cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mössbauer studies of amorphous and crystalline antimony selenides

Amorphous films of SbSex, with 0.5 < x < 9, were studied with the Mossbauer effect. The spectra are all similar to each other but different from that of crystalline Sb2Se3. Despite the poor resolution, it is clear that the material condensed from vapor is not micro-crystalline.
Unsteady aerodynamic interaction effects on turbomachinery blade life and performance

This paper is an attempt to address the impact of a class of unsteady flows on the life and performance of turbomachinery blading. These class of flows to be investigated are those whose characteristic frequency is an integral multiple of rotor shaft speed. Analysis of data recorded downstream of a compressor and turbine rotor will reveal that this class of flows can be highly three-dimensional and may lead to the generation of secondary flows within downstream blading. By explicitly accounting for these unsteady flows in the design of turbomachinery blading for multistage applications, it may be possible to bring about gains in performance and blade life.
Bond strength of adhesive composites to dental substrates.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro bond strength of adhesive and traditional composites to several materials that might be encountered in clinical practice. Materials and Methods An adhesive composite, an adhesive composite with a bonding agent, and a traditional composite with a bonding agent were bonded to enamel, dentin, amalgam, porcelain, and nickel-chromium-beryllium (Ni-Cr-Be) alloy. Tensile bond strengths were determined after 24 hours storage at 23°C or thermocycling. Results The use of an adhesive composite with a bonding agent resulted in increased bond strength to amalgam, porcelain, and dentin, but not to enamel or Ni-Cr-Be alloy at 23°C, when compared with the adhesive composite alone. The adhesive composite with a bonding agent had higher bond strengths to amalgam, porcelain, and dentin than did the traditional composite with bonding agent, but not to enamel or Ni-Cr-Be alloy at 23°C. Conclusions The use of a bonding agent with an adhesive composite produced higher bond strengths than the adhesive composite alone. The traditional composite bonded better to enamel and Ni-Cr-Be alloy than did the adhesive composite. Thermocycling generally had no effect on bond strengths or increased them slightly.
Electromagnetic effects on dynamics of high-beta filamentary structures

The impacts of the electromagnetic effects on blob dynamics are considered. Electromagnetic BOUT++ simulations on seeded high-beta blobs demonstrate that inhomogeneity of magnetic curvature or plasma pressure along the filament leads to bending of the blob filaments and the magnetic field lines due to increased propagation time of plasma current (Alfven time). The bending motion can enhance heat exchange between the plasma facing materials and the inner scrape-off layer (SOL) region. The effects of sheath boundary conditions on the part of the blob away from the boundary are also diminished by the increased Alfven time. Using linear analysis and BOUT++ simulations, it is found that electromagnetic effects in high temperature and high density plasmas reduce the growth rate of resistive drift wave instability when resistivity drops below a certain value. The blobs temperature decreases in the course of its motion through the SOL and so the blob can switch from the electromagnetic to the electrostatic regime where resistive drift waves become important again.
Effect of 17β-estradiol on the preovulatory surge of LH in the bovine female

Abstract The hypothesis tested was that increasing concentration of 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) subsequent to luteolysis stimulates the preovulatory surge of LH and that a decline in E 2 after the initial rise is not necessary to trigger the preovulatory surge of LH in the bovine female. Beef cows were synchronized to Day 16 of the estrous cycle. At Hour 0, all cows were ovariectomized and received one of four E 2 treatments: 1) luteal phase E 2 (LE; n=5), 2) increasing then decreasing E 2 (DE; n=5), 3) increasing and subsequent maintenance of high E 2 (IE; n=4), and 4) no E 2 (NE; n=3). Cows in the LE group received one E 2 implant at Hour 0 which provided low concentrations of E 2 . Cows in the DE group received one E 2 implant at 0, 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40 hours; implants were subsequently removed at 8-hour intervals, thus mimicking the preovulatory rise and fall of E 2 . Cows in the IE group were treated with the same regimen of E 2 implants as cows of the DE group, except that no E 2 implants were removed. Blood samples were collected at Hour 0 and at hourly intervals from Hour 2 through 80, for serum LH and E 2 quantification. The number of cows responding with a surge of LH was 0/3, 0/5, 4/5 and 3/4 for the NE, LE, DE and IE treatments, respectively. The proportion of cows responding with an LH surge was different (P 0.80) for cows responding with an LH surge (DE and IE treatments). Thus, increased levels of E 2 greater than luteal phase concentrations are needed to initiate preovulatory surges of LH, and it appears that concentrations of E 2 need to reach a certain level but do not need to decrease after this initial rise to stimulate a surge release of LH.
The 4n + 1 Radioactive Series: The Decay Products of U 233

The path of the artificially produced $4n+1$ radioactive decay series between ${\mathrm{U}}^{233}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}^{209}$ and the properties of the individual members of the chain are developed.
Proper levels of the Arabidopsis cohesion establishment factor CTF7 are essential for embryo and megagametophyte, but not endosperm, development.

CTF7 is an essential gene in yeast that is required for the formation of sister chromatid cohesion. While recent studies have provided insights into how sister chromatid cohesion is established, less is known about how specifically CTF7 facilitates the formation of cohesion, and essentially nothing is known about how sister chromatid cohesion is established in plants. In this report, we describe the isolation and characterization of CTF7 from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Arabidopsis CTF7 is similar to Saccharomyces cerevisiae CTF7 in that it lacks an amino-terminal extension, exhibits acetyltransferase activity, and can complement a yeast ctf7 temperature-sensitive mutation. CTF7 transcripts are found throughout the plant, with the highest levels present in buds. Seeds containing T-DNA insertions in CTF7 exhibit mitotic defects in the zygote. Interestingly, the endosperm developed normally in ctf7 seeds, suggesting that CTF7 is not essential for mitosis in endosperm nuclei. Minor defects were observed in female gametophytes of ctf7+/2 plants, and plants that overexpress CTF7 exhibited female gametophyte lethality. Pollen development appeared normal in both CTF7 knockout and overexpression plants. Therefore, proper levels of CTF7 are critical for female gametophyte and embryo development but not for the establishment of mitotic cohesion during microgametogenesis or during endosperm development.
The use of village agents in rural credit delivery

Using a simple principal‐agent model this article examines the incentive problems that arise when a formal financial institution (such as a rural bank) utilises a member of the rural community to act as an agent in screening potential borrowers and collecting repayment. Optimal compensation schemes are derived for the agent and their implications are discussed. In addition, I show that the norms and rules that govern village life may aid the financial institution by helping to constrain possible strategic behaviour by the agent.
INFLUENCE OF THE GROUND-STATE POTENTIAL ON THE PRODUCT ROTATIONAL /TRANSLATIONAL CORRELATION IN THE PHOTON-STIMULATED DESORPTION OF NO

Abstract The origin of the product rotational/translational correlation in photon-stimulated desorption from various solid surfaces is discussed in the framework of the Menzel–Gomer–Redhead and Antoniewicz models. Time-dependent quantum calculations with a two-dimensional model reveal two competing desorption pathways. The direct channel gives rise to a positive rotational/translational correlation, while the indirect desorption is dominated by a negative correlation due to energy redistribution on the ground state. The relative importance of the two desorption channels depends on the topology of both the ground- and excited-state potentials. The influence of the ground-state potential is examined in this Letter.
An Overview of Some of the Large Scale Mechanisms of Salt Dissolution in Western Canada

Well log and seismic data indicate that the bedded rock salts (salts) of the Devonian Age Prairie Formation were widely distributed and uniformly deposited in the Lloydminster area, Western Canada (T45-65, R20W3M-R5W4M); however, as a result of extensive leaching, the distribution of these salts is not now what it once was. The Lloydminster area is now bisected by the north-south trending main dissolutional edge of the Prairie salt. Thick salt (up to 150 m) is preserved to the west of this edge; to the east the salt is mostly absent.Analyses of remnant salt and patterns of subsurface structural relief suggests that the dissolution of the Prairie salt in the Lloydminster area was triggered and/or accentuated in part by several different large scale mechanisms including: near-surface exposure, centripetal flow of unsaturated waters, regional faulting/fracturing, glacial loading and/or unloading, dissolution of the underlying salt, and salt creep. These mechanisms are supported by the incorporated seismic and well log control that indicate a direct relationship between the thicknesses of remnant salt and post-salt strata.Well log and seismic data also indicate that the bedded salts of the Devonian Age Black Creek Member were uniformly deposited within the Black Creek sub-basin, Rainbow Lake area, western Canada (T105-112, R5-R10W6M); however, as a result of extensive leaching, distribution of these salts is not now what it once was. The Black Creek salts are now preserved only as discontinuous remnants with maximum gross thicknesses on the order of 80 m. Seismic and well log control suggests that the dissolution of the Black Creek salt in the Rainbow Lake study area was triggered and/or accentuated in part by several different large scale mechanisms including: centrifugal flow of unsaturated waters, regional faulting/fracturing, and salt creep.Bedded salt is preserved within five other Devonian Age evaporitic units in Alberta, Canada: the Lotsberg Formation, Cold Lake Formation, Beaverhill Lake Group, Leduc Formation, and Wabamun Group. Each of these salts has also been extensively leached in places. In the literature, dissolution is generally attributed to one or more of the previously noted large scale mechanisms.Herein we present an overview of the envisioned principal mechanisms of salt dissolution. In support of these hypothesized mechanisms, we present seismic and geologic control from both the Lloydminster and Rainbow Lake areas of western Canada, which illustrate that the dissolution of subsurface salts is accompanied by the subsidence of post-salt strata and that the analyses of this information can be used to elucidate the timing and large scale mechanisms of salt dissolution.
Nearly Scale Invariant Spectrum of Gravitational Radiation from Global Phase Transitions

Using a large N sigma model approximation we explicitly calculate the power spectrum of gravitational waves arising from a global phase transition in the early Universe and we confirm that it is scale invariant, implying an observation of such a spectrum may not be a unique feature of inflation. Moreover, the predicted amplitude can be over 3 orders of magnitude larger than the naive dimensional estimate, implying that even a transition that occurs after inflation may dominate in cosmic microwave background polarization or other gravity wave signals.
Angioplasty From Bench to Bedside to Bench

The patient, a 42-year-old accountant, was suddenly aware of a severe pressure in his midchest. On arrival at the hospital, the pain seemed even more intense, and the ECG confirmed a large, anterior myocardial infarction. In the laboratory, the anterior descending artery was occluded for a few minutes—then open—then the pain was gone! Technical problems of a torn artery were repaired without further pain with the help of a metal supporting stent. Four days later, the patient’s question as he walked out of the hospital was, “When can I return to work?” This is the way it is, but it’s not the way it was. How did we arrive at this happy ending that is so common today? Some say that coronary interventions were inevitable and were the natural progression of our expanding knowledge of vascular disease, but it did not happen that way. The development of angioplasty in all its forms (balloons, stents, ablative devices, and other devices) had a single catalyst, but there were many who added reagents to keep the reaction going. Andreas Gruentzig made interventional cardiology possible, and his is a most interesting story. Gruentzig would not have developed angioplasty were it not for the pioneers who went before him. Although Forssmann was called one of the least intellectual to win the Nobel prize, his persistence in the face of adversity was a characteristic shared by Gruentzig. Forssmann’s landmark placement of catheters in his own heart1 achieved very little practical use until World War II, when Cournand and others2 3 developed catheter techniques to measure cardiac output during shock states and to deliver drugs centrally. Diagnostic catheterization followed in the late 1940s and 1950s, paving the way for Sones, a trained pediatrician, to appreciate the potential for diagnostic coronary arteriography after a catheterization laboratory …
SU-F-BRD-08: Guaranteed Epsilon-Optimal Treatment Plans with Minimum Number of Beams for SBRT Using RayStation

Purpose: To efficiently find quality-guaranteed treatment plans with the minimum number of beams for stereotactic body radiation therapy using RayStation. Methods: For a pre-specified pool of candidate beams we use RayStation (a treatment planning software for clinical use) to identify the deliverable plan which uses all the beams with the minimum dose to organs at risk (OARs) and dose to the tumor and other structures in specified ranges. Then use the dose matrix information for the generated apertures from RayStation to solve a linear program to find the ideal plan with the same objective and constraints allowing use of all beams. Finally we solve a mixed integer programming formulation of the beam angle optimization problem (BAO) with the objective of minimizing the number of beams while remaining in a predetermined epsilon-optimality of the ideal plan with respect to the dose to OARs. Since the treatment plan optimization is a multicriteria optimization problem, the planner can exploit the multicriteria optimization capability of RayStation to navigate the ideal dose distribution Pareto surface and select a plan of desired target coverage versus OARs sparing, and then use the proposed technique to reduce the number of beams while guaranteeing quality. For the numerical experiments two liver cases and one lung case with 33 non-coplanar beams are considered. Results: The ideal plan uses an impractically large number of beams. The proposed technique reduces the number of beams to the range of practical application (5 to 9 beams) while remaining in the epsilon-optimal range of 1% to 5% optimality gap. Conclusion: The proposed method can be integrated into a general algorithm for fast navigation of the ideal dose distribution Pareto surface and finding the treatment plan with the minimum number of beams, which corresponds to the delivery time, in epsilon-optimality range of the desired ideal plan. The project was supported by the Federal Share of program income earned by Massachusetts General Hospital on C06 CA059267, Proton Therapy Research and Treatment Center and partially by RaySearch Laboratories.
Agreement among Indicators of Vitamin C Status

Agreement among three indicators of vitamin C status--serum ascorbate level, a 24-hour recall, and the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption--was examined using data from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 1976 and 1980. Agreement between pairs of these indicators was good when assessed at the group level but inconsistent at the individual level. These indicators, when classified as continuous measures, had moderately good agreement (r = 0.45-0.54), whereas agreement was poor when classified as quartiles (kappa = 0.17-0.23). Agreement between clinically based categories of serum ascorbate and total intake levels was poorer than expected (kappa = 0.25) as was agreement between low or deficient levels of both of these indicators (kappa = 0.3). Disagreement between low or deficient serum and intake levels was greater in participants who were younger, African American compared with white and other races, less educated, current smokers, nonsupplement users, and examined in the winter compared with in the summer or fall. These findings suggest that the indicators cannot be used interchangeably to assess vitamin C status because they distinguish between different aspects of status, intake level versus serum level, an indicator of available pool. Moreover, depending upon how these indicators are used in statistical analyses, they may classify individuals differently.
Modeling to inform strategies for malaria eradication

Mathematical modeling can serve to inform strategies for malaria eradication from different levels of scale depending on the needs of the strategy and the granularity of the data available to create the models. At the most granular level of data, estimates of individual dose-effect relationships for anti-malarial drugs and vaccines can be used to simulate the impact of different implementation strategies for administration and estimate the resulting impact of the therapeutic on disease treatment and transmission reduction. Coupled with epidemiological models that simulate the overall impact on disease prevalence across broad geometries, these tools can become important in planning at a regional level the appropriate response to eradicating malaria. Simplifying assumptions that make the modeling tractable can also limit its usefulness however, as understanding not only the human transmission aspect of the disease but also the vector transfer, the role of underlying geography and weather on vector movement, and the interactions of humans across space and time is important for realistic estimates of strategy impact through modeling. An iterative approach is needed where models predict the impact of an approach, the approach is attempted, the results are fed back to update the model in an iterative way, and new estimates are produced. Through this effort, models of malaria eradication can be important tools in guiding disease eradication.
Media Preferences and Democracy: Refining the “Relative Entertainment Preference” Hypothesis

This article extends the work of research connecting media choice and relative preferences for entertainment to voter turnout. Markus Prior found that individuals who both preferred entertaining content to news and had either cable or Internet access were less likely to vote than were other citizens. As an update to his work, this article uses more recent Pew Research Center for the People and the Press surveys to test alternative measures of entertainment preferences and to update the Internet access findings for the broadband age. As a theoretical extension, this article looks at turnout differences among those with even finer content preferences. Specifically, people who prefer hard news are compared to those choosing societal welfare news (e.g., crime, community, health). The results indicate that there is value in considering Relative Societal Welfare News Preference in addition to—or even instead of—entertainment preferences alone.
Oviposition and Emergence Period of the Eye Gnat Hippelates collusor

By means of emergence cages, the oviposition and emergence time of Hippelates collusor (Townsend) were studied under field conditions. This eye gnat species was found to increase its oviposition activity soon after disturbance or disking of its natural habitats. Most of the eggs were deposited within a few hours after the disking and within 24 hours a great portion of the eggs was laid. No appreciable increase was noticeable in number of eggs laid beyond the first 24-hour interval after the disking. Peak emergence usually occurred within a period of 2 to 4 weeks after the disking. In cooler months, the emergence lasted over a longer period of time than in the warmer months.
Scab Ministers, Striking Saints: Christianity and Class Conflict in 1894 Chicago

Throughout 1894, Chicago's churches were as divided by class as the nation itself. During the Pullman strike and boycott, the city's leading Protestant and Catholic authorities hewed to an ideology of contract freedom that precluded support for the American Railway Union. Meanwhile, a handful of young Protestant ministers championed the strikers, echoing the criticisms of those working-class Protestants who had long decried the established churches’ ties to capital. This latter bloc expressed its frustration not merely with words but also through uprisings within local churches and even by founding a church of its own. In light of these findings, the author argues that a grassroots social Christianity preceded an elite Social Gospel; and furthermore, that the participation of working-class persons in the contests over the shape of modern Christianity demands a rethinking of the boundaries of both religious and working-class history.
Privatization and the Diffusion of Innovations

The privatization of government services tends to bring about a more rapid adoption of innovative policies due to the competitive pressures of the market. In federal systems, however, the diffusion of innovations across subnational governments may offset such benefits of privatization. In this study, we test whether county governments that have privatized their provision of foster care services are more or less likely to adopt policy innovations and more or less likely to learn from the policies of other counties than are those that have resisted privatization. We explore the diffusion of four innovative foster care policies across 384 counties in five states between 1995 and 2006. We find that the initial innovativeness arising from the market competition of privatization is counterbalanced by learning across public diffusion networks.
Studies on formation and stability of the d[G(AG)5]* d[G(AG)5]. d[C(TC)5] and d[G(TG)5]* d[G(AG)5]. d[C(TC)5] triple helices.

We have targeted the d[G(AG)5]. d[C(TC)5] duplex for triplex formation at neutral pH with either d[G(AG)5] or d[G(TG)5]. Using a combination of gel electrophoresis, uv and CD spectra, mixing and melting curves, along with DNase I digestion studies, we have investigated the stability of the 2:1 pur*pur.pyr triplex, d[G(AG)5]*d[G(AG)5].d[C(TC)5], in the presence of MgCl2. This triplex melts in a monophasic fashion at the same temperature as the underlying duplex. Although the uv spectrum changes little upon binding of the second purine strand, the CD spectrum shows significant changes in the wavelength range 200-230 nm and about a 7 nm shift in the positive band near 270 nm. In contrast, the 1:1:1 pur/pyr*pur.pyr triplex, d[G(TG)5]*d[G(AG)5].d[C(TC)5], is considerably less stable thermally, melting at a much lower temperature than the underlying duplex, and possesses a CD spectrum that is entirely negative from 200 to 300 nm. Ethidium bromide undergoes a strong fluorescence enhancement upon binding to each of these triplexes, and significantly stabilizes the pur/pyr*pur.pyr triplex. The uv melting and differential scanning calorimetry analysis of the alternating sequence duplex and pur*pur.pyr triplex shows that they are lower in thermodynamic stability than the corresponding 10-mer d(G3A4G3). d(C3T4C3) duplex and its pur*pur.pyr triplex under identical solution conditions.
Extensions of Flow Theorems

As an extension of Seymour's 6-flow theorem, we prove that every 2-edge-connected graph has a set of vertex-disjoint circuits and a 3-flowfsuch thatf(e)=0 only ifeis an edge in one of the circuits. An extension of Jaeger's 8-flow theorem, together with applications to the short cycle cover problem, is also presented. It is shown that the edges of a 2-edge-connected graphGcan be covered by cycles whose total length is at most|E(G)|+rr+1(|V(G)|?1),whereris the minimum length of an even circuit (ofG) of length at least 10 (r=∞, if there is no such circuit).
Strain dependent visco-elastic response of CNFs' reinforced epoxy composites

Recent advances in the production and availability of nanoscale materials has led to a significant interest in the use of nanoscale fillers in order to augment and tailor material performance in nanostructured composites. A specific area of interest is the use of high aspect ratio fillers, such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanofibers (CNF) to augment the damping capacity of nanostructured composites. Previous work has shown the use of high aspect ratio fillers to significantly enhance the damping capacity at low frequency by more than 100%; however, the enhancement achieved has been predicated on strain levels in the composite. Our previous studies have indicated a strong strain dependent response in the nanostructured composites utilizing CNF to augment damping capacity. This is due, in part, to the random distribution of fiber orientations seen in the nanostructured composites. The random distribution of filler orientations is thereby relative to the load applied to the composite that results in a critical shear stress thresholds being surpassed at the nano scale, allowing the filler to slip relative to the matrix, resulting in frictional energy dissipation as heat and thereby inducing damping to the high aspect ratio filler nanostructured composite. In light of the promise this technology holds for use in engineered applications requiring specific damping performance, there remains a fundamental lack in understanding of the precise mechanisms and thereby a lack of ability to accurately predict material performance, which is limiting application of the technology. This study looks at the effect of the random filler orientation of CNF included composites and examines the viscoelastic response of the composite specifically investigating the effect of filler orientation relative to the loading direction and the effect of filler waviness. Furthermore, this study looks at the strain dependent nature of the viscoelastic response and develops an analytical modeling tool to look at the effect of the strain dependent viscoelastic response seen in previous studies with the aim of achieving a better fundamental understanding of the effect of filler orientation and the associated strain dependent nature of the viscoelastic response seen in high aspect ratio nano- filled composites.
Comparison of the interaction of cis- and trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) with DNA by a simple filter binding assay.

A nitrocellulose filter binding assay has been used to assess the interaction of cis- and trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) with calf thymus DNA. Local regions of denaturation resulted from cis-DDP interaction and these were attributed to the concerted effect of close platinations in DNA. Single-strand specific S1 nuclease and nitrocellulose filters had the same sensitivity for detecting these lesions. About 1150cis-DDP lesions were DNA interstrand crosslinks and these were resistant to S1 nuclease. About 1150 platinations resulting from trans-DDP caused interstrand crosslinks. Very little local denaturation was detected except at high trans-DDP levels, because of the geometric constrains that prevent trans-DDP from forming DNA-intrastrand crosslinks.
Cultural heritage training in the US military

Cultural competence is a vital component of many missions in today’s military. Cultural competence enables one to further a mission, save resources, and save lives. Conversely, a lack of cultural competence may bring about challenges to mission completion, requirement for more resources, waste of resources, and destruction of lives. Cultural competence involves many components. One particular component is cultural heritage awareness and protection of cultural property. This study sought to assess current understanding of cultural property protection and determine the effectiveness of a training aimed at increasing cultural property protection awareness, knowledge, and comfort within the military setting. It was hypothesized that participants would vary in their level of awareness, knowledge, and comfort of cultural property protection, and that all would show a significant improvement in knowledge scores post training. Factors such as deployment experience were examined for potential correlation with measures such as awareness. A 14 question pre-read survey was developed to assess participants’ demographics, awareness, knowledge, and comfort with cultural property protection. Awareness included value, laws, and procedures while knowledge examined “know how” such as how to bed down in a protected structure or communicate information about the structure. Comfort assessed one’s comfort with engaging in the knowledge based tasks. A 24 question post read survey was administered to assess awareness, knowledge, and comfort, and to solicit additional feedback on the manual itself. The survey utilized a 1–5 rating scale with 1 representing no awareness, knowledge, or comfort and 5 representing absolute awareness, knowledge, and comfort with different aspects of cultural property protection. Cultural property protection value was highest pre and post training while knowledge regarding recovery of property was rated lowest pre and post training. Results are encouraging for the pursuit of cultural property education. Further studies should include knowledge assessment versus self rating as well as tracking of incidents and outcomes in the field. Implications for mission readiness and success are discussed.
Zebra finch cell lines from naturally occurring tumors

The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) has been intensively studied in many research fields including neuroscience, behavioral neurobiology, and evolution of the genome. Although numerous molecular and genomic resources are available for this model species, immortalized cell lines have been lacking. We have established two zebra finch cell lines derived from spontaneous tumors. ZFTMA is a tetraploid female cell line and G266 as a diploid male cell line. These first zebra finch cell lines should facilitate development of research on this model species.
Differential trypsin effect upon (1-14C) acetate incorporation into choline and ethanolamine glycerophosphatides of rat brain and liver.

Preincubation of rat brain and liver slices in a medium (5% glucose, 5% fructose, 1% albumin, 1% trypsin, 10 mM phosphate buffer pH 6.0) used to pretreat brain tissue for the separation of cell types was found to uncouple the incorporation of (1-14C) acetate into ethanolamine phosphoglycerides from that of the choline phosphoglycerides. Incorporation into ethanolamine phosphoglycerides was stimulated in both brain (330%) and liver (780%) slices, while the incorporation of (1-14C) acetate into choline phosphoglycerides was reduced for both brain (71%) and liver (63%) slices, compared to control values from nonpreincubated material. With (1-14C) linolenic acid as a precursor, no significant differences were found in incorporation into ethanolamine phosphoglycerides and choline phosphoglycerides.
A quantitative atom-probe field-ion microscope study of the compositions of dilute Co(Nb) and Co(Fe) alloys

Abstract The compositions of Co-1.0at%Nb and Co-1.0at%Fe alloys have been measured using the atom-probe field-ion microscope. The main purpose of this experimental work was to find a set of optimum conditions which gives the correct solute concentrations in these alloys. This information was necessary for measuring the absolute compositions, in our extensive investigations of solute atom segregation effects to individual stacking faults in these alloys. The dependence of each alloy's composition on the following parameters was investigated: (1) the specimen temperature; (2) the pulse fraction; (3) the field-evaporation rate; (4) the crystallographic plane; (5) the effect of the presence of hydrogen in the atom-probe on the measured Nb composition in a Co-1.0at%Nb alloy. It is shown that the composition determined by the atom-probe FIM is very sensitive to some of the parameters listed above. The effects of these experimental parameters on the measured Nb and Fe concentrations are discussed in terms of possible field-evaporation models. Under certain experimental conditions drastically different behavior has been observed in these alloys; preferential field-evaporation of solute atoms in a Co-1.0at%Fe alloy and preferential retention of solute atoms in a Co-1.0at%Nb alloy was observed. Correct solute concentrations were obtained by using the following experimental parameters: (1) a specimen temperature of less than or equal to 60 K; (2) a pulse fraction of greater than or equal to 0.10.
AGAMMAGLOBULINEMIA ASSOCIATED WITH THE OCCURRENCE OF A MONOCLONAL IMMUNOGLOBULIN

A patient is described with a monoclonal immunoglobulin of the IgG class in the serum and no detectable IgM and IgA. Extensive immunological investigations showed the absence of B-lymphocytes in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Moreover, plasma cells were not present in the bone marrow. The monoclonal IgG was synthesized in the gastrointestinal tract. The cellular immune-status of the patient was synthesized in the gastrointestinal tract. The cellular immune-status of the patient was normal. Clinically the patient suffered from gastrointestinal and severe respiratory tract infections. It was concluded that the findings are consistent with the diagnosis congenital agammaglobulinaemia with concurrence of monoclonal IgG. It was postulated that the cell clone in the gastrointestinal tract resulted from an escape of a pre-B cell clone from the recongized arrest of pre-B cells in congenital agammaglobulinaemia.
A New Disproof of the Compatibility of Foreknowledge and Free Choice

Old philosophical problems never die, but they can be reinterpreted. In this paper, I offer a reinterpretation of the problem of reconciling divine omniscience and human free will. Classical discussions of this problem concentrate on the nature of God and the concept of free will. The present discussion will focus attention on the concept of knowledge, drawing on developments in epistemology that resulted from the posing of a certain problem by Edmund Gettier in 1963.
Interferon-lambda and therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Interferon (IFN)-α, a type-I IFN, is widely used to treat chronic hepatitis C virus infection, but the broad expression of IFN-α receptors often leads to adverse reactions in many organs. Here, we examine IFN-λ, a type-III IFN, as a therapeutic alternative to IFN-α. Like IFN-α, IFN-λ also induces antiviral activity in hepatocytes, but might induce fewer adverse reactions because its receptor is largely restricted to cells of epithelial origin. We also discuss the recent discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the human IFN-λ3 gene, IL28B, that correlate strongly with the ability to achieve a sustained virological response to therapy with pegylated IFN-α plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Countervailing market responses to corporate co-optation and the ideological recruitment of consumption communities

From a conventional theoretical standpoint, the corporatization of the organic food movement is an example of co-optation. Co-optation theory conceptualizes the commercial marketplace as an ideological force that assimilates the symbols and practices of a counterculture into dominant norms. Our alternative argument is that co-optation can generate a countervailing market response that actively promotes the oppositional aspects of a counterculture attenuated by the process of commercial mainstreaming. To develop this theoretical argument, we analyze community-supported agriculture, which has emerged in response to the corporate co-optation of the organic food movement. We conclude by discussing how tacit political ideologies structure consumption communities.
Combining multiple visual processing streams for locating and classifying objects in video

Automated, invariant object detection has proven itself to be a substantial challenge for the artificial intelligence research community. In computer vision, many different benchmarks have been established using whole-image classification based on datasets that are too small to eliminate statistical artifacts. As an alternative, we used a new dataset consisting of ∼62GB (on the order of 40,000 2Mpixel frames) of compressed high-definition aerial video, which we employed for both object classification and localization. Our algorithms mimic the processing pathways in primate visual cortex, exploiting color/texture, shape/form and motion. We then combine the data using a clustering technique to produce a final output in the form of labeled bounding boxes around objects of interest in the video. Localization adds additional complexity not generally found in whole-image classification problems. Our results are evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively using a scoring metric that assessed the overlap between our detections and ground-truth.
A Sensitive Elisa for the Detection of Human Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1)

The recruitment of monocytes into tissue is associated with both acute and chronic inflammation. Although monocyte migration is measured in vitro by monocyte chemotaxis, this technique is often difficult to determine the specific quantitative contribution of a monocyte chemotaxin. We have developed a sensitive sandwich ELISA for the detection of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a highly specific monocyte activating/chemotactic peptide. Polyclonal antibodies were generated from rabbits. The IgG fraction of the antiserum was isolated by a protein A column, with a portion of the antibodies biotinylated. Avidin-conjugated horse radish peroxidase was used for enzymatic, colorimetric analysis. The lower threshold for detection of MCP-1 was 50 pg/ml, and the ELISA was specific for MCP-1, since it failed to recognize other cytokines in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, this ELISA had the capacity to measure endothelial cell and pulmonary fibroblast-derived MCP-1. The development of a sensitive ELISA for the detection MCP-1 is significant, since it will allow the measurement MCP-1 from biologically relevant fluids, and aid in establishing whether MCP-1 is present in disease.
Bereavement groups for inner-city children.

Guided by theory, empirical research, and clinical experience, this demonstration tested a 12-session group intervention for 38 inner-city children who had lost a caregiver. The design of the group...
Cervical disc arthroplasty: Equivalent alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion but unknown superiority

Cervical disc arthroplasty has been developed as an alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with the advantages of preserving intervertebral motion, eliminating the risk of pseudarthrosis, and theoretically reducing adjacent segment degeneration. Several large prospective randomized trials have been conducted to investigate the clinical and radiographic results of cervical disc arthroplasty versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Long-term results from these studies, however, show no difference in functional outcomes and no evidence to date in reduction of adjacent segment disease with arthroplasty. Although cervical disc arthroplasty is a safe and equivalent alternative, its superiority is yet unknown.
Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process for Selecting an Appropriate Fate and Transport Model for Risk-Based Decision Making at Hazardous Waste Sites

The management and regulation of hazardous waste sites are increasingly being carried out by assessing risks via different exposure pathways. The selection of an appropriate multimedia fate and transport for carrying out screening level risk assessment is a challenging task given the paucity of data and the need for modeling rigor. The utility of a multicriteria decision-making technique, called the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), is explored in this study to select an appropriate model that satisfies the needs of the stakeholders in an optimal manner. The criteria for model selection focused on various issues ranging from scientific credibility to data availability and end-user requirements, and were compiled from a survey of modeling practices and needs of various agencies of the California/Environmental Protection Agency that was carried out previously. Seven different public-domain multimedia modeling codes were evaluated against these criteria using AHP. The study indicated that the highest ranked ...
The Fundamental Challenge in Measuring Sprawl: Which Land Should Be Considered?*

Abstract Lack of agreement on how to define and measure sprawl has hampered development of policy related to its causes and consequences. We question previous work for two reasons: the use of study areas that overbound or underbound sprawl landscapes, and the failure to account for land unavailable for development. We formulate “extended urban areas,” based on housing density and commuting patterns and argue that they represent a preferable geographic basis for measuring sprawl. We operationalize with satellite imagery a way for measuring land unavailable for development in these areas. We then compute five measures of urban development using the National Land Cover Data Base and decennial census data to assess the extent of sprawl in the extended urban areas of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington. Our sensitivity analyses reveal that the measurement of sprawl critically depends on which land area forms the basis of the analysis, and, to a lesser degree, how one accounts for land unava...
Interactive processing to obtain interstation surface-wave dispersion

Abstract A processing scheme for the analysis of surface-wave dispersion is presented. This scheme involves preprocessing seismograms, computing the interstation Green9s function, and determining the self-consistent phase and group dispersion with standard errors for one or more events for a two-station path. Time-variable filtering is employed, based on group velocity that is computer-selected by the multiple filter technique and refined by phase matching iteration. The interstation Green9s function is frequency filtered to remove spikes from the spectrum. The interstation group velocity, perturbed by standard errors and refined by phase matching, is used to determine phase velocity and its uncertainty. Self-consistency between phase and group velocity is obtained by a simultaneous least-squares method, which ensures the correct functional relation for the two dispersed velocities. The uncertainty in dispersion is computed from the covariance matrix of the simultaneous least-squares solution. The technique is evaluated by comparing the analyzed dispersion for a path along the Andean Cordillera with results employing other techniques.
Queuing with Nonpreemptive and Preemptive-Resume Priorities

This paper considers a special queue situation, one in which a single facility serves two major priority classes of customers. Within each class, there are several levels of priorities. The first class has the higher priority. On arrival, a customer of the first class immediately replaces any customer of lower priority being served. The second class has the lower priority, as compared to the first class. On its arrival, a customer of the second class cannot interrupt the current service of a lower priority customer in the system; it must wait until the service is completed. The first class is the preemptive priority, and the second class is the nonpreemptive priority. This paper formulates a theoretical solution for this queuing system, which has a wide range of application in the computer industry. The real-time control program under the multiprogramming environment is an analog of this priority queuing model.
Comparison of the hospital cost of autograft versus allograft soft-tissue anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the cost of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with either hamstring autograft or tibialis anterior allograft. Methods The hospital cost and charge data for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction by a single surgeon using either tibialis anterior tendon allograft (n = 49) or hamstring tendon autograft (n = 49) were retrospectively obtained and analyzed. Costs were broken down into several categories for comparison. The surgeon, operative technique, and surgical team were controlled. Results The mean total hospital cost for ACL reconstruction was $4,072.02 for autograft and $5,195.19 for allograft, for a difference of $1,123.16 ( P P P Conclusions In the setting of a high-volume, experienced surgical team, the additional cost of using an allograft for ACL reconstruction was not offset by the decreased operative and recovery room costs. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Explicit expressions of the generalized inverses and condensed Cramer rules

In this paper, we obtain an explicit representation of the {2}-inverse A (2) T, S of a matrix A ∈ C m×n with the prescribed range T and null space S. As special cases, new expressions for the Moore–Penrose inverse A + and Drazin inverse A D are derived. Through explicit expressions, we re-derive the condensed Cramer rules of Werner for minimal-norm least squares solution of linear equations Ax = b and propose two new condensed Cramer rules for the unique solution of a class of singular system Ax = b, x ∈ R(A k ), b ∈ R(A k ), k = Ind(A). Finally, condensed determinantal expressions for A + ,A D ,A A + , A + A ,a ndAA D are also presented.
SURFACE DECONTAMINATION VIA PLASMA MEDIATED ULTRA-SHORT PULSED LASER ABLATION

Ultra-short pulsed laser removal of thin film blood contamination at glass surface has been studied. Utilizing plasma mediated ablation effect, the blood contamination was transformed into plasma cloud and collected with a vacuum system. A laser beam (wavelength 1552nm, pulse duration 1.2 picosecond) is focused into a working spot and scanned over the contaminated x-y plane area via an automated stage. The ablation effects of different laser parameters (pulse repetition rate, pulse energy) are demonstrated. The ablation result is evaluated with microscope.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The design of radially symmetric lenses

For scanning over wide angles at millimeter wavelengths, an antenna incorporating a radially symmetric lens is an attractive solution if the lens can be realized in a practical form. It is shown that suitable lenses can be constructed very simply, from natural dielectrics if desired, and a design technique for the optimal antenna is presented. Some results are given of analytical and experimental studies of a number of actual antennas operating at wavelengths near 4 mm. These confirm that practical solutions are available. Homogeneous lenses may be used up to antenna gains of about 35 dB, and a lens consisting of a single shell and a core is sufficient for most other practical requirements.