cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Punishing Family Status

This Article focuses upon two basic but under-explored questions: when does, and when should, the state use the criminal justice apparatus to burden individuals on account of their familial status? We address the first question in Part I by revealing a variety of laws permeating the criminal justice system that together form a string of family ties burdens, laws that impose punishment upon individuals on account of their familial status. The seven burdens we train our attention upon are omissions liability for failure to rescue, parental responsibility laws, incest, bigamy, adultery, nonpayment of child support, and nonpayment of parental support.Part II develops a framework for the normative assessment of these family ties burdens. We first ask how these laws can properly be understood to be burdens. We then look at these sites synthetically and contextually to uncover a pattern underlying most of these family ties burdens; namely, they tend to promote voluntary caregiving relationships. We endeavor to explain why this rationale is instructive and normatively attractive for the design of family ties burdens within a criminal justice system committed to what we call liberal minimalism. We conclude Part II by articulating the contours and basis of a critical scrutiny that should attach to family ties burdens in the criminal justice system.Finally, in Part III, we apply our proposed framework to see under which conditions these burdens should be rejected, retained, or redrafted in terms that are neutral to family status but are still capable of promoting and vindicating voluntary caregiving relationships.This article is the subject of a mini-symposium in the December 2008 issue of the Boston University Law Review. Professors Rick Hills (NYU) and Michael O'Hear (Marquette) will publish responses and we will offer a brief reply. A draft of Professor O'Hear's response is available here:http://ssrn.com/abstract=1260891A draft of our reply is available here:http://ssrn.com/abstract=1261563
How America Was Colonized: Linguistic Evidence

America was colonized by Asian migrants who moved from northeastern Siberia into North America, either coastally or by an interior route through now-submerged Beringia, and from there spread southward eventually to settle in the entire hemisphere. Linguistic evidence can shed light on when colonization began; whether it was initially coastal, interior, or both; how many distinct populations were involved; and how rapidly the hemisphere was colonized. The time required to generate the historically attested number of languages and language families in the Americas can be estimated; frequencies of structural properties in areally defined linguistic populations can discriminate between populations and point to geographic origins; and attested and straightforwardly reconstructable rates of language spread can be used to estimate rates of migration and demographic spread. On the linguistic evidence, colonization must have begun before the Last Glacial Maximum. There were at least two distinct populations, perhaps corresponding to interior and coastal immigration routes, and in general, coastal immigration seems to have had a stronger and more varied impact on the linguistic population of the Americas than interior immigration did. The immigrants spread at not much over 1 km/year on average (depending on ecology), taking about 7,000 years to reach southern South America. The linguistic dates are robust and based on plentiful and carefully analyzed material, so they cannot be dismissed, although they conflict with the younger ages estimated in genetic, archaeological, and paleoclimatological work.
Thermal Decomposition of Lead Carbonate

The thermal decomposition of PbCO3 powder was measured at low eating rates under controlled pressures of CO. The solid phases formed by three stages of decomposition were found to be PbO.PbCO3, 2PbO.PbCO3, and PbO, in the order of increasing temperature. For each reaction a log p versus l/T plot of the data resulted in a straight line.
Ca2+ is involved in muscarine-acetylcholine-receptor-mediated acetylcholine signal transduction in guard cells ofVicia faba L.

Acetylcholine (ACh) is an important neurochemical transmitter in animals; it also exists in plants and plays a significant role in various kinds of physiological functions in plants. ACh has been known to induce the stomatal opening. By monitoring the changes of cytosolic Ca 2+ with fluorescent probe Fluo-3 AM under the confocal microscopy, we found that exogenous ACh increased cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration of guard cells of Vicia faba L. Muscarine, an agonist of muscarine acetylcholine receptor (mAChR), could do so as well. In contrast, atropine, the antagonist of mAChR abolished the ability of ACh to increase Ca2+ in guard cells. This mechanism is similar to mAChR in animals. When EGTA was used to chelate Ca 2+ or ruthenium red to block Ca 2+ released from vacuole respectively, the results showed that the increased cytosolic Ca 2+ mainly come from intracellular Ca 2+ store. The evidence supports that Ca 2+ is involved in guard-cell response to ACh and that Ca 2+ signal is coupled to mAChRs in ACh signal transduction in guard cells.
High-temperature plasma in solar flares.

The thermal soft X-ray flare plasma is at temperatures ranging from a few million degrees up to about 40 $\times $ 10$^{6}$ K. In this paper I discuss some current problems in our understanding of the physical conditions in this plasma, particularly the ionization balance and the possible detection of non-thermal electrons. I discuss X-ray spectroscopic diagnostics that might help in resolving some of the issues, and I also discuss the possibility of addressing these problems with the bent crystal spectrometer experiment to be flown on Solar-A.
Immunodetection of Estrogen Receptors in Fetal and Neonatal Female Mouse Reproductive Tracts

Immunodetection methods were used to detect estrogen receptors (ER) in male reproductive tracts on fetal days 13, 15, and 17 and on the day of birth. Immunocytochemistry revealed that most of the cells of the gonad and associated Wolffian duct stained for ER on fetal day 13. During the next 6 days, ER distribution changed, and by the day of birth, ERs were observed only in epithelial cells of the epididymis (derived from the Wolffian duct) and in a portion of cells from the testis. Immunoblots confirmed that a band the size of the ER stained in reproductive tracts for all ages studied. Similar to the fetal female, ERs are present throughout the early development of the fetal male reproductive tract. However, in contrast to the female, ERs appear to decrease in the male fetal reproductive tract at the time of birth.
Emergency department use by the uninsured after health care reform in Massachusetts

The objective of this article is to determine if health care reform in Massachusetts in 2006 was associated with a change in ED utilization by the uninsured for asthma and upper respiratory tract infection (URI). We performed a retrospective pre-post study in an urban tertiary-care teaching hospital. Subjects included all patients, ages 2-54, who presented to the ED with asthma or URI from January 1 to July 31 for each of the 3 years before health care reform and for the period after the insurance mandate officially went into effect on January 1, 2008. We used chi-square analysis to compare the frequency of utilization of the ED by uninsured patients before and after the implementation of an individual health insurance mandate in Massachusetts. For the period before the implementation of health reform, an annual average of 301 ED visits for patients with either URI (average n = 131) or asthma (average n = 170) were identified. After health care reform, there were 366 visits found for URI (n = 132) and asthma (n = 234) over a similar time period. There was a statistically significant decrease in ED utilization by the uninsured for URI but not for asthma. As a secondary analysis, visits for patients covered by the uncompensated care pool (UCP) before health care reform was not different from the combined frequency of visits by the remaining uninsured covered by a health safety net pool and those who qualified for the state subsidized Commonwealth Care program after health care reform. In this study, health care reform was associated with a decrease in the number of uninsured patients who presented to the ED with URI but not asthma. This study is limited by its analysis of a single large institution and a limited set of diagnoses.
Cocaine-induced biochemical changes and cytotoxicity in hepatocytes isolated from both mice and rats☆

Abstract The mechanism of cocaine-induced cytotoxicity was investigated in hepatocytes isolated from both male C3H mice and male Sprague-Dawley rats. Cocaine was more cytotoxic to mouse hepatocytes than rat and induced reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion prior to marked increases in cytotoxicity in both systems. In both mouse and rat cells, GSH depletion was accompanied by GSSG production, but in rat cells, quantitative measures suggested that other mechanisms contributed to GSH depletion. No cocaine-induced depletion of protein-thiol groups or generation of protein-glutathione mixed disulfides could be detected in rat cells. Cocaine induced lipid peroxidation, using malondialdehyde (MDA) production as an index of the peroxidation process, in both mouse and rat hepatocytes. Inhibition of MDA production to below control levels using the antioxidant N,N′-diphenylphenylene diamine (DPPD) however, had no inhibitory effect on cocaine-induced cytotoxicity in either mouse or rat cells. These data suggest that neither generalized protein thiol depletion nor lipid peroxidation are critical determinants of cocaine-induced cytotoxicity in cellular systems.
Amorphous silicon-hydrogen-fluorine-oxygen alloys

Abstract Amorphous silicon-hydrogen-fluorine-oxygen alloys have been grown by the plasma deposition of a SiF 4 /H 2 gas mixture. The composition and optical properties of these alloys are very similar to those of Knights' amorphous silicon-hydrogen alloys, but are significantly different from those of Ovshinsky and Madan's amorphous silicon-fluorine-hydrogen alloys.
Risk Bounds for Random Regression Graphs

We consider the regression problem and describe an algorithm approximating the regression function by estimators piecewise constant on the elements of an adaptive partition. The partitions are iteratively constructed by suitable random merges and splits, using cuts of arbitrary geometry. We give a risk bound under the assumption that a "weak learning hypothesis" holds, and characterize this hypothesis in terms of a suitable RKHS. Two examples illustrate the general results in two particularly interesting cases.
Redifferentiation of insulin-secreting cells after in vitro expansion of adult human pancreatic islet tissue

Cellular replacement therapy holds promise for the treatment of diabetes mellitus but donor tissue is severely limited. Therefore, we investigated whether insulin-secreting cells could be differentiated in vitro from a monolayer of cells expanded from human donor pancreatic islets. We describe a three-step culture protocol that allows for the efficient generation of insulin-producing cell clusters from in vitro expanded, hormone-negative cells. These clusters express insulin at levels of up to 34% that of average freshly isolated human islets and secrete C-peptide upon membrane depolarization. They also contain cells expressing the other major islet hormones (glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide). The source of the newly differentiated endocrine cells could either be indigenous stem/progenitor cells or the proliferation-associated dedifferentiation and subsequent redifferentiation of mature endocrine cells. The in vitro generated cell clusters may be efficacious in providing islet-like tissue for transplantation into diabetic recipients.
Molecular dynamics of cyclically contracting insect flight muscle in vivo

Flight in insects—which constitute the largest group of species in the animal kingdom—is powered by specialized muscles located within the thorax. In most insects each contraction is triggered not by a motor neuron spike but by mechanical stretch imposed by antagonistic muscles. Whereas ‘stretch activation’ and its reciprocal phenomenon ‘shortening deactivation’ are observed to varying extents in all striated muscles, both are particularly prominent in the indirect flight muscles of insects. Here we show changes in thick-filament structure and actin–myosin interactions in living, flying Drosophila with the use of synchrotron small-angle X-ray diffraction. To elicit stable flight behaviour and permit the capture of images at specific phases within the 5-ms wingbeat cycle, we tethered flies within a visual flight simulator. We recorded images of 340 µs duration every 625 µs to create an eight-frame diffraction movie, with each frame reflecting the instantaneous structure of the contractile apparatus. These time-resolved measurements of molecular-level structure provide new insight into the unique ability of insect flight muscle to generate elevated power at high frequency.
A comparison of statistical significance tests for information retrieval evaluation

Information retrieval (IR) researchers commonly use three tests of statistical significance: the Student's paired t-test, the Wilcoxon signed rank test, and the sign test. Other researchers have previously proposed using both the bootstrap and Fisher's randomization (permutation) test as non-parametric significance tests for IR but these tests have seen little use. For each of these five tests, we took the ad-hoc retrieval runs submitted to TRECs 3 and 5-8, and for each pair of runs, we measured the statistical significance of the difference in their mean average precision. We discovered that there is little practical difference between the randomization, bootstrap, and t tests. Both the Wilcoxon and sign test have a poor ability to detect significance and have the potential to lead to false detections of significance. The Wilcoxon and sign tests are simplified variants of the randomization test and their use should be discontinued for measuring the significance of a difference between means.
Modification of the amino group of isoleucine-16 in chymotrypsin with retention of activity

Abstract The N-terminal isoleucine-16 residue of δ-chymotrypsin has been modified to the corresponding amidine by reaction with either ethyl acetimidate or methyl picolinimidate. The modified δ-enzymes show no change in specific activity or in the active site concentration but have one less isoleucine amino group as determined by both end-group analysis and potentiometric titration. Despite the fact that the amidinated amino group has a pK′ about 12, k cat K′ m versus pH profiles (acetyl-L-tryptophan ethyl ester as substrate) are bell-shaped with the upper pK′ 9.3. Thus, the Ile-16 amino group is neither essential for chymotrypsin activity nor responsible for the kinetically seen group with pK′ 9.
Hydrologic Data: What to Do With It

I was asked to read this bulky document and perhaps unwittingly agreed to do so. How does one review a total of 551 data sheets all properly indexed from 8.1–1 to 75.4–6? If you like numbers, they are here. A question in mind is, What does one do with all these figures?
The advanced database course and the information systems 2010 model curriculum: an experiential approach to learning

Employing a collaborative project-based pedagogical approach that presents ideas and situations that are reflective of real-world experiences provides a challenging learning experience for students, both as individuals and team members. The IS 2010 curriculum guidelines serve as a useful reference for defining the learning objectives of an undergraduate database course. In this paper, a portion of these guidelines also serves as the foundation for the development of a student project to be used in an undergraduate advanced database course at the authors’ institution. This paper provides the specifications for the project, examples of possible solutions to most elements of the project, and offers grading rubrics that may be used when assessing the achievement of student learning outcomes and determining overall project success.
Theory of Ferro- and Antiferromagnetic Resonance in Solids Containing Ions of Complicated Level Structure

The time-dependent molecular-field (TDMF) approach to magnetic resonance is described and illustrated with six examples. For the simplest models, the random-phase approximation of TDMF is equivalent to Tyablikov spin waves. However, whereas Green's function and spin-wave techniques are forced into same-site decorrelation approximations when confronted with complicated single-ion dynamics, TDMF is general enough to include any single-ion terms without difficulty. Ions appear as coupled oscillators whose allowed transitions are pulled in forming collective modes. The procedure, being quite general, is readily automated and is thus convenient in actual calculations for physical problems.
Spontaneous mutation frequencies in Salmonella: Enhancement of G/C to A/T transitions and depression of deletion and frameshift mutation frequencies afforded by anoxic incubation

Incubation of Salmonella typhimurium under anoxic conditions (0.1% oxygen or less) results in a substantial decrease in small (3-and 6-basepair) deletions in an A/T-rich region of the hisG gene in the hisG428 ochre mutant and also decreases the frequency of minus frameshift mutations in G/C-rich sequences in the his-D3052 and hisC3076 mutants. In contrast, the frequency of G/C-----A/T transition mutations increases substantially during anoxic growth of hisG46. Growth of revertants of strains carrying accessory deletions in the uvrB region of the Salmonella chromosome is drastically impaired on glucose minimal medium when oxygen partial pressures are below 0.1% oxygen.
Homoeroticism and the Failure of African Nationalism in Ayi Kwei Armah's The Beautyful Ones

Building on the work of Stewart Crehan, Joshua D. Esty, and others, this paper "queers" Armah's canonical novel of disillusionment with the African nation state, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born , by tracing sublimated and explicit expressions of homoerotic desire through the text. The protagonist's scatology is seen not just as a metaphor for the postcolonial predicament, but also as a psychological defense mechanism holding at bay a taboo form of sexual expression—a desire implicit in the protagonist's self-sacrificing and profound love for Koomson. Reread this way, The Beautyful Ones is understood as an allegory for the need for African nationalism to embrace same-sex desire and human rights for sexual minorities.
Symptomatic treatment approach does not appear to be effective in controlling Chlamydia trachomatis transmission

[Background] Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide, and is a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. A recent study has found larger than expected prevalence of CT in Qatar, with a prevalence of about 5% among women attending primary health-care centers. The driver of such higher than expected prevalence is not clear. We examined whether the lack of screening programs for CT could contribute to explaining this level of prevalence. [Method] We constructed a mathematical model to examine the public health impact of different CT treatment approaches. The model was parameterized by the prevalence of CT in Qatar along with state of the art empirical evidence of CT natural history and transmission. The population was divided into different risk and age groups, and a mixing matrix was introduced to describe the mixing between these groups. The impact of treatment was assessed at endemic equilibrium. ...
Effects of preliminary normothermic flushing on hypothermic renal preservation.

Abstract Flushing of harvested kidneys with hypothermic perfusates is presumed to cause inappropriate circulation due to vasospasm. Effects of initial normothermic flushing prior to hypothermic flushing and cold preservation were tested in canine kidneys. Analysis of the perfusion characteristics revealed that a brief initial flushing with solutions at 37°C. eliminates vasoconstriction and even facilitates subsequent hypothermic flushing. In amounts not exceeding 100 cc. it was not deleterious to transplant function. Larger volumes of normothermic flushing were proved to cause endothelial injury and resulted in poor transplant survival.
Acne and systemic disease.

Acne is the most common disease of the skin. It affects 85% of teenagers, 42.5% of men, and 50.9% of women between the ages of 20 and 30 years.96,97 The role of hormones, particularly as a trigger of sebum production and sebaceous growth and differentiation, is well known. Excess production of hormones, specifically androgens, GH, IGF-1, insulin, CRH, and glucocorticoids, is associated with increased rates of acne development. Acne may be a feature in many endocrine disorders, including polycystic ovary disease, Cushing syndrome, CAH, androgen-secreting tumors, and acromegaly. Other nonendocrine diseases associated with acne include Apert syndrome, SAPHO syndrome, Behcet syndrome and PAPA syndrome. Acne medicamentosa is the development of acne vulgaris or an acneiform eruption with the use of certain medications. These medications include testosterone, progesterone,steroids, lithium, phenytoin, isoniazid, vitamins B2, B6, and B12, halogens, and epidermal growth factor inhibitors. Management of acne medicamentosa includes standard acne therapy. Discontinuation of the offending drug may be necessary in recalcitrant cases. Basic therapeutic interventions for acne include topical therapy, systemic antibiotics,hormonal agents, isotretinoin, and physical treatments. Generally, the severity of acne lesions determines the type of acne regimen necessary. The emergence of drug-resistant P acnes and adverse side effects are current limitations to effective acne management.
Data quality in genomics and microarrays

Objective quality control indices are needed to facilitate clinical implementation of DNA microarrays used in transcriptional profiling as well as other types of genomic analysis.
Writing Ourselves in Sociology

As sociologists, we are trained to think about our research techniques: we think carefully about how we gather our data. We are made to pay attention to every detail of the data gathering, whether we are doing large scale surveys; secondary analysis of existing data sets, or qualitative work of whatever sort. Our data gathering is subject to scrutiny by outside reviewers, in the form of Institutional Review Boards or Ethics Boards, which make sure that we are acting ethically in the gathering of our data.
Teacher efficacy in Teaching and Teacher Education

Abstract The author reviews twelve of 111 articles focusing on teacher efficacy published in Teaching and Teacher Education since 1985. The twelve articles are placed in three sections that include a) instruments, factor analyses, and cultural influences, b) participants, contexts, and teacher instruction, and c) teacher wellness. These sections offer research and studies from various teacher efficacy investigators that share insights, understandings, and interpretations. The selected TATE articles provide a plausible (expanding) sphere of growing and developing research and studies in teacher efficacy.
White blood cell and platelet counts can be used to differentiate between infection and the normal response after splenectomy for trauma: prospective validation.

Background: Transient elevations of the serum white blood cell count (WBC) and platelet count (PC) are normal physiologic responses after splenectomy. The clinician is often challenged to identify an infection in a postsplenectomy patient with an elevated WBC. A previous retrospective study found that a WBC greater than 15 x 10 3 /μL and a PC/WBC ratio 16, were highly associated with infection and should not be considered as part of the physiologic response to splenectomy. The current study intends to prospectively validate the WBC and PC/WBC ratio on postoperative day 5 as markers of infection after splenectomy for trauma. Methods: Consecutive trauma patients admitted to an urban, Level I trauma center who underwent splenectomy from June 2002 to December 2004 were collected prospectively. In addition to admission demographics, variables collected included daily WBC, PC, and PC/ WBC ratio during the first 10 postoperative days. Outcome was the presence of infection. Patients with infection (infected group) were compared with those without infection (noninfected group). Injury Severity Score > 16, postoperative day 5 WBC > 15 x 10 3 /μL, and PC/WBC ratio < 20 were investigated as risk factors for postsplenectomy infection. Results: There were 96 trauma patients who underwent splenectomy during the study period, and 44 (46%) developed a postoperative infection. Infectious complications included pneumonia (n = 30 [31%]), followed by septicemia (n = 20 [21%]), urinary tract infection (n = 12 [13), abdominal abscess (n = 9 [9%]), and wound infection (n = 4 [4%]). Postoperative day 5 was the first day that infected patients had a higher WBC (16 ± 6 x × 10 3 /μL vs. 14 ± 4 x 10 3 /μL, p = 0.03) and a lower PC/WBC ratio (15 ± 9 vs. 24 ± ± 12, p = 0.002) than noninfected patients. The presence of two or more risk factors for infection was associated with a 79% rate of infection, and no patient developed an infection if all three risk factors were absent. Conclusion: On postoperative day 5 after splenectomy for trauma, a WBC greater than 15 x 10 3 /μL and a PC/WBC ratio less than 20 are reliable markers of infection.
Genetic parameters for energy balance, feed efficiency, and related traits in Holstein cattle.

Abstract Objectives of the current study were to estimate genetic parameters in Holstein cows for energy balance (EB) and related traits including dry matter intake (DMI), body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), energy-corrected milk (ECM) production, and gross feed efficiency (GFE), defined as the ratio of total ECM yield to total DMI over the first 150d of lactation. Data were recorded for the first half of lactation on 227 and 175 cows in their first or later lactation, respectively. Random regression models were fitted to longitudinal data. Also, each trait was averaged over monthly intervals and analyzed by single and multivariate animal models. Heritability estimates ranged from 0.27 to 0.63, 0.12 to 0.62, 0.12 to 0.49, 0.63 to 0.72, and 0.49 to 0.53 for DMI, ECM yield, EB, BW, and BCS, respectively, averaged over monthly intervals. Daily heritability estimates ranged from 0.18 to 0.30, 0.10 to 0.26, 0.07 to 0.22, 0.43 to 0.67, and 0.25 to 0.38 for DMI, ECM yield, EB, BW, and BCS, respectively. Estimated heritability for GFE was 0.32. The genetic correlation of EB at 10d in milk (DIM) with EB at 150 DIM was −0.19, suggesting the genetic regulation of this trait differs by stage of lactation. Positive genetic correlations were found among DMI, ECM yield, and BW averaged over monthly intervals, whereas correlations of these traits with BCS depended upon stage of lactation. Total ECM yield for the lactation was positively correlated with DMI, but a negative genetic correlation between total ECM yield and EB was found. However, the genetic correlation between total ECM yield and EB in the first month of lactation was −0.02, indicating that total production is not genetically correlated with EB during the first month of lactation, when negative EB is most closely associated with diminished fitness. The genetic correlation between GFE and EB ranged from −0.73 to −0.99, indicating that selection for more efficient cows would favor a lower energy status. However, the genetic correlation between EB in the first month of lactation and GFE calculated from 75 to 150 DIM was not significant, indicating that the unfavorable correlation between GFE and EB in early lactation may be minimized with alternative definitions of efficiency. Thus, EB, GFE and related traits will likely respond to genetic selection in Holstein cows. However, the impact of selection for improved feed efficiency on EB must be carefully considered to avoid potential negative consequences of further reductions in EB at the onset of lactation.
Influence of resistant honey bee hosts on the life history of the parasite Acarapis woodi

Non-infested, young adult honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) of two stocks were exposed to tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi (Rennie)) in infested colonies to determine how divergent levels of susceptibility in host bees differentially affect components of the mite life history. Test bees were retrieved after exposure and dissected to determine whether resistance is founded on the reduced success of gravid female (foundress) mites to enter the host tracheae, on the suppressed reproduction by foundress mites once established in host tracheae or on both. Cohorts of 30–60 bees from each of ten resistant colonies and eight susceptible colonies were tested in eight trials (three to five colonies per stock per trial) having exposure durations of 4, 9 or 21 days. The principal results were that lower percentages of resistant bees than of susceptible bees routinely became infested by foundress mites, individual infested susceptible bees often had more foundress mites than individual infested resistant bees did and mite fecundity was similar in both host types. The infestation percentage results corresponded well with similar results from a prior field test of these stocks and, thus, suggest that the bioassay is useful for assessing honey bee resistance to A. woodi.
Phase diagram of the two-dimensional lattice Coulomb gas

We use Monte Carlo simulations to map out the phase diagram of the two-dimensional Coulomb gas on a square lattice, as a function of density {rho} and temperature T. We find that the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition remains up to higher charge densities than has been suggested by recent theoretical estimates. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Aspen Indicator Species in Lichen Communities in the Bear River Range of Idaho and Utah

Abstract. Aspen are thought to be declining in this region due to a combination of fire suppression, grazing and wildlife management practices, and potentially cool/wet climates of the past century which favor advancing conifer succession. Many scientists are concerned that aspen's related species may also be losing habitat, thereby threatening the long-term local and regional viability of this important community. To date, few studies have specifically examined the role of aspen's epiphytic lichen community. This paper presents basic community research describing the application of Indicator Species Analysis for lichens growing on aspen stems in the central Rocky Mountains of North American. Results show unique lichen assemblages between conifers and aspen — the dominant hardwood of mid-elevations in this region.
Mapping and characterization of mutations induced by benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide at dihydrofolate reductase locus in CHO cells.

Chinese hamster ovary cells were mutagenized with benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE), an aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogen, and mutants at the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) locus were isolated. Of 15 mutants analyzed by Southern blotting, one contained a large deletion that spanned all six exons of the 25-kbdhfr gene; the remaining mutants exhibited no detectable changes. Three of these putative point mutations were localized by the loss of a restriction site: a SacI site in exon III, an MspI site in exon III, and a KpnI site in exon VI. The affected regions in two of these mutants were cloned and sequenced. The SacI− mutant was caused by a G:C → T:A transversion resulting in an amber termination codon. In the MspI− mutant, the deletion of a single C:G resulted in a frameshift and a downstream ochre termination codon. On the basis of overlapping restriction site sequences, the KpnI− mutant was deduced to be a splicing mutant involving the most 3′ G in intron V. The location of these and the remaining 11 putative point mutations was sought using RNA heteroduplex mapping. Mismatched bases between riboprobes complementary to wild-typedhfr mRNA and mutant mRNA molecules were detected in 10 of the 14 mutants analyzed. These mutations mapped to four of the six exons or exon splice sites. Surprisingly, over half of these mutants exhibited greatly reduced (approximately 10-fold) steady-state levels ofdhfr mRNA.
Photic retinopathy in the dog

The light of a Keeler binocular indirect ophthalmoscope was focused for one hour through either a colorless or yellow-tinted 35 mm diameter+20 diopter glass condensing lens on the tapetal and nontapetal retina of dogs. The effects of this illumination were studied sequentially by examining eyes clinically and histologically at varying intervals following light exposure. Retinal lesions were produced in 50% of the eyes in which the tapetal fundus was illuminated through the colorless lens, but did not develop in the nontapetal area with either lens or in the tapetal area when the yellow lens was used. The lesions began as circular areas of increased tapetal granularity followed by loss of retinal transparency, pigmentation, and eventually tapetal hyper-reflectivity. Histologically, initial changes included vacuolation and rupture of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and vesiculation and shortening of the photoreceptor outer segments. As the post-illumination period increased, much of the RPE eventually became atrophic; the photoreceptor cells were absent almost entirely but the inner retinal layers remained intact.
p-Adic string theories

Abstract In this paper we study the p-adic string theory. Starting with the integral representation of the real string scattering amplitude, we obtain various p-adic string amplitudes. We show that it is possible to obtain a suitable p-adic theory starting with either the Koba-Nielsen or the Bardakci-Ruegg formula. However, whereas in the real string case both representations of the amplitude correspond to the same theory, the p-adic generalizations lead to different theories. Furthermore, there is more than one p-adic generalization of each form of the amplitude. Each p-adic theory gives its own set of diagrammatic rules implying that it is describable by some nonlocal effective field theory. For completeness, in the first part of the paper we give an overview of the p-adic mathematics necessary for constructing our generalizations and for computing the resultant p-adic amplitudes.
The Welfare of the Elderly: A Systems Analysis Viewpoint

A methodology is offered to analyze for policy purposes the services offered to the elderly. Best policy is defined as that policy which maximizes the benefit to the elderly, given budgetary and other constraints. To measure the “benefit” to the elderly, a scale is devised, consisting of a set of states describing the degree of dependency of the elderly. This ordinal scale is converted to a cardinal scale by assigning weights to the states, these weights being an expression of the social-value judgments of the administrators. The change in weights over time, induced by the intervention of services, is the benefit of the services. Mathematical techniques are described for relating benefit to cost, modeling the flow of elderly among institutions, making a sensitivity analysis, and deriving the “best” policy.
Testing of CMOS devices in NIF's harsh neutron environment

Vendor supplied CMOS sensors were exposed to 14 MeV neutrons on yield shots in NIF and examined for damage. The sensors were exposed to multiple shots with a maximum fluence on one of the sensors of 4.3E11 n/cm2. The results of post-shot testing will be presented. LLNL is investigating the suitability of CMOS imaging sensors for use in the camera of the ARIANE diagnostic which will mitigate the effects of the NIF neutron environment by dumping photoelectrons during the neutron pulse and then recording an image stored on a long persistence phosphor.
Rapid evaluation of hermetic seals using digital shearography

Packages such as microelectronic packages require hermetic seals, as the reliability of such devices is extremely important. One possible failure is due to leakage resulting from imperfect hermetical seals in microchips and microelectronic packages. Imperfect sealing may allow moisture and other impurities to migrate into the packages and cause the devices to malfunction. Current methods of testing hermetics are very slow and cumbersome and thus they cannot be used for mass inspection in production. This paper presents a novel technique based on digital shearography, which allows hermetic seals to be rapidly tested. This method employs a technique of digital shearography for measuring time-dependent deformation. In this paper, a figure is shown of the technique whereby the object to be studied is illuminated with a point source of coherent light and it is imaged by an image-shearing video camera which produces a pair of laterally sheared images on the image sensor of the camera. In other words, two object points are brought to meet in the image plane; they interfere producing a speckle pattern. When the object is deformed, a phase change is induced in the speckle pattern which measures the relative displacement between the interfering points. In the study of a time-dependent deformation of a test object, the speckle patterns received by the image- shearing video camera are continuously digitized at a predetermined rate depending on the deformation rate via a frame grabber into a micro-computer such as a PC, and stored in the memory of the computer. After recording, the displacement derivative versus time for any point of interest can be extracted by plotting the phase change of the speckle pattern at the point versus time from the computer memory. The total phase change can be obtained by integrating the phase curve. The evaluation of hermetic seals in microelectronic packages is based on measuring the time-deformation of the package's lid. The package to be tested is placed in an enclosure inside which the pressure can be varied. A change of pressure in the chamber is applied and held constant; the package surface will be deformed. If the package is perfectly sealed, the deformation will remain constant. Whereas, if the package leaks, the deformation of package surface will gradually recover cuasing a time-dependent deformation. Hence by measuring the deformation of the package's surface as a function of time with digital shearography, leaky packages can be revealed. Figures in this paper show a typical test result of a perfectly sealed package, and a typical result for a slow leaker, and a fast leaker. In the data, each cycle in the curve represents a deformation of $w/x of about 100 X 10-6. This process of detecting leaks in microelectronic packages is extremely fast, typically a couple of seconds. The conventional methods would probably require a couple of hours.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Analysis of partial iris recognition

In this paper, we investigate the accuracy of using a partial iris image for identification and determine which portion of the iris has the most distinguishable patterns. Moreover, we compare these results with the results of Du et. al. using the CASIA database. The experimental results show that it is challenging but feasible to use only a partial iris image for human identification.
Determination of the composition of mixed micelles of bile salts by kinetic dialysis.

A kinetic dialysis method for determining the critical micelle concentration and the composition of mixed micelles has been adapted to study a binary system of bile acids. Using kinetic dialysis, the critical micelle concentrations of taurocholate, deoxycholate and taurodeoxycholate were determined. Monomer analysis was performed by colorimetric and radioactive tracer techniques on aliquots of the dialysates. Similarly, the composition of mixed micelles made from various molar fractions of deoxycholate and taurocholate containing tritium and14C tracers were determined by this method. The results suggest that, for these bile acids, mixed micelle composition is largely predicted by the molar composition of the binary system. Kinetic dialysis has proven to be a rapid procedure and to yield results that agree with critical micelle concentration values previously reported.
Ultrahigh-resolution 3D full-field optical coherence micropscopy of the pulmonary airways ex vivo

Visualizing the respiratory mucosa in pulmonary airways at the sub-cellular level could yield new insights into pathogenesis of many important diseases. However, current imaging modalities to study the respiratory mucosa lack the required resolution to visualize critical subcellular detail such as nuclei and respiratory epithelial cilia. Full-field optical coherence microscopy (FFOCM) is an emerging technique capable of providing reflectance images in situ with high spatial resolution in all three dimensions.We have developed a FFOCM with an axial sectioning thickness of 1µm and a high transverse resolution of 0.6µm. The three-dimensional field of view was 256 (H) x 256 (W) x 400 (D) µm. Three-dimensional images of formalin-fixed, sectioned porcine bronchial segments were obtained immediately ex vivo. Images were compared to H&E stained histology at corresponding sites. Pilot images on fixed human airways from individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) were also acquired. Individual epithelial cells and goblet cells, including their subcellular morphologies, were easily seen. Cross-sectional views showed gland ducts containing mucus, cilia, the periciliary layer (PCL), and nuclei. Three-dimensional rendering of the trachea showed the presence of mucus droplets directly above non-ciliated goblet cells, tethered to the surface of these cells by a thin adherent mucus strand. Our results demonstrate the potential of FFOCM to provide detailed microstructural imaging of pulmonary airways without administration of a contrast medium. The future development of a probe for in vivo monitoring of mucociliary transport, gland function, and airway surface liquid (ASL) depth could provide new avenues for improving our understanding of respiratory mucosal pathophysiology and enable longitudinal assessment of the response to novel drugs.
Ultrafast Time Scale Transformation and Recording Utilizing Parametric Temporal Imaging

Parametric temporal imaging enables real time transformation of ultrafast waveforms to a time scale accessible by convention recording instruments. Principles and the development of this technology will be reviewed along with recent experimental results.
Scurvy is still present in developed countries.

Introduction Scurvy, while uncommon, still occurs in developed countries despite the widespread availability of vitamins and fortified foods. A vitamin C deficiency prevalence of 10 to 14% in adults was reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 1994.
Effect of liquid and air swirl strength and relative rotational direction on the instability of an annular liquid sheet

Instability of a swirling annular liquid sheet in swirling inner and outer air streams has been investigated by a temporal linear stability analysis. The effects of the swirling and axial motion of the liquid and the air streams, as well as the effects of relative inner and outer air swirl orientation with respect to the liquid swirl direction on the instability have been investigated. Results show that for a non-swirling liquid sheet axial inner air stream is more effective than axial outer air stream in enhancing the sheet instability. This is opposite of a swirling liquid sheet where axial outer air is more effective in promoting sheet instability compared to axially moving inner air stream. The liquid swirl has a destabilizing effect at the outer interface but has a stabilizing effect at the inner interface. At high liquid swirl Weber number, the outer air (with axial and swirl velocity components) is more effective in enhancing sheet instability compared to the inner air (with axial and swirl velocity components). To understand the effect of air swirl orientation with respect to liquid swirl direction, four possible combinations with both swirling air streams with respect to the liquid swirl direction have been considered. Results show that at high liquid swirl Weber number a combination of counter-rotating-inner air stream and co-rotating-outer air stream has the largest most unstable wave number. However, at low liquid swirl, co-inner/counter-outer combination has the largest most unstable wave number. The combination of inner and the outer air stream co-rotating with the liquid has the highest growth rate. In many combustion applications, the liquid sheet is injected in high pressure environment where the effect of high ambient pressure results in increased aerodynamic interaction due to high air density. Hence the effect of high ambient pressure is studied in terms of the dimensionless parameter of air-to-liquid density ratio. Results show significantly higher disturbance growth rates at high air pressure. However, the qualitative sheet stability behavior is similar to that at atmospheric pressure.
A second motor nerve system to frog skeletal muscle.

SummaryA separate small-nerve motor system to frog skeletal muscles is described. It is active reflexly and may be related to muscle tone. It evokes local potentials and local shortening at the region around the nerve-muscle junctions, in sharp contrast to the propagated twitches and muscle impulses which can be elicited, by the usual motor nerves in the same muscle fibres. Small fibre activity alone may set up appreciable muscle tension.I wish to thank Dr. R. W. Gerard for his stimulating interest and help and also Mr. L. Boyarsky for much assistance.
Eveningness and bulimic behavior

Abstract Previous research suggests that evening constitutes a high-risk environment that increases the probability of binge eating and purging. Individual differences in morningness–eveningness are associated with differing levels of exposure to evening versus day, with “night people” spending a larger portion of their waking lives during the evening and a smaller portion of their waking lives during the day than do “day people”. This study tested the hypothesis that greater eveningness is associated with greater binging and purging. One-hundred and fifty-one undergraduates completed the Composite Scale of Morningness–Eveningness, the Bulimia Test-Revised, the Bulimia Scale of the Eating Disorders Inventory, and measures of several other variables. Results showed that eveningness was correlated moderately and positively ( r s=0.24) with both measures of bulimic behavior; these correlations were reduced only slightly after controlling for other study variables. It is argued that exposure to the dimmer lighting of evening promotes general behavioral disinhibition, thus undermining self-regulatory control and adherence to one's dietary standards, resulting in the disinhibited eating that is the hallmark of bulimia.