cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Social Network and the Crowdfund Act: Zuckerberg, Saverin and Venture Capitalists' Dilution of the Crowd

By virtue of Title III of the JOBS Act, signed into law on April 5, 2012, crowdfunding could become a powerful, even revolutionary, force to finance start-up companies. It democratizes entrepreneurs’ access to seed capital and converts the masses of Internet users into potential retail venture capitalists. Many have cautioned, though, that crowdfunding poses serious investment risks of start-up companies failing, committing fraud, and being mismanaged. Accordingly, the JOBS Act includes numerous disclosure obligations designed to mitigate such downside risks. But what has been overlooked, and what this Article analyzes from a venture capitalist perspective, is that even if a crowdfunded start-up company is successful, crowdfunding investors can lose the value of their investment if they lack venture capital legal protections. When successful start-up companies raise additional funds from professional venture capitalists, the value of ground-floor investments can be severely diluted, as colorfully dramatized in The Social Network. In addition, when crowdfunded companies are acquired in private transactions, crowdfunders are at risk of being left out. Therefore, under a “qualitative mandates” regulatory philosophy that moves beyond securities law’s status-quo disclosure requirements, this Article proposes substantive venture capitalist protections for crowdfunding investors, such as down-round anti-dilution, tag-along, and preemptive rights, to help safeguard the value of early-stage investments in successful start-up companies. Especially because many crowdfunding investors are likely to be inexperienced and unsophisticated in start-up-company investing, crowdfunding laws and regulations should go beyond disclosure requirements that warn investors of danger (to the extent investors even read or understand the disclosures) to help crowdfunders obtain market-based economic protections characteristic of venture capitalist investment contracts.
Marriage and Depressive Symptoms The Role and Bases of Self-Esteem Differ by Gender

This study examined gender differences in the configuration of components of intimacy in marriage and in the relationship of marriage to depression in a community sample of 260 men and women. We hypothesized that women's report of marital intimacy would include a distinct self-disclosure component, whereas this would be part of companionship in men's report of intimacy. Also, using self-in-relation theory, we hypothesized that self-esteem level would mediate the relationship between marital quality and depression for women but would moderate this relationship for men. Both predictions were upheld, suggesting a need to reformulate current models of the role of marital quality in depression to better capture the influence of gender.
Pubescence, floral temperature and fecundity in species of Puya (Bromeliaceae) in the Ecuadorian Andes

The effects of inflorescence pubescence on floral temperatures and fecundity were examined in four species of Puya in the Ecuadorian Andes. These species span an elevational range from 1,980–4,000 m and comparisons among these species showed that pubescence production increases significantly with elevation. Flower temperatures of glabrous or slightly pubescent species of Puya from lower elevations closely tracked air temperature, while those of the pubescent paramo species did not. Pubescence removal experiments on Puya hamata, a paramo species, demonstrated that pubescence is an effective insulator, maintaining elevated flower temperatures. In Puya clava-herculis (also a paramo species) elevated flower temperatures were associated with higher seed set. Thus, the greater production of inflorescence pubescence in paramo species of Puya may be an important factor contributing to reproductive success in these higher elevation species.
Dopamine type 2/3 receptor availability in the striatum and social status in human volunteers.

Background Previous positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies in nonhuman primates have shown that striatal dopamine type 2/3 (D 2/3 ) receptors correlate with social hierarchy in monkeys and that dominant animals exhibit higher levels of D 2/3 receptor binding. The goal of the present study was to examine this phenomena in human subjects using PET and the radiotracer [ 11 C]raclopride. Methods Fourteen healthy volunteers were scanned with [ 11 C]raclopride to measure D 2/3 receptor binding potential (BP). Social status was assessed using the Barratt Simplified Measure of Social Status. In addition, participants were asked to assess their level of social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results A correlation was seen between social status and dopamine D 2/3 receptors, where volunteers with the higher status had higher values for [ 11 C]raclopride BP. A similar correlation was seen with the perceived social support, where higher [ 11 C]raclopride BP correlated with higher scores on the MSPSS. Conclusions The results of this study support the hypothesis that social status and social support is correlated with D 2/3 receptor binding.
A hypothesis regarding the poor blue constancy of CIELAB

The poor blue constancy of the CIELAB equations has been noted by a number of researchers, and various proposals have been made to address this shortcoming. The specific issue is the tendency for highly chromatic blues to appear more purple as the chroma is reduced for a constant hue angle. The root cause for the poor CIELAB blue constancy has been an open question, although one possibility is a basic deficiency in the CIELAB equations. An alternative hypothesis is that the equations, in combination with color matching functions with a distinct secondary lobe on the x-bar or long-wavelength sensitive channel, such as those found on the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) 1931 and 1964 Standard Observers, are problematic. The spectral curves of a constant hue IPT (Intensity, Protan, and Tritan) blue step ramp displayed on a CRT are used to explore this hypothesis. Additional discussion examines the use of sharpened sensors and achieving parallel tritanopic confusion lines in the CIELAB color space. The results suggest that use of the CIE Standard Observers with the CIELAB equations results in poor blue constancy and distorted tritanopic confusion lines. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 28, 371–378, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.10180
Collecting data by telephone from low-income African Americans.

Abstract The purposes of this report are to (a) describe challenges associated with collecting data by telephone from 368 urban-dwelling African Americans and (b) describe characteristics of easy-to-reach participants. Data collected through four telephone interviews were used for these analyses. Over 1 year, 55 (15.0%) participants had at least one telephone number change; 75 (20.4%) had their telephone disconnected. The mean (± SD ) number of attempted telephone calls per participant was 9.5 (±4.0). Those who were easy to reach, requiring eight or fewer call attempts over 1 year ( n = 170; 46%), were older ( t = 3.0, p = .003), female ( χ 2 = 4.6, p = .03), and currently not working ( χ 2 = 7.9, p = .005).
Trade-offs between design and control in chemical reactor systems

Abstract This paper presents two basic ideas. First, some simple but insightful examples are given of direct conflicts between steady-state economic design and dynamic process control in jacket-cooled continuous stirred-tank reactor systems. Second, a design methodology is proposed that provides a quantitative approach to resolving these conflicts. The essential element of the method is to specify the ratio of the maximum heat-removal rate to the normal design heat removal rate. It is shown that this is equivalent to setting the ratio of the heat-transfer temperature difference (reactor temperature minus jacket temperature) at design conditions to the maximum possible temperature difference (reactor temperature minus coolant supply temperature). Several typical kinetic systems are simulated to illustrate the significant improvement in temperature control and disturbance rejection that is achievable when controllability is specifically incorporated into the design of the reactor. The cost of this improved controllability is increased capital investment in some kinetic systems, i.e., larger reactors or additional heat-transfer area. With other reaction systems, the cost can be reflected in both higher capital investment and lower yield unless the process is modified to improve controllability.
Seasonality in Southern Hemisphere Eddy Statistics at 500 mb

Abstract An analysis has been made of the spatial and frequency dependence of transient eddy statistics in the Southern Hemisphere at 500 mb. This study emphasizes summer versus winter differences in order to complement previous results of Trenberth (1981), which are shown to nearly correspond to the mean of the summer plus winter statistics. Variance fields of geopotential height, the north–south and east–west geostrophic velocity components, the transient kinetic energy and the poleward transient eddy momentum flux have been analyzed for nine winter and eight summer 128-day seasons from 1972–80. The fields are examined in the frequency domain using Lorenz' (1979) “poor man's spectral analysis” technique. The total fields and the contributions from two broad frequency bands covering periods of 2–8 and 8–64 days are geographically mapped and their zonal means are presented. The spatial distribution of the eddy statistics is quite similar in summer and winter, although the variances in winter are larger an...
Titan on the eye of voyager encounter

A decade of scientific study of Titan is reviewed with emphasis on the composition and the extent of its atmosphere. Several viable models are briefly discussed including the inversion model of Danielsen et al. (1973), Hunten's model (1978) which includes an extensive troposphere and a warm surface, with nitrogen as the major component, and models with neon, primordial carbon monoxide, or various mixtures of hydrogen, helium, and CH4. Recent observations by Pioneer 11 and other satellites are examined.
Evidence of spring immigration and autumn reproductive diapause of the adult black cutworm in Iowa.

The association of strong southerly winds with first spring captures of black cutworm (BCW), Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), adults in blacklight traps and captures of male BCW in traps baited with 40 μg of synthetic pheromone (3:1 ratio of Z-7-dodecanyl acetate:Z-9-tetradecanyl acetate) indicates that the first flight of BCW moths immigrate to central Iowa. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that all captured first-flight females are mated, a condition often associated with immigrating females. Additionally, a BCW development simulation model demonstrated the potential existence of two separate BCW populations, i.e., (1) immigrants and progeny, and (2) natives and progeny. We attribute low pheromone trap captures of BCW males and blacklight trap captures of mostly unmated females during the autumn flight to reproductive diapause in one or both sexes. We hypothesize further that a reproductive diapause might portend an autumnal southward migratory flight of BCW from Iowa.
Parallel Processing of Spaceborne Imaging Radar Data

We discuss the results of a collaborative project on parallel processing of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, carried out between the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Intel Scalable Systems Division (SSD). Through this collaborative effort, we have successfully parallelized the most compute-intensive SAR correlator phase of the Spaceborne Shuttle Imaging Radar-C/X-Band SAR (SIR-C/X-SAR) code, for the Intel Paragon. We describe the data decomposition, the scalable high-performance I/O model, and the node-level optimizations which enable us to obtain efficient processing throughput. In particular, we point out an interesting double level of parallelization arising in the data decomposition which increases substantially our ability to support ''high volume'' SAR. Results are presented from this code running in parallel on the Intel Paragon. A representative set of SAR data, of size 800 Megabytes, which was collected by the SIR-C/X-SAR instrument aboard NASA's Space Shuttle in 15 seconds, is processed in 55 seconds on the Concurrent Supercomputing Consortium's Paragon XP/S 35+. This compares well with a time of 12 minutes for the current SIR-C/X-SAR processing system at JPL. For the first time, a commercial system can process SIR-C/X-SAR data at a rate which is approaching the rate at which the SIR-C/X-SAR instrument can collect the data. This work has successfully demonstrated the viability of the Intel Paragon supercomputer for processing ''high volume" Synthetic Aperture Radar data in near real-time.
Evaluation of Viscous Dampers for Stay-Cable Vibration Mitigation

Many cable-stayed bridges (CSBs) around the world have displayed excessive and unanticipated vibrations of the main stays, often associated with the simultaneous occurrence of wind and rain, and mitigation of these vibrations has become a significant concern in CSB design and retrofit. Much of the previous research on this problem has been conducted using wind tunnels, and there have been few opportunities to measure the vibrations at full-scale. This paper presents results from long-term field measurements of cable vibrations on a CSB in the U.S. Characteristics of varying types of measured vibrations are summarized, and effectiveness of passive linear dampers in vibration suppression is evaluated by comparing response statistics from 2 stays before and after installation of dampers and by investigating in detail the damper performance in a few selected records corresponding to different types of excitation. The dampers are observed to be quite effective, but a fundamental limitation of mode-dependence in linear damper performance is emphasized, and some potential advantages offered by a nonlinear damper are discussed.
Generation mutant mice with large chromosomal deletion by use of irradiated ES cells-analysis of large deletion around hprt locus of ES cell

A method of generating mice from embryonic stem (ES) cells with a large chromosomal deletion produced by X-ray irradiation has been developed. Fifty-two mutant ES clones were made that carried a nested set of chromosomal deletions up to approximately 10 cM in length around the hprt locus on the X Chromosome (Chr). Germline chimeras were generated from three ES clones with deletions ranging from 200 to 700 kb. In germline male mice from two independent clones, deletions around the hprt locus yielded a runty phenotype or caused death at birth. The runty mice had approximately 1/3 the body weight and size of wild littermates and did not survive more than 3 weeks after birth. The most plausible cause of these phenotypes is defects in regions flanking the hprt locus. This method of creating mutant mice with a large chromosomal deletion is very useful for the identification and understanding of gene functions.
Myofibroblast and α1(III) collagen expression in experimental tubulointerstitial nephritis

Myofibroblast and α1(III) collagen expression in experimental tubulointerstitial nephritis. Despite the importance of tubulointerstitial fibrosis as a predictor of renal function in patients with primary glomerular disease, the identity of the cell(s) that is the source of interstitial collagen production remains unknown. The present study was performed to identify the site of α1(III) production during the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. We studied a model of experimental tubulointerstitial nephritis associated with puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephrosis. There was a twofold increase in renal cortical α1(III) mRNA expression coincident with the onset of tubulointerstitial myofibroblasts infiltration in rats with PAN nephrosis beginning on day 6, which increased to a fivefold difference by day 10. There were 60.8 ± 40.3 myofibroblast/mm2 within the renal tubulointerstitium of rats with PAN nephrosis on day 6 that peaked at 240.2 ± 11.1 myofibroblast/mm2 on day 14, which then declined to 43.7 ± 9.8 myofibroblast/mm2 by day 21. By combining in situ hybridization with immunohistochemistry, α1(III) mRNA expression was colocalized to cells that labeled for α-smooth muscle actin identifying them as myofibroblasts. Interestingly, the major site of α1(III) mRNA expression shifted to tubuloepithelial cells with the waning of myofibroblast infiltration on day 21. To determine if PDGF-BB induced myofibroblasts to synthesize α1(III) mRNA, we examined kidneys from rats that had been treated with PDGF-BB (5 mg/kg/day). α1(III) mRNA expression also localized to cells that labeled for α-smooth muscle actin. These data demonstrate the cellular source of α1(III) production within the renal tubulointerstitium following injury, and suggest that PDGF-BB may be mediating this production.
Handy elementary algebraic properties of the geometry of entanglement

The space of separable states of a quantum system is a hyperbolic surface in a high dimensional linear space, which we call the separation surface, within the exponentially high dimensional linear space containing the quantum states of an n component multipartite quantum system. A vector in the linear space is representable as an n-dimensional hypermatrix with respect to bases of the component linear spaces. A vector will be on the separation surface iff every determinant of every 2-dimensional, 2-by-2 submatrix of the hypermatrix vanishes. This highly rigid constraint can be tested merely in time asymptotically proportional to d , where d is the dimension of the state space of the system due to the extreme interdependence of the 2-by-2 submatrices. The constraint on 2-by-2 determinants entails an elementary closed formformula for a parametric characterization of the entire separation surface with d-1 parameters in the char- acterization. The state of a factor of a partially separable state can be calculated in time asymptotically proportional to the dimension of the state space of the component. If all components of the system have approximately the same dimension, the time complexity of calculating a component state as a function of the parameters is asymptotically pro- portional to the time required to sort the basis. Metric-based entanglement measures of pure states are characterized in terms of the separation hypersurface.
Modelling the spread of an oil-slick with irregular information

We describe a modelling activity for students in a course in which modelling with differential equations is appropriate. We have used this model in our coursework for years and have found that it enlightens students as to the model building process and parameter estimation for a linear, first-order, ordinary differential equation. The activity also provides a lesson in 'knowing what to do when you do not know what to do.' [G. Polya, How to Solve It, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1945].
Cis- and trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) binding produces different tertiary structural changes on SV40 DNA

Abstract Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), an active antineoplastic agent, and the inactive trans-isomer, bind to and alter the tertiary structure of supercoiled SV40 DNA. Cis-(NH 3 ) 2 PtCl 2 is more effective in unwinding SV40 DNA than is the trans isomer and can unwind the DNA to the positively supercoiled form. This latter effect was not observed for trans-(NH 3 ) 2 PtCl 2 at levels at least four times greater. Perhaps more significant, cis-(NH 3 ) 2 PtCl 2 reduces the electrophoretic mobility of supercoiled DNA at very short reaction times, an effect that the binding of the trans isomer does not produce until the reaction has proceeded at least 50 times longer. These data suggest that the cis-isomer exhibits a mode of binding different than that of the trans isomer, a mode which is responsible for the more effectively unwinding of the DNA.
Optical glass fabrication technology. 1: Fine grinding mechanism using bound diamond abrasives

The mechanism for fine grinding using diamond tools is shown to depend on the properties of the glass, the acidity of the grinding fluid, as well as the chemical and mechanical properties of the abrasive bonding material. Knowledge of the mechanism is essential for the implementation of this technology for the deterministic fabrication of precision optical surfaces. We find that the fracture mechanism is preferred to plastic scratching for most applications.
STUDIES CONCERNING MECHANISM CONTROLLING INITIATION OF LACTATION AT PARTURITION IV.INFLUENCE OF SUCKLING ON LACTOGEN CONTENT OF PITUITARY OF POSTPARTUM RABBITS1,2

SELYE and his colleagues (1-3) demonstrated that the nervous stimulus of suckling rather than the removal of milk is responsible for the maintenance of lactation once it is established. They suggested that the stimulus of nursing probably in-fluences the lactogenic hormone of the pituitary just as the stimulus of coitus in-fluences the gonadotropic function in the pituitary ofsome animals. Later Reece and Turner showed that there was a considerable decrease in the lactogencontent of the pituitary of rats following nursing, either with or without milk removal (4). Hoistand Turner confirmed these observations in guinea pigs and rabbits, although the decrease in the lactogen content of the pituitary following nursing in these animals was not as marked as in the rat (5). Meites, Bergman and Turner observed that the extent and intensity of the nursing stimulus did not affect the lactogen content of the pituitary of rabbits during the first ao days post partum.
Error-resilient coding of 3D graphics based on morphing and volume splitting

An error resilient coding method for 3D graphic models is proposed in this research, which exploits the topology and geometry information of the original mesh to convert the mesh to a pre- defined 3D structure via morphing, and then partitions the morphed structure into a set of smaller pieces via volume splitting. By using the morphing and splitting processes, the error propagation length is greatly reduced since it is confined to each individual piece rather than the whole mesh. Different pieces are connected via their joint boundaries. By coding the joint boundaries separately, individual pieces can be reconstructed independently of each other. Consequently, error resilient coding can be conveniently applied to each piece. The number of pieces of partitioning is determined by channel error rates. It is demonstrated that the proposed method can achieve satisfactory results in an environment of bit error rates less than 10-3.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Expression of cancer/testis antigens in prostate cancer is associated with disease progression

Background The cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are a unique group of proteins normally expressed in germ cells but aberrantly expressed in several types of cancers including prostate cancer (PCa). However, their role in PCa has not been fully explored.
Family oral health survey

The Bureau of Dental Health Education surveyed families across the United States to analyze oral hygiene schedules, frequency of professional dental care, and attitudes and habits about and instructional effect on oral hygiene. A toothbrush evaluation also is reported.
The effects of increased fluid viscosity on stationary characteristics of EEG signal in healthy adults.

Abstract Electroencephalography (EEG) systems can enable us to study cerebral activation patterns during performance of swallowing tasks and possibly infer about the nature of abnormal neurological conditions causing swallowing difficulties. While it is well known that EEG signals are non-stationary, there are still open questions regarding the stationarity of EEG during swallowing activities and how the EEG stationarity is affected by different viscosities of the fluids that are swallowed by subjects during these swallowing activities. In the present study, we investigated the EEG signal collected during swallowing tasks by collecting data from 55 healthy adults (ages 18–65). Each task involved the deliberate swallowing of boluses of fluids of different viscosities. Using time–frequency tests with surrogates, we showed that the EEG during swallowing tasks could be considered non-stationary. Furthermore, the statistical tests and linear regression showed that the parameters of fluid viscosity, sex, and different brain regions significantly influenced the index of non-stationarity values. Therefore, these parameters should be considered in future investigations which use EEG during swallowing activities.
Differences in vitamin D3 dosing regimens in a geriatric community-dwelling population.

Objective: The adequate dose of vitamin D supplementation for community-dwelling elderly people has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to determine the efficacy of a low-dose and a higher dose of vitamin D 3 in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels at or above 30 ng/mL. Methods: This was a single site, double-blind, randomized exploratory clinical trial that enrolled adults 65 years of age and older. Within strata of baseline 25(OH) D levels (<30 versus ≥30 ng/mL) subjects were randomized in a 1:2 ratio to receive either 400 or 2,000 IU vitamin D 3 daily for 6 months. The main outcome measures were changes in serum 25(OH)D levels according to baseline 25(OH)D levels and dose of vitamin D 3 . Results: At baseline, 41 of 105 participants (39%) had low 25(OH)D levels (<30 ng/mL). After 6 months of vitamin D 3 supplementation, 21 of 32 participants (66%) receiving 400 IU and 14 of 59 participants (24%) receiving 2,000 IU of vitamin D 3 still had low 25(OH)D levels. The largest increases in serum 25(OH)D levels were observed in subjects with baseline levels <30 ng/mL who received 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily. Conclusion: Regardless of baseline 25(OH)D level, in persons 65 years of age and older, 6-month vitamin D 3 supplementation with 400 IU daily resulted in low 25(OH) D in most individuals, while 2,000 IU daily maintained 25(OH)D levels within an acceptable range in most people on this regimen. (Endocr Pract. 2012;18:847-854)
Identification of a rat adrenal cytochrome P450 active in polycyclic hydrocarbon metabolism as rat CYP1B1. Demonstration of a unique tissue- specific pattern of hormonal and aryl hydrocarbon receptor-linked regulation

Antibodies against a novel adrenocorticotropic hormone-inducible cytochrome P450 (P450RAP), responsible for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism in rat adrenal microsomes (Otto, S., Bhattacharyya, K. K., and Jefcoate, C. R. (1992) Endocrinology 131, 3067–3076), identified a cDNA clone encoding a partial cytochrome P450 sequence from a rat adrenal cDNA library. Rescreening a second cDNA library yielded several clones up to 5.0 kilobases (kb) encoding a 1629-base pair open reading frame. The deduced amino acid sequence (543 residues) matched completely with five peptides cleaved from P450RAP. The amino acid sequence of P450RAP is 92% identical to a 2,3,7,8-tetraehlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-inducible CYP1B1, cloned from mouse C3H10T1/2 (10T1/2) embryo fibroblast cells (Savas, U., Bhattacharyya, K. K., Christou, M., Alexander, D. L., and Jefcoate, C. R. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 14905–14911), which shows nearly the same characteristics in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism. The available 5′- and 3′-noncoding regions show, respectively, 93 and 83% sequence identity. We conclude that P450RAP protein is encoded by a rat CYP1B1 gene orthologous to the mouse CYP1B1 gene. Alignment of rat CYP1B1 amino acid sequences with rat CYP1A1 (39% identical) indicated eight regions of high identity for each (60–78%), interspersed by extensive regions of less than 30% similarity. The CYP1B1 cDNAs hybridize a 5.2-kb mRNA in rat adrenals, consistent with the length of the longest clones and the mRNA recognized in 10T1/2 cells. CYP1B1 mRNA was elevated by a 2-day adrenocorticotropic hormone treatment but much less than CYP11A1 (cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage) mRNA (2-fold versus 4-fold). The lower levels of the 5.2-kb mRNA in other steroidogenic cells (ovary) was consistent with the amount of immunodetectable CYP1B1 protein and, unlike the adrenal, expression in the ovary was stimulated 5-fold by β-naphthoflavone, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, in parallel with CYP1A1 induction. In several other tissues (liver > lung > uterus ≫ kidney), CYP1B1 mRNA and protein were constitutively undetectable but highly induced by β-naphthoflavone, although at much lower levels than CYP1A1. Rat CYP1B1, therefore, exhibits regulation through hormonal signaling and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in a cell-specific manner.
High-field effects in photoconducting cadmium sulphide

Abstract High-field characteristics of the photocurrent in CdS are studied by the use of pulse techniques and blocking electrodes. This method enables the determination of surface recombination velocities and bulk trapping times for both electrons and holes. Under special surface conditions, the measurements yield direct information on the electron transport properties at high fields. Of particular interest is the conclusion that the electron drift velocity is linear up to a field of at least 8 × 10 4 V cm , at which field it attains the value of $ 107 cm sec . The implications of this result in terms of the energy dissipation mechanism in CdS are briefly discussed. The technique described can also be applied to low-resistivity semiconductors.
Cysteine residues in the nucleotide binding domains regulate the conductance state of CFTR channels

Gating of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channels requires intermolecular or interdomain interactions, but the exact nature and physiological significance of those interactions remains uncertain. Subconductance states of the channel may result from alterations in interactions among domains, and studying mutant channels enriched for a single conductance type may elucidate those interactions. Analysis of CFTR channels in inside-out patches revealed that mutation of cysteine residues in NBD1 and NBD2 affects the frequency of channel opening to the full-size versus a 3-pS subconductance. Mutating cysteines in NBD1 resulted in channels that open almost exclusively to the 3-pS subconductance, while mutations of cysteines in NBD2 decreased the frequency of subconductance openings. Wild-type channels open to both size conductances and make fast transitions between them within a single open burst. Full-size and subconductance openings of both mutant and wild-type channels are similarly activated by ATP and phosphorylation. However, the different size conductances open very differently in the presence of a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog, with subconductance openings significantly shortened by ATPgammaS, while full-size channels are locked open. In wild-type channels, reducing conditions increase the frequency and decrease the open time of subconductance channels, while oxidizing conditions decrease the frequency of subconductance openings. In contrast, in the cysteine mutants studied, altering redox potential has little effect on gating of the subconductance.
Evaluation of 99mTc-Labeled Iminodiacetic Acid Derivatives of Substituted 2-Aminopyrroles as Hepatobiliary Imaging Agents in Rats II

N-(3-Cyano-4,5-dimethyl-2-pyrrylcarbamoylmethyl)iminodiacetic acid (IIa) and N-(3-cyano-4-methyl-5-benzyl-2-pyrrylcar-bamoylmethyl)iminodiacetic acid (IIb) were synthesized, labeled with technetium 99m, and compared with 99mTc-labeled p-isopropylacet-anilidoiminodiacetic acid (I) for hepatobiliary activity in rats. All three compounds showed similar clearance of radioactivity from the blood. Comparison of the amount of radioactivity in various organs 1 hr after injection showed no significant difference between I and IIb. Compound IIa showed significantly less radioactivity in the GI tract and a higher amount in the kidneys and bladder.
Visualizing market power in real-time electric power systems

Identifying the abuse of market power by generating firms in deregulated electricity markets is frequently difficult because the true costs of generation have become private information. This information is not disclosed to market operators except by special request. Rapid identification of market power abuse is increasingly important as government oversight of the market has been drastically reduced. The ability to visualize market power potential (MPP) in real time can aid in spotting trends in the abuse of market power and facilitate a better understanding of the complex dynamics of the deregulated energy market. This paper introduces a new technique for visualizing market power potential.
Motion planning of ladder climbing for humanoid robots

This paper describes preliminary steps toward providing the Hubo-U+ humanoid robot with ladder climbing capabilities. Ladder climbing is an essential mode of locomotion for navigating industrial environments and conducting maintenance tasks in buildings, trees, and other man-made structures (e.g., utility poles). Although seemingly straightforward for humans, this task is quite challenging for humanoid robots due to differences from human kinematics, significant physical stresses, simultaneous coordination of four limbs in contact, and limited motor torques. We present a planning strategy for the Hubo-U+ robot that automatically generates multi-limbed locomotion sequences that satisfy contact, collision, and torque limit constraints for a given ladder specification. This method is used to automatically test climbing strategies on a variety of ladders in simulation. This planner-aided design paradigm allows us to employ extensive simulation in order to rapidly design, test, and verify novel climbing strategies, as well as testing how candidate hardware changes would affect the robot's ladder climbing capabilities.
DO NEONATOLOGISTS AND NURSES DIFFER IN THEIR PREFERENCES FOR OUTCOMES OF NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE? † 1652

DO NEONATOLOGISTS AND NURSES DIFFER IN THEIR PREFERENCES FOR OUTCOMES OF NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE? † 1652
Evaluating a Naturally Occurring Baculovirus for Extended Biological Control of the Black Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Golf Course Habitats

Golf courses are a potential market for microbial insecticides, but how intensive management of such sites interacts with efficacy of entomopathogens is poorly known. We evaluated Agrotis ipsilon nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgipMNPV) for suppressing black cutworms, Agrotis ipsilon Hufnagel (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in turf representative of golf course habitats and on whole tees under actual play. In independent trials on sand- or soil-based putting greens and surrounds, or fairway-height creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.), < or = 1-wk-old AgipMNPV residues (10 x 10(8) occlusion bodies [OBs] per m2) typically gave 50-60% lethal infection of introduced third instars. In most cases, however, there was no residual control beyond 2-4 wk. Spraying fairway-height bentgrass with AgipMNPV alone (10 x 10(9) OBs per m2) gave 90, 85, and 7% infection of second instars introduced 4 d, 3 wk, or 5 wk later, but adjuvants (optical brightener, lignin, or both) intended to synergize and protect the virus from UV degradation did not extend infectivity. Fresh (< 1-wk-old) AgipMNPV residues killed 76-86% of neonates hatching from eggs on tees under play, but levels of control plummeted within a few weeks. Three species of braconids, an encyrtid Copidosoma bakeri (Howard), and a tachinid, Bonnetia comta (Fallen) collectively killed 24-31% of larvae recovered from those tees. AgipMNPV seems better suited for targeted control of early instars than for season-long control. Golf turf is a severe environment for baculoviruses so several applications per growing season would probably be needed to maintain high enough titers on grass foliage to effectively control caterpillar pests.
Responses of Alstroemeria ‘Regina’ to temperature treatments prior to flower-inducing temperatures

Abstract Days to flower (DTF) were inversely related to the number of weeks (0–8) that Alstroemeria ‘Regina’ plants remained at 5°C, a vernalizing temperature, before being moved to 13°C, a vernalizing as well as a forcing temperature. However, when the number of weeks at 5°C was added to the DTF, no difference in the total time to flower was observed between plants treated at 5°C or those grown continuously at 13°C, as they both induced flowering. One-year-old plants maintained at 21°C, a non-inductive temperature, and not divided prior to the 5°C treatments, showed an increase in total shoot production, and delayed DTF, compared to plants which were divided. When divided plants were maintained for 16 weeks at 21°C prior to 5°C treatments, total shoot production was reduced but flowering was accelerated compared to plants maintained for 8 weeks at 21°C after dividing. Total shoot and flowering-shoot production was not affected by increasing the durations of time at 5°C when plants were grown at 21°C and divided prior to this treatment. Thus, the pre-treatment of dividing or maintaining plants at 21°C prior to a 5°C treatment affected subsequent shoot production and DTF.
Blank design in rectangular cup drawing by an approximate method

Abstract An approximate geometrical method is developed to determine an optimum blank profile in rectangular cup drawing which gives a drawn cup with the residual flange of uniform size around its periphery or with the levelled height. By assuming a velocity field in a curvilinear, orthogonal coordinate system, flow lines of material points in the blank are formulated and the contours of the flange for given blank shapes were determined at several punch steps for the rectangular and square cup-drawing. The two parameters involved in describing the velocity field were determined by comparing the results of calculation with those of experiment. Then, optimum blank profiles were designed for the required drawn cup configurations. Validation of the design by experiment was performed and the results show that the method is a good approximation, although some improvement of the method is possible.
N-path filter sections with biquadratic transfer functions

Explicit design formulas are given for elementary N-path sections, with biquadratic transfer functions Tr(p), which consist of first-order RC path networks and multiplier-type modulators actuated by sinusoidal carrier oscillations [higher-degree transfer functions being realisable by cascading elementary sections]. By varying the phase angle between input and output carriers, the transmission zeros of Tr(p), and therefore its character, can be varied over wide ranges.
Estimating the Density and Compressibility of Seawater to High Temperatures Using the Pitzer Equations

The density and compressibility of seawater solutions from 0 to 95 °C have been examined using the Pitzer equations. The apparent molal volumes (X = V) and compressibilities (X = κ) are in the form $$ X_{\phi } = \bar{X}^{0} + A_{X} I/(1.2 \, m)\ln (1 + 1.2 \, I^{0.5} ) + \, 2{\text{RT }}m \, (\beta^{(0)X} + \beta^{(1)X} g(y) + C^{X} m) $$ where $$ \bar{X}^{0} $$ is the partial molal volume or compressibility, I is the ionic strength, m is the molality of sea salt, AX is the Debye–Huckel slope for volume (X = V) or adiabatic compressibility (X = κ s), and g(y) = (2/y 2)[1 − (1 + y) exp(−y)] where y = 2I 0.5. The values of the partial molal volume and compressibility ( $$ \bar{X}^{0} $$ ) and Pitzer parameters (β (0)X , β (1)X and C X ) are functions of temperature in the form $$ Y^{X} = \sum_{i} a_{i} (T-T_{\text{R}} )^{i} $$ where a i are adjustable parameters, T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin, and T R = 298.15 K is the reference temperature. The standard errors of the seawater fits for the specific volumes and adiabatic compressibilities are 5.35E−06 cm3 g−1 and 1.0E−09 bar−1, respectively. These equations can be combined with similar equations for the osmotic coefficient, enthalpy and heat capacity to define the thermodynamic properties of sea salt to high temperatures at one atm. The Pitzer equations for the major components of seawater have been used to estimate the density and compressibility of seawater to 95 °C. The results are in reasonable agreement with the measured values (0.010E−03 g cm−3 for density and 0.050E−06 bar−1 for compressibility) from 0 to 80 °C and salinities from 0 to 45 g kg−1. The results make it possible to estimate the density and compressibility of all natural waters of known composition over a wide range of temperature and salinity.
Original article: Parallel collision detection of ellipsoids with applications in large scale multibody dynamics

This contribution describes a parallel approach for determining the collision state of a large collection of ellipsoids. Collision detection is required in granular dynamics simulation where it can combine with a differential variational inequality solver or discrete element method to approximate the time evolution of a collection of rigid bodies interacting through frictional contact. The approach proposed is structured on three levels. At the lowest level, the collision information associated with two colliding ellipsoids is obtained as the solution of a two-variable unconstrained optimization problem for which first and second order sensitivity information is derived analytically. Although this optimization approach suffices to resolve the collision problem between any two arbitrary ellipsoids, a less versatile but more efficient approach precedes it to gauge whether two ellipsoids are actually in contact and require the more costly optimization approach. This intermediate level draws on the analytical solution of a 3rd order polynomial obtained from the characteristic equation of two arbitrary ellipsoids. Finally, this intermediate level is invoked by the outer level only when a 3D spatial binning algorithm indicates that two ellipsoids share the same bin (box) and therefore could potentially collide. This multi-level approach is implemented in parallel and when executed on a ubiquitous Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) card scales linearly and yields a two orders of magnitude speedup over a similar algorithm executed on the Central Processing Unit (CPU). The GPU-based ellipsoid contact detection algorithm yields a 14-fold speedup over a CPU-based sphere contact detection algorithm implemented in the third party open source Bullet Physics Library (BPL). The proposed methodology provides the efficiency demanded by granular dynamics applications, which routinely handle scenarios with millions of collision events.
Improving interpersonal relations in the college classroom: An empirical investigation

The effect of small interpersonal discussion groups on student interpersonal relations was examined. A Group Psychology class with small interpersonal groups was compared to two other similar-level psychology classes with more traditional formats. One of these controls (a placebo group) had small, academically oriented discussion groups, and the other (a standard control group) was a medium-sized lecture class. TotalN was 258. The quality of within-class interpersonal relations for the experimental group exceeded that of the controls on all dependent variables. These effects, however, did not extend to behavior outside the class. This finding was supported by the results of a two-year follow-up (N=74).
Subpontic osseous proliferation

Nine patients, five women and four men, demonstrated bone growth in an edentulous region of the posterior mandible covered with a pontic. The reasons for this bone growth could include genetic predetermination, functional stresses, and chronic irritation. This bone growth has important clinical and basic science implications. The condition was seen only in adults, only in the mandibular posterior region, and with a variety of pontic designs. Subpontic osseous proliferation was documented in nine patients, but no conclusion about the etiology was made.
Anomalously small jet-cooling of benzene: Absence of efficient low-energy collision-induced vibrational relaxation

Abstract Benzene, compared to other supersonic jet-cooled molecules, including ring-substituted benzene derivatives, appears to show a general lack of vibrational cooling in seeded He or Ar supersonic expansions. The general extent of vibrational non-cooling suggests that He or Ar collisions may simply be relatively ineffective in cooling benzene. A number of other gases were also seeded into He-benzene expansions but the vibrational cooling of mode 6, which was monitored carefully, was not substantially improved.
Geometric Design of 3R Robot Manipulators for Reaching Four End-Effector Spatial Poses

In this paper, the four-precision-point geometric design problem of serial-link robot manipulators with three revolute joints is solved using a polynomial continuation method. At each precision point, the end-effector spatial locations are defined. The dimensions of the geometric parameters of the 3R manipulator are computed so that the manipulator’s end-effector will be able to reach these four pre-specified locations. Denavit and Hartenberg parameters and 4 × 4 homogeneous matrices are used to formulate the problem and obtain the design equations. Three of the design parameters are set as free choices and their values are selected arbitrarily. Two different cases for selecting the free choices are considered and their design equations are solved using polynomial homotopy continuation. In both cases for free choice selection, 36 distinct manipulators are found, the end-effectors of which can reach the four specified spatial positions and orientations.
Mechanical Properties of the Iris Dilator and Stroma Using Nanoindentation

In certain disorders of the eye such as angle-closure glaucoma [1], pigment dispersion syndrome [2], and intra-operative floppy iris syndrome [3] the contour of the iris plays an important role. The active iris contour is determined by a combination of external stresses arising from the flow of the aqueous humor and internal stresses due to the passive and active components of the constituent tissues. For example, in angle closure, the iris bows anteriorly, and the abnormal shape and position of the iris are directly related to the blockage of aqueous humor outflow, increasing the intraocular pressure. While the interaction between the aqueous humor and iris has been studied [4], little is known about the effect of the components of the iris on the contour. The iris is composed of stroma, pigment epithelial cells, and two constituent muscles, the sphincter iridis and dilator pupillae (Fig1).Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Adenomyosis interferes with accurate ultrasonographic detection of uterine leiomyomas.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of pelvic ultrasonography, and the characteristics of women with inaccurate ultrasonographic diagnosis for uterine leiomyomas. Materials and methods: Preoperative pelvic ultrasonographic and postoperative pathologic findings of all women, who underwent hysterectomies for pelvic pain, menorrhagia and/or leiomyomas between December 1995 and July 2002, were evaluated. Three hundred thirty-three women, who had a transabdominal or transvaginal pelvic ultrasonography within 1 year prior to the hysterectomy, were included in the study. We assessed the accuracy of ultrasonography for uterine leiomyomas in this group, and defined the characteristics of women with inaccurate studies. Results: Despite its high sensitivity (95.9%), ultrasonography had only 42.5% specificity for detecting leiomyomas. Its positive predictive and the negative predictive values were 92.4% and 58.6%, respectively. Adenomyosis was found in the majority of the women with false-positive (70.8%) and false-negative (83.3%) results. In both groups, previous pelvic surgery and high body mass index (BMI) were also common. Conclusion: Adenomyosis is the most common final diagnosis in women with inaccurate ultrasound reports for uterine leiomyomas.