cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching with the gridworld case study: tutorial presentation

Case studies expose students to large programs, enabling them to understand the importance of design and good programming style while encouraging teamwork and active learning. While there are some excellent sources of good programming examples, most are not at the CS-1 level. Creating an appropriate program to illustrate the key ideas of CS-1 is one of the largest obstacles. Fortunately, there are some existing case studies which can be used. The AP Computer Science curriculum has used case studies since 1995 and performance on case study exam questions shows a significantly smaller score difference between males and females than non-case study questions. Beginning this year, the AP CS curriculum includes the GridWorld Case Study. The first portion of the workshop will introduce the participants to the GridWorld environment allowing them to explore GridWorld through a series of guided activities which demonstrate inheritance and class interaction. During the second portion of the workshop participants will be shown examples of how the GridWorld Case Study can be used in a typical Computer Science 1 course.
Role of H2RA and Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Treating Reflux Disease

H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the primary classes of medication prescribed to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients. While these medications can be used alone or in combination, PPIs demonstrate superior symptom control and healing of esophagitis. They also play an important role in the management of patients with nonerosive reflux disease, nocturnal reflux, Barrett’s esophagus, peptic strictures, and extraesophageal disease. Both classes of medication are safe and well tolerated, with a low risk of adverse events. However, PPIs are often overused and should be selectively reserved for patients with severe complications of GERD or intractable symptoms. Patients with milder GERD symptoms may be treated with H2RAs or antacids.
Resolving occlusion in augmented reality

Current state-of-the-art augmented reality systems simply overlay computer-generated visuals on the real-world imagery, for example via video or optical see-through displays. However, overlays are not effective when displaying data in three dimensions, since occlusion between the real and computer-generated objects is not addressed.We present a video see-through augmented reality system capable of resolving occlusion between real and computer-generated objects. The heart of our system is a new algorithm that assigns depth values to each pixel in a pair of stereo video images in near-real-time. The algorithm belongs to the class of stereo matching algorithms and thus works in fully dynamic environments. We describe our system in general and the stereo matching algorithm in particular.
Synthesis of crystalline boron nanoribbons and calcium hexaboride nanowires by low pressure chemical vapor deposition

Low pressure chemical vapor deposition was used to synthesize crystalline boron nanoribbons of 16 nm thickness by both uncatalyzed and nickel-catalyzed pyrolysis of diborane at relatively low temperatures. The nanoribbons were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Similar procedures were used to synthesize and characterize calcium hexaboride nanowires. The nanostructures reported here are compared with recent literature results for boron nanoribbons and CaB6 nanowires grown by the same method.
Elementary prediction of linear combination of atomic orbitals matrix elements

For solids in the diamond structure there is a close resemblance between the true bands, the nearest-neighbor linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) bands, and the free-electron bands. Making use of the similarity of the last two we have derived universal LCAO parameters for the interatomic matrix elements between $s$- and $p$-like states. They are all of the form $\ensuremath{\eta}(\frac{{\ensuremath{\hbar}}^{2}}{m{d}^{2}})$, and for the diamond structure they are in good agreement with Harrison's earlier empirical results. For more closely packed structures the $\ensuremath{\eta}$ coefficients deviate from Harrison's values.
Volume, electrostriction, and solvation relations along the liquid-vapor critical curve of aqueous sodium chloride solutions

A model based on solvation-electrostriction-ionization properties is developed to fit the critical density curve of aqueous sodium chloride solutions from 0 to 4.28 molal at temperatures from 374 to 566°C. Apparent solution ideality is observed. The description indicates that each ion significantly electrostricts roughly 800 water molecules and neutral NaCl electrostricts insignificantly. Lack of electrostriction for neutral NaCl may explain why complete constants describe ionization equilibria so well. Molal volumes and pseudo-apparent molal volumes are described for both actual solutions and hypothetical solutions containing either 100% neutral NaCl molecules or fully ionized electrolyte (Na++Cl−).
Towards a gesture based human-machine interface: Fast 3D tracking of the human fingers on high speed smart camera computers

Rich multimedia and 3D graphical UIs need new methods for efficient input. Current mainstream human-machine interfaces are the keyboard and the mouse but touch based ones are emerging recently. Some more esoteric counterparts are also used mainly in virtual reality systems. These current devices has some properties which make them unusable (wires attached or gloves or other markers must be worn) and lacking some others (touch less and distant control). Our project aims to develop a system based on 3D visual recognition of human hand gestures for both home and industrial applications. In this paper we present the fundamental part of this system: the 3D finger tracking algorithm and its implementation properties on smart camera systems.
Study of the tribological synergistic effects in nano CuO-filled and fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide composites

Abstract Nanosize CuO-filled and fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites were prepared by compression molding. The tribological behaviors of these materials and the synergism as a result of the incorporation of both the nanoparticles and the fibers were investigated. The reinforcement materials were short carbon fibers (CF) and aramid (Kevlar) fibers. The proportions of the filler material varied from 1 to 4 vol.% and of the reinforcement material from 5 to 15 vol.%. For the measurement of wear volume and the coefficient of friction, a pin-on-disk sliding configuration was used. The counterface was made of tool steel hardened to 55–60 HRC and finished to 0.09–0.11 μm Ra. Wear tests were run at a sliding speed of 1 m/s and over a duration of 6 h, which provided the wear data for steady state sliding. In case of the filler only, the lowest steady state wear rate was observed for PPS + 2%CuO composite and of the fiber reinforcement only for PPS + 10%Kevlar composite. The particulate filler did not affect much the coefficient of friction while the latter was reduced to half of that in the case of CF reinforcement. The lowest steady state wear rates that were obtained with hybrid composites made with nanosize CuO particles and fiber reinforcement both could not be obtained with the composites made with either the filler or the fiber reinforcement only. With Kevlar fiber reinforcement alone, the coefficient of friction did not change much. With reinforcement of the CuO-filled polymer with Kevlar fibers, the coefficient of friction increased, but with reinforcement with carbon fibers it either decreased or remained unaffected. The transfer films were studied by optical microscopy and the topographical changes of transfer films by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Worn surfaces and transfer films on the counterface were also studied by scanning electron microscopy.
Is it Intensification Yet? Current Archaeological Perspectives on the Evolution of Hunter-Gatherer Economies

Originally designed to explain causes of increased productivity in agricultural systems, the concept of intensification has become widely linked to hunter-gatherer archaeology. Worldwide, recent applications show that progress has been made with regard to recognizing, describing, and modeling the declining foraging efficiency predicted by traditional intensification models that take into account confounding factors like taphonomy, environmental change, and differential foraging goals. Less progress has been made in explaining intensification due to problems of identifying primacy in the environmental, demographic, technological, and social mechanisms that lead to increased production. These problems are confounded by imprecise usage of the concept “intensification,” which runs the gamut from behaviors that either increase or decrease efficiency as the means of increasing productivity. Resolving these problems hinges on unpacking the very concept of intensification as currently applied to hunter-gatherer archaeology. This requires much greater specificity with regard to efficiency and adherence to a Boserupian perspective that declining efficiency marks intensification processes. Alternative modes of increasing production that do not necessarily entail declining efficiency—specialization, diversification, and innovation—also must be taken into account to explain the evolution of hunter-gatherer economies.
The effects of pH, calcium and chloride ions on the binding of tolmetin to human serum albumin: circular dichroic, dialysis and fluorometric measurements

The binding of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, tolmetin (1-methyl-5-p-toluoylpyrrole-2-acetic acid) to human serum albumin (HSA) has been shown by circular dichroism, fluorescence and equilibrium dialysis to be dependent on the N-B conformational change of the albumin. The influence of calcium and chloride ions on the interaction was also investigated using the same techniques. Experiments suggested that calcium ions increased the binding constant of tolmetin to HSA whereas chloride ions decreased it. The displacement study showed that tolmetin caused a significant increase in the affinity of diazepam to HSA whereas it decreased the binding of warfarin to HSA. Tolmetin seems to cause an allosteric change in the diazepam binding site in spite of it sharing a primary site with warfarin.
The Effect of Mandibular Gland Extirpation on the Longevity and Attractiveness to Workers of Queen Honey Bees, Apis mellifera

The mandibular glands were extirpated from 6 of 12 mated, sister queen honey bees, 1 month old. Two of the modified and five of the untreated queens survived after being held for about 11 months in otherwise normal colonies. The modified queens were almost completely unattractive to worker bees at the end of the experiment. The brood quantity and quality in the colonies headed by modified queens was not very dissimilar from those found in the check colonies.
Processing–property interactions in poly(vinylidene fluoride). I. An analysis of melt stress history in an extensional flow geometry

A numerical and experimental analysis of the melt flow history of poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVF2, in an extensional flow, film-processing geometry is presented. Numerical computations were carried out for both Newtonian and power law flow in an impinging channels die using a finite-element technique. Computations demonstrate that a strong extensional flow exists in the region from the stream impingement point to a distance about 0.75 D downstream where D is the channel height at the impingement point. Measurements of the stress fields using the technique of flow birefringence showed that in consequence of the changing flow kinematics from the stream impingement region to the downstream converging channels region, both the isochromatic and isoclinic patterns exhibit a pronounced axial positional dependence. Excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement was found between measured and calculated shear stress fields. However, large differences were exhibited between calculated and measured normal stress differences along the symmetry axis of flow. Results to be presented in a companion paper (Part II) demonstrate that the strong extensional flow which occurs in this geometry is sufficient to produce oriented, row-nucleated structures in the extruded PVF2 films.
P-selectin and subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Objective P-selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule that has been shown to be crucial in development of coronary heart disease (CHD). We sought to determine the role of P-selectin on the risk of atherosclerosis in a large multi-ethnic population.
Electron Microscope Study of Turtle Blood Cells

The morphology and contents of each type of blood cell present in Pseudentys scripta elegans as seen in the electron microscope have been described, compard and illustrated. Each granulocyte is a distinct cell type and no transitional forms are seen. The adult turtle red cell, unlike its mammalian counterpart, contains the basic cytoplasmic and nuclear components of any cell.
Design of a high-speed space modem for the lunar laser communications demonstration

The space terminal modem for the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) provides duplex lasercom capabilities between the Earth and a satellite in lunar orbit with a 0.5-W optical transmitter delivering downlink data rates of 39-620 Mbps and an optically-preamplified direct detection receiver supporting uplink data rates of 10-19 Mbps. The modem consists of four subsystem modules: digital electronics, analog electronics, power conditioning, and electro-optics. This modular approach permits subsystems to be built and tested in parallel and provides design flexibility to address evolving requirements. Other important design considerations for the modem include the utilization of commercial-off- the-shelf (COTS) components to reduce delivery time, cost, minimization of size, weight, and power, and the ability to survive launch conditions and operate over a broad temperature range in lunar orbit.
TOL systems and languages

We discuss a family of systems and languages (called TOL) which have originally arisen from the study of mathematical models for the development of some biological organisms. From a formal language theory point of view, a TOL system is a rewriting system where at each step of a derivation every symbol in a string is rewritten in a context-free way, but different rewriting steps may use different sets of production rules and the language consists of all strings derivable from the single fixed string (the axiom). The family of TOL languages (as well as its different subfamilies considered here) is not closed with respect to usually considered operations; it is “incomparable” with context-free languages, but it is contained in the family of context-free programmed languages. TOL languages form an infinite hierarchy with respect to “natural” complexity measures introduced in this paper.
Identification and expression profile of multiple genes in the anterior kidney of channel catfish induced by modified live Edwardsiella ictaluri vaccination

Using PCR-select subtractive cDNA hybridization technique, 57 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were isolated from 240 clones of a modified live Edwardsiella ictaluri vaccinated vs. sham-vaccinated channel catfish anterior kidney subtractive library. The transcription levels of the 57 ESTs in response to E. ictaluri vaccination were then evaluated by quantitative PCR (QPCR). Of the 57 ESTs, 43 were induced at least 2-fold higher in all three vaccinated fish compared to unvaccinated control fish. Of the 43 upregulated genes, five were consistently upregulated greater than 10-fold, including two highly upregulated (>20-fold) glycosyltransferase and Toll-like receptor 5. The transcriptional levels of GTPase 1, coatomer protein complex zeta 1, and type II arginine deiminase were consistently induced greater than 10-fold. MHC class I alpha chain and transposase were upregulated greater than 10-fold in two of the three vaccinated fish. The 43 upregulated genes also included 19 moderately upregulated (3-10-fold) and 17 slightly upregulated (2-3-fold). Our results suggest that subtractive cDNA hybridization and QPCR are powerful cost-effective techniques to identify differentially expressed genes in response to modified live E. ictaluri vaccination.
Determination of Creep Compliance of Asphalt Concrete from Notched Semi-Circular Bend (SCB) Test

The feasibility of determining the creep compliance of asphalt concrete from a notched Semi-Circular Bend (SCB) test specimen was investigated. The objective of this study was to propose a combined test methodology that can provide both viscoelastic and fracture properties of asphalt concrete mixtures tested at low temperatures. Finite element (FE) analyses were performed to understand the stress state in the SCB, and an optimal load range producing appreciable displacement measurements while preserving the linear viscoelastic conditions was identified. Expressions that relate displacement measurements, from particular regions of the SCB specimen, to creep function were derived. The validity of the proposed SCB creep method was tested both by numerical simulations and experimental testing. Good agreement was found between the creep function obtained from SCB and those obtained from the Three-Point Bending Beam (3PBB) and the Indirect Tensile (IDT) creep test.
Design and synthesis of an “ultrachelating” ligand based on an 18-membered ring hexaaza macrocycle

Abstract A new ultrachelating ligand, H4PYTA (3,6,14,17,23,24-hexaazatricyclo[17.3.1.1(8.12)]tetracosa-1(23),8,10,12(24),19,21-hexaene-3,6,14,17-tetraacetic acid), has been synthesized by tetracar-boxymethylation of the parent ligand PYAN (3,6,14,17,23,24-hexaazatricyclo[17.3.1.1(8.12)]tetracosa-1(23),8,10,12(24),19,21-hexaene). Both of these ligands are based upon the [18]aneN6 macrocyclic framework in which two trans dimethylamino groups are replaced by 2,6-substituted pyridine. The metal binding constants for PYTA4- (log KML) were measured for sixteen metals and were found to be comparable to those for DTPA5- and DOTA4-. PYTA4- binds well to an extraordinarily large range of metal ions from small Ga3+ to large Pb2+. This behavior is attributable to the flexible wrapping of the PYAN framework and the ability of PYTA4- to be six-coordinate with small metals and ten-coordinate with large metals.
AN APPLICATION OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE TO THE PSYCHIATRIC SETTING

Theoretical dimensions of the use of American Sign Language with hearing individuals are discussed. Case material is presented to illustrate the use of signs with an emotionally disturbed child as a form of clinical intervention to foster language and reading development and behavioral controls.
The Contested Will of “Goodman Penn”: Anglo–New England Politics, Culture, and Legalities, 1688–1716

In February 1704, a Boston laborer named Thomas Lea found himself surrounded by townspeople as he lay on his deathbed. These spectators had gathered hoping to hear a much anticipated confession of the crimes they believed Lea had committed fifteen years earlier during the Dominion of New England. In Suffolk County, many townspeople had long maintained that Lea and others had used the confusion and chaos generated by the unsettling political and legal transformations introduced to New England during the 1680s to surreptitiously gain legal title to the estate of a prosperous Braintree, Massachusetts, landowner named William Penn. Standing by Lea's bedside, one witness, who believed Lea had perjured himself at the 1689 probate administration of Penn's estate, demanded: "Thomas can you as you are going out of the World answer at the Tribunal of God to the Will of Mr Penns, which you have sworn to[?]" "Was Mr Penn living or Dead when this Will was Made?" In the presence of assembled witnesses, Lea acknowledged, "he was dead." Other townspeople pressed
On nonlinear systems—chaos

Abstract Two nonlinear systems which exhibit chaotic characteristics are analysed with the aid of computer graphics. The first system is represented by the Lorenz equations involving three variables x, y and z . The second system is known as the double scroll given by an electric circuit involving the voltages V C1 and V C2 , and the current i L , with two capacitances C 1 and C 2 , an inductance L , one resistance G and a nonlinear resistor with piecewise linear characteristic. For the first system, projections of the 3-dimensional trajectory are given onto the z-x, z-y and y-x phase planes obtained with the aid of computer graphics. Similarly, the phase plane projections onto the “[xdot]”-x, “[ydot]”-y and “[zdot]”-z planes are presented, with the projections onto the “[zdot]”-“[xdot]”, “[ydot]”-“[xdot]” and “[zdot]”-“[ydot]” phase planes. For the second system, one can get the projections onto the V C 1-i L , V C 2-i L and V C 2-V C 1 phase planes. By suitable transformations the state equations for the double scroll can be expressed in terms of the variables x, y and z . Projections onto the z-x, y-x and z-y phase planes are presented. Similarly, projections onto the “[xdot]”-x, “[ydot]”- y and “[zdot]”-z phase planes are given, together with the projections onto the “[zdot]”-“[xdot]”, “[ydot]”-“[xdot]” and “[zdot]”-“[ydot]” phase planes. The solution curves x, y and z for the Lorenz equations are shown. For the double scroll, x, y and z curves and their derivatives “[xdot]”,“[ydot]” and “[zdot]” are also presented.
Systemic treatment of papular dermatitis: A retrospective study

AbstractBackground: Papular dermatitis is an intensely pruritic eruption that is often refractory to conventional therapy. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different non-steroidal systemic therapies for long-term control of disease in patients with papular dermatitis. Methods: This was a single center, retrospective study involving a chart review of patients with a diagnosis of papular dermatitis who were prescribed systemic therapy between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2012. Results: Fourteen patients were identified that were treated with a systemic agent. Median duration of treatment was 25 months. Methotrexate was used first line in 12 patients, with control of disease achieved in eight patients with a dose between 2.5 and 10 mg weekly. Azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil also provided control of disease when used as first-line therapy in the remaining two patients. While azathiopurine was effective in patients who failed methotrexate, gastrointestinal side effects limite...
The computation of resistive MHD instabilities in axisymmetric toroidal plasmas

Abstract We describe the linear MHD eigenmode code NOVA-R, which calculates the resistive stability of axisymmetric toroidal equilibria. A formulation has been adopted which accurately resolves the continuum spectrum of the ideal MHD operator. The resistive MHD stability equations are transformed into three coupled second-order equations, one of which recovers the equation solved by the NOVA code in the ideal limit. The eigenfunctions are represented by a Fourier expansion and cubic B-spline finite elements which are packed about the internal boundary layer. Accurate results are presented for dimensionless resistivities as low as 10−30 in cylindrical geometry. For axisymmetric toroidal plasmas we demonstrate the accuracy of the NOVA-R code by recovering ideal results in the ν → 0 limit, and cylindrical resistive interchange results in the a R → 0 limit. Δ′ analysis performed using the eigenfunctions computed by the NOVA-R code agree with the asymptotic matching results from the resistive PEST code for zero β equilibria.
Molybdenum-95 nuclear magnetic resonance studies on molybdenum carbonyl complexes of isonitriles and amines

Abstract The 95 Mo NMR spectra of 28 molybdenum carbonyl complexes of isonitriles and amines are reported. Within similar classes of complexes excellent correlation is found between 95 Mo chemical shifts and ligand π-acceptor ability and, more importantly, complex structures. Application to the analysis of diastereomeric complexes is reported. From analysis of linewidths and relaxation behavior, the surprising result is found that 95 Mo linewidths in isonitrile complexes are not due to coupling to the electric field gradient, but to scalar coupling between the 95 Mo and 14 N nuclei which, in turn, is inversely proportional to the substitution number n in complexes MO(CO) 6- n (CNR) n . A dependence of chemical shift on temperature of 0.3 ppm/°C is found for MO(CO) 6 .
Homologies in the colour patterns of the genus Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

The phylogenetically and morphologically diverse patterns of Charaxes can be reduced to a simple set of pattern elements which can be homologized throughout the genus. At least five types of correspondence (homologies) exist among pattern elements: those between (1) species, (2) forewing and hindwing, (3) dorsal and ventral wing surface, (4) serial wing-cells, and (5) individual pattern elements within a single wing-cell. Differences in Charaxes colour patterns result from the distortion, elaboration, enlargement, reduction or loss of individual pattern elements. Further variation is often the result of dislocation of pattern elements from their serial homologues in neighbouring wing-cells, and fusion of individual pattern elements to create larger areas of colour. The type of analysis presented in this paper should be broadly applicable within the Lepidoptera and may prove useful in studying the systematics of colour patterns and the evolution of the developmental system that gives rise to them.
Predictors of Preventive Services Provision among Unsubstantiated Cases

The role of child protective services in providing supportive and preventive services in unsubstantiated cases has received scant empirical attention. This article examines unsubstantiated child maltreatment reports where voluntary preventive services were provided by the state of Missouri. Logistic regression is used to isolate case characteristics that predict such services provision. Data are also presented on substantiated cases so that predictors of services provision can be contrasted to predictors of substantiation. Suggestions are provided for incorporating services provision into unsubstantiated cases as an additional dependent variable in future studies of substantiation rates.
Accommodative function in rhesus monkeys: effects of aging and calorie restriction.

Numerous degenerative changes in the visual system occur with age, including a loss of accommodative function possibly related to hardening of the lens or loss of ciliary muscle mobility. The rhesus monkey is a reliable animal model for studying age-related changes in ocular function, including loss of accommodation. Calorie restriction (CR) is the only consistent intervention to slow aging and extend lifespan in rodents, and more recently the beneficial effects of CR have been reported in nonhuman primates. The goal of the present study was to evaluate age-related changes in ocular accommodation and the potential effect of long-term (>8 years) CR on accommodation in male and female rhesus monkeys. Refraction, accommodation (Hartinger coincidence refractometer), and lens thickness (A-scan ultrasound) were measured in 97 male and female rhesus monkeys age 8–36 years under Telazol/acepromazine anesthesia. Refraction and accommodation measurements were taken before and after 40% carbachol corneal iontophoresis to induce maximum accommodation. Half the animals were in the control (CON) group and were fed ad libitum. The CR group received 30% fewer calories than age- and weight-matched controls. Males were on CR for 12 years and females for eight years. With increasing age, accommodative ability declined in both CON and CR monkeys by 1.03 ± 0.12 (P = 0.001) and 1.18 ± 0.12 (P = 0.001) diopters/year, respectively. The age-related decline did not differ significantly between the groups (P = 0.374). Baseline lens thickness increased with age in both groups by 0.03 ± 0.005 mm/year (P = 0.001) and 0.02 ± 0.005 mm/year (P = 0.001) for the CON and CR groups, respectively. The tendency for the for the lens to thicken with age occurred at a slower rate in the CR group vs. the CON group but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.086). Baseline refraction was −2.8 ± 0.55 and −3.0 ± 0.62 diopters for CON and CR, respectively. Baseline refraction tended to become slightly more negative with age (P = 0.070), but this trend did not differ significantly between the groups (P = 0.587). In summary, there was no difference in the slope of the age-related changes in accommodation, lens thickness, or refraction in the carbachol-treated eyes due to diet. These data are consistent with previous findings of decreased accommodative ability in aging rhesus monkeys, comparable to the age-dependent decrease in accommodative ability in humans. This study is the first to indicate that the accommodative system may not benefit from calorie restriction.
Contribution of some volatile tomato components and their mixtures to fresh tomato aroma

Some volatile components of fresh tomatoes and mixtures of these components were evaluated for their contribution to fresh tomato aroma. cis-Hex-3-enal was the only individual component evaluated which was rated moderately similar to the aroma of fresh tomatoes. A mixture of cis-hex-3-enal, 2-methylhept-2-en-6-one, eugenol and β-ionone significantly improved the aroma of tomato juice prepared from foam-mat-dried tomato powder. Since the individual components of the mixture did not give significant improvement, the desired effect probably occurred as a result of a complex interaction among the added components and juice.
Sabadilla alkaloids. I. Extraction of total alkaloids

A method is described by which the total sabadilla alkaloids were extracted from the seed and by which a partial separation of the crude alkaloidal mixture into four crude fractions was accomplished. Extraction of the seed with Skelly B removed the oil almost completely, in amounts up to 20 per cent, together with alkaloidal Fraction A, which was shaken out of the Skelly extract with acid. Extraction of the defatted seed with alcohol removed the remaining alkaloids. Concentration of this extract to a syrup and pouring into cold water yielded a precipitate of Fraction B which contained a considerable amount of alkaloid along with nonalkaloidal matter, probably resin. The filtrate from Fraction B, upon being made alkaline with ammonia, deposited Fraction C, which was removed by filtration. Chloroform extraction of the filtrate from C yielded Fraction D. From 15.5 Kg. of seed the following approximate amounts of the above fractions were obtained: A, 152 Gm.; B, 800 Gm.; C, 220 Gm.; D, 168 Gm.
Special Issue: Selected Research from the First Optical Interconnects Conference

This introduction to the special issue summarizes the creation of the first Optical Interconnects Conference, discusses some key themes in the field, and introduces the seven articles included in the special issue.
Communication during pediatric asthma visits and child asthma medication device technique 1 month later.

Objective. This study investigated how provider demonstration of and assessment of child use of asthma medication devices and certain aspects of provider–patient communication during medical visits is associated with device technique 1 month later. Methods. Two hundred and ninety-six children aged 8–16 years with persistent asthma and their caregivers were recruited at five North Carolina pediatric practices. All of the medical visits were audio-tape recorded. Children were interviewed 1 month later and their device technique was observed and rated. Results. If the provider asked the child to demonstrate metered dose inhaler technique during the medical visit, then the child was significantly more likely to perform a greater percentage of inhaler steps correctly 1 month later. Children with higher asthma management self-efficacy scores were significantly more likely to perform a greater percentage of diskus steps correctly. Additionally, children were significantly more likely to perform a greater percent...
Yield and fracture mechanisms in ABS

The deformation and fracture characteristics of ABS have been investigated under tension, compression, and tension-compression fatigue cycling. The behavior of the rubber-modified polymer is compared with that of unmodified styrene-acrylonitrile, copolymer. The dispersed rubber particles in ABC cause extensive plastic deformation of the matrix material, markedly reduce the compressive yield stress, and, under tensile loading, cause yielding rather than early fracture. Under alternating stress conditions crazes occur sooner and lead to earlier craze breakdown, crack development, and reduced lifetime to fracture. The influence of rate of loading has been studied under applied tension and under fatigue cycling. The tensile yield stress varies linearly with the log of the strain rate in accord with the Eyring rate equation and, from the measured slope, the activation volume is estimated to be 2.2 nm3. The time to fatigue fracture reduces significantly with increasing frequency while cycles to fracture increase at a modest rate. Fatigue failure in ABS is not a cycle-dependent process, nor is it in accord with a damage accumulation model, but it more nearly resembles the former. The influence of a dispersed rubber phase, and of loading rate, on fracture surface morphology is discussed.
Interactions between oxytocin, glucagon and glucose in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Oxytocin has been suggested to have glucoregulatory functions in rats, man and other mammals. The hyperglycemic actions of oxytocin are believed to be mediated indirectly through changes in pancreatic function. The present study examined the interaction between glucose and oxytocin in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, under basal conditions and after injections of oxytocin. Plasma glucose and endogenous oxytocin levels were significantly correlated in cannulated lactating rats (r = 0.44, P less than 0.01). To test the hypothesis that oxytocin was acting to elevate plasma glucose, adult male rats were injected with 10 micrograms/kg oxytocin and killed 60 min later. Oxytocin increased plasma glucose from 6.1 +/- 0.1 to 6.8 +/- 0.2 mM (P less than 0.05), and glucagon from 179 +/- 12 to 259 +/- 32 pg/ml (P less than 0.01, n = 18). There was no significant effect of oxytocin on plasma insulin, although the levels were increased by 30%. A lower dose (1 microgram/kg) of oxytocin had no significant effect on plasma glucose or glucagon. To eliminate putative local inhibitory effects of insulin on glucagon secretion, male rats were made diabetic by i.p. injection of 100 mg/kg STZ, which increased glucose to greater than 18 mM and glucagon to 249 +/- 25 pg/ml (P less than 0.05). In these rats, 10 micrograms/kg oxytocin failed to further increase plasma glucose, but caused a much greater increase in glucagon (to 828 +/- 248 pg/ml) and also increased plasma ACTH. A specific oxytocin analog, Thr4,Gly7-oxytocin, mimicked the effect of oxytocin on glucagon secretion in diabetic rats. The lower dose of oxytocin also increased glucagon levels (to 1300 +/- 250 pg/ml), but the effect was not significant. A 3 h i.v. infusion of 1 nmol/kg per h oxytocin in conscious male rats significantly increased glucagon levels by 30 min in normal and STZ-rats; levels returned to baseline by 30 min after stopping the infusion. Plasma glucose increased in the normal, but not STZ-rats. The relative magnitude of the increase in glucagon was identical for normal and diabetic rats, but the absolute levels of glucagon during the infusion were twice as high in the diabetics. To test whether hypoglycemia could elevate plasma levels of oxytocin, male rats were injected i.p. with insulin and killed from 15-180 min later. Plasma glucose levels dropped to less than 2.5 mM by 15 min. Oxytocin levels increased by 150-200% at 30 min; however, the effect was not statistically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Benign and Malignant Neoplasms of the Testis and Paratesticular Tissue

Benign and malignant tumors of the testes and paratesticular tissues present an interesting spectrum of diagnostic entities often encountered in routine surgical pathology practice. Germ cell tumors are the most common tumors of the testes and, despite a rising incidence, have excellent prognosis because of their radiosensitivity and/or effective chemotherapeutic agents. The proper classification of these tumors aids in the choice of appropriate treatment options. This article reviews benign and malignant neoplastic entities of the testes and paratesticular tissues and illustrates the classic pathologic characteristics. The differential diagnosis, along with ancillary studies, clinical significance, and presentation are discussed also.
Simulating forest shade to study the developmental ecology of tropical plants: juvenile growth in three vines in India

Both light quantity and quality affect the development and autoecology of plants under shade conditions, as in the understorey of tropical forests. However, little research has been directed towards the relative contributions of lowered photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) versus altered spectral distributions (as indicated by quantum ratios of 660 to 730 nm, or R:FR) of radiation underneath vegetation canopies. A method for constructing shade enclo- sures to study the contribution of these two variables is described. Three tropical leguminous vine species (Abrus precatorius L., Caesalpinia bondicela Fleming and Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.) were grown in two shade enclosures with 3-4% of solar PPFD with either the R:FR of sunlight (1.10) or foliage shade (0.33), and compared to plants grown in sunlight. Most species treated with low R:FR differed from those treated with high R:FR in (1) percent allocation to dry leaf weight, (2) internode length, (3) dry stem weight/length, (4) specific leaf weight, (5) leaf size, and (6) chlorophyll a/b ratios. However, these plants did not differ in chlorophyll content per leaf dry weight or area. In most cases the effects of low R:FR and PPFD were additional to those of high R:FR and low PPFD. Growth patterns varied among the three species, but both low PPFD and diminished R:FR were important cues in their developmental responses to light environments. This shadehouse system should be useful in studying the effects of light on the developmental ecology of other tropical forest plants.
Attitudes of the public towards dogs and cats as companion animals.

A questionnaire was used to collect information on attitudes toward dogs and cats as companion animals. Thirty-nine attitudinal questions on dogs were grouped using principal component analysis (PCA) into six independent major factors; whereas, 38 items on cats were grouped using principal component analysis (PCA) into four independent major factors. In addition, 18 items which did not fit the PCA model but that were related to the respondents' attitudes towards dogs and cats as companion animals were analysed separately. The hypotheses tested, using analysis of variance (ANOVA) were that there was no significant relationship between the factors and five variables, i.e., pet ownership, age or sex of the respondents and their like or dislike of either dogs or cats. The respondents' like or dislike of dogs or cats influenced their attitudes towards ownership of companion animals. Furthermore, nonowners stated they derive minimal value from a dog or cat as a pet and viewed the negative characteristics of the animal itself per se as a more important factor in determining ownership. Female respondents were more emotionally involved and younger owners derived more of a feeling of importance-vanity from dog or cat ownership.
Effects of Electrodermal Lability and Payoff Instructions on Vigilance Performance

The psychophysiologically based personality dimension of electrodermal lability has been related to vigilance performance. The present study investigated this effect basing lability on spontaneous electrodermal fluctuations and habituation of the electrodermal orienting response, and attempted to modify performance using monetary payoffs. In an auditory vigilance task, detections and sensitivity (d′) declined across blocks, and payoffs influenced detections, commission errors, d′, and response bias in the expected directions. Although there were no main effects for spontaneous lability, habituation labiles had higher log false alarm rates, lower response bias and tended to detect more signals. Using either lability criterion, labiles did not demonstrate a vigilance decrement and were more responsive than stabiles to payoff instructions. Lability based on habituation rate was therefore more clearly related to vigilance performance than lability based on spontaneous fluctuations.
The effect of increased primary schooling on adult women's HIV status in Malawi and Uganda: Universal Primary Education as a natural experiment.

This paper explores the causal relationship between primary schooling and adult HIV status in Malawi and Uganda, two East African countries with some of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. Using data from the 2010 Malawi Demographic Health Survey and the 2011 Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey, the paper takes advantage of a natural experiment, the implementation of Universal Primary Education policies in the mid 1990s. An instrumented regression discontinuity approach is used to model the relationship between increased primary schooling and adult women's HIV status. Results indicate that a one-year increase in schooling decreases the probability of an adult woman testing positive for HIV by 0.06 (p < 0.01) in Malawi and by 0.03 (p < 0.05) in Uganda. These results are robust to a variety of model specifications. In a series of supplementary analyses a number of potential pathways through which such effects may occur are explored. Findings indicate increased primary schooling positively affects women's literacy and spousal schooling attainment in Malawi and age of marriage and current household wealth in Uganda. However primary schooling has no effect on recent (adult) sexual behavior.
Altered pharmacology and GABA-A receptor subunit expression in dorsal midline thalamic neurons in limbic epilepsy

The mediodorsal (MD) and paraventricular (PV) thalamic nuclei play a significant role in limbic epilepsy, and previous reports have shown changes in GABA-A receptor (GABAAR) mediated synaptic function. In this study, we examined changes in the pharmacology of GABAergic drugs and the expression of the GABAAR subunits in the MD and PV neurons in epilepsy. We observed nucleus specific changes in the sensitivity of sIPSCs to zolpidem and phenobarbital in MD and PV neurons from epileptic animals. In contrast, the magnitude of change in electrically evoked response (eIPSC) to zolpidem and phenobarbital were uniformly diminished in both MD and PV neurons in epilepsy. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that in epilepsy, there was a reduction in GAD65 expression and NeuN positive neurons in the MD neurons. Also, there was a decrease in immunoreactivity of the alpha1 and beta2/3 subunit of GABAARs, but not the gamma2 of the GABAAR in both MD and PV in epilepsy. These findings demonstrate significant alterations in the pharmacology of GABA and GABAARs in a key region for seizure generation, which may have implications for the physiology and pharmacology of limbic epilepsy.
Skeptical Noises about the Immigration Multiplier.

The first is to note that many analyses of the effects of immigration policy alternatives implicitly portray them as regulatory and selection mechanisms operating upon exogenously-determined demand for immigrant slots. Con? ceptualized in this way, applicants are seeking immigrant visas because of economic, political and other forces that are external to the immigration policy. Immigration policy does not itself affect the demand for entry; its function is to select from among the exogenously-generated pool of appli? cants for immigrant visas, and to regulate overall immigrant volumes.
The embrittlement of single crystals and bicrystals of agcl in aqueous salt solutions

Abstract The degree of embrittlement of bicrystal AgCl deformed in aqueous NaBr was studied as a function of the orientation of adjacent grains that make up a boundary and the angle that the grain boundary makes with the tensile axis. Embrittlement was observed when the angle between slip directions in adjacent grains exceeded about 20°. The degree of embrittlement was insensitive to variations in grain boundary angle to the tensile axis except for a boundary completely parallel to the tensile axis. It was concluded that the stress concentration at the head of a slip band with the aid of the environment causes initiation of cracks and that the resolved normal stress is active in propagating these cracks to cause intergranular failure. The embrittlement of notched single crystals of AgCl is attributed to the combined effects of stress concentration at the notch root, environment and the applied normal stress since crack propagation always occurred perpendicular to the applied tensile stress.
The relation of rhodopsin and scotopic sensitivity in choroideremia

We examined two patients who had clinical characteristics typical of choroideremia using psychophysical and reflection retinal densitometric techniques. In the dark-adapted state, sensitivity was more compromised than would be predicted on the basis of the modest losses of rhodopsin. In the dark-adapted state, studies of spatial and temporal summation suggested that postreceptoral processes are similar to normal. The kinetics of rhodopsin regeneration after bleaching exposures were abnormal in some retinal regions.
Receiver operating characteristic curves and optimal Bayesian operating points

The receiver operating characteristic curve is a standard method for reporting the performance of a system. In this paper we show how do choose the optimal operating point when we are given a receiver operating curve, the prior probabilities, and the economic gain matrix. Unlike earlier methods, we make no assumptions regarding underlying distributions.
Image reconstruction with shift-variant filtration and its implication for noise and resolution properties in fan-beam computed tomography

In computed tomography(CT), the fan-beam filtered backprojection (FFBP) algorithm is used widely for image reconstruction. It is known that the FFBP algorithm can significantly amplify data noise and aliasing artifacts in situations where the focal lengths are comparable to or smaller than the size of the field of measurement (FOM). In this work, we propose an algorithm that is less susceptible to data noise, aliasing, and other data inconsistencies than is the FFBP algorithm while retaining the favorable resolution properties of the FFBP algorithm. In an attempt to evaluate the noiseproperties in reconstructed images, we derive analytic expressions for image variances obtained by use of the FFBP algorithm and the proposed algorithm. Computer simulation studies are conducted for quantitative evaluation of the spatial resolution and noiseproperties of imagesreconstructed by use of the algorithms. Numerical results of these studies confirm the favorable spatial resolution and noiseproperties of the proposed algorithm and verify the validity of the theoretically predicted image variances. The proposed algorithm and the derived analytic expressions for image variances can have practical implications for both estimation and detection/classification tasks making use of CTimages, and they can readily be generalized to other fan-beam geometries.