper investigates how Parzival in Wolfram von Eschenbach's eponymous romance operates with food, how he performs in courtly society during banquets, and how his growing education and maturation is demonstrated through his changing behavior with regard to food at large. We can draw the significant conclusion that the growth of this hero is powerfully reflected through his relationship with food.
Urinary Bladder Smooth Muscle Engineered from Adipose Stem Cells and a Three Dimensional Synthetic Composite

Human adipose stem cells were cultured in smooth muscle inductive media and seeded into synthetic bladder composites to tissue engineer bladder smooth muscle. 85:15 Poly-lactic-glycolic acid bladder dome composites were cast using an electropulled microfiber luminal surface combined with an outer porous sponge. Cell-seeded bladders expressed smooth muscle actin, myosin heavy chain, calponinin, and caldesmon via RT-PCR and immunoflourescence. Nude rats (n = 45) underwent removal of half their bladder and repair using: (i) augmentation with the adipose stem cell-seeded composites, (ii) augmentation with a matched acellular composite, or (iii) suture closure. Animals were followed for 12 weeks post-implantation and bladders were explanted serially. Results showed that bladder capacity and compliance were maintained in the cell-seeded group throughout the 12 weeks, but deteriorated in the acellular scaffold group sequentially with time. Control animals repaired with sutures regained their baseline bladder capacities by week 12, demonstrating a long-term limitation of this model. Histological analysis of explanted materials demonstrated viable adipose stem cells and increasing smooth muscle mass in the cell-seeded scaffolds with time. Tissue bath stimulation demonstrated smooth muscle contraction of the seeded implants but not the acellular implants after 12 weeks in vivo. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and short term physical properties of bladder tissue engineered from adipose stem cells.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Associated Periodic Fever Syndrome with Photographic Evidence of Various Skin Disease and Unusual Phenotypes: Case Report and Literature Review

Objectives To report a case of tumor necrosis factor receptor associated periodic fever syndrome (TRAPS) with unusual clinical phenotypes and a systematic review. Methods The relevant English literature of TRAPS was searched using the keywords TRAPS, autoinflammatory disease, and gene mutation. Original and review articles were reviewed and the clinical scenarios were exemplified with a case report. Results A 58-year-old Jewish woman with Eastern European Ashkenazic background presented with photographic evidence of various skin disease, including previously unreported vesicles and alopecia, as well as other systemic manifestations. The complaints of urinary foreign bodies prompted a discovery of ureteral strictures with atypia perhaps from autoinflammation. A R92Q gene mutation of TNFRSFA1 was detected. The clinical manifestations of this disease are protean and its pathogenesis is complex, involving the interaction of wild-type and mutated gene products, innate immune system, and proinflammatory cytokines. Glucocorticoid and anticytokine therapy is generally efficacious but some cases remain refractory to the current treatment. Conclusions TRAPS is a systemic autoinflammatory disease with variable clinical phenotypes associated with gene mutations. Recognition of the unusual phenotypes may enhance early accurate diagnosis.
Interaction of Network Design and Fiber Optic Component Design in Local Area Networks

This paper discusses some of the system issues that impact the design of fiber optic components intended for use in local area networks. How fiber optics technology affects system level decisions such as topology and system synchronization is also discussed. Finally, some of the key contributions of fiber optics in local network applications as well as areas for further contribution are presented.
Differential effects of insulin, antibodies against rat adipocyte plasma membranes, and other agents that mimic insulin action in rat adipocytes

The effects of insulin and several insulin-mimetic agents on rat adipocyte D-glucose metabolism were studied in an effort to determine if any of the insulin-mimetic agents could be used to define the mechanism of insulin action. Antibodies against rat adipocyte plasma membranes have been characterized as having insulin-mimetic effects on glucose transport and these effects may be caused by divalent clustering of cell surface antigens. In contrast to insulin, antimembrane antibodies had little stimulatory effect on D-glucose conversion to lipids in isolated rat adipocytes, under conditions where both reagents stimulated D-glucose oxidation. Among other insulin-mimetic agents tested, the reagents hydrogen peroxide and concanavalin A most closely resembled insulin in their ability to increase both [14C]-CO2 and [14C]-lipid formation from [14C]D-glucose in rat adipocytes. Vitamin K5 and diamide had the unusual effect of inhibiting [1-14C]D-glucose conversion to [14C]-lipids at a concentration that gave maximal stimulation of glucose oxidation by rat adipocytes. Analysis of the lipid components into which glucose derivatives were incorporated revealed that insulin increased D-glucose incorporation into both nonesterified fatty acids and triglycerides and H2O2 and concanavalin A had similar effects. These findings argue against the possibility that insulin and the antimembrane antibodies or the insulin-mimetic agents other than H2O2 and concanavalin A share the same mechanism of action.
Examining trends in the tetravalent character of group 14 elements (C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) with acids and hydroperoxides

The shift from tetravalency to divalency in going from carbon to lead chemistry is thought to be one of the most striking periodic properties. Although several molecules in the series R-(X{double{underscore}bond}O)-OH and R-{umlt X}-O-OH (R = H, CH{sub 3}; X = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) have been synthesized, most are unknown to date. Using density functional theory and hybrid Hartree-Fock/density functional theory with the BLYP and B3LYP functionals, the relative stability of hydroperoxycarbene, (H-{umlt C}-O-O-H) to its acid isomer, formic acid, is predicted to be +96.4 kcal/mol with BLYP and a triple-{zeta} plus double polarization (TZ2P) basis set. As other group 14 atoms replace the carbon atom, this energy difference lessens considerably: Si, 101.0 (TZ2P) and 92.1 (TZ2P-ECP); Ge, 57.0 (TZ2P), and 65.5 (TZ2P-ECP); Sn, 48.4 (TZ2P-ECP); Pb, 22.1 (TZ2P-ECP), where TZ2P-ECP indicates that effective core potentials (ECP) were used for the group 14 atom only. As one descends group 14, the acid form remains lower in energy than the peroxide form, indicating that even for lead tetravalency is preferred. A similar trend occurs for the relative energies between the group 14 congeners of hydroperoxymethylcarbene (CH{sub 3}-{umlt C}-O-O-H) and its acid isomer, acetic acid: C, 88.1 (TZ2P); Si, 101.9more » (TZ2P) and 93.1 (TZ2P-ECP); Ge, 58.7 (TZ2P) and 67.2 (TZ2P-ECP); Sn, 50.4 (TZ2P-ECP); Pb, 25.1 (TZ2P-ECP). Results with B3LYP were similar to those of BLYP though the former are somewhat more dubious due to spin contamination in the carbon congeners. Coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) and CCSD with triple excitations perturbatively added (CCSD(T)) single-point energies also show similar results and favor the tetravalent acid congeners by 4--13 kcal/mol more than density functional theory.« less
Potent inhibition of human neuronal nitric oxide synthase by NG-Nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester results from contaminating NG-NITRO-L-arginine

N(G)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), inhibits the three isozymes of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism of NOS inhibition by L-NAME is uncertain. L-NAME was a time-dependent inhibitor of neuronal NOS (nNOS). Concommitantly, L-NAME was hydrolyzed, non-enzymatically, to N(G)-Nitro-L-arginine (L-NA) during the enzyme assay. The time-dependent inhibition of nNOS by L-NAME was the result of this time-dependent formation of L-NA. Furthermore, N(G)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl amide, which is an isosteric analogue of L-NAME that is much less susceptible to hydrolysis, was a rapidly reversible weak inhibitor of NOS. These data suggested that L-NAME itself was a weak and rapidly reversible inhibitor of nNOS. Most of the inhibition of nNOS by a solution of L-NAME is the result of the formation of L-NA. L-NAME was a substrate for porcine liver esterase.
Endoscopic management of radiation-induced complete upper esophageal obstruction with an antegrade-retrograde rendezvous technique

Background Esophageal strictures occur in 3% to 4% of patients with head and neck cancer who undergo radiation therapy. Some patients develop complete obstruction of the upper esophagus. Antegrade dilatation is often unsuccessful and many of these patients require surgery. Objective To describe the outcomes and complications of an endoscopic antegrade-retrograde rendezvous procedure to restore esophageal patency. Design Retrospective review of 8 cases treated with an endoscopic rendezvous procedure between August 2001 and April 2005. Medical records of consenting patients were abstracted for clinical history, procedural success, complications, and follow-up. Setting A large tertiary referral center. Patients Eight patients with head and neck or upper esophageal cancer and complete upper esophageal obstruction from radiation stricturing who underwent an attempted rendezvous procedure. Main Outcome Measurements Clinical procedural success, reported adverse events. Results Seven patients were men, and median age was 65 years. The median interval between radiation and the rendezvous procedure was 11 months. In 7 of 8 cases esophageal patency was restored and no major complications occurred. Two esophageal microperforations resolved without intervention. Most patients responded well to subsequent serial dilations and many discontinued gastrostomy tube use. Limitations Retrospective, selection bias. Conclusions An antegrade-retrograde rendezvous technique with subsequent dilation appears to be safe and effective for endoscopic management of complete upper esophageal obstruction induced by radiotherapy and can obviate the need for esophageal resection.