cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environmentally Sustainable Biofuels: Advances in Biodiesel Research

Due to diminishing petroleum reserves and the deleterious environmental consequences of exhaust gases from fossil-based fuels, research on renewable and environmentally friendly fuels has received a lot of impetus in recent years. With oil at high prices, alternate renewable energy has become very attractive. Many of these are eco-friendly. Besides ethanol, other unconventional choices are: biodiesel made from non-edible sources or waste cooking oil that can be blended with diesel; biobutanol; and gas-to-liquids from the abundance of natural gas, coal, or biomass. In this paper, we examine advances made in research on biodiesel. Current research on the synthesis of biodiesel can be classified into five areas: (i) the source of substrates, namely triglyceride and acyl-acceptors, (ii) reaction mechanism, (iii) catalysts for transesterification, including the application of inorganic base and acid catalysts as well as biocatalysts, (iv) solvent effects on biodiesel synthesis, especially in enzyme-catalyzed processes, and (v) operations and reactors involving traditional batch reactors, continuous reactors, novel membrane reactors and micro-channel reactors. Each of these areas is reviewed in this paper.
Color octet contribution to high p T J/ψ production in pp collisions at (s)=500 and 200 GeV at BNL RHIC

We compute $d\ensuremath{\sigma}{/dp}_{T}$ of the $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ production in pp collisions at BNL RHIC at $\sqrt{s}=500$ and 200 GeV by using both the color octet and singlet models in the framework of nonrelativistic QCD. The $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ we compute here includes the direct $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ from the partonic fusion processes and the $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ coming from the radiative decays of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{J}^{'}\mathrm{s}$ both in the color octet and singlet channel. The high ${p}_{T}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ production cross section is computed within the PHENIX detector acceptance ranges: $\ensuremath{-}0.35l\ensuremath{\eta}l0.35$ and $1.2l|\ensuremath{\eta}|l2.4,$ the central electron and forward muon arms. It is found that the color octet contribution to $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ production is dominant at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions (RHIC) energy in comparison to the color singlet contributions. We compare our results with the recent preliminary data obtained by the PHENIX detector for the high ${p}_{T}$ $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ measurements. While the color singlet model fails to explain the data completely the color octet model is in agreement with the single data point above 2 GeV transverse momentum. A measurement of $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ production at RHIC in the next run with better statistics will allow us to determine the validity of the color octet model of $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ production at RHIC energies. This is very important because it is necessary to know the exact mechanism for $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ production in pp collisions at RHIC if one is to make predictions of $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ suppression as a signature of quark-gluon plasma. These mechanisms also play an important role in determining the polarized spin structure function of the proton at RHIC.
Cardiac Gene Delivery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Background— Cardiac gene therapy offers the possibility of enhancing myocardial performance in the compromised heart. However, current gene delivery techniques have limited myocardial transgene expression and pose the risk of extracardiac expression. Isolation of the coronary circulation during cardiac surgery may allow for more efficient and cardiac-selective gene delivery in a clinically relevant model. Methods and Results— Neonatal piglets (3 kg) underwent a median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass, followed by aortic cross-clamping with 30 minutes of cardioplegic arrest. Adenoviral vectors containing transgenes for either β-galactosidase (adeno-β-gal, n=11) or the human β2-adrenergic receptor (adeno-β2-AR, n=15) were administered through the cardioplegia cannula immediately after arrest and were allowed to dwell in the coronary circulation during the cross-clamp period. After 1 week, the animals were killed, and their heart, lungs, and liver were excised and examined for gene expression. Analysis ...
Dos proyectos pedagógicos: lectura extensiva y escritura creativa en el aula de español como lengua extranjera

By reporting on two teaching experiences in the context of the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language, this study reviews the role of extensive reading and ways to implement it in the foreign language classroom. One of the projects -the practice of extensive reading through free reading time in the classroom- serves as the basis for the second, Handcrafted books , in which the student begins as a reader and then becomes an author. The present work is descriptive in nature and it introduces the theoretical framework that supports each project, guidelines for its im plementation, and participant reactions.
Neighbor Discovery Using Galois Fields and Its Hardware Implementation

Neighbor discovery is essential in all channel access protocols based on transmission scheduling, whether such protocols are topology-dependent or topology-independent. We propose a novel approach to neighbor discovery based on relative GPS coordinates (RGPS), extending the work by Chlamtac and Farago on topology-transparent transmission scheduling. The proposed approach attains neighbor discovery with timing guarantees, which yields greater scalability and requires smaller transmission compared to neighbor discovery mechanisms based on probabilistic methods. We further present the design and implementation of a hardware accelerator for evaluating the Galois field polynomials used in the proposed neighbor-discovery scheme.
The Uterine Doughnut : Potential Pitfall for Technetium-99m Gastrointestinal Bleeding Study

A case of intense uterine hyperemia secondary to recent pregnancy, the so-called uterine doughnut sign, is presented as a potential pitfall in the evaluation of gastrointestinal bleeding. Delayed imaging helped in evaluating the lack of serial change in appearance and the failure of progression of the scintigraphic abnormality.
Reentrainment of the Circadian Pacemaker through Three Distinct Stages

Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated by a central pacemaker and are synchronized to the environmental LD cycle. The rhythms can be resynchronized, or reentrained, after a shift of the LD cycle, as in traveling across time zones. The authors have performed high-resolution mapping of the pacemaker to analyze the reentrainment process using rat pineal melatonin onset (MT(on)) and melatonin offset (MT(off)) rhythms as markers. Following LD (12:12) delays of 3, 6, and 12 h, MT(on) was phase locked immediately, whereas MT(off) shifted rapidly during the initial 1 through 3 cycles. In all animals, the MT(off) shifted beyond their expected phase positions in the new LD cycle, which resulted in a transient expansion of melatonin secretion duration for several cycles. It took MT(off) only 1, 2, or 3 cycles to complete most of the required phase shifts after 3, 6, or 12 h of the LD cycle delays, respectively. However, the final stabilization of phase relationships of both MT(on) and MT(off) required at least 6 cycles for rats experiencing a 3-h LD delay and much longer for the rest. These results reaffirmed the notion that both onset and offset phases of melatonin rhythms are important markers for the pacemaker and demonstrated that the reentrainment of the central pacemaker to a delay shift of the LD cycle is a 3-step process: an immediate phase lock of onset and a rapid delay shift of offset rhythms, overshoot of the offset, and, finally, a slow adjustment of both onset and offset phases. This study represents the 1st detailed analysis of the pacemaker behavior during reentrainment using melatonin and supports the notion that the eventual adaptation of the circadian pacemaker to a new time zone is a time-consuming process.
Synthesis of the pentacyclic core of lihouidine

The pentacyclic base of the sponge-derived alkaloid lihouidine has been assembled from two quinoline fragments. The key step is a nitration-promoted cyclization to form the C-C bond between the two quinoline units.
Nutritional properties of the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis fed the freshwater microalgae Selenastrum capricornutum

This study examined the effects of storage time on the fatty acid composition of freshwater Selenastrum capricornutum algal paste under 4 C refrigeration, the fatty acid composition of rotifers fed the fresh and stored algal paste, and the toxicological properties of the algal paste. Microalgae were produced in a hydraulically integrated serial turbidostat algal reactor (HIS-TAR), harvested as a paste, refrigerated and analyzed every 2 wk. Fresh Selenastrum capricornutum paste had almost three times greater concentration of unsaturated fatty acids than saturated fatty acids. Over 50% of the unsaturated fatty acids were made up of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. Total unsaturated, n-3 group and n-6 group fatty acids decreased (P 0.05) during storage, including the nutritionally important fatty acids (C20:4n6, C20:5n3, C22: 6n3). Rotifers fed 2– and 4-wk-old algal paste had a significantly lower (P 0.05) total unsaturated fatty acid percentage and significantly greater (P 0.05) total saturated fatty acids than those fed fresh algae. There were no significant changes in the n-6 group fatty acid level in the 4-wk-old paste feeding study or for the n-3 or n-6 groups in the 2-wk-old paste feeding study as compared to fresh algae. The levels of the three nutritionally important fatty acids (C20:4n6, C20:5n3, C22:6n3) did not differ between rotifers fed fresh and stored algae. Stored algae did not present toxicity to rotifers and Daphnia at the normal feeding concentration. These results indicated that the use of refrigerated freshwater algal paste for production of rotifers results in live feed with adequate nutritional properties for marine larviculture. This could eliminate the costs associated with production of marine algae, which could be replaced with freshwater algae, and may provide an alternative to cryopreservation.
Estimation of retardation factor of dissolved organic carbon in sandy soils using batch experiments

Abstract Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) can be transported in soil solution through the soil, and may influence water quality. The transport of DOC in soils can be described by a convection-dispersion model in which the retardation factor is one of the important coefficients. Soil column experiments are frequently used to estimate the retardation factor. Because the retardation factor is related to the adsorption distribution coefficient, it may be evaluated using batch experiments which are much easier to carry out in the laboratory. In this study, four types of sandy soils were selected. Columns of 1.0 kg soil (1.46 kg 1 −1 bulk density) for each soil type were leached with poultry litter extract (DOC: 2.34 g 1 −1 ). The outflow DOC concentrations were regressed using CXTFIT to calculate retardation factors. In the batch experiments, the soil samples were equilibrated with poultry litter extract at a ratio of 1:4 (soil:solution). The adsorption distribution coefficients for DOC (0.096 to 0.661 ml g −1 ) were determined by measuring the differences between initial and final concentrations and retardation factors were calculated (1.46 to 4.48). The results showed that batch experiments can predict retardation factors for the sandy soils at an acceptable level of precision. The batch experiments apparently underestimated the retardation factor for the Cecil soil which has relatively more clay content. This result might be because adsorption isotherms of fine-textured soils are not linear. In general, batch experiments can be employed to predict retardation factors for sandy soils for which, we suggest, clay content should be lower than 150 g kg −1 .
Linear B-cell epitopes of the NS3-NS4-NS5 proteins of the hepatitis C virusas modeled with synthetic peptides

Abstract A set of 150 synthetic peptides spanning the proteins NS3-NS4-NS5 of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was synthesizedand tested with a panel of 20 sera obtained from HCV-infected patients. Of 62 peptides prepared from the NS3 region, none exhibited strong antigenic reactivity. Rather, five peptides from this region demonstrated specific reactivity with only 5–10% of anti-HCV-positive sera. Nonetheless, it is well known that the NS3 region contains strong antigenic epitopes. These epitopes appear to be modeled in a functionally active manner with recombinant proteins and cannot be mimicked properly with short synthetic peptides. This finding suggests that the major NS3 antigenic epitopes are conformationally dependent. Seven of 20 peptides prepared from the NS4 region were immunoreactive. Five peptides from this region demonstrated very strong HCV-specific antigenic reactivity. Four of the five peptides belong to the recognized immunoreactive 5-1-1 region located inside the C100-3 antigen. One peptide demonstrating immunoreactivity with approximately 90% of anti-HCV-positive sera was found outside the C100-3 region at the C-terminal part of the NS4 protein. Of 68 peptides synthesized from the NS5 protein, 30 were immunoreactive. Six of the 30 demonstrated immunoreactivity with 35–50% of anti-HCV-positive sera. Thus, the NS4 and NS5 regions of the HCV polyprotein contain a large number of specific, broadly reactive, linear antigenic epitopes. The highly antigenic reactivity of the NS5 region suggests that this protein may have significant diagnostic potential.
Database Management on the M300 Workstation

We use the M300 Workstation as a microcomputer for a variety of purposes. In addition to such common applications as word processing and spreadsheets, we use three database management programs (Knowledge Man, dBASE III, and PC‐File III) for various projects. This article describes our use of PC‐File III to collect and manage preservation data.
TOMM40 poly-T repeat lengths, age of onset and psychosis risk in Alzheimer disease.

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 alleles increase the risk for late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) and decrease the age of onset. Recently, sequencing the APOE region in a small sample of LOAD subjects identified a variable length poly-T repeat sequence in the nearby gene, TOMM40, which may affect age of onset. We genotyped the TOMM40 poly-T repeat using a novel statistical approach to refine the identification of allele length in 892 LOAD subjects and evaluated its effects on age of onset. Because psychosis in LOAD is a heritable phenotype which has shown conflicting associations with APOE genotype, we also evaluated the association of poly-T repeat length with psychosis. Poly-T repeat lengths had a trimodal distribution which differed between APOE genotype groups. After accounting for APOE e4 there was no association of poly-T repeat length with age of onset. Neither APOE e4 nor poly-T repeat length was associated with psychosis. Our findings do not support the association of poly-T repeat length with age of onset in LOAD. The clinical implications of this repeat length polymorphism remain to be elucidated.
Epidemiology of risk in hypertensives: experience in treated patients

Knowledge of the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in hypertensive patients derives primarily from observation of populations composed largely of untreated subjects. Increasingly, however, individuals with elevated blood pressure are treated. An 18-year observational study of 8690 participants in a systematic hypertension control project reveals that cardiovascular events continue to be the principal morbid and mortal outcomes. Over time, the incidence of stroke and heart attack remained stable, whereas congestive heart failure (CHF), as a first event, increased tenfold after 10 years. Diabetes and evidence of vascular disease at entry predicted morbidity. Persisting cardiovascular morbidity in the face of satisfactory blood pressure control suggests the need for additional preventive intervention.
Effects of preoperative hypoxia on white matter injury associated with cardiopulmonary bypass in a rodent hypoxic and brain slice model

White matter (WM) injury is common after cardiopulmonary bypass or deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in neonates who have cerebral immaturity secondary to in utero hypoxia. The mechanism remains unknown. We investigated effects of preoperative hypoxia on deep hypothermic circulatory arrest–induced WM injury using a combined experimental paradigm in rodents. Mice were exposed to hypoxia (prehypoxia). Oxygen–glucose deprivation was performed under three temperatures to simulate brain conditions of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest including ischemia–reperfusion/reoxygenation under hypothermia. WM injury in prenormoxia was identified after 35 °C-oxygen–glucose deprivation. In prehypoxia, injury was displayed in all groups. Among oligodendrocyte stages, the preoligodendrocyte was the most susceptible, while the oligodendrocyte progenitor was resistant to insult. When effects of prehypoxia were assessed, injury of mature oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitors in prehypoxia significantly increased as compared with prenormoxia, indicating that mature oligodendrocytes and progenitors that had developed under hypoxia had greater vulnerability. Conversely, damage of oligodendrocyte progenitors in prehypoxia were not identified after 15 °C-oxygen–glucose deprivation, suggesting that susceptible oligodendrocytes exposed to hypoxia are protected by deep hypothermia. Developmental alterations due to hypoxia result in an increased WM susceptibility to injury. Promoting WM regeneration by oligodendrocyte progenitors after earlier surgery using deep hypothermia is the most promising approach for successful WM development in congenital heart disease patients.
An evaluation of air pollutant exposures due to the 1991 Kuwait oil fires using a Lagrangian model

Abstract A Lagrangian model was adapted to simulate the transport, dispersion, and deposition of pollutants from the Kuwait oil fires. Modifications to the model permitted radiative effects of the smoke plume to modify the pollutant's vertical mixing. Calculated SO 2 (sulfur dioxide) air concentrations were compared with the observations from several intensive aircraft measurement compaigns as well as longer-term ground-based measurements. Model sensitivity tests and comparison to the aircraft measurements confirmed (1) the magnitude of the tabulated emission rates for SO 2 and carbon soot; (2) the most appropriate value for the smoke's specific extinction coefficient was about 4 m 2 g −1 ; (3) that the model was sensitive to the vertical mixing in the first 100 km downwind from the fires; (4) that the SO 2 conversion rate was about 6% h −1 ; and (5) although there were large variations in the height of the initial smoke plume and ground-level concentrations were most sensitive to that height, an average value of 1500 m a.g.l. (above ground level) provided reasonable model predictions. Six ground-level sampling locations, all along the Arabian Gulf Coast, were used for model evaluation. Although the measurements and model calculations were in qualitative agreement, the highest space- and time-paired correlation coefficient was only 0.40. The monitoring stations were located in industrial areas, requiring the subtraction of a background concentration of anywhere from 5 to 34 μg m −3 , which at some stations was larger than the contribution from the oil fires smoke. The coastal location and lack of correlation between some of the sites suggested that mesoscale flow features not properly represented in the coarse meteorological data used in the computations may have influenced the smoke transport.
The Neolithic in Arabia: a view from the south

Maurizio Tosi alerted prehistorians to the significant evidence that Arabia followed its own path and with Serge Cleuziou has made a compelling argument about the distinctive social structure of Arabian complexity. After a decade of research and analyses based in Wadi Sana, Hadramawt, the RASA Project can offer a hypothetical scheme of the earliest social developments in highland southern Arabia. Domesticated animals came first; They were probably adopted or used by hunters still prizing wild game; Dedicated pastoralism emerged in situ, accompanied by an increase in population density and the definition of strategic territories; In southern Arabia, a distinct Neolithic culture of sacrifice began as social-boundary maintenance to secure resources; Social strategies changed, with the introduction of more complex and broadly negotiated axes of power; Agriculture was introduced late, and the first deliberate cultivation may not have involved domesticated plants. Whatever was cultivated was used to maintain Neolithic populations committed to territories; This Neolithic culture set the foundation for subsequent Arabian cultures.
International Franchising Research: Some Thoughts on the What, Where, When, and How

The purpose of this article is to examine the present state of international franchising research. We consider the origins and evolution of franchising as an enterprise form and summarize relevant research in this area. We advance and substantiate the premise that franchising research in the global arena has largely followed the geographic expansion trajectory of the franchise industry. And, based on these themes, we conclude by identifying a series of significant research topics in the international franchising domain.
Variables affecting ion exchange for inter-actinide separations☆

Abstract The actinide elements are usually separated by ion exchange. Cation resin and 2-methyllactic acid have been studied with respect to the following variables: flow rate, resin-particle diameter, temperature, and column dimensions. Although separation factors remain constant except for temperature, resolution improves with low flow rates, small resin-particle diameters, high temperatures, and long resin beds. Techniques for obtaining small uniform resin particles and for loading samples on resin beds are discussed.
Untangling Threat during Inoculation-Conferred Resistance to Influence

Threat plays a pivotal role in many theoretical explanations for how inoculation confers resistance, but some empirical data raise questions about threat's role in inoculation. Our study explores some of the unresolved dimensions of threat in inoculation theory. Results indicate that an explicit forewarning included in an inoculation treatment message generates threat, as does the presence of counterarguments and their refutations. Follow-up tests suggest that the forewarning component may be most responsible for generated threat in inoculation, and that a prompt to consider experienced threat may lead to enhanced resistance to subsequent attack messages.
Lattice distortions and phase transitions in crystalline methanes

An order parameter for orientational phase transitions in solid methane is obtained on the basis of molecular symmetry arguments. A Landau theory of the I-II transition at constant volume is proposed. Then coupling of the order parameter and the lattice strain tensor is introduced. In the case of light methane ${\mathrm{CH}}_{4}$, coupling to the lattice makes the I-II phase transition first order. It is suggested that these lattice effects are at least as important as crystalline field effects in the methane transition. Finally, applications to other plastic crystal phase transitions of molecules of symmetry ${T}_{d}$, ${C}_{3h}$, and ${D}_{3h}$ are mentioned.
VEGF: a possible therapeutic for the treatment of preeclampsia?

Evaluation of: Woods AK, Hoffmann DS, Weydert CJ et al. Adenoviral delivery of VEGF121 early in pregnancy prevents spontaneous development of preeclampsia in BPH/5 mice. Hypertension 57(1), 94–102 (2011).Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertension characterized by proteinuria and maternal endothelial dysfunction. Recent research has focused on the balance of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors in the development of the disorder, specifically the proteins VEGF, PlGF, sFlt-1 and sEng. In a recent paper, Woods et al. demonstrated that administration of adenovirally delivered VEGF attenuates the pathological features of preeclampsia that are present in a novel murine model of the disorder, the BPH/5 mouse. This is a recent addition to a body of literature that suggests an important role for VEGF bioavailability in the maintenance of a healthy endothelium during pregnancy, and suggests an intriguing target for the development of new therapeutics for the treatment of preeclampsia.
Body size and perceptions of coaching behaviors by adolescent female athletes

Abstract Objectives To investigate relations among body size, perceptions of coaching behaviors, and attitudes toward the coach and sport in adolescent female athletes in three sports. Design Field correlational design. Method Female athletes, 14–18 years, participating in high school basketball, gymnastics, and soccer ( N =227) completed questionnaires dealing with the perceived frequency of coaching behaviors, evaluative reactions to the coach, and liking for the sport. Coaches rated the ability and performance of each athlete during the season. Results Partial correlations between indicators of body size and athlete perceptions of coaching behaviors, controlling for age and ratings of ability and performance, varied by sport. Among gymnasts, measures of body size were associated with less positive and supportive interactions with coaches and less liking for the coach. Contrary to expectations, the stature of the basketball players was unrelated to their perceptions of coaching behaviors or their liking for the coach and sport. Body size was unrelated to athlete perceptions of coaching behaviors and evaluative responses in soccer. Conclusions In support of [Petersen, A. C., & Taylor, B. (1980). The biological approach to adolescence: Biological change and psychological adaptation. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 117–155). New York: Wiley–Interscience.] Mediated Effects Model of Psychological Adaptation to Puberty, the results suggest that body size, even with age, ability and performance held constant, may engage sport specific stereotypes that influence coaches' positive and negative behaviors, particularly in sports where body size is related to athletic potential.
Metabolic responses of shorebird chicks to cold stress: hysteresis of cooling and warming phases.

SUMMARY We developed a protocol for determining the maximum rate of oxygen consumption of shorebird chicks (Scolopacidae and Charadriidae) in response to cold challenge. We first subjected the chicks to gradually decreasing temperatures until their metabolism peaked and began to decrease. We ended the cooling phase of a trial when a chick9s body temperature T b had declined typically to 32–34°C. After this point, we gradually increased the temperature in the metabolism chamber until normal T b values and thermoneutral resting metabolism were restored. We refer to this cycle as the down–up (DU) protocol. We estimated instantaneous oxygen consumption ( V O 2 ) using the equation of Bartholomew et al. (1981). V O 2 and T b were monitored continuously during the trials. Here, we illustrate typical temperature and metabolism dynamics of the DU protocol by describing several trials in detail, and we discuss the implications of these results for the control of metabolism and regulation of T b . Chicks subjected to the DU protocol exhibited three distinct phases of metabolic response to ambient temperature ( T a ). In Phase I, V O 2 increase was directly related to the gradient between T b and T a , consistent with a Newtonian response to cooling. During Phase II, chicks sustained a maximum level of V O 2 that decreased as T b dropped, exhibiting a Q 10 of approximately 2. Based on the slope of the relationship between V O 2 and T b during Phase II, we were able to estimate maximum V O 2 at a standardized high T b . Phase II continued until chick T b began to rise as a result of the gradually increasing T a . During Phase III, the T b -adjusted rate of oxygen consumption decreased from the maximum level at low T b to the resting level at high T b in the thermoneutral zone. Further trials with faster and slower rates of chamber cooling showed that V O 2 during Phase I varied in proportion to the difference between T b and T a (Δ T ), whereas during Phase III it responded to T b . Even though chicks may be capable of generating enough heat to regulate T b during the early part of Phase I of the DU protocol, the constantly decreasing T a created a time lag between T a and the chick9s metabolic response, leading to body cooling. The hysteresis observed between Phase I and Phase III suggests that chicks rewarm passively while being brooded following the decrease in T b experienced during active foraging. The results of the DU protocol suggest that T b should be measured continuously during measurements of maximum oxygen consumption, and that peak values should be adjusted by T b to make them comparable with other studies.
Microgeographic Variation in Songs of Splendid Sunbirds Nectarinia Coccinigaster : Population Phenetics, Habitats, and Song Dialects

Songs of Splendid Sunbirds at Cape Coast University, Ghana, were recorded and the audiospectrograms analyzed by multivariate statistical techniques. Neighboring birds usually had similar but nonidentical songs. Groups and subgroups of neighbors occurred at distances up to 7 km. Several birds had songs intermediate in structure between those of the main groups, and a few had songs unlike their neighbors. Song differences measured by phenetic distances are significantly correlated with microgeographic distances between the birds, at distances up to 1-2 km. The variation in song is described in terms of dialects and in terms of behavioral variation with microgeographic distance. The dialect areas were less than 1 km2 and involved from 5 (probably an underestimate) to 14 individual males. The local microgeographic scale of song variation agrees with that reported for other populations in Ghana, but variation in space is not as grouped into discrete dialects as described by GRIMES (1974). Birds with similar songs did not consistently occur in similar habitats, except when the birds were neighbors in a common patch of habitat. No song differences were associated with the presence of different coexisting species of sunbirds. Birds at distances of 10 to 400 km were little more divergent in song than birds within the 4 km2 area of the main study site. No geographic trends in song were found along more than 100 km of the coastal plain of Ghana, and no consistent differences were found between coastal and inland populations. Similarities among the songs of neighboring birds, differences between neighborhoods, and the uniform size of the song "dialects" are tentatively explained in terms of social adaptation rather than habitat adaptation.
Studies of Dirhodium(II) Tetra(trifluoroacetate). 5. Remarkable Examples of the Ambidentate Character of Dimethyl Sulfoxide

The ambidentate character of dimethyl sulfoxide, already known for dirhodium carboxylates, has been remarkably manifested in new ways. Three novel complexes of dirhodium(II) tetra(trifluoroacetate) with the DMSO ligand, namely, [Rh2(O2CCF3)4]m(DMSO)n with m:n = 7:8 (1), 1:1 (2), and 3:2 (3), have been obtained by deposition from the vapor phase, and their crystal structures have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The crystallographic parameters are as follows: for 1, monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 28.261(2) A, b = 16.059(4) A, c = 17.636(2) A, β = 92.40(4)°, and Z = 2; for 2, triclinic space group P1 with a = 8.915(2) A, b = 10.592(2) A, c = 11.916(2) A, α = 84.85(1)°, β = 88.86(1)°, γ = 65.187(8)°, and Z = 2; and for 3, triclinic space group P1 with a = 8.876(2) A, b = 9.017(2) A, c = 19.841(3) A, α = 101.91(2)°, β = 97.144(8)°, γ = 100.206(9)°, and Z = 1. In the oligomeric molecule of 1, six DMSO ligands bridge seven dirhodium tetra(trifluoroacetate) units in a bidentate fashion via S a...
On interpreting and inferring propositional formulas of data dependencies in a relational database

Abstract This paper concerns generally the satisfaction and the inference problem involving functional and/or multivalued dependencies in a relational database. In particular, two independent aids in solving an inference problem, concerning the logical counterparts of functional as well as multivalued dependencies, are introduced. The first aid is provided by establishing a pair of complementary inequivalence and equivalence theorems between the propositional formula corresponding to the difference, U-X , in set theory and the propositional formula not( X ) where U is a relation scheme and X is a subset of U . By applying these theorems, correctness of solving an inference problem is assured. The second aid is the application of a Venn diagram for simplifying a propositional formula involving conjunctions, differences, etc., for solving an inference problem. A guideline for constructing simplified Venn diagrams is also given and discussed.
Keeping hunger at bay

Many different hormones control our weight and appetite. The discovery of another hormone, which suppresses appetite for up to 12 hours, may lead to a better understanding of this complex control system.
Infections Versus Penile Implants: The War on Bugs

Purpose: Infection of an inflatable penile implant is the worst complication in prosthetic urology. This review summarizes the milestone advances that led to today's infection rates being the lowest ever, describes the current profile of the ever evolving bacteriology of device infections and suggests possible future research directions.Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of the relevant literature was performed and the data from that literature were summarized.Results: Continual refinements in surgical technique and implant design combined with a greater understanding of bacterial virulence factors led to a dramatic decrease in inflatable penile prosthesis infections.Conclusions: Great strides have been made in decreasing the risk of inflatable penile prosthesis infections. The bacteriology of those infections is ever changing. Our continued success hinges on remaining attuned to those changes and adapting current approaches to meet them.
A fracture toughness test for polymer film

Abstract A biaxial stress test to measure the fracture toughness of thin ductile film is described. In this test, the J-integral is measured as a function of film extension; the critical value at which crack growth initiates, Jc, is the fracture toughness. The procedure uses video imaging to detect crack growth initiation and to measure crack extension. Crack extension data are used to generate the JR curve, which quantifies the material resistance to crack growth. Test results for two types of polyethylene (LDPE and LLDPE) film are used to illustrate the procedures.
The Persistence of "Cathay" in World Literature

In his article "The Persistence of 'Cathay' in World Literature" Eugene Eoyang argues that China has only recently begun to occupy a place in world literatures as evidenced by the absence of Chinese literature from the early editions of the widely adopted Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces and its token representations in subsequent editions. "Orientalized" images of China still persist partly stemming from the continuing currency of stereotyped images of the Chinese promoted by publishers, by Western Sinologists, and even by expatriate Chinese. A cottage industry has developed which privileges the study of images of China (however distorted and oversimplified) over the often more intractable and less exotic complexities of Chinese literature and Chinese reality
Comparison of two home care protocols for total joint replacement.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of a more-efficient home care protocol to manage total joint replacement (TJR) patients after surgery. DESIGN: A randomized trial of two home care protocols for TJR management. SETTING: A hospital-affiliated home healthcare agency in a large midwestern city. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare-eligible individuals undergoing elective total hip or knee replacement surgery (N = 136). INTERVENTION: A home care protocol that included preoperative home visits by a nurse and a physical therapist and fewer postoperative visits (range of 9–12 visits) to the home than an existing protocol (range of 11–47 visits). MEASUREMENTS: Functional status, lower extremity functioning, health-related quality of life, satisfaction with care, and use and cost of healthcare services for 6 months postsurgery. RESULTS: There were no differences in functional status, health-related quality of life, or lower extremity functioning by group at 6 months. A marginally significant gain in satisfaction with access to care (P = .059) was found in the intervention group at 6 months. Home healthcare costs were 55% lower for the streamlined group (P < .001). Other costs did not differ significantly by group. CONCLUSION: TJR patients who received the more-efficient home care protocol experienced comparable outcomes to those who received the existing protocol. An abbreviated set of home care visits resulted in more-efficient delivery of care without compromising patient outcomes.
Snort: Network security managers' preferences for the Snort IDS and GUI add-ons

Snort, one of the most widely used Intrusion Detection System (IDS) products on the market, is extremely versatile and configurable, and runs on Linux, most UNIX platforms, and Windows. Snort is a fairly difficult product to use fully because of the stark command line interface and the un-ordered scan and attack data. The difficulty associated with its command line interface, however, has spawned a near cottage industry among Snort developers who have created a myriad of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in an attempt to provide an easier means for network security managers to fully configure and use Snort. This analysis will also look at which Snort add-on products are favoured by network security managers.
Semigroups of finite convolution operators

Abstract Semigroups of operators in the commutant A of the Volterra operator J: ƒ(x) → ∝ 0 x f(t) dt on L2(0, 1) are constructed and studied by means of a complex Fourier transform technique. A sufficient condition for a fixed operator in the algebra A to be embeddable in a C0 semigroup of operators in A is given. The condition is shown to be necessary under the further restriction that the semigroup consists of contraction operators (see Theorem 3). In this case, a description of all C0 semigroups of operators in A containing the fixed operator is obtained (see Theorem 2). Under mild conditions, the domain of analyticity of a semigroup of operators in A is shown to be a sector. Relationships between the lattices of closed invariant subspaces of the operators comprising a semigroup of operators in A and the resolvents of the infinitesimal generator of the semigroup are studied.
Improved Oxygen Delivery to the Myocardium during Hypothermia by Perfusion with 2,3 DPG–Enriched Red Blood Cells

The oxygen affinity of red cells increases stepwise with temperature reductions below 37 degrees C. In vitro studies demonstrated that biochemically modified red cells with increased 2,3 diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG) (150% and 250% of normal) exhibited significantly less oxygen affinity at 24 degrees C than did unmodified cells. At 15 degrees C, significant attenuation of affinity was observed with 250%, but not 150%, of normal 2,3 DPG cells. Measurements made of isolated fibrillating dog hearts during perfusion at 24 degrees C alternately with unmodified (80% of normal 2,3 DPG) and modified (300% of normal 2,3 DPG) red cells demonstrated significantly greater oxygen consumption, higher coronary sinus partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide, higher in vitro P50 values, and lower arterial and coronary sinus lactate levels during perfusion with modified as compared with unmodified cells. This evidence, indicating improved oxygen delivery to hypothermic dog hearts by red cells with 300% of normal 2,3 DPG activity, suggests that high 2,3 DPG cells might protect myocardial tissue in patients undergoing hypothermic cardiac operation.
Association of tRNAGln acceptor identity with phosphate-sugar backbone interactions observed in the crystal structure of the Escherichia coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNAGln complex

Abstract We isolated several mutants with nucleotide substitutions in alanine tRNA (tRNA Ala ) that resulted in glutamine tRNA (tRNA Gli ) acceptor identity in Escherichia coli . These substitutions were in three regions of tRNA structure not previously associated with tRNA Gln acceptor identity. Only the phosphate-sugar backbone moieties of these nucleotides interact with the enzyme in the previously determined X-ray crystal structure of the complex between tRNA Gln and glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase. We conclude that these sequence-dependent phosphate-sugar backbone interactions contribute to tRNA Gln identity, and argue that the interactions help communicate enzyme recognition of the anticodon to the acceptor end of the tRNA and the catalytic center of the enzyme.
MOSFET charger controller circuit for on chip power cells in aeronautical applications

Integrated microbatteries are being currently developed to act as a “micropower” source in microsatellites. They help provide localized current capacities or embedded power supplies at the chip level, for space exploration. These power cells are designed to be rechargeable. This research paper aims at presenting charging these power cells using pulsing algorithms developed at MRCI with an on chip pulse charger controller.
Species limits and integrated taxonomy of the Idaho ground squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus): genetic and ecological differentiation

Allocation of evolutionary divergence into species level versus subspecies ranks is critical for conservation and management. Urocitellus brunneus (Idaho ground squirrel; formerly Spermophilus brunneus) is currently apportioned into 2 subspecies, U. b. brunneus and U. b. endemicus, but recent studies have suggested elevation to distinct species based on differences in pelage, bacular morphology, genetic data, timing of life-history cycle, and behavior. Following recent movements toward integrated taxonomy, we use the cohesion species concept to test whether both genetic and ecological data support species-level classification of U. b. brunneus and U. b. endemicus. Eight microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data were generated for 339 individuals from 14 localities for U. b. brunneus and 312 individuals from 11 localities for U. b. endemicus .T he null hypothesis of genetic interchangeability was tested with 2 independent data sets. First, we estimated an mtDNA gene tree from control region and cytochrome-b sequences via parsimony, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian analyses. We then tested for evidence of recent migration using Bayesian clustering and coalescence analyses of microsatellite data. The 2nd null hypothesis, that of ecological exchangeability, was tested using an ecological niche-model analysis and a review of the literature based on morphology, habitat characteristics, and behavior. Although divergence of mtDNA sequences between the subspecies was modest (,1%), there are no haplotypes shared between the 2 taxa. There is strong support for monophyly of mtDNA haplotyes of U. b. endemicus (posterior probability 5 0.94), with those from U. b. brunneus forming a basal grade. No evidence of recent gene flow was detected; the Bayesian clustering algorithms of mutlilocus genotype data indicated separate ancestry for both U. b. brunneus and U. b. endemicus. The ecological-niche model showed a nonoverlapping niche for each taxon, allowing for the possibility of differential adaptation. We reject both null hypotheses based on the data, which supports elevation of U. b. brunneus and U. b. endemicus as distinct species.
Discriminatory power of handwriting

A study was undertaken to determine the power of handwriting to distinguish between individuals. Handwriting samples of one thousand five hundred individuals, representative of the US population with respect to gender, age, ethnic groups, etc., were obtained. Analyzing differences in handwriting was done by using computer algorithms for extracting features from scanned images of handwriting. Attributes characteristic of the handwriting were obtained, e.g., line separation, slant, character shapes, etc. These attributes, which are a subset of attributes used by expert document examiners, were used to quantitatively establish individuality by using machine learning approaches. Using global attributes of hadwriting and very few characters in the writing, the ability to determine the writer with a high degree of confidence was established. The work is a step towards providing scientific support for admitting handwriting evidence in court. The mathematical approach and the resulting software also have the promise of aiding the expert document examiner.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dental microwear and Paleoanthropology: Cautions and possibilities

Fifty years ago, investigators realized they could gain insights into jaw movement and tooth-use through light-microscope analyses of wear patterns on teeth. Since then, numerous analyses of modern and fossil material have yielded insights into the evolution of tooth use and diet in a wide variety of animals. However, analyses of fossils and archeological material are ultimately dependent on data from three sources, museum samples of modern animals, living animals (in the wild or in the lab), and in vitro studies of microwear formation. These analyses are not without their problems. Thus, we are only beginning to get a clearer picture of the dental microwear of the early hominins. Initial work suggested qualitative differences in dental microwear between early hominids, but it wasn’t until Grine’s analyses of the South African australopithecines that we began to see quantitative, statistical evidence of such differences. Recent analyses have (1) reaffirmed earlier suggestions that Australopithecus afarensis shows microwear patterns indistinguishable from those of the modern gorilla, and (2) shown that the earliest members of our genus may also be distinguishable from each other on the basis of their molar microwear patterns. While this work hints at the possibilities of moving beyond standard evolutionary-morphological inferences, into inferences of actual differences in tooth use, we still know far too little about the causes of specific microwear patterns, and we know surprisingly little about variations in dental microwear patterns (e.g., between sexes, populations, and species). In the face of such challenges, SEM-analyses may be reaching the limits of their usefulness. Thus, two methods are beginning to catch attention as possible ‘‘next steps’’ in the evolution of dental microwear analyses. One technique involves a return to lower magnification analyses, using qualitative assessments of microwear patterns viewed under a light microscope. The advantages of these analyses are that they are cheap and fast, and may easily distinguish animals with extremely different diets. The disadvantages are that they are still subjective and may not be able to detect subtle dietary differences or artifacts on tooth surfaces. Another technique involves the use of scale-sensitive fractal analyses of data from a confocal microscope. Advantages include the ability to quickly and objectively characterize wear surfaces in 3D over entire wear facets. The main disadvantage lies in the newness of the technique and challenges imposed by developing such cutting edge technology. With the development of new approaches, we may be able to take dental microwear analyses to a new level of inference.