cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New graduate students' baseline knowledge of the responsible conduct of research.

PURPOSE To assess (1) new biomedical science graduate students' baseline knowledge of core concepts and standards in responsible conduct of research (RCR), (2) differences in graduate students' baseline knowledge overall and across the Office of Research Integrity's nine core areas, and (3) demographic and educational factors in these differences. METHOD A 30-question, computer-scored multiple-choice test on core concepts and standards of RCR was developed following content analysis of 20 United States-published RCR texts, and combined with demographic questions on undergraduate experience with RCR developed from graduate student focus groups. Four hundred two new graduate students at three health science universities were recruited for Scantron and online testing before beginning RCR instruction. RESULTS Two hundred fifty-one of 402 eligible trainees (62%) at three universities completed the test; scores ranged from 26.7% to 83.3%, with a mean of 59.5%. Only seven (3%) participants scored 80% or above. Students who received their undergraduate education outside the United States scored significantly lower (mean 52.0%) than those with U.S. bachelor's degrees (mean 60.5%, P < .001). Participants with prior graduate biomedical or health professions education scored marginally higher than new students, but both groups' mean scores were well below 80%. The mean score of 16 participants who reported previous graduate-level RCR instruction was 67.7%. Participants' specific knowledge varied, but overall scores were universally low. CONCLUSIONS New graduate biomedical sciences students have inadequate and inconsistent knowledge of RCR, irrespective of their prior education or experience. Incoming trainees with previous graduate RCR education may also have gaps in core knowledge.
Father absence, body mass index, and pubertal timing in girls: differential effects by family income and ethnicity.

Abstract Purpose Numerous studies show associations between father absence and girls' early puberty. However, most research has been retrospective, focused on menarche, and failed to consider body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, and income in the analyses. This study resolves these scientific gaps. Methods This was a prospective study of 444 girls aged 6–8 years and their caregivers (96% mothers). Data were collected annually in clinic, including weight, height, and Tanner stage for breast and pubic hair. Caregivers reported on father absence and demographics. This report focuses on the assessment of father absence at baseline and 2 years of follow-up for pubertal outcomes. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to test whether father absence at baseline predicted pubertal onset by follow-up visit 2. BMI was assumed to be in the causal pathway. Differences by ethnicity and income were examined. Results Income and ethnicity moderated associations between father absence and pubertal onset when adjusting for BMI. Father absence predicted earlier onset of breast development only in higher-income families and onset of pubic hair development only in higher-income African Americans families. BMI was not related to father absence and therefore was not in the causal pathway. Conclusion Among girls from higher-income families, father absence was linked to earlier puberty. This was particularly true for African Americans in terms of pubic hair development. These effects are not explained by body weight. Future research is needed to identify social and biophysiological mechanisms through which father absence, ethnicity, and income affect the pubertal onset.
Yield Models Implied by Traditional Fertilizer Recommendations and a Framework for Including Nontraditional Information

Recently emerged technologies permitting precision fanning provide opportunities to collect and evaluate vast amounts of data; yet, a formal method for incorporating additional yield-affecting information into fertilizer-yield response models is still largely unavailable to site-specific managers. This research develops an integrated yield model that combines laboratory-based fertilizer recommendations with data from multiple independent variables. Kansas wheat (Triticum aestivum L. sp. aestivum) was the target crop, and simulated soil test and yield data were characteristic of data from the literature and this geographic area. Independent variables in the plateau-type yield model included fertilizer N and P, soil test N (STN) and soil test P (STP), and Z (representing all other causal factors). Consideration of the potential benefits of managing STP is an explicit outcome of this research. To expand the modeling procedures to include actual farm information, data from a northwest Kansas farm were used to replace the simulated Z variable. Additionally, maximum entropy (ME) was examined as a statistical technique for using the farm's N and P data to modify the predicted N- and P-response of laboratory-based models. Based on out-of-sample yield prediction accuracy, the ME models were generally the most accurate, improving root mean squared prediction error by as much as 14% relative to a model estimated with only farm data. Because the ME models were the most accurate and provided fertilizer recommendations similar to those from soil testing laboratories, this approach should provide a reliable framework for developing site-specific fertilizer recommendations that depend on factors other than STN and STP.
The λ-cosine transforms with odd kernel and the hemispherical transform

We review some basic facts about the λ-cosine transforms with odd kernel on the unit sphere Sn−1 in ℝn. These transforms are represented by the spherical fractional integrals arising as a result of evaluation of the Fourier transform of homogeneous functions. The related topic is the hemispherical transform which assigns to every finite Borel measure on Sn−1 its values for all hemispheres. We revisit the known facts about this transform and obtain new results. In particular, we show that the classical Funk- Radon-Helgason inversion method of spherical means is applicable to the hemispherical transform of Lp-functions.
Motor Contribution During Three-Phase Short Circuit Fault

One of the major factors to be considered in selecting the ratings of electrical equipment (circuit breakers, bus bar bracing, etc.) is the level of three-phase short circuit current available at the equipment location in the system. The total three-phase short circuit current at a faulted point includes both the currents from the power source (such as electric utility company or in-plant generators) and contribution from electrical motors in the system. Presently, the calculation of three-phase fault current in a system is based on the method outlined in IEEE Standard 141-1976 in which the calculation of motor contribution within the system is defined. It will be pointed out that during a three-phase fault, only motors directly connected to the faulted bus or downstream buses will contribute fully to the fault. Other induction motors (with transformers connected between the motors and the fault) may or may not contribute current to the fault point. These motors will continue to receive power from the supply and act as motors. Therefore lower fault current values will be the result. This finding will have a significant bearing on borderline equipment selection with consequent savings in equipment cost. The conclusion is drawn that the calculated short circuit current based on IEEE Standard 141-1976, is higher than the actual value. This leads to unnecessarily high fuse and breaker interrupting ratings, bus bracing, etc. Computer studies and an analysis of this phenomenon are presented.
STUDIES IN THE OPERATION OF FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

THIS PAPER CONSISTS of a series of studies on the operation and impact of financial intermediaries in the United States, with particular attention paid to the influence that the mutual thrift institutions have on the effectiveness of monetary policy. Chapter i examines the Gurley-Shaw hypothesis that financial intermediaries increase the liquidity of indirect debt and the corollary that they increase the interest elasticity of liquidity preference. Evidence supporting the former was taken from published sources. The resulting increase in the elasticity of liquidity preference arises largely from the fact that precautionary balances can be held in the form of money or near-money, with the income earned on the latter compensating the holder for the inconvenience involved. Examination of the volume of liquid assets and 'the rates of growth of financial intermediaries indicates that the leakage from monetary controls since 1951 has been slight. Most of the effect probably occurs at low interest rates, so that intermediaries reduce the demand for money at any rate of interest but with little change in the slope of the function within the range of rates experienced recently. Chapter ii discusses the impact of intermediaries on the market for loanable funds. To the extent that they induce the public to accept indirect debt instead of money, intermediaries also cause the supply of loanable funds to increase. The net effect will depend on the degree to which liquidity preference is affected and on the interest elasticity of the demand for current output. Evidence available from published sources indicates that some pessimistic appraisals are not justified. Chapter iii discusses borrowing by intermediaries. The Federal Home Loan banks have little effect on credit expansion, since they must obtain funds in competition with other borrowers. The Federal Reserve discount window could, under some conditions, permit a substantial leakage from monetary controls. Under present conditions, the only apparent leakage takes the form of a delay in the
Early depression of Ankrd2 and Csrp3 mRNAs in the polyribosomal and whole tissue fractions in skeletal muscle with decreased voluntary running

The wheel-lock (WL) model for depressed ambulatory activity in rats has shown metabolic maladies ensuing within 53–173 h after WL begins. We sought to determine if WL beginning after 21–23 days of ...
High Power Rare Earth Magnetostrictive Materials

Magnetic materials capable of producing strains greater than 10-3 have received con siderable attention over the last few years. This is partly due to recent interest in fields such as de formable surfaces, active vibration control, and precision machining, where large forces and small displacements are required, and partly due to the commercial availability of the new materials. These magnetostrictive materials have the advantage of functioning under adverse environmental conditions and elevated temperatures, plus the capability to regulate stress and displacements at low frequencies. In this paper, we review the properties of two high power magnetostrictive materials: (1) TbxDy1-x alloys and (2) TbxDy 1-xFe2 (Terfenol-D) alloys (0 ≤ x ≤ 1).
Isothermal nucleation and growth kinetics of Pd/Ag alloy phase via in-situ time-resolved high-temperature x-ray diffraction (HTXRD) analysis

Abstract Among several different approaches to form Pd/Ag alloys for hydrogen separation applications, ex situ studies carried out by conventional X-ray point scanning detectors might fail to reveal the key aspects of the phase transformation between Pd and Ag metals. In this respect, in situ time-resolved high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) was employed to study the Pd/Ag alloy phase nucleation and growth kinetics. By the use of linear position sensitive detectors, advanced optics and profile fitting with the use of JADE-6.5 software, isothermal phase evolution of the Pd/Ag alloy at 500 °C, 550 °C and 600 °C under hydrogen atmosphere were quantified to elucidate the mechanistic details of the Pd/Ag alloy phase nucleation and growth pattern. Analysis of the HTXRD data by the Avrami model indicated that the nucleation of the Pd/Ag alloy phase was instantaneous where the growth mechanism was through diffusion-controlled one-dimensional thickening of the Pd/Ag alloy layer. The value of the Avrami exponent, n, was found to increase with temperature with the values of 0.34, 0.39 and 0.67 at 500 °C, 550 °C and 600 °C, respectively. In addition, parabolic rate law analysis suggested that the nucleation of the Pd/Ag alloy phase was through a heterogeneous nucleation mode, in which the nucleation sites were defined as the non-equilibrium defects. Indeed, the cross-sectional SEI micrographs indicated that the Pd/Ag alloy phase growth was strongly dependent upon the deposition morphology of the as-synthesized Pd and Ag layers formed by the electroless plating. Based on the Avrami model and the parabolic rate law, the estimated activation energies for the phase transformation were 236.5 kJ/mol and 185.6 kJ/mol and in excellent agreement with the literature values (183–239.5 kJ/mol). Finally, the in situ annealing of the 15.6 μm thick composite Pd/Ag/PSS membrane at 550 °C in hydrogen atmosphere indicated that the Pd/Ag alloy phase formation was not complete even after 500 h. According to the Avrami model, the increase in the hydrogen permeance from 7.1 m3/m2 h atm0.5 to 21.3 m3/m2 h atm0.5 at 550 °C over a period of 500 h corresponded to an ∼83% Pd/Ag alloy phase formation.
Superimposing a stimulus correlated with response-independent food on operant behavior using delayed and simultaneous conditioning procedures

A 10-sec stimulus (CS) correlated with response-independent food (UCS) was superimposed on food-maintained leverpressing. The UCS occurred at the (1) beginning, (2) middle, or (3) end of the CS. In the first instance, the rate of responding during the CS was less than or greater than the rate in the absence of the CS. In the second instance, the rate of responding during the CS was greatest and also exceeded the rate in the absence of the CS during the initial 5 sec preceding the UCS. During the 5 sec of CS subsequent to the UCS, the rate of responding was less than that in the absence of the CS for most subjects but was greater for some subjects. In the third instance, the rate of responding during the CS was greater than that in the absence of the CS.
Exercise capacity in hamsters with elastase-induced emphysema compared to normal controls.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether hamsters with elastase-induced emphysema (EMP) would demonstrate a reduction in exercise capacity compared to control (CON) hamsters and whether changes in activity levels, muscle function and structure could explain any changes in exercise capacity. Peak oxygen consumption and daily activity levels were measured on two occasions. Inspiratory capacity under deep anesthesia, in vitro measurements of muscle force and fatigability for the diaphragm (DIA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and fiber proportions, muscle cross-sectional area and fiber specific SDH activity from the DIA, EDL and vastus lateralis (VLA) were obtained. Inspiratory capacity was 60% higher in the EMP compared to CON hamsters ( p = 0.0004). Activity levels and exercise capacity were not significantly different between EMP and CON hamsters. Muscle strength and fatigability, fiber proportions, muscle cross-sectional area and fiber specific SDH activity were similar between EMP and CON hamsters. In conclusion, in hamsters, elastase-induced emphysema did not reduce maximal exercise capacity.
Frameless Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannomas: A Single-Institution Experience

OBJECTIVE: To examine tumor control, hearing preservation, and complication rates after frameless fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS). METHODS: Thirty seven patients treated with fractionated SRS from 2002 to 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Ninety five percent were treated with 25 Gy in 5 fractions, targeting a median tumor volume of 1.03 cc (range 0.14-7.60). RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 4.25 years (range, 15months-9 years), no tumors required an additional treatment resulting in 100% tumor control rate. Radiographic control rate was 91% in 32 patients at a median follow-up of 3 years. Of the 14 patients with serviceable hearing and with audiograms, the hearing preservation rate was 78% at a median follow-up of 18 months. Twenty six patients with serviceable hearing pretreatment, were evaluated by a phone survey with a hearing preservation rate of 73% at a 5 year median follow-up. There were two cases that developed both new increased trigeminal parasthesias and facial spasms but there were no cases of facial weakness. Patient had 96% of good to excellent satisfaction rate with the treatment at a median follow-up of 5 years. CONCLUSION: Frameless fractionated SRS treatment of VS results in good rate of tumor control. Hearing preservation rate and rates of cranial nerve toxicity are comparable to what is reported in the literature. Patients choose this modality because of its non-invasive nature and are generally very satisfied with their long term outcome.
Vagal modulation of respiratory control during exercise.

Abstract Vagal modulation of chemical control of ventilation during rest and exercise was studied in 15 anesthetized mongrel dogs. Arterial chemical stimuli—hypoxic, hypercapnic or a combination of both, increased ventilation by increasing both rate and depth of breathing during rest and exercise in the intact dogs. After bilateral vagotomy chemical drive increased ventilation mostly by depth and little by rate. The ventilatory response to the chemical drive, therefore, reached a plateau when tidal volume approached its maximal value at a relatively unchanged breath frequency. Muscular exercise, however, largely restored frequency response in the vagotomized animals. Since the rate response to chemical stimuli but not to exercise was impaired by vagotomy, we concluded that hyperpnea of exercise could occur through a mechanism not shared by the chemical control of ventilation. The relationship between tidal volume and breath cycle during chemical stimulation was modulated by the volume related vagal reflex. During exercise, another mechanism, presumably bulbo-pontine, is activated to influence the relationship independent of the lung volume.
SU-FF-T-145: Determination of Optical Properties Using Linear Sources in a Homogeneous Phantom

Purpose: For interstitial photodynamic therapy(PDT), linear sources are often used to deliver light. It would be advantageous to use the same linear sources to characterize tissue optical properties(absorption and reduced scattering coefficients, μa and μs′). The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and accuracy of this method in a homogeneous turbid media.Method and Materials:Measurements were performed in homogeneous tissue‐simulating phantoms with linear light sources of lengths 2 to 4 cm. In‐air measurements were performed to characterize the intensity profile of each linear fiber. The phantom optical properties were characterized using two independent methods. One method uses depth dependence for a collimated broad beam and the other method uses a series of point sources. Optical properties were determined by fitting the measured light fluence rate profiles at several fixed distances (3, 4.5 and 7mm) from the linear source axis using a model in which the linear source is treated as a series of point sources, each modeled using diffusion theory. The resulting optical properties were compared with independent results. Results: We developed a method to quickly determine the optical properties for μa between 0.1–1.0cm−1 and μs′ between 3 and 13 cm−1. We are able to determine the optical properties μa and μs′ with a standard and maximum deviation of 36% (11%) and 50% (18%), respectively when using linear light source. These errors are due mainly to uncertainty in the distance between the detector catheter and light source catheter. The 7mm separation gives the most accurate determination of optical properties.
You’ve got to fight to be white: the rural foundation of the new militia for race control

In this paper, we situate the recent rise of racialized and often violent political discourse within a framework of a class-based conception of nature and property. In this theoretical work, we contribute to thinking about how Whites are racially constituted by showing how an understanding of whiteness among the far right is significantly linked to narratives surrounding rural spaces as havens of individualism and in sharp contrast to the perceived multiculturalism of the city. In developing our argument, we utilize public statements made by Ted Nugent as observable examples of this far-right, violent, and racialized rhetoric. We argue that the far right is able to create a common ground with moderate conservatives around a shared understanding of rural places as embodiments of virtuous white culture, private property, and individualism. This politicized whiteness project, we argue, helps to galvanize and strengthen a conservative coalition while simultaneously pulling their collective ideology further to...
Monte Carlo Studies of Hot Electron Transport and High Field Degradation

The problem of hot electron transport and energy loss at high electric fields in insulators is of considerable interest in the context of dielectric breakdown and hot carrier induced degradation. Hot electron transport is discussed in terms of electron-phonon scattering in polymeric dielectrics. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation provides the basis for study of hot electron transport in thin polyethylene (PE) films. Electron trajectories and spatial evolution of the electron energy distribution are presented. Possible molecular degradation mechanisms are discussed.
Independent control of bulk and interfacial morphologies of small molecular weight organic heterojunction solar cells.

We demonstrate that solvent vapor annealing of small molecular weight organic heterojunctions can be used to independently control the interface and bulk thin-film morphologies, thereby modifying charge transport and exciton dissociation in these structures. As an example, we anneal diphenyl-functionalized squaraine (DPSQ)/C60 heterojunctions before or after the deposition of C60. Solvent vapor annealing of DPSQ before C60 deposition results in molecular order at the heterointerface. Organic photovoltaics based on this process have reduced open circuit voltages and power conversion efficiencies relative to as-cast devices. In contrast, annealing following C60 deposition locks in interface disorder found in unannealed junctions while improving order in the thin-film bulk. This results in an increase in short circuit current by >30% while maintaining the open circuit voltage of the as-cast heterojunction device. These results are analyzed in terms of recombination dynamics at excitonic heterojunctions and d...
Identification of the telomeric sequence of the acellular slime molds Didymium iridis and Physarum potycephalum

We have determined the telomeric DNA sequence of the acellular slime molds Didymium iridis and Physarum polycephalum. In both organisms the telomeres consist of tandem repeats of the hexamer 5'(TTAGGG)3'. This sequence was determined by cloning and sequencing the telomeric fragment of the linear extrachromosomal ribosomal DNA from Didymium, as well as direct end labeling and sequencing the rDNA from both organisms. Interestingly, this sequence is identical to the telomeric DNA sequence of the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma brucei, and suggests that despite the diversity of telomeric sequences previously determined in lower eukaryotes, the necessity to create functional telomeres has led to constraints on these sequences.
Managing Variability in the IO Performance of Petascale Storage Systems

Significant challenges exist for achieving peak or even consistent levels of performance when using IO systems at scale. They stem from sharing IO system resources across the processes of single largescale applications and/or multiple simultaneous programs causing internal and external interference, which in turn, causes substantial reductions in IO performance. This paper presents interference effects measurements for two different file systems at multiple supercomputing sites. These measurements motivate developing a 'managed' IO approach using adaptive algorithms varying the IO system workload based on current levels and use areas. An implementation of these methods deployed for the shared, general scratch storage system on Oak Ridge National Laboratory machines achieves higher overall performance and less variability in both a typical usage environment and with artificially introduced levels of 'noise'. The latter serving to clearly delineate and illustrate potential problems arising from shared system usage and the advantages derived from actively managing it.
Isolation of rat urinary kallikrein and properties of its antibodies.

Abstract A procedure has been described for the specific and rapid isolation of rat urinary kallikrein using anion-exchange, affinity and Sephadex chromatography. Trasylol-bound Sepharose selectively adsorbed kallikrein which could be eluted between pH 5.5 and 3.5. The kallikrein was purified 694-fold by the entire procedure and 49 times in the individual step of affinity chromatography. The purification obtained by the Trasylol-Sepharose adsorption was one of the highest of any individual steps reported thus far. Antibodies generated against this kallikrein reacted with rat urine and kidney cortex homogenate, but not with bovine trypsin, dog or human urine. The activity in vitro and in vivo of kallikrein was specifically blocked by the antikallikrein serum.
Analgesic activity of tricyclic antidepressants

Amitriptyline (median effective dose [ED50] 1.2 mg per kilogram of body weight), imipramine (ED50 2.3 mg/kg), and their demethylated derivatives nortriptyline (ED50 1.9 mg/kg) and desimipramine (ED50 3.2 mg/kg) are active analgesics as indicated by the mouse writhing assay. Although not as potent as morphine (ED50 0.2 mg/kg), the antidepressants were up to 70 times more potent than aspirin (ED50 91 mg/kg). The actions of amitriptyline were not affected by the specific opiate antagonist naloxone but were markedly attenuated in animals whose monoamine levels had been depleted with reserpine. Central mechanisms appear important since amitriptyline (ED50 4.6 micrograms) was potent when administered intracerebroventricularly.
Topography of spiral ganglion projections to cochlear nucleus during postnatal development in cats.

A fundamenntal organizational principle of the central auditory system is that virtually all areas are tonotopically organized. However, we know very little about the timing or mechanisms that are responsible for the development of this organization. When cats are born, their auditory nervous systems are extremely immature, and their hearing thresholds are very high. Until postnatal days 7‐10 (P7‐10), cats have behavioral and physiological thresholds which are near or above the pain threshold for adults and also have poor frequency selectivity. Physiological thresholds for auditory nerve fibers and cochlear nucleus neurons are typically above 100‐120 dB SPL (sound pressure level re 20 µPa). Three weeks later (at approximately P31), the sensitivity and frequency discrimination (tuning) of these neurons approximate adult values. This study examines the development of the tonotopic projections from the spiral ganglion to the cochlear nucleus during the period in cat development in which the auditory system undergoes the transition from being essentially nonfunctional to having adult-like function. With the animals heavily anesthetized, the cochleas were surgically exposed in kittens ranging in age from P6 to P45. Focal injections of Neurobiotin (NB) were made into Rosenthal’s canal, labeling a small cluster of cells in the spiral ganglion of each cochlea. The projections of these labeled cells were visualized as frequency-specific bands of labeled axons and terminals in all major subdivisions of the cochlear nucleus. The thickness of these bands (i.e., the dimension of the bands orthogonal to the isofrequency representation and across the frequency gradient) were measured and compared to similar projections in adults.As in adult cats, the thickness of the bands varied only slightly with the location of the injection site (frequency representation) over a range of 1‐7 mm from the cochlear base (45‐13 kHz). Moreover, band thickness did not vary significantly with age. These data indicate that the tonotopic organizationofspiralganglionprojectionstothecochlearnucleusisaspreciseinkittensasyoungas P6 as it is in adults. J. Comp. Neurol. 384:293‐311, 1997. r 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Discriminative graphical models for faculty homepage discovery

Faculty homepage discovery is an important step toward building an academic portal. Although the general homepage finding tasks have been well studied (e.g., TREC-2001 Web Track), faculty homepage discovery has its own special characteristics and not much focused research has been conducted for this task. In this paper, we view faculty homepage discovery as text categorization problems by utilizing Yahoo BOSS API to generate a small list of high-quality candidate homepages. Because the labels of these pages are not independent, standard text categorization methods such as logistic regression, which classify each page separately, are not well suited for this task. By defining homepage dependence graph, we propose a conditional undirected graphical model to make joint predictions by capturing the dependence of the decisions on all the candidate pages. Three cases of dependencies among faculty candidate homepages are considered for constructing the graphical model. Our model utilizes a discriminative approach so that any informative features can be used conveniently. Learning and inference can be done relatively efficiently for the joint prediction model because the homepage dependence graphs resulting from the three cases of dependencies are not densely connected. An extensive set of experiments have been conducted on two testbeds to show the effectiveness of the proposed discriminative graphical model.
Time to Try a Little Tenderness? The Detrimental Effects of Accountability When Coupled With Abusive Supervision:

The deleterious health and behavioral consequences of reporting to an abusive supervisor have been documented in past research. Furthermore, recent corporate scandals have led to increased pressure...
Choice and interoperation in protocol enactment

Protocols describe interactions among agents and thus underlie the engineering of multiagent systems. However, protocols are enacted by agents in physical systems. In particular, considerations of communication models and how distributed agents are able to make compatible choices would greatly affect whether a protocol may in fact be enacted successfully. The objective of this paper is to study the conceptual underpinnings of protocol enactment in multiagent systems. It seeks to characterize the operationalization of agents so as to determine whether and when agents may be interoperable.
Cysteine stimulation of glucose oxidation in thyroid tissue.

Oxidation of D- glucose-C 14 by bovine thyroid slices was stimulated by cysteine, 2-aminoethanethiol, and cystamine. Amino acids tested, other than cysteine, were not stimulatory, except tyrosine and arginine to a slight degree. The pattern of stimulation resembled that brought about by thyroid-stimulating hormone. Stimulation of labeled CO 2 production was greater when glucose-1-C 14 rather than glucose-6-C 14 was the substrate.
The Effects of Orifice Sizes on a Hydraulic Servo Valve Control System

Precision control for a force controlled hydraulic system can be achieved through the use of a flow controlled servo valve. Servo valves can be manufactured with a spool that is overlapped, an under lapped, or has a zero lap. A servo valve with a zero lap is desirable for a responsive hydraulic system without leakage, but has the disadvantage of creating a pressure pulse upon opening the valve. The hydraulic system for this setup involves having a double end, double action actuator that will have a cyclic motion generating multiple pressure waves in the system. Including an orifice in the system, which will function as a dampener, can reduce the pressure pulses. Traditional locations for orifices have been in the spool and on the actuator piston. For this hydraulic system design an external orifice will be introduced into the system via the use of an orifice plate included in the hydraulic fittings. This change allows for the ability to change the orifice size. Changing the orifice size to determine the effects on the systems control will be analyzed. The intended outcome is to demonstrate that different sized orifice plates will cause changes to the control system behavior so that an experimental formula will be established for this approach of a zero lap valve with an external damper for reduction of overshooting of dynamical behavior of the valve spool.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Dual ventricular rhythm.

A74-year-oldmanwithahistoryofheart transplantpresentedwith alteredmental status. On admission, his bloodpressurewas96/63 mm Hg and his heart rate was 72/min. On examination, he was in no immediate distress and had clear lung fields. Therewere no gallopsonexamination, andhehadno focalneurologicaldeficits.Amedian sternotomy scar and a left upper chest medical device were noted. The patient was unable to provide any history. His relatives confirmed prior heart transplant. Figure 1 shows the initial electrocardiogram (ECG) at theemergency department. Question:Given theclinical historyand thisECG,what initial differential diagnoses should be considered and what should be the initial therapy?
The effects of intravenous norepinephrine on the local coupling between glucose utilization and blood flow in the rat brain.

Norepinephrine was infused intravenously in two groups of normal, awake rats. In one group local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was measured by the deoxyglucose method (Sokoloff et al. 1977b); in the other group local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) was determined by the iodoantipyrine method (Sakurada et al. 1978). The experiments were performed during a stable state in which the heart rate was reduced between 36% (LCGU experiments) and 27% (LCBF experiments). Norepinephrine infusion reduced LCGU in all 39 structures measured between −18 and −37% from control values obtained in a group of normal non-infused rats. The decrease in LCGU was significant (P<0.05) in 38 of the 39 structures tested. LCBF was increased but not statistically significantly in most of the structures examined. When the LCGU values of the various structures during norepinephrine infusion were correlated with their corresponding LCBF values, a tight correlation (r=0.94) was found indicating a close coupling between LCGU and LCBF during norepinephrine infusion. When compared to the relationship between LCGU and LCBF in a normal, non-infused control group, the slope of the regression line was increased significantly (P<0.01) by the norepinephrine infusion, indicating a resetting of the coupling mechanism. This means that, at a given metabolic rate, a higher blood flow is needed to perfuse a brain structure during norepinephrine infusion than during control conditions.
A DSP-based controller for a linear actuator system with sub-angstrom resolution and 15-millimeter travel range

We have designed and tested a new digital signal processor (DSP)-based closed-loop feedback controller for a linear actuator system with sub-angstrom resolution and 15-mm travel range. The linear actuator system consists of a laser Doppler encoder with multiple-reflection optics [1], a high-stiffness weak-link mechanism with high driving sensitivity and stability [2], and a Texas Instruments TMS320C40 DSP-based controller for high-performance closed-loop feedback control. In this paper, we discuss the DSP-based controller design, as well as recent test results yielding step sizes below 50 picometers obtained with the atomic force microprobe setup.
Use of a medical-grade silicone adhesive as a denture liner in the treatment of idiopathic oral mucosal irritation

The results of the survey confirmed the clinical observation that soft liners were the best course of treatment in specifically selected patients. Most patients were satisfied with the appearance of the denture, and the length of time the patient could wear the soft-lined prosthesis increased considerably. The silicone liner also reduced irritation and increased the ability to chew food, with the patient's ability to taste food remaining essentially unaffected. The maintenance of cleanliness of the silicone, which had been a problem in the past, seemed to be markedly reduced. Above all, the enthusiastic patient acceptance of the product indicates that adhesive type A may be an excellent alternative to hard acrylic resin denture liners when a change of material is necessary.
Dioxoisoquinoline-4-carboxanilides—A New Class of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents

STRUCTURAL parameters of different groups of non-steroidal ariti-inflammatory agents (pyrazolidinediones1, fenamates2, indoles3, oxazoles4 and thiazoles4) have certain similarities which include the presence of a relatively non-basic nitrogen, an acidic (carboxylic or enolic) function and an aromatic moiety. We report here the synthesis and biological properties of a new and potent series of anti-inflammatory agents which manifest similar structural features.
Adolescent life changes and illness: A comparison of three models.

This article examines how stressful life-events relate to the occurrence of illness in a nonclinical random sample of adolescents and what processes intervene in this relationship. Three alternative models of the life events and illness relationship are compared. Data support a “direct stress and illness model” as opposed to either a “sick role behavior model” or a “mental health model.” Social support from parents appears to mediate the life events-illness relationship. Undesirable and ambiguous life events have more impact on illness than desirable events do. Results are discussed in terms of adolescence as a unique developmental stage.
Airborne spectroscopy of Jupiter in the 100- to 300-cm−1 region: Global properties of ammonia gas and ice haze

Abstract A spectrum of the disk of Jupiter was obtained in January 1978 from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, covering the 100- to 300-cm−1 spectral range at a resolution corresponding to 1.65 cm−1. Although taken more than a year before the Voyager 1 Jupiter encounter, this spectrum serves to extend the Voyager IRIS experiment coverage down from its lower limit of 200 cm−1. Analysis of the spectrum provides information on global mean properties of ammonia gas and an ammonia ice haze. A vertical distribution indistinguishable from saturation equilibrium, with a sharp depletion near the temperature minimum, matches the observed shape of the rotational line absorption best. Constraints on the total optical thickness of the ammonia ice haze can be made, but other properties, such as particle size or vertical scale height, cannot be distinguished clearly from our data in this spectral region. Nevertheless, all models of the haze produce a “continuum” thermal emission between the NH3 line manifolds which is much lower than that produced by the H2 collision-induced dipole opacity.
Energy parks for former nuclear weapons sites? Public preferences at six regional locations and the United States as a whole

The United States Department of Energy has proposed building energy parks at some of its former nuclear sites. These parks would develop technologies to enhance renewable energy sources, nuclear, coal, and others, as well as technologies to manage the waste, and transmit the energy. A survey of 3200 United States residents assessed public reaction to the policy. Half of the samples were gathered at four locations each centered on a major DOE facility; 25% were obtained at two other regions; and 25% were a national sample. As a whole, respondents from the four DOE-centered sites were more supportive of the concept than their counterparts, especially those respondents who lived in counties within 20 miles of the DOE site. Their support is associated with knowledge of the existing DOE facilities, desire for greater reliance on renewable energy sources and nuclear power, and a belief that the environment will improve during the next 25 years. They disproportionately trust authorities responsible for managing major energy facilities and assess the economic impact of these facilities to be positive. The challenge to proponents of energy parks is to broaden the support among the 60% that had more lukewarm or neutral responses to the idea and to place the proposal in the larger national energy policy context.
On the stimulating effect of drying a soil and the retarding effect of drying a plant material

According to the chemical hypothesis the decomposition of organic matter in soil is affected by the availability of the protons in the soil environment. Drying of a soil increases the proton supply from ‘residual water’ and thus increases the mineralization of soil organic matter. On the other hand, drying of a fresh plant material saves the organic colloids from protons and thus decreases their subsequent mineralization in soil.
Coordination mechanisms for cooperative design

Abstract Engineering design problems, especially in the domain of civil engineering, are often solved by a group of individual participants with different expertise, loosely organized as a design team. In order to maintain the coherence of a design team, design participants' activities must be coordinated. In this paper, the authors present a set of coordination mechanisms, developed from artificial intelligence techniques, that serve as a basis for computational systems to support both distributed and concurrent design teams. Cooperative design problem-solving tasks are defined, based on the concepts of commitments and conventions. Coordination mechanisms for these tasks are developed by implementing different artificial intelligence techniques, such as contract nets and partial global planning. A prototype system in the domain of structural engineering is introduced, which serves as a test-bed for the coordination mechanisms.
Genotoxicity of contaminated soil and shallow well water detected by plant bioassays.

Abstract Three major plant bioassays, i.e., the Allium root anaphase aberration (Allium-AA), the Tradescantia-micronucleus (Trad-MCN) and the Tradescantia stamen hair mutation (Trad-SHM) tests, were utilized in soil solutions or shallow well water samples to determine the degree of their genotoxicity. Shallow well water samples were collected from five different farms, and soil solutions were extracted with distilled water or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) from pesticide-contaminated (metolachlor, atrazine, extrazine, and 2,4-D) and pesticide-free soil samples. Genotoxicity was expressed in terms of anaphase aberration (AA) frequencies in the Allium-AA test, in terms of micronuclei frequencies in the Trad-MCN test, and in terms of pink mutation events in the Trad-SHM test. On average, results of Allium-AA tests showed a 2.78–3.01 fold increase in anaphase aberration frequencies in contaminated soil solution samples and well water samples as compared with the negative control. Results of Trad-MCN tests showed a 1.66–4.75 fold increase of MCN frequencies in contaminated soil solution samples and shallow well water samples as compared with the frequencies of the controls. Results of Trad-SHM tests showed a 2.7–2.86 fold increase of pink mutation events in the contaminated soil solution samples over that of the controls. Control groups of the Allium-AA tests had an average of 0.75/1000 anaphase figures, and control groups of the Trad-MCN tests had an average of 3.2 MCN/100 tetrads, while control groups of the Trad-SHM tests had an average of 1.4 mutation events/1000 hairs. In general, soil solutions of DMSO extracts showed higher genotoxicity than that of distilled water extracts. Among these three plant bioassays, the Trad-MCN test has the highest efficiency. The highest toxicity, based upon the Trad-MCN test results, was found in the pesticide contaminated soil samples from Monroe's farm. Water samples from the Fountain Green/Bushnell area ranked second in genotoxicity.
A technique to measure lateral contraction in small biological specimens

Abstract The task of characterizing the mechanical properties of fibers from intervertebral discs has led to a simple non-contact method for measuring lateral contraction in such specimens. Experiments to evaluate the method are described. Utilizing the results of these tests, resolution levels and practical limitations for the method are discussed.
Modulation of NMDA receptor-dependent calcium influx and gene expression through EphB receptors.

Protein-protein interactions and calcium entry through the N -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)–type glutamate receptor regulate synaptic development and plasticity in the central nervous system. The EphB receptor tyrosine kinases are localized at excitatory synapses where they cluster and associate with NMDA receptors. We identified a mechanism whereby EphBs modulate NMDA receptor function. EphrinB2 activation of EphB in primary cortical neurons potentiates NMDA receptor–dependent influx of calcium. Treatment of cells with ephrinB2 led to NMDA receptor tyrosine phosphorylation through activation of the Src family of tyrosine kinases. These ephrinB2-dependent events result in enhanced NMDA receptor–dependent gene expression. Our findings indicate that ephrinB2 stimulation of EphB modulates the functional consequences of NMDA receptor activation and suggest a mechanism whereby activity-independent and activity-dependent signals converge to regulate the development and remodeling of synaptic connections.
Frequency of Adoption of Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Students from three different facilities who were diagnosed as learning disabled were studied to determine the frequency of adoption with this population as compared to the national norm. The frequency of adoption was found to be 4.5 times higher than the norm, that is, 17.3% versus 3.9%. The possible reasons for this high incidence are discussed.
Gender differences in drunk driving prevalence rates and trends: a 20-year assessment using multiple sources of evidence.

This research tracked women's and men's drunk driving rates and the DUI sex ratio in the United States from 1982–2004 using three diverse sources of evidence. Sex-specific prevalence estimates and the sex ratio are derived from official arrest statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, self-reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and traffic fatality data from the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration. Drunk driving trends were analyzed using Augmented Dickey Fuller time series techniques. Female DUI arrest rates increased whereas male rates declined then stabilized, producing a significantly narrower sex ratio. According to self-report and traffic data, women's and men's drunk driving rates declined and the gender gap was unchanged. Women's overrepresentation in arrests relative to their share of offending began in the 1990s and accelerated in 2000. Women's arrest gains, contrasted with no systematic change in DUI behavior, and the timing of this shift suggest an increased vulnerability to arrest. More stringent laws and enforcement directed at less intoxicated offenders may inadvertently target female offending patterns.