cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detrital zircon and apatite (U‐Th)/He geochronology of intercalated baked sediments: A new approach to dating young basalt flows

Simple numerical models suggest that many basaltic lava flows should sufficiently heat the sediments beneath them to reset (U-Th)/He systematics in detrital zircon and apatite. This result suggests a useful way to date such flows when more conventional geochronological approaches are either impractical or yield specious results. We present here a test of this method on sediments interstratified with basalt flows of the Taos Plateau Volcanic Field of New Mexico. Nineteen zircons and apatites from two samples of baked sand collected from the uppermost 2 cm of a fluvial channel beneath a flow of the Upper Member of the Servilleta Basalt yielded an apparent age of 3.487 ± 0.047 Ma (2 SE confidence level), within the range of all published 40Ar/39Ar dates for other flows in the Upper Member (2.81–3.72 Ma) and statistically indistinguishable from the 40Ar/39Ar dates for basal flows of the Upper Member with which the studied flow is broadly correlative (3.61 ± 0.13 Ma). Given the high yield of 4He from U and Th decay, this technique may be especially useful for dating Pleistocene basalt flows. Detailed studies of the variation of (U-Th)/He detrital mineral dates in sedimentary substrates, combined with thermal modeling, may be a valuable tool for physical volcanologists who wish to explore the temporal and spatial evolution of individual flows and lava fields.
Okasha's Unintended Argument for Toolbox Theorizing

Okasha claims at the outset of his book "Evolution and the Levels of Selection" (2006) that the Price equation lays bare the fundamentals underlying all selection phenomena. However, the thoroughness of his subsequent analysis of multi-level selection theories leads him to abandon his fundamentalist commitments. At critical points he invokes cost benefit analyses that sometimes favors the Price approach and sometimes the contextual approach, sometimes favors MLS1 and sometimes MLS2. And although he doesn’t acknowledge it, even the Price approach breaks down into a family of alternative equations that parse the causes in different ways, none of which is uniquely correct and none of which achieves the ultimate isolation of effects due to what Okasha believes are the fundamental causes. I argue that his book provides good reason to re-conceive our understanding of evolutionary theorizing in terms of a toolbox view (developed here) and to stop subjecting the analyses of evolutionary concepts to a universalist standard.
Inhibition by sympathomimetic amines of the release of norepinephrine evoked by nerve stimulation in the cat spleen.

The effect of infused sympathomimetic amines on the output of norepinephrine (NE) was studied in the cat spleen perfused with Krebs-bicarbonate solution. The neuronal stores of NE were first labeled by a preliminary perfusion with 3 H-NE. The net increase in 3 H-NE in the venous effluent induced by splenic nerve stimulation (200 stimuli at 30 Hz) was measured before, during and after infusion of each drug. NE (0.1, 0.5 or 1.0 µg/ml) inhibited by 60 to 70% output of 3 H-NE evoked by stimulation. The inhibitory effect of infused NE was readily reversed by phentolamine (2.6 µg/ml). Phenylephrine (0.2 and 2 µg/ml) inhibited the output of 3 H-NE by 65 to 80% and also inhibited the output of NE to the same extent. Methoxamine at 0.2 µg/ml inhibited the outputs of both 3 H-NE and NE by less than 40%; at 2 µg/ml it inhibited both outputs by about 60%. Isoproterenol at 1 µg/ml inhibited 3 H-NE output to only a small extent; but at 10 µg/ml it inhibited about 75%. After washout of each of these amines, the output of 3 H-NE or NE in response to nerve stimulation was partially restored to the initial predrug level. Infusion of NE or phenylephrine, but not methoxamine and isoproterenol, produced an increase in the background release of 3 H-NE in the absence of nerve stimulation. Phentolamine did not significantly antagonize the increase in background release produced by NE infusion. The results indicate that activation of alpha adrenergic receptors in the perfused spleen can somehow produce an inhibition of release of NE in response to nerve impulses, and support the hypothesis that NE released on nerve stimulation can limit its own release by acting on alpha receptors on or near the nerve terminals.
Impact of aberrant DNA methylation patterns including CYP1B1 methylation in adolescents and young adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia

Aberrant promoter DNA methylation is a well-described mechanism of leukemogenesis within hematologic malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the importance of methylation patterns among the adolescent and young adult (AYA) ALL population has not been well established. DNA methylation of 18 candidate genes in 33 AYA ALL patients was analyzed at diagnosis and during treatment, to evaluate the frequency and clinical relevance of aberrant methylation in an AYA population treated on a uniform therapeutic regimen. Of 16 informative genes, there was a median of 6 methylated genes per AYA ALL patient. Correlations were identified between increasing number of methylated genes with male sex (P = 0.04), increased white blood cell (WBC) count (P = 0.04) and increased bone-marrow blast percentage (P = 0.04). Increasing age was associated with EPHA5 methylation (P = 0.05). Overall, patients experienced favorable outcomes with median survival that was not reached. On univariate analysis, methylation of CYP1B1 was associated with worse overall survival (HR 10.7, 95% CI 1.3-87.6, P = 0.03), disease-free survival (HR 3.7, 95% CI 1.1-9.2, P = 0.04) and correlated with decreased CYP1B1 gene expression. A significant incidence of methylation within the AYA ALL population was identified, with increased methylation associated with distinct clinicopathologic features including male gender and elevated WBC count. Our results suggest aberrant methylation among AYA patients is frequent, and may provide a common pathogenic mechanism. The inferior outcome identified with methylation of the cytochrome p450 gene CYP1B1, an enzyme involved in drug metabolism and steroid synthesis, warrants further investigation.
Electromagnetic Effects of Spin Wave Resonance in Ferromagnetic Metals

It was shown experimentally by Rado and Weertman that under suitable conditions there is an observable effect of exchange interactions on the ferromagnetic resonance in metals. The present paper provides an electromagnetic theory of this "spin wave resonance" experiment and satisfactorily explains the exchange shift as well as the width and shape of the absorption line. A combined solution is obtained of Maxwell's equations and the equation of motion of the magnetization vector M the latter equation including the exchange term due to the nonuniform orientation of M in the skin depth. It is shown that the triple refraction caused by the exchange effect necessitates the introduction of new boundary conditions. The final result, which is checked numerically and by an approximate calculation, is an expression for the measurable surface impedance and the "equivalent isotropic permeability" derived therefrom. This result is discussed and generalized, the properties of thermal spin waves in metals are briefly considered, and previous theories of exchange effects in ferromagnetic resonance are shown to be inadequate.
Protein kinase C regulates leukotriene B4 receptors in human neutrophils

Three protein kinase C (PKC) activators, viz. phorbol myristate acetate, mezerein, and rac-1-O-myristoyl-2-acetylglycerol, inhibited human neutrophil binding of [3H] leukotriene B4 (LTB4) by reducing the number of high-affinity receptors available to the arachidonic acid metabolite. The inhibitory effect occurred in whole cells and cytoplasts but not in isolated membranes; it appeared to involve the activation of PKC rather than direct competition for binding sites. PKC may govern cellular responsiveness by regulating the receptor-linked bioactions of endogenous mediators like LTB4.
Effect of a 'vagomimetic' atropine dose on canine cardiac vagal tone and susceptibility to sudden cardiac death.

We manipulated the level of cardiac vagal tone in dogs with healed myocardial infarctions during exercise plus acute ischemia, to explore vagal involvement in the pathophysiology of sudden cardiac death. We occluded the circumflex coronary artery during the last minute of treadmill exercise in 32 dogs with healed anterior myocardial infarctions. Twenty-one dogs experienced ventricular fibrillation (susceptible) and 11 did not (resistant). On a subsequent day, we gave intravenous lowdose atropine to susceptible dogs to increase their levels of cardiac vagal tone, as estimated by moving polynomial timeseries analysis of R−R interval variability (0.24–1.04 Hz). We also measured vagal responses to coronary occlusion at rest, before and after low-dose atropine. In susceptible dogs, atropine increased the average vagal tone index at rest (atropine: 7.3±0.4 versus control: 6.6±0.5 ln ms2,P<0.01) and during maximum exercise (atropine: 2.5±0.4 versus control: 1.6±0.3 ln ms2,P<0.01), but failed to prevent ventricular fibrillation induced by exercise plus ischemia. Time to ventricular fibrillation actually decreased from 63±3 to 42±2 s (P<0.01), and R-R interval shortening elicited by coronary occlusion increased (atropine: Δ −144±64 versus. control: Δ −55±32 ms,P<0.01). In resting susceptible dogs, atropine significantly increased preocclusion indexes of vagal tone (atropine: 7.8±0.3 versus control: 6.9±0.4 ln ms2,P<0.01), but did not prevent large reductions of vagal tone during ischemia (atropine: Δ −4.4±0.6 versus control: Δ −3.8±0.4 ln ms2,P<0.05). We conclude that increases of resting vagal tone after low-dose atropine in dogs with healed anterior myocardial infarctions do not protect against sudden cardiac death. Quite the contrary, vagal tone is withdrawn more completely during ischemia, and the time to ventricular fibrillation during exercise plus ischemia is shortened. Clin Auton Res 8:155–164
In vivo validation of a system for haptic feedback of tool vibrations in robotic surgery

Robotic minimally invasive surgery (RMIS) lacks the haptic (kinesthetic and tactile) cues that surgeons are accustomed to receiving in open and laparoscopic surgery. We previously introduced a method for adding tactile and audio feedback of tool vibrations to RMIS systems, creating sensations similar to what one feels and hears when using a laparoscopic tool. Our prior work showed that surgeons performing box-trainer tasks significantly preferred having this feedback and believed that it helped them concentrate on the task, but we did not know how well our approach would work in a clinically relevant setting. This study constituted the first in vivo test of our system. Accelerometers that measure tool vibrations were mounted to the patient-side manipulators of a da Vinci S surgical system. The measured vibrations were recorded and presented to the surgeon through vibrotactile and audio channels while two transperitoneal nephrectomies and two mid-ureteral dissections with uretero-ureterostomy were completed on a porcine model. We examined 30 minutes of resulting video to identify and tag manipulation events, aiming to determine whether our system can measure significant and meaningful tool vibrations during in vivo procedures. A total of 1,404 manipulation events were identified. Analysis of each event’s accelerations indicated that 82 % of these events resulted in significant vibrations. The magnitude of the accelerations measured for different manipulation events varied widely, with hard contact causing the largest cues. This study demonstrates the feasibility of providing tool vibration feedback during in vivo RMIS. Significant tool vibrations were reliably measured for the majority of events during standard urological procedures on a porcine model, while real-time, naturalistic tactile and audio tool vibration feedback was provided to the surgeon. The feedback system’s modules were easily implemented outside the sterile field of the da Vinci S and did not interfere with the surgical procedure.
DIAZOTROPHIC GROWTH OF THE MARINE CYANOBACTERIUM TRICHODESMIUM IMS101 IN CONTINUOUS CULTURE: EFFECTS OF GROWTH RATE ON N2 -FIXATION RATE, BIOMASS, AND C:N:P STOICHIOMETRY(1).

Trichodesmium N2 fixation has been studied for decades in situ and, recently, in controlled laboratory conditions; yet N2 -fixation rate estimates still vary widely. This variance has made it difficult to accurately estimate the input of new nitrogen (N) by Trichodesmium to the oligotrophic gyres of the world ocean. Field and culture studies demonstrate that trace metal limitation, phosphate availability, the preferential uptake of combined N, light intensity, and temperature may all affect N2 fixation, but the interactions between growth rate and N2 fixation have not been well characterized in this marine diazotroph. To determine the effects of growth rate on N2 fixation, we established phosphorus (P)-limited continuous cultures of Trichodesmium, which we maintained at nine steady-state growth rates ranging from 0.27 to 0.67 d(-1) . As growth rate increased, biomass (measured as particulate N) decreased, and N2 -fixation rate increased linearly. The carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) varied from 5.5 to 6.2, with a mean of 5.8 ± 0.2 (mean ± SD, N = 9), and decreased significantly with growth rate. The N:P ratio varied from 23.4 to 45.9, with a mean of 30.5 ± 6.6 (mean ± SD, N = 9), and remained relatively constant over the range of growth rates studied. Relative constancy of C:N:P ratios suggests a tight coupling between the uptake of these three macronutrients and steady-state growth across the range of growth rates. Our work demonstrates that growth rate must be considered when planning studies of the effects of environmental factors on N2 fixation and when modeling the impact of Trichodesmium as a source of new N to oligotrophic regions of the ocean.
ROBODEXS: multi-robot deployment and extraction system

The importance of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV's) in the Military's operations is continually increasing. All Military branches now rely on advanced robotic technologies to aid in their missions' operations. The integration of these technologies has not only enhanced capabilities, but has increased personnel safety by generating larger standoff distances. Currently most UGV's are deployed by an exposed dismounted Warfighter because the Military possess a limited capability to do so remotely and can only deploy a single UGV. This paper explains the conceptual development of a novel approach to remotely deploy and extract multiple robots from a single host platform. The Robotic Deployment & Extraction System (ROBODEXS) is a result of our development research to improve marsupial robotic deployment at safe standoff distances. The presented solution is modular and scalable, having the ability to deploy anywhere from two to twenty robots from a single deployment mechanism. For larger carrier platforms, multiple sets of ROBODEXS modules may be integrated for deployment and extraction of even greater numbers of robots. Such a system allows mass deployment and extraction from a single manned/unmanned vehicle, which is not currently possible with other deployment systems.
A spin-flop bicritical line in GdAlO3

Abstract In antiferromagnets with orthorhombic symmetry, the surface of first-order spin-flop transitions is connected to the paramagnetic phase boundary in a bicritical line, provided the field lies in the easy-hard plane. We have experimentally verified this spin-flop bicritical line in GdAlO3.
Performance of the Nested Tropical Cyclone Model as a Function of Five Storm-Related Parameters

Abstract A detailed analysis of the performance of the U.S. Navy Nested Tropical Cyclone Model (NTCM) for western North Pacific tropical cyclones is made based on five storm-related factors: latitude, longitude, intensity, 12-h intensity change and size (radius of 15 m s−1 (30 kt) winds). The error measures used to assess the accuracy of the NTCM forecasts include: mean and median forecast errors, the systematic errors in the zonal and meridional directions, and the cross-track and along-track components relative to a climatology-persistence (CLIPER) track. These different measures provide insights into the different characteristics of the NTCM forecasts. Although the mean forecast errors are widely reported, they provide no indication of directionality. The zonal and meridional systematic errors provide additional information, but are difficult to interpret since both eastward and westward moving storms are included. Referencing the cross-track and along-track components to a standard forecast technique ...
A microarray approach for optimizing localized deposition of carbon nanotubes using microhotplate arrays

A 340-element array of microhotplates was used to characterize the chemical vapour deposition growth of carbon nanotubes and nanofibres under a variety of process conditions. One dimension of the 17 by 20 element array was used to vary the thickness of a Ni catalyst layer. The second dimension was used for temperature control. Growth took place in an ambient temperature gas flow system, with processes only occurring on activated heaters. This allowed different process sequences to be defined on different columns of the array. Four parameters were varied: pre-anneal temperature of the catalyst, growth temperature of the carbon nanostructures, growth pressure, and growth time. Scanning electron microscope images of each array element revealed trends in microstructure as these parameters, together with the catalyst thickness, were varied.
Rhombohedral ferroelectric phases of lead zirconate titanate

The phonon dispersion relations of lead zirconate in the high-temperature rhombohedral ferroelectric phase are computed from first principles. They exhibit instabilities at the M point of the pseudocubic Brillouin zone, suggesting that this may be related to anomalous superlattice reflections found in recent transmission electron microscopy experiments. However, ordered M-like structures are observed in neither metastable structures nor in finite-temperature simulations of bulk crystals. Using a coarse-grained model fitted to ab initio results, the transition between the low- and high-temperature rhombohedral phases is simulated and analyzed at small Ti concentrations.
Expanding a traditional criminal justice curriculum into an innovative social control curriculum

Abstract Most criminal justice curricula are limited to crime and the criminal justice system. Such programs could profit from evolution into a curriculum covering all means by which behavior is controlled in society. Subject areas of such a social control curriculum would include: sources and nature of behavior; selection of behaviors for social control; criminal justice systems; non-criminal justice, legal, social control systems; and nonlegal, social control systems. Crime and criminal justice would remain major topics, but would be complemented by and blended with the topics of noncriminal behavior and non-criminal justice system controls on behavior. However, the focus would remain on social control of behavior and would not be expanded to include all community interaction.
A Quantitative Study of Deformation Mechanisms and Finite Strain in Quartzites

The Weverton quartzites in the Maryland Blue Ridge are deformed by one major period of greenschist-grade deformation. The components of finite strain due to different independent mechanisms have been measured for these rocks. The total strain is split up into two major components: $$\varepsilon ^t = \varepsilon ^p + \varepsilon ^d .$$ The finite natural strain caused by dislocation creep (ɛd) is measured by a new technique using folded and stretched rutile needles which are good strain markers within the quartz crystals. Pressure solution strain (ɛp) is measured from the ratio of the area of new crystals and fibers to the whole rock area in principal sections. Grain boundary sliding is a dependent process which accompanies both mechanisms. Pressure solution obeys a linear Newtonian flow law, \(\left| {\dot \gamma _0^p } \right| = A_p \left| {\tau _0 } \right|\), while dislocation creep obeys a power law of the form \(\left| {\dot \gamma _0^d } \right| = A_d \left| {\tau _0 } \right|^n \) where \(\dot \gamma _0^p ,\dot \gamma _0^d \) are octahedral shear strain rates, τ0 is the octahedral shear stress and Ap, Ap and n are constants. A direct correlation between finite strain measurements and the operating flow laws can be made. Application of these methods and principles to a few field examples indicates that the rocks obey a flow law partly governed by each mechanism. Any set of physical conditions defines a unique flow law and there is a transition in creep behavior from dominantly Newtonian to a power law with increasing strain rate.
Transmutation of Phosphorus, Sulphur, Chlorine and Potassium, and the Masses of Light Atoms

REFINED study of the artificial disintegration of light elements by -particle bombardment has revealed the important fact that the nuclear energy changes have discrete values presumably corresponding to quantised nuclear energy levels. These energy values are among the most definitely measurable properties of light nuclei and as such should be of importance to nuclear theory, but owing to the lack of experimental material no satisfactory explanation of these levels has yet been made.
Expression of a Novel Isoform of Cyclin I in Human Testis

Abstract A new isoform of cyclin I, designated cyclin I TI , was cloned from the human testis cDNA-λgt10 library by using a ∼0.5 kb PCR fragment that was obtained by using primers based on the published cyclin I sequence from the human brain. The cyclin I TI cDNA is 1443-bp long and has an ORF of 178 aa with the first ATG Met start codon at nt 1 and has the well-conserved sequence of cyclin box. The 5′ flanking sequence of 728-bp has a high similarity (99.6%) with the 5′-intron of the human β-polymerase gene. The nt sequence of cyclin I TI cDNA has high similarity (99.3%) with the cyclin I gene sequence. The cyclin I TI was found to have three amino acids mutations at nt 25, 172, 223, respectively, including one in the well-conserved sequence of cyclin box. Northern blot analysis indicated that the cyclin I TI is expressed in human testis at increased level compared to other tissues. The in vitro translated protein of the cyclin I TI cDNA was recognized specifically by the antibodies raised against the human sperm proteins, indicating its presence in human sperm. This new isoform may have a physiological role in spermatogenesis and/or human sperm cell function—especially in capacitation and/or acrosome reaction.
Brain Activity Mapping in Mecp2 Mutant Mice Reveals Functional Deficits in Forebrain Circuits, Including Key Nodes in the Default Mode Network, that are Reversed with Ketamine Treatment

Excitatory-inhibitory imbalance has been identified within specific brain microcircuits in models of Rett syndrome (RTT) and other autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, macrocircuit dysfunction across the RTT brain as a whole has not been defined. To approach this issue, we mapped expression of the activity-dependent, immediate-early gene product Fos in the brains of wild-type (Wt) and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (Mecp2)-null (Null) mice, a model of RTT, before and after the appearance of overt symptoms (3 and 6 weeks of age, respectively). At 6 weeks, Null mice exhibit significantly less Fos labeling than Wt in limbic cortices and subcortical structures, including key nodes in the default mode network. In contrast, Null mice exhibit significantly more Fos labeling than Wt in the hindbrain, most notably in cardiorespiratory regions of the nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS). Using nTS as a model, whole-cell recordings demonstrated that increased Fos expression in Nulls at 6 weeks of age is associated with synaptic hyperexcitability, including increased frequency of spontaneous and miniature EPSCs and increased amplitude of evoked EPSCs in Nulls. No such effect of genotype on Fos or synaptic function was seen at 3 weeks. In the mutant forebrain, reduced Fos expression, as well as abnormal sensorimotor function, were reversed by the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine. In light of recent findings that the default mode network is hypoactive in autism, our data raise the possibility that hypofunction within this meta-circuit is a shared feature of RTT and other ASDs and is reversible.
Treating Trichotillomania in a Toddler: Variations on Effective Treatments

This study evaluated the effectiveness of variations of two treatments, attention reflection and aversive taste treatment, previously found to be successful for managing trichotillomania and simultaneous thumb sucking in an 18-month-old boy. Results indicate that a modified attention reflection procedure decreased both behaviors. However, an aversive taste treatment applied to the thumb only when preceded by hair pulling decreased thumb sucking and eliminated hair pulling. The discriminative effects of punishment and considerations for treating habits in small children when a targeted covarying behavior is developmentally normal are discussed.
Rapid Early Response, Cognitive Modification, and Nonspecific Factors in Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Depression: A Reply to Tang and DeRubeis

Tang and DeRubeis (this issue) challenge the Ilardi and Craighead (1994) hypothesis that nonspecific factors mediate a large proportion of clinical improvement In cognitive behavior therapy (CUT) for depression, and argue that Beck's cognitive hypothesis is not contradicted by the phenomenon of rapid early treatment response. They propose (a) that cognitive modification techniques are introduced in CBT as early as Session 2, (b) that dose-response analyses are inconsistent with the rapid early response pattern, and (c) that observed heterogeneity of patient temporal response curves is problematic for the nonspecific factors hypothesis. In response, we note that (a) there is no compelling evidence that cognitive modification techniques are routinely implemented prior to Week 3 of CBT, (b) disproportionately rapid improvement In depressive symptoms typically occurs over the first six sessions (3 weeks) of CBT, and (c) the two newly reported heterogeneous temporal response patterns are each consistent with the hypothesis of nonspecific mediation of clinical improvement.
Learning to organize in free recall

A multitrial free recall study assessed the effects of learning-to-learn and learning-to-organize over experimental sessions. An experimental group (Group E) learned five successive lists on 5 successive days, whereas a control group (Group C) learned only two lists, on Day 1 and on Day 5 of Group E training. Results showed a learning-to-learn effect for Group E, but not for Group C. Subjective organization scores increased for both groups, indicating that the learning-to-organize effect reached an asymptote more quickly than the learning-to-learn effect.
A new algorithm for antenna optimization in aerospace applications: The sounding rocket test case

This paper aims to optimize the design of a novel antenna for aerospace applications to be integrated on an experimental rocket that has been designed in an advanced research student program. In order to optimize EM performance of such a system a novel optimization algorithm called SNO, Social Network Optimization, has been developed and tested to find the best configuration that assure the effectiveness of the overall rocket design. The explosion of Internet and Social Network diffusion in the last years is having a direct impact on different research fields as computer science, economy, sociology and biological science. SNO concept is an optimization algorithm inspired by the emulation of decision making process in social network environments. The experimental results of the rocket antenna design will be presented to prove the effectiveness of this new algorithm.
Parametrized spaces model locally constant homotopy sheaves

Abstract We prove that the homotopy theory of parametrized spaces embeds fully and faithfully in the homotopy theory of simplicial presheaves, and that its essential image consists of the locally homotopically constant objects. This gives a homotopy-theoretic version of the classical identification of covering spaces with locally constant sheaves. We also prove a new version of the classical result that spaces parametrized over X are equivalent to spaces with an action of ΩX. This gives a homotopy-theoretic version of the correspondence between covering spaces and π 1 -sets. We then use these two equivalences to study base change functors for parametrized spaces.
Innovative Sustainable Water Management Practices in Solar Residential Design

This paper communicates the results of an architectural research project which sought innovative design strategies for achieving energy and resource efficiencies in water management systems traditionally used in single-family housing. It describes the engineering of an efficient, multifaceted, and fully integrated water management system for a domesticenvironment of 800 sq. ft., entirely powered by solar energy. The four innovations whose details are conveyed include the use of alternate materials for piping distribution and collection, the use of water in solar energy generation, the design of a building skin which capitalizes on water’s capacity to store heat as well as the design of a ecological groundscape which re-usesand filters waste water and rain water. Keywords: energy, plumbing, home design
Effects of different complementary feeding regimens on iron status and enteric microbiota in breastfed infants.

Objective To compare iron status in breastfed infants randomized to groups receiving complementary feeding regimens that provided iron from fortified infant cereals or meats, and to examine the development of the enteric microbiota in these groups. Study design Forty-five exclusively breastfed 5-month-old infants were randomized to 1 of 3 feeding groups (FGs)—commercially available pureed meats, iron- and zinc-fortified infant cereals, or iron-only fortified infant cereals—as the first and primary complementary food through 9-10 months of age. Dietary iron was determined by monthly 3-day diet records. Iron status was assessed at the end of the study by measurements of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptor levels. In a subsample of 14 infants, enteric microbiota were profiled in monthly stool samples (5-9 months) by 16S ribosomal RNA gene pyrosequencing. Results Infants in the 2 cereal FGs had 2- to 3-fold greater daily iron intakes versus the meat FG ( P P = .03). Sequence analysis identified differences by time and FG in the abundances of several bacterial groups, including significantly more abundant butyrate-producing Clostridium group XIVa in the meat FG ( P = .01) Conclusion A high percentage of healthy infants who were breastfed-only were iron-deficient, and complementary feeding, including iron exposure, influenced the development of the enteric microbiota. If these findings are confirmed, then reconsideration of strategies to both meet infants' iron requirements and optimize the developing microbiome may be warranted.
Persistent α-Helical Content and Local Helical Structural Fluctuations from a Molten Globule to Ordered Peptide Transition

Structural information about proteins can provide valuable insight into folding mechanisms and dynamics, giving us information about protein function and interactions within biological systems. Upon interaction with various moieties, proteins have the potential to undergo a variety of conformational changes. Extensive studies have been done using deep UV resonance Raman (dUVRR) spectroscopy to study the secondary structure of proteins. Here, we present the results of our experiments, where we simultaneously monitored both secondary and tertiary structure of de novo synthesized protein, HP7. HP7 is a four-helix bundle that retains its secondary structure while altering its tertiary structure dependent upon the attachment of a heme group. In studying the apo- and holo-proteins, we determine that dUVRR spectroscopy is a promising tool for the simultaneous study of both protein secondary and tertiary structure.
Role of Active-Site Residues Thr81, Ser82, Thr85, Gln157, and Tyr158 inYeast Cystathionine β-Synthase Catalysis and Reaction Specificity†

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) effects the condensation of l-serine with l-homocysteine to form l-cystathionine. A series of active-site mutants, T81A, S82A, T85A, Q157A/E/H, and Y158F, was constructed to investigate effects on catalysis and reaction specificity in yeast CBS (yCBS). The effects of these mutations on the kcat/ for the β-replacement reaction range from a reduction of only 3-fold for Y158F to below detectable levels for the Q157A and Q157E mutants. The order of importance of these residues to the β-replacement reaction is Gln157 ≥ Thr81 > Ser82 > Thr85 ≈ Tyr158. All seven of the mutant enzymes catalyze a competing β-elimination reaction, in which l-Ser is hydrolyzed to NH3 and pyruvate. The ping-pong mechanism of CBS was thus expanded to include the latter reaction for these mutants. This activity is not detectable for wild-type yCBS, suggesting that the mutations result in a shift in the equilibrium between the open and the closed conformations of the active site of yCBS−substrate complexes...
Ineffectiveness of 3,4-diaminopyridine as a therapy for type C botulism.

Abstract L. S. Siegel and J. I. Price . Ineffectiveness of 3,4-diaminopyridine as a therapy for type C botulism. Toxicon 25, 1015 – 1018, 1987.— Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins inhibit acetylcholine release at neuromuscular junctions. Agents stimulating neurotransmitter efflux, such as 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP), could be useful for botulism therapy. Treatment with 3,4-DAP (8 mg/kg hourly, beginning 3 hr after toxin injection) failed to increase the survival times of mice receiving 10, 20 or 40 ld 50 type C, but did prolong the survival of those receiving 20 ld 50 type A. This difference in 3,4-DAP efficacy may reflect variations in the molecular mechanism of action of types A and C botulinum neurotoxins.
Conformation of 2,3-diformylglycerol, a model compound of membrane phospholipids.

Abstract The conformations of 2,3-diformylglycerol, a model compound of the diacylglycerol portion of phospholipids, were analyzed both by the classical potential function method and by the INDO molecular orbital method. The results suggest that in membranes, the conformation of the diacylglycerol portion of phospholipids is such that the two ester planes of the β- and γ-hydrocarbon chains stack in an antiparallel way with the dihedral angles β′{C(3)C(2)O(21)C(21)} ≅ 270° and γ1{C(2)C(3)O(31)C(31)} ≅ 270°.
CHAOS: Composable Highly Accurate OS-based power models

Models of computers' power consumption enable a variety of energy-efficiency optimizations and reduce data center instrumentation costs. In this paper, we present Composable, Highly Accurate, OS-based (CHAOS) full-system power models for machines and clusters. CHAOS models, which use high-level OS performance counters, yield highly accurate predictions without the intrusiveness and portability problems of hardware counters or board-level instrumentation. Furthermore, they are automatically generated by a low-overhead software framework (less than 1% CPU utilization on a mobile-class processor). We evaluate CHAOS models using MapReduce-style workloads, executed on server-class systems as well as energy-efficient low-power desktops, laptops, and embedded systems. We also generate and validate a generic, cross-platform feature set for cluster power models. To facilitate comparisons across different models and platforms, we define a metric called Dynamic Range Error (DRE) to describe how well the model characterizes the dynamic system behavior. Using this metric, we quantify the tradeoffs between model complexity and accuracy for different workloads. Our results show that the generic cross-platform feature set degrades prediction accuracy by at most 1% DRE compared to power models using the best cluster-specific feature set. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most complete study of system power modeling covering such a wide variety of platforms, workloads, and models.
The Use of ARMA Models in Earthquake Response Spectra

Structural design spectra are based on smoothed linear response spectra obtained from different events scaled by their peak values. Such an approach does not incorporate other characteristics of the excitation represented by measured data. This study investigate the use of non-stationary models which can be considered characteristic and representative of specific historical earthquakes. An earthquake record is regarded as a sample realization from a population of such samples, which could have been generated by the stochastic process characterized by an Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) model. ARMA models are developed for four major earthquakes after processing by a variance stabilizing transformation. Samples of acceleration records are generated for each event. In this earthquake modeling procedure, parameters describing the modulating function of the record and the stabilized series are estimated. Maximum displacement ductility demand and normalized hysteretic energy demand for linear and stiffness softening single degree of freedom system systems are computed for the samples generated for each event. The sensitivity and dependence of demand spectra on earthquake model characteristics are examined to develop a response prediction model. Non linear response analysis of the four events indicates that ARMA (2,1) process using samples of twenty simulated earthquakes provide a reliable description of the information contained within acceleration records. Empirical relationships for displacement ductility and Normalized hysteretic energy demand spectra are developed.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Large impact craters and the moon's orientation

Abstract This paper investigates the idea that large impact events have caused the moon to change its orientation in space. It is found that the very largest impact events, such as those which formed Imbrium and Orientale, probably did reorient the moon. This reorientation is primarily due to the change in the moon's moments of inertia consequent upon crater formation. The impulse delivered by the impact can at most unlock the moon's synchronous rotation for a few thousand years, and is thus not of major importance. The moon will attain its new orientation in less than a few times 10 4 years as a result of tidal friction. Since the large craters eventually are filled by isostatic rebound and extrusive igneous activity, the moon may eventually regain its original orientation unless other phenomena cause new changes in the distribution of mass on its surface.
Preoperative radiation therapy in simulated cancer of the colon in rabbits.

An attempt has been made to mimic the clinical setting of human cancer of the colon by implanting a tumor in the colon of the white rabbit. Within well-defined limits, treatment was provided in the combined therapy group which would approximate clinical experience: that is, the use of less than cancericidal dose of irradiation followed closely by surgical resection.
Simultaneous cisplatin fluorouracil infusion and radiation followed by surgical resection in regionally localized stage III, non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Sixty-four patients with stage III (M 0 ) non–small cell lung cancel were treated with cisplatin fluorouracil infusion chemotherapy and simultaneous radiation therapy for 5 days every other week. A total of 4 cycles (40 Gy) was followed by attempted surgical resection. Clinical response to the preoperative treatment included 5 (8%) complete and 32 (48%) partial responses. Thirty-nine (61%) underwent the planned operation, and in 9 (23%) of these patients the resected specimens were histologically negative. Clinical assessment failed to predict histological response. With 17 months median follow-up (range, 2.4–29 months), estimated 1-year survival was 61% and median survival was 16 months for all patients.
Use Of Lenses To Enhance Depth Perception

This Paper Describes An Optical Projection System Where The Images Float In Space And Are Perceived With Enhanced Depth. The Optical System Can Be Used By Itself Or In Conjunction With Other 3D Enhancing Techniques.
On Whiteness in T. Coraghessan Boyle's The Tortilla Curtain

Abstract Although the emergent critical enterprise loosely termed “Whiteness Studies” has generated controversy among U.S. race scholars, few would disagree that one of its continuing contributions to contemporary discussions of race is the insistence that the racial category of whiteness be demystified-that its hegemonic contrivances be made visible.
Development of an Optical Sensor for Temperature Measurement and Water Droplet Detection in PEMFC Gas Channels

Thermal and water management in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells provide a significant challenge for engineers and fuel cell designers as both have a direct effect on performance and durability. Internal temperature is very difficult to measure due to component geometry and the internal environment possessed by PEM fuel cells along with a lack of sufficient temperature measurement methods which are often highly invasive. This research presents initial developments for creating a non-intrusive temperature measurement system, based on the principles of phosphor thermometry, which also has the ability to optically detect liquid water formation and movement in PEMFC gas channels. The sensor was designed, calibrated and then installed in a 25 cm2 PEM fuel cell for in-situ testing. The experimental data show that a relationship exists between temperature variation and water droplet movement in gas channels of a PEM fuel cell.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The computer simulation of sociological surveys

A computer simulation of a sociologist conducting sample surveys was devised in order to construct a general theoretical framework for the investigation of social phenomena, to study the implications of any sociological theory of surveys, to explore the utility of different methods of analyzing survey data, to create a Turing process, and to train graduate sociology students. The model of the simulation had five components: population growth and change, sampling, opinion formation, opinion change, and opinion measurement. Random error, social and ecological influence, and measurement error were incorporated into these segments; however, in particular instances of using the simulation these can be included or bypassed. One instance of the use of the simulation, which incorporated random error and measurement error but not influence, revealed that estimates of means were not altered by error, but that the association between variables was reduced by the presence of error.
An activated Notch receptor blocks cell-fate commitment in the developing Drosophila eye

THE Notch locus of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a 2,703-amino-acid transmembrane protein required for a variety of developmental processes, including neurogenesis, oogenesis and ommatidial assembly1,2. The Notch protein contains a large extracellular domain of 36 epidermal growth factor-like repeats as well as three Notch/Lin-12 repeats and an intracellular domain with 6 CdclO/ ankyrin repeats, motifs that are highly conserved in several vertebrate Notch homologues3–9. Truncation of the extracellular domain of the Drosophila Notch protein produces an activated receptor, as judged by its ability to cause phenotypes similar to gain-of-function alleles or duplications of the Notch locus10. Equivalent truncations of vertebrate Notch-related proteins have been associated with malignant neoplasms and other developmental abnormalities8,11–13. We present here an analysis of activated Notch function at single-cell resolution in the Drosophila compound eye. We find that overexpression of full-length Notch in defined cell types has no apparent effects but that overexpression of activated Notch in the same cells transiently blocks their proper cell-fate commitment, causing them either to adopt incorrect cell fates or to differentiate incompletely. Moreover, an activated Notch protein lacking the transmembrane domain is translocated to the nucleus, raising the possibility that Notch may participate directly in nuclear events.
Measurement and Analysis of Brushing Tool Performance Characteristics, Part 1: Stiffness Response

In the first part of this paper, an experimental system is described which was developed and used for measuring compliant tool performance characteristics. Elementary mechanics considerations and signal-response characteristics of the experimental apparatus for orthogonal brushing are briefly outlined and discussed. The fundamental nature of wire brush stiffness properties and kinetic friction coefficients for orthogonal brush-workpart contact are determined for a range of rotational speeds, and the results are compared to those obtained on the basis of a recently developed (quasi-static) theoretical solution. Discussion is provided concerning three-dimensional filamentary forces which are developed within the contact zone during brush rotation.
Scaffolds for Learning to Read in an Inclusion Classroom

Purpose: This article describes a study on the scaffolding of learning to read in a primary-level, continuous-progress, inclusion classroom that stressed a critical thinking curriculum and employed...
Assessing the impact of introducing laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy into a community-based gynecology practice.

ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to determine the effects of introducing laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) into a community-based gynecology practice on the route of hysterectomy, operating time, patient costs, length of hospitalization, and morbidity, including complications and blood loss. All patients in the author's practice who had hysterectomies during the 10 months before completion of an advanced operative laparoscopy course were compared with the patients having a hysterectomy in the 10 months after the course. The route of hysterectomy, surgery time, length of hospital stay, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin, uterine weight, diagnoses, and historical clinical data were compared between the two groups using a level of significance (α = 0.01) to assess statistical relevance. The rate of vaginal hysterectomy was remarkably higher in the AFTER group (53.2%, n = 62) vs the BEFORE group (27.7%, n = 65). The AFTER group had a significantly shorter hospital stay (3.4 days ±...
The role of sucrose and nitrogen in adventitious root formation on cultured rose shoots

Cultured shoots ofRosa ‘Improved Blaze’ were used to determine the effects of sucrose and inorganic nitrogen on adventitious root formation. Shoots grown in media containing high sucrose concentrations (146.07–262.93 mM) produced more and longer roots than those grown in media containing 0–87.64 mM sucrose. This response to sucrose was related to the metabolism of sucrose rather than its osmotic properties since the use of mannitol and 3-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside as osmotic substitutes did not reproduce the effect on rooting. The number and length of roots increased when the shoots were grown in media with the nitrogen concentration of the Murashige-Skoog (MS) salt formulation reduced from 60 to 7.5 mM. Neither nitrate (NO 3 − ) nor ammonium (NH 4 + ) alone at any of the concentrations tested had the effect on rooting that both had together in the ratio of the MS salt formulation. When the sucrose and nitrogen concentrations were both varied, the greatest rate of root initiation occurred on shoots grown in media with a high sucrose to nitrogen concentration ratio.
Statistical Fluctuations: Going Beyond the Ensemble Average

Random media with identical averaged properties may differ greatly in their detailed structure. These differences manifest in fluctuations between realizations. We examine fluctuations in path length and polarimetric quantities as a means of structural differentiation.