cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Free Thyroid Hormones in Altricial (Ring Doves) Versus Precocial (Japanese Quail) Development

Ring doves (altricial development) and Japanese quail (precocial development) were used as models to compare differences in serum free hormone concentrations and the binding of thyroid hormones to serum protein fractions in adults, and the pattern of free thyroid hormones in the serum of altricial vs. precocial young. Total and free hormones were determined directly by RIA; free hormones also were determined by equilibrium dialysis. Binding protein fractions were identified by electrophoresis of serum preincubated with labelel hormones. Albumin bound the largest proportion of T4 in serum to both species; albumin also bound the largest proportion of T3 in doves, but globulin bound the largest proportion in quail. There were significant differences between species in the proportional binding of both thyroid hormones by different protein fractions at physiological pH. Electrophoretic separations at alkaline pH significantly altered hormone binding by different protein fractions from that at physiological pH. These data explain some conflicting results in the literature on thyroid hormone-binding proteins in different species. Free T4 and free T3 were below the sensitivity limits of the assays during the perinatal period in doves. After hatching, serum free T4 rose more rapidly than total T4. After day 12, hormone concentrations decreased, with a proportionately greater change in free T4 than in total T4. Serum free T3 concentrations were variable, but did not change significantly during development. These results demonstrate that the pattern of serum free thyroid hormones, like that of total hormones, is markedly different in altricial than in precocial development.
Integrity in the corporation: The plight of corporate product advocates

The integrity of corporate product advocates (advertisers and salespersons) is questionable for the same reason the integrity of lawyers is questionable. In both cases the requirements of a professional role inevitably lead to forms of deception. However, the integrity of lawyers has been taken to be a more serious issue than the integrity of product advocates. I consider why this is so, and I conclude that we should pay more attention to the integrity issue in the corporate case. In addition, I consider a parallel set of arguments that purport to justify a lack of integrity among product advocates and lawyers respectively. According to these arguments, a great social good is obtained from the institutions, corporate and legal, of which these persons are essential participants. Against these arguments, I emphasize the overriding importance of integrity, both within institutions and in society at large.
Finite Element Analysis of Anchor Assembly in Cable Hydraulic Lift

The anchor assembly is the important part of the hydraulic lift, the stresses of which under load are analyzed using finite element method. The 3D mechanical models of anchor assembly are created with different sizes. Several important positions are investigated around the holes of upper anchor and these stresses are compared between different cases. Based upon the numerical results, the safety assessment of the anchor assembly is conducted and a reasonable design scheme is proposed.
Fine-scale adaptation of herbivorous thrips to individual host plants

SHORT-LIVED sedentary herbivores that feed on long-lived plants can complete hundreds or thousands of generations on a single host genotype. Insects are known to adapt rapidly to changes in the resistance characteristics of their host plants1 and new plant cultivars bred for resistance to specific pests 'lose' their resistance within a few years due to evolution of the pests. These observations led to the proposal that natural populations of scale insects become differentiated into small demes, each specialized on an individual pine tree2. This hypothesis predicts that a herbivore found on and hence adapted to, host individual A should have a higher fitness than should insects from other unrelated conspecific host individuals, when both are reared on host A. Testing this hypothesis by measuring the population growth of thrips (Apterothrips secticornis Trybom, Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on individual clones of their host (Erigeron glaucus Ker., Compositae), I found that their growth was greater on cuttings of their native plant clone than on other clones. This was not the result of environmental conditions experienced by insects or their hosts, but rather, of genetic adaptation and is the first demonstration of fine-scale adaptation of a herbivore to individual clones of its host plant.
Minimum Time Maneuver of Flexible Systems Using Pulse Response Based Control

The pulse response based control method is applied to minimum time maneuver of e exible structures. When pulseresponsebasedcontrolisappliedto linearsystems, astate-variablerepresentation ofthesystemisnotneeded, because system behavior is represented in terms of outputs resulting from pulses in control inputs, without modal truncation.However, formaneuverproblems,nonlinearbehaviorassociated with rapid large-anglerotation can be signie cant. A method is presented for taking nonlinear effects into account by explicitly modeling response in only the lowest few e exible modes and using the results to correct the measured pulse response upon which a minimum timecontrolproe leisbased. Anumericalexampledemonstratesthateven forextremely rapidmaneuver,nonlinear effects only need to be considered for a very small numberof e exiblemodes, so that requirements foridentie cation and computation are very low.
Aspects of the structure and extinction of diffusion flames in methane-oxygen-nitrogen systems

Abstract Methods for simplifying descriptions of methane diffusion flames, with detailed chemical kinetics taken into account, are identified and compared with respect to their predictions of flame structure and of extinction conditions. Attention is focused on methane-air flames, both with and without nitrogen dilution, at atmospheric pressure and with reactants at temperatures near room temperature. Deficiencies are noted in earlier schemes for simplification on the basis of concepts of asymptotic analysis. Methods for correcting these deficiencies are discussed, and influences of selection of different sets of data for elementary rate constants are evaluated. Tradeoffs between fidelity and complexity of descriptions are addressed. It is shown that extinction is a more severe discriminant than structure (as measured by zone arrangement, major species, and temperature) in the evaluation of alternatives. A relatively simple procedure is identified that yields results in reasonable agreement with experiment concerning flame structure, but extinction predictions remain in sufficient disagreement to motivate further study along avenues identified here.
On the margins: Undocumented students’ narrated experiences of (il)legality

Abstract Undocumented migration is a major demographic trend, yet both under researched and under-theorized. This is particularly the case for undocumented students in the U.S., as most studies that target this population have spotlighted extraordinary adolescents (e.g., Gonzales, 2008 ). Much less is known about the everyday unextraordinary experiences of undocumented youth in navigating the U.S. legal and social terrain. To address this gap, this study interviewed and observed undocumented Latino youth in the U.S. over 18 months, and examined what we term, the ‘narrative accounts of legality’ produced by 15 youths. Analysis of these 20 narrative accounts reveals that immigration status is experienced and understood largely in racial terms. Findings provide insight into how these experiences are linked to youths’ sense of self and self-development and the ways in which these high school students and young adults discursively make sense of the myriad contradictions surrounding them.
Nonlinear codes from points of bounded height

This paper generalizes Elkies' construction of error-correcting nonlinear codes found in [N. Elkies, Excellent nonlinear codes from modular curves, in: Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on the Theory of Computing, STOC'01, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, 2001, pp. 200-208]. The generalization produces a precise average code size over codes in the new construction. The result is a larger family of codes with similar transmission rates and error detection rates to the nonlinear codes found in [N. Elkies, Excellent nonlinear codes from modular curves, in: Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on the Theory of Computing, STOC'01, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, 2001, pp. 200-208]. Moreover, we exhibit a connection between these nonlinear codes and solutions to simple homogeneous linear equations defined over the function field of a curve.
Effects of transportation and land use policies on air quality: A case study in Austin, Texas

The effects of land use and transportation policies on emissions, ozone concentrations, and a metric for population exposure were investigated for Austin, Texas. Three distinct transportation and land use scenarios were examined with a gravity-based land use model and a standard travel demand model: a business-as-usual scenario, a road pricing policy that included a flat-rate carbon-based tax and congestion pricing of all Austin-area freeways, and an urban growth boundary policy. Two scenarios, a business-as-usual scenario and a flat-rate carbon-based tax and congestion pricing policy, were also examined with a novel, parcel-level land use change and land use intensity model and a standard travel demand model. Transportation and land use policies were predicted to have substantial effects on travel and on emissions of ozone precursors. Emissions of ozone precursors decreased markedly for all 2030 scenarios because of the implementation of more stringent federal motor vehicle emission control programs. Transportation and land use policies were predicted to lead to greater reductions of emissions of ozone precursors relative to the business-as-usual scenario. The effects of such policies on ozone concentrations and population exposure vary. Lower exposure was predicted for the road pricing scenarios, but a penalty appeared to exist in the form of relatively higher exposure predicted for the urban growth boundary on some days. This analysis indicates the potential complexity of planning for urban growth and equity and the need for integrated modeling and policy evaluation efforts.
Growing or Just Getting Along? Technical and Adaptive Competence in Coping among Adolescents

This study examined coping among African American adolescents with learning disabilities. Ninety-seven African American adolescents and their mother or primary caregiver participated in the study. The study centered on a new conceptual distinction between technical competence in coping and adaptive competence in coping. Technical competence referred to short-term, reactive attempts at coping based on individuals' abilities to find techniques for reducing their feelings of distress. Adaptive competence referred to longer-term, developmental processes of adaptive change that resulted in more global benefits for the individual. Past literature was reassessed on the basis of this conceptual distinction, and a new model of technical and adaptive competence in coping was proposed based on developmental theory. Perceptions of coping efficacy and the incidence of behavioral problems were regressed on measures of technical and adaptive competence in coping. Results were explored first as a general test of the model on the total sample, and second as a comparative analysis between gender subsamples. Total sample findings were consistent with hypothesized results. Technical competence was a better predictor of feelings of efficacy and adaptive competence was a better predictor of behavioral problems. Gender subsample differences were significant and supported a picture of gender-typed approaches to coping.
Impact of product-specific variables on consumers' post-consumption behaviour for apparel products: USA

Companies spend valuable resources developing and distributing products to please the consumer; however, products that do not match consumer performance expectations during post-purchase use often result in consumer dissatisfaction. This situation can lead to redress-seeking behaviour and negative repurchase behaviour. Understanding factors influencing consumers' post-purchase behaviour can provide retailers with information to make accurate purchasing decisions and improve interpretation of the post-return data. This study examines product-specific variables for apparel purchases and their relationship with post-consumption behaviour. Product cost and product type were found to be related to redress and repurchase behaviour among dissatisfied consumers. Implications for apparel retailers and consumer educators are discussed.
A state-based approach to communicating processes

Communicating processes, which may exhibit nondeterministic behaviour, are specified as state-transition systems. Equivalence and refinement relations are defined in terms of the failures model of processes. Downward and upward simulation are considered as proof methods for refinement. Various operators on processes are defined and their refinement rules established.
Experimental studies of adaptation in Clarkia xantiana. I. Sources of trait variation across a subspecies border.

Both genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity might be expected to affect the location of geographic range limits. Co-gradient variation (CoGV), plasticity that is congruent with genetic differentiation, may enhance performance at range margins, whereas its opposite, counter-gradient variation (CnGV) may hinder performance. Here we report findings of reciprocal transplant experiments intended to tease apart the roles of differentiation and plasticity in producing phenotypic variation across a geographic border between two plant subspecies. Clarkia xantiana ssp. xantiana and C. xantiana ssp. parviflora are California-endemic annuals that replace each other along a west-east gradient of declining precipitation. We analyzed variation in floral traits, phenological traits, and vegetative morphological and developmental traits by sowing seeds of 18 populations (six of ssp. xantiana and 12 of ssp. parviflora) at three sites (one in each subspecies' exclusive range and one in the subspecies' contact zone), in two growing seasons (an exceptionally wet El Nino winter and a much drier La Nina winter). Significant genetic differences between subspecies appeared in 11 of 12 traits, and differences were of the same sign as in nature. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that selection is responsible for subspecies differences. Geographic variation within subspecies over part of the spatial gradient mirrored between-subspecies differences present at a larger scale. All traits showed significant plasticity in response to spatial and temporal environmental variation. Plasticity patterns ranged from spatial and temporal CoGV (e.g., in node of first flower), to spatial CnGV (e.g., in flowering time), to patterns that were neither CoGV nor CnGV (the majority of traits). Instances of CoGV may reflect adaptive plasticity and may serve to increase performance under year-to-year environmental variation and at sites near the subspecies border. However, the presence of spatial CnGV in some critical traits suggests that subspecies ranges may also be constrained by patterns of plasticity.
Collaborative learning: a focused partnership.

Summary This paper describes a collaborative project that joins academic perspectives and clinical practice perspectives in a focused clinical experience. This activity involves 3rd quarter associate degree nursing students in a medical–surgical course. Instructors identified the need to provide an activity to develop intravenous therapy skills and provide increased opportunities, thus increasing technical skill and assessment skills. This led to the development of the focused clinical experience. During this clinical rotation, the students rotate through either a Same Day Surgery unit or an endoscopy unit for one of their clinical days. The primary objective of this clinical day is to provide intravenous therapy. The duration of this project was a 10-week quarter of the curriculum and involved 38 students in the 2002 class and 30 in the 2003 class. Results indicate a very positive learning experience for the student, as well as a collaborative and contributing effort by the students for the staff. The staff, on the other hand, assists in providing a mentoring role in shared expertise. Collaborative partnerships between academia and practice can help bridge the gap by providing opportunities to share perceptions, creating an environment for shared knowledge, and networking opportunities, leading to further enabling preparation for potentially future staff.
Framing the Oregon Land Use Debate An Exploration of Oregon Voters’ Pamphlets, 1970-2007

While there has been extensive examination of the property rights movement, there is little research into the way we talk (and fight) about property rights and community planning in the public sphere. Using a content analysis approach, this study analyzes language and argumentation about land use planning in the state of Oregon as contained in arguments over ballot measures published in the state’s voters’ pamphlets. The debate is bifurcated: initially a fight over the locus of control, recent contestation has been over the impacts of the system. A variety of themes were deployed in arguments over time; “fairness” appears only in 2000. Using insights from cognitive linguistics, the article argues that planners need to develop a nontechnocratic language that expresses the values central to planning.
Milk Fatty Acid Composition and Plasma Energy Metabolite Concentrations in Lactating Cows Fed Medium-Chain Triglycerides

Six lactating Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square design to determine the effects of medium-chain triglyceride supplementation on milk fatty acid composition and plasma energy metabolites. Treatments were no supplemental triglyceride, 500 ml of odd-carbon, medium-chain triglyceride (fatty acid composition: 100% pelargonic acid), or 500 ml of even-carbon, medium-chain triglyceride (fatty acid composition: 65% caproic acid, 35% capric acid) added daily to a total mixed ration. Medium-chain triglyceride supplementation did not affect ruminal molar proportions of acetate or propionate but slightly increased the molar proportion of butyrate. Even-carbon and odd-carbon, medium-chain triglycerides reduced DM intake by 1.7 and 1.3 kg/d, respectively, but did not affect milk yield or milk protein percentage. Cows that did not receive supplemental triglyceride produced milk with 3.29% fat. Milk fat concentration was increased by even-carbon, medium-chain triglyceride supplementation relative to odd-carbon, medium-chain triglyceride supplementation (3.44 vs. 2.99%). Although changes in milk fatty acid composition were observed, they were minor and mostly unexplained. Feeding even-carbon, medium-chain triglycerides caused slight increases in plasma glucose and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations, but plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration was not affected by treatments. Odd-carbon, medium-chain triglyceride supplementation (500 ml/d) does not appear to be antiketogenic.
Polystyrene resins with immobilized polyamines: Preparation, characterization, and ability to bind Cu(II) ions

Three polyamine ligands, ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylenetriamine (DTA), and triethylenetetramine (TETA), were bound to three chloromethylated “popcorn” polystyrene resins (16, 50, and 100% phenyl ring substitution) with the use of pyridine as the reaction medium. The rate of chloride displacement decreased with increasing molecular weight of the amine and higher degree of resin chloromethylation, while the extent of multiple attachments to the polymer matrix increased. The additional crosslinking, a result of multiple attachments, caused the polyamine resins to swell to a lesser extent in pyridine and water. The ability of the insoluble polyamine–polystyrene resins to chelate Cu2+ ions from dilute solutions (200 ppm) was determined at pH 5. With EDA resins the capacity for Cu2+ increased with increasing amount of the bound polyamine, with DTA it remained unchanged, while with TETA it was found to decrease.
Negotiating the Passage beyond a Full Span of Life: Old Age Rituals among the Newars

Among the rich heritage of medieval forms of Tantric Buddhism and Hinduism surviving among the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley is a unique series of elaborate old age rituals that are performed upon the attainment of a particular age. Drawing upon the vocabulary of planetary appeasement and other birthday rituals of life-cycle sacraments and of dhāraṇī practice, they serve to protect and sanctify the celebrants and prolong their life. After offering a comprehensive overview of these rituals that registers local variations, this paper probes into their origins and function and, in the process, pays particular attention to the intricate ways in which the Buddhist and Hindu versions of these ceremonies relate to each other.
Molt Staging in the Fiddler Crab Uca Pugilator

ABSTRACT A rapid molt-staging technique has been developed for the fiddler crab Uca pugilator. Morphological characteristics of setae on the pleopods and the extent of epidermal retraction were used to define the molt stages (A-B, C, D, E) and substages (D0, D1, D2, D3–4) of the fiddler crab. The significance of molt staging as it relates to biochemical and biophysical events is also addressed.
Field‐Structured Polymer Composites

Summary The use of multiaxial magnetic fields to create particle composites with controlled structures and properties is discussed. These field-structured composites can have greatly enhanced isotropic or anisotropic properties, and have applications to sensing, actuation, and thermal transport. In this article the synthesis of these materials is discussed, and a variety of composite structures are shown. The magnetic permeability and thermal conductivity are given as specific examples of the utility of multiaxial field structuring.
Modeling of Polarization Losses of a Microbial Fuel Cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are promising for simultaneous treatment of wastewater and energy production. In this study, a mathematical model for microbial fuel cells with air cathodes was developed and demonstrated by integrating biochemical reactions, Butler-Volmer expressions and mass/charge balances. The model developed is focused on describing and understanding the steady-state polarization curves of the microbial fuel cells with various levels and methods of anode-biofilm growth with air cathodes. This polarization model combines enzyme kinetics and electrochemical kinetics, and is able to describe measured polarization curves for microbial fuel cells with different anode-biofilm growth. The MFC model developed has been verified with the experimental data collected. The simulation results provide insights into the limiting physical, chemical and electrochemical phenomena and their effects on cell performance. For example, the current MFC data demonstrated performance primarily limited by cathode electrochemical kinetics.
Characterization of the human HSC20, an unusual DnaJ type III protein, involved in iron–sulfur cluster biogenesis

The importance of mitochondrial iron–sulfur cluster (ISC) biogenesis for human health has been well established, but the roles of some components of this critical pathway still remain uncharacterized in mammals. Among them is human heat shock cognate protein 20 (hHSC20), the putative human homolog of the specialized DnaJ type co-chaperones, which are crucial for bacterial and fungal ISC assembly. Here, we show that the human HSC20 protein can complement for its counterpart in yeast, Jac1p, and interacts with its proposed human partners, hISCU and hHSPA9. hHSC20 is expressed in various human tissues and localizes mainly to the mitochondria in HeLa cells. However, small amounts were also detected extra-mitochondrially. RNA interference-mediated depletion of hHSC20 specifically reduced the activities of both mitochondrial and cytosolic ISC-containing enzymes. The recovery of inactivated ISC enzymes was markedly delayed after an oxidative insult of hHSC20-deficient cells. Conversely, overexpression of hHSC20 substantially protected cells from oxidative insults. These results imply that hHSC20 is an integral component of the human ISC biosynthetic machinery that is particularly important in the assembly of ISCs under conditions of oxidative stress. A cysteine-rich N-terminal domain, which clearly distinguishes hHSC20 from the specialized DnaJ type III proteins of fungi and most bacteria, was found to be important for the integrity and function of the human co-chaperone.
Future directions for the research and development of polyesters : From high-performance to environmentally friendly

We discuss the future directions for the research and development of polyester- based materials. In the discussion of polyesters as industrial materials, one direction is the development of high-performance materials. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), known as one of the most important polyesters, was developed early in the 1940s. We discuss two ap- proaches to the development of high-performance materials suitable for injection-molding applications using PET units. The first approach is development of high-performance mate- rials by copolymerization with bibenzoic acid (BB), which has a rigid structure, and the sec- ond approach is development of liquid-crystal polyesters (LCPs) with superior thermal re- sistance and excellent flowability using PET units. The other future direction for research and development is the targeting of environ- mentally friendly materials. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), derived from bio-based materials, is a very important material because it can realize the carbon neutral cycles. Nevertheless, the practical properties of PLA itself are unsatisfactory compared to other plastics derived from fossil resources. We have developed PLA-based polymer alloys with various practical prop- erties by utilizing a newly developed nanoalloy technology.
Implementation of a safety program for handling hazardous drugs in a community hospital.

Purpose. The implementation of a safety program for handling hazardous drugs in a community hospital is described. Summary. A committee of representatives of the departments of pharmacy, nursing, human resources, safety, radiology, performance improvement, employee health, and environmental services and members of the hospital administration was formed to formally address the management of hazardous drugs in a community, not-for-profit, adult hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Published guidelines and regulations were reviewed to determine the hospital’s compliance with the handling of hazardous drugs. A knowledge deficit regarding the risk and severity of occupational exposure to hazardous drugs was identified. A formal education plan was immediately implemented providing inservice education to all staff who may come into contact with hazardous drugs. Each drug was electronically tagged in the hospital computer system. The nitrile gloves used in the pharmacy were switched to a brand tested for resistance to chemotherapy drug permeation. The use of personal protective equipment for all health care workers who may come into contact with hazardous drugs was also instituted. Waste stream management was addressed, and a new waste stream was identifed and implemented to address chemicals regulated by the Resource Conservation Recovery Act. Nursing, pharmacy, and housekeeping personnel were extensively educated on the different waste streams and the importance of segregating waste at the point of use. All gloves for housekeeping and laundry service staff were replaced with hazardous-drug-rated nitrile gloves. Conclusion. A gap analysis allowed a multidisciplinary team to establish a safety program for managing hazardous drugs in a community hospital.
Psychological Jurisprudence, Normative Philosophy, and Trans-Desistance Theory:

For more than two decades, the diagnostic and cultural insights of psychological jurisprudence (PJ) have informed social theory, clinical practice, and public policy. As a form of heterodox critici...
Buckets: smart objects for digital libraries

Current discussion of digital libraries (DLs) is often dominated by the merits of the respective storage, search and retrieval functionality of archives, repositories, search engines, search interfaces and database systems. While these technologies are necessary for information management, the information content is more important than the systems used for its storage and retrieval. Digital information should have the same long-term survivability prospects as traditional hardcopy information and should be protected to the extent possible from evolving search engine technologies and vendor vagaries in database management systems. Information content and information retrieval systems should progress on independent paths and make limited assumptions about the status or capabilities of the other. Digital information can achieve independence from archives and DL systems through the use of buckets. Buckets are an aggregative, intelligent construct for publishing in DLs. Buckets allow the decoupling of information content from information storage and retrieval. Buckets exist within the Smart Objects and Dumb Archives model for DLs in that many of the functionalities and responsibilities traditionally associated with archives are pushed down (making the archives dumber) into the buckets (making them smarter). Some of the responsibilities imbued to buckets are the enforcement of their terms and conditions, and maintenance and display of their contents.
Yeast: An Experimental Organism for 21st Century Biology

In this essay, we revisit the status of yeast as a model system for biology. We first summarize important contributions of yeast to eukaryotic biology that we anticipated in 1988 in our first article on the subject. We then describe transformative developments that we did not anticipate, most of which followed the publication of the complete genomic sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in 1996. In the intervening 23 years it appears to us that yeast has graduated from a position as the premier model for eukaryotic cell biology to become the pioneer organism that has facilitated the establishment of the entirely new fields of study called “functional genomics” and “systems biology.” These new fields look beyond the functions of individual genes and proteins, focusing on how these interact and work together to determine the properties of living cells and organisms.
RIA-linked microdialysis sampling in the awake rat: application to free-drug pharmacokinetics of hydrocortisone.

Abstract The purpose of this research was to combine microdialysis sampling techniques with a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) to study the in vivo kinetic response of pharmacologically important substances. This technique allowed for a dense sampling regimen from an awake, free-roaming experimental animal with no loss of blood and with rapid analysis of the dialysate. An important methodological criterion for accurate quantitation of a test drug in the extracellular space was knowledge of the relative recovery of the sampling system at the time of experimentation. Accordingly, the factors which influenced the recovery of drug during dense in vivo microdialysis sampling were examined and an analytical technique was developed to measure the instantaneous recovery of drug from the extracellular space. This information was applied to in vivo ( iv ) sampling experiments on anaesthetized and awake, free-roaming rats following bolus and multiple long-term iv administrations of the highly protein bound steroid (i.e. >90%), hydrocortisone-21-phosphate. These studies indicated that unbound hydrocortisone levels as determined by the RIA-linked microdialysis (RIALM) technique fluctuated rapidly between each 2-min sampling interval, but nevertheless decreased to predose endogenous concentrations in a first-order fashion ( t 1/2 = 17–29 min). The rapid fluctuations of unbound hydrocortisone may reflect real pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic phenomena, attributed, perhaps, to reequilibration of the unbound drug pool with proteins and tissues in the blood.
Oh behave! agent-based behavioral representations in problem solving environments

The development of deregulated electricity systems around the world has produced the need for simulation systems that are capable of addressing the complexities that arise in the new markets. Agent-based models allow the use of complex adaptive systems approaches that are capable of producing tools or problem solving environments that can address the behavior of each of the participants within the electricity market. The agents in the tools are allowed to establish their own objectives and apply their own decision rules. They can be developed to learn from their previous experiences and change their behavior when future opportunities arise. In this paper, we will argue that the same type of agent-based technology that is used to produce "realistic" agent behavior in agent-based simulation tools at Argonne National Laboratory can also be used to embed these tools in problem solving environments.
Scheduling reusable instructions for power reduction

In this paper, we propose a new issue queue design that is capable of scheduling reusable instructions. Once the issue queue is reusing instructions, no instruction cache access is needed since the instructions are supplied by the issue queue itself. Furthermore, dynamic branch prediction and instruction decoding can also be avoided permitting the gating of the front-end stages of the pipeline (the stages before register renaming). Results using array-intensive codes show that up to 82% of the total execution cycles, the pipeline front-end can be gated, providing a power reduction of 72% in the instruction cache, 33% in the branch predictor, and 21% in the issue queue, respectively, at a small performance cost. Our analysis of compiler optimizations indicates that the power savings can be further improved by using optimized code.
Natural Fibers with Low Moisture Sensitivity

Moisture sensitivity is the most serious problem when natural fibers, such as bast fibers, are used to reinforce polymer composites. These fibers swell and rot through fungal attack. The recently developed Duralin® process that involves three steps, hydro-thermolysis, drying and curing, eliminates the need for traditional dew retting, where the freshly harvested natural fiber stems lie on the field for about four weeks. Commercial evaluation and development of the new process is under way.
Immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2, 9, and 14 in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and common fibrous histiocytoma (dermatofibroma).

Abstract Context.—Common fibrous histiocytoma (cFH) or dermatofibroma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) are 2 spindle cell mesenchymal tumors that are distinguished in part by their micros...
Cholesterol and recurrent events: A secondary prevention trial for normolipidemic patients

Although elevated plasma cholesterol levels represent a well-established and significant risk for developing atherosclerosis, there is a wide spectrum of cholesterol levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Most secondary prevention studies have generated convincing evidence that cholesterol reduction in patients with high cholesterol levels is associated with improved clinical outcome by reducing risk of further cardiovascular events. However, other risk factors may play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of coronary disease in the majority of patients with near-normal cholesterol values. The Cholesterol and Recurrent Events (CARE) study was designed to address whether the pharmacologic reduction of cholesterol levels with the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, pravastatin, would reduce the sum of fatal coronary artery disease (CAD) and nonfatal myocardial infarction (Ml) in patients who have survived an Ml yet have a total cholesterol value
Joint trellis coded quantization/modulation

A joint source/channel coding system constructed using trellis coded quantization (TCQ) and trellis coded modulation (TCM) is described. Identical trellises are used in the TCQ and TCM systems, and a straightforward mapping of TCQ codewords to TCM symbols is presented which guarantees that Euclidean squared distance in the channel is commensurate with quantization mean-square error (MSE). Hence, likely TCM error events of small Euclidean distance cause only a small increase in overall source coding MSE. >
Muscle performance during frog jumping: influence of elasticity on muscle operating lengths

A fundamental feature of vertebrate muscle is that maximal force can be generated only over a limited range of lengths. It has been proposed that locomotor muscles operate over this range of lengths in order to maximize force production during movement. However, locomotor behaviours like jumping may require muscles to shorten substantially in order to generate the mechanical work necessary to propel the body. Thus, the muscles that power jumping may need to shorten to lengths where force production is submaximal. Here we use direct measurements of muscle length in vivo and muscle force–length relationships in vitro to determine the operating lengths of the plantaris muscle in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) during jumping. We find that the plantaris muscle operates primarily on the descending limb of the force–length curve, resting at long initial lengths (1.3+ 0.06 Lo) before shortening to muscle’s optimal length (1.03+ 0.05 Lo). We also compare passive force–length curves from frogs with literature values for mammalian muscle, and demonstrate that frog muscles must be stretched to much longer lengths before generating passive force. The relatively compliant passive properties of frog muscles may be a critical feature of the system, because it allows muscles to operate at long lengths and improves muscles’ capacity for force production during a jump.
Cagniard de-Hoop method for a Haskell type vertical fault

Summary. There are two ways to apply the Cagniard de-Hoop method when generating synthetic seismograms due to a source in a three-dimensional medium. One is the Hankel transform method (hereafter called ‘the cylindrical wave representation method’), which utilizes the property of the modified Bessel function. The other is ‘the plane wave representation method’, which replaces the Bessel function by a superposition of plane waves. In extending a point source to a finite dimensional source, the latter method is extremely useful, because it enables the integrations on the fault surface to be performed analytically. Using the latter method, expressions for displacements due to a Haskell type vertical fault in a uniform half-space are obtained. A solution is given as a sum of four quadrantal source contributions, which is similar to Madariaga's solution for a source in the whole space. Each contribution consists of a single finite range integration or a single integration plus a pole contribution, depending on the location of the observation point with respect to the source. The procedure can be extended to other fault types.
Retrapping current, self-heating, and hysteretic current-voltage characteristics in ultranarrow superconducting aluminum nanowires

Hysteretic $I$-$V$ (current-voltage) curves are studied in narrow Al nanowires. The nanowires have a cross section as small as 50 ${\mathrm{nm}}^{2}$. We focus on the retrapping current in a down-sweep of the current, at which a nanowire re-enters the superconducting state from a normal state. The retrapping current is found to be significantly smaller than the switching current at which the nanowire switches into the normal state from a superconducting state during a current up-sweep. For wires of different lengths, we analyze the heat removal due to various processes, including electron and phonon processes. For a short wire $1.5\phantom{\rule{0.222222em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\text{m}$ in length, electronic thermal conduction is effective; for longer wires $10\phantom{\rule{0.222222em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\text{m}$ in length, phonon conduction becomes important. We demonstrate that the measured retrapping current as a function of temperature can be quantitatively accounted for by the self-heating occurring in the normal portions of the nanowires to better than 20% accuracy. For the phonon processes, the extracted thermal conduction parameters support the notion of a reduced phase-space below three dimensions, consistent with the phonon thermal wavelength having exceeded the lateral dimensions at temperatures below $\ensuremath{\sim}$$1.3$ K. Nevertheless, surprisingly the best fit was achieved with a functional form corresponding to three-dimensional phonons, albeit requiring parameters far exceeding known values in the literature.
Testing the monotonicity or convexity of a function using regression splines

Methods for smoothed isotonic or convex regression are useful in many applications. Sometimes the shape assumptions constitute a priori knowledge about the regression function, but often the shape is part of the research question. The authors propose tests for monotonicity and convexity using constrained and unconstrained regression splines. The tests have good large-sample properties and the small-sample behaviour is illustrated through simulations. Extensions to the partial linear model and the generalized regression model are presented. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 39: 89–107; 2011 © 2011 Statistical Society of Canada Des methodes pour lisser les regressions isotonique ou convexe sont utiles dans beaucoup d'applications. Quelques fois les hypotheses sur la forme constituent une information a priori sur la fonction de regression, mais souvent la forme fait partie de la question de recherche. Les auteurs proposent des tests pour la monotonicite et la convexite en utilisant des splines de regression contraintes et non contraintes. Les tests possedent de bonnes proprietes asymptotiques et leur comportement pour de petits echantillons est illustre a l'aide de simulation. Nous presentons aussi des generalisations au modele lineaire partiel et au modele de regression generalise. La revue canadienne de statistique 39: 89–107; 2011 © 2011 Societe statistique du Canada
Structure of the U.S. beekeeping industry: 1982-2002.

There have been major structural changes in the beekeeping industry over the past 25 yr. The U.S. Census of Agriculture surveys indicate that colony inventory declined >20% between 1982 and 2002, whereas the number of U.S. farms with apiculture enterprises fell >70%. This decline in farm numbers was not uniform across different sized farms based on colony inventory—nearly 30,000 of the farms exiting the apiculture business had fewer than 25 colonies. With the number of farms declining faster than colony inventory, there has been a shift to larger farms. The Appalachia, Corn Belt, and Northeast states have the highest shares of apiculture farms, whereas the Pacific, Northern Plains, and Mountain states account for the largest shares of colonies. Farms with apiculture enterprises are concentrated in the smallest sales categories—87% of such farms had 200 d off the farm in a given year. Beekeepers resembled all other farmers demographically—nearly 90% are white males, with an average age of 55.
Miniature the size of integrated sphere by three-lens design to measure the total light flux of wafer-level LED

The opening of the integrating sphere (IS) is limited by the port ratio, roughly 4% of the sphere surface area. Therefore, there exist a tradeoff between enlarging the opening to collect more radiance flux from the LED, and maintaining the port ratio when the sphere is miniaturized. A lenses group can be designed to narrow the spot size of LED in order to minimum the volume of IS. By adopting the simulating method systematically, the spot can be narrowed from 1.5mm to 0.283mm. The corresponding volume of IS can be reduced to more 50% in size. It is possible to achieve the multichannel measurement on the wafer-level. The novel IS combined with the designed lenses group may be useful to raise the speed of the measurement of LED in the future.
Carboxyl Ester Lipase in Acinar Cell Carcinoma of Pancreas

The association of subcutaneous fat-necrosis with pancreatic carcinoma or pancreatitis has been known for almost 50 years [1,2]. Although the importance of lipase production as well as its dissemination and lipolysis of the involved tissues has been well established in this syndrome [2,3], the exact identification of lipase(s) that are involved and their relationship to the type of pancreatic tumor is not clear.
SEARCH FOR A 2$pi$$sup 0$ RESONANCE NEAR 730 MeV IN $pi$$sup +$d INTERACTIONS.

In an analysis of 229 000 pictures of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ at incident momenta of 1.1 to 2.3 GeV/c in the deuterium-filld 72-in. bubble chamber, we have identified 8386 examples of the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}pp+\mathrm{neutrals}$. An application of the impulse approximation gives 4965 events of the type ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p+\mathrm{neutrals}$. At a small momentum transfer (\ensuremath{\le}0.2 and 0.08 ${\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c}}^{2}$) to the neutrals system, we find no direct evidence for an enhancement near the reported position of the ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{0}$, \ensuremath{\approx}730 MeV. A detailed subtraction of $3{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ and ${N}^{*}(1238)$ background based on cross sections from other experiments results in a $2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ mass spectrum, which is found to be in agreement with the direct experimental results of Corbett et al. (in shape only) and with the prediction of Malamud and Schlein (in shape and magnitude). The latter is based on an analysis of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$-decay asymmetry. Consequently, we interpret our results to be consistent with the existence of the ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{0}$, the parameters for which result from the analysis by Malamud and Schlein.
Four cases of disseminated Mycobacterium bovis infection following intravesical BCG instillation for treatment of bladder carcinoma.

Intravesical BCG (bacillus Calmette-Guerin) instillation is a first-line treatment for superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. A rare but severe complication of BCG immunotherapy is the development of disseminated BCG disease, which can result in miliary pneumonitis, granulomatous hepatitis, soft tissue infections, bone marrow involvement, and sepsis. Symptoms can present as early as a few hours or as late as several months following the BCG therapy. The key finding in disseminated BCG disease is the formation of caseating granulomas in distant organs; detection of BCG organisms from tissue samples can be difficult. Recommended treatment for disseminated BCG disease includes a combination of antituberculous medications (with the exception of pyrazinamide, to which BCG is typically resistant) and a tapering course of steroids. We present the cases of four patients who developed granulomatous infection consistent with disseminated disease after intravesical BCG treatment and provide a summary of current clinical management recommendations.