cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large restriction fragment patterns of genomic Mycobacterium fortuitum DNA as strain-specific markers and their use in epidemiologic investigation of four nosocomial outbreaks.

Abstract Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and restriction endonucleases with rare recognition sites were used to generate large restriction fragment (LRF) patterns of genomic DNA from 48 isolates of Mycobacterium fortuitum biovariant fortuitum. Epidemiologically unrelated isolates gave highly diverse patterns when AsnI, HpaI, AflII, DraI, NdeI, XbaI, SpeI, or SspI was used. Epidemiologically related isolates produced identical or minimally different LRF patterns. Minor variations in LRF patterns were seen in two epidemic isolates digested with XbaI, suggesting that genetic alteration had occurred. LRF patterns were used to study three cardiac surgery wound infection outbreaks and one respiratory disease nosocomial outbreak. In two outbreaks, LRF patterns confirmed the reported clustering of isolates on the basis of multiple phenotyping methods. In the remaining two outbreaks, isolates which could not be separated by prior typing methods were easily distinguished by LRF pattern analysis. Environmental water isolates from two outbreaks had LRF patterns identical to those of the disease-producing strains, confirming that the local environment was the source of infection. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of LRFs of genomic DNA offers great promise as an epidemiologic tool for the study of M. fortuitum.
Seasonal fluctuations in brain nuclei in the red-sided garter snake and their hormonal control

In many vertebrates, breeding seasons are protracted and mating behavior is temporally associated with gonadal growth and increased sex steroid hormone secretion. In the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), mating behavior is restricted to the 2–4 weeks immediately following emergence from winter dormancy. During this period mating behavior is sex-specific: chin-rubbing is exhibited only by males and receptivity to chin-rubbing is exhibited only by females. It is remarkable that mating occurs when the gonads are small and circulating concentrations of gonadal hormones are low. As in other vertebrate species, limbic nuclei are involved in the mediation of mating behaviors. To determine if limbic nuclei are sexually dimorphic and, further, whether they fluctuate in size with the seasons, the volume of brain areas was measured in both sexes at different times of the year (spring, fall, hibernation) and after hormone manipulation (gonadectomy and gonadectomy plus hormone treatment). The areas of interest were the preoptic area (POA), ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), and the nucleus sphericus (NS or amygdala); control areas included the external nucleus of the optic tract (a cell-rich area) and medial forebrain bundle (a fiber-rich area). Comparisons according to season and manipulation revealed only two instances of sexual dimorphism: the POA of females was significantly smaller than that of males during hibernation and the NS of females was significantly smaller than that of males in those animals not subjected to hibernation. This general lack of sexual dimorphisms in the brain despite the sex-specificity of the behavior patterns and their marked seasonality may reflect the dissociated reproductive pattern characteristic of this species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Characterization of Spontaneous Inhibitory Synaptic Currents in Salamander Retinal Ganglion Cells

Gao, Fan and Samuel M. Wu. Characterization of spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents in salamander retinal ganglion cells. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1752–1764, 1998. Spontaneous and light-evoked post...
Software Engineering Education in the New Millennium

This panel will discuss how educational institutions will meet the high world wide demand for software engineers. Software engineering education trends in the United States, Europe, China, and India will be discussed by the panelists
Characteristics of Cr-SiO2-nSi tunnel diodes☆

Abstract The admittance of Cr-SiO2-nSi tunnel diodes was measured at 195 and 295 K, from which the surface potential ψs(Va) and the energy distribution of the surface states Nss which communicate with the silicon were determined. By employing these data, the I(Va) characteristics measured at 77, 195 and 295 K are interpreted as tunneling current consisting of two components. The first is a net electron tunnel current from the Si-conduction band through the oxide into the metal which dominates at room temperature for forward bias Va greater than 0.4 V. Introducing a simple model of a trapezoidal SiO2 barrier allows us to calculate the band to band current, resulting in typical values of the barrier height ηo = 0.24 eV and barrier width d o = 24 A . The second component is a net recombination current of electrons from the Si-conduction band into surface states which then tunnel through the oxide into the metal; this component dominates for reverse bias and for small forward bias, especially at low temperatures. It is a current via surface states Nsm which are at the Si-SiO2 interface but rapidly communicate with the metal, and it is therefore recombination controlled. Together, these components explain the measured bias and temperature dependence of the d.c. current.
Impact of substrate overloading on archaeal populations in anaerobic digestion of animal waste.

Aims To characterize adaptive changes in methanogenic microbial community in response to substrate overloading and identify potential linkages between process performance and microbial community composition. Methods and Results Triplicate continuous anaerobic digesters were developed as model anaerobic digestion processes, which were subsequently disrupted by substrate overloading. The clone library analysis of archaeal communities experiencing substrate overloading showed that populations related to Methanosaeta were the dominant methanogens before and after substrate overloading, suggesting the functional importance of these acetoclastic methanogens in balanced anaerobic digestion processes characterized with low organic acids concentrations. Population redundancy in Methanosaeta increased following substrate overloading with the emergence of additional populations of Methanosaeta. More importantly, the methanogenic community responded to process imbalance with greater functional diversity with increased abundance of functionally distinct hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogens, which likely enhanced the functional stability of anaerobic digestion during disruptions in the anaerobic food web under process perturbation. Crenarchaeota were identified as persistent constituents of the archaeal communities in anaerobic digestion, warranting further efforts to identifying the functions of these phylogenetically distinct populations in anaerobic digestion. Conclusions Substrate overloading in anaerobic digestion resulted in an increased functional diversity of the methanogenic community, which enhanced the capacity to overcome subsequent occurrences of process perturbations without performance disruption, providing a potential strategy to maintain process stability in anaerobic digestion. Significance and Impact of the Study Anaerobic digestion is a sustainable option for waste treatment and renewable energy production. However, process instability resulting from variations in substrate loading has been one of the obstacles to the broader adoption of anaerobic digestion technology. Insight into the linkages between process performance and microbial community gained in this study is valuable for developing strategies for the mitigation of the impact of substrate overloading on anaerobic digestion processes.
Lattice structure of temporal interval relations

Due to increasing interest in representation of temporal knowledge, automation of temporal reasoning, and analysis of distributed systems, literally dozens of temporal models have been proposed and explored during the last decade. Interval-based temporal models are especially appealing when reasoning about events with temporal extent but pose special problems when deducing possible relationships among events. The paper delves deeply into the structure of the set of atomic relations in a class of temporal interval models assumed to satisfy density and homogeneity properties. An order structure is imposed on the atomic relations of a given model allowing the characterization of the compositions of atomic relations (or even lattice intervals) as lattice intervals. By allowing the utilization of lattice intervals rather than individual relations, this apparently abstract result explicitly leads to a concrete approach which speeds up constraint propagation algorithms.
Differential sensitivity of mounting and lordosis control systems to early androgen treatment in male and female hamsters.

Abstract The effects of early testosterone propionate (TP) treatment on the adult sexual behavior of hamsters were investigated in two experiments. In Expt. I, male and female pups were injected with oil vehicle or 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, or 250 μg of TP 24 hr after birth. In Expt. II, males and females received either oil or 10 μg of TP on the day of birth (Day 1), Day 3, Day 5, Day 7, or Day 9. At 70 days of age all animals were gonadectomized and 10 days later tested for lordosis behavior after estrogen and progesterone priming. One week after the test for female behavior all females began receiving 500 μg of TP each day and were tested for mounting and intromission behavior three times at 10 day intervals. Lordosis behavior was inhibited by as little as 5 μg of TP given 24 hr after birth. In males this dose produced the maximal effect, but in females increasing dosages resulted in a proportional decrease in lordosis duration. One μg of TP neonatally facilitated later mounting and intromission behavior in females and 250 μg of TP was no more effective than 1 μg. Lordosis duration was inhibited in females by 10 μg of TP on either Day 1 or 3, however, mounts and intromissions were facilitated by TP treatment on Day 1, 3, 5 or 7. These experiments demonstrate that the mechanisms mediating masculine behavior are more sensitive to neonatal TP treatment than are the mechanisms mediating lordosis behavior.
An autoradiographic study of [3H]flunitrazepam binding sites in the brain of rat made tolerant to and dependent on pentobarbital

The effects of continuous administration of pentobarbital on the benzodiazepine receptor labeled by [3H]flunitrazepam were investigated. Animals were made tolerant to pentobarbital by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion with pentobarbital (300 micrograms/10 microliters/h) for 6 days through pre-implanted canulae connected to osmotic mini-pumps. The dependent rats were assessed 24 h after cessation of pentobarbital infusion. Changes in [3H]flunitrazepam binding were examined in 37 brain regions at a concentration of [3H]flunitrazepam of 1 nM. In subsequent saturation studies, the binding parameters Bmax and KD were also investigated in 17 brain regions, most of which showed significant changes in [3H]flunitrazepam binding in experiments using a fixed concentration of radioligand. The pentobarbital-tolerant rats showed a significant increase in Bmax with an increase in KD for [3H]flunitrazepam in the ventroposterior nucleus of thalamus. In the dependent rats, a significant increase in Bmax for [3H]flunitrazepam binding, without a change in KD, was observed in all layers of the frontal cortex, the caudate-putamen, olfactory tubercle, and some nuclei in thalamus, compared to those in the control. Increased [3H]flunitrazepam binding in the molecular layer of the olfactory bulb, the ventral pallidum, and the cerebellum of the pentobarbital dependent rats at a fixed concentration of [3H]flunitrazepam was also observed. There was no significant change in [3H]flunitrazepam binding in the hippocampus and several nuclei of the brain stem. These findings suggest that benzodiazepine receptors are closely involved in the development of tolerance to and dependence on pentobarbital. Further studies on changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor subunit mRNA or the effects of pentobarbital on GABAA receptor phosphorylation would be necessary for an explanation of the precise mechanisms underlying the development of tolerance to and dependence on pentobarbital.
Emotional State, Physical Well‐Being, and Performance in the Presence of Feigned Ambient Odor1

Measures of emotional state, physical well-being, performance, and room odor were obtained from subjects given the suggestion of a pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral ambient odor (n= 30 per condition). The hedonic quality of the feigned odor altered self-reports of pleasure, but not dominance or arousal. Subjects given the pleasant suggestion reported a more positive mood. The number of reported physical health symptoms differed as a function of the hedonic quality of the feigned odor. The category corresponding to the fewest number of physical symptoms was predominated by subjects in the pleasant condition, while subjects in the unpleasant condition predominated the category with the greatest number of symptoms. Subjects predicted higher task performance in the unpleasant condition, but no differences were found among conditions in actual performance. Room odor ratings differed in directions consistent with the hedonic quality of the feigned odor. The effects of olfactory suggestion may be relevant to the psychosomatic component of sick building syndrome and to the perception and marketing of fragrance.
A Model of the Effect of Aerosols on Urban Climates with Particular Applications to the Los Angeles Basin

Abstract A one-dimensional, time-dependent model of the boundary layer has been developed to study the effects of pollutants an local meteorological variables. Radiative terms in the model are computed using a fourstream discrete-ordinate method, convective terms are parameterized at the surface using transfer coefficients, and dynamical terms are evaluated from available data. The model is compared initially to the Great Plains data with good results. The results of several model runs with varying types of pollutant concentrations are then discussed. The dominant conclusion that can be drawn from these results is that strong compensation between radiative and convective effects and between low-level heating and inversion rise act to minimize the effect of urban pollutants on surface and atmospheric temperatures. The model results also show that urban pollutants tend to warm the surface slightly and, possibly, to suppress the rate of inversion rise.
Lipid composition and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity of acinar cell carcinoma of rat pancreas.

Abstract The lipid composition and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity of subcutaneous transplantable pancreatic acinar cell tumors on nude mice were compared with those of normal, regenerating, fetal and newborn rat pancreata. The tumors and also the fetal tissues showed decreased concetration in total lipids, increased concentration in sphingomyelin and an increase in cholesterol when compared to normal rat pancreas. The regenerating pancreas showed and intermediate elevation in these lipid parameters. Specifically, only tumor showed an increase in phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphatidylcholine ratio. The tumors and also the fetal tissues showed an increase in hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase activities, suggesting that the de novo synthesis of cholesterol is a requirement for cell proliferation. The cholesterol metabolism in normal tissues is under metabolic regulation as indicated by decreased hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase activities and decreased cholesterol concentration in postnatal tissues when compared with the fetal tissues. The fast growing AT 3 A tumor higher hydroxmethylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity when compared to the slow growing AT 3 B tumor, indicating that the differences in growth rate of the tumors may be related at least in part to differences in their cholesterol metabolism.
Thermodynamics of polynuclear aromatic molecules I. Heat capacities and enthalpies of fusion of pyrene, fluoranthene, and triphenylene

The heat capacities of three crystalline condensed-ring aromatic substances were studied from 5 to 350 K by adiabatic cryogenic calorimetry and into the liquid phase with the intermediate-range adiabatic calorimeter. The heat capacities, entropies, and enthalpies at 298 K, together with the triple points and enthalpies of melting are: Download : Download full-size image A gradual transition in pyrene occurs near 120.8 K with an associated enthalpy increment of 68.8 cal mol−1. The nature of the melting process is considered.
Community-based health care 10 years post Alma Ata.

This article briefly reviews the concept of community-based health care (CBHC) and its viability. CBHC describes the extension of primary health care (PHC) into the community with the contribution and participation of the community of beneficiaries. With few exceptions CBHC has been the work of non-government agencies thus limiting the size and funding of the projects. Consequently full benefits of CBHC have yet to be seen. However a notable advantage of CBHC is that it makes a comprehensive range of services more accessible to a community without necessarily increasing the cost. Much of the debate on selective versus comprehensive PHC can be reduced to the issue of water supply improvements a common community priority. Successful water projects require major financial inputs and are often frought with technical problems which may discourage community participation. Socio-economic and political hurdles also exist. Many donors prefer to support large projects to benefit communities of 30000 or more. Moreover it is not clear how governments can move away from reducing PHC into training community health workers. The levels of input and skills required may be beyond government capacity in many countries. East African experiences illustrate that a number of critical issues need to be resolved for CBHC to succeed: 1) uncertain funding sources 2) community poverty 3) the disproportionate impact of excessive foreign funds on local development 4) undue emphasis on selectively chosen activities such as mobile capacity and social mobilization of community health workers and 5) the perception of CBHC as an alternative rather than an extension to PHC.
Wavell and the Dying Days of the Raj: Britain's Penultimate Viceroy in India. By Muhammad Iqbal Chawla. (Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press, 2012. Pp. xi, 293. $25.00.)

This study revisits the complex, protracted negotiations among the Indian National Congress, the Muslim League, and the British colonial government between 1945 and 1947. The author's focus, howeve...
Epithelial cell layer thickness and immune cell populations in the normal human vagina at different stages of the menstrual cycle.

Abstract Objective: The aim of our study was to examine vaginal tissue during 3 phases of the menstrual cycle for the number of cell layers and epithelial immune cells. Study Design: Vaginal biopsies were performed during 3 phases of the normal menstrual cycle (menstrual, days 1-5; preovulatory, days 7-12; and postovulatory, days 19-24) in 74 subjects. A subset of women had vaginal tissues stained with specific monoclonal antibody markers for Langerhans cells (CD1a), macrophages (KP1), T and B lymphocytes (CD4, CD8, CD21) and neutrophils (CD15). The number of cell layers and the number of immune cells in the vaginal tissue biopsy specimen were determined by a single observer who was blinded to clinical data. Results: At 3 phases of the normal menstrual cycle, the mean number of epithelial cell layers underwent a small but statistically significant decrease from 27.8 ± 0.7 on days 1-5 and 28.1 ± 0.6 on days 7-12 to 26.0 ± 0.7 on days 19-24 of the cycle ( P = .01). Nonovulating women had a reduced mean epithelial cell layer count on days 7-12 (23.7 ± 1.4) compared with the epithelial cell layer count in ovulating women (28.8 ± 0.7; P = .005). No significant changes were observed in the mean number per high-power field of Langerhans cells, macrophages, CD4 or CD8 lymphocytes, and neutrophil cell populations during the 3 phases of the cycle. B lymphocytes were not observed in the vaginal tissues. Conclusion: A small but statistically significant reduction in the number of vaginal epithelial cells was observed over the menstrual cycle. This reduction is not likely to be clinically significant. Immune cell populations in the vaginal tissues appeared stable throughout the menstrual cycle. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:967-73.)
A Comparison of Teacher and Parent Delivered Consequences: Improving Classroom Behavior in Low-Income Children with ADHD

Both teacher and parent delivered consequences have been shown to be effective in improving the classroom behavior of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, there is a delay between the behavior and delivery of parent provided consequences. The delay may make the consequences less salient and effective, for children with ADHD. The current study compared the effectiveness of parent delivered consequences (PC) to teacher delivered consequences (TC) for increasing academic performance and appropriate classroom behavior in African American, low income, elementary students with ADHD. Results indicate that the two interventions are equally effective in improving children's on-task behavior and classwork productivity.
Charge density waves in the square nets of tellurium of AMRETe4 (A = K, Na; M = Cu, Ag; RE = La, Ce).

The charge density wave distortions of the square nets of tellurium in AMRETe4 (A = K, Na; M = Cu, Ag; RE = La, Ce) and RETe3 are influenced by the degree of separation and interaction of the tellurium nets. Each combination of A-M-RE in this family generates a unique CDW pattern.
West Nile virus infection among the homeless, Houston, Texas

Among 397 homeless participants studied, the overall West Nile virus (WNV) seroprevalence was 6.8%. Risk factors for WNV infection included being homeless >1 year, spending >6 hours outside daily, regularly taking mosquito precautions, and current marijuana use. Public health interventions need to be directed toward this high-risk population.
Passive Airborne Navigation and Terrain Avoidance Using Gravity Gradiometry

The Air Force is studying the integration of an inertial navigation system (INS) and a gravity gradiometer for passive, purely autonomous navigation and terrain avoidance. In such an inertial/gradiometric system, navigation errors are bounded by passive updates consisting of real-time matches between the single flight-path profile of measured gravity gradients and stored, constant-altitude grids of estimated gradients based on all available ground gravity, terrain elevation, and mass density data. An envisioned mechanization is block diagrammed and reviewed. The relationship between the system's three-dimensional position errors, the self-generated errors of the INS and gradiometer, and the errors in the stored gradient grids is discussed. If high-resoluti on grids of ground gravity and terrain elevation data exist for the fly-over area, then airborne grids of gravity gradients can be rigorously estimated without any assumption involving terrain mass densities. If ground gravity data is lacking, a nominal terrain density value is assumed and terrain-implied grids of gradients can be nonoptimally estimated. The two estimation techniques possess no relative bias and produce airborne grids having similar gradient trends and statistical properties. The power spectrum densities of local terrain-implied gravity fields are shown to dominate those of local geology-implied (subterranean) fields along the shorter wavelengths where most of the spectral sensitivities of the gradiometer's signal reside. The effects of aboveground altitudes, aircraft velocities, and low-noise gradient production rates on terrain feature resolvability are discussed. The performance specifications of gradiometers currently being developed are reviewed. Although the requirements of this application are demanding, it is felt they can be engineered into an optimal 21st century gravity gradiometer design.
W-band pulsed radar receiver in low cost CMOS

A CMOS heterodyne receiver integrating a phase-locked loop that includes a bulk of transmitter functions for W-band pulsed radar is realized using low leakage transistors of a low cost 65-nm bulk CMOS process with 5 thin and 1 thick metal layers used to manufacture cell phone RFIC's. The peak conversion gain of receiver is 7 dB and the minimum NF is 10.8 dB between 78 and 88 GHz in measurement. The entire receiver front-end consumes ∼190 mW.
Numbers in a given set with (or without) a large prime factor

This survey treats two connected questions in analytic number theory: given a set of natural numbers, one may seek numbers with large prime factors in the set. Alternatively, one searches for smooth numbers in the set. Many examples have been studied: the set of values of a polynomial, the set of integers in a short interval, the set of shifted primes p+a and so on. These are discussed at some length, with references to the literature.
Energetics and Kinetics of SNARE Zippering and Regulation Revealed by Single-Molecule Manipulation Approach

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE) proteins are evolutionarily conserved molecule machines that couple their folding/assembly to drive diverse intracellular membrane fusion. In particular, neuronal SNAREs mediate extremely fast and calcium-triggered fusion of synaptic vesicles in nerve endings for neurotransmission. It remains unclear how SNAREs fold and how such folding is coupled to membrane fusion and regulated in response to different stimuli. To address these questions, we have characterized the folding energy and kinetics of four representative SNARE complexes at a single-molecule level using high-resolution optical tweezers. Despite their dramatically different fusion rate, all four SNARE complexes assemble by the same step-wise zippering mechanism: slow N-terminal domain (NTD) association, a pause in a force-dependent half-zippered intermediate and fast C-terminal domain (CTD) zippering. However, the energy release from CTD zippering differs from 13 kBT to 28 kBT for yeast and neuron SNARE complexes, respectively. We suggest that SNARE complexes share a conserved zippering pathway to efficiently drive membrane fusion, but release different amount of energy to control the fusion speed. Finally, we will show our latest results about the roles of SNARE mutations, Munc18-1, complexin, and Vc peptides in SNARE zippering and membrane fusion.
Electromagnetic generation and detection of ultrasound in superconductors

The magnetic field dependence of electromagnetically generated and detected acoustic waves has been measured in single crystals of two type-II superconducting alloys, Pb-In and Nb-Mo. Measurements span the complete field region in the mixed state, temperatures range from 1.5 to 4.2 K, and frequencies cover the 3-90-MHz region. At frequencies where the classical skin depth ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{c}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}\ensuremath{\lambda}$, the acoustic wavelength, the acoustic amplitude increases as the field is decreased into the mixed state, reaches a maximum at some field below ${H}_{c2}$ and then goes continuously to zero as $H\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. These observations can be explained very well by a local model based upon the Lorentz force acting upon currents induced within the electromagnetic skin depth. With decreasing static magnetic field, the electromagnetic screening of the mixed state becomes increasingly more effective; the skin depth decreases from the classical skin-effect value in the normal state just above ${H}_{c2}$ (${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}100$ \ensuremath{\mu}m) to the London penetration depth (${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{L}\ensuremath{\ll}1$ \ensuremath{\mu}m) at zero field. Using the surface resistance as a relative measure of the skin depth, good agreement is obtained between the observed and predicted values for electromagnetic acoustic-wave detection. Thus, it appears that the general features of theories used to explain electromagnetic detection of acoustic waves in normal metals are valid even when superconductive screening currents are involved.
Hawaiite of High Pressure Origin from North-eastern New South Wales

ALTHOUGH it is now widely accepted that the source of “primary” basaltic magmas is located within the Earth's upper mantle, only rarely has a high pressure origin been proposed for the more evolved members of alkali volcanic lineages1,2 and then partly to overcome the problems posed by the relative abundances of mafic and felsic lavas in some volcanic provinces. Current petrological opinion mostly attributes the origin of the series (alkali basalt)→hawaiite→mugearite→benmoreite→alkali trachyte (compare the Hebridean and Hawaiian sodic alkali successions) to low pressure fractionation in shallow level magma chambers3,4. Certainly this hypothesis finds support in the chemistry of felsic veins and schlieren in differentiated alkaline mafic iritrusives, and of vitric groundmasses in rapidly cooled alkali basaltic lavas. The compositions of these “residua” indicate that low pressure fractionation of alkali basaltic liquids can produce mugearitic5, ben-moreitic6, alkali trachytic and phonolitic differentiates7,8. We report here, however, the discovery of a hawaiite containing lherzolite xenoliths, and an abundance of large pyroxene crystals (“megacrysts”). The latter are considered to be high pressure cognate phases of the hawaiite, and the occurrence of both megacrysts and xenoliths indicates that comparatively “evolved” alkalic liquids may also be generated at high pressures.
IS METAETHICS MORALLY NEUTRAL

: I argue, contra Dreier, Blackburn, and others, that there are no morally neutral metaethical positions. Every metaethical position commits you to the denial of some moral statement. So, for example, the metaethical position that there are no moral properties commits you to the denial of the (quite plausible) moral conjunction of 1) it is right to interfere violently when someone is wrongly causing massive suffering and 2) it is wrong to interfere violently when only non-moral properties are at stake. The argument generalizes to all metaethical positions.
SU‐E‐T‐57: Assessment of Systematic Uncertainties On Beam Data Collection Using Blue Phantom HelixTM Tomotherapy Scanning System

Purpose: Tomotherapy users are not allowed to modify the beam‐data or parameters for beam modeling in Tomotherapy treatment planning system(TPS).The gold beam‐data in TPS for modeling and commissioning was measured with TomoScannerTM system(TS).This study investigates the use of the Blue Phantom HelixTM(BPH) as an alternative scanner to establish a benchmark dataset for commissioning and quantifies systematic differences between TS and BPH. Methods: Reproducibility of scanning with BPH was tested by 3 experienced physicists taking 5 measurements over 3 month period.Several enhancements of BPH over TS were included a 3D scanning arm which acquires beam‐data with one tank setup,a universal chamber mount,and the OmniPro software,which allows provides online data collections and processing.Discrepancy was estimated by acquiring datasets with each tank under the most recent target conditions.The possible uncertainty due to TPS modeling was quantified by comparison to the golden beam‐data.The total systematic uncertainty defined as the combination of scanning system and beam modeling uncertainties, was determined through numerical analysis,and tabulated according to scan type.OmniPro was used for all analysis to eliminate variances of data processing. Results: The setup reproducibility of BPH remained within 0.5mm/0.5%.For PDDs,the systematic uncertainties were within 1.4mm/2.1% except for the buildup region up to 7.0±2.5%,which was attributed to output instabilities at surfaces and differences of chamber alignments and dimensions.The differences in field width and penumbra of in‐line profiles between BPH,TS and golden were within 0.7±0.9mm.The displacements of field width were increased in cross‐line profiles at depth >=10cm up to 3.5%/3.5mm among three datasets.Use of BPH reduced measurement time by 1–2 hrs per session. Conclusion: The uncertainty magnitudes of BPH have been quantified as an efficient,reproducible and accurate scanning system capable of providing a reliable benchmark beam data. Without the flexibility of replacing the TPS beam‐data with BPH measurements,further investigation of dose uncertainties in beam modeling from different measurement datasets is suggested
Age, Growth, and Catch Analysis of the Commercially Exploited Paddlefish Population in Kentucky Lake, Kentucky‐Tennessee

Abstract Paddlefish Polyodon spathula from the 1985-1986 commercial harvest from Kentucky Lake, Kentucky-Tennessee, were weighed and their lengths from eye to fork of the tail were measured. During 52 observed trips, commercial fishermen harvested 702 paddlefish (4,002 kg) with 788 gill-net-nights of effort. However, the harvest was a disappointment to the fishermen because catch rates were low, and only 15 gravid females were included in the observed catch. The paddlefish that were aged from dentary bones (N = 362) were 2-16 years old. The age-length equation was a log10 transformation of a linear relationship, and the weight-length equation was a log10 transformation of an algebraic relationship. There were no significant differences in backcalculated growth between sexes. Growth was slower than reported for most other populations. The sex ratio was 1:1, and the youngest sexually mature fish were 6 and 8 years old for males and females, respectively. The age of recruitment and annual mortality were 8 ye...
Area Optimizations for Dual-Rail Circuits Using Relative-Timing Analysis

Future deep sub-micron technologies will be characterized by large parametric variations, which could make asynchronous design an attractive solution for use on large scale. However, the investment in asynchronous CAD tools does not approach that in synchronous ones. Even when asynchronous tools leverage existing synchronous tool flows, they introduce large area and speed overheads. This paper proposes several heuristic and optimal algorithms, based on timing interval analysis, for improving existing asynchronous CAD solutions by optimizing area. The optimized circuits are 2.4 times smaller for an optimal algorithm and 1.8 times smaller for a heuristic one than the existing solutions. The optimized circuits are also shown to be resilient to large parametric variations, yielding better average-case latencies than their synchronous counterparts.
Effect of clindamycin on growth and haemolysin production by Escherichia coli

The effect of clindamycin on growth and haemolysin production by four strains of Escherichia coli was tested. Clindamycin MICs were greater than 256 mg/l for all strains. Clindamycin concentrations of 16-256 mg/l significantly inhibited growth, while concentrations from 2-32 mg/l significantly inhibited haemolysin production. Administration of clindamycin to rats with peritonitis due to haemolytic E. coli reduced mortality. Subinhibitory concentrations of clindamycin can inhibit growth and haemolysin production by E. coli and reduce mortality in an animal model of haemolytic E. coli peritonitis.
A common thread

The structures, the phase diagrams, and the appearance of a neutron resonance in the superconducting state provide phenomenological evidence which relate the heavy fermion, cuprate and Fe superconductors. Single- and multi-band Hubbard models have been found to describe a number of the observed properties of these materials so that it is reasonable to examine the origin of the pairing interaction in these models. Here based on the experimental phenomenology and studies of the momentum and frequency dependence of the pairing interaction for Hubbard-like models, we suggest that spin-fluctuation mediated pairing is the common thread linking this broad class of superconducting materials.
Brief Report: An Evaluation of TAGteach Components to Decrease Toe-Walking in a 4-Year-Old Child with Autism

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of using a modified TAGteach™ procedure and correction to decrease toe-walking in a 4-year-old boy with autism. Two conditions were analyzed: correction alone and correction with an audible conditioned reinforcing stimulus. Correction alone produced minimal and inconsistent decreases in toe-walking but correction with an audible conditioned stimulus proved most effective in reducing this behavior. This has implications for decreasing toe-walking in other children with autism and may be easily used by teachers and parents.
Use of a Scald Additive to Reduce Levels of Salmonella Typhimurium During Poultry Processing

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a scald additive, RP scald, to reduce Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) levels on inoculated poultry carcasses. The RP scald (contains sodium hydroxide) in a 1% solution has a pH of 11.0, which may reduce bacteria levels on carcasses. In this study, 600 broilers (Ross 708 straight run, 6 wk of age) with 300 broilers in each of 2 experimental trials were divided into 4 scald treatments (inoculated with ST) and 2 noninoculated groups. The treatment groups included 4 scald treatments (n = 50 per experimental group per trial): soft scald (SS; 50°C for 90 s), soft scald with 1.0% added RP scald (SSRP), hard scald (56.6°C for 45 s; HS), and hard scald with 1.0% added RP scald. The noninoculated groups (n = 50 per group per trial) are represented by SS0 and HS0. After defeathering, carcass rinses were collected for ST detection. Results indicated that inoculated broilers from hard scald with 1.0% added RP scald had the lowest Salmonella recovery, whereas carcasses from the SS treatment with no RP additive had the highest ST recovery. In trial 1, the SSRP was more effective in reducing ST than HS alone; however, this trend was not consistent. In trial 2, HS alone was more effective in ST reduction than SSRP. Within each scald temperature, the addition of RP scald increased ST reduction; therefore, RP scald may be effective in reducing ST on broiler carcasses in poultry scalder applications, particularly when hard scald temperatures are used.
Metal uptake by phytoplankton during a bloom in South San Francisco Bay: Implications for metal cycling in estuaries

The 1994 spring phytoplankton bloom in South San Francisco Bay caused substantial reductions in concentrations of dissolved Cd, Ni, and Zn, but not Cu. We estimate that the equivalent of ~60% of the total annual input of Cd, Ni, and Zn from local waste-water treatment plants is cycled through the phytoplankton in South Bay. The results suggest that processes that affect phytoplankton bloom frequency or intensity in estuaries (e.g. nutrient enrichment) may also affect metal trapping. The bloom was characterized by hydrographic surveys conducted at weekly intervals for 9 weeks. Metal samples were collected from the water column on three occasions, timed to bracket the period when the bloom was predicted. Factors that might confound observations of biological influences, such as freshwater inputs, were relatively constant during the study. Before the bloom, concentrations of dissolved Cd were 0.81 ± 0.02 nmol kg−1, Zn concentrations were 19.8 ± 1.5 nmol kg−1, Ni were 42 ± 1.4 nmol kg−1, and Cu were 37 ± 1.4 nmol kg−1. These values are elevated relative to riverine and coastal end-members, reflecting inputs from wastewater and(or) sediments. At the height of the bloom, dissolved Zn, Cd, and Ni were reduced to 19, 50, and 75% of their prebloom concentrations, respectively. Dissolved Cu concentrations increased 20%. The mass of Cd taken up by phytoplankton was similar to the mass of Cd removed from solution if particle settling was considered, and Cd concentrations estimated in phytoplankton were higher than concentrations in suspended particulate material (SPM). Particulate concentrations of Zn and Ni during the bloom appeared to be dominated by the influence of changes in resuspension of Zn and Ni-rich sediments.
Sun-Compass Orientation in Juvenile Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides

Abstract Juvenile largemouth bass were tested for manifestations of sun-compass orientation. Fish captured from opposite sides of a pond were tested in a circular pool on clear days and on overcast days. When released from the center of the pool on clear days, the fish swam to the wall of the pool in the compass direction that would have taken them to deep water in the pond from which they had been captured the morning of the test. On overcast days the behavior of the fish from one side of the pond was not significantly different from those from the opposite side of the pond.
Mutational Analysis of the Escherichia coli PhoQ Sensor Kinase: Differences with the Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium PhoQ Protein and in the Mechanism of Mg2+ and Ca2+ Sensing

The PhoP-PhoQ two-component system plays a role in Mg2+ homeostasis and/or the virulence properties of a number of bacterial species. A Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium PhoQ sensor kinase mutant, in which the threonine at residue 48 in the periplasmic sensor domain is changed to an isoleucine, was shown previously to result in elevated expression of PhoP-activated genes and to affect mouse virulence, epithelial cell invasion, and sensitivity to macrophage killing. We characterized a complete set of proteins having amino acid substitutions at position 48 in the closely related Escherichia coli PhoQ protein. Numerous mutant proteins having amino acid substitutions with side chains of various sizes and characters displayed signaling phenotypes similar to that of the wild-type protein, indicating that interactions mediated by the wild-type threonine side chain are not required for normal protein function. Changes to amino acids with aromatic side chains had little impact on signaling in response to extracellular Mg2+ but resulted in reduced sensitivity to extracellular Ca2+, suggesting that the mechanisms of signal transduction in response to these two divalent cations are different. Surprisingly, the Ile48 protein displayed a defective phenotype rather than the hyperactive phenotype seen with the S. enterica serovar Typhimurium protein. We also describe a mutant PhoQ protein lacking the extracellular sensor domain with a defect in the ability to activate PhoP. The defect does not appear to be due to reduced autokinase activity but rather appears to be due to an effect on the stability of the aspartyl-phosphate bond of phospho-PhoP.
General Equilibrium with a Replenishable Natural Resource

This essay provides an exposition of stationary general equilibrium in a two-commodity world where one of the commodites is produced from a common property replenishable resource such as an ocean fishery, hunting ground, or groundwater supply. The principal emphasis is on the derivation of the production transformation set and its properties since this is where the effect of common tenure is manifest. Two-commodity models have been employed by Scott and Southy [4] in a static context and by Quirk and Smith [3] and Plourde [2] using a control theory formulation, but these studies do not provide a detailed examination of the production transformation set.
Excited state dynamics and structures of functionalized phthalocyanines. 1. Self-regulated assembly of zinc helicenocyanine.

Recently synthesized zinc helicenocyanine (ZnHc), where four helicene groups are fused with a phthalocyanine (Pc) core through all-carbon linkages, exhibits an unusually strong tendency of forming soluble molecular aggregates in organic solvents. The aggregation results in a strong optical absorption across most of the visible region, which is drastically different from that of its monomer. The aggregation is suppressed by dissolving ZnHc in a liquid crystal, octylbiphenylcarbonitrile (OBCN), where the monomer ZnHc dominates and exhibits a typical optical absorption spectrum of monomeric zinc phthalocyanine, except red shift in both Q- and B- bands due to π-conjugation expansion. This study correlates optical properties and excited state dynamics of ZnHc with intra- and intermolecular electronic interactions, using quantum mechanical calculations and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. Structural details of the aggregates are revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to be uniformly dimers ...
Enhancing Cobol program structure: sections vs. paragraphs

COBOL is sometimes criticized for its lack of structurability. This is due primarily to the common but outdated use of paragraphs to achieve structure in COBOL programming.In fact. COBOL was designed to be highly structurable. The language itself is based on a hierarachical structure consisting of DIVISIONS, SECTIONS, paragraphs, sentences, and statements. The task is to train COBOL programmers to take maximum advantage of the structures built into the language.One way to do this is to use SECTION structure in the procedure division rather than paragraph structure. SECTION structure has several distinct advantages over paragraph structures and allows for maximum utilization of the structured approach to COBOL programming.
Calibration of an EUV spectrometer using synchrotron radiation to distinguish overlapping orders

We have calibrated a high resolution EUV spectrometer in three spectroscopic orders using the National Institute for Science and Technology's Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility (SURF-II) at Gaithersburg, MD. The spectrometer was the principal instrument on a University of Colorado sounding rocket experiment, with a first order bandpass of roughly 5.8 nm centered at 155.5 nm, and resolving power of 4 X 104. Synchrotron radiation provides a well calibrated, columnated and polarized light source well suited to photometric calibration. The spectral distribution of synchrotron radiation is extremely well known from the theory of synchrotron radiation, and the spectral shape and intensity are directly related to the electron beam energy and current. If the instrument is calibrated at as many different beam energies as there are spectroscopic orders, then the spectrometer efficiency in each order can be determined from a single set of simultaneous equations. A difficulty arises in that the system of equations can be sensitive to perturbations of the level of experimental uncertainty. We have been able to reduce the number of unknowns by independently determining the first order efficiency and thus overdetermine the set of equations. The resulting efficiency measurements are accurate and reliable.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Study of broadband THz time-domain spectroscopy at different relative humidity levels

Two detection techniques of broadband terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy-THz air-biased coherent detection (THz-ABCD; from 0.3 to 14 THz) and electro-optical (EO) detection (from 0.3 to 7 THz) - are both performed at several different relative humidity levels. The THz power exponentially decays with the increase in relative humidity. The dynamic range of the main pulse in the time domain linearly decreases as the relative humidity increases from 0% to 40%, and linear fittings show that the slopes are -0.017 and -0.019 for THz-ABCD and EO detection, respectively. Because of the multiple reflections caused by the crystal in the common EO detection, THz-ABCD has better spectral resolution (17 GHz) than that of EO detection (170 GHz). The spectrum of water vapor absorption measured by THz-ABCD is also compared with that measured by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).