cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Levy (stable) probability densities and mechanical relaxation in solid polymers

Early investigations by Weber, R. and F. Kohlrausch, Maxwell, and Boltzmann of relaxation in viscoelastic solids are reviewed. A two-state model stress-tensor describing strain coupling to internal conformations of a polymer chain is used to derive a linear response version of the Boltzmann superposition principle for shear stress relaxation. The relaxation function of Kohlrauschφ(t)= exp[−(t/τ α )] is identical to the Williams-Watts empirical dielectric relaxation function and in the model corresponds to the autocorrelation function of a segment's differential shape anisotropy tensor. By analogy with the dielectric problem, exp[−(t/τ α )] is interpreted as the survival probability of a frozen segment in a swarm of hopping defects with a stable waiting-time distributionAt −α for defect motion. The exponent a is the fractal dimension of a hierarchical scaling set of defect hopping times. Integral transforms ofφ(t) needed for data analysis are evaluated; the cosine and inverse-Laplace transforms are stable probability densities. The reciprocal kernel for short-time compliance is discussed.
Sequential dynamics in visual short-term memory

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) is thought to help bridge across changes in visual input, and yet many studies of VSTM employ static displays. Here we investigate how VSTM copes with sequential input. In particular, we characterize the temporal dynamics of several different components of VSTM performance, including: storage probability, precision, variability in precision, guessing, and swapping. We used a variant of the continuous-report VSTM task developed for static displays, quantifying the contribution of each component with statistical likelihood estimation, as a function of serial position and set size. In Experiments 1 and 2, storage probability did not vary by serial position for small set sizes, but showed a small primacy effect and a robust recency effect for larger set sizes; precision did not vary by serial position or set size. In Experiment 3, the recency effect was shown to reflect an increased likelihood of swapping out items from earlier serial positions and swapping in later items, rather than an increased rate of guessing for earlier items. Indeed, a model that incorporated responding to non-targets provided a better fit to these data than alternative models that did not allow for swapping or that tried to account for variable precision. These findings suggest that VSTM is updated in a first-in-first-out manner, and they bring VSTM research into closer alignment with classical working memory research that focuses on sequential behavior and interference effects.
H I superclouds in the inner Galaxy

Atomic hydrogen clouds in the Weaver-Williams 21 cm survey are found in the vicinity of the largest molecular cloud complexes in the first Galactic quadrant. The atomic masses are estimated in several ways, including a new method where the clouds are assumed to be composed of cool clumps immersed in a warm interclump medium. The clouds are found to contain between a million and 40 million solar masses of atoms at an average density of about 9/cu cm. They appear gravitationally bound, their molecular mass fractions decrease from 70 percent to 5 percent with increasing distance from the Galactic center, and they are located in the spiral arms. The importance of these clouds for the large-scale distributions of interstellar mass, molecular fraction, and star formation is discussed.
Preliminary modeling assessment of the efficacy of a suicide gene system to contain bacteria and plasmids in the environment

Simulation models are rarely applied to the preliminary analysis of emerging environmental problems, because endpoints and behaviors of concern are not yet defined, or the principles and processes governing behaviors of concern are unknown. Nonetheless, environmental management decisions must be made based on inferences and beliefs about system behaviors and these inferences and beliefs form implicit models. As such, there may be benefits to be derived from modeling one's underlying perceptions as a way to expose flaws in reasoning, as well as insights and potential solutions that might otherwise be overlooked. This rationale was applied to the analysis of a suicide gene system that has been proposed for controlling environmental microbiotechnology products in the field. A simple simulation model was constructed to describe beliefs about the suicide gene system and an hypothesis about its effects presented by the developers of the control system. Analysis involved making plausible relaxations in modeling assumptions to test the robustness of model predictions about the control system's effects vis-a-vis the original hypothesis. Results provide a more thorough interpretation of current knowledge and perceptions about the control system's capabilities and limitations than previously reported in the literature, and offer suggestions for evaluating field test proposals. Institutional barriers to use of the methodology employed herein are discussed.
Conservation of argali Ovis ammon in western Mongolia and the Altai-Sayan

Management of argali in Mongolia historically has been tied to improving biological research and anti-poaching activities within the framework of trophy hunting. Argali populations in protected areas, where trophy hunting does not occur, have received little attention, and conservation or management plans for these areas generally do not exist. In this study, results from interviews with pastoralists in Siilkhemiin Nuruu National Park in western Mongolia indicate that local people revere argali and are generally aware of and support government protections, but may not be inclined to reduce herd sizes or discontinue grazing certain pastures for the benefit of wildlife without compensation. Because past protectionist approaches to argali conservation in western Mongolia and the greater Altai-Sayan ecoregion have not achieved effective habitat conservation or anti-poaching enforcement, alternative management policies should be considered. Results from this study suggest local receptiveness to management programs based on community involvement and direct benefit.
ARCHITECTS AND SINNERS

The Image of the Architect by Andrew Saint, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1983, 192 pp., 59 black and white ills, £10.95
Fuel processing for low-temperature and high-temperature fuel cells: Challenges, and opportunities for sustainable development in the 21st century

Abstract This review paper first discusses the needs for fundamental changes in the energy system for major efficiency improvements in terms of global resource limitation and sustainable development. Major improvement in energy efficiency of electric power plants and transportation vehicles is needed to enable the world to meet the energy demands at lower rate of energy consumption with corresponding reduction in pollutant and CO2 emissions. A brief overview will then be given on principle and advantages of different types of low-temperature and high-temperature fuel cells. Fuel cells are intrinsically much more energy-efficient, and could achieve as high as 70–80% system efficiency (including heat utilization) in electric power plants using solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC, versus the current efficiency of 30–37% via combustion), and 40–50% efficiency for transportation using proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) or solid oxide fuel cells (versus the current efficiency of 20–35% with internal combustion (IC) engines). The technical discussions will focus on fuel processing for fuel cell applications in the 21st century. The strategies and options of fuel processors depend on the type of fuel cells and applications. Among the low-temperature fuel cells, proton-exchange membrane fuel cells require H2 as the fuel and thus nearly CO-free and sulfur-free gas feed must be produced from fuel processor. High-temperature fuel cells such as solid oxide fuel cells can use both CO and H2 as fuel, and thus fuel processing can be achieved in less steps. Hydrocarbon fuels and alcohol fuels can both be used as fuels for reforming on-site or on-board. Alcohol fuels have the advantages of being ultra-clean and sulfur-free and can be reformed at lower temperatures, but hydrocarbon fuels have the advantages of existing infrastructure of production and distribution and higher energy density. Further research and development on fuel processing are necessary for improved energy efficiency and reduced size of fuel processor. More effective ways for on-site or on-board deep removal of sulfur before and after fuel reforming, and more energy-efficient and stable catalysts and processes for reforming hydrocarbon fuels are necessary for both high-temperature and low-temperature fuel cells. In addition, more active and robust (non-pyrophoric) catalysts for water–gas-shift (WGS) reactions, more selective and active catalysts for preferential CO oxidation at lower temperature, more CO-tolerant anode catalysts would contribute significantly to development and implementation of low-temperature fuel cells, particularly proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. In addition, more work is required in the area of electrode catalysis and high-temperature membrane development related to fuel processing including tolerance to certain components in reformate, especially CO and sulfur species.
Review: Effect of drugs on human cough reflex sensitivity to inhaled capsaicin

Capsaicin, the pungent extract of red peppers, has been used in clinical research for almost three decades. Capsaicin has gained favor as the provocative agent of choice to measure cough reflex sensitivity, as it induces cough in a safe, reproducible, and dose-dependent manner. One of the major uses of capsaicin cough challenge testing has been to evaluate the effect of a pharmacological intervention on the human cough reflex. The current review summarizes the published experience with capsaicin inhalation challenge in the evaluation of drug effects on cough reflex sensitivity. A notable contrast evident between studies demonstrating a drug effect (inhibition of cough reflex sensitivity) and those that do not, is the predominance of healthy volunteers as subjects in the latter. This observation suggests that subjects with pathological cough, rather than normal volunteers, comprise the optimal group in which to evaluate the effect of potential antitussive agents on human cough reflex sensitivity.
A study on a characteristic of stem friction coefficient for motor operated flexible wedge gate valve

Stem friction coefficient is a coefficient that represents friction between thread leads of the stem and stem nut. It is an important factor to determine output thrust delivered from the actuator to the valve stem in assessing performance of motor operated valves. This study analyzes the effects of changes in differential pressure on stem friction coefficient, and determines the bounding value of stem friction coefficient. A dynamic test was conducted on multiple flexible wedge gate valves in various differential pressure conditions, and the test data was statistically analyzed to determine the bounding value. The results show that stem friction coefficient in middle and high differential pressure is influenced by fluid pressure, while stem friction coefficient in low differential pressure is almost not affected by fluid pressure. In addition, it is found that the bounding value of stem friction coefficient is higher in a closing stroke than in an opening stroke.
Statistical approach to unsupervised defect detection and multiscale localization in two-texture images

We present a novel statistical approach to unsupervised de- tection and localization of a chromatic defect in a uniformly textured background. The test images are probabilistically modeled using Gauss- ian mixture models, and consequently defect detection is posed as a model-order selection problem. The statistical model is estimated using a modified Expectation-Maximization algorithm that aids in faster conver- gence of the scheme. A test image is segmented only if a defective region/blob has been declared to be present, and this improves the effi- ciency of the entire scheme. This work places equal emphasis on defect localization; hence, an elaborate statistical multiscale analysis is per- formed to accurately localize the defect in the image. The underlying idea behind the multiscale approach is that segmented structures should be stable across a wide range of scales. The efficacy of the proposed approach is successfully demonstrated on a large dataset of stained fabric images. The overall detection rate of the system is found to be 92% with a specificity of 95%. All of these factors make the proposed approach attractive for implementation in online industrial applications.
Heats of Formation of Diphosphene, Phosphinophosphinidene, Diphosphine and Their Methyl Derivatives, and Mechanism of the Borane-Assisted Hydrogen Release

The heats of formation of diphosphene (cis- and trans-P2H2), phopshinophosphinidene (singlet and triplet H2PP) and diphosphine (P2H4), as well as those of the P2H and P2H3 radicals resulting from PH bond cleavages, have been calculated by using high-level ab initio electronic structure theory. Energies were calculated using coupled-cluster theory with a perturbative treatment for triple excitations (CCSD(T)) and employing augmented correlation consistent basis sets with additional tight d-functions on P (aug-cc-pV(n+d)Z) up to quadruple- or quintuple-ζ, to perform a complete basis set extrapolation for the energy. Geometries and vibrational frequencies were determined with the CCSD(T) method. Core-valence and scalar relativistic corrections were included, as well as scaled zero-point energies. We find the following heats of formation (kcal/mol) at 298 [0] K: (P2H) = 53.4 [54.4]; (cis-P2H2) = 32.0 [33.9]; (trans-P2H2) = 28.7 [30.6]; (H2PP) = 53.7 [55.6]; (3H2PP) = 56.5 [58.3]; (P2H3) = 32.3 [34.8]; (P2H4)...
Characterization of North American Lignite Fly Ashes I. Chemical Variation

The chemical variation of central North American lignite fly ash can be compared using the major and minor oxide analyses and the distribution pattern of the inter-grain chemistries of the individual fly ash particles. AAS and electron microprobe chemical analysis of nineteen fly ashes have been used to illustrate the variations in bulk sample and individual grain chemistry. This information documents the chemical variability of the lignite fly ashes by geographic region. There is a direct relationship between grains rich in SiO2 and Al2O3 and in the Na2O content of the grains in lignite derived fly ashes. There is also a direct relationship between grains rich in CaP and the MgO and SO3 content of the grains in lignite derived fly ashes.
High-Quality Thermochemistry Data on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons via Quantum Chemistry

In this article, recent work on calculating high-quality enthalpies of formation for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) based on both density functional theory (DFT) and Gaussian-3 (G3) model chemistry methods is discussed. It is shown that through the use of an empirical correction model, the systematic errors in low-level DFT calculations can be controlled to produce reliable thermochemistry. It is further shown that the G3 results have a more regular systematic error and as a consequence a simpler model may be used to correct for systematic deviations. It is seen that the resulting enthalpy of formation values are in good agreement with the available experimental data, and that the predictions are sufficiently robust to point out certain errors in experimental determinations. This work was done as part of a larger effort to create a curated data set of property data for a large set of PAH molecules. In furtherance of this goal, UV/Vis spectra have been computed using time-dependent DFT. The collec...
Some developments in semigroups of operators since Hille-Phillips

0. INTRODUCTION Einar Hille is one of my mathematical heroes° It was an honor and a pleasure to lecture at the conference celebrating his eighty-fifth birthday; and this paper, the text of that lecture, is dedicated to the memory of Professor Hille, a great mathematician. The appearance of the Hille-Phillips monograph I22] in 1957 was a major event in the theory and applications of linear operators on Banach spaces. After recalling a few of the key results on which [22] was built, we shall survey briefly a small sampling of results in the theory and applications of operator semigroups obtained since the appearance of [22]. Naturally, this limited survey reflects the tastes and prejudices of the author.
Noninvasive Measurement of Central Vascular Pressures With Arterial Tonometry: Clinical Revival of the Pulse Pressure Waveform?

The arterial pulse has historically been an essential source of information in the clinical assessment of health. With current sphygmomanometric and oscillometric devices, only the peak and trough of the peripheral arterial pulse waveform are clinically used. Several limitations exist with peripheral blood pressure. First, central aortic pressure is a better predictor of cardiovascular outcome than peripheral pressure. Second, peripherally obtained blood pressure does not accurately reflect central pressure because of pressure amplification. Lastly, antihypertensive medications have differing effects on central pressures despite similar reductions in brachial blood pressure. Applanation tonometry can overcome the limitations of peripheral pressure by determining the shape of the aortic waveform from the radial artery. Waveform analysis not only indicates central systolic and diastolic pressure but also determines the influence of pulse wave reflection on the central pressure waveform. It can serve as a useful adjunct to brachial blood pressure measurements in initiating and monitoring hypertensive treatment, in observing the hemodynamic effects of atherosclerotic risk factors, and in predicting cardiovascular outcomes and events. Radial artery applanation tonometry is a noninvasive, reproducible, and affordable technology that can be used in conjunction with peripherally obtained blood pressure to guide patient management. Keywords for the PubMed search were applanation tonometry, radial artery, central pressure, cardiovascular risk, blood pressure, and arterial pulse. Articles published from January 1, 1995, to July 1, 2009, were included in the review if they measured central pressure using radial artery applanation tonometry.
Passive Resonance Roof Moisture Detector

A new, simple, and inexpensive prototype moisture sensor (patent pending) has been developed and tested in a small mockup of a low-sloped roof. The sensor comprises an inductor and a moisture-sensitive capacitor; it reqmres neither batteries nor wire connections. It is intended to be placed at locations within low- sloped roofs that might become wet from a leak, and remain operational for the life of the roof and automatically reset if the roof becomes dry again. The moisture state of the sensor can be detected by a simple electronic circuit that is passed within 30 cm of the sensor. Preliminary tests have been performed that indicate the potential for electromagnetically and remotely polling the sensor to determine moisture state. Further instrumentation to poll remotely the assemblage of sensors to detect the presence of some that are wet has been proposed and the principle tested; however, a practical implementation has not yet been developed.
Synchronous epileptiform bursts without chemical transmission in CA2, CA3 and dentate areas of the hippocampus.

Slices of rat hippocampus maintained in a medium containing Mn2+ and lowered Ca2+ concentration, which demonstrably blocked chemical synapses, generated spontaneous bursts of population spikes in all cell body layers after 30–60 min of incubation. Therefore, electrical interactions alone can synchronize neuronal activity in the hippocampus, and they are probably important during epileptiform events.
Optimum approximate modes of strain-hardening beams

Summary The effects of using various mode forms and various types of matching conditions on the accuracy of a mode approximation method for strain-hardening structures is examined. Although accuracy is improved by increasing the complexity of the approximation, good results are obtained for the simplest practical formulation provided the choice of the best combination of mode shape and matching condition is made.
Bulky substituent effects on the iron(III) complexation of 1,4,7-triazacyclononane

Abstract The synthesis of two sterically encumbered macrocycles, N,N′,N″-triisopropyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (1) and N,N′,N″-triisobutyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (2), and their reactions with iron(III) have been investigated. In alcoholic solvents, a 1:1 mixture of either 1 or 2 and FeCl3·6H2O does not result in complex formation. Instead, the macrocycles are singly protonated with the iron being incorporated into the anion. The structure of (1·H)+(FeCl4)− was determined by single crystal X-ray methods. Crystals are orthorhombic, space group Pbca (No. 61), with the following unit cell parameters: a=14.921(2), b=17.765(2), c=17.414(2) A, V=4616.0(10) A3 and Z=8. The structure of (2·H)+2(Fe2OCl6)2− was also determined. Crystals are triclinic, space group P 1 (No. 2) with the following unit cell parameters: a=9.3543(10), b=10.1002(11), c=14.4167(14) A, α=85.185(8), β=73.395(8), γ=73.198(8)°, V =1246.6(2) A3 and Z=2. The reactivity of 1 and 2 with iron(III) is then compared to that of the well-studied macrocycles, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane and N,N′,N″-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane. The inability of 1 and 2 to serve as ligands to iron(III) in protic media is attributed to steric interactions involving the bulky alkyl appendages of the macrocycles.
Newborn evaluations of toxicity and withdrawal related to prenatal cocaine exposure.

The literature on prenatal cocaine exposure is unclear whether immediate postpartum effects on the infant are transient, related to either acute toxicity of cocaine, or to a withdrawal effect as cocaine is metabolized, or whether they might persist. This prospective, longitudinal study was designed to test the hypotheses that newborns urine-positive for cocaine metabolites, compared to those exposed but urine-negative, and to nonexposed controls would (1) have poorer neurobehavioral scores (toxicity effect) and (2) worsen or demonstrate less improvement over the first week (withdrawal effect). We approached over 2500 pregnant women designated to deliver at our referral hospital from public health clinics; 85% consented to participate in a longitudinal study. We excluded women <18 years old with major chronic illness and prenatal drug use except cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and tobacco. From positive urine toxicologies or admissions in private, thorough interviews, 154 were identified as prenatal cocaine users; 154 were selected from noncocaine users matched on socioeconomic status (SES), race, parity and location of prenatal care (that related to perinatal risk), for a total sample size of 308. Included in this article are the 155 surviving infants who were full-term, delivered vaginally and were well and available for testing over the first week postpartum. Infant urine specimens were collected, and neurobehavorial testing was performed by certified, blinded examiners using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale on days 1, 2-4 and 5-7 postpartum. In toxicity analyses, controlling for amount of prenatal drug exposures, only autonomic regulation demonstrated significant overall and cocaine drug group effects. Urine-positive newborns had the poorest scores (i.e., more startles, tremors). However, given that planned comparisons were not significant, these data provided little support for acute toxicity effects. In withdrawal analyses, only one significant change over time varied among exposure groups. Those infants exposed and positive for cocaine metabolites increased their scores on regulation of state on days 2-4 and decreased them on days 5-7 (when withdrawal might be evident). However, their scores on days 5-7 were not significantly lower than their initial scores, nor different from the days 5-7 scores of the exposed negatives or control infants, lending little support for withdrawal effects. Our data support those of other controlled studies in failing to demonstrate devastating early effects of prenatal cocaine exposure. They add to our understanding that effects observed do not appear to be related to acute toxicity nor to cocaine withdrawal. The uncertainty of persistent effects of cocaine exposure warrants long-term follow-up.
The implementation of a knowledge-based pathology hypertext under HyperCard

A knowledge-based Hypertext of Pathology integrating videodisc-based images and computer-generated graphics with the textual cognitive information of an undergraduate pathology curriculum has been developed. The system described in this paper was implemented under HyperCard00 during 1988 and 1989. Three earlier versions of the system that were developed on different platforms are contrasted with the present system. Strengths, weaknesses, and future extensions of the system are enumerated. The conceptual basis and organizational principles of the knowledge base are also briefly discussed.
Delay performance in stochastic processing networks with priority service

We evaluate the delay performance of an open multi-class stochastic processing network of multi-server resources with preemptive-resume priority service. We show that the stationary distribution of aggregate queue lengths has product form. For each service class we derive explicit expressions for the following stationary performance measures: The mean and, under feedforward routing, the Laplace transform of the delay distribution at each resource. We show that these measures are the same as if the resources were operating in isolation.
Deformation of Top‐Down and Bottom‐Up Silver Nanowires

Atomistic simulations are employed to probe the deformation behavior of experimentally observed top-down and bottom-up face-centered cubic silver nanowires. Stable, oriented nanowires with a rhombic and truncated-rhombic cross section are considered, representative of top-down geometries, as well as the multiply twinned pentagonal nanowire that is commonly fabricated in a bottom-up approach. The tensile deformation of a stable, experimentally observed structure is simulated to failure for each nanowire structure. A detailed, mechanistic explanation of the initial defect nucleation is provided for each nanowire. The three geometries are shown to exhibit different levels of strength and to deform by a range of mechanisms depending on the nanowire structure. In particular, the deformation behavior of top-down and bottom-up nanowires is shown to be fundamentally different. The yield strength of nanowires ranging from 1 to 25 nm in diameter is provided and reveals that in addition to cross-sectional diameter, the strength of the nanowires is strongly tied to the structure. This study demonstrates that nanowire structure and size may be tailored for specific mechanical requirements in nanometer-scale devices.
245 POSTNATAL GROWTH AND FATTY ACID SYNTHESIS IN INSULIN-INDUCED MACROSOMIC RAT PUPS

Fetal hyperinsulinemia results in neonatal macrosomia and enhanced lipogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these neonatal observations persist postnatally in this animal model. Fetal hyperinsulinemia was produced in Sprague-Dawley rats by injecting fetuses with 2 units of PZI insulin at 20.5 days gestation. Alternate pups in the same litter were injected with isovolemic saline (control). Following cesarean birth at term, the pups were nursed ad lib by foster mothers. Daily weights were obtained and at 15 days of age fatty acid contents and synthesis (tritiated water technique) were measured. At birth insulin treated pups were 12% heavier than control (5.88±0.15 vs. 5.26±0.14g, M±SEM, p<.01). As shown in graphs, growth and growth velocity were enhanced during suckling period in insulin treated pups. FA contents of liver and muscle in insulin pups,(62.6±5.7 μmole/g and 62.7±13.2 μmole/g) were significantly greater (p<.05) than in saline treated littermates (45.1±5.6 μmole/g and 30.2±4.7 μmole/g, respectively). We conclude that: 1. Fetal hyperinsulinemia-induced neonatal macrosomia is not an evanescent condition and may serve as a useful model for the study of childhood obesity; 2. Persistent enhancement of somatic growth in these pups was associated with higher lipid contents in liver and muscle indicating continuing anabolic effect.
The Indiana Toll Road Lease as an Intergenerational Cash Transfer

In a recent incarnation of the public–private partnership, state or city governments agree to lease revenue-producing assets to a private operator for a lengthy period, up to 99 years. The government receives an up-front payment, allowing it to collect many years of future revenue at once. This article evaluates the distributional consequences across time of one asset lease, the Indiana Toll Road. The analysis finds that the majority of benefits, in the form of road construction, are enjoyed in the early part of the lease, while the bulk of the costs fall late in the lease, raising important questions about intergenerational fairness.
Glucocorticoid regulation of surfactant‐associated proteins in rabbit fetal lung in vivo

The effects of a maternally administered synthetic glucocorticoid, betamethasone, on the levels of mRNA for the surfactant proteins SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C and on the levels of SP-A protein were investigated in day 27 gestational age rabbit fetal lung tissue. Betamethasone administration to the pregnant rabbit caused approximately a twofold increase in the fetal lung level of SP-A protein and a threefold increase in fetal lung SP-A mRNA levels when compared to levels in fetuses obtained from saline-treated or uninjected animals. SP-B mRNA was increased fourfold in fetal lung tissue obtained from glucocorticoid-treated pregnant does when compared to levels in fetuses of uninjected pregnant does. However, SP-B mRNA levels in fetal lung tissue from saline-injected controls were also significantly elevated, approximately twofold, when compared to fetal lung SP-B mRNA levels in the uninjected control condition. SP-C mRNA levels in lung tissue of fetuses from both saline-injected and betamethasone-injected pregnant does were increased similarly, approximately twofold, over SP-C mRNA levels in fetal lung tissue obtained from uninjected control does. These data are suggestive that betamethasone treatment increases fetal lung SP-A and SP-B mRNA levels and that maternal stress alone can increase the expression of SP-B and SP-C mRNA in rabbit fetal lung tissue. Using in situ hybridization, SP-A mRNA was shown to be present primarily in alveolar type II cells in fetuses of control and saline-injected does. However, SP-A mRNA was easily detected in both alveolar type II cells and bronchiolar epithelial cells of rabbit fetal lung tissue following maternal betamethasone treatment. In contrast, SP-B and SP-C mRNA were present only in alveolar type II cells of lung tissue obtained from fetuses of control, saline, or betamethasone-treated does. Thus maternal administration of glucocorticoids increased SP-A protein as well as SP-A and SP-B mRNA levels in rabbit fetal lung tissue. SP-A mRNA was localized to both alveolar type II cells and in smaller amounts in bronchiolar epithelial cells of rabbit fetal lung tissue. However, SP-B and SP-C mRNA were detected only in alveolar type II cells.
Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Lithium Zinc Ferrites Using Polyacrylic Acid, and Their Initial Densification

A chemical synthesis technique that uses polyacrylic acid (PAA) to prepare nanocrystalline Li0.3Zn0.4Fe2.3O4 was investigated. Phase-pure spinel that had an average particle size of ∼13 nm was synthesized at a low temperature (450°C) for 30 min. The average particle size was dependent on the firing temperature and amounts of PAA and Bi2O3. The combustion reaction of PAA was believed to be the main reason for the low-temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline lithium zinc (LiZn) ferrites. In addition, a chelating tendency was observed, via infrared (IR) spectroscopy, in the dried gel precipitates that were prepared at a low pH (∼2). The initial densification behavior of the nanopowder compacts was studied using linear-shrinkage data. Densification of the nanopowder without Bi2O3 started at low temperatures (∼400°C). The addition of Bi2O3 to the nanopowder noticeably did not contribute to reducing the initial densification temperature. This result was supported by the activation-energy calculation for the initial densification. Compared to an activation energy of 280 kJ/mol for grain-boundary diffusion of the nanopowder without Bi2O3, a higher value (430 kJ/mol) was obtained in the case of the 3 wt% Bi2O3-containing nanopowder.
Antibacterial Action of Copper in Respiratory Therapy Apparatus

The oligodynamic effects of introducing copper into large reservoir nebulizers used in respiratory therapy has resulted in the nebulizer contents remaining in a sterile state. A closed filling system of this type apparatus is required so that no contamination takes place by unsterile hands. Blood copper levels carried out on patients receiving IPPB revealed essentially normal levels. The addition of a copper bactericidal trap on the exhaled side of the circuit results in a significant reduction in the contamination of air and the patient's environment with patient pathogenic organisms, and reduces the chances of cross infection. The apparent incidence of pulmonary infection in patients in our intensive care unit is also reduced.
Formation of a Long-Lived Photoproduct with a Deprotonated Schiff Base in Proteorhodopsin, and Its Enhancement by Mutation of Asp227†

Proteorhodopsin, a retinal protein of marine proteobacteria similar to bacteriorhodopsin of the archaea, is a light-driven proton pump. Absorption of a light quantum initiates a reaction cycle (tur...
Abstract 2252: Mechanism of thymoquinone-induced cell death in glioblastoma multiforme.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and common type of brain tumor in humans. Surgical resection followed by radiation and chemotherapy is the current standard treatment; however, due to the upregulation of several survival pathways, tumor recurrence is quite common with a median survival of 12 to 15 months. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective therapeutic strategies for the treatment of glioblastoma. Naturally occurring phytochemicals have steadily received much scientific attention, owing to the fact that many of these compounds have potent action against tumors. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the bioactive compound of the volatile oil extracted from the black seed, Nigella sativa. TQ has shown anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic actions with a selective cytotoxicity for human cancer cells compared to several normal cells. Here, we show that TQ can dose-dependently inhibit colony formation in three distinct glioblastoma cell lines, with the highly tumorigenic Gli36ΔEGFR displaying the greatest sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effects of TQ. Moreover, normal human astrocytes are far less sensitive to TQ-induced cell kill. The absence of both DNA fragmentation and PARP cleavage in U87 and Gli36ΔEGFR cells suggests that TQ does not activate apoptosis. We show that TQ does not change the levels of Beclin-1 expression, but does cause accumulation of LC3-II and p62 protein levels. This suggests that TQ blocks the late stages of autophagy. TQ-induced cell death can be partially rescued by co-treatment with a lysosomal cathepsin hydrolase inhibitor III. We also show that TQ induces persistent γ-H2AX activation and causes G2/M cell cycle arrest in GBM cells to a degree that correlates with the cells’ relative clonogenic sensitivity. Moreover, co-treatment with TQ and N-acetyl cysteine, a simple thiol nucleophile and antioxidant, prevented cell death, DNA double strand breaks, and cell cycle arrest. Citation Format: Ira O. Racoma, Robert M. Snapka, Altaf A. Wani. Mechanism of thymoquinone-induced cell death in glioblastoma multiforme. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2252. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2252
FASTAptamer: A Bioinformatic Toolkit for High-throughput Sequence Analysis of Combinatorial Selections

High-throughput sequence (HTS) analysis of combinatorial selection populations accelerates lead discovery and optimization and offers dynamic insight into selection processes. An underlying principle is that selection enriches high-fitness sequences as a fraction of the population, whereas low-fitness sequences are depleted. HTS analysis readily provides the requisite numerical information by tracking the evolutionary trajectory of individual sequences in response to selection pressures. Unlike genomic data, for which a number of software solutions exist, user-friendly tools are not readily available for the combinatorial selections field, leading many users to create custom software. FASTAptamer was designed to address the sequence-level analysis needs of the field. The open source FASTAptamer toolkit counts, normalizes and ranks read counts in a FASTQ file, compares populations for sequence distribution, generates clusters of sequence families, calculates fold-enrichment of sequences throughout the course of a selection and searches for degenerate sequence motifs. While originally designed for aptamer selections, FASTAptamer can be applied to any selection strategy that can utilize next-generation DNA sequencing, such as ribozyme or deoxyribozyme selections, in vivo mutagenesis and various surface display technologies (peptide, antibody fragment, mRNA, etc.). FASTAptamer software, sample data and a user's guide are available for download at http://burkelab.missouri.edu/fastaptamer.html.
POLY(VINYL PHENOL)-POLYETHER BLENDS

Abstract Spinodal phase diagram calculations are presented for poly(vinyl phenol)—polyether blends. Equilibrium constants corresponding to self-association and inter-association were transferred from those reported in the literature for low molecular weight model analogues after adjusting to account for differences in molar volume of the model and the polymer repeat. The results are in good agreement with the trends observed experimentally.
A performance model of a connection-oriented hypercube interconnection system

Abstract Connection-oriented communication is becoming more and more important in the very high-speed (Gbps) communication environment. Under connection-oriented communication, all communication resources at the source (buffers, connection points), in the network (trunks), and at the destination (buffers, processing capacity) must be available before the start of a transmission. This paper presents an analytic model of a direct hypercube interconnection system operating in connection-oriented mode. Due to the high complexity of an exact model of such a system, a tractable approximate model is developed that exploits the system's symmetry to obtain a concise state description. We use our model to evaluate the performance of hypercube interconnection systems. We find that the contention for trunks is small compared to the contention for destination resources. A strategy of checking the resource availability of all waiting connection requests whenever a connection terminates, combined with random path selection, is shown to result in good load/delay characteristics. We further find that the system treats connections of all lengths equally. That is, counterintuitively, connections with shorter paths are not favored over connections with longer paths. We can thus conclude that in addition to good throughput/delay performance, random path selection is fair, and no other measures need be taken to ensure fairness.
Influence of Temperature and Strain Rate on the Mechanical Behavior of Adiprene L-100

The effect of sample thickness, strain rate, and temperature on the mechanical response of Adiprene-L100 is presented. The compressive stress-train response of Adiprene-L100 was found to depend on both the applies train rate; 0.001 {le} {dot {var_epsilon}} {le} 7,000 s{sup {minus}1}, and the test temperature at high-rate; 77 {le} T {le} 298 K. Due to the slow, dispersive wave propagation in Adiprene-L100, thinner sample thicknesses are needed to assure uniform, uniaxial stress conditions within Hopkinson Bar samples; the optimal sample thickness being dependent on test temperature. Decreasing temperature from 298 to 77 K at 3,000 s{sup {minus}1} was found to increase the maximum flow stress in Adiprene-L100 from 10 to {approximately} 210 MPa.
The effects of compensation of light-induced metastable defects in a-Si:H

Abstract The effects of compensation on light-induced defects in a-Si:H have been investigated using photothermal deflection spectroscopy. We show that fully compensated material exhibits the smallest increase in defects after illumination. Departure from full compensation leads to a significant rise in the defect density. The results indicate that the observed change in the density of defects is due to new Si dangling bonds and not to Fermi level shifts. The implication of these findings for solar cell technology is discussed.
Design of a Scintiliation Counter K+ Detector for a Bubble Chamlber

A K+ detector is being designed for the Princeton-Pennsylvania Accelerator Rapid Cycling 15" Hydrogen Bubble Chamber which will trigger the photography whenever a K+ is produced in the chamber.1 For the reactions of interest within our energy range, the K+' s produced in the chamber will come to rest in the magnet coils needed for the field in the chamber and in the absorbers which will be placed in the gap between the coils. Plastic scintillators will be sandwiched between coil pancakes and absorber layers, and viewed by 96 2" photomultiplier tubes. We expect to be able to detect all delayed pulses due to K+ decay secondaries triggering at least two layers with delays greater than 7 nsec., which corresponds to 20 per cent of all K+'s produced. The major design problems are connected with economical design of the magnet-scintillation counter system and detection of the pulses delayed only a few nanoseconds in the possible presence of sometimes larger "prompt" pulses in the same counters.
An empirical study of the information‐seeking behavior of practicing visual artists

Purpose – Little is known about the information‐seeking behavior of practicing visual artists; what research exists has focused largely on art students, art faculty and librarians, although an untested model does emerge. The aim of this paper is to report the findings of an empirical study of a community of practicing visual artists, and to determine whether the model can be applied to such communities.Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative study was administered to a sample of a community of practicing visual artists in order to determine the community's use of various information sources in the service of creative and sales activities.Findings – The paper finds that the model may be applied to practicing visual artists. It provides a portrait of the information behavior of a specific community of practice, and suggests how information use may differ, while following the model, among different demographic groups within the community.Research limitations/implications – The research approach and find...
Defect dynamics in PbF2-Eu3+

Abstract The defect dynamics of the equilibrium between C-sites (Eu3+ distantly charge compensated by a fluoride interstitial) and A-sites (locally charge compensated Eu3+) has been studied in PbF2-Eu3+ crystals by site selective spectroscopy. A non-equilibrium high temperature distribution was created by quenching the crystals from a high temperature, typically 650°C. All A-sites are dissociated and only C-sites are observed. The crystal has to be annealed above 400°C to observe re-equilibration. The A-site formation was followed in time during annealing at 425, 450 and 470°C. The known models explaining the anomalous behaviour of defect equilibria in lanthanide doped fluorites cannot explain the high re-equilibration temperature needed. Intrinsic defects, frozen in when the crystal is quenched from 650°C, provide a good explanation. Kinetic simulations based on Schottky defects as scavengers of fluoride interstitials can explain the results qualitatively and quantitatively.
Hypothalamic neuropeptide Y regulation of feeding and energy metabolism

Neuropeptide Y is an important regulator of energy intake and expenditure. The central portion of this regulatory system appears to reside in the arcuate nucleus/paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. The effects of neuropeptide Y on energy metabolism include increased food intake, decreased thermogenesis and increased white fat storage.
Associations Among Personality, Combat Exposure and Wartime Atrocities

VA National Center for PTSD; VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA; Boston UniversitySchool of MedicineObjective: The commission of wartime atrocities is a phenomenon known to occuramong military personnel deployed to war zones. Although some research hasexamined the psychological sequelae to these events, there is virtually no researchon the causes or correlates of such behavior. The present study examined associ-ations among personality variables, combat exposure, and witnessing or participat-ing in wartime atrocities during the Vietnam War. Method: One thousand onehundred and four Army and Marine veterans of the Vietnam War completedself-report measures that assessed personality, combat exposure, and participationin atrocities. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model in whichcombat exposure mediated the association between personality and participation inatrocities. Results: Combat exposure was strongly associated with self-reportedparticipation in atrocities and fully mediated the association between trait aggres-sion and participation in atrocities. Combat exposure was also shown to partiallymediate the association between trait neuroticism and atrocities but evidenced norelationship with trait disconstraint. Disconstraint showed only a direct associationwith participation in atrocities. Conclusions: Personality and exposure to heavycombat should be considered not only risk factors for physical or mental illness, butalso important risk factors for the commission of atrocities. Longitudinal researchon risk factors for the commission of atrocities is needed, with a focus on thoseservice members tasked with more dangerous assignments. Military commandersmay wish to pay close attention to units under greater combat stress and to continueto devote resources to screening and treatment of members of these units.Keywords:
High-energy gamma rays from Na24

Abstract The gamma-ray spectrum from Na 24 has been studied with a scintillation spectrometer with an anticoincidence annulus of NaI(Tl). Gamma rays with energies of 3.85 MeV and 4.1 MeV are observed in addition to the well-known gamma rays with energies of 2.753 MeV and 1.3686 MeV. The intensities of the 3.85 MeV gamma ray and the 4.1 MeV gamma ray relative to the 2.75 MeV gamma ray are measured to be (7.5±2) × 10 −4 and (8±3) × 10 −5 , respectively. An upper limit of 7 × 10 −6 is placed upon the intensity of a 5.5 MeV gamma ray relative to the 2.75 MeV line.