cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ocean observations and the climate forecast problem

Abstract The widely disseminated and accepted view of the ocean as a nearly-steady, nearly-laminar system is primarily a consequence of the great difficulty of observing it, and of the intense computational cost of modelling it. Uncritical use of the steady/laminar framework has led to a gross distortion of the science, particularly the study of climate change, partly manifested by the belief that a comparatively small number of simple observations suffices to describe the system, and by the inference that oceanic behavior under changed external forcing can be deduced by pure thought without integration of the equations of motion. All of the evidence of the last 25 years shows that the behavior is much more interesting and complex than this distorted view would imply. Real progress will involve confronting the actual system, not the fictitious one.
Coastal Occupation at the GS-1 Site, Cook’s Bay, Mo‘orea, Society Islands

Excavations at the GS-1 site uncovered buried stratigraphic deposits of some depth. Site stratigraphy and artifact content suggests the area was first used as a coastal habitation prior to being covered by substantial colluvial deposits and in historic times, modern fill. Wood charcoal samples recovered from the site were identified to short lived species for AMS radiocarbon dating. The wood charcoal identifications were also used to identify indigenous versus introduced species in order to clarify the depositional events associated with the stratigraphic deposits. The lowest deposits at GS-1 date to as early as the 11th century Ad. Colluvial deposits overlying the lowest strata were definitively related to human activities, as Polynesian introductions are present in the wood charcoal assemblages. Finally, the frequency and types of artifacts recovered suggest the area served as an adze manufacturing locale through time.
A case study of compiler driven I/O minimization

Most scientific programs have large input and output data sets that require out-of-core programming or the use of virtual memory management (VMM). Often, VMM is not an effective approach because it often results in substantial performance reduction. In contrast, compiler driven I/O management allows a program's data sets to be retrieved explicitly in parts. In this paper a modified Comanche (Compiler Managed Cache) system is presented.
Soluble helper factor(s) participates in the generation of cell mediated cytotoxicity directed against syngeneic tumor cells.

Data presented here suggest that one mechanism by which cytotoxic T lymphocytes are generated against certain syngeneic tumors may involve collaboration between pre-killer T cells and helper T cells via a soluble helper factor. Furthermore both lymphocyte-defined as well as cytotoxicity-defined antigens expressed on tumor cells may be involved in stimulating the generation of specific cytotoxic T cells. A lymphoma cell line (CH-1) derived from an SJL mouse stimulates both a syngeneic proliferative and cytotoxic response. However, heattreatment of the CH-1 cells, which is known to functionally inactivate lymphocyte-defined antigens, reduced significantly the ability of such cells to stimulate proliferation and the generation of cytotoxic T cells. The addition of supernatant fluids from either mixed lymphocyte cultures or from cultures in which syngeneic lymph node cells were sensitized against CH-1 tumor cells, restored the ability of heat-treated tumor cells to stimulate a full syngeneic cytotoxic response. The degree of T cell specific cytotoxicity that was generated was dependent in part on the concentration of helper factor(s) added to the cultures. Furthermore, supernatant fluids containing helper activity were not able to stimulate responder cell cytotoxicity in the absence of heat-treated CH-1 cells. The helper activity, detected in cultures where SJL lymph node cells were stimulated by CH-1 cells, appears to be similar to that present in supernates from allogeneic MLC since neither are antigen specific nor H-2 restricted in their ability to assist in the development of cytotoxic T cells.
Factors Related to Medicaid Payment Acceptance at Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

This paper investigates factors related to outpatient substance abuse1 (SA) treatment program facility acceptance of Medicaid reimbursement during 2003–2006 in the United States. Results can help identify ways to increase SA treatment access among the Medicaid-eligible population.
Interaction of Age and Radiation Dosage on Hatch of Gibbium psylloides Eggs (Coleoptera: Ptinidae)

The comparative radiation sensitivity of insect species is important in radiation-control studies because the dosage must be great enough to control the most resistant species present. Such knowledge is needed, especially when grain-disinfestation procedures are involved, because many species may be present in infested grain. Reports of radiosensitivity of single species by different investigators often vary widely. A major cause of this variation is the differences in age of the stage being treated. Often the exact age of the insects used is not mentioned.
DISCALC: A computer algorithm for computing the flow characteristics of flood discharges in stream channel cross sections

Abstract Geomorphologists occasionally desire estimates of flow conditions for past or future flood events. Manual methods for computing flow characteristics of flood discharges may be time-consuming and tedious. Computational shortcuts involving the substitution of depth of flow for hydraulic radius in hydraulic equations may yield results with significant bias. DISCALC is a computer program that calculates uniform-flow characteristics of flood discharges within stream-channel cross sections. It eliminates computational bias by calculating hydraulic measures based on their precise mathematical definitions. The algorithm contains an iterative routine that converges on the desired discharge by changing the vertical position of the water surface within the stream-channel cross section. The program is capable of handling single thread as well as multithread channels. It also contains options for displaying results on a color monitor or a plotter.
Inclusive intake screening: shaping medical problems into specialist-appropriate cases

This paper examines medical intake screening through the process of making appointments with medical specialists. By employing a multi-method, qualitative approach, it shows how decisions to schedule doctors' appointments are based on medical knowledge about physicians' specialties and specific organisational practices. It draws on insights from first-contact interactions between clients and institutional gatekeepers to enrich our understanding of intake screening. In relation to gatekeeping, rationing commonly gets framed as restrictive screening practices, with a preference for denying or limiting access to treatment. Restrictive screening practices are typically organised to elicit a narrow range of information ('facts') relevant to specific eligibility criteria; whereas inclusive intake screening tends to involve less scripted, more complex and open-ended interactional exchanges between workers and clients, wherein workers help clients frame their claims in ways that will increase their chances of getting accepted. Front-office workers hold a preference for inclusive intake screening, a preference that is undergirded by the referral-driven nature of this stage of patient processing, and by a work environment that favours inclusive screening. This finding builds on the literature within medical sociology, but also extends our understanding of frontline decision-making and the distribution of resources within a variety of people-processing institutions.
Infusion of Gabrα6 siRNA into the trigeminal ganglia increased the myogenic orofacial nociceptive response of ovariectomized rats treated with 17β-estradiol

High levels of 17β-estradiol (E2) have been found to reduce inflammatory temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. A search for genes effected by a high concentration of estradiol showed an increase in GABAA receptor subunit alpha 6 (Gabrα6) in the trigeminal ganglia (TG). Blockade of Gabrα6 expression in the TG increases masseter muscle nociception in male rats, but the relationship between estradiol's effect on nociception and Gabrα6 expression remains unclear in females. To address this knowledge gap we hypothesized that reducing Gabrα6 expression in the TG will increase the orofacial nociceptive response of ovariectomized female rats treated with estradiol. To administer hormone osmotic pumps were placed in rats that dispensed a low diestrus plasma concentration of 17β-estradiol, in addition, 17β-estradiol was injected to produce a high proestrus plasma concentration of estradiol. A ligature was then placed around the masseter tendon to induce a nociceptive response; a model for TMJ muscle pain. Gabrα6 small interfering RNA (siRNA) was later infused into the TG and the nociceptive response was measured using von Frey filaments and a meal duration assay. GABAA receptor expression was measured in the TG and trigeminal nucleus caudalis and upper cervical region (Vc-C1). Ligature significantly increased the nociceptive response but a high proestrus concentration of 17β-estradiol attenuated this response. Gabrα6 siRNA infusion decreased Gabrα6 expression in the TG and Vc-C1 but increased the nociceptive response after 17β-estradiol treatment. The results suggest estradiol decreased the orofacial nociceptive response, in part, by causing an increase in Gabrα6 expression.
Studies on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in mammalian brain. Characterization of a microsomal subfraction enriched in receptor function for different neurotransmitters.

— A subfraction, derived from the microsomal fraction of rat cerebral cortex, with a buoyant density of 1.112 g μ ml−1 appears to be enriched in receptor sites for a number of potential neurotrans-mitters. These include the cholinergic (nicotinic and muscarinic) and s-adrenergic receptors. This microsomal subfraction (P3B2) has been isolated on a preparative scale by two sequential isopycnic sedimentations in discontinuous sucrose gradients. We have studied the morphology, enzymatic markers and protein composition of this fraction and have compared them with the properties of other subcellular fractions from the same source. Synaptic plasma membranes resembled P3B2 by exhibiting the same high extent of enrichment in receptors. However, the synaptic membranes appear to contain more mitochondrial and presynaptic (axonal and cell surface) membranes than does P3B2, and the postsynaptic membranes in the two fractions appear morphologically distinct since P3B2 does not contain the characteristic postsynaptic densities. Thus these membranes may be derived from Gray's type II synapses.
Nestmate recognition in the absence of a pheromone

Individual recognition cues were manipulated to elucidate the system of nestmate recognition employed by the introduced European paper wasp, Polistes dominulus. Tests involved exposing P. dominulus individuals to their natal nest material, to which we added a novel hydrocarbon, pentacosanoic acid methyl ester, or exposing them to the artificial odor alone. Results show that P. dominulus (1) performs nestmate discrimination, (2) can use artificial exogenous chemicals as recognition odors, and (3) can distinguish single differences in hydrocarbon profiles. Taken individually, these experiments provide evidence revealing the nature of the production and action components of recognition. Taken together, these results establish that recognition takes place outside the classical definition of a pheromone-based system.
One-dimensional kinematics of particle stream flow with application to solar wind simulation

A simple kinematic method for determining the particle velocity distribution of a model solar wind for which the spatial distribution of particles is given as a function of particle travel time has been developed by Hakamada and Akasofu (1982). Here their method is formalized mathematically and an inverse procedure for determining the particle distribution from a given velocity distribution is derived. This inverse procedure is then applied to a simulated velocity distribution obtained from an MHD finite difference code.
Folding and Spiralling: The Word View

Abstract We show that for every n there are two simple curves on the torus intersecting at least n times without the two curves folding or spiralling with respect to each other.
An analytical and experimental investigation of resistojet plumes

As a part of the electrothermal propulsion plume research program at the NASA Lewis Research Center, efforts have been initiated to analytically and experimentally investigate the plumes of resistojet thrusters. The method of G.A. Simons for the prediction of rocket exhaust plumes is developed for the resistojet. Modifications are made to the source flow equations to account for the increased effects of the relatively large nozzle boundary layer. Additionally, preliminary mass flux measurements of a laboratory resistojet using CO2 propellant at 298 K have been obtained with a cryogenically cooled quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). There is qualitative agreement between analysis and experiment, at least in terms of the overall number density shape functions in the forward flux region.
Transcription Regulatory Elements of the Avian Retroviral Long Terminal Repeat

The U3 long terminal repeat (LTR) region of the avian retroviruses has been extensively characterized as a model of a strong transcription regulatory unit. This com- pact enhancer and promoter drives high levels of viral and cellular gene transcription in many cell types in birds
Metropolitan development in the San Francisco Bay Area

This paper describes metropolitan development in the San Francisco Bay Area in the style of E. M. Hoover and R. G. Vernon's classic 1950's study of the New York metropolitan area,Anatomy of a Metropolis. The analysis concentrates on trends in microelectronics manufacturing as the region's export base, new developments in the business service sector, the competition between San Francisco's downtown office sector and peripheral locations for office employment, and the changing character of the Bay Area households. Factors identified as important for forecasting development in the Bay Area to the end of the century include the competitive strategy of Silicon Valley manufacturers, the evolution of land-use controls in San Francisco and the suburban communities, and the probability of redevelopment in Oakland.
Cure kinetics of liquid crystalline epoxy resins based on biphenyl mesogen

Y. Li, M. R. Kessler: Cure Kinetics of Liquid Crystalline Epoxy Resins Based on Biphenyl Mesogen, Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 2014, 117(1), 481-488. doi: 10.1007/s10973-014-3647-0.
Early changes in myocardial hypoxia: Relations between mechanical function, pH and intracellular compartmental metabolites☆

Abstract In order to study the events associated with decreased contractility during decreased oxygen delivery, isolated rat hearts were perfused through the aorta with a bicarbonate buffer containing 5 m m glucose during full oxygenation (95% O2, 5% CO2) and during impaired oxygenation (20% O2, 5% CO2). Mechanical activity and epicardial NADH fluorescence were monitored. Extracellular space was estimated with H3-sorbitol. Intracellular pH was determined by the CO2 method. The reactants of the glutamic dehydrogenase (GDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) systems were measured in an attempt to calculate changes in the ratios of free cytoplasmic and mitochondrial NAD + NADH . With decreased oxygenation there was a simultaneous decrease in mechanical activity and an increase in fluorescence at 8 s. pH decreased and the lactate/pyruvate ratio increased between 15 and 30 s. The glutamate/α-ketoglutarate-ammonium ratio rose between 1 and 5 min. These studies suggest that in simulated hypoxia: (1) Epicardial NADH fluorescence correlates relatively well with changes in the cytoplasmic free NAD + NADH ratio, but that the mitochondrial system (GDH) may not be sufficiently active to reflect rapid changes in mitochondrial redox state in heart, and (2) a fall in intracellular pH may not be responsible for the earliest mechanical change.
Raspberry viruses affect the behavior and performance of Amphorophora agathonica in single and mixed infections

Pathogens may alter their hosts, which consequently increases transmission efficiency by vectors. We examined the effects of Raspberry leaf mottle virus [RLMV; Closterovirus (Closteroviridae)] and Raspberry latent virus [RpLV; Reovirus (Reoviridae)], alone and in a co-infection in raspberry, Rubus idaeus L. (Rosaceae) cv. Meeker, on the behavior and performance of its vector, Amphorophora agathonica Hottes (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Longevity was increased in aphids feeding on all infected-plant treatments compared with healthy plants, but aphid fecundity only increased in the co-infection treatment. In a two-way choice study between infected and healthy plants, aphids showed no difference in preference between plants after 30 min of exposure. After 24 h, aphids significantly preferred to settle on plants infected with RLMV over healthy, but healthy plants over plants infected with RpLV. There were no differences in settling preferences between healthy and co-infected plants. An electrical penetration graph study showed no differences in aphid feeding behavior on plants infected with RLMV and RLMV+RpLV when compared with healthy controls. Our results are consistent with past findings that infected plant's impact vector performance and behavior, but also highlight the need to further investigate greater virus diversity and effects of mixed infections.
Does Altonian drift exist in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Abstract From New Jersey to southwestern New York, Altonian colluvium and fluvial gravel have been recognized beneath Woodfordian drift, but the existence of Altonian till near or beyond the Woodfordian border has not been demonstrated. Reworking of weathered materials by Woodfordian ice has produced some drift with an “Altonian” appearance. Soil criteria, applied without regard for parent material differences, have been incorrectly used to infer an Altonian age for Illinoian deposits that have a redbed provenance. The currently mapped distribution of Altonian till and the occurrence of undisturbed Illinoian deposits within areas of inferred Altonian ice cover are incompatible with the behavior of ice sheets.
Estimation of free glycolipids in wheat flour by HPLC.

ABSTRACT The chloroform-acetone mixture (4:1, v/v) was an effective solvent for eluting the nonpolar lipid fraction, including free fatty acids, from the polar lipid (glycolipid and phospholipid) fractions from free lipids of 21 hard winter wheat flours using a solid-phase extraction system. Amounts of monogalactosyldiglycerides (MGDG) and digalactosyldiglycerides (DGDG) in the glycolipid fraction were determined by normal-phase HPLC with a gradient system using an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) and a diode array detectors (DAD). Unsaturated fatty acids showed higher UV absorbances from 200 to 213 nm when compared with saturated palmitic acid. However, significant linear correlation coefficients were obtained between the peak areas measured by a DAD and GL contents determined by an ELSD, suggesting that fatty acid composition of flour GL could be fairly constant. Using an ELSD as a reference, equations for determination of MGDG or DGDG quantities were derived from the peak areas of a DAD by ...
Relative rate and product studies of the OH-acetone reaction.

The rate constants for the reaction of acetone (kH) and d6-acetone (kD) with OH radicals have been measured at atmospheric pressure over a range of temperatures by a relative rate method by using on-line mass spectrometry. The following Arrhenius expressions have been determined for these reactions (in units of cm3 molecule-1 s-1): kH(T) = (9.8 × 10-13) exp[−(484 ± 44)/T] between 253 and 373 K, and kD(T) = (4.0 × 10-13) exp[−(755 ± 89)/T] between 293 and 373 K. This is the first study to investigate the temperature dependence of kH and kD by using a relative rate method and confirms previous rate constants determined by absolute methods. Agreement of our rate constants with those determined in the absence of water suggests that the presence of water vapor has a minimal effect on the kinetics of this reaction under the conditions of our study. The observed kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD = 5.6 ± 0.4 at 293 K) is evidence that H-atom abstraction occurs in the mechanism. The acetic acid yields of the reaction...
Do people really know their sex partners? Concurrency, knowledge of partner behavior, and sexually transmitted infections within partnerships.

Background and objective An individual's risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has been associated empirically with the individual having concurrent sexual partners (individual's concurrency) and, theoretically, with the individual's partner having concurrent partners (partner's concurrency). Goals The goals of this study were to assess the relationship of STI to individual's concurrency, the partner's concurrency, and awareness of the partner's concurrency. Study design We recruited 192 individuals aged 18 to 30 from sexually transmitted disease and family planning clinics in 96 partner dyads that reported first sexual contact during the previous 3 months. All individuals underwent computer interviews and testing for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Individuals' self-reports of concurrency and perceptions of partners' concurrency were compared within dyads by kappa statistic; associations of STI with individual's concurrency, partner's concurrency, and knowledge of partner's concurrency were examined using chi-squared analysis, t tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Results Only 26% of individuals whose partners had other partners were aware of this (kappa = 0.17 for agreement of perceptions vs. partners' reports of concurrency). In multivariate models, STI in individuals was independently associated with partners' concurrency (odds ratio [OR], 3.6), lack of awareness of partner's concurrency (OR, 4.5), perceiving a partner to have concurrent partners when the partner did not (OR, 4.7), living in south San Diego, and sexual contact within 1 week of acquaintance, but not with individuals' concurrency. Conclusion This study demonstrates that STI is associated with partner's concurrency and with not knowing one's partner's behavior.
Interactions of SRP waste glass with potential canister and overpack metals

Abstract The leachability of Savannah River Plant (SRP) simulated waste glass was evaluated in the presence of potential canister and overpack metals. Modified MCC-1 static leach tests were used to leach waste glass in the presence of the following metals: A516 low-carbon steel, 304L stainless steel, 409 and 430 ferritic steels, E-brite, Ticode 12, Inconel 600 and lead. Results indicated that only two of the metals studied, A516 low-carbon steel and lead, exhibited a significant effect on glass leaching. In an oxic environment, A516 low-carbon steel had a detrimental effect on glass durability, while leaching in the presence of lead significantly improved the performance of the waste glass. For the rest of the metals studied, including the SRP reference canister material, 304L stainless steel, no significant effect on glass leachability was observed.
Clash of the Timelines: Lessons Learned from the Front Lines of CS Education

Public education in the United States is challenged by the rapidly changing skills and knowledge required by the global workforce. Technology innovation drives the evolution of workforce requirements at a pace that is roughly tied to Moore's law, with significant changes every few months to years. In contrast, significant public K-12 school reform has historically required decades. The conflict between the two evolutionary rates, orders of magnitude apart, creates a crisis for sustaining the US economy requiring urgent, innovative, and sustainable solutions.Insightful, strategic thinkers representing a coalition of national agencies and organizations launched a project designed to infuse innovative computer science curriculum into pre-college public schools through the most expeditious pathway available: creation of a new advanced placement (AP) course.The new AP exam is based on a course taught with many titles at the college level that focuses on learning objectives within computer science (CS) principles. If taught with pedagogy that includes and supports traditionally underrepresented students, the course provides diverse students with foundational understanding of the underlying logic, grammar, communication skills, and problem-solving approaches of computational thinking-- essential skills and knowledge for becoming contributors to the country's economic survival.Pilot high school courses based on college level courses that meet the above learning objectives are being introduced into high schools through a national teacher professional development initiative. The goal of this initiative, the CS 10K project, is to train ten thousand teachers to teach CS Principles in ten thousand secondary schools by the time the new AP exam unrolls in 2016-17. Several NSF projects supporting this initiative are undergoing careful evaluation.This paper describes one of these projects and its teacher, student, and district-level outcomes to date. It also considers ways that the positive outcomes might be scaled and sustained, addressing the larger challenge posed above of creating a sustainable strategy for accelerating the pace of educational adaptation to technology's more rapid global transformation.
Methods for selecting the best system (1991)

In this tutorial we consider three methods for selecting the best of a set of competing systems: interactive analysis, ranking and selection, and multiple comparisons. We describe each method; discuss assumptions, implementation aspects, advantages, and disadvantages; and demonstrate the use of each method with an airline-reservation-system simulation example.
DIMETHYLSULFONIOPROPIONATE CLEAVAGE BY MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON IN RESPONSE TO MECHANICAL, CHEMICAL, OR DARK STRESS1

Several bloom-forming marine algae produce concentrated intracellular dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and display high DMSP cleavage activity in vitro and during lysis after grazing or viral attack. Here we show evidence for cleavage of DMSP in response to environmental cues among different strains of the haptophyte Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) Hay et Mohler and the dinoflagellate Alexandrium spp. (Halim). Sparging or shaking live cells of either taxon increased dimethyl sulfide (DMS), especially in dinoflagellates, known to be very sensitive to shear stresses. Additions of polyamines, known triggers of exocytosis in some protists, also stimulated DMSP cleavage in a dose-responsive manner. We observed DMS production by some algae after shifts in light regime. When most exponential-phase E. huxleyi were transferred to continuous darkness, cells decreased in volume and DMSP content within 24 h; DMSP content per unit cell volume remained relatively steady. DMS accumulated as long as cells remained in the dark, but on returning to a light:dark cycle DMS accumulation ceased within 24 h. However, E. huxleyi strain CCMP 373, containing highly active in vitro DMSP lyase, produced only transient accumulations of DMS in the dark. This was apparently due to production and concomitant oxidation or uptake of DMS, because cells of this strain rapidly removed DMS added to cultures. Three strains of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense containing high in vitro DMSP lyase activity showed no DMS production in the dark, and all appeared to remove additions of DMS. Alexandrium tamarense strain CCMP 1771 also removed dimethyl disulfide, an inhibitor of bacterial DMS consumption. These data suggest that physical or chemical cues can trigger algal DMSP cleavage, but DMS production may be masked by subsequent oxidation and/or uptake.
THE RATE OF DISAPPEARANCE OF EXOGENOUS PROGESTERONE FROM THE BLOOD

STUDIES on the metabolism and utilization of progesterone have depended primarily on the recovery of pregnanediol from the urine. Since urinary pregnanediol accounts for only about 20 per cent of the progesterone it is obvious that such studies can only approximate the changes in the hormonal level of the blood. It has even been suggested that there is no quantitative relationship between the circulating progesterone and the pregnanediol excreted (1, 2, 3). In addition, it has been demonstrated that pregnanediol may arise from desoxycorticosterone (4, 5). With the development of a highly sensitive and specific assay for progestational activity (6, 7, 8) it became possible to examine the levels of progesterone1 in the blood. The present study is concerned with the rate of disappearance of progesterone from the blood following intramuscular and intravenous injections of physiologic amounts of the hormone. In addition, the roles of the liver and kidney were evaluated in the initial loss of progesterone from ...
Manufacturing of High Tc Superconducting Ceramic Wires by Hot Extrusion

Summary In the current work high temperature extrusion technique is developed for making wires of 1-2-3 superconducting ceramic material. To overcome the difficulties in forming YBa 2 Cu 3 O x ceramic, caused by its chemical activity, high yield strength and poor ductility, a high temperature extrusion device has been expressly designed, and a variety of extrusion parameters such as temperatures, die angles and lubrications are being investigated. The feasibility of using hot extrusion for producing superconducting wire with high current density will be assessed based on these experiments.
An analysis of the relationship between a sand-dollar embryo elutriate assay and sediment contaminants from stations in an urban embayment of puget sound, Washington

Abstract A sand-dollar embryo test was used to assess the toxicity of contaminants in sediment elutriate samples from Puget Sound, Washington. A synoptic chemical data set of priority pollutants was reduced and subjected to combinatorial clustering which grouped stations by the amount of chemicals present. Clustering was done for metals and organic compounds together and separately. Analysis of variance revealed that the embryo test was able to predict the group of stations considered least contaminated by organic chemicals but not for metals, although copper and lead could not be excluded due to confounding effects. The results generally support the additivity hypothesis of toxicity in that as total contamination increased toxicity increased. Due to a possible change in redox conditions or the release of bioorganically bound metals, it was concluded that the elutriate test may not be appropriate for assessment of metal contaminants associated with sediment. A dose-response relationship between embryo abnormality and the degree of elutriate dilution was observed which demonstrates that serial dilutions of an elutriate should be tested to properly characterize a sediment's toxicity.
X-ray crystal structure of a small antagonist peptide bound to interleukin-1 receptor type 1.

Abstract Interleukin (IL-1)α and IL-1β are important mediators of inflammation. The binding of IL-1 to interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) type 1 is the initial step in IL-1 signal transduction and therefore is a tempting target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics. To advance our understanding of IL-1R1 binding interactions, we have determined the structure of the extracellular domains of IL-1R1 bound to a 21-amino acid IL-1 antagonist peptide at 3.0-A resolution. The antagonist peptide binds to the domain 1/2 junction of the receptor, which is a conserved binding site for IL-1β and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). This co-crystal structure also reveals that considerable flexibility is present in IL-1R1 because the carboxyl-terminal domain of the receptor is rotated almost 170° relative to the first two domains of the receptor compared with the previously solved IL-1R1·ligand structures. The structure shows an unexpected binding mode for the peptide and may contribute to the design of smaller IL-1R antagonists.
The financial implications for Medicare of greater use of peritoneal dialysis.

Abstract Background: Although annual per-person health care costs for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on in-center hemodialysis greatly exceed those for patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), which is a home dialysis therapy, current use of PD remains low. In April 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a new Dialysis Conditions of Coverage final rule underscoring its intent to promote use of home dialysis whenever appropriate. Objectives: The objectives of this paper were to provide context for the use of in-home versus in-center dialysis, to describe factors that influence patterns of dialysis utilization in the United States, and to explore the magnitude of the potential savings that might result from broader use of home dialysis therapies. Methods: A 5-year budget-impact analysis was performed using data from the 2007 Annual Data Report of the United States Renal Data System. Scenarios were developed in which the PD share of total dialysis was varied to estimate the impact on total Medicare dialysis costs. This study took the perspective of Medicare, the main payer for dialysis in the United States. Results: If the PD share of total dialysis were to decrease from the current 8% to 5%, Medicare spending for dialysis would increase by an additional $401 million over a 5-year period. Alternatively, if the PD share of total dialysis were to increase to 15%, Medicare could realize potential savings of >$1.1 billion over 5 years. Conclusions: Similar to the conclusion articulated in the Dialysis Conditions of Coverage final rule, increasing clinically appropriate use of PD would be associated with considerable savings to Medicare and to the taxpayers who fund Medicare. These savings could be used to offset part of the financial burden of ESRD care on Medicare and to help legislators meet ever-tightening budgetary constraints.
A proteomic analysis of Psychrobacter articus 273-4 adaptation to low temperature and salinity using a 2-D liquid mapping approach

Psychrobacter 273-4 was isolated from a 20,000-40,000-year-old Siberian permafrost core, which is characterized by low temperature, low water activity, and high salinity. To explore how 273-4 survives in the permafrost environment, proteins in four 273-4 samples cultured at 4 and 22 degrees C in media with and without 5% sodium chloride were profiled and comparatively studied using 2-D HPLC and MS. The method used herein involved fractionation via a pH gradient using chromatofocusing followed by nonporous silica (NPS) RP-HPLC and on-line electrospray mass mapping. It was observed that 33 proteins were involved in the adaptation to low temperature in the cells grown in the nonsaline media while there were only 14 proteins involved in the saline media. There were 45 proteins observed differentially expressed in response to salt at 22 degrees C while there were 22 proteins at 4 degrees C. In addition, 5% NaCl and 4 degrees C showed a combination effect on protein expression. A total of 56 proteins involved in the adaptation to low temperature and salt were identified using MS and database searching. The differentially expressed proteins were classified into different functional categories where the response of the regulation system to stress appears to be very elaborate. The evidence shows that the adaptation of 273-4 is based primarily on the control of translation and transcription, the synthesis of proteins (chaperones) to facilitate RNA and protein folding, and the regulation of metabolic pathways.
Influence of plant growth regulators and mowing on two bermudagrasses

«Tifway» hybrid bermudagrass [Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt-Davy × C. dactylon (L.)] Pers. and common bermudagrass [C. dactylon(L.) Pers.] are popular turfgrasses used throughout the southern USA. When both grasses are managed as a medium- to high-quality turf, frequent mowings are needed to limit vegetative growth and seedhead emergence. Plant growth regulators offer the potential to reduce the number of mowings needed by bermudagrass. Therefore, experiments were conducted on Tifway and common bermudagrasses to determine the effects of plant growth regulators on vegetative growth, seedhead suppression, and mowing requirements. Flurprimidol {α-(1-methylethyl)-α-[4-(trifluoro-methoxy)phenyl]-5-pyrimidine-methanol}, paclobutrazol, {(±)-(R*R*)β-[(4- chlorophenyl) methyl]-α-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol}, and trinexapac-ethyl [4(cyclopropyl-α-hydroxy-methylene)-3,5-dioxocyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl ester] plant growth regulators were each applied at various rates in three applications at 4-wk intervals
Place reputation: representing Houston, Texas as a creative destination through culinary culture

Place reputation refers to the composite of ideas held by external audiences that play an important role in the development and success of that place. A negative place reputation can be very slow and difficult to change, but place reputation management seeks to adjust it so that it is closer to how stakeholders would like the place to be perceived. Research suggests that this should reflect the quality of place (i.e. what is there, who is there, and what is going on there) that defines it and makes it attractive to both residents and tourists. This research examines a place reputation management strategy employed by the Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau (HCVB) in which the organization's website features media articles as an ‘objective’ depiction of the city. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 66 media articles, including 425 photographs, revealed an emphasis on Houston's culinary culture. In particular, the manifest content shows that independent local restaurants driven by innovative ch...
Postcranial Adaptation and Evolution in Lorisidae

With the exception of leaping, lorises and galagos move in many similar ways although frequencies and styles differ. This peculiar locomotor distinction in two closely related subfamilies has profoundly altered their respective postcranial anatomies from their common ancestor. A comparison of postcranial adaptation in extant forms shows that lorises and galagos differ somewhat in forelimb mobility, but are more fundamentally disparate in hindlimb adaptation. Inferences concerning locomotor adaptation in the lorisid fossil record indicate a more generalized locomotor pattern which is more like that of extant cheirogaleids than either living galagos or lorises. Thus, vertical clinging and leaping in galagines and the slow-climbing and suspensory movements of lorisines appear to be evolutionarily recent innovations from a more generalized locomotor past.
Performance Degradation in Digitally Implemented Kalman Filters

A technique is presented for analyzing expected degradations in the performance of a fixed-point arithmetic implementation of a Kalman filter with precomputed gains. A quantitative approach is provided for comparing the relative degradations associated with different mechanizations of the same Kalman filter. The causes of divergence in digitally implemented filters are investigated. Finally, simulation studies are utilized to show how closely the analytical predictions agree with actual results.
Social Capital: A Conceptual History

Taking its departure from current debates over social capital, this article presents new textual findings in a backward-revealing conceptual history. In particular, it analyzes the texts and contex...
Neuroscience and the law: philosophical differences and practical constraints.

Controversies surrounding the value of neuroscience as forensic evidence are explored from the perspective of the philosophy of mind, as well as from a practical analysis of the state of the scientific research literature. At a fundamental philosophical level there are profound differences in how law and neuroscience view the issue of criminal responsibility along the continuum from free will to determinism. At a more practical level, significant limitations in the current state of neuroimaging research constrain its ability to inform legal decision-making. Scientifically supported and unsupported forensic applications for brain imaging are discussed, and recommendations for forensic report writing are offered. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The occurrence of the short-lived iodine isotopes in natural and in depleted uranium salts☆☆☆

Abstract The occurrence of the short-lived iodine isotopes in non-irradiated uranium salts has been established. The equilibrium ratios of the short-lived iodine isotopes to 238U in depleted uranium agree, within the experimental error, with the ratios in natural uranium. The ratios expressed in terms of 10−4 disintegrations per second per gram of 238U are: 131I, 0·3 ± 0·1; 132I, 2·5 ± 0·3; 133I, 1·0 ± 0·2; 134I, 3·6 ± 0·4; 135I, 3·5 ± 0·4. The following values are obtained for the yields of the iodine isotopes, if Segre's value for the spontaneous fission half-life of 238U, (8·04 ± 0·3) × 1015 years, is taken to be correct: 131I, 0·4 ± 0·1; 132I, 3·6 ± 0·4; 133I, 1·5 ± 0·3; 134I, 5·2 ± 0·5; 135I, 5·1 ± 0·5 per cent.
Social and Ecological Dimensions of the Alternative-Conventional Agricultural Paradigm Scale

This paper is an empirical test of the dimensionality and predictive value of the alternative-conventional agricultural paradigm (ACAP) scale developed by Beus and Dunlap. While recognizing that this scale may be appropriate and useful in studies of the agricultural intelligentsia (agricultural scientists, farm policy makers, organization leaders, and farm people actively following and participating in policy deliberations), our data suggest several shortcomings of this scale among a more general sample of farm operators. Initially, the scale is not satisfactorily unidimensional; instead, relatively clear-cut environmental and family-farmist dimensions emerged in our analysis of farmer attitudes. Separate environmental and family-farmist subscales performed better than an omnibus (or paradigmatic) scale in predicting farm operator behaviors.
Resonant Long–Short Wave Interactions in an Unbounded Rotating Stratified Fluid

A theoretical study is made of finite-amplitude modulated internal wavetrains and the attendant nonlinear interaction with the mean flow induced by the modulations, in an unbounded uniformly stratified Boussinesq fluid rotating around the vertical axis. When the rotation is relatively weak, in particular, ‘flat’ wavetrains, that feature stronger vertical than horizontal modulations, are resonantly coupled with the mean flow in a manner analogous to the resonant long–short wave interaction between gravity and capillary waves on the surface of deep water. A coupled set of evolution equations for the vertical wavenumber, the wave amplitude, and the mean flow is derived under resonant conditions, and is used to examine the propagation of locally confined wavetrains with initially uniform wavenumber and no pre-existing mean flow. The resonant interaction causes radiation of energy away from a flat wavetrain by means of the induced mean flow which forms a trailing wake; this furnishes a possible mechanism for generating low-frequency inertial–gravity waves in the atmosphere, as suggested by field observations. Moreover, owing to refraction by the mean flow, a finite-amplitude wavetrain may experience rapid wavenumber variations in certain locations, consistent with prior numerical simulations. Eventually, in these regions, the wavenumber tends to become multi-valued, suggesting the formation of caustics.
Synovial sarcoma: MR imaging

Ten patients with biopsy-proved synovial sarcoma were evaluated by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging on a 1.5-T unit. The lesions showed intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images and heterogeneous high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Tumors were well-demarcated from normal tissues. Additional information included adjacent bone involvement (one case), femoral vein invasion by tumor (one case), and hemorrhage within the tumors (one case). Four patients underwent a repeat MR examination following chemotherapy. This showed a decrease in size and increase in the signal intensity of three tumors on T2-weighted images, proven to be due to necrosis in one. These changes correlated with clinical regression of disease. While MR in synovial sarcoma does not have any specific signal intensity, it proved to be useful in defining the extent of disease and in determining the response to chemotherapy.
Neural network approach to edge detection and noise reduction in low-contrast images

Numerous vision applications rely upon efficient techniques for detecting edges in an image. Edge detection is especially difficult in low-contrast images which are characterized by the general lack of sharp variations in the gray-scale intensity values between objects of interest and their backgrounds. In low-contrast images, the application of commonly employed edge detection algorithms may result in excessive noise. This paper presents a neural network model which enhances edges and reduces noise in low-contrast gray-scale images. A neural element is associated with each pixel in an image. Each neuron receives weighted gray-scale inputs from its immediate neighbors. The weights associated with the gray-scale inputs are determined through a fuzzy compatibility function that grades the degree of similarity between the gray-scale intensity values of neighboring pixels. The neural element sums its weighted inputs and subjects the weighted sum to a sigmoid function that produces gray-scale outputs ranging between 0 and 255. The slope of the sigmoid function is chosen to force resulting pixel values away from mid-range values and closer to either 0 or 255. The resulting image is then subjected to the Sobel edge detection algorithm. The technique is illustrated by applying it to several low-contrast infrared images containing military vehicles. The results show significant noise reduction and edge enhancement.
Parent Perspectives on the Roles of Paraprofessionals.

This article examines parent perceptions of paraprofessional roles and employment conditions. Nineteen mothers of 23 children who received special education services in general education classrooms with support from paraprofessionals participated in focus group interviews. This exploratory study revealed that these mothers identified closely with paraprofessionals and believed that they were compassionate, dedicated people who functioned in four major roles: Connector, team member, instructor, physical caregiver/health needs provider. Participants also identified problems associated with paraprofessional employment including the lack of training, low pay, and lack of respect for the position, resulting in high levels of turnover. Respect for paraprofessionals was of particular concern to the mothers, who believed that the respect accorded to paraprofessionals reflected the respect accorded to their children.
Mean Square Error of Prediction as a Criterion for Selecting Variables

The mean square error of prediction is proposed as a criterion for selecting variables. This criterion utilizes the values of the predictor variables associated with the future observation and the magnitude of the estimated variance. Mean square error is believed to be more meaningful than the commonly used criterion, the residual sum of squares.
Ulnar artery catheterization with occlusion of corresponding radial artery

The transradial approach to coronary angiography has become a popular technique. Because of potential advantages, the transulnar approach has also recently been described. We report a successful case of transulnar catheterization with documented occlusion of the radial artery and normal inverse Allen test in a patient with limited vascular access.