cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compartmentation of Free Valine and Its Relation to Protein Turnover in Perfused Rat Liver

Abstract Livers from nonfasted rats were perfused in situ with concentrations of valine (plus [1-14C]valine) in the medium ranging from 0.3 to 15 mm. The relationship of total free intracellular valine (y) to external valine (x) was of the form y = a + bx, where the slope was about 1.0 and the intercept nearly 0.4 mm. At low valine concentrations the ratio of intracellular to extracellular valine, after isotopic equilibrium was attained, was less than 0.5; as external valine was increased, the ratio increased and approached unity. These findings suggested that the intracellular valine pool comprised two components, one which readily equilibrated with extracellular valine and another which was independent of external valine. Rates of valine incorporation into liver protein, calculated from the average specific activity of total intracellular valine, were not constant over the concentration range of external valine, as expected, but were 2- to 3-fold greater at the lowest concentrations than at the highest levels. This lack of constancy was explained by assuming that the two valine components represented two separate pools and that precursor sites of protein synthesis were in continuity with the expandable or equilibrating pool. Thus if label transported inward from the medium were restricted to the expandable pool, its specific activity and that of precursor amino acids would be higher than the determined specific activity of total intracellular valine. Recalculation of valine incorporation, based on the presumed specific activity of the expandable pool, gave uniform rates at all external valine concentrations. The second or nonexpandable pool, which apparently failed to equilibrate with label in the medium, was thought to arise from intracellular proteolysis since total intracellular and extracellular specific activities were the same when the only source of free label was the breakdown of protein in perfused livers that had been previously labeled with [1-14C]valine in vivo.
Nevertheless, It Does Move Us

Galileo Galilei . Philip Glass, composer. Libretto by Mary Zimmerman with Philip Glass and Arnold Weinstein. Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York, 1 to 5 October, 2002. This opera explores the life and science of the Renaissance astronomer in reverse, working from a frail, blind old man back to a fidgety young boy.
Money in Politics

There is a disconnect between the popular understanding of the role of money in American politics and the lessons from social science research. The foundational research in this field finds that campaign spending has at best negligible impacts on election outcomes. Similarly, decades of research reveal very little evidence that campaign contributions or even lobbying has significant effects on the content of public policy. These findings are corroborated by cutting edge research on the effects of campaign finance reforms both at the federal level and in the states. Keywords: campaign contributions; campaign finance reform; campaign spending; democracy; elections; legislation; lobbying; political corruption; political parties
A review and analysis of cause-selecting control charts

Cause-selecting control charts use incoming quality measurements and out-going quality measurements in an attempt to distinguish between in-coming quality problems and problems in the current opera...
Measurements of Spontaneous Magnetic Fields in Laser-Produced Plasmas

The creation of a dense high-temperature plasma by intense laser pulses is of prime interest to the field of thermonuclear research. Focussed onto a small deuterium-tritium fuel pellet, laser pulses can heat the matter to thermonuclear temperatures within a few nanoseconds releasing nuclear energy before the hot plasma blows apart. The present excitement about laser induced fusion is based on the results of extensive computer simulation experiments. The concept requires a sequence of time-tailored laser pulses to be focussed evenly onto a small pellet of deuterium-tritium ice. The successive ablation of outer layers of material produces a sequence of shock waves which converge space and time-wise towards the center of the sphere. These shock waves compress the core of the pellet by a factor of 103 to 104 above solid state density and heat the matter to thermonuclear temperature. In this manner a high energy state of matter can be created and investigated which otherwise exists only in the inner core of stars.
Integration of multi-voltage analog and power devices in a 0.25/spl mu/m CMOS + flash memory process

This paper presents the integration of multivoltage analog and power devices into a 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS + flash memory process based on Motorola's HiPerMOS/spl trade/ platform. A variety of MOSFETs and BJTs with breakdown voltage ranging from 10 V to more than 40 V, as well as high sheet resistance precision resistors, have been fabricated with the addition of only 3 simple masked implants to the existing process.
Parallel Querying of Large Databases: A Case Study

Parallelism by itself does not necessarily lead to higher speed. In the case study presented here, the parallel algorithm was far less efficient than a good serial algorithm. The study does, however, reveal how to best use parallelism to best use-run the more efficient serial algorithm in a parallel manner. The case study extends the work of others who presented an algorithm for high-speed querying of a large database. The results show that the throughput for parallel query analysis is high in an absolute sense. But a performance analysis of speedup or other aspects of algorithmic behavior that would reveal what factors of machine and algorithm design contribute most strongly to the performance were not provided. This article provides that analysis.
Should Suicide Prevention Programs Target Individuals or Society as a Whole

Abstract. The issue of whether it is more useful to focus on societal interventions to prevent suicide or individual-centered approaches is discussed. The advantages and drawbacks of each approach are explored.
New precursors for barium MOCVD. β-Ketoiminate complexes containing appended polyether "lariats"

Minimizing molecular oligomerization, and hence lattice cohesive energies, by saturating the metal coordination sphere with sterically encumbered nonpolar or fluorinated ligands is an attractive strategy for the design of volatile MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) precursors. For the growth of barium-containing ferroelectric or high-[Tc] superconducting films, the small charge-to-radius ratio of Ba[sup 2+] presents a significant challenge in precursor ligand design. This communication describes the synthesis of fluorine-free [beta]-ketoiminate ligands with appended polyether lariats' to encapsulate Ba[sup +2] and render it volatile for MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition). The characterization and crystal structures of two such Ba[sup 2+] complexes are described as is the application to the growth of crystalline BaPbO[sub 3] (a metal-like perovskite) films by MOCVD. 19 refs., 2 figs.
Detection of structural DNA variation from next generation sequencing data: a review of informatic approaches.

Next generation sequencing (NGS), or massively paralleled sequencing, refers to a collective group of methods in which numerous sequencing reactions take place simultaneously, resulting in enormous amounts of sequencing data for a small fraction of the cost of Sanger sequencing. Typically short (50–250 bp), NGS reads are first mapped to a reference genome, and then variants are called from the mapped data. While most NGS applications focus on the detection of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) or small insertions/deletions (indels), structural variation, including translocations, larger indels, and copy number variation (CNV), can be identified from the same data. Structural variation detection can be performed from whole genome NGS data or “targeted” data including exomes or gene panels. However, while targeted sequencing greatly increases sequencing coverage or depth of particular genes, it may introduce biases in the data that require specialized informatic analyses. In the past several years, there have been considerable advances in methods used to detect structural variation, and a full range of variants from SNVs to balanced translocations to CNV can now be detected with reasonable sensitivity from either whole genome or targeted NGS data. Such methods are being rapidly applied to clinical testing where they can supplement or in some cases replace conventional fluorescence in situ hybridization or array-based testing. Here we review some of the informatics approaches used to detect structural variation from NGS data.
Biology of Mallochia pyralidis (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), an ectoparasite of Eoreuma loftini (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Mexico.

Development, survivorship, and reproduction of the ichneumonid ectoparasite Mallochia pyralidis Wharton with the pyralid Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) as a host were studied at constant 26°C. Mean developmental time from egg to adult was 17.9 d for males and 18.9 d for females. Egg, larval (four instars), and pupal developmental times averaged 2.0, 7.5, and 8.8 d, respectively. Seventy-three percent of the individuals survived from egg to adulthood with mortality concentrated in the egg and first instar. Females deposited an average of 88.5 eggs throughout their life span with 10 hosts provided daily. Female longevity averaged 47.1 d with 50% of the eggs laid during the first 11 d of age and 90% during the first 23 d. An average of two eggs (range, 1–15) were laid per host, but only one parasite per host completed development, because of cannibalism by early instars. Sex ratio was skewed towards males (>70%), probably an artifact of rearing conditions. Unmated females produced only male progeny. General descriptions of M. pyralidis life stages are provided.
Increased blood osmolarity and its effect on respiration of dehydrating men

Eight unacclimatized nude male subjects were alternately exposed to room temperature (25.5–27.8°C) and heat (43.3°C D.B., 28°C W.B.). While in the heat chamber respiration was affected by an elevatedTr and plasma osmolarity. Removal of subjects from the heat decreasedTrbut did not significantly change osmolarity. Effects ofTrand osmolarity on respiration then could be separated. The data indicated that increased plasma osmolarity reduced respiratory responses to elevated body temperature. Decreased sensitivity to inhaled 3% CO2 also correlated with increases in plasma osmolarity, thus suggesting opposing actions of elevated body temperature and increased osmolarity on respiration of men undergoing progessive dehydration.
Trusting expert- versus user-generated ratings online: The role of information volume, valence, and consumer characteristics

The warranting principle, signaling theory, and theories of informational social influence suggest conditions when either user-generated information, or information originating from traditional experts, might be privileged online. A random sample of 1207 U.S.-based adults with Internet access completed an experiment that manipulated the source, volume, and valence of online movie ratings in order to test predictions derived from these perspectives. Results indicated that ratings volume is positively associated with trust of, reliance on, and confidence in user-generated content, as well as the congruence between one's own and others' opinions; that ratings source and volume interact to impact credibility perceptions, reliance on user-generated information, and opinion congruence, such that people tend to favor experts when there is low information volume, but favor user-generated information under conditions of high information volume; and that people's opinions and behavioral intentions converge with the online ratings information to which they are exposed. In addition, these effects apply more strongly to people more conversant with user-generated content. Results indicate important theoretical extensions by demonstrating that social information online may be filtered through signals indicating its veracity, which may not apply equally to all social media users.
A comparison of the effectiveness of free-running and treadmill exercise for assessing exercise-induced bronchospasm in clinical practice.

Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) is an important problem for many patients with asthma as well as for many allergic rhinitis patients who do not have clinical asthma.’ Both the free-running system and treadmill exercise test are frequently used to make the diagnosis of EIB. Free running is generally recognized to be the most asthmogenic form of exercise. It has been claimed, however, that vigorous treadmill exercise capable of raising the pulse to 170 bpm for 6 min is almost as asthmogenic as free running and is therefore quite useful for eliciting EIB. Furthermore, it has been stated that a greater work load will not increase the incidence of EIB over that achieved with treadmill exercise if the pulse reaches 170 bpm and is maintained at that rate.’ We have utilized both the free running and treadmill tests in 2 large populations of allergic children and adolescents and have attempted to answer 2 questions: (1) Is the similarity between treadmill exercise and free running sufficient to allow either to be used in clinical practice to delineate patients who may be in need of treatment for EIB? (2) Is there any increase in EIB incidence if one raises the pulse to 180 bpm from 170 bpm during the treadmill test?
543 EFFECT OF RACE AND OTHER VARIABLES ON TRANSCUTANEOUS BILIRUBINOMETRY

A non-invasive device for measuring cutaneous bilirubin has been evaluated on newborn infants to assess the effect of race, serum albumin level, site of measurement, breast feeding, and phototherapy. More than 560 comparisons between the Minolta transcutaneous bilirubinmeter (Pediatrics 65:195) and conventional serum bilirubin determinations (A.O. Bilirubinometer) confirmed Yamanouchi and Lucey's report (Ped. Res. 14:604) of a correlation coefficient near 0.9, P <.001. Phototherapy produced a pronounced decrement in the correlation, apparently by reducing cutaneous bilirubin levels and increasing melanin pigmentation. Both of these effects of phototherapy were circumvented by placing an opaque patch on a skin site between measurements. Formula-fed black (n = 32), Oriental (n = 24), and white (n = 47) babies all had similar slopes (1.0), but the background signal was progressively higher for the darker races and phototherapy augmented this rise in the intercept. Native Americans (n = 24) had a lower slope (0.55) but a higher intercept than the other races. Surprisingly, the correlation coefficient for each of the other three racial groups was higher for bottle-fed (n = 103) than for breast-fed (n = 137) infants. As predicted, the ratio of skin to serum bilirubin level was inversely related to the serum albumin concentration for formula-fed infants (P <0.05) which raises the question of whether skin or serum measurements provide a better index of critical CNS levels.
THE DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF A ROTATING SHAFT SUBJECT TO AN AXIALLY MOVING AND ROTATING LOAD

The dynamic response of a rotating shaft subject to an axially, constant-velocity, moving and rotating load is investigated. The dynamic behaviour of future, high-speed linear bearings is studied. Shafts used in linear bearing applications are typically slender. Therefore, Rayleigh beam theory is used to model the rotating shaft. Modal analysis and integral transformation methods are employed to develop analytical expressions for the transient response of a shaft with simply supported boundary conditions. Numerical results are presented, discussed and compared with some available solutions. As shown in the paper, by changing model parameters, it is possible to describe dynamic behaviour of different types of linear bearings and other mechanical elements.
Student aid and college attendance: Where are we now and where do we go from here?

Abstract This paper summarizes the research findings presented in this issue, outlines the gaps in our knowledge and suggests implications for our policy on student aid. The impact of financial aid on enrollments, tuition and expenditures at colleges and universities, is examined in the light of models of institutional behavior. Issues such as the distribution of aid to targeted subgroups (e.g. minorities and low SES households), the definition of financial independence, the possibility of excessive borrowing and the shift from need-based to merit-based aid are analyzed.
CALORIC DEPENDENCY IN OBESE ADOLESCENTS AS AFFECTED BY DEGREE OF MATURATION.

During reducing regimens, 3 rapidly developing adolescent boys and 1 mature adolescent girl were studied in regard to their nitrogen balance with various caloric and protein intakes. Nitrogen balance in the 3 rapidly growing obese adolescent boys proved to be extremely sensitive to caloric restriction. When the diet was severely restricted in calories, an increase of protein was able to affect nitrogen retention favorably but no amount of increase could produce a positive nitrogen balance. The one mature adolescent girl appeared relatively insensitive to caloric restriction and was able to maintain a positive nitrogen balance on as little as 900 calories and 70 Gm. protein daily. From the data it was concluded that her nitrogen metabolism was probably quite similar to that of obese adults.
General principles in the treatment of the common types of stasis ulcers

F OR SimpIiIication and ease of description, Iet us divide the common types of stasis uIcers into two cIasses. To the First cIass are assigned those uIcers associated with chronic venous insuffrciency primariIy due to the incompetency of the superficia1 veins of the involved extremity. To the second cIass are assigned those uIcers whose etioIogic basis usuaIIy can be traced directIy to damage brought about by an attack or attacks of thrombophIebitis. In a11 instances, Iet us assume that we are deahng with uIcers of average size, shape and Iocation which are producing average debihty and symptoms. UIcers, which because of their magnitude or severity of associated symptoms require additional therapy other than herein presented, wiII not be considered. Before instituting therapy for any uIcer of the Iower extremity a thorough history shouId be recorded and IocaI, genera1 and Iaboratory examinations should be completed. The history, in most instances, wiII determine to which of the aforementioned groups the uIcer shouId be assigned and wiII aid the operator in making a prognosis concerning the resuIts to be expected from treatment. The genera1 and Iaboratory examinations either shouId prove or disprove the tentative diagnosis of stasis uIcer. If comphcations or concomitant pathoIogic Iesions shouId be uncovered, they can in most instances be remedied to the patient’s benefit. The IocaI examination of the extremity, particuIarIy that of the venous systems, shouId be carried out prior to the institution of any type of therapy, because often a few days of rest and eIevation of the part may minimize the pathoIogic signs and symptoms or MINNESOTA
Computed Tomography–guided Cement Augmentation for Pain Relief of a Symptomatic Sternal Fracture

The authors report a novel application of cement augmentation for treatment of a symptomatic sternal fracture. Sternal fractures often cause debilitating pain and can affect ventilation. Given the success of vertebroplasty in patients in treating back pain, the authors used a similar technique in a 56-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and an acute comminuted sternal fracture refractory to conservative management. The authors used computed tomography guidance and cement augmentation for the fracture. The patient subsequently reported good pain relief and improved breathing. Sternoplasty may be a viable alternative for patients with sternal fractures and refractory pain.
X-ray emission from the winds of hot stars

A phenomenological theory is proposed for the structure of the unstable line-driven winds of early-type stars. These winds are conjectured to break up into a population of blobs that are being radiatively driven through, and confined by ram pressure of an ambient gas that is not itself being radiatively driven. Radiation from the bow shocks preceding the blobs can account for the X-ray luminosity of zeta Puppis. The theory breaks down when used to model the much lower density wind of tau Scorpii, for then the blobs are destroyed by heat conduction from shocked gas. This effect explains why the profiles of this star's UV resonance lines depart from classical P Cygni form.
Effects of prescribed fire on canopy foliar chemistry and suitability for an insect herbivore

We assessed the effects of a prescribed fire on the phytochemical characteristics and vigor of overstory chestnut oak, scarlet oak, and red maple, and measured the impact of potential changes on herbivore fitness. We compared foliar carbohydrates, tannins, nutrients, and fiber concentrations in foliage from burned and non-burned forest canopies. There were significant differences in most foliar characteristics between tree species. Total non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in scarlet oak and red maple foliage, and calcium levels in red maple foliage, were significantly lower in burned plots, but other phytochemical characteristics were largely unaffected by burning. Tree growth also varied with species. Burning increased chestnut oak relative growth, decreased scarlet oak growth, and had no affect on red maple growth. Scarlet oak and red maple foliage from burned and non-burned forest canopies were assayed for gypsy moth performance. Caterpillars fed foliage from scarlet oak, the preferred host, grew larger and developed more rapidly than did those fed red maple foliage. There were no significant burn treatment differences in caterpillar development within either tree species, suggesting that managers using prescribed fire to promote oak regeneration need not worry about enhancing forest stand susceptibility to gypsy moth. However, the fire in this study was of low to moderate intensity; more intense fires may alter foliar palatability.
The weak survival/strong survival phase transition for the contact process on a homogeneous tree*

The contact process on a homogeneous tree of degree 3 or larger is known to have two survival phases: weak and strong. In the weak survival phase, the "Malthusian parameter" (the Hausdorff dimension of the set of ends of the tree in which the infection survives) is less than half the Hausdorff dimension of the entire boundary. It is shown that if the expected infection time of a vertex is bounded by a constant times the probability of infection, then the critical exponent for the Malthusian parameter is at least 1/2.
Vitamin D Levels in Subjects with Prostate Cancer Compared to Age-Matched Controls

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in men worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men in the United States. Vitamin D is considered to have anticancer properties, currently thought to work mainly through its nuclear receptor or vitamin D receptor. In this retrospective study, we compared vitamin D levels in subjects with PCa with those of age-matched men without PCa. Study subjects included 479 in each group with a mean age of 73 and a mean creatinine of 1.05 and 1.15. Levels of 25 (OH) vitamin D were and in subjects with and without PCa. Levels of 1,25 (OH) vitamin D were and in subjects with and without PCa. In contrast to other studies, we did not find a significant difference in vitamin D levels. Among prostate cancer patients, vitamin D levels correlated positively with age (, ), and were negatively associated with BMI (, ), glucose (, ), HbA1C (, ), and PTH (; ). The data do not show the causal effect of vitamin D levels on PCa.
Variation in the annual dormancy cycle in buried seeds of the weedy winter annual Viola arvensis

Summary Seeds of Viola arvensis collected in different years and in different months within those years were buried in soil under natural seasonal temperature cycles, and changes in their germination requirements monitored. Seeds were dormant at maturity in May or June, but nondormant by autumn. During winter, some seeds entered dormancy, while others entered conditional dormancy, i.e. retained the ability to germinate at 15/6 and 20/10oC but not at other thermoperiods. Dormant and conditionally dormant seeds became nondormant the following summer. Seeds collected in 1981 exhibited an annual dormancy:nondormancy cycle, while those collected in 1982 exhibited an annual conditional dormancy:nondormancy cycle. The type of dormancy cycle found in these seed lots during their first year of burial persisted in subsequent years. Thirty–five and 36% of seeds collected in May 1983 and 1986, respectively, were conditionally dormant the following May, while only 5 and 9% of those collected in the same field in June 1983 and 1986, respectively, were conditionally dormant. Dormant seeds collected in 1981,1982 and 1984 and buried at 5oC during summer germinated to 0, 33 and 0% respectively, at 15/6oC in autumn. After the 1982 seeds became nondormant during summer, only 25% entered conditional dormancy when buried at 5oC, but after the 1981 and 1984 seeds became nondormant, 100% entered conditional dormancy at 5oC. Thus, the persistent seed bank of V. arvensis at a population site may consist of seeds with an annual dormancy:mondormancy cycle and others with an annual conditional dormancy:nondormancy cycle. This is the first report of the two types of annual seed dormancy cycles in the same species.
Range Collapse, Re‐Introductions, and Biogeographic Guidelines for Conservation

The review by Wolf et al. (1996) of correlates of translocation success in birds and mammals provides an interesting and instructive update to an earlier review by Griffith et al. (1989). We take issue with some of their conclusions, however, and we caution against generalizing their results to form biogeographic guidelines for directing conservation efforts. We disagree with Wolf et al.'s conclusion that their results contradict our recommendations (Lomolino & Channell 1995:344-345):
Ascorbyl palmitate-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex as an oxygen scavenging microparticle

Abstract An ascorbyl palmitate-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex (IC) was produced and evaluated as a possible oxygen scavenger. The X-ray diffraction profiles of ascrobyl palmitate (AP), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), and the IC were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The formation of inclusion complex induced large shifts in the WAXD signals. Surface morphology images from scanning electron microscopy showed that the IC had a rod shape. TGA analysis demonstrated that the IC had better thermal stability than the AP. The off-flavor profiles of the AP and the IC were analyzed by GC/MS. The IC had less off-flavor byproducts than the AP during oxygen scavenging reaction. The oxygen scavenging capability of the IC was compared with other oxygen scavengers, the AP and iron powder (IP), at two different storage temperatures, 4 and 23 °C. The IC had higher oxygen scavenging capability than the AP and the IP at both storage temperatures. The effect of thermal processing on oxygen scavenging capability was also investigated. Only the IC maintained good oxygen scavenging capability after thermal processing. Results demonstrated that the IC can be used as an effective oxygen scavenger.
Methodological issues in the meta-analysis of quasi-experiments

Special problems arise when meta-analysis is applied to quasi-experiments. Careful consideration of threats to each study's validity may help the meta-analyst to avoid these pitfalls.
Vigilance and social organization in two species of primates

Animals that live in groups may accrue anti-predator benefits by virtue of their association with other individuals. While a number of factors (e.g. habitat quality, group geometry, dominance rank) have been shown to affect the relationship between group living and individual rates of visual vigilance, sociality and vigilance have not been studied specifically in terms of the two competing demands they impose upon an individual's visual time. Two captive groups each of tamarins, Saguinus labiatus, and squirrel monkeys, Saimiri sciureus, were used in three related experiments to determine whether they looked at the social or non-social environment while they engated in a simulated foraging task. The tamarins, whose social behaviour is quite pacific and cooperative relative to the more hierarchical squirrel monkeys, looked at the non-social environment when they visually interrupted their foraging. Squirrel monkeys, however, looked more often at group mates. Detection of predators is probably more likely when an individual directs its attention not to conspecifics, but to the environment. Hence, social organizations in which individuals must pay social attention in order to monitor threats and avoid aggression may reduce individual rates of vigilance for predators. Failure to consider various targets of attention may well overestimate vigilance for predators by including other sorts of attentional phenomena in the measurement of vigilance.
CT angiography for assessment of intracranial basilar apex aneurysm neck diameter reduction poststenting for treatment planning.

Background and Purpose: Once a contraindication for a neuro-interventional therapeutic approach, some wide-necked aneurysms can now be treated with stent assistance. Radiologically assessing the impact of a stent on the neck of a wide-neck bifurcation, aneurysm remains a challenge however. Methods: A 76-year-old female with a large irregular basilar apex aneurysm was referred for endovascular treatment. Angiographic imaging revealed a basilar apex aneurysm with a 6-mm neck and a 14-mm dome. The decision was made to perform staged stent-assisted coiling of the aneurysm. In the interim time, although the stent was allowed to heal in place, a CTA was done to assess the positioning of the stent and the degree of neck narrowing. Results: The CTA showed that the neck had been narrowed from 6 to 2 mm hence making endovascular coiling feasible. Conclusion: Our case illustrates the use of CTA poststent deployment to visualize the change in aneurysm neck caliber precoil embolization. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
EVOLUTION OF A DISCONTINUOUS GULLY SYSTEM

ABSTRACT A discontinuous gully system which consists of a series of discrete basins has developed on an alluvial valley fill, in northern Colorado. Field evidence suggests that shallow depressions develop, under the influence of overland flow, from initial breaks in the vegetation cover. As a depression becomes too deep to allow water to lift material out, wind takes on the role of removing particles from the basin, and overland flow and slumping continue to extend it. Eventually successive basins coalesce, allowing water to flow throughout the system and once again become the predominant erosive agent. It appears that the gully system has developed under the influence of geomorphic agents which operate infrequently, during heavy rain or strong winds. These discontinuous gully systems are quite widespread, and have some impact on the rangeland economy. The development of incipient basins may be prevented by planting shrubs and grass, and well-developed basins may be stabilized by the use of water spreader...
Rush Hour is PSAPCE-complete, or Why you should generously tip parking lot attendants

Rush Hour is a children's game that consists of a grid board, several cars that are restricted to move either vertically or horizontally (but not both), a special target car, and a single exit on the perimeter of the grid. The goal of the game is to find a sequence of legal moves that allows the target car to exit the grid. We consider a slightly generalized version of the game that uses an nn grid and assume that we can place the single exit and target car at any location we choose on initialization of the game. In this work, we show that deciding if the target car can legally exit the grid is PSPACE-complete. Our constructive proof uses a lazy form of dual-rail reversible logic such that movement of "output" cars can only occur if logical combinations of "input" cars can also move. Emulating this logic only requires three types of devices (two switches and one crossover); thus, our proof technique can be easily generalized to other games and planning problems in which the same three primitive devices can be constructed.
Gas and Dust in Comets

A comet becomes a spectacular phenomenon for a transient time only. It is a starlike object at large distances from the Sun. The cometary head typically appears at distances less than 3 astronomical units (AU), and the tail at less than 1.5 AU (although exceptions are known). This suggests that the transient phenomena appear only while a strong interaction prevails between the solar light or the solar wind, and something rather elusive that we call the cometary nucleus. The nucleus, even if it is too tiny to be easily seen, must be the permanent feature that is the source and the origin of these transient phenomena.
Developmental stability and its applications in ecotoxicology

Developmental stability refers to the ability of a developing organism to produce a consistent phenotype in a given environment. It provides a simple, reliable method of detecting stressed populations and monitoring their recovery. The most common measure of developmental instability, fluctuating asymmetry, assesses minor deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry in traits that are normally symmetrical. Measures of developmental instability are based upon the concept of developmental invariance. The biotest approach consists of the simultaneous analysis of developmental instability (and related physiological instability) in a variety of species.
Ultrastructural alterations in peripheral blood lymphocyte profiles following acute thermal burns

Abstract Acute thermal burns result in impaired cellular immunity. This is reflected by an immediate lymphocytopenia, impaired delayed skin hypersensitivity, decreased allograft rejection potential, depletion of thymic dependent areas of lymphoid tissue, failure of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to respond to PHA, and a defect in both the response and stimulation capacity of PBL in mixed lymphocyte culture. The present study investigates the ultrastructure of the PBL of patients with acute thermal burns and correlates their morphology with the immunological defects previously shown to be present. Based upon their ultrastructural morphology, the PBL were divided into five cell types: small lymphocytes, large lymphocytes with dispersed ribosomes, large lymphocytes with aggregate ribosomes, large lymphocytes with varying amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and plasma cells. The serial studies performed in 14 adult burn patients were compared with similar studies performed in a group of 15 normal controls. On the first day post-burn, the PBL profile did not differ significantly from that of a normal group of adults although the lymphocyte count in peripheral blood was already decreased. By the second day a significant shift in the morphology of the PBL towards cells having larger quantities of rough endoplasmic reticulum had occurred coincident with a marked fall in the percentage of small lymphocytes present. With the passage of time this change became more pronounced. By 6–10 days post-burn, a mean of more than 30% of the PBL could be identified as either immature or mature plasma cells. Following this time of maximal change a return toward normal was seen, so that by Day 21–23 post-burn, the PBL profile had returned to essentially normal values. A comparison of these studies with other studies performed on patients with acute thermal burns makes it apparent that in the immediate post-burn period a marked defect in cellular immunity or T-cell function occurs simultaneously with a marked stimulation in humoral immunity or B-cell function. The latter abnormality is reflected by the development of a polyclonal gammopathy and the development first of a marked B-lymphocytosis followed by a marked plasmacytosis coincident with the return of PBL counts to normal. The mechanisms causing these changes in the burn patient are not known.
The dynamic hierarchical Dirichlet process

The dynamic hierarchical Dirichlet process (dHDP) is developed to model the time-evolving statistical properties of sequential data sets. The data collected at any time point are represented via a mixture associated with an appropriate underlying model, in the framework of HDP. The statistical properties of data collected at consecutive time points are linked via a random parameter that controls their probabilistic similarity. The sharing mechanisms of the time-evolving data are derived, and a relatively simple Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampler is developed. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the model.
Turnpike trusts and the transportation revolution in 18th century England

Abstract There is a long debate in economic history about the causes of the transportation revolution and its economic impact. This paper examines the effects of turnpike trusts in 18th century England. Turnpike trusts were organizations that financed road improvements by levying tolls. They replaced the authority of parishes, which financed road improvements using local taxes. The analysis shows that turnpike trusts contributed to lower freight charges and passenger travel times. It also shows that turnpike trusts, generated a social savings of at least 0.5% of national income in 1800 and 1820.
Procedures for computing smoothing and interpolating natural splines

Abstract : Algol procedures are presented which implement the algorithms of computation of smoothing and interpolating natural splines via local bases. These procedures permit the computation of the spline coefficients and the evaluation of the splines and their derivatives for several problems in interpolation and smoothing. (Author)
On Jump Processes in the Foreign Exchange and Stock Markets

exchange rates exhibit systematic discontinuities, even after allowingfor conditional heteroskedasticity in the diffusion process. The results are much more significant in theforeign exchange market than in the stock market, which suggests differences in the structure of these markets. Finally, this jump component is shown to explain some of the empirically observed mispricings in the currency options market. The objective of this article is to analyze and compare the empirical distribution of returns in the stock market and in the foreign exchange market. There are a number of reasons why a better understanding of the stochastic processes driving prices in these markets would be useful. Many financial models rely heavily on the assumption of a particular stochastic process, while relatively little attention is paid to the empirical fit of the postulated distribution. As a result, models like option pricing models are applied indiscriminately to various markets such as the stock market and the foreign exchange market when the underlying processes may be fundamentally different. The foreign exchange market, for instance, is characterized by active exchange rate man
The relationship of breast cancer epidemiology to screening recommendations

The epidemiology of breast cancer involves several factors that may be useful in deciding to recommend breast cancer screening. Paramount among these factors is age. A family history of breast cancer may be a basis for modifying screening recommendations, but this may be appropriate only for a subset of women with breast cancer in a relative. Although there are several known risk factors for breast cancer, no single factor accounts for a large proportion of disease, and many patients with breast cancer have none of the recognized risk factors. A decision to forgo screening based on the absence of any single factor other than age may not be justified by current epidemiologic knowledge.
Properties of asymmetric polyimide ultrafiltration membranes. I. Pore size and morphology characterization

Properties of asymmetric UF membranes made by solution casting of aromatic polyimides as a function of fabrication conditions are reported. The characteristic properties investigated include: the overall porosity, hydraulic permeability, the equivalent pore size of the skin layer (via a newly developed general diagram), and morphological features shown by the scanning electron microscope. It was found that as casting solution concentration and/or evaporation period was increased, the average pore size decreased while the skin thickness increased. At low casting solution concentrations the membranes were highly porous and the precipitated polymer phase had a granular structure consisting of aggregates of precipitated polymer micelles. While at high concentrations marcrovoid porosity was reduced but the precipitated polymer phase had a spongy structure. The interstitial openings of the granular skin structure of a membrane made from 15% polymer solution with no evaporation as revealed by SEM showed pore size values that were close to those calculated through pore models.
The search for spinodal decomposition in binary systems of high molecular weight polymers

Phase transformations associated with spinoidal decompositions are reviewed. Such phenomena associated with inorganic glasses are considered for the case of amorphous binary systems of organic high polymers. The thermodynamic and experimental considerations are projected and sample systems selected and tested. Results are presented for poly 1, 4(2, 6 dimethylphenylene oxide) plus a copolymer of styrene and orthochlorostyrene and also for this plasticized binary system.
A new dirbenium complex with an unsupported bridging hydride ligand

Abstract The reaction of Re2(CO)8(μ-H)2 with CH2(NMe2)2 in chloroform at 25°C yielded the new compound Re2(CO)8(NHMe2)(Cl)(μ-H) (1) in 31% yield. Compound 1 was characterized by IR, 1H NMR and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystal data: orthorhombic, Pbca, a = 13.787(4), b = 19.884(5), c = 12.296(2) A. Solution by direct methods (MITHRIL), R = 0.035 for 1800 reflections. The complex contains two rhenium atoms linked by an unsupported hydride bridge, Re ⋯ Re = 3.362(1) A, Re(1)H = 1.8(1) A and Re(2)H = 2.0(1) A. A chloride ligand abstracted from the solvent is terminally bonded to Re(1), and a dimethylamine ligand abstracted from the CH2(NMe2)2 is coordinated to Re(2). When heated to 68°C, the dimethylamine ligand was eliminated and the chloride ligand became a bridge in the new compound Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-Cl) (2), yield 76%.
Stopping Rules for Clinical Trials Implicitly Incorporating Safety Information

Clinical trials research is mainly conducted for the purpose of evaluating the relative efficacy of two or more treatments. However, a positive response due to treatment is not sufficient to put forward a new product because one must also demonstrate safety. In such cases, clinical trials which show a positive effect would need to accrue enough patients to also demonstrate that the new treatment is safe. It is our purpose to show how the efficacy and safety problems can be combined to yield a more practical clinical trial design. In this paper we propose an asymmetric stopping rule which allows the experimenter to terminate a clinical trial early for a sufficiently negative result and to continue to a specified number of patients otherwise. As it turns out, a few interim tests will have negligible effects on the overall significance level.
Ultrastructural aspects of a serious disease of hatchery reared larval oysters, Crassostrea gigas Thtinberg

. Ultrastructural observations on a possible aetiological agent and tissue changes in a previously described disease of hatchery reared larval oysters Crassostrea gigas Thunberg are reported. Spherical bodies, implicated in gastro-intestinal impaction, show a strong resemblance to the marine fungus, Hyalochlorella marina. Similarities include a thick outer wall structure, plate-like mitochondria and dense cytoplasm with small vacuoles. The dense fascicular masses, previously observed histologically at epithelial surfaces, consist of accumulations of irregular electron opaque bodies. Large accumulations of these bodies appear to exacerbate tissue damage and prevent normal velar function. In comparison with the reported virus-like particles in this disease, these dense inclusions and associated lesions are more frequently observed and thus seem to be more important in the disease process. Notes on normal epithelial surfaces of larval Crassostrea spp. are included.
The influence of external fields on magnetically ordered FeCl3·6H2O

Abstract Mossbauer resonance has been used to study a single crystal of FeCl3·6H2O at 1.16°K in external magnetic fields. The spectra exhibit pronounced splittings of the resonance lines at low field, followed by compression and then expansion of the resonance spectrum with increasing field. The results demonstrate two unique sets of ionic spins, and a gradual transformation from an antiferromagnetic state to magnetically induced paramagnetism.
Motion Planning under Uncertainty for Medical Needle Steering Using Optimization in Belief Space.

We present an optimization-based motion planner for medical steerable needles that explicitly considers motion and sensing uncertainty while guiding the needle to a target in 3D anatomy. Motion planning for needle steering is challenging because the needle is a nonholonomic and underactuated system, the needle’s motion may be perturbed during insertion due to unmodeled needle/tissue interactions, and medical sensing modalities such as ultrasound imaging and x-ray projection imaging typically provide only noisy and partial state information. To account for these uncertainties, we introduce a motion planner that computes a trajectory and corresponding linear controller in the belief space - the space of distributions over the state space. We formulate the needle steering motion planning problem as a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) that approximates belief states as Gaussians. We then compute a locally optimal trajectory and corresponding controller that minimize in belief space a cost function that considers avoidance of obstacles, penalties for unsafe control inputs, and target acquisition accuracy. We apply the motion planner to simulated scenarios and show that local optimization in belief space enables us to compute higher quality plans compared to planning solely in the needle’s state space.
Validation of the gyrokinetic model in ITG and TEM dominated L-mode plasmas

A rigorous validation of the gyrokinetic model was performed in both ion temperature gradient (ITG) and trapped electron mode (TEM) dominated Alcator C-Mod plasmas at (normalized midplane minor radius) r/a = 0.5 and 0.8. Analysis focuses on two L-mode discharges operated with 1.2 and 3.5 MW of ion cyclotron resonance heating. In depth investigation into the experimental uncertainties and simulation sensitivities in these discharges allows for a stringent test of the gyrokinetic model implemented by the GYRO code (Candy and Waltz 2003 J. Comput. Phys. 186 545) in both the centre of the stiff gradient region (r/a = 0.5) and the middle of the region often associated with the transport 'shortfall'(r/a = 0.8). To identify the nature of the plasma turbulence and to ensure a robust evaluation of the model's ability to reproduce experiment, the sensitivity of the simulation results to experimental uncertainty in turbulence drive and suppression terms were determined at both radial locations. When significant TEM activity is present, nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations are found to reproduce both electron and ion experimental heat fluxes within their diagnosed uncertainties. In contrast, in the absence of TEM, electron heat fluxes are robustly under predicted by low-k, gyrokinetic simulation.