cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional glycerol kinase activity and the possibility of a major role for glyceroneogenesis in mammalian skeletal muscle.

According to textbook descriptions of glycerol metabolism, liver and kidney are the only tissues that express significant glycerol kinase activity. Thus esterification of fatty acids to triglycerides in peripheral tissues such as skeletal muscle and adipose tissue is presumed to be dependent on the synthesis of glycerol-3-phosphate from glucose. This report describes exciting new data indicating that, although low, the glycerol kinase activity of skeletal muscle is functional. Interestingly, the results also suggest that neither glycerol nor glucose is the major substrate for the synthesis of muscle triglyceride glycerol. Rather, glyceroneogenesis, the synthesis of glycerol-3-phosphate from lactate, may play an as yet underappreciated, but quantitatively important, role.
Shelf-Life and Quality Changes in Summer Storage Onions (Allium cepa)

Jumbo and medium sized summer onions (Allium cepa) of three cultivars were stored at 1, 4, 21°C for 6 months. Medium yellow onions held best at 1°C; jumbo sizes showed lowest losses at 4 and 21°C. Highest losses occurred in white onions. Major losses were due to decay. Sprouting occurred after 3 months at 4°C; none was observed at 1°C. Pungency increased and sugar decreased at 4 and 21°C; onions remained dormant at 1°C. Changes in quality parameters were factors of size and cultivar and may influence sprouting and decay over storage. Weight loss was an index to onion size change. Sprouting increased on reconditioning onions. Medium yellow Grano onions stored best on transfer to higher temperatures.
The assessment of infant temperament: A critique of the carey infant temperament questionnaire

Abstract A large group of infants from a longitudinal study of mother–infant interaction was assessed using the Carey Infant Temperament Questionnaire (ITQ) at 6 months of life. Temperament diagnoses of “easy,” “intermediate low,” “intermediate high,” and “difficult” were derived from the ITQ dimension scores, and were related to a variety of maternal characteristics and attitudes measured at the infant’s third postnatal month as well as to behaviors observed during feeding and play interactions at the infant’s sixth postnatal month. The only significant relationships were between the ITQ diagnostic categories and maternal variables measured at 3 months. Maternal characteristics and attitudes were related more frequently to maternal behavior at 6 months than to infant behavior. It is concluded that, for this sample, the Carey ITQ is an assessment of maternal characteristics as well as of maternal perceptions of infant temperament.
High Performance Receiver

This paper discusses a new high performance television tuner/IF recently developed by Texas Instruments and deliered to the FCC in engineering model form for evaluation. The project effectively demonstrated that new device technologies in conjunction with a system that takes advantage of such new technologies can be utilized to greatly improve TV receiver performance over that which is currently realized. The theory of operation, system architecture, new component technology, actual circuitry used, and final performance of the new receiver system will all be presented in this paper.
Characterization of silicide-silicon interface contact resistivity using 1-D dual transmission line model approximation of modified cross bridge kelvin measurements

Conventional 1D single level transmission line model (TLM) to extract silicide-silicon contact resistivity does not take into account silicide sheet resistance. In this paper, 1D dual level TLM model approximation is used for extraction of the silicide sheet resistance and silicide-silicon contact resistivity. Experiments involving Platinum content increase in Nickel Silicide and pre-silicide Carbon implant in Silicon Germanium (SiGe) PMOS is analyzed using our model.
Seasonal variation in soft tissue weights and trace metal burdens in the bay mussel,Mytilus edulis

Levels of six trace metals were measure in Mytilus edulis during a six month period. Patterns of seasonal variation were established and normal ranges of metal burdens in mussels were determined. Metals measured were vanadium, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc and cadmium. Sexually mature M. edulis, between 50 and 60 mm in size, were sampled in Yaquina Bay, Oregon at regular intervals between October 1979 and June 1980. Tissues were combined in two pools, ''somatic'' and ''gonadal''. Flame atomic absorption was used to determine concentrations of manganese, nickel, copper, and cadmium. Vanadium was determined by neutron activation analysis. With the exception of copper, all gonadal tissue burdens were greatest in late winter or early spring, at the time of gametogenesis. Somatic burdens of nickel, manganese, and zinc were maximal in early spring, while copper, cadmium and vanadium fluctuated without regard to gametogenesis or spawning. Zinc concentrations increased dramatically between days 22 and 80. Such increases may be indicative of the onset of gametogenesis. Results suggest that somatic and gonadal tissue should be considered separately when measuring metal levels. 1 table (JMT)
Effect of electrostatic interactions in recognition of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase

Abstract The role of electrostatic interactions in the steering of acetylcholine to the active site of acetylcholinesterase is investigated in this study. The results obtained suggest that acetylcholinesterase's catalytic processes involve more than two steps, one of which appears to be diffusion-controlled, while the others are influenced by electrostatic interactions. The results also support the concept that the electrostatic field contributes to the guidance of the ligand upon its close proximity to the entrance of the active site gorge. On the basis of the data obtained, a prehydrolysis (pre-transition state) structure for this catalytic reaction is also proposed. The root mean square deviation of the Cα atoms of the amino acid residues of the active site between the proposed transition state and a recently proposed transition state based on experimental data is 0.379 A.
The Governance of Hydro-electric Dams in Brazil

This paper examines the governance of hydroelectric dam planning in Brazil with a particular focus on two factors: first, governmental institutions that aim to provide participatory mechanisms for civil society, and second, new participatory institutions created by civil society to remedy the lack of meaningful participatory measures. One example of the latter are new collaborative research projects, which have changed dam building policies and governmental thinking about participation. It is argued here that these kinds of collaboration are funda- mental to making dam-building policy more accountable to local citizens. The analysis demonstrates that lay/expert collaborations provide pathways through which affected people can contest inaccurate official scientific reports, in turn influencing the policy process. I examine six such participatory projects across the country: four are nationally based and two are international in scope. A four- pronged typology is used to analyse the processes and outcomes of these collab- orations. This typology reveals multiple types of knowledge-sharing that constitute concrete means to implement participation in environmental policy, hence advanc- ing the democratisation of environmental governance.
Effects of monocular versus binocular viewing in the Ames Distorted-Room illusion.

The different effects of monocular and binocular vision in a distorted-room illusion suggest both an interaction between apparatus and vision and a significant main effect for monocular/binocular v...
Anatomical localization of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 in mouse brain

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have recently been identified in autosomal dominant late-onset Parkinson’s disease. Expression of LRRK2 has previously been reported in brain; however, no precise anatomical information is yet available. We have performed in situ hybridization and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to map LRRK2 mRNA expression in mouse brain. We find LRRK2 is highly expressed in the striatum, cortex and olfactory tubercle; however, little or no expression is found in the substantia nigra, where dopaminergic neurons preferentially degenerate in Parkinson’s disease. These findings suggest that LRRK2 mRNA is expressed in dopamine-receptive areas rather than in the dopamine-synthesizing neurons. Consistent with a role LRRK2 in Parkinson’s disease, dysfunction of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 protein in dopamine-innervated areas may to lead to altered dopaminergic neurotransmission and degeneration of the nigro-striatal pathway.
Cutaneous CD8+ T cell infiltrates in advanced HIV infection ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Background: Aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are common among patients infected with HIV. Although such lymphomas are mostly of the B-cell type, various cases of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) have also been reported. Recent reports suggest that some HIV-related lymphoproliferative conditions may not be clonal processes, but polyclonal lymphoid proliferations. Objective: We reviewed our experience with HIV patients seen at the dermatology clinics for possible CTCL. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to evaluate clinical, laboratory, and histologic findings of HIV-infected patients with atypical T-cell cutaneous infiltrates. Results: We observed 9 patients with advanced HIV infection and a cutaneous eruption characterized by a dense infiltrate of lymphocytes resembling mycosis fungoides histopathologically, but composed of CD8 + cells. Although clonality was not identified in any of the 6 cases tested, 3 patients had similar CD8 + infiltrates involving lymph nodes or bone marrow. Of the 9 patients, 8 died of AIDS wasting syndrome or infections in less than 1 year. Conclusion: Cutaneous and systemic infiltrates with polyclonal CD8 T lymphocytes can be seen in patients with advanced HIV infection and profound CD4 lymphopenia. The clinical presentation may resemble CTCL and is associated with a poor outcome. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:722-7.)
Evidence for an intermediate in the denaturation and assembly of phosphoglucose isomerase.

Abstract The denaturation of dimeric rabbit muscle phosphoglucose isomerase in guanidine hydrochloride occurs in two discrete steps consisting of partial unfolding followed by subunit dissociation. In 3.5 to 4.5 m guanidine hydrochloride the enzyme forms a stable denaturation intermediate. Formation of this intermediate abolishes catalytic activity, shifts the protein fluorescence emission maximum from 332 to 345 nm, exposes all of the unavailable sulfhydryl groups, and decreases the s20,w from 6.8 to 4.6 S. The intermediate dissociates into fully unfolded polypeptide chains with further increases in the concentration of the denaturant. The fluorescence maximum shifts to 352 nm and the s20,w of the denatured monomer is 1.6 S. From the equilibrium constant for subunit association, 3 × 104M−1, in 4.7 m guanidine hydrochloride, the apparent free energy of association is estimated to be −6 kcal mol−1. Reconstitution of the enzyme protein takes place by the reversal of the steps observed upon denaturation. The denatured monomers refold and associate to reform the dimeric intermediate which then anneals to yield the intact enzyme molecule.
CD4 count is associated with postoperative infection in patients with orthopaedic trauma who are HIV positive.

Background Since the advent of effective antiretroviral therapy, the number of people with AIDS has increased and a certain percentage of these patients will require emergent orthopaedic surgery. Little is known regarding orthopaedic infections and the association of CD4 counts with postoperative infection in patients with HIV infection who experience orthopaedic trauma.
Low-Voltage Vertical Multilayer Thin-Film-Edge FEA for Field Emitter Displays

A new field emitter array (FEA) electron source has been developed which includes a hollow cylindrical multi-layer thin-film-edge low work function emitter and a low capacitance horizontal extraction gate. The field emitter is made by sandwiching a low work function lithium thin film between two high work function noble metal thin films to create a lithium dispenser field emitter in each FEA cell. Our fabrication method, based on conformal chemical beam deposition, is self-aligned and consists of very few processing steps compared to conical or pyramidal FEAs. The structure is fundamentally tolerant to back ion-bombardment and insensitive to poisoning as determined by cycling the operating emitter from 10 -8 to 10 -6 Torr of room air for several hours with no significant change in emission current. Using an extraction voltage of 62 volts we measured 16 microamps from 1-3 FEA cells. No special activation is required either for initial turn-on or when taking the FEA out to air and back again to vacuum. We believe this new FEA should be scalable and inexpensive for manufacturing low-cost FEDs. The chemistry, fabrication, and emission characteristics will be discussed in this talk.
Strategic control in the extended enterprise

The strategic role of information systems in "extending" the enterprise is examined. A number of issues emergea s essential considerations in the strategic alignment of the investment in information technology and business strategy. Information technologies transform organizational boundaries, interorganizational relations, and marketplace competitive and cooperative practice. The paper presents a framework of strategic control that guides the planning and execution of these investments in information technology for business transformation, seeking increased understanding and influence. Emerging information technologies change the limits of what is possible in the leverage of strategic control through transformation of boundaries, relations, and markets.
HIV-1 protease function and structure studies with the simplicial neighborhood analysis of protein packing method.

The Simplicial Neighborhood Analysis of Protein Packing (SNAPP) method was used to predict the effect of mutagenesis on the enzymatic activity of the HIV-1 protease (HIVP). SNAPP relies on a four-body statistical scoring function derived from the analysis of spatially nearest neighbor residue compositional preferences in a diverse and representative subset of protein structures from the Protein Data Bank. The method was applied to the analysis of HIVP mutants with residue substitutions in the hydrophobic core as well as at the interface between the two protease monomers. Both wild type and tethered structures were employed in the calculations. We obtained a strong correlation, with R2 as high as 0.96, between ΔSNAPP score (i.e., the difference in SNAPP scores between wild type and mutant proteins) and the protease catalytic activity for tethered structures. A weaker but significant correlation was also obtained for non-tethered structures as well. Our analysis identified residues both in the hydrophobic core and at the dimeric interface (DI) that are very important for the protease function. This study demonstrates a potential utility of the SNAPP method for rational design of mutagenesis studies and protein engineering.
Evaluation of a pictorial method to assess liking of familiar fruits and vegetables among preschool children.

Research suggests fruit and vegetable (FV) preferences greatly influence on FV intake. Methods for assessing children’s FV preference in a reliable and valid manner are needed. The purpose of this study was to develop a practical, reliable, and valid method for evaluating FV liking among preschool-aged children using photographs. Authors formatively assessed a series of digital FV photographs and hedonic scales to develop content for the liking measure. The measure for assessment included 20 high-quality, digital photographs presenting 13 FVs. A non-gendered 5-point face scale (super yummy to super yucky) was chosen to determine level of liking. We used this measure to establish reliability (i.e., test re-test) and concurrent validity (i.e., photograph versus tasting experience) of the pictorial method. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s Rho Correlation Coefficients and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. The measure demonstrated varying levels of reliability/validity for individual FV items and the fruit scale; however, the vegetable scale and collapsed FV scale were determined to be valid measures. Authors recommended the removal of one weak pictorial fruit item (halved peach) from the fruit and FV scales to improve validity. The final recommended measure included 19 high-quality, digital photographs presenting 12 FVs. The pictorial FV measure and subscales may be useful for assessing FV liking among groups of preschool-aged children within the studied population. Additional research is needed to further validate the use of the pictorial FV measures in a larger, more generalizable sample.
Seats and Votes: The Effects and Determinants of Electoral Systems

A study of electoral systems which describes the electoral rules of different nations, reviews the state of knowledge about their effects and offers guidelines for designing new systems.
Uniformly discrete sequences in the ball

Abstract We verify a conjecture of P. Duren and R. Weir concerning uniformly discrete sequences in the unit ball in C N .
A rejoinder to “A commentary on ‘Does the Fed contribute to a political business cycle?’ ”

Jerry Tempelman (Public Choice 132:433–436, 2007) claims that “advances in macroeconomic theory and in the implementation of monetary policy” make discretionary monetary policy preferable to a rules-based system. His supporting evidence is based on the performance of the Fed during the Volcker–Greenspan regimes. His evidence is inappropriate and his conclusion supporting discretion over rules unwarranted.
The Madden–Julian Oscillation’s Influence on African Easterly Waves and Downstream Tropical Cyclogenesis

AbstractThe influence of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) over tropical Africa and Atlantic is explored during the Northern Hemisphere summer months. The MJO is assessed by using real-time multivariate MJO (RMM) indices. These indices divide the active convective signal of the MJO into 8 phases. Convection associated with the MJO is enhanced over tropical Africa during RMM phases 8, 1, and 2. Convection becomes suppressed over tropical Africa during the subsequent RMM phases (phases 3–7). African convective signals are associated with westward-propagating equatorial Rossby waves.The MJO modulates African easterly wave (AEW) activity. AEW activity is locally enhanced during RMM phases 1–3 and suppressed during RMM phases 6–8. Enhanced AEW activity occurs during periods of enhanced convection over tropical Africa, consistent with stronger or more frequent triggering of AEWs as well as more growth associated with latent heat release. Enhanced AEW activity occurs during the low-level westerly wind phase of...
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy in high-grade gliomas: clinical and dosimetric results.

Purpose: To report preliminary clinical and dosimetric data from intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for malignant gliomas. Methods and Materials: Fifty-eight consecutive high-grade gliomas were treated between January 2001 and December 2003 with dynamic multileaf collimator IMRT, planned with the inverse approach. A dose of 59.4–60 Gy at 1.8–2.0 Gy per fraction was delivered. A total of three to five noncoplanar beams were used to cover at least 95% of the target volume with the prescription isodose line. Glioblastoma accounted for 70% of the cases, and anaplastic oligodendroglioma histology (pure or mixed) was seen in 15% of the cases. Surgery consisted of biopsy only in 26% of the patients, and 80% received adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: With a median follow-up of 24 months, 85% of the patients have relapsed. The median progression-free survival time for anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma histology was 5.6 and 2.5 months, respectively. The overall survival time for anaplastic glioma and glioblastoma was 36 and 9 months, respectively. Ninety-six percent of the recurrences were local. No Grade IV/V late neurologic toxicities were noted. A comparative dosimetric analysis revealed that regardless of tumor location, IMRT did not significantly improve target coverage compared with three-dimensional planning. However, IMRT resulted in a decreased maximum dose to the spinal cord, optic nerves, and eye by 16%, 7%, and 15%, respectively, owing to its improved dose conformality. The mean brainstem dose also decreased by 7%. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy delivered with a limited number of beams did not result in an increased dose to the normal brain. Conclusions: It is unlikely that IMRT will improve local control in high-grade gliomas without further dose escalation compared with conventional radiotherapy. However, it might result in decreased late toxicities associated with radiotherapy.
Identification by subtractive suppression hybridization of bacteria-induced genes expressed in Manduca sexta fat body

Insect immune processes are mediated by programs of differential gene expression. To understand the molecular regulation of the immune response in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, the relevant subset of differentially expressed genes of interest must be identified, cloned and studied in detail. In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization, a PCR-based method for cDNA subtraction was performed to identify mRNAs from fat body of immunized larvae that are not present (or present at a low level) in control larvae. A subtracted cDNA library enriched in immune-inducible genes was constructed. Northern blot analysis of a sample of clones from our subtracted library indicated that >90% of the clones randomly selected from the subtracted library are immune inducible. Sequence analysis of 238 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) revealed that 120 ESTs, representing 54 distinct genes or gene families, had sequences identical or similar to previously characterized genes, some of which have been confirmed to be involved in innate immunity. These ESTs were categorized into seven groups, including pattern recognition proteins, serine proteinases and their inhibitors, and antimicrobial proteins. 112 ESTs, about 47.5% of the library, showed no significant similarity to any known genes. The sequences identified in this M. sexta library reflect our knowledge of insect immune strategies and may facilitate better understanding of insect immune responses.
Exploring the Potential for the Application of Ceramic Bearing Technology to the Wheel/Rail Interface

Ball or roller bearings have much in common with a railway wheel running on a rail. Both have high Hertzian stresses and are subject to rolling contact fatigue. Silicone Nitride (Si3N4), a Technical Ceramic, has now firmly established itself in the engineering marketplace as part of a hybrid bearing, where the rolling elements are silicone nitride and the races are steel. The paper explores the possibility of a Silicon Nitride/steel wheel/rail combination and finds that, because Silicon Nitride has a higher Modulus of Elasticity, it is not suitable as a direct replacement on existing systems, because it would produce a smaller contact patch and greater contact stress. The low toughness of Silicon Nitride in comparison to steel could be an obstacle to its general railway use, however, it could made into a composite material in the same manner as Carbon Reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) is used in brake discs. There is a possibility that, under the right conditions, Silicon Nitride could return very low wear rates, because of its extreme hardness, and because it’s excellent resistance to rolling contact fatigue (noted in hybrid bearings). This could give a wheel high mileage, without the need to remove fatigued material by controlled wear or by turning. A promising future application for the material is a cable-hauled system, where the predicted lower adhesion between Silicon Nitride and a steel rail is not a problem and the wheels are not required to be conductive.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
High-performance carbon-doped base GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor grown by MOCVD

High-performance HBTs with a carbon-doped base layer (p = 4 × 1019cm−3) are reported. The use of carbon as a p-type dopant allows the emitter-base pn junction to be accurately positioned relative to the heterojunction, and the MOCVD growth method ensures consistency and uniformity of the wafer epitaxial structure. Microwave HBTs with current gains hFE = 50 and fT and fmax values of 42GHz and 117GHz, respectively, are reported.
The determination of48Ca,46Ca, and44Ca by chemical and radiochemical neutron activation analysis

A chemical and radiochemical neutron activation analysis (CNAA/RNAA) method has been developed for the determination of three calcium isotopes (48Ca,46Ca, and44Ca) in a single sample derived from urine. This method was developed in support of clinical research using a dual enriched stable isotope methodology to study bone mineralization in premature infants, juvenile rheumatoid arthritics, and cystic fibrosis. In these studies, one enriched isotope of calcium is administered orally, and one is administered intravenously. By making determinations of three isotopes (two enriched, one unenriched) within the same sample, the perturbation from natural isotopic ratios can be determined and used to calculate true absorption of calcium. In our method,48Ca is determined via the48Ca(n,γ)49Ca reaction and 3084 keV gamma-ray,46Ca via the46Ca(n,γ)47Ca reaction and 1296 keV gamma-ray, and44Ca via the44Ca(n,γ)45Ca reaction and 256 keV (max) beta-particle. A pair of chemical separation steps are employed to separate calcium from urine as calcium oxalate with a yield in the range of 80–90%, and a radiochemical step is employed prior to the measurement of45Ca to remove interfering radionuclides.
Historical perspectives on river restoration design in the USA

River restoration as a science needs to balance numerical analysis with a more general systems understanding typical of a classification-based approach. We show the need for this balance by compari...
Sequentially equidistant points in metric spaces

A sequence (z 0,z 1,z 2,, ...,z n, z n+1) of points fromp=z 0 toq=z n+1 in a metric spaceX is said to besequentially equidistant ifd(z i−1,z i)=d(z i,z i+1) for 1≦i≦n. If there is path inX fromp toq (or if a certain weaker condition holds), then such a sequence exists, with all points distinct, for every choice ofn, while ifX is compact and connected, then such a sequence exists at least forn=2. An example is given of a dense connected subspaceS ofR m ,m≧2, and an uncountable dense subsetE disjoint fromS for which there is no sequentially equidistant sequence of distinct points (n ≧ 2) inS ∪E between any two points ofE. Techniques of dimension theory are utilized in the construction of these examples, as well as in the proofs of some of the positive results.
Adaptive characterization and emulation of delay-based physical unclonable functions using statistical models

It is commonly known that physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are hard to predict and hard to emulate. However, in this paper, we propose to use statistical models to adaptively characterize the delay-based PUFs, and use this as a starting point to emulate a delay-based PUF. The essential idea is that for any challenge C A of a delay-based PUF A, there is a high probability of finding a paired challenge C B . When apply C B to another delay-based PUF B, it can produce the same output as applying C A on PUF A. Our simulation results indicate more than 99% correctness for the PUF response prediction using characterization and 96% correctness using emulation. Finally, we implement and test the feasibility of our approach on the Xilinx Spartan-6 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).
Generation of high-range resolution radar signals using the Lorenz chaotic flow

ABSTRACT We propose a novel approach to generate chaotic Frequency Modulated (FM) signals with potential applications in high-resolution radar imaging. The technique relies on the output of an n-dimensional (n>2) non-linear system that exhibits chaotic behavior. For simplicity, we have chosen the Lorenz system which has a set of thr ee state variables x, y and z, and three control parameters !, , and 1 . FM signals are generated using any one of the state variables as the instantaneous frequency by varying the values of ! and . The obtained FM signal is ergodic and stationary and the time samples exhibit an invariant probability density function. The corresponding pseudo-phase orbits reveal themselves as a strange attractor that may take on the shape of a Mobius strip depending on the time evolution of the signal. A time-frequency analysis of the signal shows that the spectrum is centered on a time-dependent carrier frequency. Thus, the FM signal has a high time-bandwidth product similar to that of a chirp. However, the carrier frequency continuously shifts in a linear or quadratic pattern over a finite frequency range. A desirable feature of th e signal is that the width of its autocorrelations mainlobe approaches the reciprocal of the bandwidth. Furthermore, simulations show that the average of the time autocorrelation falls quickly and is void of sidelobes. Keywords: Lorenz attractor, ergodic, Mobius strip, time-frequency analysis
Diagnosing Subsynchronous Vibrations: Unstable or Benign

Rotordynamic instability, commonly observed as subsynchronous vibration, is a serious problem that can cause heavy damage to a turbomachine or make it incapable of operation due to high vibration levels. However, all subsynchronous vibrations are not necessarily unstable. If the amplitude of the subsynchronous vibration is large, it can cause damage to seals, bearings, or process wheels. If it is small, the question arises as to whether it has the potential to grow larger (“instability”) or whether it is benign and harmless. A way to know would be helpful. The objective of this study is to signal-analyze subsynchronous vibration in turbomachinery and distinguish benign subsynchronous vibration from true rotordynamic instability. Effort is also made to identify unique signatures to a cause, thereby aiding in faster diagnosis. A computer simulation study is conducted on four rotors, including two gas-reinjection compressors that went unstable, to examine the possibility of using the change in synchronous phase angle as a possible indicator of impending instability. Two other rotors in laboratory test rigs were also studied, both experimentally and with computer simulations of the phase angle response. The computer simulations and experimental results agree very closely on the test rigs. Measured signals from another rotor, with bearings having a dead-band clearance are studied as an example of a benign cause that can result in subsynchronous vibration. The effect is studied with the rotor in both horizontal and vertical positions and clear indicators are discovered that confirm the subsynchronous vibration to be benign in nature. Signatures from another rotor with internal friction are also presented. The experimental data clearly shows indicators that distinguish it as a genuine instability. Dry friction whip is also experimentally produced on a test rig. The measurements show that dry friction whip defies all general rules of thumb for diagnosing a true instability and at the same time is a very violent one as well.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Mothers, Sons and Testicular Cancer: An Exploratory Investigation of Health Communication

This study highlights the importance of parent-child communication of sensitive health-related issues, specifically the importance of cancer prevention discussions. For females, communication about breast cancer has been desensitized; yet, testicular cancer is not being discussed among males, even though it is highly curable when caught early. Testicular cancer primarily impacts males ages 15–40, so introducing the conversation early is important. In this exploratory study, mothers (N = 22) participated in three focus group discussions and described communication with their sons about general health issues and testicular cancer. While the mothers discussed a number of health issues with their sons, they did not mention testicular cancer and believed their sons knew very little about testicular cancer. Mothers' communication about testicular cancer with their sons was characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity. Findings from this study shed light on how little mothers know about testicular cancer as well a...
Preseason cardiovascular examination: A review

The responsibility of the physician performing a preseason sports physical examination includes identifying cardiac disease and giving appropriate guidance about participation in competitive sports. This article reviews the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in young athletes, discusses other common cardiac conditions, assesses recommendations for competitive sports, and discusses the preseason examination as a mechanism for detecting a cardiac problem that should exclude an athlete from competition.
Motion artifacts from an inverse-geometry CT system with multiple detector arrays

Inverse-geometry CT (IGCT) is a promising new scanning geometry. Employing a scanned-anode x-ray source array the system is expected to provide sub-second volumetric imaging with isotropic resolution and no conebeam effects. Three detector arrays spaced apart laterally can achieve a 50 cm in-plane FOV with a 31 cm source. However, when three separate detector arrays are used, motion artifacts are expected to be different than in conventional CT and need to be assessed. Simulations were performed for two objects representing slow and fast motion as well as periodic and non-periodic motion. The simulations were repeated at different points in the FOV to study motion effects in three regions: 1) the inner 15 cm region which is sampled only by the central detector array, 2) the transition between the inner and outer regions, and 3) the outer region which is sampled by all three detector arrays. 2D simulations assumed 125 "superviews" acquired in step-and-shoot mode over 360 degrees. A gridding algorithm was used to resample the data into parallel rays which were then filtered and backprojected. Artifacts from the inner region are exactly like those that arise in a traditional CT system. The most significant artifacts caused by the multi-detector nature of the system are in the outer region, at the angles where the object sampling transitions between detector arrays. These streaking artifacts are comparable to motion artifacts in conventional CT and can be reduced by increasing the overlap region at the expense of FOV size and SNR uniformity.
Circadian control of neurogenesis.

The life-long addition of new neurons has been documented in many regions of the vertebrate and invertebrate brain, including the hippocampus of mammals (Altman and Das, 1965; Eriksson et al., 1998; Jacobs et al., 2000), song control nuclei of birds (Alvarez-Buylla et al., 1990), and olfactory pathway of rodents (Lois and Alvarez-Buylla, 1994), insects (Cayre et al., 1996) and crustaceans (Harzsch and Dawirs, 1996; Sandeman et al., 1998; Harzsch et al., 1999; Schmidt, 2001). The possibility of persistent neurogenesis in the neocortex of primates is also being widely discussed (Gould et al., 1999; Kornack and Rakic, 2001). In these systems, an effort is underway to understand the regulatory mechanisms that control the timing and rate of neurogenesis. Hormonal cycles (Rasika et al., 1994; Harrison et al., 2001), serotonin (Gould, 1999; Brezun and Daszuta, 2000; Beltz et al., 2001), physical activity (Van Praag et al., 1999) and living conditions (Kemperman and Gage, 1999; Sandeman and Sandeman, 2000) influence the rate of neuronal proliferation and survival in a variety of organisms, suggesting that mechanisms controlling life-long neurogenesis are conserved across a range of vertebrate and invertebrate species. The present article extends these findings by demonstrating circadian control of neurogenesis. Data show a diurnal rhythm of neurogenesis among the olfactory projection neurons in the crustacean brain, with peak proliferation during the hours surrounding dusk, the most active period for lobsters. These data raise the possibility that light-controlled rhythms are a primary regulator of neuronal proliferation, and that previously-demonstrated hormonal and activity-driven influences over neurogenesis may be secondary events in a complex circadian control pathway.
De Novo Inference of Systems-Level Mechanistic Models of Development from Live-Imaging-Based Phenotype Analysis

Elucidation of complex phenotypes for mechanistic insights presents a significant challenge in systems biology. We report a strategy to automatically infer mechanistic models of cell fate differentiation based on live-imaging data. We use cell lineage tracing and combinations of tissue-specific marker expression to assay progenitor cell fate and detect fate changes upon genetic perturbation. Based on the cellular phenotypes, we further construct a model for how fate differentiation progresses in progenitor cells and predict cell-specific gene modules and cell-to-cell signaling events that regulate the series of fate choices. We validate our approach in C. elegans embryogenesis by perturbing 20 genes in over 300 embryos. The result not only recapitulates current knowledge but also provides insights into gene function and regulated fate choice, including an unexpected self-renewal. Our study provides a powerful approach for automated and quantitative interpretation of complex in vivo information.
Requirement of extracellular calcium ions for various stages of fertilization and fertilization-related phenomena in the hamster

Using a semi-chemically defined medium, the requirement of extracellular Ca2+ for survival, capacitation, and acrosome reaction of spermatozoa as well as various stages of fertilization in the hamster was studied. A Ca2+-deficient environment is unfavorable for long-term survival of spermatozoa. Sperm capacitation may occur in Ca2+-deficient media, but not as efficiently as in normal media. The acrosome reaction definitely requires extracellular Ca2+. Other processes or phenomena that require extracellular Ca2+ are initiation and maintenance of hyperactivated motility of spermatozoa, penetration of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa into the zona pellucida, fusion of the spermatozoa with eggs, and the development of pronuclear eggs into two-cell embryos. Extracellular Ca2+ is apparently unnecessary for the attachment of spermatozoa to the zona and egg surfaces, decondensation of the sperm nucleus, and the development of sperm and egg pronuclei within the egg. These results were compared with data obtained in other species such as the sea urchin, mouse, rat and guinea pig.
Exact solution for the kinetics of the image reversal process

The model equations describing the image reversal process with positive photoresists have been solved by extending the recently derived analytical solution of Dill's equations for the exposure bleaching of positive photoresists. The solution is presented in a closed form that requires only simple numerical integrations to determine the time-dependent two-dimensional concentration profiles of the photoactive compound (PAC).
A biochemical analysis of thoracic neuroblastomas: a Pediatric Oncology Group study.

A biochemical analysis was performed on tumor tissuesfrom 20 patients who presented with thoracic neuroblastomas. Nine patients were under 1 year of age at the time of diagnosis, and 12 patients had stage A disease. Eighteen of the 20 patients are disease free with a mean follow-up of 51/2 years. The ganglioside composition of the tumor tissue was investigated, since these cell membrane components have been proposed to play a role in cell to cell interaction and may be altered on cell transformation. In addition, the ganglioside composition of the central nervous system changes with maturation. Previous studies in children with neuroblastoma have shown that tumor tissue containing more complex gangliosides is associated with a better prognosis. Neuroblastomas from patients with thoracic primaries were found to contain more complex gangliosides of the b series (G D1b , G T1b ) and fewer monosialogangliosides, suggesting a more differentiated cellular composition. Tissue from one of the thoracic patients who died lacked G T1b . The absence of this ganglioside has proven to be an indicator of a poor prognosis. Four specimens contained no detectable G D2 , which is thought to be a specific marker for neuroblastomas. These data suggest that the improved prognosis seen with thoracic neuroblas-tomas is due to a basic biologic difference within these tumors, and this finding should be taken into consideration when planning therapy.
Greenbench: A benchmark for observing power grid vulnerability under data-centric threats

Smart grid is a cyber-physical system which inte- grates communication networks into traditional power grid. This integration, however, makes the power grid susceptible to cyber attacks. One of the most distinguished challenges in studying the aftermath of cyber attacks in smart grid lies in data-centric threats. Even though such attacks are critical to the information network, they will result in much more Domino-like impact than they behave in cyber world. This is because for an information- centric network, distorted or delayed information undermines services and applications. But in power grid, these data-centric attacks may result in instable power systems, and further detrimental impact of power supplies. In this paper, we present Greenbench, a benchmark that is designed to evaluate real-time power grid dynamics in response to data-centric attacks. The simulation results provide several counter-intuitive suggestions to both smart grid security research and deployment.
Feminist Studies in Religion and Literature: A Methodological Reflection

HE recent feminist criticism of the androcentric bias of the major traditions of Western religion, reflected in such books as Beyond God the Father, Religion and Sexism,2 and A Different Heaven and Earth,3 has sent feminist scholars searching for alternative texts and traditions which may reflect an authentically female religious outlook.4 Sources for such study include the diaries, journals, letters, and other writings of women from all periods of history. The feminist historian of Christianity, for example, might study the writings of Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, or Christine de Pisan with particular attention to the female perspective reflected in them. In twentieth century religious studies, which is my field, the novels and poetry of women writers are a particularly fruitful source for the study of women's religious outlook. Inasmuch as such study must draw on and integrate the work of scholars in the areas of religion and literature, theory of religion, and feminist literary criticism, methodological reflection is clearly called for. Since the area of religion and literature, as has been noted elsewhere,5 is in a state of methodological chaos, simple reflection on the feminist transformation of this area of study is impossible. Therefore, I will proceed in this essay from the concrete case of my own feminist studies in religion and literature, in the hope that my reflections will clarify and chart the way for other feminist scholars. My reflections will also suggest implicit androcentric biases in traditional religion and literature studies which make the texts discussed and the theories developed less than immediately relevant to women.
t→W+b→τ+ντb decays as a probe of CP violation in the charged Higgs sector☆

Abstract We assess the extent to which CP violation in the charged Higgs sector of a three-doublet model could lead to an observable difference between the rate for t→W + b→ τ + ν τ b versus t → W − b →τ − gn τ b decays in tt production at a hadron supercollider.
Violation of the Vogt-Russell theorem for homogeneous nondegenerate stars

A systematic study is made of the number and types of solutions of the equilibrium equations of stellar structure, in the case of homogeneous stars of Population I over the mass range 2-1000 solar masses, with four different opacity representations. A variant of the usual fitting method permits the simultaneous investigation of convergence and tendency toward multiplicity of the solutions. Quadratic interpolation and extrapolation of Carson's new opacity tables produces a very large opacity at low temperatures that greatly affects the loose outer layers of massive stars, while leaving the cores practically unaffected. As a result, over a small mass range, well above 100 solar masses, triple solutions exist, always near an effective temperature of log Te = 4.73. A simple classification of the known exceptions to the Vogt-Russell theorem on the uniqueness of stellar structure is given.
RELIGION AND SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY: A CROSSNATIONAL EXAMINATION

This article examines citizens' support for democracy across forty-six nations. The authors use multilevel modeling and data from the World Values Survey and other sources to assess individuals' su...
Verbal contingent stimulation of stuttering in laboratory and home settings

Abstract The effect of verbal contingent stimulation for stuttering behaviors was examined during changes of stimulus delivery mode and experimental setting. In Experiment I, contingent stimuli were delivered in the laboratory setting with the experimenter and subject in a face-to-face arrangement versus presentations by the experimenter from a control room via a headset arrangement. In Experiment II, contingent stimulation of stuttering was examined in the laboratory and home setting. Findings revealed that stuttering frequency was reduced in all conditions of both experiments. However, the only significant reductions occurred under the headset delivery conditions in the laboratory setting.
Initiation and termination of antibiotic regimens in Veterans Affairs hospitals

Author(s): Huttner, Benedikt; Jones, Makoto; Madaras-Kelly, Karl; Neuhauser, Melinda M; Rubin, Michael A; Goetz, Matthew Bidwell; Samore, Matthew H | Abstract: ObjectivesTo assess rates of starting or stopping antibiotics across different hospitals.MethodsWe used barcode medication administration data to measure antibiotic use on acute-care wards in 128 Veterans Affairs medical centres (VAMCs) in 2010. A treatment day (TD) was defined as the administration of any antibiotic on a given day. A treatment period (TP) was defined as an interval of inpatient antimicrobial therapy with gaps of ≤1 day in TDs. The rate of starting antibiotics was calculated for inpatients who had not yet started antibiotics, as the number of start events divided by the 'person-time at risk'. The rate of stopping antibiotics was calculated analogously for inpatients that were on antibiotics. Once individuals had stopped antibiotics they were removed from further analysis. Per-day start and stop rates were also calculated for each day of hospitalization.ResultsThe hospital mean rate of starting the first TP was 18.1 start events/100 days at risk (range 8.4-25.6/100 days at risk). The mean hospital stopping rate was 21.1 stop events/100 days at risk (range 13.3-29.5/100 days at risk). The ratio of a facility's starting and stopping rates was highly correlated with overall antibiotic use in TDs/1000 patient-days (rs=0.92, Pl0.001), while starting and stopping rates individually were only moderately correlated (rs=0.39, Pl0.001).ConclusionsVAMCs with similar antibiotic use showed marked differences in their starting and stopping rates of antibiotics. It may be useful to target empirical therapy when starting rates are high and definitive therapy when stopping rates are low.