cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Avenues for Computing the Heat Transfer from a Circular Fin of Hyperbolic Cross-Sectional Profile

The circular fin of hyperbolic profile with constant thermal conductivity and uniform convective coefficient is of remarkable importance in heat transfer engineering. This particular fin resembles the optimal circular fin of convex parabolic profile, which delivers the maximum heat transfer for a given volume of material. The circular fin of hyperbolic profile is governed by a two-term differential equation of second order with one variable coefficient which, via a transformation, can be converted into a Bessel equation. Setting aside the use of Bessel functions, the present paper addresses three elementary computational procedures that are amenable to heat transfer education: the power series method, the finite-difference technique and the shooting method. With the second technique, the system of algebraic equations was solved by the elimination of unknowns, or the Gauss elimination method. With the third method, a fourth-order Runge—Kutta integration algorithm was paired with a linear interpolation form...
Wind-Tunnel Tests of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Blades

An ongoing research project is investigating the potential of locating vertical-axis wind turbines (WT) on remote, off-grid cellular communication towers. The goal of the WT is to provide local power generation to meet the electrical needs of the tower. While vertical-axis devices are less efficient than their more traditional horizontal-axis counterparts, they provide a number of practical advantages which make them a suitable choice for the present situation. First, the direction of their axis is aligned with the existing tower and its rotation does not interfere with the tower structure. Second, vertical-axis devices are much less susceptible to the direction of wind and they do not require control-systems to ensure they are oriented correctly. Third, vertical-axis turbines have very low start-up wind speeds so that they generate power over a wide range of speeds. Fourth, since vertical-axis turbines rotate at a slower speed compared with horizontal counterparts, they impart a lessened vibration load to the tower. These facts, collectively, make the vertical-axis turbine suitable for the proposed application. The design process involved a detailed initial design of the turbine blade using computational methods. Next, a trio of designs was evaluated experimentally in a large, low-speed wind tunnel. The wind tunnel is operated by the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Fluid Laboratory. The tunnel possesses two testing sections. The larger section was sufficient to test a full-size turbine blade. Accounting was taken of the blockage effect following the tests. The experiments were completed on (1) a solid-wing design (unvented), (2) a slotted-wing design (vented), and (3) a capped-and-slotted design (capped). Conditions spanned a wide range of wind speeds (4.5–11.5 m/s). The turbines were connected to electronics which simulated a range of electrical loads. The tested range was selected to span the expected range of resistances which will be found in practice. It was discovered that over a range of these wind speeds and electrical resistances, slots located on the wings result in a slight improvement in power generation. On the other hand, the slotted-and-capped design provided very large increases in performance (approximately 200–300% compared with the unvented version). This large improvement has justified commercialization of the product for use in powering remote, off-grid cellular communication towers.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Determination of titanium and zirconium in molybdenum base alloys by ion exchange

Abstract The anion-exchange behavior of titanium, zirconium and molybdenum in sulfuric-oxalic acid system was studied. The systematic use of distribution coefficients defined conditions for a simple method for the analysis of zirconium and titanium in molybdenum base alloys. Less than 0.1% zirconium and 0.1% titanium can be determined. Molybdenum, among the three, was found to form the most stable anionic species with oxalic acid.
The Police as Victims: The Role of Guns in the Murder of Police

Lester (1984) has shown that police officers are murdered at a higher rate in cities where the general murder rate is higher (but not where other crime rates are higher) and where a higher percentage of suicides and homicides use guns. The present smdy sought to explore the relationship between the use of guns in robbery and assault and the rates with which police officers are murdered. Data were available for the 37 largest cities in the USA. The rates at which police officers were murdered in each cirp were calculated for 1970 to 1978 from data supplied by Mr. Paul Zolbe (Chief, Uniform Crime Reports, FBI). These rates were correlated with the proportion of suicides and homicides committed by gun in each city in 1973-1974,' the percenrage oE robberies and aggravated assaults committed in each city by gun in 1974 (from data supplied by Mr. Paul Zolbe), and the rates of robbery with gun, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft from the Uniform Crime Reports for 1974 (FBI, 1975). The rate with which police officers were murdered in the 37 cities was related to the murder rate in the cities (Pearson r = 0.41, two-tailed p < 0.02), the manslaughter rate (r = 0.47, fi < 0.01), the rate of murder by gun (r = 0.51, fi < 0.01), the rate of aggravated assault by gun (r = 0.39, p < 0.02), the percentage of suicides by gun (r = 0.45, p < 0.01), the percentage of homicides by gun (r = 0.40, P < 0.02), the percentage of robberies by gun (r = 0.41, fi < 0.02), and the percentage of aggravated assaults by gun (r = 0.29, p < 0.10). The rate with which police officers were murdered in the 37 cities was not related to the rape rate (r = 0.08), the robbery rate (r = 0.03), the aggravated assault rate (r = 0.17), the burglary rate (r = 0.14), the larceny rate (r = -0.04), the motor vehicle theft rate (r = - 0.16), or the rate of robbery by gun (r = 0.22). The results from this study indicate that police officers are murdered at a higher rate in cities where a greater proportion of suicides, homicides, robberies, and aggravated assaults involve guns, suggesting that the increased availability and use of guns by criminals in a community may reflect, and perhaps cause, a higher likelihood of lethal violence toward police in that community.
Quantitative analysis of triglyceride species of vegetable oils by high performance liquid chromatography via a flame ionization detector.

A method for the quantitative analysis of triglyceride species composition of vegetable oils by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) via a flame ionization detector (FID) is described. Triglycerides are separated into molecular species via Zorbax chemically bonded octadecylsilane (ODS) columns using gradient elution with methylene chloride in acetonitrile. Identification of species is made by matching the retention times of the peaks in the chromatogram with the order of elution of all of the species that could be present in the sample on the basis of a random distribution of the fatty acids and comparision of experimental and calculated theoretical carbon numbers (TCN). Quantitative analysis is based on a direct proportionality of peak areas. Differences in the response of individual species were small and did not dictate the use of response factors. The method is applied to cocoa butter before and after randomization, soybean oil and pure olive oil.
Low-Valent Metals as Reductive Cross-Linking Agents: A New Strategy for Smoke Suppression of Poly(vinyl chloride)

Several types of additives that contain transition metals can promote the cross-linking of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) by a mechanism that apparently involves reductive coupling of the polymer chains. In solid PVC, the cross-linking occurs at 200 °C, and model-compound experiments show that it can be ascribed to the preferential reductive coupling of allylic chloride structures when the coupling agent is Cu(0). However, the concurrent coupling of other chloride moieties has not been entirely ruled out. The evidence for reductive coupling consists of rapid gel formation accompanied by substantial reductions (or minor changes) in the rates of total mass loss (as determined by thermogravimetric analysis), CC formation (as observed by Fourier transform IR spectroscopy), and HCl evolution (as determined by acid−base titrimetry). Additives that promote the coupling process are sources of a zero- or low-valent metal upon pyrolysis. These additives include a number of transition-metal carbonyls, divalent formates ...
Asymmetric cyclopropanation reactions via iron carbene complexes having chirality at the carbene ligand

The reaction of Fp [(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2] anion (1) with chiral (+) or (−) o-anisaldehyde(tricarbonyl)chromium (2) in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane produced the optically pure (+) or (−) bimetallic complex 4. Separate treatment of 4 at −78° C with trimethylsilyltriflate in the presence of styrene, followed by decomplexation with iodine, produced the corresponding cyclopropanes (101, cistrans). A 60% ee was indicated for the cis cyclopropanes.
observations of Mesocale Wave Disturbances during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment

Abstract The Portable Automated Mesonet (PAM) data obtained during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Fxperiment (GALE) are used to document mesoscale wave activity during the 3-day period from 4 to 6 February 1986. From the surface pressure analyses, four cases of wave activity are identified with wavelengths of 200–400 km, phase speeds of 20–40 m s−1 and trough-to-crest pressure amplitudes of 0.5–3.5 mb. Precipitation was associated with the waves in two of the four cases. Detailed analyses of the horizontal structure show that the waves do not have the pressure-wind relationship expected from linear gravity wave theory. The wind vectors are oriented from high to low pressure with a maximum amplitude between the high and low pressure areas. Low-level inversions were present in three of the four cases. In the raw without a low-level inversion, the amplitude rapidly decreased as the wave moved towards the east. In the case which lasted for the longest time period (at least 8 h). and had the largest pressure amp...
The Spectrum of Neurological Recovery

The equivalence of brain death with death is largely, although not universally accepted. Patients may have suffered insults such as cardiac arrest, vascular catastrophe, poisoning, or head trauma. Early identification of patients at greatest risk of poor neurologic outcome and management in the appropriate critical care setting is the key to maximizing neurological recovery. Recent technological advances and neuroimaging have made it possible to predict neurological reversibility with great accuracy. Significant improvements in therapy such as hypothermia, will improve outcomes in neurological catastrophies, particularly in anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The clinical spectrum and diagnostic criteria of minimally conscious and vegetative states is reviewed. The current understanding of the differences in prognosis and prediction of meaningful cognitive and functional recovery in each neurological state is described. Establishing an understanding of the ethical principles that guide medical decisions in clinical practice related to different neurological states is evolving into a new field called neuroethics.
Escape Behavior: Linking Neural Computation to Action

Summary A new study uses a combination of physiological and optogenetic techniques to identify visual neurons in fruit flies that detect approaching objects, and whose activation is integral in escaping an oncoming threat.
HgO at high pressures: the transition to the NaCl structure (HgO-III) and the equation of state of tetragonal HgO-II

The high-pressure behavior of HgO-montroydite was investigated up to 36.5 GPa using angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction. The tetragonal phase of this material (HgO-II), a distortion of the NaCl structure, transforms into the cubic NaCl structure (HgO-III) above ~31.5 GPa. The transformation of mercury oxide from the orthorhombic Pnma (HgO-I) structure to a tetragonal I4/mmm structure (HgO-II) is confirmed to occur at 13.5 ± 1.5 GPa. Neither of the high-pressure phases, HgO-II nor HgO-III, is quenchable in pressure. The derived isothermal bulk modulus of HgO-II and its pressure derivative strongly depend on the assumed zero-pressure volume of this phase, but our elasticity results on HgO-II nevertheless lie significantly closer to theoretical calculations than prior experimental results, and the measured pressure of the phase transformation to the NaCl structure is also in agreement with recent theoretical results. The general accord with theory supports the existence of significant relativistic effects on the high-pressure phase transitions of HgO.
Parallel solution of triangular systems of equations

The solution on parallel computers of systems of equations Lx = b, where L is lower triangular, is considered. Some authors have suggested that it is difficult to solve such systems in parallel on message-passing, local-memory machines when L is stored by columns. It is shown here that this is not necessarily the case if the machine can accomplish fan-in communication with reasonable efficiency.
Early valproic acid exposure alters functional organization in the primary visual cortex

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders and affects 0.5 to 1% of pregnant women. The use of antiepileptic drugs, which is usually continued throughout pregnancy, can cause in offspring mild to severe sensory deficits. Neuronal selectivity to stimulus orientation is a basic functional property of the visual cortex that is crucial for perception of shapes and borders. Here we investigate the effects of early exposure to valproic acid (Val) and levetiracetam (Lev), commonly used antiepileptic drugs, on the development of cortical neuron orientation selectivity and organization of cortical orientation columns. Ferrets pups were exposed to Val (200mg/kg), Lev (100mg/kg) or saline every other day between postnatal day (P) 10 and P30, a period roughly equivalent to the third trimester of human gestation. Optical imaging of intrinsic signals or single-unit recordings were examined at P42-P84, when orientation selectivity in the ferret cortex has reached a mature state. Optical imaging of intrinsic signals revealed decreased contrast of orientation maps in Val- but not Lev- or saline-treated animals. Moreover, single-unit recordings revealed that early Val treatment also reduced orientation selectivity at the cellular level. These findings indicate that Val exposure during a brief period of development disrupts cortical processing of sensory information at a later age and suggest a neurobiological substrate for some types of sensory deficits in fetal anticonvulsant syndrome.
Ultrasonic techniques for crown and bridge retainers

Abstract Replies to questionnaires about the preparation of teeth for porcelain jacket crowns, complete gold crowns, and for three-quarter partial veneer crowns indicate that dentists employing the ultrasonic technique are limiting themselves to the use of a very few Cavitips. These are usually the newer offset No. 15 and No. 331, in addition to two or three of the older numbers. The techniques used vary in different parts of the country according to the individual experience. No single step-by-step procedure has been agreed upon as yet. That progress has been made in this direction is indicated by the fact that the operating time compares favorably now with that where rotary instruments are employed. Further study and research into this new method of tooth preparation is needed and should evolve the most efficient techniques for its use.
Migratory routes and fates of cells transcribing the Wnt-1 gene in the murine hindbrain.

To investigate the origins, migrations, and fates of Wnt-1–expressing cells in the murine hindbrain, mice carrying a Wnt-1 enhancer/lacZ transgene were observed from embryonic day (E) 8 through postnatal day 18. The transgene-stained ventricular layer waxed and waned prior to and following migrations from it. Stained cells migrated first external to the hindbrain as neural crest and then within it to form typical populations of the rhombic lip, as well as others not recognized as lip derivatives. Migrations originated in a temporally defined sequence, many from discrete rhombomeres. All moved first radially, then rostrally and/or ventrally, ipsi-, or contralaterally, in the mantle or marginal layers. These movements ultimately formed elements of several nuclei, aligned in four longitudinal bands: dorsal (including the gracile, cuneate, cochlear, and vestibular nuclei, plus cerebellar granular cells), dorsal intermediate (including trigeminal sensory, parvicellular reticular, and deep cerebellar nuclei), ventral intermediate (including lateral and intermediate reticular nuclei), and ventral (including the raphe obscurus and pontine nuclei). Transgene staining often persisted long enough to identify stained cells in their definitive, adult nuclei. However, staining was transient. The strength of the staining, however, was in its ability to reveal origins and migrations in both whole-mounts and sections, in single cell detail. The present results will permit analyses of the effects of genetic manipulations on Wnt-1 lineage cells. Developmental Dynamics 235:285–300, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Shape of Twenty‐first Century Global Manufacturing

Time is a resource that all companies have. Using it to compete in the global market is now an essential strategy.
Identifying regional groundwater risk areas using a WWW GIS model system

To evaluate the National Agricultural Pesticide Risk Analysis (NAPRA) WWW system (http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~napra), NAPRA WWW predicted nitrate and atrazine losses to shallow groundwater were compared with well nitrate and atrazine data within Indiana. The NAPRA system correctly categorised 84% of the 'High' and 'Very High' nitrate observations, although the predicted nitrate losses are generally in more severe categories than measured nitrate levels. The NAPRA system also correctly categorised 69% of the 'High' and 'Very High' atrazine observations. Predicted results match measured concentrations reasonably, if assumptions and limitations of the NAPRA WWW system are considered. This system has the potential to identify areas vulnerable to nitrate and atrazine groundwater pollution. Thus, a web GIS version of the NAPRA model was developed (http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~napra/NAPRA_SPATIAL) to facilitate the assessment of the effects of more refined agricultural management on water quality at farm field scales.
Three-dimensional incompressible flow calculations with alternative discretization schemes

Abstract A finite-volume calculation procedure for steady, incompressible, elliptic flows in complex geometries is presented. The methodology uses generalized body-fitted coordinates to model the shape of the boundary accurately. All variables are stored at the centroids of the elements, thus achieving simplicity and low cost of computations. Turbulence is modeled by using the standard two-equation k-e model. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the performance and accuracy of flow calculations under different discretization schemes in the light of experimental results. The discretization schemes that are incorporated in the code include the classical hybrid scheme, the third-order QUICK scheme, and a fifth-order upwind scheme. Benchmark tests are performed for laminar and turbulent flows in 90° curved ducts of square and circular cross sections. Flow solutions obtained using the classical hybrid scheme are compared with solutions obtained with the higher-order schemes. The results show that accurate s...
A Model for Developing and Assessing Tactical Decision-making Competency in Game Play

(2008). A Model for Developing and Assessing Tactical Decision-making Competency in Game Play. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 79, No. 3, pp. 24-29.
The role of working memory in skilled and less skilled readers' comprehension.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) whether limitations in less skilled reader's comprehension are related to specific or general working memory (WM) deficiencies and (b) whether WM and short-term memory (STM) independently contribute to the reading comprehension deficits in less skilled readers. For Experiment 1, performance of less skilled readers with learning disabilities (LD), chronological-age (CA)-matched, and reading comprehension level-matched children was compared on verbal and visual- spatial WM measures. The results indicated that (a) less skilled readers' WM performance was comparable on visual-spatial WM measures but inferior to CA-matched children on verbal WM measures and (b) less skilled readers' performance on visual-spatial and verbal WM measures was superior to reading comprehension-matched counterparts, with and without reading recognition scores partialed out in the analysis. Experiment 2 compared children, subgrouped into high and low reading comprehension and high and low reading recognition on WM and phonological STM tasks. The results indicated that the comorbid group (low word recognition and low comprehension) had combined WM and STM deficits. The poor comprehension-only group had low WM but average phonological STM performance, whereas the opposite profile occurred for the poor reading recognition-only group. The results support the hypothesis that less skilled readers suffer WM deficits that contribute to comprehension problems, independent of their problems in phonological coding. The results also support the notion that constraints in an executive system may contribute to the reading comprehension deficits in less skilled readers.
Photodissociation reaction CO−3

Abstract Photodissociation reaction CO − 3 + hv → CO 2 + O − has been observed at seven photon energies between 2.35 and 2.71 eV using a drift tube mass spectrometer and an argon ion laser. The total cross sections for the destruction of CO − 3 due to photons of these energies have been measured, and it is concluded that essentially all of this destruction is due to photodissociation. The photodestruction of CO − 3 .H 2 O has also been observed at four photon energies.
Fetal vascular responses to prostacyclin

Prostacyclin is a potent vasodilator produced by both maternal and fetal tissues that dilates the umbilical placental vasculature in vitro. To test the hypothesis that prostacyclin dilates the fetal placental circulation in vivo, we measured blood flow by the radioactive microsphere technique in six unanesthetized near-term ovine fetuses before and during prostacyclin infusion. Fetal mean arterial pressure fell 15% from 35 ± 3 to 31 ± 3 mm Hg ( p p -1 · kg -1 fetal weight ( p = 0.07), whereas vascular resistance was unchanged (0.16 ± 0.04 to 0.18 ± 0.06 mm Hg · ml -1 · min · kg fetal weight). Fetal arterial pH decreased from 7.33 ± 0.03 to 7.28 ± 0.02 ( p p p = 0.07). We conclude that in vivo administration of prostacyclin to the ovine fetus does not cause fetal placental vasodilation and does cause a significant fetal acidemia. The mechanism for these unexpected observations is likely shunting of blood away from the placenta to other organs in the face of systemic vasodilation.
Cloning, characterization and phenotypic expression in Escherichia coli of catF, which encodes the catalytic subunit of catalase isozyme CatF of Pseudomonas syringae

The phytopathogenic, gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 61 contains three isozymes of catalase (EC 1.11.1.6), which have been proposed to play a role in the bacterium's responses to various environmental stresses. To study the role of individual isozymes, the gene coding for the catalytic subunit of one catalase isozyme was cloned from a cosmid library hosted in Escherichia coli DH5α by using a designed catalase-specific DNA probe for the screening. One out of four clones with a catalase-positive genotype was subcloned and a pUC19-based 2.7 × 103-base (2.7-kb) insert subclone, pMK3E5, was used to transform catalase-deficient E. coli strain UM255 (HPI−, HPII−). The transformants contained a single isozyme of catalase that had electrophoretic and enzymic properties similar to catalase isozyme CatF from P. syringae pv. syringae 61. Analysis of the sequenced 2.7-kb insert DNA revealed six putative open-reading frames (ORF). The 1542-base-pair DNA sequence of ORF2, called catF, encodes a peptide of 513 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 66.6 kDa. The amino acid sequence deduced from catF had homology to the primary structure of true catalases from mammals, plants, yeasts and bacteria. The activity of the recombinant catalase was inhibited by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and azide and stimulated by chloramphenicol. The N terminus contained a signal sequence of 26 amino acids necessary for secretion into the periplasm, a so-far unique property of Pseudomonas catalases.
Electrocardiographic detection of emphysema.

Emphysema of any pathogenesis (nearly always chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) verticalizes the frontal P-wave axis >60° in adults, which, as a single criterion, has screened for obstructive pulmonary disease. In patients with emphysema, the QRS was of a significantly shorter duration than that in matched control patients. We investigated whether combining these 2 criteria would better detect or screen for emphysema. From consecutive unselected daily electrocardiograms with sinus rhythm, 50 were selected with a P-wave axis of >60°. An equal control group from the same electrocardiogram continuum with a P-wave axis of ≤60° was matched for age and gender. The QRS durations were those measured by the electrocardiographic computer and manually verified individually. The charts were then reviewed for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or pulmonary emphysema according to the pulmonary function test and chest radiographic findings, respectively. The patients and controls were well matched demographically. Those with a vertical P axis had a strikingly greater incidence of emphysema than did the controls (86% vs 4%, respectively). The sensitivity of a P axis >60° was 96% and the specificity was 87%. The mean QRS duration with emphysema was significantly shorter (78 ± 8 vs 89 ± 6 ms, p 60° achieved a specificity of 100%, although the sensitivity decreased to 33%. We have reported multiple other cutpoints for each and for the combination. In conclusion, a P axis >60° can be used alone with very high sensitivity and specificity to detect emphysema. The verticality of the P axis is usually immediately visible in the limb leads; therefore, this could be a rapid screening test for emphysema. The specificity was increased when combined with a shortened QRS duration, at the cost of the sensitivity.
Public education and income inequality

Abstract This paper examines the evolution of inequality in an overlapping generations model where each individual's human capital investment depends on quality of schools. We consider an education regime where the quality of schools is a publicly provided input financed by an income tax. We show that the income gap between the rich and the poor may widen even when the quality of public education is the same across all individuals. Thus, in the short run, public education may not be the great equalizer as intended by its proponents, though it is in the long run. We also show that the effect of taxes on inequality is ambiguous.
P4-196: Presenilin in neuronal survival and neurodegeneration

Background: Presenilins (PS) have been shown to exhibit -secretase dependent and independent activities, the former requires the D257 site and the latter is mediated through the hydrophilic loop domain encoded by exon 10. Mutations in presenilin genes (PS1 and PS2) lead to early-onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and increasing evidence indicates that these mutations lead to a partial loss of function for its physiological activities. Methods: We are using PS conditional double knockout (PScDKO) mice in which both presenilin genes are postnatally deleted in the forebrain to gain insight into the pathophysiology of AD. We are investigating the -secretase dependent and independent functions in adult CNS by genetic rescue using mice containing the PS1D257A mutation or exon 10 loop deletion (PS1 E10), respectively. The in vivo analysis was complemented by primary neuronal culture studies. We examined neuronal cell cycle markers using immunohistochemical methods. Results: The PScDKO mice are viable and exhibit age-related neurodegenerative phenotypes. Cyclin D1 activation and neuronal cell cycle re-entry is one of the earliest hallmarks seen in PScDKO animals and in PS1 null neurons, and this is largely mediated through the PS1 loop domain. However, neurons marked with BrdU do not directly succumb to apoptosis, and -secretase defective mutant PS1D257A leads to neuronal cell death independent of cell cycle re-entry. Nevertheless, cell cycle abnormality enhances the neuronal vulnerability under stress conditions, and our data reveal p53 as a downstream effecter. Conclusions: The results support a model whereby the PS -secretase activity, in a cell cycle independent manner, plays a predominant role in neuronal homeostasis. The PS1 loop domain, through cyclin D1 and p53-dependent mechanisms, facilitates PS1 neuronal function, particularly under stress conditions.
Who Gets the Goods? Moderate Voting Records, Diminishing Returns, and PACContributions

Assuming that a legislator representing a moderate constituency (with respect to a variety of interests) may be expected to vote moderately in general, the authors suggest a measure of the “moderateness” of a legislator’s voting behavior and use it to determine whether a relationship exists between PAC contributions and the degree of moderateness. The results suggest that PACs exhibit a tendency to give more, at the margin, to legislators with moderate voting records.
Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year. By Charles Bracelen Flood. (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2011. Pp. xvi, 288. $27.50.)

The author focuses on General Grant's valiant effort while facing impending death to complete his Personal Memoirs and replenish the fortunes of his family. He and his wife, Julia, had not foreseen...
U.S. research universities' institutional conflict of interest policies.

RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES RECEIVE INCREASING amounts of income from intellectual property, which makes institutional conflict of interest (ICOI) policies increasingly important. We analyzed the content and scope of ICOI policies at 60 research universities in the U.S. Association of American Universities. In particular, we focused on the following categories: disclosure, review, management, and prohibited or constrained activities. Most of the plans were relatively unelaborated, but 8 were elaborated "university as firm" policies that addressed the way officers and managers acting as agents for the univer- sity handled commercial activity through an array of man- agement tools. However, even elaborated current ICOI policies may not be sufficient to manage ICOI because this type of commercial activity is not routine for universities in that faculty discovery or creation of intellectual property is not predictable. Thus, nearly all ICOI is managed on a case-by-case basis by various committees or senior institu- tional officials. As a result, institutional policy is only as strong as these committees and officers and the manage- ment plans they develop and monitor to handle conflicts.
Ethnic Differences in Subcutaneous Adiposity and Waist Girth in Children and Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine ethnic differences in adiposity as measured by sum of skinfolds (SKF) and waist circumference (WC) in children and adolescents, after statistical adjustment for the BMI and age. A cross sectional sample of 3,218 (55% white, 49% male) children and adolescents aged 5-18 years who participated in the Bogalusa Heart Study (1992-1994) were included in these analyses. Sex-specific ANOVAs, adjusted for BMI and age, for each 2-year age group compared measures of adiposity (SKF and WC) between ethnic groups. No significant differences in the proportions of children and adolescents who were overweight and obese by ethnicity or sex were found. Mean SKF in normal weight (P < 0.0001) and overweight (P < 0.0001) categories was higher for white than black children of both sexes. Across most age categories, white boys and girls had significantly higher SKF than black boys and girls, respectively (P <or= 0.05). Across most age categories, white boys had significantly higher WC than black boys (P <or= 0.05) with no difference in the girls, when adjusted for BMI and age. Measures of adiposity in childhood and adolescence were significantly higher in white children compared to black children, when adjusted for BMI and age. Throughout childhood and adolescence, white boys and girls had higher SKF and white boys had higher WC. Differences in adiposity between ethnic groups should be considered in disease risk assessment and stratification as they are observed even for a given BMI level.
Men's Preferences for Sexually Transmitted Infection Care Services in a Low-Income Community Clinic Setting in New York City

A self-administered anonymous waiting room survey was used to evaluate men's preferences on testing, notification, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a community clinic in Upper Manhattan in 2007. Sixty-seven percent of eligible men (n = 199) participated. Most were willing to collect a urine sample at home (71%, n = 140) or at the clinic (87%, n = 171). Respondents preferred learning of a positive STI test result by phone (67%, n = 123). However, men were willing to receive results by text (65%, n = 127) or e-mail (61%, n = 121). Most (83%, n = 162) reported they would be (very) likely to take STI medication brought to them by a partner. Twenty-one percent reported previous gonorrhea or Chlamydia infection (n = 41). Of these, 39% (n = 16) had received medication to bring their partner, and almost all (n = 14/16) reported their partner took the medicine. Multiple options for STI testing, notification, and treat- ment are recommended to maximize service use among men, including providing patient-delivered partner therapy.
An M/G/1 queue with bulk service model for power management in wireless LANs

Energy efficiency is an important issue in wireless networks. We investigate the power management scheme in the IEEE 802.11 based infrastructure WLANs (wireless local area network) in order to find the optimal parameters that can achieve good energy efficiency without degrading other performances. With power management, an AP (Access Point) might temporarily buffer packets whose destination stations are in the Doze state. We focus our study on the behavior of the buffered packets and their impacts on the performance metrics. We model the power management scheme as an M/G/1 queue with bulk service and obtain the analytical results for the energy efficiency and the response time performance metrics, which are controlled by the listen interval. Our simulation results are in good agreement with the analysis. Based on the analytical model and simulation, we propose to select the largest listen interval with the satisfaction of the response time requirement.
Exact Linearization Based Nonlinear Control of PEM Fuel Cells

Based on our previous work (2005), this paper presents a SISO dynamic model for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) without using a reformer. Exact linearization approach is directly applied to the SISO dynamic model to obtain a nonlinear control strategy for PEMFCs. By adding an integral control term to the state feedback control law, the steady-state error due to parameter uncertainty is reduced. Simulation results show that PEM fuel cells have better transient and steady-state performances with the help of nonlinear control than linear controls.
Essentials of Electrosurgery Risks

Electrosurgery is the most commonly used technique in the operating room. Injuries associated with electrosurgery range in nature from mild to fatal. Risks have been reduced by perioperative personnel recognizing the risks inherent with electrosurgery, demanding increased safety features for electrosurgery, and requiring ongoing education. Perioperative management of the electrosurgery risks contributes to safer perioperative practices, resulting in fewer patient injuries. Most unintended surgical injuries from electrosurgery can be prevented.
Dynamic Analysis and Control of High Speed and High Precision Active Magnetic Bearings

The successful operation of actively controlled magnetic bearings depends greatly on the electromechanical design and control system design. The function of the controller is to maintain bearing performance in the face of system dynamic variations and unpredictable disturbances. The plant considered here is the rotor and magnetic bearing assembly of a test apparatus. The plant dynamics consisting of actuator dynamics, rigid rotor dynamics and flexibility effects are described. Various components of the system are identified and their corresponding linearized theoretical models are validated experimentally
Active Left-Handed Transmission Line Media

We introduce active negative index metamaterials based on left-handed nonlinear transmission line media, and measure for the first time the amplification of a weak signal wave at the output of the transmission line due to its parametric interaction with an intensive pump wave in these media, by which energy in a pump wave at one frequency is transferred to energy in a weak signal wave at another frequency.
Anchors Aweigh!: Ion Channels, Cytoskeletal Proteins, and Cellular Excitability

Genomics, proteomics, transgenics, molecular medicine: these are some of the scientific catch phrases of the 1990s. The hard work and high expectations of the past decade are beginning to influence reality. Results have accrued to the point that we can begin applying molecular knowledge to therapeutics. Although still in the formative stages, one cannot help but see the vast potential of the exponentially growing molecular knowledge base for understanding physiology and pathophysiology. In recent years, increasing numbers of ion channelopathies—disorders involving mutations in ion channel genes—have been recognized. These disorders include periodic paralyzes, migraine, ataxias, epilepsy, and cardiac arrhythmias to name a few. Research efforts have been directed toward identifying the candidate ion channel genes and their mutations and understanding the functional consequences of these mutations. In many cases, the results have been highly rewarding with a biophysical phenotype that easily correlates with the ultimate clinical phenotype.1 There are also cases where mutations in channel proteins, all of which are known to lead to a clinical disorder, do not have, as yet, a phenotype that is consistent with an interpretable hypothesis. For example, in familial hemiplegic migraine, individual mutations in a Ca2+ channel α subunit gene can apparently cause either loss or gain of function, depending on the mutation.2 3 4 5 6 Perhaps different mutant channels behave differently in their native environment and when interacting with auxiliary proteins. Perhaps additional analysis will reveal a mechanism. Yet at present, it is challenging to reconcile this disparate behavior with the common clinical phenotype of migraine. Presumably, this results from our as-yet limited knowledge …
Resonant Positron Annihilation on Molecules

At incident positron energies below the threshold for positronium atom formation, there are many cases in which annihilation rates for molecules are far in excess of that possible on the basis of simple two-body collisions. We now understand that this phenomenon is due to positron attachment to molecules mediated by vibrational Feshbach resonances. The attachment enhances greatly the overlap of the positron with molecular electrons and hence increases the probability of annihilation. Furthermore, measurements of the annihilation spectra as a function of incident positron energy provide a means of measuring positron-molecule binding energies. In this paper we present an overview of our current understanding of this process, highlighting key results and discussing outstanding issues that remain to be explained.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Releasate Promotes Differentiation of Tendon Stem Cells Into Active Tenocytes

BackgroundPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used to enhance tendon healing in clinical settings. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying PRP treatment of injured tendons remain unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of PRP, in the form of PRP-clot releasate (PRCR), on tendon stem cells (TSCs), a newly discovered cell population in tendons.HypothesisThe PRCR treatment promotes differentiation of TSCs into tenocytes that are activated to proliferate quickly and increase collagen production.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsAfter PRCR treatment, cell morphology, expression of stem/progenitor cell marker nucleostemin, and population doubling time were examined. In addition, gene and protein analyses were performed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry, and Western blot to characterize the type of cells that had differentiated after PRCR treatment.ResultsThe TSCs without PRCR treatment were small and exhibited an irregular shape, wher...
SYMBOLIC TRADITIONALISM AND PRAGMATIC EGALITARIANISM Contemporary Evangelicals, Families, and Gender

Drawing on Connell's notion of gender projects, the authors assess the degree to which contemporary evangelical ideals of men's headship challenge, as well as reinforce, a hegemonic masculinity. Based on 265 in-depth interviews in 23 states across the country, they find that rather than espousing a traditional gender hierarchy in which women are simply subordinate to men, the majority of contemporary evangelicals hold to symbolic traditionalism and pragmatic egalitarianism. Symbolic male headship provides an ideological tool with which individual evangelicals may maintain a sense of distinctiveness from the broader culture of which they are a part. At the same time, symbolic headship blunts some of the harsher effects of living in a materially rich, but time poor, culture, by defusing an area of potential conflict, creating a safe space within which men can negotiate, and strengthening men's material and emotional ties to their families.
The pathology of brucellosis reflects the outcome of the battle between the host genome and the Brucella genome

The successful co-existence of each Brucella spp. with its preferred host is the outcome of ancient co-evolutionary relationships and selection pressures that often result in a stalemate where the pathogen has evolved to survive within the biological systems of the host, and the host has evolved innate and acquired immune systems which allow controlled survival of infection by the pathogen, ultimately supporting the survival of the host-pathogen system. In general, Brucella spp. have evolved a similar fundamental pathogenesis of facultative intracellular parasitism though the predominant route of natural exposure varies from oropharynx to genital tract, as does the preferred tissue and cellular tropism, e.g. non-professional placental trophoblasts, fetal lung, professional macrophages of reticulendothelial system, and the male and female reproductive tracts. The morphogenesis of the pyogranulomatous lesions stimulated by Brucella reflects the nature of the persistent parasitism, i.e. genome versus genome. The question is, how can this perplexing array of survival mechanisms be unraveled? Fortunately, the integration of real-time image analysis, cell biology, genome-wide analysis, proteomics and bioinformatics holds the most promise ever for the global analysis of the Brucella infectious process and the host:pathogen interface leading to a clearer understanding of the interactions of these biological systems. These discoveries will be expected to provide a frameshift in rationales for interrupting and/or controlling brucellosis at host and/or pathogen levels.
Regarding the Overestimation of Serum κ Free Light Chains

To the Editor: I read with interest 2 recent Letters to the Editor regarding the accuracy of serum free light chain (FLC)1 measurement (1, 2). According to de Kat Angelino et al., the nephelometric serum FLC assay is inaccurate, and an ELISA method may be more accurate. Inaccuracy of the nephelometric method has been demonstrated by showing nonparallelism between individual patient samples, with the slopes for different patient samples varying between 0.54 and 0.76, compared with a slope of 1.0 for the FLC calibrator (3). We noticed that 3 of the 10 diluted serum samples showed a concentration that was increased 2- to 4-fold above that of the undiluted baseline value (4). In another study, 10 of 10 serum samples showed recoveries of 175% to 381% after multiple dilutions, compared with the lowest dilution (5). The reagent manufacturer (Binding Site) has acknowledged variation in values at different dilutions and has indicated that the concentration …
Application of velocity filtering to optical-flow passive ranging

The performance of the velocity filtering method as applied to optical-flow passive ranging under real-world conditions is evaluated. The theory of the 3-D Fourier transform as applied to constant-speed moving points is reviewed, and the space-domain shift-and-add algorithm is derived from the general 3-D matched filtering formulation. The constant-speed algorithm is then modified to fit the actual speed encountered in the optical flow application, and the passband of that filter is found in terms of depth (sensor/object distance) so as to cover any given range of depths. Two algorithmic solutions for the problems associated with pixel interpolation and object expansion are developed, and experimental results are presented. >
Existential Dependency: Holes, flaws and problems

This paper proposes that a relation, EXISTENTIAL DEPENDENCY, defines a class of nouns and accounts for the infelicity of its members as subjects of locative copular sentences and for related definiteness restrictions. This relation is distinguished from others, such as (in)alienable possession, on conceptual and empirical grounds.
Brucella melitensis global gene expression study provides novel information on growth phase-specific gene regulation with potential insights for understanding Brucella:host initial interactions.

Background Brucella spp. are the etiological agents of brucellosis, a zoonotic infectious disease that causes abortion in animals and chronic debilitating illness in humans. Natural Brucella infections occur primarily through an incompletely defined mechanism of adhesion to and penetration of mucosal epithelium. In this study, we characterized changes in genome-wide transcript abundance of the most and the least invasive growth phases of B. melitensis cultures to HeLa cells, as a preliminary approach for identifying candidate pathogen genes involved in invasion of epithelial cells.