cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feedback scheduling of real-time divisible loads in clusters

Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning for divisible loads in clusters can be enabled using real-time scheduling theory, but is based on an important assumption: that the scheduler knows the execution time of every task in the workload. Information from production clusters, however, shows that estimated execution times of tasks are often inaccurate. Most of the work on scheduling divisible loads on clusters is based on this information, and therefore maybe of limited use when applied in practice. In this paper, we present our ongoing work to develop an EDF (earliest deadline first) scheduling algorithm with a feedback mechanism that is able to solve this problem. The objective of the new algorithm is to provide QoS provisioning of divisible loads when estimated execution times of tasks are inaccurate.
Perspectives on Large Eddy Simulations for Sprays: Issues and Solutions

A review of the large eddy simulations (LES) methodology is presented in the context of sprays. Issues related to modeling both the drop interaction with the carrier flow and the interaction among drops are discussed. Appropriate direct numerical simulations (DNS) for use as precursors to LES, and the extraction of subgrid scale (SGS) models are both described. Particular attention is devoted to LES aspects which are different from those of single-phase flows. These include the correct portrayal of the drop interaction with small turbulent scales, the modeling of SGS stresses, SGS heat and SGS species fluxes, and the accurate representation in the carrier flow equations of the source terms associated with the presence of the drops. Recommendations for future work are also offered.
Biosynthesis of phosphatidic acid in rat brain via acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate.

— The enzymes for the biosynthesis of phosphatidic acid from acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate were shown to be present in rat brain. These enzymes were mainly localized in the microsomal fraction of 12–14 day old rat brains. The brain microsomal acyl CoA: dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyl transferase (EC 2.3.1.42), exhibited a broad pH optimum between pH 5 and 9 with maximum activity at pH 5.4. Km for DHAP at pH 5.4 was 0.1 mm and Vmax was 0.86nmol/min/mg of microsomal protein. The corresponding microsomal enzyme for the glycerophosphate pathway (acyl CoA: sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyl transferase EC 2.3.1.15) was shown to have a different pH optimum (pH 7.6). On the basis of the differences in pH optima, differential effects of sodium cholate in the enzymes and a common substrate competition study, these acyl transferases were postulated to be two different microsomal enzymes. Acyl DHAP:NADPH oxidoreductase (EC 1.1.1.101) in brain microsomes was found to be quite specific for NADPH as cofactor, being able to utilize NADH only at very high concentrations. This enzyme exhibited a Km of 8.6 μm with NADPH and Vmx of 0.81 nmol/min/mg protein. The presence of these two enzymes and the known presence of l-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate: acyl CoA acyl transferase in brain (Fleming & Hajra, 1977) demonstrated the biosynthesis of phosphatidic acid in brain via acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Phosphatidic acid was shown to form when dihydroxyacetone phosphate, acyl CoA, NADPH and other cofactors were incubated together with brain microsomes. Further properties of the enzymes and the probable importance of the presence of this pathway in brain were discussed.
Symbolic kinetic equation for a chaotic attractor

Abstract We used symbolic dynamics to partition into “states” the phase space (coarse graining) of a chaotic attractor. The time evolution equation for a distribution function has been discretized and a closed system of coupled linear equations with constant coefficients has been obtained. We calculated the invariant distribution function and correlation function using these equations and found an excellent agreement with direct time average computations.
The Role of Cardinality in the Interpretation of Measurement Expressions

The purpose of this brief article is to investigate four-year-olds' interpretation of attributive measure phrases (MPs), such as 3-pound, and the role of cardinality in mediating children's responses. In two experiments, I demonstrate that children at this age are starting to recognize that such MPs refer to a property of an individual, such as weight per unit (rather than the weight of an entire collection). Accordingly, they distinguish between attributive and pseudopartitive MPs. However, when the opportunity presents itself to treat the number word as referring to the cardinality of a set, some children succumb to this pressure, deviating from adult-like responses. I argue that the fundamental aspect of number word meaning that children take the first few years of life to master—that number words denote exact cardinality of a set of discrete objects—is precisely the aspect they must overcome when interpreting these MPs. However, the evidence shows that four-year-olds are well on their way to doing so.
Abscopal and Direct Effects on Calcium Mobilization, Alkaline Phosphatase Levels, and Dentin Formation following X-Irradiation of either the Rat Incisor or the Thyroid-Parathyroid Region

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUAEFFECTOS INDIRECTE E DIRECTE OBSERVATE IN LE MOBILISATION DE CALCIUM, LE CONCENTRATIONES DE PHOSPHATASE ALCALIN, E LE FORMATION DE DENTINA POST LE IRRADIATION A RADIOS X DE (1) INCISORES o (2) LE AREA THYROIDE-PARATHYROIDE DEL RATTO.—Rattos esseva subjicite a injections intraperitonee de radiocalcium post irradiation e esseva sacrificate a intervallos de 4 dies usque a 32 dies post le irradiation. Le characteristic lesion inducite per irradiation esseva observate in le incisores maxillari post le irradiation directe de iste dentes. Nulle tal lesion esseva producite in le dentes de animales con irradiation del area thyroide-parathyroide in consequentia de un effecto indirecte. Tamen, ambe gruppos experimental manifestava simile alterationes in le mobilisation de calcium del incisores maxillari.
The Pathomechanics of Chronic, Recurrent Cervical Nerve Root Neurapraxia: The Chronic Burner Syndrome

This study defined chronic recurrent cervical nerve root neurapraxia, the chronic burner syndrome, characterized the clinical findings, and described the responsible pathomechanics. We studied a subset of 55 athletes (mean age, 22 years) for evaluation of recurrent burners. Eleven subjects were professional athletes. The mechanism of injury was extension combined with ipsilateral-lateral deviation in 46 patients (83%). Spurling's sign was positive in 39 patients (70%). Twenty-nine patients (53%) had developmentally narrowed cervical canals, and 48 patients (87%) had evidence of disk disease by magnetic resonance imaging. The disk disease was in the form of a disk bulge, disk protrusion, or a frank disk herniation deforming the cord. Fifty-one patients (93%) had disk disease or narrowing of the intervertebral foramina secondary to degenerative disk disease. Although burners may be the result of a brachial plexus stretch injury in high school and collegiate football players seen with acute symptoms, nerve root compression in the intervertebral foramina secondary to disk disease is a more common cause in collegiate and professional players who have recurrent or chronic burner syndromes. There is a high incidence of cervical canal stenosis in football players with recurrent burner syndrome. The combination of disk disease and cervical spinal canal stenosis may lead to an alteration in normal cervical spine mechanics that may make these athletes more prone to chronic burner syndromes.
Induction and Role of NO Synthase in Hypotensive Hepatic Failure

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the physiological and pathophysiological control of the vascular system. NO is synthesized by isoforms of the enzyme NO synthase (NOS). Hepatic failure is complicated by hypotension, low systemic vascular resistance, and resistance to vasoconstrictor drugs. The potential role of NO in these abnormalities was investigated by using in vitro pharmacological interventions on hepatic arteries obtained from both donor and recipient patients at the time of liver transplantation. The presence of NOS mRNA was investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers designed from human endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) cDNA sequences. Arteries from patients with hepatic failure had an impaired constrictor response to phenylephrine compared with those of donor arteries. The constrictor effect of phenylephrine was potentiated by N G-monomethyl-l-arginine, an inhibitor of NOS, which had no effect in donor control arteries. RT-PCR identified human eNOS mRNA in donor and recipient arteries and human iNOS mRNA in recipient arteries only. Induction of NOS in the vasculature with subsequent NO-induced vasodilatation may therefore contribute to the hemodynamic abnormalities observed in hepatic failure and potentially in other pathologies associated with endotoxemia. Whether selective inhibitors of iNOS will improve hemodynamic control or clinical outcome in these conditions requires further study.
Expression and subcellular localization of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) protein in mouse and chicken over developmental time.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) is a basic-helix-loop-helix/Per- ARNT-Sim (bHLH/PAS) transcription factor that is involved in multiple signaling pathways. This study focuses on the tissue distribution and subcellular localization of ARNT during embryological development of the mouse and chicken. Two different species were chosen to determine the consistency of the ARNT staining pattern. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to stain sections of embryos over three developmental time points for each species. Mouse tissues evaluated from embryonic day 10.5, 12.5, and 15, exhibited predominant nuclear staining with little change in expression patterns over time. Chicken tissues evaluated from embryonic day 2, 4, and 10 also showed predominant nuclear staining within all cells and little change in expression over developmental time, as well as, low levels of cytoplasmic ARNT staining in some cells. Importantly, in all tissues, the level of ARNT staining within the nuclear compartment was greater than staining observed in the cytoplasm. Thus, the overall conclusions from these studies are that i) the predominant subcellular localization of ARNT protein is nuclear, and ii) that mouse and chicken appear to maintain ARNT protein expression in many cell types over developmental time. These data support vertebrate ARNT as a nuclear transcription factor and a model in which dimerization partners require nuclear localization for interaction. Anat Rec 260:327–334, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Investigating the Use of Stamped Metal Foils as Bipolar Plates in PEM Fuel Cell Stacks

The process of stamping stainless steel bipolar plates is developed from initial plate design through manufacturing and use in a fuel cell stack. A stamped design incorporating a serpentine flow field for the cathode and an interdigitated flow field for the anode is designed. This bipolar plate consists of only one piece of thin stainless steel sheet. The process of rubber-pad stamping was chosen to reduce shearing of the thin sheet. Dies were designed and made. Stainless steel plates were stamped, but stress were higher than anticipated and die failure was observed. The plates were tested both in-situ and by doing simulated fuel cell testing. Although sealing was an issue due to lack of proper gaskets and endplates, tests determined that the stamped bipolar plates will work in a PEM fuel cell stack. Dies were redesigned to improve durability. Gaskets and endplates were designed to complete the stack construction.Copyright © 2008 by ASME and U.S. Government
Responder Communication Networks in the World Trade Center Disaster: Implications for Modeling of Communication Within Emergency Settings

Using archival materials obtained from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, we analyze networks of communication and interaction among responders to the World Trade Center disaster. Our findings indicate substantial variability in individual radio communication system usage, with both communication volume and number of partners exhibiting distributions with long upper tails. Responder communication patterns are well-described by a fairly simple four-role structure and exhibit substantial similarity across responder groups (both specialist and non-specialist). Occupancy of coordinating roles is influenced by formal institutional status, but the vast majority of hub role occupancy appears to be emergent in character. Examination of both radio transcripts and police reports suggests that much of the communication among WTC responders is centered on problems of spatial reasoning and peer location, possibly providing an explanation for the importance of improvised coordination at the event site. Alth...
Methodology for hospital evacuation planning

Frequently, a hospital assumes the role of triage center or sheltering facility when the surrounding community faces a natural disaster or man-made threat. We consider the implications on the hospital patients, staff, and general population when the hospital itself requires evacuation. Using data from recent hospital evacuations due to hurricanes in Florida and South Carolina, we use analytical tools including simulation analysis, agentbased modeling, and decision analysis to evaluate and formulate sample hurricane evacuation plans. The interaction of several organizations, ongoing health care activities, uncertainties in plan implementation, and severity of the disaster will all contribute to this problem's complexity. We devise a methodology for evacuation planning that allows the facility risk and safety managers a more accurate assessment of their individual plans. This research also generates insights into evacuation procedures for other threats, for which there may be far less time to prepare a planned response.
Improving Race Relations in Schools: From Theory and Research to Practice

Editors' introduction: James A. Banks was born in the racially segregated Arkansas' delta the year that Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered World War II. The justifications of war as a means to promote democracy abroad contradicted with the lived realities at home. His childhood and early teenage years were marked by private ruminations about the racial inequalities he confronted in the public-at schools, churches, water fountains, and more. The stereotypical racist images in textbooks were contrasted with what and who he knew of people in his family and community. These experiences and his early contemplations about "why were the slaves represented as being happy in textbooks?" (Banks, 2006, p. 2), set the stage for Banks' indelible legacy to intergroup relations. He is widely renowned as the "father of multicultural education" in the United States. In his commentary, Banks draws on this long-standing, unwavering, and deep commitment to education, equity, and justice. He explores ways in which theory and basic research can inform programs in schools to improve race relations. He shows how the articles contained in this issue, more than the majority of the existing research, grapple with the complexity of intergroup interventions. Banks stresses that interventions must take into account the diversity of participants or students; what may work for one group, say the majority group, may not necessarily work for minority groups.
Experimental and theoretical studies of flame hydrolysis deposition process for making glasses for optical planar devices

Abstract We have here presented experimental and theoretical studies of a flame hydrolysis deposition (FHD) process for making glasses for optical planar devices. FHD involves deposition of soot particles generated in the flame on a planar surface to form a porous layer. In order to function as a waveguide core, the porous soot deposit must be sintered at high temperatures to form a dense glass. However, these temperatures are high enough to cause the dopants to volatilize at the surfaces of the deposit. As a result, dopant concentration gradients and compositional inhomogeneities are created in the densified glass layer which result in inferior optical properties. If the layers could be deposited pre-sintered during laydown, these problems could be minimized or avoided. To understand the FHD process and its effect on the morphology of the resulting deposit, a number of models have been developed. We present models to predict the structure of the soot-laden flame along with the methods to estimate soot number density and mean size at different locations in the flame. A simple method is presented to predict morphology of the suspended soot and soot deposit formed during deposition. Motivated by the predictions of the model, process changes were made which resulted in the morphology of the core layers to change from sooty to pre-sintered during deposition. These process changes resulted in core glasses with significantly improved core roughness, index uniformity and thickness uniformity which helped reduce the straight waveguide losses from 0.2–0.3 to 0.02–0.05 dB/cm. Details of underclad and overclad glasses which resulted in low warpage and polarization sensitivity of 0.1 nm for phasar or phasar-arrayed waveguide devices are also presented.
Modification of Spectrophotofluorometer for Scanning Paper Strips

THE Spectrophotofluorometer is a potent addition to biochemical investigations1. The apparatus, at present available from commercial sources, is designed for analysis of liquid solutions. By modifications of the basic design of the Spectrophotofluorometer, as indicated in Fig. 1, the spectrophotofluorometric analysis can be applied conveniently to paper strips.
Proton conductivity in quasi-one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded systems: Nonlinear approach.

Defect formation and transport in a hydrogen-bonded system is studied via a two-sublattice soliton-bearing one-dimensional model. Ionic and orientational defects are associated with distinct nonlinear topological excitations in this model. The dynamics of these excitations are studied both analytically and with the use of numerical simulations. It is shown that the two types of defects are soliton solutions of a double-sine-Gordon equation which describes the motion of the protons in the long-wavelength limit. With each defect there is an associated deformation in the ionic lattice that, for small speeds, follows the defect dynamically albeit resisting its motion. Free propagation as well as collision properties of the proton solitons are presented.
Distribution of androgen receptor immunoreactivity in vasopressin- and oxytocin-immunoreactive neurons in the male rat brain

Arginine vasopressin-immunoreactive (AVP-ir) neurons in the bed nucleus of atria terminalis (BST) and medial amygdaloid nucleus are very responsive to gonadal hormones. After gonadectomy, these neurons lose their AVP immunoreactivity and stop expressing AVP mRNA. Testosterone treatment reverses these changes, acting via androgen as well as estrogen receptor-mediated mechanisms. Although AVP-ir neurons contain estrogen receptor immunoreactivity, it is not known whether they also contain androgen receptor immunoreactivity. To answer this question, brains of male rats were stained immunocytochemically for AVP as well as for androgen receptors. In the BST and medial amygdaloid nucleus, respectively, 90.5% and 91.2% of the AVP-ir neurons contained androgen receptor immunoreactivity. In contrast, in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the supraoptic nucleus, and the magnocellular portion of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), none of the AVP-ir neurons contained androgen receptor immunoreactivity. In the ventral zone of the medial parvocellular part of the PVN (mpvPVN), 4.3% of the scattered AVP-ir neurons contained androgen receptor immunoreactivity. One of the control experiments, Le. staining sections for oxytocin (OT) rather than AVP, revealed that although OT-ir neurons in the supraoptic and magnocellular portion of the PVN did not contain androgen receptor immunoreactivity, 52.5% of the OTir neurons in the mpvPVN did. The results suggest that androgens can bind to androgen receptors in AVP-ir neurons in the BST and medial amygdaloid nucleus, possibly to influence AVP expression. The results also suggest that androgens can bind to androgen receptors in AVP-ir and OT-ir neurons in the mpvPVN. The function of the latter interaction, however, is unclear.
Chorio-meningo-encephalitis Following Inoculation of Newcastle Disease Virus in Rhesus Monkeys.*:

SummaryThe “Manhattan” Strain of Newcastle Disease Virus produced in rhesus monkeys a chorio-meningo-encephalitis.
Studying across Race: A Conversation about the Place of Difference in Qualitative Research.

This article is a dialog between colleagues from different races who struggle with the complexities of doing qualitative research with participants who come from backgrounds that do not match their own. Based on transcriptions of extensive audiotaped conversations, the article explores issues related to studying across difference. The discussion is framed by four qualitative research paradigms: post-positivist, constructivist, critical/feminist, and poststructuralist.
A method for scaling biological response of soil microcosms

Abstract An extensive series of laboratory experiments was conducted in soil microcosms to study the respiratory response of microorganisms to toxicant amendments within different types of soils. Our analysis of test results demonstrates that coupled biological and environmental factors within soil can be scaled (i.e., commensurably and analogously grouped) by means of two rate constants, one characterizing the diffusion of CO2 in the soil matrix and another the biological production of CO2. The two rate constants were used to classify the impact of metal compounds on diverse soil types and to predict the loss or gain of total respiratory CO2 of amended soils relative to intact soils. This method exemplifies a more general approach, potentially useful for scaling complex physical and biological interactions in environmental assessments.
Evidence that siRNAs function as guides, not primers, in the Drosophila and human RNAi pathways

Abstract In Drosophila , two features of small interfering RNA (siRNA) structure—5 ′ phosphates and 3 ′ hydroxyls—are reported to be essential for RNA interference (RNAi). Here, we show that as in Drosophila , a 5′ phosphate is required for siRNA function in human HeLa cells. In contrast, we find no evidence in flies or humans for a role in RNAi for the siRNA 3 ′ hydroxyl group. Our in vitro data suggest that in both flies and mammals, each siRNA guides endonucleolytic cleavage of the target RNA at a single site. We conclude that the underlying mechanism of RNAi is conserved between flies and mammals and that RNA-dependent RNA polymerases are not required for RNAi in these organisms.
Revalidation of the clinical test version of the modified rhyme words.

Kreul et al. (1968), using three talkers at three speech-to-noise differentials (levels), recorded six of the House et al. (1963, 1965) Modified Rhyme word lists (MRT) for clinical use. Copies of t...
Scaling component intensities of complex stimuli: The influence of response alternatives

Abstract Nearly all stimuli encountered in the natural environment are multidimensional, possessing a variety of attributes that can be assessed by a human observer. In a typical psychophysical scaling experiment, observers are asked to rate one or more of these attributes which are of special interest to the experimenter. It is typically assumed that the number of attributes that are rated, and which attributes are attended to has little effect on the outcome of the experiment. However, a recent series of experiments with chemosensory stimuli calls this assumption into question. These studies suggest that similar stimulus attributes are combined when response alternatives are restricted, and are separated when appropriate response alternatives are available. A model of psychophysical judgment is proposed to account for the effects of changing response alternatives on estimates of attribute intensity.
Complementary sets of noncanonical base pairs mediate RNA helix packing in the group I intron active site.

Helix packing is critical for RNA tertiary structure formation, although the rules for helix–helix association within structured RNAs are largely unknown. Docking of the substrate helix into the active site of the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme provides a model system to study this question. Using a novel chemogenetic method to analyze RNA structure in atomic detail, we report that complementary sets of noncanonical base pairs (a G·U wobble pair and two consecutively stacked sheared A·A pairs) create an RNA helix packing motif that is essential for 5′-splice site selection in the group I intron. This is likely to be a general motif for helix–helix interaction within the tertiary structures of many large RNAs.
TIME OFF AS ECONOMIC CAPITAL: THWARTING THE TRAPS OF THE SEGREGATED OCCUPATIONAL FIELD

Moving from a gender-segregated job, like secretary, to a more integrated position can be quite difficult, primarily because the disadvantages that most segregated jobs confer accumulate over time to make it increasingly unlikely that a woman who is unhappy in her job will ever be able to find another kind of work. What scholars of cumulative disadvantage have not been able to explain, however, are the women who successfully leave segregated jobs. In this study of women working in the gender-integrated occupation of furniture sales I use a Bourdieuian framework to analyze what aspects of their employment histories prompted and enabled some to move from gender-segregated work into gender-integrated work. Specifically, I analyze women's networks and their periods of time away from paid work as forms of capital that helped create the possibility that they could leave their segregated jobs. Focusing particularly on time off, I argue that the solution to cumulative disadvantage is not simply to address the dis...
Conservation, relocation and duplication in genome evolution.

Abstract The advent of whole-genome sequencing and genome-wide transcriptional profiling has opened up new approaches to the resolution of questions that only a few years ago seemed unanswerable. At the same time they have revealed new and sometimes unexpected patterns of gene conservation and functional compensation, chromosomal clustering of transcriptionally related genes, relocation of genes to depopulate or overpopulate the X chromosome with certain functional classes of genes, and gene duplication and functional divergence. What makes molecular evolutionary genomics different from previous approaches is the generality of the results. Choice of genes, and the uncertainties of extrapolating from a sample of genes to the entire genome, is supplanted by direct genome-wide observations. In this article we examine some key recent experiments in RNA interference that illustrate some of the strengths and limitations of evolutionary genomic analysis.
Acute leg‐cycling exercise attenuates the h‐reflex recorded in soleus but not flexor carpi radialis

The amplitude of the Hoffman reflex (H-reflex) in the soleus muscle is attenuated after acute bouts of leg-cycling exercise. The attenuation has been interpreted as a "tranquilizing" effect of exercise controlled by the central nervous system and generalized beyond a single spinal segmental level. If so, the postexercise depression of the H-reflex should occur in both the soleus and the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) muscle, which is not actively involved during leg cycling. This experiment examined the effect of moderate-intensity cycling exercise on the H-reflex recorded in soleus and FCR among 16 men. The H-reflex was measured immediately before and 10 min after 30 min of either moderate-intensity leg cycling (60% VO(2peak)) or quiet rest. The acute bout of cycling exercise reduced the H-reflex in the soleus but not in the FCR. Thus, the attenuation of the H-reflex after leg cycling does not generalize beyond the spinal segmental level that modulates the involved locomotory muscles; it is likely the result of segmental processes associated with the repetitive stretching or activation of the soleus muscle.
Replacing Variables in Correlation Problems

T HE importance of using matrix-inverting methods in solving normal equations has often been emphasized. Computation of the matrix inverse to the complete correlation matrix or to the matrix of correlations among the independent variables is usually the easiest way to evaluate the standard errors of the regression constants. For special problems the complete inverse may not be needed [10, page 456]. Because of the need to compute the standard errors, and the frequent desirability of working later with slightly altered sets of variables, however, it would seem that the inversion of the matrix of correlations (or covariances) should be the initial step in solving most problems involving normal equations [5]. After solving the normal equations of correlation problems one may wish to delete a variable, to replace a variable, or to add another variable. In some situations these operations may be performed most efficiently by making the desired deletions, substitutions, or additions and then re-solving the normal equations. In other situations the desired changes may be effected more efficiently by operations on the inverse matrix already computed, without directly re-solving the normal equations. One of the advantages of using matrix-inverting methods is the possibility of utilizing the inverse in deriving solutions for altered sets of variables. The purpose of this paper is to describe one method which may be useful in situations where the direct re-solving of the normal equations would be laborious. The solution will first be indicated by the problem of replacing the fourth variable in a five-variable problem. The problem will then be generalized to the replacing of the kth variable in an n-variable problem. In discussing the five-variable problem the matrix inverse to the correlation matrix will be called the "P table" so that this discussion may be more easily understood by computers who are accustomed to the "Waugh Method" [1].
A new detector technique using triangular scintillating strips to measure the position of minimum ionizing particles

Abstract We present a new technique for measuring the position where a charged particle transits a detector which achieves a position resolution much better than the granularity of the detector. This is accomplished by using scintillating strips with a triangular cross-section and an axial wavelength shifting fiber readout. We tested strips with a base of 9 mm and a height of 4.5 mm and achieved a position resolution of 567 μm. With over 60 000 cosmic ray data points per strip, we are able to precisely characterize the performance of this detector design. In addition, we offer suggestions for future improvements in the achievable position resolution. Additional performance results, including uniformity and yield, are also discussed.
Attachment of peptide growth factors to implantable collagen

Ingrowth of fibrovascular tissue from the woundbed into collagen-based dermal substitutes and survival of cultured epithelium after transplantation may be enhanced by attachment of heparin binding growth factor 2 (HBGF2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) to collagen. Biotinylation of collagen and the growth factors allows immobilization of HBGF2 and EGF by high affinity binding of tetravalent avidin. Biotinylated HBGF2 and EGF (B-GF) were exposed to complexes of biotinylated collagen (B-COL)-avidin (A) and detected with peroxidase-labeled avidin (AP) followed by chromagen formation on nitrocellulose paper. Binding of biotinylated HBGF2 and EGF was specific (*, P less than 0.05), proportional to the concentration of biotinylated collagen, and resistant to ionic (NaCl) displacement. Data are expressed as mean percentages of maximum binding +/- SEMs: (table; see text) Growth response of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes to HBGF2 (population doubling time, PDT = 0.70 population doublings (PD)/day) confirmed the retention of mitogenic activity after biotinylation (PDT = 0.80 PD/day). Specific binding of biotinylated HBGF2, EGF, or other biologically active molecules (antibiotics, NSAIDs) to implantable collagen may provide a mechanism for positive therapeutic modulation of wound healing, including repair of full-thickness skin wounds with cultured cell-collagen composite grafts.
EFFECTS OF SOLAR AND ARTIFICIAL ULTRAVIOLET‐B RADIATION ON LARVAL NORTHERN ANCHOVY, ENGRAULIS MORDAX*

— Northern anchovy larvae were exposed to various amounts of both natural (global solar) and artificial (sunlamps filtered by cellulose triacetate) UV-B energy over a 12-day period. Dosage was determined on the basis of a weighting function for biological effectiveness. The action spectrum on which this biologically effective dose for anchovy mortality is based was developed using broad-band spectroscopy. These experiments indicated that biologically adverse conditions exist near the sea surface. Larvae exposed in shallow containers to global solar UV for 12 days suffered significant UV mortality from February to October. Larvae surviving all solar and artificial UV doses were smaller than those not exposed to UV. [Lowest dosage = 398 J·m−2(bio.eff.).] Fifty percent of the larvae survived a cumulative dose of 605 J·m−2(bio.eff.), or 50 J·m−2·day−1(bio.eff). Dose reciprocity did not hold; when a similar cumulative dose was given in the first 4 days of 12, there were about one-half as many survivors. One meter below the sea surface the daily solar UV dose (corrected for average cloud cover) is equal to or greater than 50 J·m−2(bio.eff.) (33°N, 118°W), the daily equivalent of the LD50, for 7 months of the year (March to September) at moderate chlorophyll-a concentrations (0.5 mg-m−3). These data suggest that larvae in the sea may be subject to some UV-B stress at present. Owing to their seasonality of spawning and vertical distribution, anchovy populations may not be gravely endangered by moderate degree of stratospheric ozone diminution.
A framework for decomposing shocks and measuring volatilities derived from multi-dimensional panel data of survey forecasts

Abstract This work applies previously published frameworks developed for analyzing multi-dimensional panel data of survey forecasts to IPD forecasts from the Survey of Professional Forecasters. The paper expands on these frameworks, demonstrates that the frameworks imply the existence of new and richer measures of shocks and volatilities, and shows how these measures can be extracted from multi-dimensional forecast panels. Three distinct types of economic shocks (cumulative shocks, cross-sectional shocks, and discrete shocks) and implied volatility measures based on these shocks are calculated for IPD inflation over the period 1969 through 2004. GMM tests for forecaster biases are conducted using the expanded framework.
Experimentally Identifying the Transfer Function of an Electromechanical System

An experiment is developed in which the instructor demonstrates the acquisition of frequency response data for an electromechanical system (an X-Y recorder). Students are given copies of the acquired data, from which they create an amplitude response plot and develop a transfer function for the system. Using a simple optimization routine, students tweak the model until the predicted amplitude response most closely matches the experimental data. The model is refined further by adding a zero to the transfer function. Students compare the predictions of their models to the experimental data and answer related questions on a lab worksheet, all within one three-hour lab period. In this paper, the apparatus, demonstration, data reduction, system identification, and results are described. A videotaped demonstration of the experiment, sample data, and the lab handout and worksheet are available online at www.rose-hulman.edu/ES205/labs.html. In future work, the experiment will be modified to measure phase response.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Potential for local adaptation in response to an anthropogenic agent of selection: effects of road deicing salts on amphibian embryonic survival and development

The application of millions of tons of road deicing salts every winter in North America presents significant survival challenges to amphibians inhabiting roadside habitats. While much is known of the effects of NaCl on anuran tadpoles, less is known of effects on amphibian eggs, or any caudate life stage. In addition, little is known of the effects of MgCl2, which is now the 2nd most commonly used road deicer. Most studies have considered amphibians to be helpless victims of deicing salts, and ignore the possibility of the evolution of local adaptation to this stressor. We attempt to address these knowledge gaps and explore this evolutionary potential by examining the effects of NaCl and MgCl2 on the survival and development of eggs from different female rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa) from the same population. We demonstrate that both salts, at environmentally relevant concentrations, severely affect the embryonic survival and development of this amphibian, but that the effects of the salt are dependent on the identity of the mother. This female × treatment interaction results in substantial variation in tolerance to road deicing salts among newt families, providing the raw material necessary for natural selection and the evolution of local adaptation in this amphibian.
The Interamerican Diffusion of a Cooking Technique: The Culinary Shoe‐Pot1

THIS paper explores a problem in archeological interpretation. Inferences are derived concerning the use and history of a peculiar pottery vessel shape, which are then applied to wider problems of interpretation. In archeological sites in the Southwest and in the Eastern U.S., as well as in Middle and South America, a number of pottery vessels have been found that are usually grouped together in a category called "shoe-shaped" or "birdshaped"; more rarely, they are also referred to as "duck-", "boot-", "slipper-", "moccasin-", and "foot-shaped." (In Spanish, they are usually called "botas", "patos", "patojos", "zapatillos", or "zuecos.") While some are obvious effigies of the objects from which they take their name, others bear no more resemblance to one of these objects than they do to any of the others. While studying the distribution and function of bird-effigy vessels in the Southwest (MS in preparation), I noted that some of the simpler vessel shapes cannot be surely identified as imitations of the bird form, and are therefore called "shoe-pots" by some authors. But other authors call the same shapes "bird-effigies" because there seems to be a continuous intergradation from the simple, plain, least bird-like to the most obvious bird-effigies with modeled head, wings, feet, and tail, and with painted eyes and feathers. More careful analysis, however, showed that among the simple vessels many of the larger ones have a number of features in common that the more obvious bird-effigies lack. These features include a wide, short-necked orifice and surface finish typical of cooking ware. In contrast to the other Southwestern "shoe-pots" and bird-effigies, these features are remarkably consistent in their association with each other and also show a consistent and restricted distribution in space and time. It seemed possible, then, that there is a category of pottery vessels which should be analyzed separately from the other "shoe-pots," on the grounds that they have a different use and a different history. Shortly afterward, during a visit to the Chicago Natural History Museum, I noticed displays of vessels from Nicaragua and Argentina that are identical in all visible respects to the Southwestern specimens. A check of the literature not only confirmed the widespread distribution of this particular form, but also reinforced the possibility of its independence from the other "shoe-pots" and bird-effigies. For many years, there has been speculation on the wide interamerican diffusion of the "shoe-pot" (e.g., as part of the famous "Q-Complex"-c.f. Stone 1948). But many of the vessels in this category have nothing more in common
Attenuation of Baroreflexes During Operant Cardiac Conditioning

Three monkeys were trained to slow and to speed heart rate on an operant schedule. After the animals were performing highly reliably they received injections of nitroglycerin or phenylephrine to elicit baroreflexes during control periods and during slowing or speeding sessions. The findings were that each animal reliably attenuated its baroreflex sensitivity and thereby avoided shock. Thus, the data showed that under appropriate behavioral conditions homeostatic adjustments of the cardiovascular system are reduced.
Single domain antibody coated gold nanoparticles as enhancer for Clostridium difficile toxin detection by electrochemical impedance immunosensors

This work presents a sandwich-type electrochemical impedance immunosensor for detecting Clostridium difficile toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB). Single domain antibody conjugated gold nanoparticles were applied to amplify the detection signal. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and UV–vis spectra. The electron transfer resistance (Ret) of the working electrode surface was used as a parameter in the measurement of the biosensor. With the increase of the concentration of toxins from 1 pg/mL to 100 pg/mL, a linear relationship was observed between the relative electron transfer resistance and toxin concentration. In addition, the detection signal was enhanced due to the amplification effect. The limit of detection for TcdA and TcdB was found to be 0.61 pg/mL and 0.60 pg/mL respectively at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 (S/N = 3). This method is simple, fast and ultrasensitive, thus possesses a great potential for clinical applications in the future.
Maréchal intensity criteria modified for gaussian beams.

The Marechal evaluation of the Strehl definition is reexamined for a Gaussian aperture where we have included the primary aberrations and all orders of spherical aberration. The result is particularly useful for evaluating the far-field peak intensity degradation, due to aberrations, for a well-corrected optical system when the wavefront distortion at the exit pupil is known. Further, the resulting equations have the same form as Marechal's equations for a uniform beam with the exception of additional factors that are the consequence of the Gaussian beam. These factors approach unity as the Gaussian beam approaches a uniform beam. As a consequence, the effects of the Gaussian illumination are readily identified. It is also shown how various aberrations may be balanced against one another in order to obtain the best peak intensity in the presence of a truncated Gaussian beam.
Orthographic Mapping in the Acquisition of Sight Word Reading, Spelling Memory, and Vocabulary Learning

Orthographic mapping (OM) involves the formation of letter-sound connections to bond the spellings, pronunciations, and meanings of specific words in memory. It explains how children learn to read words by sight, to spell words from memory, and to acquire vocabulary words from print. This development is portrayed by Ehri (2005a) as a sequence of overlapping phases, each characterized by the predominant type of connection linking spellings of words to their pronunciations in memory. During development, the connections improve in quality and word-learning value, from visual nonalphabetic, to partial alphabetic, to full grapho-phonemic, to consolidated grapho-syllabic and grapho-morphemic. OM is enabled by phonemic awareness and grapheme-phoneme knowledge. Recent findings indicate that OM to support sight word reading is facilitated when beginners are taught about articulatory features of phonemes and when grapheme-phoneme relations are taught with letter-embedded picture mnemonics. Vocabulary learning is fa...
History of allergies among adults with glioma and controls.

The causes of most adult gliomas are essentially unknown. Previous studies have indicated associations between immune system factors and the incidence of adult glioma, specifically that those individuals with certain allergic conditions may have decreased risk of glioma. We obtained detailed allergy histories for 405 adults newly diagnosed with glioma in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1997-1999 and 402 age-gender-ethnicity frequency-matched population-based controls. Seventy-nine percent of eligible cases or their proxies and 74% of eligible controls completed in-person interviews about allergies, age at onset, frequency, duration and severity. Overall, cases were less likely than controls to report any allergy (72% vs. 85%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.5 [0.3-0.7]); for self-reported cases (n = 269), OR = 0.7 (0.4-0.97) and for proxy-reported cases, OR = 0.3 (0.2-0.5). Pollen, dairy and nut allergies were significantly less common in cases than controls and most other allergens had odds ratios of less than one. There were no apparent trends with numbers of symptoms, route of exposure of allergen or reported severity of allergy, but there was a significant dose-response with increasing numbers of allergens (p < 0.0001 for linear trend among all cases vs. controls and p = 0.02 among self-reported cases only vs. controls). Although our work displays strong and consistent associations, future efforts must attempt to establish whether an immune system typified by proclivity to allergies, or an immunologic consequence of the allergies themselves, might be capable of preventing nascent brain tumors. The dominance of humoral immunity in the central nervous system is consistent with either of these models. Alternatively, common genetic or environmental causes for allergies and gliomagenesis may mediate or confound these observed inverse risks for allergies and gliomas, or other explanations may exist. Future work might reveal an important role for immunologic factors in gliomagenesis and potential preventative and/or therapeutic modalities.
Inhibition of lymphocyte activation in splenic and gut-associated lymphoid tissues following oral exposure of mice to 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene.

The hypothesis that 7,12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) suppresses immune function in mice via an inhibition of lymphocyte activation was examined in these studies. Daily exposure of B6C3F1 mice to DMBA (cumulative doses of 1.4 to 140 mg/kg) via the oral route for 14 days was found to inhibit phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and lipopolysaccharide mitogen responses in lymphoid cells obtained from the spleen, Peyer's Patches, and mesenteric lymph nodes. The 14 mg/kg cumulative dose of DMBA produced no significant decrease in the number of recovered viable cells, yet mitogen responses were suppressed by approximately 50% in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes, and by greater than 70% in the Peyer's Patches. DMBA inhibited PHA-induced Ca+2 mobilization measured by flow cytometry in each of these three lymphoid tissues. There was no change in the percentage of T cells recovered from the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, or Peyer's Patches. Peyer's Patch lymphocytes obtained from the GI tract appeared to be slightly more sensitive to inhibition of mitogen responsiveness and perhaps Ca+2 mobilization, potentially due to the oral route of exposure to DMBA. These studies provide evidence that DMBA inhibits early events associated with lymphocyte activation in mice.