cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Billiards and Nonholonomic Distributions

In this note, we consider billiards with full families of periodic orbits. It is shown that the construction of a convex billiard with a “rational” caustic (i.e., carrying only periodic orbits) can be reformulated as a problem of finding a closed curve tangent to an (N - 1)-dimensional distribution on a (2N - 1)-dimensional manifold. We describe the properties of this distribution, as well as some important consequences for billiards with rational caustics. A very particular application of our construction states that an ellipse can be infinitesimally perturbed so that any chosen rational elliptic caustic will persist. Bibliography: 13 titles.
Biochemical and behavioral studies on the interaction between μ- and κ-opiate agonists in mice

Abstract Male Swiss-Webster mice were rendered tolerant to morphine by subcutaneous implantation of a morphine pellet, each containing 75 mg morphine base, for 3 days. Mice implanted with placebo pellets served as controls. A high degree of tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine developed as evidenced by decreased analgesic response to various doses of morphine. A selective κ-opiate agonist, U-50,488H (8, 16 and 32 mg/kg, i.p.) produced dose-dependent analgesic and hypothermic effects in mice implanted with placebo pellets. A significant decrease in the analgesic and hypothermic effects of U-50,488H was observed in morphine tolerant mice as compared to placebo-treated mice. Mice were rendered tolerant to U-50,488H by injecting the drug (25 mg/kg, i.p.) twice daily for 4 days. Vehicle injected mice served as controls. Tolerance to the analgesic and hypothermic effects of U-50,488H in mice injected chronically with the drug was evidenced by the decreases in the intensity of these responses when compared to those observed in vehicle injected controls. Morphine produced a dose-dependent analgesic and hypothermic effects in mice injected chronically with vehicle but the intensity of these effects was significantly lower in mice injected chronically with U-50,488H. These results indicate that a substantial tolerance to analgesic and hypothermic effects of U-50,488H develops in morphine tolerant mice. The effect of chronic injections of U-50,488H on the binding of [ 3 H]ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) and [ 3 H]D-Ala 2 ,MePhe 4 , Gly-ol 5 -enkephalin (DAMGO) to whole brain and spinal cord κ- and μ-opiate receptors was determined. Tolerance to U-50,488H was associated with down-regulation of κ-opiate receptors in the spinal cord where the K d value of [ 3 H]EKC was increased but the B max value did not change. On the other hand, μ-opiate receptors were increased in the brain but were decreased in the spinal cord. In both cases the changes in binding were due to alterations in the B max values of [ 3 H]DAMGO but the K d values did not change. Thus, biochemical and behavioral evidence is presented for the existence of cross-tolerance between μ- and κ-opiate agonists in mice.
Meeting the technology needs of the differently-abled student

IT provides installation of and training with various software and hardware applications to students with a wide range of disabilities.
Transient conjugate heat transfer from a hemispherical plate during free liquid jet impingement on the convex surface

This paper considers the analysis of transient heating of a hemispherical solid plate of finite thickness during impingement of a free liquid jet. A constant heat flux was imposed at the inner surface of the hemispherical plate at t = 0 and heat transfer was monitored for the entire duration of the transient until a steady state condition was reached. Calculations were done for Reynolds number (Re) ranging from 500 to 1,500 and dimensionless plate thicknesses to nozzle diameter ratio (b/d n) from 0.083 to 1.5. Results are presented for local and average Nusselt number using water as the coolant and various solid materials such as silicon, constantan, and copper. It was detected that increasing the Reynolds number decreases the time for the plate to achieve the steady-state condition. Also, a higher Reynolds number increases the Nusselt number. Hemispherical plate materials with higher thermal conductivity maintain lower temperature non-uniformity at the solid–fluid interface. Increasing the plate thickness decreases the maximum temperature in the solid and increases the time to reach the steady-state condition.
THE SINGLE PELLET DIFFUSION REACTOR: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS

Abstract Most heterogeneous catalysts are either supported on some kind of porous material or the catalyst itself is porous. To satisfy practical constraints such as pressure drop, handling, and separation from products, these catalysts are generally pelletized. Very often the overall chemical reaction rates within these catalyst pellets are determined by a complicated interaction of internal and external transport effects with the intrinsic kinetic rate at the active surface.
Control of the Fabrication of Long Slender Workpieces of Arbitrary Shape—Part II: Closed-Loop Control of the Multi-Axis Bending Process

Computer numerically controlled (CNC) multi-axis bending is a new metal-forming process used to fabricate long slender workpieces of arbitrary shape and cross section. This process can achieve higher productivity and flexibility than conventional forming processes. However, a manual trial-and-error process has been adopted to find control commands that would produce accurate part shape in mass production. This traditional approach which completely relies on the skills of the machine operator often results in long lead-times and great cost in setting up the bender for a new part. A new methodology has been developed, using the geometrical concept of intrinsic part representation, to model the workpiece and fabricating process. The process model compensates for elastic springback, and can be used to predict a set of initial multi-axis control commands which will eventually converge to the final commands through a feedback process. The effectiveness of the method has been demonstrated experimentally.
Immediate conditional hyperbolicity in dynamical systems

For many diffeomorphisms of a compact manifold X, eventual conditional hyperbolicity implies immediate conditional hyperbolicity in some (possibly new) Finsler structures. That is, if A and B are vector bundle isomorphisms over the mapping ƒ of the base X, such that uniformly on X, then there exist new norms for A and B such that uniformly on X, whenever the mapping ƒ satisfies the condition that there exist infinitely many N ≥ 1 such that any ƒ-invariant. For example, this condition on ƒ holds if any one of the following conditions holds: (1) ƒ is periodic; (2) ƒ is periodic on its non-wandering set; (3) ƒ has a finite non-wandering set (for example, ƒ is a Morse-Smale diffeomorphism); (4) ƒ is an almost periodic mapping of a connected base X; (5) ƒ is a mapping of the circle with no periodic points; or (6) ƒ and all its powers are uniquely ergodic. We consider various types of eventually conditionally hyperbolic systems and describe sufficient conditions on ƒ to have immediate conditional hyperbolicity of these systems in some new Finsler structures. Thus, for a sizable class of dynamical systems, we settle, in the affirmative, a question raised by Hirsch, Pugh, and Shub.
Family-of-Origin Factors and Partner Violence in the Intimate Relationships of Gay Men Who Are HIV Positive:

This exploratory study examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence in a sample of gay men who are HIV positive. The concept of intergenerational transmission of violence, from family systems theory, provided the basis of this examination. It was hypothesized that men who had witnessed or experienced violence in their families of origin would be more likely to perpetrate or experience violence in their intimate relationships. Perpetration and receipt of abuse were assessed to provide a more comprehensive examination of these relationships. The results of this study indicated that psychological abuse was the most commonly reported form of violence in these relationships. The results also provided partial support for the hypothesized relationship between family-of-origin violence and subsequent violence in an intimate relationship. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.
Density-functional calculation of the Hugoniot of shocked liquid nitrogen

We have performed molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain the internal energy and pressure of shock-compressed fluid nitrogen for over 60 different (density, temperature) points. Calculations were performed using the generalized gradient approximation in density-functional theory (DFT). The single-shock Hugoniot derived from this equation of state agrees well with gas-gun experiments for pressure vs density. As density and pressure increase along the Hugoniot, the system appears to undergo a continuous transition from a molecular to a partially dissociated fluid containing a mixture of atoms and molecules. A small fraction of clusters larger than dimers were found; however, these larger clusters were of a highly transient nature, with lifetimes of a few femtoseconds. This behavior closely resembles many features in the DFT-MD results for deuterium in the same general regime.
Propagation of the Colorado potato beetle [ Col.: Chrysomelidae ] egg parasite Edovum puttleri, [Hym.: Eulophidae]

The parasitic wasp,Edovum puttleri Grissell, was successfully reared onLeptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) in the laboratory and increased in sufficient numbers for inoculative release studies in the spring and summer. The effects of temperature on parasite development, and host-parasite ratios in the laboratory are presented. The sex ratio of parasites reared in the laboratory are compared to those released and recovered in the field.
The EXCITE Trial A Major Step Forward for Restorative Therapies in Stroke

Marc Fisher MD Kennedy Lees MD Section Editors: Much of the attention in the field of stroke is focused on prevention, emergency response, and management of the acute inpatient stay. Despite these efforts, many patients are left with substantial disability. Patients survive their stroke for a mean of 8 years, making poststroke disability a highly prevalent condition; most of the days during which stroke affects the life of the patient occur in this chronic disability phase. Increased attention is being paid to an emerging set of therapeutic targets that are related to repair and restoration. Such restorative therapies focus on improving function in surviving brain areas rather than salvaging acutely threatened tissue and therefore might be available to a high proportion of patients with stroke. Animal studies have suggested a wide range of potential restorative therapies, including interventions based on physical, cellular, pharmacological, and electromagnetic approaches. However, to date, there has been limited translation of these preclinical findings into late-phase human clinical trials. In this regard, the Extremity Constraint Induced Therapy Evaluation (EXCITE) trial1 is a major step forward. It is unique among trials of restorative interventions for its size, meticulous multisite organization, preparation,2 duration of follow up, derivation from biological principle, and application of clinical trial methodology. In many ways, the EXCITE trial represents a paradigmatic shift in restorative stroke trials. The EXCITE trial was a prospective, single-blind, randomized, multisite clinical study conducted at 7 US academic institutions between 2001 and 2003. The study randomized a total of 222 patients with a first ischemic or …
Symptoms and signs of the Mandibular Pain Dysfunction Syndrome - a Symptom Index.

An analysis of the symptoms and signs of the Mandibular Pain Dysfunction Syndrome (MDS) provoked by an opening movement of the mandible in a cohort of 140 patients produced a Symptom Index. This Index is compared with a previously described Movement Index for the same patients.
Hydraulic conductivity of partially saturated fractured porous media: Flow in a cross-section

Abstract Standard models for hydraulic functions of partially saturated fractured porous media (FPM) often rely on macroscopic continuum representation and embrace constitutive relationships originally developed for homogeneous porous media to describe hydraulic behavior of dual (or multi) continua FPM. Such approaches lead to inconsistencies due to neglect of underlying physical processes governing liquid retention and flow in the vastly different pore spaces. We propose a framework that considers equilibrium liquid configurations in dual continuum pore space as the basis for calculation of liquid saturation and introduction of hydrodynamic considerations. FPM cross-sectional pore space is represented by a bimodal size distribution reflecting two disparate populations of matrix pores and fracture apertures (with rough-walled surfaces). Three laminar flow regimes are considered, flow in: (1) completely liquid filled pore spaces; (2) partially filled pores or grooves bounded by liquid–vapor interfaces; and (3) surface film flow. Assuming that equilibrium liquid–vapor interfaces remain stable under slow laminar flows, sample-scale unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is derived from average velocity expressions for each flow regime weighted by the appropriate liquid-occupied cross-sectional areas (neglecting 3-D network effects). A parameter estimation scheme was developed and evaluated using two data sets. The results point to the critical need for definitive data sets for improved understanding of flow in partially saturated FPM. Hydraulic conductivity functions for non-equilibrium conditions between matrix and fracture domains are discussed. Approximations for inclusion of network effects are proposed based on direct measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity supplemented by theoretical considerations applying critical path analysis.
Improvement in the cutaneous disease activity of patients with dermatomyositis is associated with a better quality of life

Summary Background Cutaneous dermatomyositis (DM) disease activity is associated with decreased quality of life. Objectives To assess if an improvement in quality of life, as measured by the Skindex-29 and patient-reported itch and pain on a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS), correlated with an improvement in cutaneous DM disease activity. Methods Patients with a completed cutaneous DM disease area and severity index [Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI)] at two visits separated by at least 2 months were classified into responder (n = 15) and nonresponder (n = 30) groups according to the point change in the CDASI activity scores between visits. Responders had at least a four-point improvement in CDASI activity, indicating clinically relevant improvement. Results The change from baseline to the follow-up visit of the Skindex-29 subscale scores for the responders vs. the nonresponders were significantly different for emotions (P < 0·01), functioning (P < 0·01) and symptoms (P < 0·01). The change in VAS score between responders and nonresponders was also significant for itch (P = 0·01) and pain (P = 0·04). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of disease subtype, sex, race, age, treatment for DM, smoking history or a history of malignancy within 5 years of a diagnosis of DM. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate that the quality of life of patients with DM improved as their cutaneous disease activity decreased.
Inhibition during multicomponent diffusion through ZSM-5 zeolite

Coadsorbed molecules in a ZSM-5 zeolite are directly shown to decrease or increase the diffusion rates of each other at high coverages. For an ethanol/methanol mixture, ethanol diffused faster and methanol slower than the corresponding pure material. For an acetone/methanol mixture, however, both molecules diffused slower than pure acetone, which is the slower diffusing molecule. Diffusion rates were directly measured at steady-state conditions using liquid feeds and isotopic labeling during transient permeation through a ZSM-5 zeolite membrane.
Importance of CD49d-VCAM interactions in human monocyte adhesion to porcine endothelium.

: By using a primate model of natural antibody depletion, we have previously shown that delayed rejection of porcine cardiac xenografts in unmodified primate recipients resulted from xenograft infiltration with monocyte/macrophage lineage cells. In the present study, we initially showed that human monocytes/macrophages demonstrated significantly greater adherence to unstimulated pig aortic endothelial cells (PAEC) than to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Human TNF-alpha augmented monocyte adhesion to HUVEC by 5-fold higher levels than to PAEC. This effect could not be explained on the basis of incompatibility between human TNF-alpha and its receptor on PAEC since porcine VCAM expression increased by 75–85% after stimulation with TNF-alpha. TNF-augmented monocyte adherence was abrogated by either treatment of PAEC with an anti-VCAM Mab or monocytes with an anti-CD49d Mab. These results suggest that VCAM-CD49d interactions are important in adhesion of human monocytes to PAEC but may not be as effective as those between human monocytes and allogeneic endothelium, perhaps because of structural differences across species. Other interactions, as yet undefined, must explain the relative increase in adhesiveness of human monocytes for unstimulated PAEC versus HUVEC. In experiments investigating the functional consequences of this enhanced monocyte adherence, PAEC stimulation induced 10-fold higher levels of macrophage-derived IL-1 beta and 3-fold higher levels of T cell proliferation compared with HUVEC. Using an anti-DR Mab to interrupt antigen presentation by autologous macrophages markedly reduced the T cell proliferative response to PAEC. Together, these results indicate that the enhanced adherence of human monocytes to PAEC contributes to xenograft rejection beyond the hyperacute period by leading to tissue infiltration, elaboration of cytokines, and an augmented indirect pathway of T cell xenoantigen recognition.
HYDRATED POSITIVE IONS IN NITRIC OXIDE-WATER AFTERGLOWS,

Abstract : Results of measurements performed on a stationary NO-H2O afterglow are reported in this paper. The gas mixture was contained in a large, gold-plated, cylindrical chamber in which the NO was ionized by means of krypton resonance radiation. The ions from the afterglow were sampled through an electrically insulated orifice and were quantitatively detected by time-resolved mass spectrometry. For NO(+) ions reacting in NO-H2O mixtures at 293 K, the product ion mass spectrum is dominated by NO(+) and its hydrates, NO(+).nH2O, and by hydrated-hydronium H3O(+).nH2O. The sequence of reactions leading to these products has been determined, and the rate constant for the three-body conversion of NO(+) to NO(+).H2O has been measured. Bounds for several other rate constants in the reaction sequence have been obtained. The ions H3O(+).2H2O, H3O(+).3H2O, and H3O(+).4H2O observed in the afterglow are of the same family as the hydronium ion H3O(+) and its hydrates H3O(+).H2O and H3O(+).2H2O, which are prominent in the D-region of the ionosphere. Reaction sequences similar to the one reported in this paper, which involve multiply hydrated atmospheric ions, may be an important contributor to the production of the hydrated-hydronium observed in the ionosphere. (Author)
Effects of Solids Loading and Dispersion Schedule on the State of Aqueous Alumina/Zirconia Dispersions

The effects of solids loading and dispersion order on the state of aqueous slips of either zirconia or alumina, and binary slips of these two powders, have been examined. Since these powders can acquire surface charge when they are dispersed in aqueous media, changes in the ionic composition of the slip can occur as a result of the addition of solids. At higher solids loading, a substantial fraction of the ionic activity within the slip may be attributed to the solid itself. As the solids loading within unary powder suspensions is increased, it is possible to drive the suspension pH toward the point of zero-charge for the powder, resulting in diminished electrostatic stabilization and possible powder agglomeration. An analytical model was constructed to account for the observed results. This embodies a simple surface site complexation model which was augmented to include material and charge balance constraints on ionized surface sites as well as solvated ions. For binary powder dispersions of lumina and zirconia, it was found that the order of dispersing the two components could have a pronounced effect on the overall suspension behavior. The variability in results is attributed to the solubility of the alumina in the basic processingmore » media.« less
Comparing hardcopy and softcopy results in the study of the impact of workflow on perceived reproduction quality of fine art images

A project, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is currently underway to evaluate current practices in fine art image reproduction, determine the image quality generally achievable, and establish a suggested framework for art image interchange. To determine the image quality currently being achieved, experimentation has been conducted in which a set of objective targets and pieces of artwork in various media were imaged by participating museums and other cultural heritage institutions. Prints and images for display made from the delivered image files at the Rochester Institute of Technology were used as stimuli in psychometric testing in which observers were asked to evaluate the prints as reproductions of the original artwork and as stand alone images. The results indicated that there were limited differences between assessments made using displayed images relative to printed reproductions. Further, the differences between rankings made with and without the original artwork present were much smaller than expected.
FDA Policy on Comparative Prescription Drug Advertising

Prescription drug advertising is usually designed to develop a particular approach to convince the prescriber that based on clinical safety and effectiveness, that drug should be used in the treatment of a particular disease. Comparing one drug against another has become an increasingly popular method to advertise and promote drugs. Because of the misuse of comparative claims in recent years and the confusion that has resulted in the marketplace, the FDA has taken a stronger stance by clarifying what is and is not acceptable in comparative drug advertising. The use of partial information, the choice of only certain facts from a clinical trial, the use of in vitro evidence, computer modeling, blood or other tissue levels, or pharmacokinetic characteristics of a drug product have been deemed unsuitable to support comparative claims. Evidence must exist that data must relate to clinical significance in humans. The evidence must also be substantial and withstand statistical scrutiny. All promotional claims mu...
Forgetting of conditioned fear inhibition

Abstract Three experiments assessed retention of conditioned fear and of fear inhibition over long-term retention intervals (35 days in two experiments, 25 days in the third). Although excitatory conditioning was retained well, conditioned inhibition was not. This effect occurred when inhibition was assessed by compounding stimuli on an appetitive baseline and when it was assessed by testing cues on a baseline of unsignalled avoidance responding. Inhibition was also forgotten when the initial conditioning treatment was designed to reduce the role of possible proactive interference processes.
Inferior Vena Cava Traversal for Translumbar Endoleak Embolization after Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

When embolization of a collateral (type II) endoleak after endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is indicated, endoleak embolization with a translumbar approach is often the procedure of choice. Because of the position of the endoleak, it is sometimes necessary to use a right-sided translumbar approach and traverse the inferior vena cava when accessing the endoleak. Twelve type II endoleaks in nine patients were treated with transcaval translumbar embolization during a 34-month period. No clinically significant hemorrhage occurred. Embolizing type II endoleaks with a right translumbar approach is feasible. Long-term follow-up with more patients is necessary to fully evaluate the durability of this procedure.
Paraneoplastic subacute cerebellar degeneration: Functional improvement and the role of rehabilitation

Abstract Paraneoplastic syndromes, or the remote effects of cancer on the nervous system, can result in significant functional impairment. One syndrome in particular, paraneoplastic subacute cerebellar degeneration (PSCD), may be severely disabling. Patients with PSCD can experience severe ataxia resulting in an inability to ambulate or perform their activities of daily living. Little has been written about the value of rehabilitation in cases of paraneoplastic syndrome. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman with PSCD who experienced improvements in all functional activities after comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation. She has maintained her improved functional status after discharge; her case is testimony to the value of rehabilitation in paraneoplastic syndrome.
Surface passivation for tight-binding calculations of covalent solids.

Simulation of a cluster representing a finite portion of a larger covalently bonded system requires the passivation of the cluster surface. We compute the effects of an explicit hybrid orbital passivation (EHOP) on the atomic structure in a model bulk, three-dimensional, narrow gap semiconductor, which is very different from the wide gap, quasi-one-dimensional organic molecules where most passivation schemes have been studied in detail. The EHOP approach is directly applicable to minimal atomic orbital basis methods such as tight-binding. Each broken bond is passivated by a hybrid created from an explicitly expressed linear combination of basis orbitals, chosen to represent the contribution of the missing neighbour, e.g. a sp3 hybrid for a single bond. The method is tested by computing the forces on atoms near a point defect as a function of cluster geometry. We show that, compared to alternatives such as pseudo-hydrogen passivation, the force on an atom converges to the correct bulk limit more quickly as a function of cluster radius, and that the force is more stable with respect to perturbations in the position of the cluster centre. The EHOP method also obviates the need for parameterizing the interactions between the system atoms and the passivating atoms. The method is useful for cluster calculations of non-periodic defects in large systems and for hybrid schemes that simulate large systems by treating finite regions with a quantum-mechanical model, coupled to an interatomic potential description of the rest of the system.
Intercostal muscle activity of the cat in the curled, semiprone sleeping posture

Abstract We examined the effect of different sleeping postures on intercostal muscle activity in the cat. Cats assume a variety of sleeping positions, but the semiprone, curled position with one side bearing most of the weight was the posture studied in these experiments. In this posutre the cat's head rests upon the forepaws and may be slightly tilted. A lateral and ventral curvature of the spine and a lateral flexion of the neck form a curl with an upward-concave side and a downward-convex side. We examined the differences in intercostal activity on the concave and convex sides in this semiprone curled position in seven adult cats. Activity was studied at 14 sites (7 showing inspiratory and 7 showing expiratory activity). Inspiratory intercostal muscle activity was in all cases greater on the concave-upward side; similarly, expiratory intercostal muscle activity was, with the exception of activity at one site, greater on the concave-upward side than on the convex downward side. This effect was evident in rapid-eye-movement (REM) as well as nonrapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep.
Altered EEG responses to ethanol in adult rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence.

Background: Adolescent ethanol (EtOH) exposure is a significant health concern due to the potential long-term effects of EtOH on the developing brain. However, few studies have assessed how exposure to EtOH during adolescence influences the response of adults to EtOH after a long period of withdrawal. This study was designed to assess long-term changes in EEG activity after EtOH challenge in adult rats exposed to EtOH during adolescence. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley® rats (n= 24) were exposed to EtOH vapor for 5 days (12 hr/day) between postnatal days 35 and 40. After maturing to adulthood, rats were implanted with cortical, amygdalar, and hippocampal electrodes. Then EEG activity after EtOH challenge (0.0–1.5 g/kg) was assessed. Results: There were no EEG differences between groups under baseline or vehicle conditions, but EtOH did have differential behavioral and electrophysiological effects when adolescent ethanol-exposed rats were compared with controls. After 1.5 g/kg EtOH, ethanol-exposed rats displayed decreased behavioral indexes of intoxication. In addition, EtOH significantly increased 4 to 6 Hz power in the hippocampus and parietal cortex of the control group but had no effect on 4 to 6 Hz power in the ethanol-exposed group in either of these brain regions. EtOH produced maximal increases in cortical EEG variability in control rats after 1.5 g/kg EtOH but produced maximal increases in cortical EEG variability in ethanol-exposed rats after 1.0 g/kg EtOH. As a result, ethanol-induced increases in EEG variability after 1.5 g/kg ethanol were blunted in the ethanol-exposed group compared with the control group. Conclusions: These data demonstrate persistent and brain-region-specific changes in the neurobehavioral effects of acute EtOH challenge in adult rats exposed to EtOH during adolescence in the absence of baseline neurophysiological differences. Decreased EEG responses to high doses of EtOH combined with decreased behavioral measures of intoxication suggest that adolescent ethanol exposure produces long-lasting tolerance to the sedative effects of ethanol.
Finite-size effects in the integrable XXZ Heisenberg model with arbitrary spin

The finite-size effects in the spectrum of the integrable XXZ Heisenberg chain with arbitrary spin-S are studied analytically on the basis of the string hypothesis for bound states and numerically by solving the associated Bethe ansatz equations. The finite-size corrections to the spectrum and to the low-temperature behaviour of the free energy are found to be similar to the universal predictions for conformally invariant theories, although the model is, in general, not Lorentz invariant, since it can have an arbitrary number of branches for low-energy excitations with different Fermi velocities depending on the value of S and the anisotropy parameter gamma .
Divergent Thinking As a Function of Time and Prompting to “Be Creative” in Undergraduates

This study examined divergent thinking in undergraduates as a function of gender, time, and test instruction conditions. Differences were examined in male and female undergraduates when tested on a divergent thinking test with or without prompting to “be creative” and with or without time limitations imposed. Subject groups were assigned to one of the following four conditions: standard instructions/four minute time limit; standard instructions/no time limit; creative instructions/four minute time limit; and creative instructions/no time limit. The no time limit condition resulted in significantly higher mean traditional fluency and flexibility divergent production scores. Males were found to have significantly higher mean divergent production scores on fluency. This study supported previous research findings regarding the lack of enhanced traditional divergent production scores for females resulting from creative instructions.
Simulated Annealing on Coupled Free Energy Surfaces: Relative Solvation Energies of Small Molecules

A method previously presented for sampling coupled potential energy surfaces and selecting that with the most favorable free energy is extended to perform a similar selection on the sum or difference of free energies between two states. Whereas the original method is useful for selecting a molecule based on its absolute stability, the new method allows selection based on its ability to drive a thermodynamic equilibrium, such as binding. Operationally the original method locates the minimum in ΔG(λ) [λ couples two chemical compounds], whereas the modified version performs the same task on ΔΔG(λ), which is significantly more useful for molecular design strategies. The new algorithm has been tested on the solvation free energy difference between methanol and ethane, for which the ΔΔG was calculated to be 6.08 kcal/mol with a barrier of 1.08 or 3.55 kcal/mol (depending on problem formulation). Simulated annealing was able to rapidly and routinely locate the most favorable minimum. A significantly more challen...
Finite element analysis of thermal post-buckling and vibrations of thermally buckled composite plates

A finite-element formulation is presented for the analysis of thermal postbuckling and free vibrations of thermally buckled, thin, rectangular, arbitrarily laminated, composite plates. The thermal load is considered to be a large steady-state temperature change over the plate. The equations of motion are derived from the principle of virtual work. The solution procedures are briefly discussed. Finite-element results are compared with existing isotropic and composite solutions. Examples studied include symmetric and antisymmetric angle-ply laminates and certain symmetric laminates.
The use of a PMR probe for studying the hydrophobic properties of Micrococcus lysodeikticus membranes and membrane fractions.

The hydrophobic character of the trimethyl group of sodium 2,2-dimethyl-2-silapentane-5-sulfonate, makes it an effective PMR probe for apolar sites on proteins and membranes. By comparing the spin-spin relaxation rates of the free and bound probe the extent and strength of the interaction can be qualitatively compared for bovine serum albumin, membranes from Micrococcus lysodeikticus and for different fractions isolated from this membrane. It is concluded that this membrane has hydrophobic sites on or near its surface and that the number of such sites is sensitive to the ionic composition and to the pH of its aqueous environment. Removal of lipid from the membrane greatly increased the binding of the probe, while vesicular preparations of the lipid fraction itself gave no evidence of an interaction with the probe. The results are discussed in terms of protein-lipid-water interactions.
Long-length IBAD-MgO buffer layers for high performance RE-123 coated conductors by a large ion beam source

Abstract In Fujikura, a large-scale ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) system with a large ion source has been employed to fabricate biaxially textured MgO films. The large-scale IBAD system has multiple deposition lanes where substrate tapes move, and therefore we have to optimize experimental conditions at each lane. We selected an appropriate deposition area and, finally, we successfully fabricated a 1 km-length IBAD-MgO film at a production rate of 1 km/h. We also studied pulsed-laser-deposited (PLD) CeO 2 films directly on the IBAD-MgO films in spite of a large lattice mismatch between CeO 2 and MgO. From transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations at an interface between MgO and CeO 2 films, it is revealed that there is domain-matching-epitaxy relationship between MgO and CeO 2 films. We also fabricated thin (1.0 μm) and thick (3.7 μm) PLD – GdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (GdBCO) film on the long-length CeO 2 /MgO substrate (over 150 m). Critical currents ( I c ) and current density ( J c ) were over 300 A and 3 MA/cm 2 respectively for the thin GdBCO film and were about 645 A and 1.7 MA/cm 2 for the thick GdBCO film at 77 K in self-field.
Shape Entropy and the Time Scales for Thermodynamics in Biological Systems

Mitochondrial inner membranes show coexistence between tubular and lamellar structures. The lipid molecules in these membranes represent a mobile pool whose observed redistribution on the time scale of seconds ensures that the chemical potentials of the lipid in the tubes and in the lamella be equal. This allows for easy inter-conversion of these shapes and makes possible the entropic stabilization of an ensemble of different shapes. Such shape entropy stabilization on a timescale of seconds accounts for observed morphology.
Roadmap for crashworthiness finite element simulation of roadside safety structures

Abstract The subject of this investigation to develop an accurate simulation of truck impacting a strong-post W-beam guardrail. Detailed methods for system simulation are proposed and three major issues which involve the use of springs to simulate component crashworthiness behavior is investigated. Rail to blockout bolt connection, soil–post dynamic interaction, and the effect of guardrail ends are modeled and simulated. Soil–post interaction is modeled using both Lagrangian and Eulerian meshes; results using the two methods are presented. The present paper provides a roadmap for simulation of highway safety structures.
Famine, Mortality, and Epidemic Disease: A Comment

R John D. Post's article 'Famine, Mortality, and Epidemic Disease in the D Process of Modernization' is a valuable addition to our limited knowledge of the interaction between epidemic disease and a wide variety of environmental factors, including nutrition, housing, hygiene, and public health programmes. His article raises certain questions that perhaps can benefit from further elaboration. The following remarks are intended as comment, not as criticism, in the hope that they may clarify some of the points at issue in these complex environmental-medical relationships and point the way for further research within this relatively new field of historical inquiry. Dr Post characterized as "extreme" the position-which he attributes to Dr N. L. Tranter-that "the decline in mortality [in the later eighteenth century] resulted from an increase in the natural immunity of human populations long exposed to contagion."3 Further on, Dr Post says that the low case-fatality rate in the typhus epidemic of I8I 7-I 8 may, indeed, be explained by growing human resistance to the disease.4 He rejects, however, the possibility that human beings acquired any resistance to bubonic plague bacilli, quite rightly noting that-so far as we can tell-plague in humans did not decline in virulence over time. He adds that plague is dependent on animal and insect vectors which can be controlled by quarantine, improved housing, and better hygiene.5 Let us try to separate these seemingly contradictory observations about increased human resistance to some diseases but not to others. Prof. Rene Dubos has suggested that there is a tendency towards ecological equilibrium-a search for a modus vivendi-between microbes responsible for disease and the hosts on which they prey. It is not too much to say that it is in the interest of the microbes to reach such an equilibrium because if they are too virulent, they kill their host, which in turn means that they, too, die. Far better for them to be less virulent and keep their hosts alive. Of course, any decrease in virulence is not arrived at by the conscious choice of the microbes but rather by the mutation to a less virulent form which has a better chance to survive than the deadly form which tends to eliminate itself. The same blind process works in the development of resistance in the host: hosts with the least resistance die, often before they have offspring, while those with resistance live to pass their resistance on to their offspring. This tendency towards accommodation-on the part of both microbes and hosts-has been observed in changing patterns of disease in both animals and 1 DrJohn D. Post has indicated that he does not wish to make any reply.-Eds. 2 Economic History Review, 2nd ser. xxix (1976), I4-37. 3 Ibid. I5. 4 Ibid. 31. 5 Ibid. 34-5.
Visual Evidence of Ischemic Preconditioning During PCI Using 80 Lead ECG Body Surface Mapping

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a well-documented phenomenon. Short episodes of sublethal ischemia provide cardioprotective effects for subsequent longer duration ischemic events. Although the exact mechanism of IPC is not yet known, the chemical basis of IPC seems to involve preservation of ATP or collateral vascularization recruitment. In this case report, we present visual evidence of ischemic preconditioning using Heartscape Technologies 80 Lead ECG device. The 80 Lead ECG is described as a body surface mapping modality, converting its inputted 80 lead ECG data into a 3-Dimensional color coded map. The 80 lead ECG device can detect instantaneous ischemic changes. Different studies have been performed to show different clinical and biochemical aspects of IPC. However data regarding direct visual evidence of this phenomenon is lacking. The secondary objective of this study is to show the ability of 80 lead ECG to identify ST-segment elevation and depression during ischemic events. The utility of 80 Lead ECG body surface mapping is enormous when evaluating ischemic events.
Future opportunities for open space

Abstract Bradley, M.D., 1975. Future opportunities for open space. Landscape Plann., 2: 13–22. Open space planning and regulation has recently assumed an important role in environmental policy. Although defined geographically, open space is now appreciated for its functional uses and values. Traditional methods of acquisition and protection are being expanded by future-oriented planning, changing property law, and environmental impact assessment.
What is a dream

Abstract Dreaming is held to consist of three elements: periodic, unrelated visual bursts, emotional episodes, and the cognitive synthesis of the first two. The theory predicts that there are two kinds of visual imagery in dreams: one vivid, detailed, colorful, large and in the center of the visual field. The other less vivid, less detailed, less colorful, smaller, and in the periphery. These vivid events should be unconstrained by the plot, and the less vivid ones constrained. Evidence is presented that this is so. The theory is consistent with the incongruence of events in dreaming, with the transmogrification of images and setting and with the incorporation of external intrusions. The theory predicts consistent individual differences in how tightly or loosely images are integrated into a plot in dreaming, and that this should correspond to the ability to tie random images together into a plot while awake. Evidence is presented that this is so. The theory suggests why causality is linear in dreaming, specifies the psychological differences between dreaming and waking, and between REM and nonREM sleep, and comments on the notion of ‘scene’ and the ability to ‘control’ dream content. Finally the theory suggests that the cognitive synthesis is the most likely place to find the ‘meaning’ of dream.
Genes Encoding Callose Synthase and Phytochrome A Are Adjacent to a MAP3Kα-Like Gene in Beta vulgaris US H20

MAP3Kα, a gene that encodes a key conserved protein kinase, is responsible for initiating a rapid cascade of cellular events leading to localized cell death. Hypersensitive response, as it is termed, enables genetically resistant plants to limit microbial invasion under the right environmental conditions. Since knowledge of close physically linked genes is important for genome analysis and possibly for improving disease resistance, systematic DNA sequence analysis, gene annotation, and protein BLASTs were performed to identify and characterize genes in close physical proximity to a MAP3Kα-like gene in Beta vulgaris L. US H20. On the same 125 Kb BAC, callose synthase (BvCS) and phytochrome A (PhyA) genes were within 50 Kb of MAP3Kα. The close physical linkage of these genes may result from selection for coordinated responses to disease pressure. Bert, a new chromodomain-carrying gypsy-like LTR retrotransposon, resides within an intron of the BvCS gene, where it is transcribed from the opposing strand.
Aging impairs deliberation and behavioral flexibility in inter-temporal choice

Inter-temporal choice depends on multiple, interacting systems, some of which may be compromised with age. Some of these systems may be responsible for ongoing trial-by-trial choice strategies. Some may represent the consequences of action. Some may be necessary for the coupling between anticipated consequences and strategies currently in use, flexibly guiding behavior. When faced with a difficult decision, rats will orient back and forth, a behavior termed ``vicarious trial and error'' (VTE). Recent experiments have linked the occurrence of VTE to hippocampal search processes and behavioral flexibility. We tested 5 month (n=6), 9 month (n=8) and over-27 month-old (n=10) rats on a Spatial Adjusting Delay Discounting task to examine how aging impacted lap-by-lap strategies and VTE during inter-temporal choice. Rats chose between spatially separated food goals that provided a smaller-sooner or larger-later reward. On each lap, the delay to the larger-later reward was adjusted as a function of the rat's decisions, increasing by 1 second after delayed-side choices and decreasing by 1 second after non-delayed side choices. The strategies that aged rats used differed from those used in young and adult rats. Moreover, aged rats produced reliably more VTE behaviors, for protracted periods of time, uncoupled from behavioral flexibility.
Alteration of Template Activity of Chromatin from Livers of Pneumococcus-Infected Mice

SummaryThe template activity of mouse liver chromatin is elevated when examined 5 hr after infection of the animal with D. pneumoniae. At 14 hr, the activity falls below control values. These changes demonstrate an early influence of generalized infection on the control of transcription in the liver. Infected, adrenalectomized mice do not respond with the early rise in chromatin template activity, suggesting the role of glucocorticoid mediation. It is proposed that these changes in transcription characteristics are related to changes known to occur in protein synthesis during the course of bacterial infection.
Featherweight transactions: decoupling threads and atomic blocks

Note: 1229453 Reference EPFL-CONF-192836doi:10.1145/1229428.1229453 Record created on 2013-12-23, modified on 2017-05-12
Addressing common constraints to science data downlink

Science data is the sole or principal product of spaceflight missions funded by the NASA Science Mission Directorate. However, post-launch resource and technical constraints largely external to the project may limit continuous achievement of the expected science data downlink volume. This paper provides two examples of how flight projects may exploit the flexibility of the end-to-end mission data system to compensate for fluctuations in downlink supply and demand.
Picture mediation in abstract-concrete paired associates.

Summary.-The present study investigated the hypothesis that pictures of abstract-concrete paired associates would serve to make the abstract stimulus member more concrete thereby enhancing the learning process. 60 subjects were equally divided into G groups, varying conditions of concreteness and abstractness of the stimulus items and pictures or no picture. The results sup- ported the basic proposition that the picture mediation presented during the learning-testing condition facilitated the learning of the abstract paired associates.