cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robot-assisted retinal vein cannulation with force-based puncture detection: Micron vs. the steady-hand eye robot

Retinal vein cannulation is a demanding procedure where therapeutic agents are injected into occluded retina veins. The feasibility of this treatment is limited due to challenges in identifying the moment of venous puncture, achieving cannulation and maintaining it throughout the drug delivery period. In this study, we integrate a force-sensing microneedle with two distinct robotic systems: the handheld micromanipulator Micron, and the cooperatively controlled Steady-Hand Eye Robot (SHER). The sensed tool-to-tissue interaction forces are used to detect venous puncture and extend the robots' standard control schemes with a new position holding mode (PHM) that assists the operator hold the needle position fixed and maintain cannulation for a longer time with less trauma on the vasculature. We evaluate the resulting systems comparatively in a dry phantom, stretched vinyl membranes. Results have shown that modulating the admittance control gain of SHER alone is not a very effective solution for preventing the undesired tool motion after puncture. However, after using puncture detection and PHM the deviation from the puncture point is significantly reduced, by 65% with Micron, and by 95% with SHER representing a potential advantage over freehand for both.
A Mathematical Model for Study of Cyclic Purge in Vessels with Complex Geometry

Removal of impurities from stagnant regions in process vessels and flow components is a major bottleneck of purge operations and typically associated with large downtimes and UHP gas consumption. A comprehensive mathematical model is developed for study of the purge process in chambers with complex geometry and stagnant regions inaccessible to gas flow. The model takes into account the dynamics of removing impurities in the gas phase as well as those adsorbed on the chamber surfaces. Using this model, the conventional Steady State Purge (SSP) is compared with a proposed unsteady Pressure Cyclic Purge (PCP) technique. PCP is found to be advantageous over SSP in terms of gas usage and purge time required to reach a given target cleanliness. The effects of a number of key design and operational parameters such as chamber geometry, pressure range, and cycling pattern are investigated. The results show that the model is a powerful tool for finding the optimum operating conditions for purging a system.
Fluid and Blood Transfusion in Pediatric Neurosurgery

In this chapter, we focus on special considerations in the pediatric neurosurgical population in terms of fluid management and blood transfusions. These patients, especially neonates, have an entirely different body habitus and physiology as compared to adults. In addition, these patients react differently to medications, dehydration, blood loss, and clinical emergencies as compared to adults. Some of these cases are inherently challenging due to their complexity. The anesthesia management of these patients is challenging on multiple levels due to developing cardiorespiratory, neurological, and renal systems. Hence, meticulous care must be taken by the anesthesia team to reduce the margin of errors and to aggressively treat any initial signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration. We review fluid management and blood transfusions in this specialized subset of pediatric neurosurgical population.
Ecological Network Analysis, Energy Analysis

A convergence of interest in energy by systems ecologists, resource analysts, and economists has led to a framework for evaluating indirect connections and effects. Elements of all three fields are combined in a broad quantitative approach to answer questions such as how much sunlight is in an eagle and how much coal is needed to produce a loaf of bread. The method is illustrated in this article by example calculations for a two-compartment ecosystem, showing how changing from a chain to a web (i.e., increasing recycling) affects results. Besides energy intensity, the approach also allows determine nutrient intensity, trophic position, path length, and residence time. While calculations such as these are usually done for steady-state systems, also determined are these indicators for systems changing over time, as in response to perturbation. Three different, but related, applications are then presented: (1) calculating these quantities for a four-compartment bog ecosystem; (2) calculating the energy cost of living, the (mostly fossil) energy to support a household’s consumption of all goods and services; (3) using the results of (2) to determine the regressivity of an energy tax and how to modify income taxes to mitigate it.
Dynamic surfactant-aided imbibition in fractured oil-wet carbonates

Abstract Numerous studies based on static imbibition experiments at lab scale have established surfactant-aided imbibition as an improved oil recovery process for fractured oil-wet carbonate reservoirs. However, predicting performance at larger scales and at dynamic conditions (fluid flow through fracture) remains a challenge. In this study, experiments are performed on Estaillades Limestone and Texas Cream Limestone outcrop cores with varying height and diameter with permeability in the range of 8 mD to 150 mD to address this challenge. It is observed that dynamic imbibition process recovers oil faster than static imbibition. Imbibition experiments performed on cores with varying height and diameter show that oil recovery decreases with increasing diameter and height. A 3D fine grid mechanistic simulator was used to perform lab scale validation and analyze recovery mechanism. Numerically simulated velocity and saturation profiles demonstrated the recovery mechanism to be gravity dominated flow. A new scaling function is proposed for surfactant aided gravity dominated processes. Data with same boundary conditions, rock, fluids and varying dimensions can be correlated with the scaling function at early times with no fitting parameters involved. A good correlation is obtained with the data indicating the effectiveness of the scaling function. The scaling is applicable to both static as well as dynamic imbibition.
Application of the Periodic Temperature Variation Technique to the Measurement of Heat Transfer Coefficients in High-NTU Matrices

The existing periodic temperature variation technique for determining heat transfer characteristics of heat exchanger surfaces is extended to the high NTU (over 50) ranges. The initial formulation of the problem considers the effects of axial conduction in both fluid and matrix and the effects of the regenerator casing. The model is solved analytically by using the complex temperature technique. This solution is used in conjunction with experimental measurements to obtain the regenerator NTU at the given conditions. Results from experiments conducted on regenerators consisting of packed lead spheres and stainless steel screen under varying Reynolds numbers are presented. Very good agreement is observed between the results obtained and those from established correlations for the heat transfer coefficient.
THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the possibility of conformational changes in acetylcholinesterase. Conformational changes in proteins and the related phenomenon of allosterism has received great impetus from the studies in rationalizing the kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. There has been considerable interest in conformational changes in cholinesterase as a possible indication of corresponding changes in the acetylcholine receptor. The enzyme and receptor might be structurally and genetically related, having evolved from a common gene in the distant past perhaps by gene duplication and mutation. Cholinesterase itself may be the acetylcholine receptor. All proteins are allosteric proteins; all proteins can undergo conformational changes by interaction with some small molecule. The surface of a protein presents a certain constellation of chemical structural groups, some charged, some uncharged, some polar, some non-polar, some aromatic, some alkyl, and some capable of forming hydrogen bonds, all arranged in a defined order. There are hundreds of small molecules that are complementary to some small portion of this protein surface and can interact strongly with it.
Material Candidates and Structures II: Skutterudites, Zintl Phase, and Clathrates

Skutterudite compounds are potential thermoelectric materials at high temperature. The “phonon-glass electron-crystal” system, i.e., materials with very low thermal conductivity such as glass and materials with good electronic transport properties such as crystalline materials, can lead to efficient thermoelectrics in skutterudite compounds due to their crystal structure. Generally, these are composites of metal elements and pnictogen elements in the form of MX3, where, in general, Co, Fe, Rh, and Ir represent M and P, As, and Sb are X, respectively. This class of compound consists of 32 atoms, having 8 cubic sublattices, composed of metal elements; 6 of them are filled with pnictogen square planar rings and form octahedral structure with metal elements. Such type of compounds belongs to cubic space group \( \mathit{\operatorname{Im}}\overline{3} \) crystal structure [1]. Approaches have been made in the literature to improve ZT primarily by lowering the thermal conductivity in skutterudites. Their complex lattice structure, due to the composite of large unit cell by heavy atomic masses, is the main reason for the low thermal conductivity. Most of the explanation is based on CoSb3, as it is one of the most common candidates of binary skutterudite with the body-centered cubic crystal structure, as shown in Fig. 6.1, having two interstitial voids at the 2a positions in the crystal lattice.
Strategic Framework for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate

In October 2016, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) began adopting a new strategic framework that focuses investment prioritization and communication on impacts, outcomes, and challenges. The structure of the framework has been modeled after one successfully pioneered by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate over the past five years, incorporating lessons learned and changes where appropriate. The Framework is driven by two major factors: (a) dialogue with the community and (b) analysis of the overarching trends shaping the course of civilian space research. These factors are captured in the Framework as Mega-Drivers, which represent major axes of change within the space industry and are characterized by a collection of industry trends and projections. In response to these Mega-Drivers, STMD has developed its understanding of the vision for the future of civilian space relative to STMD space research, captured in five Strategic Thrusts that represent the major lines of investment within STMD’s portfolio. Within each of these Strategic Thrusts, multiple measureable, community-level goals have been established that STMD chooses to pursue as part of a joint effort across the community. STMD chose these goals based upon their potential impact, refers to them as Outcomes within the Framework. These Outcomes are decomposed into the products and/or capabilities that will be delivered by STMD, represented in the framework as Technical Challenges. This paper will further describe the framework structure and the progress that has been in defining each of the above elements to date.
TORSADES DE POINTES AND QT VARIATION IN STRESS CARDIOMYOPATHY

Stress cardiomyopathy is a reversible entity and has favorable prognosis in most cases. However, fatal complications can occur in acute phase affecting mortality. A 66-year old female presented with angina. ECG revealed ST segment elevation in the anterolateral leads and QTc of 510 ms. Cardiac
Observing teachers' displays and scaffolding of executive functioning in the classroom context

Abstract This study introduces the Teachers' Displays and Scaffolding of Executive Function (T-DASEF) Protocol, an observational measure designed to capture how teachers display EF-related behaviors and scaffold students' EFs in elementary school classrooms. We describe the process for developing the T-DASEF protocol and evaluating the reliability and predictive validity of components derived from the protocol in a diverse sample of 813 students (ages 8–12) and 33 teachers. We found that components from the T-DASEF protocol reliably capture teachers' EF-related difficulties and scaffolding practices. Multi-level path analysis revealed that the composite of teachers' displays of impulsivity, distraction, poor working memory or disorganization uniquely predicted direct assessment of students' fall EFs. Teachers' planning/organization scaffolding and cognitive flexibility scaffolding practices predicted spring students' EFs. This study highlights the feasibility and relevance of using an observational measure to understand how teachers' typically occurring EF-related behaviors and scaffolding practices relate to students' EF-skills in middle childhood.
Structural Logic of Welfare Politics

Some countries provide universalistic social security benefits, whereas others provide more fragmented social security benefits. Similarly, some countries rely on functional equivalents that allow for occupational targeting, whereas others emphasize geographical targeting. This chapter employs an institutional model of welfare politics to explain why certain policy choices are more likely in a specific institutional context. I use the term structural logic to describe my approach, because political institutions have been known to “structure” politics (Steinmo, Thelen, and Longstreth eds. 1992). Political institutions structure politics by defining the rules of the game (Hall and Taylor 1996; Kato 1996). In so doing, they shape incentives and thereby affect the likelihood of certain actors triumphing over others in the political game. This means that when the structure of the political system changes, so political outcomes are likely to change. The task of this chapter is to identify the institutions that structure welfare politics and to specify the ways in which they do. While the rest of the book applies the structural logic to explain welfare development in postwar Japan, this chapter develops the logic in ways that are applicable to all advanced industrial countries. This chapter constructs a structural logic of welfare politics in two steps by focusing on institutional factors that affect (a) veto player configurations; and (b) veto players' distributive incentives. Veto players, by definition, are those actors whose consent is required for successful legislation.
Acute myocardial injury after administration of intravenous epinephrine for allergic reaction

Myocardial injury or infarction in the setting of anaphylaxis can be due to anaphylaxis itself, known as Kounis syndrome, or as a result of treatment with epinephrine. Myocardial ischemia caused by...
An Overview of State-of-the-Art Technologies for Data-Driven Construction

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) community has been implementing actions that address the significant productivity and efficiency problems that are common in on-site construction. In spite of the many advantages of introducing emerging technologies, the industry continues to rely on hard copy documents. However, the recent advent of new technologies such as AI, Blockchain, IoT, and 5G-communication is leading the built environment into a modern data-driven environment. This data-driven environment can be described as having five phases based on the data utilization criteria: data acquisition, data highway (mobile), data security, data analysis, and data realization. The AEC community can apply IoT, 3D laser scanning, and drones to the data acquisition phase. These technologies can provide the AEC community with fast, affordable, and robust data collecting methodologies. 5G-communications technologies can allow participants to communicate enormous quantities of data in seconds among the various stakeholders. Blockchain enables the AEC industry to share, secure, and store data in distributed ledgers, establishing transparency, immutability, traceability, and decentralization. It also utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms for data analysis. AI and ML analyze big data collected from the acquisition phase and give a prediction about models or improve decision making by clustering or categorizing data. Finally, by introducing speech recognition technology, virtual and augmented reality, the designer can provide customers with a customer-centered environment. This study presents an overview of state-of-the-art technologies for data-driven environments, use cases, and the impacts of these technologies on the AEC industry productivity and efficiency.
Controversies with testosterone therapy.

Introduction Over the past decade, there have been concerns with safety of testosterone therapy (TTh) in hypogonadal men. Several concerns have centered on the use of TTh and its potential link to cardiovascular (CV) events, prostate cancer, and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There has also been controversy in determining which patients are appropriate candidates for TTh and if lifestyle modification has any role in improving serum testosterone values in hypogonadal men. Materials and methods A literature review of all articles assessing testosterone and the use of TTh and the association with CV events, prostate cancer, BPH and lifestyle modification was conducted. Results Majority of patients treated with TTh today are treated off-label. Low serum testosterone levels have been associated with increased CV events. Currently, there is inconclusive evidence to support that TTh increases the risk of CV events. There is an absence of evidence linking TTh to the development of prostate cancer or worsening of BPH symptoms. Finally, lifestyle modification, such as decreasing weight and improving sleep, can improve serum testosterone levels in hypogonadal men. Conclusions Clinicians prescribing testosterone should be aware of the current controversies associated with TTh. The current literature does not suggest that there is a significant risk with TTh and prostate cancer, worsening of BPH symptoms or CV events. However, more studies, including randomized placebo-controlled trials, are needed. Finally, patients should be counseled appropriately regarding the indications for TTh and the benefits of lifestyle modification prior to initiating TTh.
Haploidy in Tobacco Induced by PsASGR-BBML Transgenes via Parthenogenesis.

Background: Engineering apomixis in sexually reproducing plants has been long desired because of the potential to fix hybrid vigor. Validating the functionality of genes originated from apomictic species that contribute to apomixis upon transfer to sexually reproducing species is an important step. The PsASGR-BABYBOOM-like (PsASGR-BBML) gene from Pennisetum squamulatum confers parthenogenesis in this apomict, and its functionality was demonstrated in several sexually reproducing monocots but not in any dicots. Methods: We introduced the PsASGR-BBML gene regulated by egg cell-specific promoters, either AtDD45 or AtRKD2, into tobacco, and analyzed progeny of the transgenic lines resulting from self-pollination and crossing by flow cytometry. Results: We identified haploid progeny at a frequency lower than 1% in the AtDD45pro lines, while at a frequency of 9.3% for an octoploid (2n = 8x) AtRKD2pro line. Haploid production in the T2 generation, derived from the tetraploid T1 offspring of this original octoploid AtRKD2pro line, was also observed. Pollinated by homozygous transgenic tobacco carrying a DsRed marker gene, 4x progeny of the AtRKD2pro line yielded parthenogenetic embryos identified as DsRed negative. We verified that the DsRed negative seedlings recovered were haploid (2x). Conclusion: The PsASGR-BBML gene regulated by egg cell-specific promoters could enable parthenogenesis in tobacco, a dicotyledon species.
Les Tables Géographiques du manuscript du sultan rasūlid al-Malik al-Afḍal. Édition, Traduction Et Commentaire: Jean Charles Ducène, [Suomalaisen Tiedeakatemian Toimituksia Humaniora 365, Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae], 2013 Helsinki: Academia Scientiarum Fennica, 199 pp., ill., US$ 69.00 (paperback), ISBN 9789514110825

Two different strands are commonly distinguished in the substantial and diverse body of medieval Arabic geographical writing. There is mathematical geography with its tables of place names and corr...
Repurposed Metal Objects in the Political Economy of Jamaican Slavery

The development of iron technologies in mid–eighteenth Century Britain led to an explosion in the variety and scope of iron objects manufactured for the consumer market. One of the primary markets for iron goods was the Caribbean plantation complex. An astonishing amount of iron ware was shipped to Jamaica, where archaeological investigations at Marshalls Pen, a nineteenth-century coffee plantation, recovered a variety of iron tools and other metal objects from enslaved household contexts. A selection of these tools show evidence that the enslaved population of the plantation reshaped these tools for their own purposes.
Basic principles of machine learning

This chapter provides an overview of the basic principles of ML, outlining the fundamental concepts that need to be applied correctly for a broad range of radar applications. We expect the reader to have background knowledge of basic linear algebra and probability theory, which form the foundations of ML. In Section 2.1, we describe the concept of learning from data and introduce the main categories of ML, namely, supervised and unsupervised learning. We also present different tasks that ML can tackle under each category and provide relevant radar-based examples. In Section 2.2, we briefly describe the various components of an ML algorithm. We present several fundamental techniques of supervised and unsupervised learning in Section 2.3. In Section 2.4, we define various performance assessment metrics and describe the design and evaluation of a learning algorithm. More recent learning approaches, such as variants of deep neural networks (DNNs), and more specific ML tools related to the various radar applications will follow in subsequent chapters of this book.
A Journal Usage Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Serials Trends and Implications

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic had wide-reaching effects throughout all of society. For libraries, this often translated to a quick pivot to support activities that moved to almost-exclusively online and remote for all patrons. Although the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Library was somewhat unique in that it never closed during the 2020 height of the pandemic, the majority of its patrons were accessing its resources remotely. Spurred by local anecdotal evidence journal usage had surprisingly declined at a significant rate during 2020, this study aims to determine whether this decline could be demonstrated through statistical analysis of COUNTER 5 usage reports for 2019 and 2020 for a sampling of titles. It also illustrates how COUNTER statistics may provide just a window of overall serials use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Serials Review is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Cognitive Decline and the Workplace

Cognitive decline will increasingly become a workplace concern because of three intersecting trends. First, the American population is aging. In 2019, 16.5 percent of the population, or fifty-four million people, were age 65 and over, and the number is expected to increase to seventy-eight million by 2025. Dementia is not uncommon among older adults, and by the age of eighty-five, between twenty-five and fifty percent of individuals suffer from this condition. Second, individuals are postponing retirement and prolonging their working lives. For example, about a quarter of physicians are over sixty-five, as are fifteen percent of attorneys. The average age of federal judges is sixty-nine. Third, a variety of technologies, such as PET scans, spinal taps, genetic tests, and even blood tests now enable physicians to detect potential signs of dementia long before symptoms emerge. Employers may well be tempted to pursue these diagnostic tools because cognitive decline can cause a multitude of complex challenges in the workplace, threatening productivity, workplace morale, and public safety. The question of how to handle cognitive decline in the workforce has received very limited attention in the legal literature. This Article strives to treat the subject in a balanced way, considering the interests and difficulties faced by all stakeholders: employers, workers, and the public. It examines a variety of strategies that employers could implement, including mandatory retirement ages, mandatory cognitive testing for older employees or all employees, testing for dementia biomarkers, or an approach of individualized assessment. It assesses these approaches in light of the relevant federal laws that prohibit age, disability, and disparate impact discrimination and suggests necessary statutory revisions. The Article concludes with detailed recommendations to help employers, employees, and professional associations appropriately manage this very sensitive matter.
Opportunities for Positive Youth Development: The Organized Activity Participation and Educational Outcomes of Adolescents in Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Care

Children who grow up outside the care of their biological parents—e.g., those in adoptive, foster, or kinship (AFK) care—experience poorer educational outcomes than their peers. However, the protective factors that could mitigate any risks of AFK care have received less attention. One understudied area is the participation of AFK youth in organized activities (e.g., extracurricular or afterschool programs). Drawing on nationally representative data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (n = 16,197), this study used multilevel modeling to (1) examine the association of AFK care status with organized activity participation and with educational outcomes; and (2) examine whether such participation moderates any association between AFK care status and later educational outcomes (GPA, college expectations, college enrollment and college degree). In addition to a binary measure of participation, multiple dimensions of activity participation (i.e., type, breadth, and intensity) were tested as moderators. Findings show that youth in AFK care reported significantly lower rates of activity participation, as well as poorer education outcomes as compared to other youth. However, there was little evidence of moderation: organized activity participation was associated with improved educational outcomes regardless of care status. The possible benefits of participation for youth in AFK care are similar to those for other youth. Implications for the intersection of child welfare and educational systems are discussed, including the need to ensure developmental opportunities for youth in AFK care.
Use of oral tolerance tests to investigate disaccharide digestion in neonatal foals.

Oral tolerance tests were performed on 13 neonatal foals to determine their ability to digest disaccharides on d 1, 3 and 5 postpartum. Foals were assigned randomly to treatments consisting of 20% (wt/vol) solutions of either maltose, lactose, or sucrose, dosed at 1 g/kg of BW, or glucose, dosed at .5 g/kg of BW. After a 2-h fast, an initial blood sample was collected via jugular catheter. Foals were administered the appropriate solution orally, and blood was collected every 15 min for 1 h and then every 30 min for 3 h. Plasma glucose increased after dosing with lactose or glucose but not with sucrose. Plasma glucose concentrations increased slightly on d 3 and 5 in foals dosed with maltose. These findings suggest that although lactose is well digested by neonatal foals, maltose is digested only slightly, and sucrose is not digested by d 5. Results of this experiment indicate that maltose and sucrose would not be suitable for inclusion in artificial diets for foals less than 1 wk old. Oral tolerance tests could be useful for determining the ability of premature or sick foals with lactose intolerance to digest alternate carbohydrate sources.
A Different Way of Thinking

This chapter provides a comprehensive review of preservation activity in the decades after World War II, a period that begins with the USA forging ahead with its belief in progress linked to advances in science and technology. In the early postwar years, government activity continued to swell. Urban renewal schemes and new interstate transportation improvements promised a better future, without much thought to the substantial amount of destruction and dislocation this progress would bring.
Having PhUn in Australia While on Summer Vacation

When planning our family vacation to visit relatives in Australia, I looked into the opportunity to perform a PhUn Week activity there. PhUn Week is an annual outreach program in which K-12 student...
Parameters of Rational Airfield Pavement Design System

IN RECENT YEARS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE AIRFIELD PAVEMENT SYSTEM AND ITS ENVIRONMENT HAS RESULTED IN CONTINUED EFFORTS TO UPGRADE DESIGN AND EVALUATION METHODS. TO HELP MEET THE RECOGNIZED NEED FOR MORE EFFICIENT AND COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT OF AIRFIELD PAVEMENT DESIGN, AN AIRFIELD PAVEMENT SYSTEM MODEL, WHICH IS PRESENTED HEREIN, HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. THE AIRFIELD PAVEMENT SYSTEM MODEL INCORPORATES MORE DETAIL, EXPANDS CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE SYSTEM, AND INCLUDES CONCEPTS RELATING SPECIFICALLY TO AIRFIELD PAVEMENTS. IN ADDITION, THIS PAPER INCLUDES RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PARAMETERS WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IMMEDIATELY IN ANY OPERATIONAL SYSTEM IN ORDER THAT A SIGNIFICANT BEGINNING CAN BE MADE TOWARD ESTABLISHING A TRULY USEFUL AIRFIELD PAVEMENT SYSTEM. A CONCEPTUAL SYSTEMS MODEL WHICH IS ALSO PRESENTED IS THE BASIS FOR SUBSEQUENT WORK AND WILL BE HELPFUL IN DEVELOPING A TRUE "WORKING" SYSTEMS MODEL. AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO RELATE THE INPUT VARIABLES WITH CURRENT STATE-OF-ART INSTRUMENTATION IN ORDER TO MEASURE PAVEMENT RESPONSE. /AUTHOR/
Characterization of a Thermophilic Bacteriophage for Bacillus stearothermophilus

Saunders, Grady F. (University of Illinois, Urbana), and L. Leon Campbell. Characterization of a thermophilic bacteriophage for Bacillus stearothermophilus. J. Bacteriol. 91:340-348. 1965.-The biological and physical-chemical properties of the thermophilic bacteriophage TP-84 were investigated. TP-84 was shown to be lytic for 3 of 24 strains of Bacillus stearothermophilus tested over the temperature range of 43 to 76 C. The latent period of TP-84 on B. stearothermophilus strain 10 was 22 to 24 min. TP-84 has a hexagonal head, 53 mmu in diameter and 30 mmu on a side; its tail is 130 mmu long and 3 to 5 mmu wide. The phage has an S(50) (20,w) of 436, and bands at a density of 1.508 g/cc in CsCl (pH 8.5). The diffusion coefficient of TP-84 was calculated to be 6.19 x 10(-8) cm(2)/sec. From the sedimentation and diffusion data, a particle molecular weight of 50 million daltons was calculated for TP-84. The phage DNA has a base composition of 42% guanine + cytosine, deduced from buoyant density and melting temperature measurements.
How do Competing Interest Groups Influence Environmental Policy? The Case of Renewable Electricity in Industrialized Democracies, 1989–2007:

In this article, we examine the effect of competing interest groups on environmental policy. We argue that the supporters of environmental policy should be the most influential in the absence of op...
The role of deoxyribonucleic acid in ribonucleic acid synthesis. XVII. Multiple active sites of Escherichia coli ribonucleic acid polymerase.

Abstract The over-all reaction catalyzed by RNA polymerase has been studied in discrete steps. These steps include (a) the binding of polymerase to DNA, (b) the binding of ribonucleoside triphosphates to RNA polymerase, (c) the initiation of RNA chains measured by 32PPi exchange reaction, and (d) the elongation of RNA chains as measured by nucleotides incorporation. A number of chemical reagents have been used to inactivate one or more of these four reactions selectively. In the presence of reagents which react with sulfhydryl groups, all the reactions except the binding of ribonucleoside triphosphates to the enzyme are quantitatively inactivated. Treatment of the enzyme with β-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid and chlorofluoro-p-benzoquinone results in preparations unable to bind ribonucleoside triphosphates and thus unable to initiate or elongate RNA chains. The ability of the enzyme to bind to DNA is unaffected by this treatment. In contrast to these reagents, diazo-1H-tetrazole and rose bengal (plus photooxidation) treatment of RNA polymerase results in enzyme preparations capable of binding DNA, binding ribonucleoside triphosphates, and catalyzing a rapid DNA-dependent 32PPi exchange reaction. However, such enzyme preparations are unable to elongate RNA chains. The properties of the chemically altered enzyme have been examined in the analytical ultracentrifuge. No marked alteration in the sedimentation values were obtained with reagents such as β-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid or diazo-1H-tetrazole. However, in the presence of p-chloromercuribenzoate, a small subunit of 2 S was dissociated from the enzyme. A study of the binding reaction between RNA polymerase and nucleoside triphosphates has been carried out. RNA polymerase of Escherichia coli will bind between 8 and 9 moles of nucleoside triphosphates per mole of enzyme (molecular weight, 340,000) and this reaction is stimulated by the addition of Mg2+ or Mn2+. In the absence of DNA the enzyme interacts identically with ATP, GTP, CTP, and UTP. The binding of 14C-ATP was displaced by an excess of unlabeled GTP or CTP, and the binding of 14C-GTP was completely displaced by an excess of unlabeled ATP or CTP. In the presence of DNA, the binding reaction between enzyme and nucleoside triphosphate is more restrictive. In the presence of thymus DNA, GTP and ATP are bound more preferentially by the enzyme while in the presence of the copolymer of deoxyadenylate and deoxythymidylate ATP is bound preferentially.
Supporting Critical Multi-Organization Collaboration during Response to Catastrophic Events

The past two years have shown both the power of nature and the complexity of preparing for and responding to extreme events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes/typhoons, and floods. These events, and future catastrophic events, will require coordination and collaboration between multiple government and non government organizations across national and state borders. This collaboration will require the discipline necessary to share common processes and procedures, and the agility to improvise plans and actions as situationally required. Information technology must be used to create an eRegion, enabling the shared situational assessments and adequately supporting the collaborative, distributed decision making to produce required decisions and future action plans. The role of information technology in developing these capabilities is discussed in the context of two seismic scenarios, the US New Madrid Seismic Zone, and the Adriatic Seismic region.
Protein-losing enteropathy caused by a retained intestinal tube.

A Cantor tube passed into the intestine during an abdominal hernia repair produced a protein-losing enteropathy, as confirmed by 51Cr-albumin (fecal excretion, 7 % over 4 days). After surgical removal of the tube, at which time an intestinal biopsy showed a normal architecture with inflammatory changes in the mucosa, the patient recovered completely, as ascertained by 51CrCl3. Reports of 5 additional cases of prolonged retention of an intestinal tube were found in the literature but none was reported to result in a protein-losing enteropathy.
Merger Analysis in Geographically Differentiated Industries with Municipal and Private Competitors: The Case of Solid Waste Disposal

Building on recent advances in demand estimation for differentiated products, this paper examines the impact of mergers in an industry where the primary dimension of differentiation is geographic. In contrast to previous work, this paper also incorporates the presence of municipally-owned firms as competitors. Using data on solid waste disposal in Illinois, I estimate a discrete choice model of demand in which waste haulers have preferences for landfills based on price and geographic location. The estimates suggest that the average landfill own-price elasticity is approximately -3.65 and that the average price-cost margin for private landfills is 33 percent. Municipal landfills may behave differently than their private counterparts; tests reject profit-maximization but cannot reject municipalities setting prices equal to marginal costs. Results from the simulation of two mergers indicate that merging firms' post-merger price increases would have been fairly modest in most cases, and that the corresponding price increases of non-merging firms' would have been even lower. In this case, the impact of municipal ownership on post-merger prices appears to be limited.
Computing diversity in undergraduate admissions decisions

The Supreme Court decision in the University of Michigan case in 2003 ruled the university's admissions procedures unconstitutional, giving minorities an unfair advantage of acceptance. The ruling stated race may still be used in admissions decisions to achieve diversity, but that race could not be used to give applicants preferential treatment in the admissions process. Motivated by this case, a researcher, Juan Gilbert, developed a computer based clustering method to aid admissions committees in choosing diverse entering classes. This method was evaluated using undergraduate admissions data sets from two public universities. Gilbert's method suggested diverse entering classes but did not select well based on merit. A method of improvement is introduced that maintains the academic characteristics of the university through classification, while suggesting diverse entering classes more academically similar to those actually accepted.
“Not Just Boring Stories”: Reconsidering the Gender Gap for Boys

This article provides a summary of current research regarding literacy issues that boys face and offers practices and strategies that might help bridge the literacy gap for boys. The article began as a result of the author's son's struggles with literacy. By sharing Gabe's story, this teacher and researcher examines the issues he and other boys face and recounts how schools are failing to meet the literacy needs of many boys in the United States today. Through a survey of current research, the author argues that much can be done to bridge the literacy gap for boys. She concludes that we must broaden our definitions of literacy to include boys' out-of-school literacy experiences and interests and employ innovative teaching strategies that build upon boys' interests in ways that are sensitive to their individual learning pace and style as well as their developmental and emotional needs. Then we may be more likely to instill in boys a lifelong love of reading.
Mouse lipocortin I gene structure and chromosomal assignment: gene duplication and the origins of a gene family.

Abstract Using cDNA probes obtained from library screening and anchored polymerase chain reaction, we have isolated and characterized three overlapping mouse genomic clones that contain the mouse lipocortin I (Lipo I) structural gene. Restriction enzyme mapping, Southern blotting, and DNA sequencing were carried out on the cloned genomic DNA. Lipo I spans about 17 kb and is divided into 13 exons encoding a protein of 346 amino acid residues. The promoter region of the gene has a TATA box and a CCAAT box located upstream of the transcription initiation site at −31 and −76 bp, respectively. Analysis of the strain distribution pattern of Lipo I in BXD and AKXD collections of recombinant inbred strains establishes that Lipo I is located on chromosome 19 in close proximity to Ea-4. While no striking relationship exists between the exon/intron structure of the gene and the four repeated 70-amino-acid domains of the protein, three of the four 17-amino-acid repeats believed to be responsible for Ca 2+ phospholipid binding are encoded by the last codon of one exon and the first 16 codons of the following exon. This pattern supports the gene duplication theory, and the similarity in gene structure between mouse Lipo I and Lipo II suggests they have a recent evolutionary ancestor.
Calcium permeability of Ehrlich ascites tumour cell plasma membrane in vivo.

Abstract Passive Ca2+ entry into Ehrlich ascites tumour cells has been investigated. Passive equilibration of Ca2+ takes place in ascites tumour cells only under conditions of exhaustive energy depletion. The specific Ca2+ ionophore A23187 does not affect Ca2+ entry into ascites tumour cells under active metabolic conditions, but it increases the rate of Ca2+ equilibration in ascites tumour cells in the early stages of energy depletion. The results of the present experiments lead to the conclusion that in ascites tumour cell plasma membrane Ca2+ permeability is not a limiting step in the regulation of intracellular calcium content, while the energy-dependent Ca2+ extrusion is the main mechanism that prevents uncontrolled intracellular Ca2+ increase. The results taken together support the hypothesis that increased Ca2+ influx into the cell, caused by plasma membrane alteration, is responsible for permanently elevated mitotic activity and for deranged metabolic behaviour of these neoplastic cells.
Human eye modeling using a single equation of gradient index crystalline lens for relaxed and accommodated states

A human eye model is proposed using a single equation for GRIN profile representation in crystalline lens. The role of GRIN in providing optical power and maintaining image quality during accommodation is studied and simulated.
Quasi-Phase-Matching with Simultaneously Electronic and Magnetic Nonlinear Response in Metamaterials

Condition of quasi-phase matching of parametric processes is investigated in multilayer metamaterials consisting of nonlinear positive-index and negative-index medium. The positive component has nonlinear electronic response, whereas the negative component has nonlinear magnetic response.
Spreading of critical heat flux region during testing for onset of critical heat flux

Abstract Testing to determine the conditions that result in the onset of critical heat flux when the heat flux is not uniform has been enhanced by the implementation of a computerized power control system. Detection of the temperature increase in test rods that results from the onset of critical heat flux permits termination of the test prior to melting of the test rod. The fixed location of the thermocouples prevents immediate detection of the temperature increase and requires either conduction of heat or spreading of the region of critical heat flux to increase the temperature at the location of the thermocouple. This paper demonstrates that spreading of the region of critical heat flux will occur until critical heat flux encompasses the thermocouple location. A model of the region adjacent to the edge of the critical heat flux region and moving with the edge of the critical heat flux region has been used to determine the velocity of the spreading of the critical heat flux region. Velocities of a few cm s −1 are predicted for typical critical heat flux rods and the temperature of the test rod at the origin of critical heat flux will increase by several hundred degrees but probably not inflict any damage to the test rod before the control system will terminate the test.
Effect of diets and hormones on two urea cycle enzymes.

SummaryAll treatments increasing protein catabolism produced an increase in arginine synthetase activity. Arginase activity was increased only in cases where the increased protein breakdown was accompanied by an increase or maintenance of body weight. The changes in lactic acid dehydrogenase, used as a control enzyme, more nearly parallel those in arginase and show very little relationship to changes in arginine synthetase. It has been suggested that arginine synthetase would be a better indicator enzyme of nitrogen catabolism than arginase.
Augmentation by aprotinin of the renal response to vasopressin.

Augmentation by aprotinin of the renal response to vasopressin. We contrasted the renal effects of vasopressin in Brattleboro rats with and without pretreatment with aprotinin (20,000 KIU kg -1 ). In both treatment groups, vasopressin injected at 3mU kg -1 sec caused in conscious rats elevation of urine osmolality and reduction of urine flow and urinary excretion of total solutes. However, these effects of vasopressin were significantly greater in aprotinin pretreated rats than in rats without aprotinin treatment. In ketamine–pentobarbital–anesthetized rats without aprotinin pretreatment, vasopressin infused at 2mU kg -1 hr -1 elevated urinary kinin excretion but did not affect urine flow rate or osmolality; in contrast, in aprotinin–pretreated rats, the same dose of vasopressin did not increase urinary kinins but caused elevation of urinary osmolality and reduction of urine flow, solute excretion, and glomerular filtration rate. Aprotinin pretreatment in anesthetized rats also blunted the rise in kinin excretion elicited by vasopressin at a higher dosage, 5mU kg -1 hr -1 , but did not potentiate the vasopres-sin–induced antidiuresis. We conclude that aprotinin facilitates the expression of the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin at a low, but not at a high dosage. This effect of aprotinin may be a consequence of: (a) renal kallikrein inhibition which prevents augmentation of renal kinins in response to increased vasopressin levels, or (b) other unrecognized properties of aprotinin.
Quality of service provision under channel fading

Advanced communications satellite systems provide packet-switched high-speed transport services for various user applications, ranging from data services to imagery, voice, and video. Satellite uplinks and downlinks may experience various channel fades due to weather, blockages, terrestrial multipath, or jamming. A suite of mitigation techniques have been proposed to mitigate the wide range of channel impairments and optimize the use of available spectrum to deliver the highest possible data rate while satisfying quality of service (QoS) requirements. These techniques include channel interleaving and forward error correction (FEC) in the physical layer, dynamic coding and modulation (DCM) and automatic repeat request (ARQ) in the data link layer, prioritized packet forwarding in the network layer, and application codec adaptation (ACA) in the application layer. Since each mitigation strategy could potentially interact between layers, it is essential not only to assess the performance of each mitigation technique, but also to understand how multiple techniques work together. 12 This paper describes an emulation study of channel impairment mitigation using a combination of DCM, absolute priority scheduler (APS), and ACA. This is a continuation of our cross-layer mitigation studies previously published in [1,2]. Multiple video streams in different priorities were employed to demonstrate how underlying mitigation techniques work together to preserve the QoS of multiple applications under various channel fades. This paper presents the test bed architecture, mitigation techniques, test configurations, and test results.