cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visualizing the Construction of Generic Bills of Material

Assemble-to-order production industries today must be customer-oriented, and offer a large variety of product options to compete in the global market place. A Generic Bill of Material (GBOM) is designed to describe the component structures for a family of products in one data model. The specific Bill of Material for any particular product variant can then be generated on demand. Several different approaches to the GBOM model demonstrated to be reasonably effective, but the construction and verification of GBOM remain difficult. This paper formulates a set of principle requirements for the GBOM model to support visualization and manipulation, aimed at the ease of composition and editing of GBOM models. Based on the framework, the different approaches to the GBOM model were reviewed. A new GBOM model is presently, and the GBOM system briefly introduced. The visual environment for the construction of GBOM model is discussed.
Class Size Does Matter and its Effects on Student Performance Varies by Gender and Ethnicity

Presented are estimates of the effects of class size on course grades in a one semester course in introductory economics at a medium size land grant institution in the Southwest. Demonstrated is that the grades of Hispanic undergraduates and white males are lowered by nontrivial amounts when class sizes rise above 49 students. The grades of white females are unaffected. These findings are consistent with research on outcomes in higher education showing that females, compared to males, and whites, compared to Hispanics are more likely to earn bachelor's degrees. The data were collected in 19 sections of varying sizes over a 10 semester period in which the author, using identical instructional and evaluation methods, was the only course instructor. Used was an econometric model that allowed for incorporation of sample selection bias as well as for the estimation of nonlinear class size effects moderated by gender and ethnicity.
Design rule of 2D high contrast gratings and engineering of orbital angular momentum of light

A design rule to obtain broadband high reflection and transmission in 2D high contrast gratings is proposed. Our design method is convenient for engineering the orbital angular momentum of light using 2D grating array.
Differences in serum concentrations of and responses to generic verapamil in the elderly.

Study Objective. To determine if there are greater differences in bioavailability of generic verapamil at steady state in elderly patients than in healthy young subjects. Design. Double-blind, randomized, three-way crossover study. Setting. Clinical research center at a general teaching hospital. Subjects. Eight young, healthy subjects between ages 18 and 45 years, and eight elderly, hypertensive patients over 65 years of age. Interventions. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive brand-name verapamil or one of two generic preparations. Young subjects received each of the three preparations 80 mg twice/day for 7 days separated by a 1-week washout. Elderly patients took the three preparations for 21 days. Serum drug levels and blood pressure were measured and electrocardiograms performed 13 times after the last dose of drug. Main Results. In young subjects, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the three preparations were nearly identical. There was, however, a great deal of variability in the bioavailability of the generic products. In the elderly patients, one generic product had a maximum serum concentration and area under the curve that were 77% and 43% greater, respectively, than the brand-name product (p<0.02). Assessments of bioequivalency (based on confidence intervals) demonstrated that this generic drug's bioavailability was from 4–118% and peak serum concentration from 10–139% greater than the brand-name drug. This was associated with greater prolongation of the PR intervals. Conclusions. A generic verapamil product that is bioequivalent in young subjects may not be bioequivalent in elderly subjects. Testing of drugs with complex pharmacokinetics in young subjects may not reliably predict the clinical outcomes in elderly hypertensive patients.
Solar Stirling for Deep Space Applications

A study was performed to quantify the performance of solar thermal power systems for deep space planetary missions. The study incorporated projected advances in solar concentrator and energy conversion technologies. These technologies included inflatable structures, lightweight primary concentrators, high efficiency secondary concentrators, and high efficiency Stirling convertors. Analyses were performed to determine the mass and deployed area of multihundred watt solar thermal power systems for missions out to 40 astronomical units. Emphasis was given to system optimization, parametric sensitivity analyses, and concentrator configuration comparisons. The results indicated that solar thermal power systems are a competitive alternative to radioisotope systems out to 10 astronomical units without the cost or safety implications associated with nuclear sources.
A Flow Cytometric Clonogenic Assay Reveals the Single-Cell Potency of Doxorubicin

Standard cell proliferation assays use bulk media drug concentration to ascertain the potency of chemotherapeutic drugs; however, the relevant quantity is clearly the amount of drug actually taken up by the cell. To address this discrepancy, we have developed a flow cytometric clonogenic assay to correlate the amount of drug in a single cell with the cell's ability to proliferate using a cell tracing dye and doxorubicin, a naturally fluorescent chemotherapeutic drug. By varying doxorubicin concentration in the media, length of treatment time, and treatment with verapamil, an efflux pump inhibitor, we introduced 10(5) -10(10) doxorubicin molecules per cell; then used a dye-dilution assay to simultaneously assess the number of cell divisions. We find that a cell's ability to proliferate is a surprisingly conserved function of the number of intracellular doxorubicin molecules, resulting in single-cell IC50 values of 4-12 million intracellular doxorubicin molecules. The developed assay is a straightforward method for understanding a drug's single-cell potency and can be used for any fluorescent or fluorescently labeled drug, including nanoparticles or antibody-drug conjugates.
Substorm phenomena and the uniqueness of the geostationary orbit for observation of dynamic processes in the magnetosphere

During the Spring equinox, both ATS-6 and ATS-5 were in geosynchronous orbit with a separation of about 11° longitude. A ground-based campaign was undertaken by Eather, Mende, and Judge to observe aurora at the foot of the ATS field line with a variety of instruments. Initial results support the injection boundary hypothesis of Mauk and Mcllwain. Also during this period, the Cs-ion thrusters on both spacecraft were exercised in a deliberate attempt to control the spacecraft potential. Some success was achieved, and the presence of a sheath with a potential minimum about ATS-5 has been demonstrated (the sheath about ATS-6 is observed directly).
Evidence Suggesting a Role of Iron in a Mouse Model of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is associated with gadolinium contrast exposure in patients with reduced kidney function and carries high morbidity and mortality. We have previously demonstrated that gadolinium contrast agents induce in vivo systemic iron mobilization and in vitro differentiation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells into ferroportin (iron exporter)-expressing fibrocytic cells. In the present study we examined the role of iron in a mouse model of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Chronic kidney disease was induced in 8-week-old male Balb/C mice with a two-step 5/6 nephrectomy surgery. Five groups of mice were studied: control (n = 5), sham surgery control (n = 5), chronic kidney disease control (n = 4), chronic kidney disease injected with 0.5 mmol/kg body weight of Omniscan 3 days per week, for a total of 10 injections (n = 8), and chronic kidney disease with Omniscan plus deferiprone, 125 mg/kg, in drinking water (n = 9). Deferiprone was continued for 16 weeks until the end of the experiment. Mice with chronic kidney disease injected with Omniscan developed skin changes characteristic of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis including hair loss, reddening, ulceration, and skin tightening by 10 to 16 weeks. Histopathological sections demonstrated dermal fibrosis with increased skin thickness (0.25±0.06 mm, sham; 0.34±+0.3 mm, Omniscan-injected). Additionally, we observed an increase in tissue infiltration of ferroportin-expressing, fibrocyte-like cells accompanied by tissue iron accumulation in the skin of the Omniscan-treated mice. The deferiprone-treated group had significantly decreased skin thickness (p<0.05) and significantly decreased dermal fibrosis compared to the Omniscan-only group. In addition, iron chelation prevented tissue infiltration of ferroportin-expressing, fibrocyte-like cells. Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that exposure to Omniscan resulted in the release of catalytic iron and this was prevented by the iron chelator deferiprone. Deferiprone inhibited the differentiation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells into ferroportin-expressing cells by immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. Our studies support an important role of iron in the pathophysiology of gadolinium chelate toxicity and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.
Do Immigrants Substitute Health Care in Their Home Country for Health Insurance in the United States? The Role of Distance to Home Country

In America, immigration and uninsurance are both increasing simultaneously. Further, immigrants are far more likely to be uninsured than non-immigrants. While the increase in uninsurance in recent years is not solely due to the increase in the immigrant population, their impact on uninsurance rates is not trivial. Approximately one in four uninsured persons in the U.S. is an immigrant. Many reasons for high uninsurance rates among immigrants have been given. These include language and cultural barriers, preferences for alternative medicines, and the fact that immigrants tend to work in industries which tend to not offer health insurance. Through adverse selection, it may also be that the immigrant population, which is healthier on average than the non-immigrant population. Although language and culture are important contributors to uninsurance among immigrants, one important contributor may have been overlooked--the ability of immigrants to return to their home country for health care. The focus of this paper is to examine the extent to which uninsurance is related to the ability to return home for health care, as measured by spatial proximity. Standard insurance theory suggests that risk averse agents will insure against large losses, which are catastrophic illnesses in the health context. The fact that the immigrant population is relatively healthy suggests that return trips for health care are infrequently observed. However, the ability to return to your home country in the event of a catastrophic illness may dampen the demand for health insurance in the U.S. Those whose immigration distance is relatively short should have the lowest demand for health insurance; those whose immigration distance is relatively long should have the highest demand for health insurance. The focus of this paper is to examine the extent to which uninsurance is related to the ability to return home for health care. The ability to return for health care is measured by spatial proximity. The data used are the New Immigrant Survey (NIS), a survey of new legal immigrants. The NIS survey of immigrants is nationally representative survey and is based on the address on their visa or citizenship application. After controlling for household income, health status, etc., arc distance to the country of origin plays a role in explaining uninsurance rates.
InGaN compositional patterning by ultraviolet photoexcitation during NH3‐based MOMBE – A pathway to 3D epitaxy

Lateral compositional patterning of InGaN during NH3-based MOMBE by digital micromirror patterning of UV photoexcitation is demonstrated. Preferential desorption of In/In-methyl species during InGaN surface exposure to an elliptically focused 5 kW Hg-Xe arc lamp (λ = 365 nm) limits the incorporation of indium during growth. Localized photoexcitation results in the preferential In/In-methyl desorption, resulting in indium mole fractions of 0.10 in unexposed regions to as low as 0 in fully exposed regions. The technique demonstrates promise for integration of micromirrors for dynamic and maskless selective epitaxy towards the realization of complex, 3D device structures. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Incorporation of mevalonate into dolichol and other isoprenoids during estrogen-induced chick oviduct differentiation

Abstract Incorporation of [ 14 C]mevalonate into dolichol and other isoprenoid compounds by chick oviduct explants has been studied. A reliable assay of dolichol biosynthesis employing several chromatographic procedures, including two-dimentional TLC, was developed. Incorporation of [ 14 C]mevalonate into dolichol by oviduct explants was linear for at least 6 h. The effect of estrogen-induced differentiation was studied by incubation of explants obtained from chicks treated for various periods of time with diethylstilbestrol. Mevalonate incorporation into dolichol, when expressed as cpm per g of tissue, was not affected by estrogen treatment, but since the oviduct increased about 100-fold in mass during differentiation, each oviduct synthesizes about 100-fold more dolichol. In most tissues, the major product of mevalonate incorporation is cholesterol. However, although approx. 90% of the non-saponifiable 14 C-labeled compounds were in the so-called ‘cholesterol fraction’, oviduct explants from estrogenized chicks synthesized little, if any, cholesterol. A number of cholesterol biosynthetic intermediates were observed, with compounds comigrating with squalene and lanosterol accounting for about 50% of the total. Since the estrogenized chick has serum cholesterol levels in the range of 800–900 mg/dl, these results suggest that oviduct has secondary control points which allow it to inhibit cholesterol synthesis when mevalonate is used as the precursor. In support of this hypothesis is the observation that explants from untreated chicks can incorporate mevalonate into cholesterol.
Bilateral mastoiditis from red tide exposure.

Abstract Background Bilateral mastoiditis in adults has previously been reported only in association with diabetes mellitus or immunocompromised patients. Objectives To describe a case of bilateral mastoiditis in a healthy adult and to investigate the etiology. Case Report A 53-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department with bilateral otitis externa and mastoiditis after scuba diving during a harmful algal bloom, commonly known as a “red tide.” The levels of coliform bacteria recorded at the time and location of her dive exceeded health regulatory limits and correlate with her atypical culture results. Conclusion Elevated bacterial counts that result from harmful algal blooms may account for this rare infection.
Free flap reconstruction of recalcitrant hypopharyngeal stricture

A case report is presented of the use of a jejunal microvascular free flap for the reconstruction of a hypopharyngeal stricture caused by caustic ingestion. Although the airway was reestablished, there was aspiration and diplophonia. This case is discussed as an example of an effective treatment of a difficult problem, but one posing secondary problems arising from the use of jejunum.
The cultural politics of lifestyle sports

In The Cultural Politics of Lifestyle Sports, Belinda Wheaton examines the changing intersections of politics, culture, identity, space and lifestyle sports. Building upon a wealth of knowledge gle...
SCATTERING AND ABSORPTION OF Pi-MESONS IN CARBON

The interactions of positive and negative pi-mesons of 62 Mev with carbon nuclei were studied in a magnet cloud chamber, using the external beams of the Nevis cyclotron. A Coulomb-nuclear interference is observed in the elastic scattering. This establishes that the nuclear potential is attractive for mesons. Nuclear cross sections obtained are ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{abs}}=181\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}22$ mb, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{el}\mathrm{sc}}=148\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}30$ mb. A complex square well model for the nucleus is considered.
Optimized Thermoelectric Module-Heat Sink Assemblies for Precision Temperature Control

Robust precision temperature control of heat-dissipating photonics components is achieved by mounting them on thermoelectric modules (TEMs), which are in turn mounted on heat sinks. However, the power consumption of such TEMs is high. Indeed, it may exceed that of the component. This problem is exacerbated when the ambient temperature and/or component heat load vary as is normally the case. In the usual packaging configuration, a TEM is mounted on an air-cooled heat sink of specified thermal resistance. However, heat sinks of negligible thermal resistance minimize TEM power for sufficiently high ambient temperatures and/or heat loads. Conversely, a relatively high thermal resistance heat sink minimizes TEM power for sufficiently low ambient temperatures and heat loads. In the problem considered, total footprint of thermoelectric material in a TEM, thermoelectric material properties, component operating temperature, relevant component-side thermal resistances, and ambient temperature range are prescribed. Moreover, the minimum and maximum rates of heat dissipation by the component are zero and a prescribed value, respectively. Provided is an algorithm to compute the combination of the height of the pellets in a TEM and the thermal resistance of the heat sink attached to it, which minimizes the maximum sum of the component and TEM powers for permissible operating conditions. It is further shown that the maximum value of this sum asymptotically decreases as the total footprint of thermoelectric material in a TEM increases. Implementation of the algorithm maximizes the fraction of the power budget in an optoelectronics circuit pack available for other uses. Use of the algorithm is demonstrated through an example for a typical set of conditions.
Moral politics in the 2008 presidential convention acceptance speeches.

This study examines the 2008 presidential party convention acceptance speeches from the perspective of George Lakoff's (1996, 2002) theory of moral politics, which argues that a metaphor of the nation as a family guides the adoption of a political ideology and facilitates persuasion. We coded speeches for instantiations of Strict Father and Nurturant Parent morality and for the social and political issues they contained. We found, as expected, that Democrats referenced more Nurturant Parent themes than Strict Father themes but that Republicans used instantiations from both moral worldviews at similar rates. Democrats, but not Republicans, framed party-owned issues in terms of their corresponding moral worldview. We discuss implications for Lakoff's theory and avenues for future research.
Marfan's syndrome: pre-pubertal aortic rupture with left coronary artery aneurysms and fistulas

Aortic dissection and rupture occur in 20-40% of patients with Marfan's syndrome. This occurs predominantly in the third and fourth decade of life, contributing to the increased morbidity and mortality of this specific group of patients. This is the first known documented case report of prepubertal left coronary sinus rupture with left coronary artery aneurysms with fistulous communication to both the superior vena cava and right superior pulmonary vein, presenting with a continuous murmur
Entanglement sudden death: a threat to advanced quantum key distribution?

Entanglement is a global characteristic unique to quantum states that depends on quantum coherence and may allow one to carry out communications and information processing tasks that are either impossible or less efficient using classical states. Because environmental noise, even when entirely local in spatial extent, can fully destroy entanglement in finite time, an effect referred to as "entanglement sudden death" (ESD), it may threaten quantum information processing tasks. Although it may be possible to "distill" entanglement from a collection of noise-affected systems under appropriate circumstances, once entanglement has been completely lost no amount of distillation can recover it. It is therefore extremely important to avoid its complete destruction in times comparable to those of information processing tasks. Here, the effect of local noise on a class of entangled states used in entanglement-based quantum key distribution is considered and the threat ESD might pose to it is assessed.
Autonomous landing guidance system validation

ALG is a combination of raster imaging sensor, head-up displays, flight guidance and procedures which allow pilots to perform hand flown aircraft maneuvers in adverse weather, at night, or in low visibility conditions at facilities with minimal or no ground aids. Maneuvers in the context of ALG relate to takeoff, landing, rollout, taxi and terminal parking. Commercial needs are driven by potential revenue savings since today only 43 Type III and 80 Type II instrumented landing system (ILS) runway ends in the United States are equipped for lower minimum flight operations. Additionally, most of these ILS facilities are clustered at major gateway airports which further impacts on dispatch authority and general ATC regional delays. Infrastructure consists to upgrade additional runways must not only account for the high integrity ground instrumentation, but also the installation of lights and markers mandated for Cat III operations. The military services ability to train under realistic battlefield conditions, to project power globally in support of national interests, while providing humanitarian aid, is significantly impaired by the inability to conduct precision approaches and landings in low visibility conditions to either instrumented runways or to a more tactical environment with operations into and out of unprepared landing strips, particularly when time does not permit deployment of ground aids and the verification of their integrity. Recently, Lear Astronics, in cooperation with Consortium members of the ALG Program, concluded a flight test program which evaluated the utility of the ALG system in meeting both civil and military needs. Those results are the subject of this paper.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Age of early Acheulian industries from the Peninj Group, Tanzania

Geophysical data strongly indicate that stone assemblages, which include bifaces and cleavers, from East Africa, are at least a million years old. Since these artefacts seem to be much older than any of their known counterparts in Europe, the question of the date of man's expansion from the tropics into cool, temperate regions is raised for discussion.
Experimenter Effects in Exercise Tolerance Testing: The Race and Gender of the Tester and the Tester/Subject Relationship

Abstract Two studies examined the effects of the experimenter on heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and time to voluntary exhaustion on a graded treadmill test in college students. The first study determined the effects of the gender and race of the tester on black and white subjects of both sexes. Four testers (black female—BFT, white female—WFT, black male—BMT, and white male—WMT) tested 5 subjects of each gender and race. Differences based on gender and race were determined by a 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVA. The second study dealt with the tester/subject relationship. One tester tested 20 subjects. Ten were his friends (5 males, 5 females) and 10 (5 males, 5 females) did not know him. Differences were determined by 2 × 2 ANOVA. In both studies, the female subjects had poorer performance than the males. HR during moderate and heavy exercise was not affected by the race and gender of the tester or the tester/subject relationship. For time to exhaustion, white female subjects (WFS) exercised long...
A Role for ΔFosB in Calorie Restriction-Induced Metabolic Changes

Fil: Vialou, Vincent F.. Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Fishberg Department of Neuroscience; Estados Unidos
Molecular dynamics study of UV-laser-induced densification of fused silica. II. Effects of laser pulse duration, pressure, and temperature, and comparison with pressure-induced densification

Abstract Numerical simulations on UV-laser-induced densification of fused silica have been performed using classical molecular dynamics. The effect of laser irradiation is modeled by the energy transfer from the absorbed laser photons to the bonded silicon and oxygen atoms, i.e., the thermal effects of laser-irradiation on silica glass. Results from simulations at various laser pulse duration, pressure, and temperature conditions show that longer laser pulse duration, higher pressure, and higher temperature cause larger densification. We have also compared the microstructural and elastic properties of fused silica densified by UV-laser and hydrostatic pressure, respectively. Similar changes are observed in both cases; several notable differences are noticed, too, and include Si–O bond length change, number of over-coordinated atoms, and ring distributions.
Nationwide trends in laparoscopic colectomy from 2000 to 2004

Over the past 5 years, several studies have demonstrated that laparoscopic colon resection is an acceptable and perhaps preferable alternative to open resection for both benign diseases and cancer. The extent to which laparoscopic colon resections are used nationally is not known. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify laparoscopic and open elective colon resections performed in the United States each year from 2000 through 2004. The trends in adoption of the laparoscopic technique for each type of colon resection and for the most common diagnoses were identified, and differences in patient and provider characteristics were examined. From 2000 to 2004, the proportion of colon resections performed laparoscopically increased from 3% to 6.5%. The proportion performed for cancer increased from 1.4% to 4.3%, and for benign disease from 4.6% to 8.2%. Patients treated laparoscopically tended to be younger (median age, 61 years vs 66 years; p < 0.001) and to have fewer comorbidities (Charlson score of zero for 58.1% vs 37%; p < 0.001). Laparoscopic colon resections were more widely adopted in teaching versus nonteaching hospitals (5.1% vs 3.7%; p < 0.001) and in urban versus rural hospitals (4.7% vs 2.2%; p < 0.001). Although the proportion of colon resections performed laparoscopically increased in the first half of this decade, it has remained very low. This trend is similar across procedure types and diagnoses. It remains to be seen whether greater patient demand and more recent trials will result in wider adoption of the laparoscopic approach.
Primate infant's effects on mother's future reproduction

Female savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus) had a longer postpartum amenorrhea and thereafter cycled longer before conceiving if their previous infant survived than if that infant died. Among mothers of surviving infants, differences in maternal care produced differences in age of weaning and age of independence but did not result in differences in interbirth intervals.
SURGERY FOR MOVEMENT DISORDERS

Movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, tremor, and dystonia, are among the most common neurological conditions and affect millions of patients. Although medications are the mainstay of therapy for movement disorders, neurosurgery has played an important role in their management for the past 50 years. Surgery is now a viable and safe option for patients with medically intractable Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. In this article, we provide a review of the history, neurocircuitry, indication, technical aspects, outcomes, complications, and emerging neurosurgical approaches for the treatment of movement disorders.
Venus In Situ Explorer Mission design using a mechanically deployed aerodynamic decelerator

The Venus In Situ Explorer (VISE) Mission addresses the highest priority science questions within the Venus community outlined in the National Research Council's Decadal Survey. The heritage Venus atmospheric entry system architecture, a 45° sphere-cone rigid aeroshell with a carbon phenolic thermal protection system, may no longer be the preferred entry system architecture compared to other viable alternatives being explored at NASA. A mechanically-deployed aerodynamic decelerator, known as the Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT), is an entry system alternative that can provide key operational benefits and risk reduction compared to a rigid aeroshell. This paper describes a mission feasibility study performed with the objectives of identifying potential adverse interactions with other mission elements and establishing requirements on decelerator performance. Feasibility is assessed through a launch-to-landing mission design study where the Venus Intrepid Tessera Lander (VITaL), a VISE science payload designed to inform the Decadal Survey results, is repackaged from a rigid aeroshell into the ADEPT decelerator. It is shown that ADEPT reduces the deceleration load on VITaL by an order of magnitude relative to a rigid aeroshell. The more benign entry environment opens up the VISE mission design environment for increased science return, reduced risk, and reduced cost. The ADEPT-VITAL mission concept of operations is presented and details of the entry vehicle structures and mechanisms are given. Finally, entry aerothermal analysis is presented that defines the operational requirements for a revolutionary structural-TPS material employed by ADEPT: three-dimensionally woven carbon cloth. Ongoing work to mitigate key risks identified in this feasibility study is presented.
Temporal cuing of runs in series of reward events reduces interevent anticipation

In Experiment 1, a group of rats were runway trained on each of two reward series for 32 days. The two series consisted of three runs, the first two of which were, respectively, rewarded and nonrewarded; the third run was rewarded in one series but nonrewarded in the other. A 40-min interval separated the two series; the first and second runs within the series were separated by a 10-min interval, whereas the second and third runs were separated by a 30-sec interval. The reward (and nonreward) events and temporal cues of the two series are designated R-NR/R-NN. A second group was similarly trained, with the exception that the 10-min interval separated the second and third runs (RN-R/RN-N). Both groups developed appropriate differential running on the third run of the two series, and the RN-R/RN-N animals ran appropriately (slowly) on the second run of both series. Appropriate Run 2 performance appeared in one half of the R-NR/R-NN animals (depending upon order of series presentation); the remaining half ran faster on Run 2 of the R-NR series than on the same run of the R-NN series, an effect currently termed interevent anticipation. A cue shift phase in which all within-series intervals were 30 sec showed that the temporal intervals were controlling performance before the shift. Experiment 2 showed that interevent anticipation appears when all within-series intervals are either 10 min or 30 sec from the beginning of training, suggesting that the elimination of interevent anticipation in Experiment 1 was due to the differential cuing of runs by the temporal intervals rather than the particular interval duration. The overall findings suggest that the similarity of Run 2 and Run 3 performance termed interevent anticipation may be due to a failure to discriminate the ordinal position of runs within a series.
Enamel thickness and microstructure in pitheciin primates, with comments on dietary adaptations of the middle Miocene hominoid Kenyapithecus

Many living primates that feed on hard food have been observed to have thick-enameled molars. Among platyrrhine primates, members of the tribe Pitheciini (Cacajao, Chiropotes, and Pithecia) are the most specialized seed and nut predators, and Cebus apella also includes exceptionally hard foods in its diet. To examine the hypothesized relationship between thick enamel and hard-object feeding, we sectioned small samples of molars from the platyrrhine primates Aotus trivergatus, Ateles paniscus, Callicebus moloch, Cebus apella, Cacajao calvus, Chiropotes satanas, Pithecia monachus, and Pithecia pithecia. We measured relative enamel thickness and examined enamel microstructure, paying special attention to the development of prism decussation and its optical manifestation, Hunter-Schreger Bands (HSB). Cebus apella has thick enamel with well-defined but sinuous HSB overlain by a substantial layer of radial prisms. Aotus and Callicebus have thin enamel consisting primarily of radial enamel with no HSB, Ateles has thin enamel with moderately developed HSB and an outer layer of radial prisms, and the thin enamel of the pitheciins (Cacajao, Chiropotes, and Pithecia) has extremely well-defined HSB. Among platyrrhines, two groups that feed on hard objects process these hard foods in different ways. Cebus apella masticates hard and brittle seeds with its thick-enameled cheek teeth. Pitheciin sclerocarpic foragers open hard husks with their canines but chew relatively soft and pliable seeds with their molars. These results reveal that thick enamel per se is not a prerequisite for hard object feeding. The Miocene hominoid Kenyapithecus may have included hard objects in its diet, but its thick-enameled molars indicate that its feeding adaptations differed from those of the pitheciins. The morphology of both the anterior and posterior dentition, including enamel thickness and microstructure, should be taken into consideration when inferring the dietary regime of fossil species.
Energy budget changes caused by varying solar angles, cloud scenarios, and air temperatures in contrasting landscapes

The combination of two physically-based models of solar radiationcloud attenuation and a steady state surface energy budget made possible the systematic examination of the causal effects of varying solar altitudes, selected cloud types and amounts, and air temperatures on the resultant energy budget components extant in two contrasting (grassy and barren) landscapes. The grassy landscape reacted more conservatively to the forcing by changing solar angles, cloud, and air temperature regimes. The results are considered as universal and they are assumed to encompass many possible extremes encountered in the continuum formed by real world landscapes.
The structural biology of β-barrel membrane proteins: a summary of recent reports

The outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts all contain transmembrane β-barrel proteins. These β-barrel proteins serve essential functions in cargo transport and signaling and are also vital for membrane biogenesis. They have also been adapted to perform a diverse set of important cellular functions including acting as porins, transporters, enzymes, virulence factors and receptors. Recent structures of transmembrane β-barrels include that of a full length autotransporter (EstA), a bacterial heme transporter complex (HasR), a bacterial porin in complex with several ligands (PorB), and the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) from both mouse and human. These represent only a few of the interesting structures of β-barrel membrane proteins recently elucidated. However, they demonstrate many of the advancements made within the field of transmembrane protein structure in the past few years.
Preferential binding of 2-acetylaminofluorene to rat liver rRNA during early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Abstract During continuous feeding of 2-acetylaminofluorene-9- 14 C (AAF-9- 14 C) under conditions known to induce a high incidence of liver tumors in male rats, there is preferential binding of the carcinogen to liver rRNA. Furthermore, simultaneous administration of 3-methylcholanthrene, which inhibits liver tumor induction by AAF, resulted in a 35–40% decrease in binding to liver rRNA as opposed to a 50% increase in the binding of AAF-9- 14 C to liver tRNA. These data support the concept that binding of AAF to liver rRNA might be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis.
No longer second class citizens

It has been a long held belief in our country that teaching is a privilege and not a right. Consequently, people who sought this privilege were commonly expected to surrender ordinary constitutional rights. This belief derived from an old dictum of Justice Oliver W. Holmes, Jr., to the effect that a person had a right to be a policeman or to engage in politics but not both. Even in recent years high educational officials have said that if a person enters teaching he must give up rights his local community wants him to surrender. We conclude, however, that people holding these views are mistaken and that the right versus privilege doctrine can no longer be uncritically applied. On the other hand, it would be an oversimplification to state that the civil rights of teachers were identical to those of business
An RNA virus in Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus preparations: Incidence and influence on baculovirus activity

A small RNA virus infectious to Trichoplusia ni larvae (TRV) was observed as a contaminant of several Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus preparations (AcMNPV). The extent of contamination in various AcMNPV preparations was studied by means of serial enrichment passages through T. ni larvae and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). TRV could not be detected by ELISA in the original preparation of AcMNPV polyhedra prepared in 1968 even after five enrichment passages. Antibody inactivation offers a possible prophylactic method against TRV but temperature inactivation (55°C) does not. Although TRV reduced larval weight, it had little or no effect on bioassays of AcMNPV to T. ni and Heliothis virescens.
Traditional IR for web users: a context for general audience digital libraries

The emergence of general audience digital libraries (GADLs) defines a context that represents a hybrid of both "traditional" IR, using primarily bibliographic resources provided by database vendors, and "popular" IR, exemplified by public search systems available on the World Wide Web. Findings of a study investigating end-user searching and response to a GADL are reported. Data collected from a Web-based end-user survey and data logs of resource usage for a Web-based GADL were analyzed for user characteristics, patterns of access and use, and user feedback. Cross-tabulations using respondent demographics revealed several key differences in how the system was used and valued by users of different age groups. Older users valued the service more than younger users and engaged in different searching and viewing behaviors. The GADL more closely resembles traditional retrieval systems in terms of content and purpose of use, but is more similar to popular IR systems in terms of user behavior and accessibility. A model that defines the dual context of the GADL environment is derived from the data analysis and existing IR models in general and other specific contexts. The authors demonstrate the distinguishing characteristics of this IR context, and discuss implications for the development and evaluation of future GADLs to accommodate a variety of user needs and expectations.
Planning locally optimal, curvature-constrained trajectories in 3D using sequential convex optimization

3D curvature-constrained motion planning finds applications in a wide variety of domains, including motion planning for flexible, bevel-tip medical needles, planning curvature-constrained channels in 3D printed implants for targeted brachytherapy dose delivery or channels for cooling turbine blades, and path planning for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In this work, we present a motion planning technique using sequential convex optimization for computing locally optimal, curvature-constrained trajectories to desired targets while avoiding obstacles in 3D environments. We report two main contributions in this work: (i) curvature-constrained trajectory optimization in 6D pose (position and orientation) space, and (ii) planning multiple trajectories that are mutually collisionfree. We demonstrate the performance of our approach on two clinically motivated applications. Our experiments indicate that our approach can compute high-quality plans for medical needle steering in 1.6 seconds on a commodity PC, enabling replanning during execution to correct for perturbations. Our approach can also be used for designing optimized channel layouts within 3D printed implants for intracavitary brachytherapy.
A new synthetic test installation for testing vacuum interrupters

A synthetic test installation using voltage injection and medium voltage off-communication schemes has been constructed to conduct dynamic performance testing on vacuum interrupters. The test circuit in its present setup is capable of simulating variable forward currents up to 10kA, conduction time of interrupters in vacuum-arc made up to approximately 15ms, di/dt up to 100A/µs and recovery voltages in the forward direction up to 120kV. The deionization margin can be varied practically from 0 to a few milliseconds and the dv/dt range extends up to approximately 15 kV/µs. The simulated stress corresponds to the duty the vacuum interrupters would experience during their operation as (1) an off-switch in inductive energy storage circuits and (2) an hvdc circuit breaker. It is planned to extend the scope of testing by increasing the current capability from 10kA to 20 kA at a later date. If necessary, arrangements will also be made in the future to be able to optionally change the output polarity of the high voltage supply, HVS which is at present a modified 6 stage Marx-Bank. This will enable us to test vacuum interrupters also with inverse recovery voltages. The major design considerations and the operating characteristics of the test installation are discussed.
Isolated regional perfusion; anaesthetic technique, monitoring and blood replacement

Isolated regional perfusion for the treatment of malignant melanoma is an accepted method of treatment. No standard of anaesthetic practice has been established for those individuals. Perioperative records of patients undergoing isolated limb perfusion were studied to determine adequate blood replacement. Records were examined and compared for (1) age, (2) ASA physical status, (3 ) presence of associated disease, (4) anaesthetic technique, (5) the amount of blood and fluid replacement, (6) preoperative haemoglobin (hgb) and haematocrit (hct) and postoperative serial complete blood counts. Fifteen patients were studied (mean age 53 ± 16 yrs). Mean blood and fluid replacement was: packed red blood cells; 2.28 ± 0.82 units, 722 ± 17 ml of 5 per cent albumin, 1747 ± 21 ml crystalloid. There were twelve Physical Status Class I or 11 and three Class 111 patients. Ail patients received general anaesthesia. There was a statistically significant difference in the preoperative and postoperative values for haemoglobin and haematocrit (p < 0.01) with no difference between the postoperative and discharge values. Adequate blood replacement was determined by the equation: $$\frac{{Washout{\text{ }}het \times volume{\text{ }}of{\text{ }}washout}}{{Patient's{\text{ }}preop{\text{ }}het}} = ml{\text{ }}of{\text{ }}blood{\text{ }}lost$$
Rock-magnetic proxies of climate change from loess -paleosol sediments of the Czech Republic

Rock-magnetic characteristics of late Pleistocene loess-paleosol sequences in the Czech Republic show patterns of variation that reflect climate-related depositional and diagenetic processes which acted on the sedimentary profiles. Mass-normalized magnetic susceptibility is high in interglacial and interstadial paleosols, while uniformly low values are measured in unweathered loess horizons. Normalized ferrimagnetic susceptibility and anhysteretic remanent magnetization show an enhancement of ultrafine (superparamagnetic, SP) and fine (single-domain, SD, and pseudo-single-domain, PSD) grains in chernozem paleosols correlated with δ18O substages 5c and 5a as well as in the Holocene soil. The parabraunerde paleosol associated with peak interglacial conditions, correlated with δ18O substage 5e, shows evidence of diagenetic loss of fine grained magnetic minerals, although coarse (multidomain, MD) grains appear to be preserved. Low temperature remanence behavior plus high temperature susceptibility measurements of representative samples from each lithologic unit indicate that magnetite and maghemite are the dominant magnetic minerals within the sediments. Variations in concentration-independent rock-magnetic parameters are therefore primarily a function of grain size variations through the profile. It is anticipated that with additional magnetic and non-magnetic sedimentological and geochemical tests, a quantitative rock-magnetic — paleoclimate model can be developed for the central European loess region.
High-frequency ultrasound for evaluation of intimal thickness.

Background The measurement of carotid intima–medial thickness is a well-validated measure of cardiovascular risk. Although atherosclerosis occurs in the intima, this arterial layer is not measured alone because of the limitation in ultrasound resolution with standard-frequency probes. Methods We evaluated the feasibility of using a 55-MHz ultrasound system with high resolution to measure intima thickness in several vascular territories compared with a "standard" frequency probe. Results The intima–medial thickness was measured in the brachial, radial, and tibial arteries in 10 healthy subjects and 5 subjects with peripheral arterial disease. The high-frequency ultrasound probe showed superior resolution compared with the standard-frequency probe, allowing for measurement of intima separately from media. Conclusion The intima can be measured independently of media with a high degree of reproducibility using a high-frequency probe. This technology may allow for early detection of cardiovascular risk and extend knowledge about the physiologic changes in early atherosclerotic development.
A cleavage toughness master curve model

Abstract Development of fusion power will require a fracture toughness database, derived largely from small specimen tests, closely integrated with methods to assess first wall and blanket structural integrities. A master curve-shift (MC–ΔT) method has been proposed as an engineering expedient to treat the effects of structural geometry, irradiation, loading rates and safety margins. However, a number of issues related to the MC–ΔT method remain to be resolved, including the universality of MC shapes. A new micromechanical model of fracture toughness in the cleavage transition regime is proposed that combines analytical representations of finite element analysis simulations of crack-tip stress fields with a local critical stress-critical stressed area ( σ ∗ –A ∗ ) fracture criterion. This model, has been successful in predicting geometry effects, as well as high loading rate and irradiation hardening-induced Charpy shifts. By incorporating a modest temperature dependence in σ ∗ (T) , an inconsistency between model predictions and an observed universal-type MC shape is resolved.