cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concept of self, mediating factors, and adolescent deviance

This study of 9,752 adolescents lends support for the authors’ theoretical model of low self esteem and self confidence predicting lack of purpose in life and poor academic performance, which in turn affects various forms of deviance—delinquency, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and eating disorder. Academic performance is more important than a sense of purpose in life as a mediating variable for alcohol use, but purpose in life is a more important mediator for eating disorder. Subsamples based on gender, age, social class and ethnicity show similar patterns of relationship between the independent, intervening, and dependent variables to those of the total population.
The origins of vision: Charismatic versus ideological leadership.

Abstract Although numerous studies have examined the influence of vision on outstanding leadership, relatively little is known about how leaders create, or construct, a meaningful vision. Recently, however, a theory of vision formation has been proposed, which holds that visions arise from prescriptive mental models formulated by leaders following reflection on key causes and goals. One implication of this theory is that different styles of vision-based outstanding leadership will emerge depending on whether these prescriptive models stress personal values and standards (ideological leaders) or social needs and change requirements (charismatic leaders). To test this proposition, biographies of 60 notable historic leaders, both personalized and socialized leaders, were obtained and content coded with respect to ideological and charismatic behaviors as well as historic outcomes. In a series of multivariate analyses, support was obtained for the ideological and charismatic distinction. Implications for understanding vision-based outstanding leadership are discussed.
Bedding preferences of pregnant laboratory-reared mice

Pregnant ARS Ha (ICR) Swiss mice were allowed to select from 10 commercially available bedding products for parturition and rearing young. Combinations of bedding materials were most often selected. Products of wood origin were overwhelmingly preferred. Rates for the selection of bedding materials from the 20 tests were Aspen Bed 100%, Cedar Shavings 75%, Pinewood Shavings 45%, Ab-Sorb-Dri 5%, and Stop “O” 5%.
The Comparative Efficacy and Safety of the Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in the Management of Hypertension and Other Cardiovascular Diseases

All national guidelines for the management of hypertension recommend angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) as an initial or add-on antihypertensive therapy. The eight available ARBs have variable clinical efficacy when used for control of hypertension. Additive blood pressure-lowering effects have been demonstrated when ARBs are combined with thiazide diuretics or dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, augmenting hypertension control. Furthermore, therapeutic use of ARBs goes beyond their antihypertensive effects, with evidence-based benefits in heart failure and diabetic renal disease particularly among angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-intolerant patients. On the other hand, combining renin–angiotensin system blocking agents, a formerly common practice among medical subspecialists focusing on the management of hypertension, has ceased, as there is not only no evidence of cardiovascular benefit but also modest evidence of harm, particularly with regard to renal dysfunction. ARBs are very well tolerated as monotherapy, as well as in combination with other antihypertensive medications, which improve adherence to therapy and have become a mainstay in the treatment of stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension.
Degradation modes of high-power InGaN/GaN laser diodes on low-defect GaN substrates

We investigated the degradation modes in the aging processes of TO-18 packaged (Al, In)GaN laser diodes grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on low-dislocation-density bulk GaN wafers. The lifetime-limiting degradation drastically occurred in the initial stage, and we found it was due to the photon-enhanced carbon deposition on the oxide mirror surface at the laser-emitting facets. The deposited carbon would be originated mostly from residual organic materials with C-H bonds. The carbon sources could be successfully removed by plasma cleaning just before cap-welding. The improved lifetime of the plasma cleaned laser diode packed with argon gas exceeds 2,000 h under 160 mW cw-operation at 60 °C. The lifetime-limiting degradation is attributed to nonradiative recombination related with the defects extended from GaN substrates. The activation energy of the degradation extracted from the thermally accelerated aging tests was determined to be 0.81 eV.
NIST Micronutrients Measurement Quality Assurance Program: Characterizing the Measurement Community's Performance over Time

The Micronutrients Measurement Quality Assurance Program (M2QAP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology was created in 1984 with the goal of improving among-participant measurement comparability for fat-soluble vitamin-related compounds in human serum. We recently described improved tools for evaluating comparison exercise data; we here extend and apply these tools to the evaluation of the measurement community's performance over the entire 15-year history of the M2QAP. We here display measurement performance characteristics for the 14 measurands most commonly reported by the M2QAP community. We confirm that among-participant comparability for total β-carotene cannot be much improved without improving average long-term within-participant measurement stability. We demonstrate that improved measurand definition and/or identification of interferences may help participants improve comparability for many of the M2QAP's other commonly reported measurands. The reported measurement performance char...
Manipulation of a central circadian clock regulating behavioral and endocrine rhythms with a short-acting benzodiazepine used in the treatment of insomnia.

Abnormal circadian rhythms have been linked to at least some forms of depression and to disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle. In addition, mental and physical disorders that are associated with rapid travel across time zones (i.e. the jet-lag syndrome) and with rotating shift-work schedules, are thought to involve a disruption of normal circadian rhythmicity. It might be possible to alleviate some of the adverse effects of abnormal circadian rhythms if pharmacological agents could be used to manipulate the central circadian pacemaker(s) that regulate these rhythms. Studies in our laboratory indicate that treatment with a short-acting benzodiazepine, triazolam, can induce major shifts in both behavioral and endocrine circadian rhythms in hamsters under a variety of experimental conditions. In the absence of a synchronizing light-dark cycle (i.e. during exposure to constant light or constant dark), single or multiple injections of triazolam can induce a permanent phase shift in both the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity and the circadian rhythm of pituitary LH release. In addition, repeated daily injections of triazolam can alter the entrained phase relationship of the circadian activity rhythm to a fixed light-dark cycle, and following a shift in the light-dark cycle, a single injection of triazolam can facilitate the time it takes for the activity rhythm to be resynchronized to the new lighting schedule. Thus, triazolam, or drugs with similar phase-shifting effects on the mammalian circadian system, might be useful in the treatment of various physical and mental illnesses that have been associated with a disorder in circadian time-keeping in humans.
Reconsidering “Invasion Most Costly”: Popular‐History Scholarship, Publishing Standards, and the Claim of High U.S. Casualty Estimates to Help Legitimize the Atomic Bombings

This is a critique of an article in the popular military magazine U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings (August 1995) by journalist/historians Norman Polmar and Thomas Allen. Those two coauthors argued for high casualty numbers in the November 1945 invasion of Japan in order to justify the atomic bombings. Because their article is severely flawed, because it appeared in a popular military journal, because it won a prize and is likely to be regarded as authoritative, and because it was conceived to justify the atomic bombings, it warrants serious critical examination. This critique examines, among other problems, the two coauthors' misreading of sources, their reliance upon some dubious materials, their neglect of some important documentary evidence, and their questionable reasoning and conclusions. Ultimately, this critque also discusses the social/political functions of Polmar and Allen's article, and briefly raises some questions about standards in scholarship and in publishing. This critique is based upon very substantial archival research, as well as the use of the Freedom of Information Act, and considerable knowledge of the A-bomb literature, the casualty-estimates literature, and the scholarship on the Smithsonian's ill-fated Enola Gay exhibit.
Temporal dynamics of the BOLD fMRI impulse response.

Abstract Using computer simulations and high-resolution fMRI experiments in humans (n = 6) and rats (n = 8), we investigated to what extent BOLD fMRI temporal resolution is limited by dispersion in the venous vasculature. For this purpose, time-to-peak (TTP) and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the BOLD impulse response (IR) function were determined. In fMRI experiments, a binary m-sequence probe method was used to obtain high-sensitivity model-free single-pixel estimates of IR. Simulations of postcapillary flow suggested that flow-related dispersion leads to a TTP and FWHM increase, which can amount to several seconds in larger pial veins. fMRI experiments showed substantial spatial variation in IR timing within human visual cortex, together with a correlation between TTP and FWHM. Averaged across the activated regions and across subjects, TTP and FWHM were 4.51 ± 0.52 and 4.04 ± 0.42 s, respectively. In regions of interest (ROI) weighted toward the larger venous structures, TTP and FWHM increased to 5.07 ± 0.64 and 4.32 ± 0.48 s, respectively. In rat somatosensory cortex, TTP and FWHM were substantially shorter than in humans (2.73 ± 0.60 and 2.28 ± 0.63 s, respectively). These results are consistent with a substantial macrovascular dispersive contribution to BOLD IR in humans, and furthermore suggest that neurovascular coupling is a relatively rapid process, with a resolution below 2.3 s FWHM.
Factors influencing the use of nutritional supplements by college students with varying levels of physical activity

Abstract Exercise and supplementation practices of 333 college students were examined. Based on self-reported weekly frequency of vigorous exercise for a duration of at least one hour or participation on a university sports team, subjects were designated as sedentary ( 1000% U.S. RDA) and/or other unorthodox products (all of the men in this group were weight lifters) whereas none of the sedentary people used these products. In addition to sport-specific patterns of usage, significant differences existed between athletes with and without a coach in regard to incidence, type and reasons for supplement use. These results not only highlight possible misconceptions and hazardous practices on the part of athletes but emphasize the potential role of the coach in influencing nutrition-related behaviors.
Protein interaction platforms: visualization of interacting proteins in yeast.

The protein interaction platform or PIP assay uses a viral scaffolding protein fused to a bait and a fluorescent reporter protein fused to putative prey as the basis for a simple visual screen for protein-protein interactions in yeast.
Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy under general anesthesia in the sitting position

Neodymium–yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy is commonly used to treat posterior capsule opacification after cataract surgery in adults. Children and adults with developmental delay, however, are not always cooperative, and the procedure must be performed under general anesthesia. We describe a technique for Nd:YAG capsulotomy under general anesthesia in the sitting position using the standard widely available Nd:YAG laser. Anesthesia was induced in the supine position and the patient was then transferred to the sitting position with chin in the slit-lamp laser delivery system. The procedure was performed without complications. We report our experience in 4 eyes of 3 patients, including 2 children. This technique is a viable option for those without access to an overhead-mounted Nd:YAG laser and an alternative to secondary posterior capsulotomy in selected patients.
Prion Protein of 106 Residues Creates an Artificial Transmission Barrier for Prion Replication in Transgenic Mice

A redacted prion protein (PrP) of 106 amino acids with two large deletions was expressed in transgenic (Tg) mice deficient for wild-type (wt) PrP (Prnp0/0) and supported prion propagation. RML prions containing full-length PrP(Sc)produced disease in Tg(PrP106)Prnp0/0 mice after approximately 300 days, while transmission of RML106 prions containing PrP(Sc)106 created disease in Tg(PrP106) Prnp0/0 mice after only approximately 66 days on repeated passage. This artificial transmission barrier for the passage of RML prions was diminished by the coexpression of wt MoPrPc in Tg(PrP106)Prnp+/0 mice that developed scrapie in approximately 165 days, suggesting that wt MoPrP acts in trans to accelerate replication of RML106 prions. Purified PrP(Sc)106 was protease resistant, formed filaments, and was insoluble in nondenaturing detergents. The unique features of RML106 prions offer insights into the mechanism of prion replication, and the small size of PrP(Sc)106 should facilitate structural analysis.
Age at onset of alcohol use and DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence: a 12-year follow-up.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between age at drinking onset and the development of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence in a 12-year prospective study of youth in the United States. Methods: Logistic regression analyses were used to quantify the relationship between age at drinking onset and the development of alcohol abuse and dependence controlling for sociodemographic factors and problem indicators. Results: The odds of alcohol dependence decreased by 5% in 1989 and 9.0% in 1994 for each year drinking onset was delayed. In 1994, the odds of alcohol abuse increased by 7.0% with each decreasing year of age at drinking onset, while age at drinking onset was not related to alcohol abuse in 1989. Several other risk factors were found to be strong and consistent predictors of abuse and dependence in 1989 and 1994, including being male, divorced, separated or never married, younger, and having an early history antisocial behaviors and marijuana use. Implications: Implications of the results of this study are discussed in terms of other factors that may impact on the onset-abuse and onset-dependence relationship and the need to focus future prevention efforts.
Dynamic planar double layers: Filamentary substructures, electron holes and ion heating

[1] Using 2.5-D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, the formation of a double layer (DL) and its stability are studied. The ion beam accelerated by the DL generates fluctuations above the ion cyclotron frequency, triggering its fragmentation into substructures (DLSSs) like U- and V-shaped electrostatic shocks. The DL and DLSSs are seen to continually emit electron holes of varied shapes and sizes into the high-potential plasma above them, while below ions are transversely heated.
High-resolution and fast-response fiber-optic temperature sensor using silicon Fabry-Pérot cavity.

We report a fiber-optic sensor based on a silicon Fabry-Perot cavity, fabricated by attaching a silicon pillar on the tip of a single-mode fiber, for high-resolution and high-speed temperature measurement. The large thermo-optic coefficient and thermal expansion coefficient of the silicon material give rise to an experimental sensitivity of 84.6 pm/°C. The excellent transparency and large refractive index of silicon over the infrared wavelength range result in a visibility of 33 dB for the reflection spectrum. A novel average wavelength tracking method has been proposed and demonstrated for sensor demodulation with improved signal-to-noise ratio, which leads to a temperature resolution of 6 × 10−4 °C. Due to the high thermal diffusivity of silicon, a response time as short as 0.51 ms for a sensor with an 80-µm-diameter and 200-µm-long silicon pillar has been experimentally achieved, suggesting a maximum frequency of ~2 kHz can be reached, to address the needs for highly dynamic environmental variations such as those found in the ocean.
Writing Across The Curriculum A College Snapshot

This article describes a research project intended to yield data about the state of writing across the curriculum at one urban college campus site. The research included collecting writing from all courses of a random sample of freshmen-senior students during one college semester. Writing was coded and categorized according to audience and function. Data were analyzed, providing insight on, for example, audiences and functions by subject area and year and relationships between audiences and functions. Results indicate that teachers in the role of evaluators are the most prevalent audience for student writing and copied note taking, the most common writing function performed by students.Ultimately, the authors conclude by recommending a greater amount of writing to multiple audiences and for various functions.
Heat and mass transfer to and from surfaces with dense vegetation or similar permeable roughness

A differential equation is obtained to describe the concentration of passive admixtures (water vapor, sensible heat, pollutants, CO2, etc.) of turbulent flow inside a dense and uniform vegetational canopy. The profiles of eddy diffusivity, wind speed and shear stress are assumed to be exponential decay functions of depth below the top of the canopy. This equation is solved for the case of a vegetation with constant concentration of the admixture at the foliage surfaces. The solution is used to formulate bulk mass or heat transfer coefficients, which can be applied to practical problems involving surfaces covered with a vegetation or with similar porous or fibrous roughness elements. The results are shown to be consistent with experimental data presented by Chamberlain (1966), Garratt and Hicks (1973) and Garratt (1978). Calculations with the model illustrate that, as compared to its behavior over surfaces with bluff roughness elements, ln(z 0/z 0c ) (wherez 0 is the momentum roughness andz 0c , the scalar roughness) for permeable roughness elements is relatively insensitive tou * and practically independent ofz 0.
Detailed nuclear analysis of ITER ELM coils

Abstract The ELM coils in ITER are intended to provide control of Edge Localized Modes (ELMs). These coils are located on the outboard side of ITER between the shield modules and vacuum vessel (VV) and are subject to high radiation levels. Detailed three-dimensional (3-D) models of the toroidal and poloidal legs of the ELM coil and surrounding region for the MCNP code were updated to reflect the latest design changes. Neutronics calculations were performed to determine a variety of radiation damage parameters for the ELM coils as well as the VV located behind them. Additionally, detailed CAD based models for the upper ELM coil region were used to perform a CAD based analysis using the DAG-MCNP5 code. The results show that the ELM coil will meet the specified material radiation limits. However, the nuclear heating on the vacuum vessel behind the poloidal multi-pipe manifolds will exceed the specified limit.
Trade raises income: a precise and robust result

Abstract Does international trade promote income? Earlier studies could not provide conclusive evidence. This paper re-examines this question. Following previous work, we treat trade as endogenous and use geography to instrument for trade. We use a richer data set that allows us to estimate the impact of trade on income with much greater precision. We also show that geographical controls must enter the income equation to avoid bias. We find that countries that trade more reach higher levels of income. This result is remarkably robust to a wide array of geographical and institutional controls.
Where there is Power, there is no Eros: A Jungian Interpretation of the Weberian Legacy:

This article examines the influence of Weberian rationality on the human unconscious. Using the work of the depth psychologist C. G. Jung, I conclude that Weber's ideal construct is too one-sided. This entirely masculine and conscious approach to organizing posits too much psychic energy with the conscious ego, and, accordingly, the feminine, and the entire unconscious, all that we are not consciously aware of, is repressed. Thus this article finds that modern-day careerists who identify their whole being with their work suffer from emotionally stunted lives. Moreover, this repressed state of being transcends the boundary of the individual's organizational and private life. Concluding that repression of feeling in our culture, and the integral part that modern organization plays within this societal context, is serious, this study calls for a tempering of rationality within organization. Following the Jungian perspective that anything repressed for too long turns violent and that psychic wholeness can be ...
Review and synthesis of roughness-dominated transition correlations for reentry applications

Nomenclature a = constant; Fig. 1 C , C 0 = constants k = roughness element height, ft N k = average roughness element height, ft L = vehicle length, ft M = Mach number n = exponent; Fig. 1 N R = Poll’s transition parameter; Eq. (1) Reke = roughnessReynolds number based on height k and edge conditions Rekk = roughnessReynolds number based on height k and conditions at k Reμ = Reynolds number based on height μ and edge conditions U = velocity component parallel to test surface or velocity component perpendicularto attachment line, ft /s V = velocity component parallel to attachment line, ft/s X = generalized disturbanceparameter or axial coordinate along windward centerline x = coordinate perpendicular to attachment line, ft Y = generalized transition parameter ® = angle of attack, deg ± = smooth-wall laminar boundary-layer thickness, ft = Poll’s length scale [Eq. (2)], ft μ = smooth-wall laminar boundary-layermomentum thickness, ft 1 = viscosity, lbm/ft ¢ s o = kinematic viscosity, ft2/s 1⁄2 = density, lbm/ft
Fisheries: Deep-sea fishes qualify as endangered

A shift from shelf fisheries to the deep sea is exhausting late-maturing species that recover only slowly.
Fundamentals of Object Databases: Object-Oriented and Object-Relational Design

Object-oriented databases were originally developed as an alternative to relational database technology for the representation, storage, and access of non-traditional data forms that were increasingly found in advanced applications of database technology. After much debate regarding object-oriented versus relational database technology, object-oriented extensions were eventually incorporated into relational technology to create object-relational databases. Both object-oriented databases and object-relational databases, collectively known as object databases, provide inherent support for object features, such as object identity, classes, inheritance hierarchies, and associations between classes using object references. This monograph presents the fundamentals of object databases, with a specific focus on conceptual modeling of object database designs. After an introduction to the fundamental concepts of object-oriented data, the monograph provides a review of object-oriented conceptual modeling techniques using side-by-side Enhanced Entity Relationship diagrams and Unified Modeling Language conceptual class diagrams that feature class hierarchies with specialization constraints and object associations. These object-oriented conceptual models provide the basis for introducing case studies that illustrate the use of object features within the design of object-oriented and object-relational databases. For the object-oriented database perspective, the Object Data Management Group data definition language provides a portable, language-independent specification of an object schema, together with an SQL-like object query language. LINQ (Language INtegrated Query) is presented as a case study of an object query language together with its use in the db4o open-source object-oriented database. For the object-relational perspective, the object-relational features of the SQL standard are presented together with an accompanying case study of the object-relational features of Oracle. For completeness of coverage, an appendix provides a mapping of object-oriented conceptual designs to the relational model and its associated constraints.
See through the wall detection and classification of scattering primitives

See Through The Wall (STTW) radar applications have become of high importance to Homeland Security and Defense needs. In this work surface penetrating radar is simulated using basic physical principles of radar propagation and polarimetric scattering. Wavenumber migration imaging is applied to simulated radar data to produce polarimetric imagery. A detection algorithm is used to identify dihedral scattering signatures for mapping inner building walls. The detector utilizes two polarimetric channels: HH and VV to classify objects as outer wall, inner wall, or object within room. The final product is a data generated building model that maps the interior walls of the building.
Dynamic breast MRI with spiral trajectories: 3D versus 2D.

A three-dimensional (3)D spiral sequence was developed for dynamic breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with much improved image quality. Partial Z phase encoding was applied to obtain thinner slices for a coverage of the whole breast. Comparison between the 3D and a previously developed multi-slice 2D spiral sequences was performed on ten healthy volunteers without contrast and five breast patients with gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). The 3D spiral images had significantly less off-resonance blurring and spiral artifacts. With a small compromise on temporal resolution (7.7 seconds in 2D and 10.6 seconds in 3D), we obtained 32 interpolated 3-5 mm slices (with 20 Z phase encodes) for a full coverage of 10-16 cm breast with the same 1 x 1 mm2 in-plane resolution as the 2D sequence, which had 12 8-13 mm slices. Contrast between glandular and soft tissue in normal breasts was increased by about 25%. The reduced repetition time in the 3D spiral acquisition led to an increased Gd-enhanced signal. The difference between the enhancement of malignant and benign lesions increased by sevenfold. We expect that this new development could lead to improved specificity in characterizing breast lesions using MR imaging.
Frequency-domain equalization for multi-h CPM — An application to aeronautical telemetry

Frequency-domain equalization (FDE) is a low-complexity approach to remove the effects of intersymbol interference (ISI) introduced by propagation over a frequency-selective channel. In this paper, we present a novel receiver architecture for frequency-domain equalization of multi-h continuous phase modulation (CPM). The receiver front-end is a matched-filter bank, which is derived from a Laurent decomposition of the signal. A circulant-matrix model obtained for the samples of the matched filter is used to perform the equalization in frequency domain. It is shown that receiver complexity can be reduced by allowing a slight degradation in performance. The reduction in the complexity of the equalizer is proposed by dropping the FDE branches corresponding to low-energy Laurent pulses. It is observed that the loss in performance is acceptable even when a few significant branches are considered. Simulation results are presented for the IRIG-106 aeronautical telemetry dual-h CPM waveform.
Biomineralization of As(V)-hydrous ferric oxyhydroxide in microbial mats of an acid-sulfate-chloride geothermal spring, Yellowstone National Park

Abstract Acid-sulfate-chloride (pH∼3) geothermal springs in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) often contain Fe(II), As(III), and S(-II) at discharge, providing several electron donors for chemolithotrophic metabolism. The microbial populations inhabiting these environments are inextricably linked with geochemical processes controlling the behavior of As and Fe. Consequently, the objectives of the current study were to (i) characterize Fe-rich microbial mats of an ASC thermal spring, (ii) evaluate the composition and structure of As-rich hydrous ferric oxides (HFO) associated with these mats, and (iii) identify microorganisms that are potentially responsible for mat formation via the oxidation of Fe(II) and or As(III). Aqueous and solid phase mat samples obtained from a spring in Norris Basin, YNP (YNP Thermal Inventory NHSP35) were analyzed using a complement of chemical, microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. In addition, molecular analysis (16S rDNA) was used to identify potentially dominant microbial populations within different mat locations. The biomineralization of As-rich HFO occurs in the presence of nearly equimolar aqueous As(III) and As(V) (∼12 μM), and ∼ 48 μM Fe(II), forming sheaths external to microbial cell walls. These solid phases were found to be poorly ordered nanocrystalline HFO containing mole ratios of As(V):Fe(III) of 0.62 ± 0.02. The bonding environment of As(V) and Fe(III) is consistent with adsorption of arsenate on edge and corner positions of Fe(III)-OH octahedra. Numerous archaeal and bacterial sequences were identified (with no closely related cultured relatives), along with several 16S sequences that are closely related to Acidimicrobium, Thiomonas, Metallosphaera and Marinithermus isolates. Several of these cultured relatives have been implicated in Fe(II) and or As(III) oxidation in other low pH, high Fe, and high As environments (e.g. acid-mine drainage). The unique composition and morphologies of the biomineralized phases may be useful as modern-day analogs for identifying microbial life in past Fe-As rich environments.
The Predatory Ecology of Deinonychus and the Origin of Flapping in Birds

Most non-avian theropod dinosaurs are characterized by fearsome serrated teeth and sharp recurved claws. Interpretation of theropod predatory ecology is typically based on functional morphological analysis of these and other physical features. The notorious hypertrophied ‘killing claw’ on pedal digit (D) II of the maniraptoran theropod Deinonychus (Paraves: Dromaeosauridae) is hypothesized to have been a predatory adaptation for slashing or climbing, leading to the suggestion that Deinonychus and other dromaeosaurids were cursorial predators specialized for actively attacking and killing prey several times larger than themselves. However, this hypothesis is problematic as extant animals that possess similarly hypertrophied claws do not use them to slash or climb up prey. Here we offer an alternative interpretation: that the hypertrophied D-II claw of dromaeosaurids was functionally analogous to the enlarged talon also found on D-II of extant Accipitridae (hawks and eagles; one family of the birds commonly known as “raptors”). Here, the talon is used to maintain grip on prey of subequal body size to the predator, while the victim is pinned down by the body weight of the raptor and dismembered by the beak. The foot of Deinonychus exhibits morphology consistent with a grasping function, supportive of the prey immobilisation behavior model. Opposite morphological trends within Deinonychosauria (Dromaeosauridae + Troodontidae) are indicative of ecological separation. Placed in context of avian evolution, the grasping foot of Deinonychus and other terrestrial predatory paravians is hypothesized to have been an exaptation for the grasping foot of arboreal perching birds. Here we also describe “stability flapping”, a novel behaviour executed for positioning and stability during the initial stages of prey immobilisation, which may have been pivotal to the evolution of the flapping stroke. These findings overhaul our perception of predatory dinosaurs and highlight the role of exaptation in the evolution of novel structures and behaviours.
Nucleation in analytical chemistry—III: The precipitation nucleus of silver chloride

Abstract Precipitation from homogeneous solution has been employed to study the size of the nucleus of silver chloride. The kinetics of particle formation indicate that this nucleus consists of about five ions. This result supports the findings of the Christiansen-Nielsen nucleation theory.
Characterization of MBE-grown II–VI semiconductor distributed Bragg reflectors

Abstract We have grown distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) using two different combinations of II–VI semiconductor materials: ZnSe/Zn 0.84 Mg 0.16 S 0.07 Se 0.93 and ZnSe/ZnTe. The nearly lattice matched ZnSe/ZnMgSSe system showed a reflectivity maximum near 470 nm, but only with the modest value of 70%. The strained ZnSe/ZnTe system, on the other hand, has over 90% reflectivity near 725 nm. Furthermore, the higher reflectivity in the ZnSe/ZnTe system is achieved with only 15 periods, compared to the 50 periods in the ZnSe/ZnMgSSe system. It is also found that the ZnSe/ZnTe system produces a stop band nearly 5 times wider than the ZnSe/ZnMgSSe system.
The Role of the ACCUPLACER Mathematics Placement Test on a Student’s First College Mathematics Course

The first college mathematics course a student enrolls in is often affected by performance on a college mathematics placement test. Yet validity evidence of mathematics placement tests remains limi...
Heparin Facilitates Dissociation of Complexes between Thrombin and a Reactive Site Mutant (L444R) of Heparin Cofactor II

Heparin cofactor II (HCII) inhibits thrombin by forming a stable 1:1 complex. Heparin and dermatan sulfate increase the rate of complex formation >/=1000-fold. Mutation of leucine 444 to arginine at the P1 position of recombinant HCII (rHCII) increases the rate of inhibition of thrombin approximately 100-fold in the absence of a glycosaminoglycan (Derechin, V. M., Blinder, M. A., and Tollefsen, D. M. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 5623-5628). We now report that heparin facilitates dissociation of the thrombin-rHCII(L444R) complex. In the presence of heparin, thrombin is inhibited rapidly and completely by a 35-fold molar excess of rHCII(L444R), but subsequently approximately 50% of the thrombin activity reappears with a t1/2 of approximately 20 min. At higher ratios of rHCII(L444R) to thrombin, the reappearance of thrombin activity is delayed and the final plateau of activity is decreased. Electrophoretic analysis indicates that proteolysis of excess rHCII(L444R) precedes the reappearance of thrombin activity. Addition of heparin at longer intervals after formation of the thrombin-rHCII(L444R) complex causes a progressive decrease in the thrombin plateau, suggesting that in the absence of heparin the complex is slowly converted to a non-dissociable form. By contrast to heparin, dermatan sulfate does not facilitate dissociation of the thrombin-rHCII(L444R) complex. Our findings indicate that the P1 residue of HCII affects not only the rate of inhibition of thrombin but also the stability of the resulting complex.
Auxin-induced Methylation in Maize

THE transfer of methyl groups from methionine to the hot-water-soluble fraction of Avena coleoptile cell walls is increased by indoleacetic acid (IAA)1. Unlike most effects of indoleacetic acid, this increase occurs even when all expansion is osmotically prevented. Thus this process appears to be directly controlled by auxin and may constitute a portion of the mechanism whereby auxin induces elongation. If this were so, it would be expected that auxin would influence this transfer in all tissues which show an auxin-growth response. Maize coleoptile and mesocotyl tissues have now been examined for the presence of auxin-induced methylation.
Reward direction— not perfection

only in the fourth grade, he is big for his age. He picks several fights a day. His attacks are both physical and verbal, but his victims are always smaller and weaker than he is. He can skillfully trip a running classmate or "accidentally" push another child's face into the drinking fountain. He can spot another child's insecurity and tease cruelly ("Rachel's father ran away; Rachel's father wants to play").
The effect of Cl− ions on the passivation of Fe26Cr alloy

Abstract Anodic oxide films formed on Fe26Cr in pH 2.0 H 2 SO 4 solution in the presence and absence of Cl − ions have been investigated using electrochemical techniques and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) combined with ion sputtering. It is possible to incorporate Cl − ions into passive oxide films formed over the entire passive potential range only when Cl − is present in the solution from the very beginning of film formation. Cl − ion incorporation does not cause any change in film thickness or Fe/Cr ratio, or any film thinning or film breakdown. A relatively short anodization in Cl − -free solution is sufficient to prevent any subsequent Cl − ion incorporation. The susceptibility of the passive film to Cl − attack appears to depend on the presence of small amounts of impurity in the alloy. A 99.97% pure alloy does not pit, whereas a 99.93% pure alloy, with larger concentrations of C, S, Mn, Co and Ni, does suffer intergranular attack in Cl − solution.
Mechanics of the hysteretic large strain behavior of mussel byssus threads

Natural fibers are particularly interesting from a materials point of view since their morphology has been tailored to enable a wide range of macroscopic level functions and mechanical properties. In this paper, we focus on mussel byssal threads which possess a morphology specifically designed to provide a hysteretic yet resilient large strain deformation behavior. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that numerous natural fibers have a multi-domain architecture composed of folded modules which are linked together in series along a macromolecular chain. This microstructure leads to a strong rate and temperature dependent mechanical behavior and one which exhibits a stretch-induced softening of the mechanical response as a result of the underlying morphology evolving with imposed stretched. This paper addresses the development of a constitutive model for the stress–strain behavior of the distal portion of mussel byssal threads based on the underlying protein network structure and its morphology evolving with imposed stretched. The model will be shown to capture the major features of the stress–strain behavior, including the highly nonlinear stress–strain behavior, and its dependence on strain rate and stretch-induced softening.
Structural differences of metal biphenylenebisphosphonate with change in the alkali metal

A series of monovalent biphenylenebisphosphonates have been prepared using hydrothermal synthesis resulting in a composition M[HO{sub 3}PC{sub 12}H{sub 8}PO{sub 3}H{sub 2}] where M=Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +}, Rb{sup +}, and Cs{sup +}. Three of the original four phosphonic acid protons are retained, making the compounds Broensted acids. A synthesis using microwave irradiation results in a new compound, Na{sub 2}(HO{sub 3}PC{sub 12}H{sub 8}PO{sub 3}H), where only two protons are retained. Two structural types were found for the three-dimensional compounds where one type has a continuous inorganic layer. In the other structural type, the inorganic layer is formed by hydrogen bonding between neighboring chains. These structural variations arise as the coordination number changes from 4 for lithium to 8 for cesium without change in composition. The dense packing of the biphenylenebisphosphonate restricts the access to the protons, thus these compounds cannot be used as Broensted acid catalysts. Alternatively, addition of N,N-dimethylformamide to the reaction mixture results in inclusion of ammonium ions in the cavities. - Graphical abstract: Two of five metal biphenylenebisphosphonate structures (lithium (a) and cesium (b)) are presented. Each compound is a potential Bronsted acid catalyst, where three of the original four protons are retained from the biphenylenebisphosphonic acid.more » Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Alkali phosphonates are Broensted acids with the retention of three protons per alkali cation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These compounds are thermally stable to approximately 300 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new structure was formed from the in situ synthesis with dimethylformamide as a reactant. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer With lack of access to the protons the alkali phosphonates cannot function as a Bronsted acid catalysts.« less
Some Moot Problems in Social Organization

American Anthropologist NEW SERIES Vol. 36 JULY-SEPTEMBER, 1934 No.3 SOME MOOT PROBLEMS IN SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AXIOMS By ROBERT H. LOWIE recent papers on social organization 1 explain the distribution of social phenomena by diffusion from a single world centre. Conclusions of such import challenge scrutiny as to the methods by which they have been reached. In my judgment they are corollaries of questionable axioms. According to Professor Olson, unilateral descent is an almost incon­ ceivable anomaly, hence multiple origin is unthinkable: not only have all American clan systems sprung from one source but that source must lie in the Old World to save us from the awkward plight of positing their special creation within the New World (pp. 411-14). The axiom is no~ new, since Lewis H. Morgan (Ancient Society, pt. II, ch. XV) considered. the clan (gens) an essentially abstruse institution and alleged the improbability of its repeated reproduction in disconnected areas. Those who do not accept the dogma naturally have offered hypotheses to account for clans. Professor Olson chides them for explaining the esoteric in terms of the prosaic. What does he conceive an explanation to be? Should it reduce the unknown to the unknowable? There is one attempt to prop the axiom. Unilateral reckoning, it seems, is esoteric because it contradicts the duality of parenthood,and results in an unnatural stressing of one side of the family.... Children naturally feel that the parent bestowing clanship is of more importance than the one who is nothing more than a biological accessory. Yet in our own so­ ciety the father alone bestows familyship without reducing the mother to the status of a mere biological accessory. Correspondingly, in primitive matrilineal societies the father is not eliminated; he and his kin remain' important, as the Crow, Trobriand Island, Banks Island, Hopi data irrefutably demonstrate. Indeed, the avunculate is so frequently balanced by the position of the father's sister that I have suggested the term amitate to express her status. IE. M. Loeb, Die soziale Organisation Indonesiens und Ozeaniens, A 28: 649-62, 1933. R. L. Olson, Clan and Moiety in Native America, UC-PAAE 33: 351-422,1933. T wo
Contact analysis of three-dimensional rough surfaces under frictionless and frictional contact

Abstract A methodology for surface and sub-surface stress calculation of nominally flat on flat rough surface contact has been developed. This methodology is applicable for both large area contact (Hertzian contact) and small area of asperity contact (point load contact) with and without surface friction. A total of nine rough surfaces are generated by the computer with specified standard deviation of surface heights, σ, of 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 nm, and correlation length, β ∗ , of 0.1, 0.5 and 0.9 μm. Under the typical applied load at the magnetic head slider-disk interface, small numbers of contact points are obtained and the deformation is purely elastic. Since these contact points are scattered and isolated, asperity contact behaves like point load contact. As β ∗ becomes larger, more adjacent points will be in contact at a certain contact spot and this is especially true at small σ. All the cases of flat on flat rough surface contact yield maximum von Mises stress on and near the surface at both frictionless and frictional contacts; no local maximum occurs in the sub-surface. In general, the friction effect in the vicinity of contact point is to increase the stress magnitude, while outside this region it also alters the stress distribution. For a surface of small β ∗ and large σ at high load of 1000 times of the nominal pressure at the head-disk interface, the contact pressure reaches the hardness at a few contact points and plastic deformation takes place in the near surface.
Antibodies to quinolinic acid reveal localization in select immune cells rather than neurons or astroglia

Polyclonal antibodies were produced against quinolinic acid. No immunoreactivity was observed in any cell type in carbodiimide-fixed brain tissue from control rats. When the antibodies were applied to carbodiimide-fixed spleen tissue, strong quinolinic acid immunoreactivity was observed in some cells with the appearance of macrophages and dendritic cells. These findings indicate an immune system origin for quinolinic acid, and implicate immune cells in excitotoxic CNS pathologies. These findings also raise the possibility that quinolinic acid is a unique cytokine in immune system signal transmission.
Introducing a Bayesian Approach to Determining Degree of Fit With Existing Rorschach Norms

This article offers a new methodological approach to investigate the degree of fit between an independent sample and 2 existing sets of norms. Specifically, with a new adaptation of a Bayesian method, we developed a user-friendly procedure to compare the mean values of a given sample to those of 2 different sets of Rorschach norms. To illustrate our technique, we used a small, U.S. community sample of 80 adults and tested whether it resembled more closely the standard Comprehensive System norms (CS 600; Exner, 2003), or a recently introduced, internationally based set of Rorschach norms (Meyer, Erdberg, & Shaffer, 2007). Strengths and limitations of this new statistical technique are discussed.
Head Injury and Blast Exposure: Vestibular Consequences

Young adults are more likely to suffer blast injury and traumatic brain injury (TBI) than other age groups. This article reviews the literature on the vestibular consequences of blast exposure and TBI and concussion. In addition, the vestibular test findings obtained from 31 veterans with a history of blast exposure and/or mild TBI are presented. The authors discuss loss of horizontal semicircular canal function and postural instability related to head injury. Preliminary data suggest the novel theory that otolith organs are uniquely vulnerable to head injury and blast exposure. Language: en
On the Equation of Diffusion.

Under the title "The Analytical Theory of Probability," A. Kolmogoroff [1] published a few years ago a mathematically elegant account of what might be called the general theory of diffusion. As the main result of his analysis, he sets up two differential equations for transition probabilities (see below). The first of them contains as its independent variables the initial parameters of the transition probability and has an analytical form resembling the ordinary diffusion equation. Unlike it, the second differential equation (depending on the final parameters) has a different form unfamiliar to the physicist. The puzzling asymmetry of the two equations, as to whose physical reasons the author gives no hint, was, in our opinion, the main cause why the work of Kolmogoroff did not receive more attention. Unless these reasons are fully understood, an intelligent application of the theory to practical problems is very difficult. We think it, therefore, worth while to present in the following lines a discussion of the mutual connection between the two equations of Kolmogoroff and of their relation to other forms of the diffusion equation used in physics.