cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing relative abundance techniques (RATs) for monitoring rodent populations

Accurate density estimates of rodents are frequently difficult or cost-prohibitive to determine. Thus, a number of techniques (track plates, monitoring blocks, chew cards/sticks, apple slice index, trapping) are often used to index rodent populations. Theoretically, the sensitivity of these indexing techniques could be improved if they applied continuous measurements rather than simple binary measurements (presence/absence). Development of a relative abundance technique that is simple to apply and sensitive to changes in population density is critical for the operational management of rodent pests. In addition to providing a quantitative measure of abundance with statistical parameters, an indexing technique that does not require handling of animals is important in consideration of potential disease issues (for example, hantavirus, arenavirus, etc.). We investigated track plates, chew cards and monitoring blocks and associated continuous measurement methods for calculating indices of rodent abundance. In laboratory and field settings, we tested their effectiveness in detecting different population densities of California meadow voles (Microtus californicus). Chew cards were poorly accepted by meadow voles in pen and field tests. However, track plates and monitoring blocks may provide useful tools for indexing meadow vole populations, and have application for other rodent species.
Dual antigen target-based immunotherapy for prostate cancer eliminates the growth of established tumors in mice.

Aims: We have previously shown that immunization with an adenovirus vector carrying an individual antigen induces antigen-specific CD8 T cells actively engaged in the destruction of tumor cells expressing the cognate antigen. In order to expand the range of antitumor responses beyond an individual antigen, we designed a recombinant adenovirus type 5 (rAd5) carrying a fusion construct of two full-length antigens. We used this adenovirus vector to test the concept that multiantigenic effector T cells could be generated simultaneously following a single immunization. Method: To perform the rAd5 constructs, we selected a combination of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) genes based on their restricted distribution within the prostate tissue and their association with the development and progression of prostate cancer. Results: Immunization of mice with rAd5 vector carrying a fusion construct of PSA and PSCA (Ad5-PSA/PSCA) simultaneously induced the expansion of anti-PSA and ...
Laser-Saturated Fluorescence Measurements of Nitric Oxide in Laminar Counterflow Diffusion Flames

This brief communication presents the first measurements of NO concentration in laminar counterflow diffusion flames using a nonintrusive technique, viz.laser-saturated fluorescence. The measurement results are compared with predictions from an existing opposed-flow diffusion flame code
Fast-response free-running DC-to-DC converter employing a state-trajectory control law

A recently proposed state-trajectory control law for a family of energy-storage dc-to-dc converters has been implemented for the voltage step-up configuration. Two methods of realization are discussed; one employs a digital processor and the other uses analog computational circuits. Performance characteristics of experimental voltage step-up converters operating under the control of each of these implementations are reported and compared to theoretical predictions and computer simulations.
Minus-strand initiation by brome mosaic virus replicase within the 3' tRNA-like structure of native and modified RNA templates.

Abstract An RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (replicase) extract from brome mosaic virus-infected barley leaves has been shown to initiate synthesis of (−) sense RNA from (+) sense virion RNA. Initiation occurred de novo , as demonstrated by the incorporation of [γ- 32 P]GTP into the product. Sequencing using cordycepin triphosphate to terminate (−) strands during their synthesis by the replicase generated sequence ladders that confirmed that copying was accurate, and that initiation occurred very close to the 3′ end. The precise site of initiation was further defined by testing the replicase template activity after stepwise removal of 3′-terminal nucleotides. Whereas removal of the terminal A did not decrease template activity, removal of the next nucleotide (C-2) did. Thus, initiation almost certainly occurs opposite the penultimate 3′-nucleotide (C-2) in vitro . The structure of the double-stranded replicative form of RNA isolated from brome mosaic virus-infected leaves was consistent with such a mechanism occurring in vivo , in that it lacked the 3′-terminal A found on virion RNAs. The specific site of (−) strand initiation and normal template activity were retained for RNAs with as many as 15 to 30 A residues added to the 3′ end. However, only limited oligonucleotide 3′ extensions can be present on active templates. In order to assess the 5′ extent of sequences required for an active template, a 134-nucleotide-long fragment of brome mosaic virus RNA, corresponding to the tRNA-like structure, was generated. This RNA had high template activity, but a shorter 3′ (85-nucleotide) fragment was inactive. RNAs with various heterologous sequences 5′ to position 134 also showed high template activity. Thus, the 3′-terminal tRNA-like structure common to all four brome mosaic virus virion RNAs contains all of the signals required for initiation of replication, and sequences 5′ to it do not play a role in template selection.
A tool for track-while-scan algorithm evaluation

The paper describes a testbed developed for track-while-scan (TWS) algorithm evaluation and comparison in laboratory conditions. The main features are: a number of single and multiple-target air-to-air engagements scenarios; five deceptive jamming techniques (chaff, RGPO, VGPO, combined RGPO and VGPO, multiple false targets); JEM effect; realistic airborne pulse-Doppler radar model with selectable false alarm rate, finite sensor resolution, Doppler notch filters, etc.
Contradictory belief and epistemic closure principles

Kripke’s puzzle has put pressure on the intuitive idea that one can believe that Superman can fly without believing that Clark Kent can fly. If this idea is wrong then many theories of belief and belief ascription are built from faulty data. I argue that part of the proper analysis of Kripke’s puzzle refutes the closure principles that show up in many important arguments in epistemology, e.g. if S is rational and knows that P and that P entails Q, then if she considers these two beliefs and Q, she is in a position to know that Q.
Adaptive classification of interfering signals in a shared radio frequency environment

In a shared radio frequency environment, several intentional and unintentional transmitters are expected to co-exist. Hence, the ability to identify the source of an arbitrary interfering signal, using an automated diagnostic tool, is desirable. This paper describes the development of a scheme that can be used to construct such a diagnostic tool. >
OPTIMAL INFERENCE WITH MANY INSTRUMENTS

In this paper, I derive the efficiency bound of the structural parameter in a linear simultaneous equations model with many instruments. The bound is derived by applying a convolution theorem to Bekker's (1994, Econometrica 62, 657–681) asymptotic approximation, where the number of instruments grows to infinity at the same rate as the sample size. Usual instrumental variables estimators with a small number of instruments are heuristically argued to be efficient estimators in the sense that their asymptotic distribution is minimal. Bayesian estimators based on parameter orthogonalization are heuristically argued to be inefficient.
Oxidative stress is a potential cost of breeding in male and female northern elephant seals

The trade-off between current reproductive effort and survival is a key concept of life history theory. A variety of studies support the existence of this trade-off but the underlying physiological mechanisms are not well-understood. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a potential mechanism underlying the observed inverse relationship between reproductive investment and lifespan. Prolonged fasting is associated with oxidative stress including increases in the production of reactive oxygen species, oxidative damage and inflammation.Northern elephant seals (NES) undergo prolonged fasts while maintaining high metabolic rates during breeding. We investigated NES of both sexes to assess oxidative stress associated with extended breeding fasts. We measured changes in the plasma activity or concentrations of markers for oxidative stress in 30 adult male and 33 adult female northern elephant seals across their 1-3 month breeding fasts. Markers assessed included a pro-oxidant enzyme, several antioxidant enzymes, markers for oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and DNA, and markers for systemic inflammation.Plasma xanthine oxidase (XO), a pro-oxidant enzyme that increases production of oxidative radicals, and several protective antioxidant enzymes increased over breeding in both sexes. Males showed increased oxidative damage to lipids and DNA and increased systemic inflammation, while oxidative damage to proteins declined across breeding. In contrast, females showed no oxidative damage to lipids or DNA or changes in inflammation, but showed increases in oxidative damage to proteins. XO activity, antioxidant enzymes, oxidative damage markers, and inflammatory markers were strongly correlated in males but these relationships were weaker or non-existent in females.NES provide evidence for oxidative stress as a physiological cost of reproduction in a capital breeding mammal. Both sexes strongly up-regulated antioxidant defenses during breeding. Despite this response, and in contrast to similar duration non-breeding fasts in previous studies on conspecifics, there was evidence of oxidative damage to tissues. These data demonstrate the utility of using plasma markers to examine oxidative stress but also suggest the necessity of measuring a broad suite of plasma markers to assess systemic oxidative stress.
Comparison of laparoscopic radical and partial nephrectomy: effects on long-term serum creatinine.

OBJECTIVES Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) and radical nephrectomy (LRN) have been shown to be safe and effective treatment options for renal tumors. However, limited data are available regarding the long-term effect on postoperative renal function in patients undergoing LPN and LRN who have a normal preoperative serum creatinine (sCr) less than 1.5 mg/dL and a two-kidney system. We compared the long-term sCr in patients who were treated with LPN and LRN. METHODS From October 2002 to April 2006, a total of 93 and 171 patients with a single, unilateral, sporadic renal tumor, a normal contralateral kidney and sCr less than 1.5 mg/dL underwent LPN and LRN, respectively. Perioperative, pathologic data and sCr at least 6 months after surgery were compared between the two groups. RESULTS A total of 42 and 55 patients with at least 6 months of follow-up after LPN and LRN were evaluated. Tumors treated with LPN were significantly smaller (2.4 versus 5.4 cm, P <0.001) than those in the LRN group. The mean age, body mass index, sex, tumor location, and sCr (0.91 and 0.91 mg/dL, P = 0.93) were similar between the two groups. The mean operative time was longer for LPN (222 versus 182 minutes, P = 0.002) with a mean warm ischemia time of 37 minutes (range 13 to 55). The mean 6-month sCr was significantly greater for patients undergoing LRN (1.4 versus 1.0 mg/dL, P <0.001). Similarly, a greater number of LRN patients developed renal insufficiency (sCr 1.5 mg/dL or greater) compared with LPN (36.4% versus 0%, P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS Despite the warm ischemia and longer operative times, LPN preserves the kidney function better than LRN. In properly selected patients, LPN should be preferentially performed to prevent chronic renal insufficiency.
Revolution from Within: Institutional Analysis, Transitions from Authoritarianism, and the Case of Hungary

The Hungarian transition from socialism stands out from other examples of political change in the region, in that the ruling Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP) suffered an erosion of political power generated largely from within the party itself. The study shows how the Communist Party, after its destruction in the revolution of 1956, sought to institutionalize its rule through a course of limited liberalization and the broad co-optation of the populace. This policy helped create a tacit social compact with society, particularly in co-opting younger intellectuals who identified with the goals of reform socialism. However, the party eventually marginalized this group, creating an internal party opposition that supported socialism but opposed the MSZMP. Consequently, when the limits of Hungarian reform socialism became evident in the mid-1980s, rank-and-file intellectuals within the party began to mobilize against the party hierarchy, seeking to transform the MSZMP into a democratic socialist party. These "reform circles," drawing their strength primarily from the countryside, spread to all parts of the party and helped undermine central party power and expand the political space for opposition groups to organize. Eventually, the reform circles were able to force an early party congress in which the MSZMP was transformed into a Western-style socialist party prior to open elections in 1990. The case is significant in that it indicates that the forms of transition in Eastern Europe were not simply the specific outcome of elite interaction. Rather, they were shaped in large part by the patterns of socialist institutionalization found in each country. Therefore, studies of political transition can be enriched with an explicit focus on the institutional characteristics of each case, linking the forms of transitions and their posttransition legacies to the institutional matrix from which they emerged. In short, the study argues that the way in which an autocratic order perpetuates itself affects the manner in which that system declines and the shape of the new system that takes its place.
Alfven's programme in solar system physics

Hannes Alfven's research program in solar system physics provides a valuable case study for the historians and philosophers of science. The response of the scientific community to his remarkable contributions is a severe test of widely held views about how science is or should be done. Seven of those contributions are examined, in the light of two doctrines of scientific methodology, those of Karl Popper (1959) and Imre Lakatos (1978). The seven are: application of the magnetic braking concept to the origin of the solar system; magnetohydrodynamic waves; field-aligned ('Birkeland') currents; critical ionization velocity and the existence of planetary rings; jet streams; electrostatic double layers; and partial corotation. >
Experimental Hydrothermal Alteration of Tholeiitic Basalt: Resultant Mineralogy and Textures

ABSTRACT Analcime and montmorillonite were synthesized from naturally occurring Hawaiian tholeiitic glass and artificial seawater at 200°C and 300°C and 1 Kb over a period of 32 days. The Na/K ratio for the closed system was 12. Phillipsite and montmorillonite were synthesized at temperatures of 175°C and 250°C and 1 Kb with Na/K ratios for the closed system between 1 and 5. With Na/K = 0.5, no zeolites were formed. Scanning electron microscope photos show volcanic glass surfaces covered by layers and rosettes of montmorillonite, euhedral and subhedral zeolites, and palagonite-like spherules. The phillipsite crystals grow within the altering glass, whereas the analcime crystals grow on the glass surfaces as euhedral crystals and as interpenetrating crystals in circular groups. The textures observed in the experimental charges are remarkably similar to textures observed in naturally altered submarine basaltic glass and palagonite. Phillipsite, the most common authigenic marine zeolite, formed only if potassium was added to the experimental charge. This could correspond to glass altered in an environment open to a large potassium reservoir such as circulating seawater. In the experimental closed seawater system, analcime was formed. Analcime is found in rapidly deposited volcanic sandstones and breccias probably closed off from seawater circulation.
Semantically-Smart Disk Systems

We propose and evaluate the concept of a semantically-smart disk system (SDS). As opposed to a traditional "smart" disk, an SDS has detailed knowledge of how the file system above is using the disk system, including information about the on-disk data structures of the file system. An SDS exploits this knowledge to transparently improve performance or enhance functionality beneath a standard block read/write interface. To automatically acquire this knowledge, we introduce a tool (EOF) that can discover file-system structure for certain types of file systems, and then show how an SDS can exploit this knowledge on-line to understand file-system behavior. We quantify the space and time overheads that are common in an SDS, showing that they are not excessive. We then study the issues surrounding SDS construction by designing and implementing a number of prototypes as case studies; each case study exploits knowledge of some aspect of the file system to implement powerful functionality beneath the standard SCSI interface. Overall, we find that a surprising amount of functionality can be embedded within an SDS, hinting at a future where disk manufacturers can compete on enhanced functionality and not simply cost-per-byte and performance.
Pavlof Volcano darkens the Alaskan sky

Pavlof Volcano, historically the most active volcano in the Aleutian volcanic arc and a serious potential threat to aviation safety, began a vigorous strombolian eruption in mid-September. Located 965 km southwest of Anchorage, Pavlof lies beneath the heavily traveled North Pacific jet air routes through which 10,000 passengers fly each day. During its most recent eruption in 1986–1988, an 8-hour explosive event at Pavlof sent ash more than 15 km above sea level and dropped 3 mm of ash on Cold Bay, 60 km southwest of the volcano. A similar, unanticipated explosive eruption today would pose a significant hazard to air traffic in the region.
Evoked Responses to Frequency Shifted Tones: Tonotopic and Contextual Determinants

Event-related potentials were recorded from 13 normal adults in response to a wide range of frequency shifts of a constant amplitude tone, in four separate experiments. Based on the tonotopic organization of the auditory system, we predicted a logarithmic relationship between amount of shift (DLf) and response amplitude. As predicted, the amplitudes of the exogenous N100 and P200 components increased with progressively larger shifts. Log (DLf) predicted 38.6% of the within-subjects variance for N100-P200 amplitude. In addition, an unexpected contextual effect was observed: the largest shift in each experiment tended to produce similar amplitude responses, despite large differences in absolute magnitude of DLf. A two-factor model including a contextual measure of DLf accounted for 48.7% of the variance, indicating that both physical and contextual stimulus parameters determine the amplitude of exogenous components. N100 latency was also influenced by both physical and contextual parameters, whereas P200 la...
What kinds of applications can benefit from transactional memory

We discuss the current state of research on transactional memory, with a focus on what characteristics of applications may make them more or less likely to be able to benefit from using transactional memory, and how this issue can and should influence ongoing and future research.
The nodL gene from Rhizobium leguminosarum is homologous to the acetyl transferases encoded by lacA and cysE

Summary The predicted protein sequence of the nodL gene from Rhizobium leguminosarum was screened against translations of the GenBank DNA sequence database. A very strong homology was found to lacA, which encodes thiogalactoside transferase; homology between NodL and the cysE gene product (serine acetyl transferase) was also found. Comparison of the conserved regions of the three protein sequences indicated a domain that may be an active site of the enzymes.
Advocacy Organizations in the U.S. Political Process

We examine scholarship on the role and influence of advocacy organizations in the U.S. political process. We identify common theoretical questions in the disconnected literatures on social movements, interest groups, and nonprofits, and we propose a unifying conceptual framework for examining advocacy organizations. Focusing on the post-1960s growth in advocacy organizations, we examine major organizational characteristics including organizational structures, membership and participation, resources, and interorganizational networks and coalitions. Our analysis of organizational influence focuses on five dimensions of the policy process: (a) agenda setting, (b) access to decision-making arenas, (c) achieving favorable policies, (d) monitoring and shaping implementation, and (e) shifting the long-term priorities and resources of political institutions. Finally, we identify recurrent theoretical and methodological problems, including the compartmentalization of research within disciplines, an overreliance on...
5‐HT Receptor Knockout Mice: Pharmacological Tools or Models of Psychiatric Disorders

: The molecular diversity of cloned serotonin receptor subtypes in the brain makes it difficult to understand the specific modulatory roles played by different receptors. In order to understand the role of the 5-HT1B receptor subtype in behavior and neuropsychiatric disorders, we have been studying genetic knockout mice lacking the 5-HT1B receptor. The 5-HT1B knockout mice show evidence of increased aggression and impulsivity, behavioral patterns that are also associated with reduced 5-HT function. They also show reduced or absent locomotor stimulation to some serotoninergic drugs, indicating that the locomotor effects of these drugs require the 5-HT1B receptor. However, in some cases, data obtained with knockout mice conflicts with the pharmacological data. The 5-HT1B receptor knockout mice show a phenotype of increased vulnerability to drugs of abuse such as cocaine. However, pharmacological studies suggest that 5-HT1B stimulation enhances the effects of cocaine, while 5-HT1B blockade can attenuate some of the effects of cocaine. Compensations that enhance dopamine function appear to be responsible for the drug-vulnerable phenotype of 5-HT1B receptor knockout mice. By studying these compensations and changes in neural function, we can learn more about the fundamental mechanisms underlying addiction. The 5-HT1B knockout mice should be considered a model for the disease state of vulnerability to drugs of abuse, rather than a direct pharmacological model of 5-HT1B receptor function.
Shadow buttons: exposing WIMP functionality while preserving the inking surface in sketch-based interfaces

We present Shadow Buttons, an approach to placing WIMP interface elements into gestural and sketch-based interfaces. Utilizing the hover state, supported by pen-based devices such as Tablet PCs, we provide users with important WIMP-based functionality by invoking widgets only when the stylus hovers over "shadow" regions. In this way, every pixel of the display, including the shadows, can be drawn on. By interacting with a shadow region while in the hover state, users can temporarily display and interact with familiar WIMP elements. We explore the Shadow Button design space as it relates to handwritten mathematical expressions and also present an informal evaluation of our technique, examining various Shadow Button parameters including button size, placement, and method of invocation. Preliminary results indicate that users prefer utilizing the hover state over tapping on the Shadow Button and in general, prefer interface elements to be as close to the ink as possible. In addition, the distance between the shadow region and the menu was found to be the most important factor in Shadow Button usability.
Colleges and Universities as Exemplars in the Development of Citizens

AbstractMuch attention has been given to the role of designed student experiences in the cultivation of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for ethical citizenship. This article focuses instead on the role of the college or university as an ethical guide for students. Drawing on Aristotle’s conception of the role of habituation in ethical development and relevant data, the author hypothesized that greater commitment to public goods by colleges and universities would lead to greater ethical development among students. Data from the Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory supported this claim. The author identifies implications for university leaders, faculty and staff, and students.
Investigation into the changes in bending stiffness of a textile reinforced composite due to in-plane fabric shear: Part 2 – Numerical analysis

Abstract Numerical investigations were pursued in an effort to understand the relationship between changes in the stiffness of plain-weave fabric-reinforced plates and the degree of in-plane shear within the fabric reinforcement. These numerical studies were motivated by an experimental study where the measurable geometric changes discerned among plates with different levels of in-plane shear were (1) the reorientation of the fibers within the plane of the plate, (2) an increase in thickness with increasing in-plane shear, and (3) the change in width of the fiber tows as function of in-plane shear. Finite element models were used to investigate the individual contributions of these geometric changes on the bending stiffness of the plates. For the material system considered in this study, the reorientation of the fibers and the change in plate thickness as a function of the state of shear were concluded to be the dominant factors affecting the bending stiffness of the plates. The change in cross-section orientation about the tow axis was determined to be insignificant.
Neurocognitive underpinnings of language disorder: Contrasting schizophrenia and mood disorders

Language disorder is a deleterious, but poorly understood, symptom of schizophrenia. Burgeoning research suggests that it also occurs in depression and bipolar disorders. Building on prior research...
Negotiation and Coordination: A Preliminary Field Study of Conflict Management in Large Scale Collaboration

Coordination of activities in many settings can be characterized by management of conflicts, potential and actual, because of resource limitations, high-stakes consequences, uncertainty, goal conflicts among stakeholders and hetero-hierarchical organizational structures. To understand coordination in such systems, we conducted a field study of management of surgical operating rooms. Although coordination efforts were focused on resolution of interdependencies, such as progress monitoring, scheduling and rescheduling, and prodding, coordinators managed a set of complicated conflicts, often through opportunistic means. They were very sensitive to potential conflicts, and used many different means to resolve the conflicts as reported in the literature. Additionally, they were very concerned with perceived fairness. The findings have direct implications to the deployment of information technology as it will change accuracy of information, barriers to access and means of information dissemination.
Experimental Study of Ureteral Calculus Disease: Effects of Calculus Size, Obstruction and Hydration

AbstractA chronic canine model was developed to study the immediate mechanical effects of ureteral calculi. Totally implanted nephrostomy tubes were used to measure renal pelvic pressure and optical sensors recorded ureteral activity. Surrogate calculi were inserted in a retrograde fashion via a trigonal vesicostomy. Complete obstruction was more common with larger calculi and these all passed spontaneously, by which time ureteral activity had ceased. Reduction in urine output delayed the rise in renal pressure and thus prolonged the time the calculus was retained in the ureter. If large calculi, which normally obstruct, had holes drilled in them to allow free urine flow they remained in the ureter for at least 2 hours and had to be extracted. Therefore, in the first few hours increased proximal hydrostatic pressure was the most important factor responsible for the spontaneous passage of obstructing calculi.
Salpingoscopy: Light microscopic and electron microscopic correlations

In order to examine the ability of salpingoscopy to diagnose intratubal pathology, 32 fallopian tubes were evaluated salpingoscopically and histologically. Both flexible and rigid salpingoscopes were used, and observations were documented by intratubal photography. Salpingoscopic criteria were established and each criterion assigned a numerical value. Each tube was evaluated for patency, mucosal fold architecture, erythema, adhesions, and dilatation. Based on these criteria, tubes were graded as normal or as abnormal with mild, moderate, or severe changes. Histologically, each tube was evaluated for patency, epithelial changes, vascularity, dilatation, adhesions, and active inflammation. Six tubes with significant histologic findings and two histologically normal fallopian tubes were also examined by transmission electron microscopy. In five discordant cases, histology revealed epithelial and stromal changes not detected by salpingoscopy. Fallopian tubes with severe disease were diagnosed by both methods. Transmission electron microscopy of histologically abnormal tubes showed flattening of the epithelium with markedly reduced ciliary distribution, degenerating secretory epithelial cells with large intracellular vacuoles, and swollen nuclei containing sparse chromatin. Our results indicate that salpingoscopic observations are consistent with histologic findings when endotubal disease is severe. However, moderate pathologic changes as documented by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were frequently not diagnosed salpingoscopically, even with magnification.
Simulation and fitting of complex reaction network TPR: The key is the objective function

Abstract A method has been developed for finding improved fits during simulation and fitting of data from complex reaction network temperature programmed reactions (CRN-TPR). It was found that simulation and fitting of CRN-TPR presents additional challenges relative to simulation and fitting of simpler TPR systems. The method used here can enable checking the plausibility of proposed chemical mechanisms and kinetic models. The most important finding was that when choosing an objective function, use of an objective function that is based on integrated production provides more utility in finding improved fits when compared to an objective function based on the rate of production. The response surface produced by using the integrated production is monotonic, suppresses effects from experimental noise, requires fewer points to capture the response behavior, and can be simulated numerically with smaller errors. For CRN-TPR, there is increased importance (relative to simple reaction network TPR) in resolving of peaks prior to fitting, as well as from weighting of experimental data points. Using an implicit ordinary differential equation solver was found to be inadequate for simulating CRN-TPR. The method employed here was capable of attaining improved fits in simulation and fitting of CRN-TPR when starting with a postulated mechanism and physically realistic initial guesses for the kinetic parameters.
ENDOGENOUS OPIATES AS MEDIATORS of ACTIVATION AND COPING

Previous studies have indicated that many stressful procedures (e.g. shock, cold swim) release endogenous opioid peptides which may possess functionally significant analgesic properties. One possible interpretation of stress induced opioid release and analgesia is that it is part of a more complex coping response, i.e. that stress induced opiate release mediates more general arousal and coping responses, the precise descriptions of which are not yet established. We present evidence utilizing a novel stress procedure (intense noise and light) that: (a) stress produces consistent changes in the activity of unrestrained rats, and (b) examination of these changes in an open field setting indicates they may be reversed selectively through blockade of opiate receptors. These findings suggest it is possible to define stress syndromes using behavioral means, and that endogenous opioid substances may partially mediate the latter.
Design of Membrane-Separation Systems

Recently, membrane processes have gained a growing level of applicability in industry. Membrane systems have several advantages. In addition to their high selectivity (which can provide concentrations as low as parts per billion), low energy consumption, and moderate cost, they are compact and modular. Therefore, membrane units can be readily added to existing plants. This chapter provides an overview of the use of membrane separation systems for environmental applications. First, pressure-driven membrane technologies will be categorized. Then, modeling and design techniques will be discussed for reverse osmosis as a representative membrane technology. Next, thermal membrane distillation will be described as an example of emerging membrane technologies.
Applying proteomics to research for optic nerve regeneration in glaucoma: what's on the horizon?

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting the optic nerve. Multiple pathogenic mechanisms for glaucomatous neurodegeneration have been linked to o...
Prenatal tobacco exposure, maternal postnatal nicotine dependence and adolescent risk for nicotine dependence: Birth cohort study.

Aims The goals of this study are to determine if there is (a) a threshold effect for prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) on adolescent risk for nicotine dependence, and (b) an additive effect of PTE and maternal postnatal nicotine dependence on adolescent risk for nicotine dependence.
Profile indentation pressure evaluation method for impulse manufacturing technologies

Abstract Impulse manufacturing technologies generate extreme amounts of pressure over very short time periods, providing unique applications for forming, joining, and welding operations. A new method for evaluating the pressure distributions of these technologies has been formulated called the Profile Indentation Pressure Evaluation (PIPE) method. As the result of an impulse operation, a ductile transducer sheet is forced against a hard surface with regularly spaced profile peaks, producing indentations across the transducer sheet surface. Depending on the magnitude of local impulse pressure, the resulting indentations vary in width, providing a means for evaluation of the pressure component that results in mechanical deformation for a given operation. In order to correlate these effective pressure values with indentation width, quasi-static compression testing was conducted on small test coupons with varied loads, which indicated highly linear correlations for three transducer materials. Indentation size was then considered in terms of local area fraction, allowing for photographic analysis of whole sample surfaces using the Materials Image Processing and Automated Reconstruction (MIPAR) software suite. Color maps were produced that represent the magnitudes and distributions of the component of impulse pressure that results in mechanical deformation. Use of this technique was demonstrated on vaporizing foil actuator and electromagnetic impulse methods, revealing striking variations in effective pressure distribution as input geometrical factors were changed. Effective pressures up to 450 MPa were evaluated using the PIPE method, offering new insights for application of impulse manufacturing technologies.
Development of Humoral Antibody Following the Ingestion of Soluble Protein Antigen by Passively Immunized Animals

Circulating antibodies against a variety of environmental antigens (1–6) appear in normal individuals after lymphoid tissues associated with mucosal surfaces are exposed to either the homologous or cross-reacting antigens. This immunization is one of the physiologic means by which mammals acquire protection against potential pathogens during early infancy (6–8). Prior to the development of such active immunity, the newborn is protected against the potentially harmful effects of these antigens by antibodies passively acquired from the mother. However, passive immunity may either suppress or enhance active immune responses, depending on quantitative factors and temporal relationships between the administration of antibody and the first exposure to the antigen (9). An understanding of the effects of passively transferred antibody on the amount and quality of antibody actively produced following the ingestion of antigen may provide insight into the effects of placentally transferred specific antibody on the immune response to the homologous antigen ingested during infancy.
Exploring the Effect of Compiler Optimizations on the Reliability of HPC Applications

The strict power efficiency constraints required to achieve exascale systems will dramatically increase the number of detected and undetected transient errors in future high performance computing (HPC) systems. Among the various factors that effect system resiliency, the impact of compiler optimizations on the vulnerability of scientific applications executed on HPC systems has not been widely explored. In this work, we analyze whether and how most common compiler optimizations impact the vulnerability of several mission-critical applications, what are the trade-offs between performance and vulnerability and the causal relations between compiler optimization and application vulnerability. We show that highly-optimized code is generally more vulnerable than unoptimized code. We also show that, while increasing optimization level can drastically improve application performance as expected. However, certain cases of optimization may provide only marginal benefits, but considerably increase application vulnerability.
Investigation of mechanical and microstructural properties of Zircaloy-4 under different experimental conditions

Abstract Two types of Zircaloy-4 (alpha-annealed and beta-quenched) were investigated in their different forms. It was found that mechanical properties of Zircaloy-4 are affected significantly by welding and hydrogen-charging followed by neutron irradiation. Evaluation of microstructural properties of samples showed that these changes are mainly due to the formation of secondary phases such as hydrides—mostly along grain boundaries, dislocation channeling and their disruptions, and the increase in the type dislocation loops.
Total synthesis of the reported structure of ceanothine D via a novel macrocyclization strategy

The first total synthesis of the reported structure of ceanothine D, a cyclopeptide alkaloid found in red root, was achieved using a highly convergent synthetic strategy. Highlights of the synthesis include the first concomitant macrocyclization and formation of the unique chiral tertiary alkyl-aryl ether bond with complete regio- and stereo-control in the presence of a sensitive Z-enamide moiety to access the strained para-cyclophane present in its structure. This synthetic strategy may be broadly applicable in the generation of other structurally similar cyclopeptide alkaloids, enabling further biological and chemical investigations.
Cuatro tipos de intención: actual, habitual, virtual e interpretativa

Suarez distinguishes between four different ways of intending an end of action: actually, virtually, habitually, and interpretatively. This distinction comes to be repeated in scores of books and articles in subsequent centuries as a standard part of action theory, and Suarez is evidently the source for many of the later authors. This paper examines Suarez’s treatment of the distinction. Interpretative intention receives the most attention, since Suarez appears to give several inconsistent characterizations of it in different works. The paper ends with some notes about the subsequent reception of the distinction and reflects briefly on the lessons to be drawn about tracing Suarez’s influence.
Integrating student feedback during “Dental Curriculum Hack-A-thon”

The future of dental education is at crossroads. This study used the parameter of the 2016 Dental Curriculum Hack-a-Thon to assess intra- and inter-institutional agreement between student and faculty views regarding dental curriculums to determine if there is an impact in student perceptions towards dental education from before and after the event. This exploratory, cross-sectional study involved two surveys, with Survey 1 being distributed among four faculty-student pairs of the four participating dental schools answering 14 questions. Survey 2 assessed the views of 20 participating dental students through 26 questions in a pre- and post- event survey design. Descriptive statistics were used to explore differences in perceptions towards dental education across both instrument surveys. The results revealed valuable student insights regarding intra- and inter-institutional agreement relevant for the change in dental curriculum that needs to occur. Survey 2 revealed that mandatory attendance in didactic courses, electronic based examination preferences, and the preference of preclinical courses being held in the first and second years of a four-year dental curriculum were of particular importance to student participants. The results of this study indicate that exposure and participation in subjects pertaining to dental education can be influential on student preferences and opinions on how dental education should be delivered in a four-year curriculum.
Psychological Assessment of Autistic Children

Interdisciplinary collaboration is required to characterize the multiple areas of developmental dysfunction. Establishing a partnership with parents is important. Although the clinician is advised to begin from the premise that every child is "testable," this conviction must be tempered with the realization that the clinical assessment of autistic children is often the "art of the impossible."
On the Computational Complexity of Combinatorial Problems

A large class of classical combinatorial problems, including most of the difficult problems in the literature of network flows and computational graph theory, are shown to be equivalent, in the sense that either all or none of them can be solved in polynomial time. Moreover, they are solvable in polynomial time if and only if every problem solvable by a polynomial-depth backtrack search is also solvable by a polynomial-time algorithm. The technique of deriving these results through problem transformations is explained, and some comments are made as to the probable effect of these results on research in the field of combinatorial algorithms.
Carl Jung's Memories, Dreams, Reflections: A Critique Informed by Postmodernism

This critique of Jung's autobiography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, looks at the text in light of recent criticism and postmodern developments in psychology. With particular attention to Jung's position on a transcendent God, the omission of significant relationships throughout the work, and the concept of individuation in relation to the Christian notion of vocation, this paper highlights the truths that Jung's autobiography challenges pastoral psychologists and pastoral theologians to integrate into clinical work and professional literature.
In lady liberty’s shadow: the politics of race and immigration in New Jersey

Throughout June 2018, images and audio recordings of crying immigrant children separated from their parents and locked in chained cages at the United States–Mexico border spread across global news ...
Network Impedance Estimation For Microgrid Control Using Noisy Synchrophasor Measurements

This publication presents an unsupervised network impedance estimation method for AC microgrid electrical networks using only voltage and current synchrophasor measurements. The proposed method combines the use of two techniques: the Kron reduction and a novel common mode elimination technique to improve estimation robustness to measurement noise. We motivate Kron reduction as an instrument for addressing the rank-deficiency of electrical network voltage measurement data. The Kron reduced model can be used in optimal power flow and other centralized and decentralized control algorithms. The proposed common mode elimination technique improves the robustness of the impedance estimate to sensor noise by improving the eigenstructure of the voltage measurement data matrix, without discarding any useful information. We present results demonstrating improved admittance matrix estimation accuracy on realistic data over a range of signal to noise (SNR) ratios. The proposed method is data-driven and will update the network impedance estimate based on sensor measurements alone, without any external input, making it is well suited for time-varying microgrid applications.
The role of epigenetic aging in education and racial/ethnic mortality disparities among older U.S. Women.

Abstract Background Higher mortality experienced by socially disadvantaged groups and/or racial/ethnic minorities is hypothesized to be, at least in part, due to an acceleration of the aging process. Using a new epigenetic aging measure, Levine DNAmAge, this study aimed to investigate whether epigenetic aging accounts for mortality disparities by race/ethnicity and education in a sample of U.S. postmenopausal women. Methods 1834 participants from an ancillary study (BA23) in the Women’s Health Initiative, a national study that recruited postmenopausal women (50–79 years) were included. Over the 22 years of follow-up, 551 women died, and 31,946 person-years were observed. Levine DNAmAge (unit in years) was calculated based on an equation that we previously developed in an independent sample, which incorporates methylation levels at 513 CpG sites. Results As previously reported, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were epigenetically older than non-Hispanic whites of the same chronological age. Similarly, those with less education had older epigenetic ages than expected in the full sample, as well as among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics, but not among non-Hispanic blacks. Non-Hispanic blacks and those with low education exhibited the greatest risk of mortality. However, this association was partially attenuated when accounting for differences in DNAmAge. Furthermore, formal mediation analysis suggested that DNAmAge partially mediated the mortality increase among non-Hispanic blacks, compared to non-Hispanic whites (proportion mediated, 15.8%, P = 0.002), as well as the mortality increase for those with less than high school education, compared to college educated (proportion mediated, 11.6%, P Conclusions Among a group of postmenopausal women, non-Hispanic blacks and those with less education exhibit higher epigenetic aging, which partially accounts for their shorter life expectancies.
Perceptions, Knowledge, and Use of Electronic Cigarettes: A Survey of Mental Health Patients

AbstractTobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. Smoking and mental illness are often comorbid, yet little is known about mental health patients’ ...