cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some statistical treatments compatible with individual organism methodology

Consider experimental treatments with consequences so irreversible that baseline performance cannot be recovered. The conventional method of assessing the effects of such treatments by statistical means involves separate experimental and control groups. An alternative proposed here is to administer the experimental treatment to each subject, one subject at a time and in a random order; whenever any subject receives the experimental treatment, those subjects which have not yet received it receive a control treatment. This procedure permits results significant at the one-tailed 0.05 level to be obtained with four subjects; if a two-group procedure evaluated by means of the U test is used, a minimum of six subjects is needed for the same significance level. More generally, the procedure permits equal sensitivity to any experimental effect with over 30% fewer subjects than a two-group procedure. Extensions of the basic method are made to a variety of levels of the experimental treatment and to treatments without irreversible effects, and limitations of the method are discussed.
Interface engineering of high-K and high-mobility substrate interface

To attend the current trend in device scaling for sub-22 nm CMOS technology and beyond high mobility channel materials with high-k dielectrics are being integrated. Substrates like Ge and GaAs are being considered for their high electron mobility. The interface between the high-k dielectrics and the high mobility substrates are currently being engineered. Strong interface passivation techniques are being considered to optimize the device performance and reliability. Electrical performance in these devices depends on the deposition process, precise selection of deposition parameters, predeposition surface treatments and subsequent annealing temperatures. This work reviews the recent developments of high-k/Ge interface and its characterization. To form an electrically passive interface, interface treatments such as surface nitridation of HfO 2 /Ge interface are evaluated. In addition, electrical characteristics of high-k on III-V substrates are also outlined.
Sensitivity Analysis of Two-Phase Reservoir History Matching

Reducing the number of unknown reservoir properties (through a method like zonation) is generally recognized to be necessary to obtain accurate estimates from history matching; however, no reliable guidelines exist on how this can best be accomplished. Toward this end, the authors use a one-dimensional, incompressible, two-phase reservoir model to examine some of the fundamental issues in the estimation of spatially variable permeability and porosity from pressure data. Analytical expressions are developed that relate spatial variations in property values to perturbations in the measured pressure drop. Permeability and porosity are retained as functions so that the developed expressions are functional derivative sensitivity coefficients. Examination of these functions reveals the importance of the saturation distribution in regard to information about reservoir properties represented by pressure data. They determine that the rock properties ahead of the flood front cannot be determined from pressure data. Consequently, having more than a single zone for regions that have not undergone two-phase flow would be unwarranted on the basis of pressure data. Behind the flood front, the sensitivity of the pressure drop to variations in permeability and porosity, for M {le} 1, declines with time. Consequently, the reliability of forecasts may actually improve with time. Based more » on measures relating the relative variability of porosity and permeability functions, the contribution of permeability variations to pressure perturbations exceeds that of the porosity by more than a factor of five when M {le} 1. Thus, the representation of porosity with fewer zones than permeability is appropriate. « less
Fractal dimension of soil fragment mass-size distribution: A critical analysis

Abstract In this rapid communication, we address two important issues regarding the calculation of fragment mass-size distribution fractal dimension. We particularly focus on particle-size distribution, as a special case of fragment mass-size distribution, and demonstrate that the arithmetic mean concept frequently used in the literature is not supported. We also show that ignoring lower and upper cutoffs of fractal scaling may significantly alter the mass fractal dimension value. For these purposes, two examples using experiments available in the literature are given, and critical analyses are discussed in detail. We also reanalyze three databases reported in the literature, recalculate the mass fractal dimension, and show that applying the arithmetic mean concept and/or ignoring the lower and upper cutoffs may result in substantially different fractal dimension values. We note that the lower and upper cutoffs have to be reported in addition to the mass fractal dimension value. We also emphasize that accurate determination of the fractal scaling parameters, such as fractal dimension and lower and upper cutoffs requires precise characterization of the mass-size distribution.
Structural changes of human serum albumin in response to a low concentration of heavy ions.

Lead ions in solution interact strongly with human serum albumin and modify the properties and function of albumin molecules. In the present study, we used optical spectroscopic techniques to explore the binding sites of lead, present in albumin. Structural and chemical analysis of albumin molecules using fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy, predicted the modification of two major amino acids in albumin due to lead binding. No secondary structural changes are observed in the protein molecule, which is further confirmed using circular dichroism absorption measurements. The results indicate that loss of charge from the binding site of albumin by the charged lead ions, give rise to dipole interaction which acts as the major contributor to promote protein agglomeration. Stepwise formation of a protein cluster in the presence of a lead ion.
A model of monopoly and “efficient” unions with endogenous union coverage: Positive and normative implications

We present a model of a rent-maximizing union that organizes to increase its coverage of an industry and analyze monopoly and “efficient” unions in this setting. Our model is unique in that we allow for a competitive industry with free entry and find union and nonunion firms coexisting with product market equilibrium. This is achieved by incorporating the insight that firms are heterogeneous in productive characteristics. An important implication of our model is that an “efficient” union that covers a nontrivial share of the market is not efficient and may in fact be less efficient than a monopoly union.
Thermodynamics of chromate replacements by various homologous transition metal oxyanions

The free energy change is calculated for the interaction of 19 different oxyanions (metalates) with iron (steel) or aluminum surfaces. The oxyanions considered here are those of the transition metals in the fourth through sixth periods of the periodic table. The oxyanions which produce more negative values of ΔG o (per mole of oxyanion) than that of chromate (CrO4 −2) are permanganate (MnO4 −), nickelate (NiO4 −2), ruthenate (RuO4 − or RuO4 −2), and rhodate (RhO4 −2). The oxyanions which produce values of ΔG o (per mole of oxyanion) similar to CrO4 −2 are osmate (OsO4 −2), and iridate (IrO4 −2).
Evolution of reward functions for reinforcement learning

The reward functions that drive reinforcement learning systems are generally derived directly from the descriptions of the problems that the systems are being used to solve. In some problem domains, however, alternative reward functions may allow systems to learn more quickly or more effectively. Here we describe work on the use of genetic programming to find novel reward functions that improve learning system performance. We briefly present the core concepts of our approach, our motivations in developing it, and reasons to believe that the approach has promise for the production of highly successful adaptive technologies. Experimental results are presented and analyzed in our full report [3].
Pulsed Beam Capabilities of the Livermore Cyclograaff

The Livermore cyclograaff facility has been operational for experimental use since October 1971. Accelerator development has concentrated upon production of proton beams with burst length and repetition rates suitable for fast neutron time-of-flight work. Average target currents exceeding 1 ?A are now available in pulsed beam mode over the nominal 1-27 MeV range of the combined machines.
Estimating direct and episodic atmospheric nitrogen deposition to a coastal waterbody.

Abstract Direct deposition of atmospheric nitrogen to shallow coastal embayments is usually estimated, since insufficient field measurements are available. Using Waquoit Bay (Cape Cod, MA. USA) as a case study, and a recent review of literature, we determined reasonable bounds on wet and dry inputs of inorganic and organic N. Since precipitation and wind vary daily, we explored the potential of episodic events to stimulate phytoplankton blooms. Many coastal waterbodies like Waquoit Bay are small relative to their watersheds. Nevertheless, direct deposition of NH 3 , NO 3 − , and HNO 3 is significant in the loading budget. For Waquoit Bay, direct deposition was calculated to be 7–15.5 kg total N ha −1 yr −1 , representing 70–150% of the atmospheric N reported to reach the bay via the watershed, and 20–45% of the total N reaching the bay from all land-based sources. Episodic events were estimated to deliver up to 65 mg N m −2 day −1 , representing a phytoplankton stock of 12.3 mg Chl m −2 , an amount unlikely to stimulate dense blooms in shallow coastal waters in the northeastern United States.
RECURRENT NEURAL NETWORKS FOR MUSICAL PITCH MEMORY AND CLASSIFICATION

We present results from experiments in using several pitch representations for jazz-oriented musical tasks performed by a recurrent neural network. We have run experiments with several kinds of rec...
Laser-induced spark ignition fundamental and applications

Laser ignition has become an active research topic in recent years because it has the potential to replace the conventional electric spark plugs in engines that are required to operate under much higher compression ratios, faster compression rates, and much leaner fuel-to-air ratios than gas engines today. It is anticipated that the igniter in these engines will face with pressures as high as 50 MPa and temperatures as high as 4000 K. Using the conventional ignition system, the required voltage and energy must be greatly increased (voltages in excess of 40 kV) to reliably ignite the air and fuel mixture under these conditions. Increasing the voltage and energy does not always improve ignitability but it does create greater reliability problem. The objective of this paper is to review past work to identify some fundamental issues underlying the physics of the laser spark ignition process and research needs in order to bring the laser ignition concept into the realm of reality.
GENERALIZED LIKELIHOOD RATIO TEST FOR THE SHOULDER CONDITION IN LINE TRANSECT SAMPLING

We propose a generalized likelihood ratio procedure for testing the shoulder condition of a detection function in line transect sampling. The proposed procedure is compared to the other existing methods for testing the shoulder condition. It is demonstrated that the new method has a much higher power than the other methods when the true detection does not possess a shoulder, while it has similar performance to the other methods when the true detection satisfies the shoulder condition. We also apply the new method to some well known data sets in line transect sampling.
Reproductive status regulates expression of sex steroid and GnRH receptors in the olfactory bulb

Neuromodulators including gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and sex steroids help integrate an animal’s internal physiological state with incoming external cues, and can have profound effects on the processing of behaviorally relevant information, particularly from the olfactory system. While GnRH and steroid receptors are present in olfactory processing regions across vertebrates, little is known about whether their expression levels change with internal physiological state or external social cues. We used qRT-PCR to measure mRNA levels of two GnRH receptors (GnRH-R1, GnRH-R2), five sex steroid receptors (estrogen receptors: ER ,E Ra, ERb; androgen receptors: AR ,A R), and aromatase in the olfactory bulb of the highly social African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni. We asked whether these receptor levels changed with reproductive condition in females, or with social status, which regulates reproductive capacity in males. Our results reveal that mRNA levels of multiple sex steroid, GnRH receptor subtypes, and aromatase in the olfactory bulb vary with sex, social status in males, and reproductive condition in females, which highlights the potential importance of changing receptor levels in fine-tuning the olfactory system during the reproductive cycle. Further, steroid receptor mRNA levels were positively correlated with circulating steroid levels in males, but negatively correlated in females, suggesting different regulatory control between sexes. These results provide support for the hypothesis that the first-order olfactory relay station is a substrate for both GnRH and sex steroid modulation, and suggest that changes in receptor levels could be an important mechanism for regulating reproductive, social, and seasonal plasticity in olfactory perception observed across vertebrates.
Degree of bilingualism predicts age of diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in low-education but not in highly educated Hispanics.

Abstract The current study investigated the relationship between bilingual language proficiency and onset of probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) in 44 Spanish–English bilinguals at the UCSD Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Degree of bilingualism along a continuum was measured using Boston Naming Test (BNT) scores in each language. Higher degrees of bilingualism were associated with increasingly later age-of-diagnosis (and age of onset of symptoms), but this effect was driven by participants with low education level (a significant interaction between years of education and bilingualism) most of whom (73%) were also Spanish-dominant. Additionally, only objective measures (i.e., BNT scores), not self-reported degree of bilingualism, predicted age-of-diagnosis even though objective and self-reported measures were significantly correlated. These findings establish a specific connection between knowledge of two languages and delay of AD onset, and demonstrate that bilingual effects can be obscured by interactions between education and bilingualism, and by failure to obtain objective measures of bilingualism. More generally, these data support analogies between the effects of bilingualism and “cognitive reserve” and suggest an upper limit on the extent to which reserve can function to delay dementia.
Deactivation and reactivation of somatosensory cortex after dorsal spinal cord injury

Sensory stimuli to the body are conveyed by the spinal cord to the primary somatosensory cortex. It has long been thought that dorsal column afferents of the spinal cord represent the main pathway for these signals, but the physiological and behavioural consequences of cutting the dorsal column have been reported to range from mild and transitory to marked. We have re-examined this issue by sectioning the dorsal columns in the cervical region and recording the responses to hand stimulation in the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex (area 3b). Following a complete section of the dorsal columns, neurons in area 3b become immediately and perhaps permanently unresponsive to hand stimulation. Following a partial section, the remaining dorsal column afferents continue to activate neurons within their normal cortical target territories, but after five or more weeks the area of activation is greatly expanded. After prolonged recovery periods of six months or more, the deprived hand territory becomes responsive to inputs from the face (which are unaffected by spinal cord section). Thus, area 3b of somatosensory cortex is highly dependent on dorsal spinal column inputs, and other spinal pathways do not substitute for the dorsal columns even after injury.
Chronic administration of ethanol on pituitary and hypothalamic β-endorphin in rats and golden hamsters

Abstract The effect of chronic exposure to ethanol on hypothalamic and pituitary endorphin levels of rats and golden hamsters was studied. In rats, chronic ethanol consumption caused a decrease in the level of immuno-reactive (i.r.) β-endorphin (β-EP) in the pituitary but an increase of i.r. β-EP in the hypothalamus. The Met-enkephalin level in the hypothalamus of ethanol-treated rats remained the same as the control. The body weights, as well as food and liquid intake, of ethanol-treated rats were observed to be lower than the controls. In golden hamsters, i.r. β-EP level in the hypothalamus and pituitary remained unchanged with chronic ethanol consumption. The body weight and liquid intake of golden hamsters also remained the same as the controls. Since the changes of pituitary and hypothalamic β-EP after ethanol administration were found only in rats but not in golden hamsters, it is likely that the effects of ethanol observed in rats are not specific.
Single-wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing revisited

Multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) phasing has become a routinely used tool for determining new macromolecular structures. The MAD method has stringent data-collection requirements, typically necessitating radiation-resistant crystals and access to a tunable synchrotron beamline. In cases where synchrotron time, monochromator tunability or radiation damage is a concern or where high-throughput structure determination is desired, phasing methods capable of producing interpretable electron-density maps from less data become attractive alternatives to MAD. The increasing availability of tunable synchrotron data-collection facilities prompted the authors to revisit single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) phasing used in conjunction with a phase-ambiguity resolving method such as solvent flattening. The anomalous diffraction from seven different selenomethionine-labelled protein crystals has been analysed and it is shown that in conjunction with solvent flattening, diffraction data from the peak anomalous wavelength alone can produce interpretable electron-density maps of comparable quality to those resulting from full MAD phasing. Single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) phasing can therefore be a time-efficient alternative to MAD. The data also show that radiation damage can have a significant effect on the quality of SAD/MAD diffraction data. These results may be useful in the design of optimal strategies for collection of the diffraction data.
Acyclovir concentrations in human breast milk after valaciclovir administration.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the valaciclovir and acyclovir pharmacokinetic profiles in serum and breast milk after valaciclovir administration to women after delivery. Study Design: Valaciclovir (500 mg twice daily for 7 days) was given to 5 women after delivery who were breast-feeding healthy term infants. Matched serum and breast milk samples were obtained after the initial dose, on day 5 and 24 hours after the drug was discontinued. Infant urine was obtained on day 5. Results: Valaciclovir was rapidly converted to acyclovir. The peak serum acyclovir concentration occurred 3 hours before the peak breast milk concentration (2.7 μg/mL at 1 hour vs 4.2 μg/mL at 4 hours). The serum acyclovir elimination half-life was 2.3 hours. The ratio of breast milk to serum acyclovir concentration was highest 4 hours after the initial dose at 3.4 and reached steady state ratio at 1.85. The median infant urine acyclovir concentration at steady state was 0.74 μg/mL. Conclusion: Valaciclovir is rapidly converted to acyclovir and concentrates in breast milk. However, the amount of acyclovir in breast milk after valaciclovir administration is considerably less (2%) than that used in therapeutic dosing of neonates. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:100-2.)
An analysis of unlicensed device operation in licensed broadcast service bands

Recent FCC proceedings have considered the notion of unlicensed device operation in licensed bands. Licensed users are concerned about harmful interference while unlicensed device manufacturers are concerned that harmful interference is an imprecise design concept. This paper addresses three elements to this debate. First, it advocates for an explicit model of harmful interference to be included in unlicensed device rules. Such a model provides explicit bounded protection to the licensed user while providing assurances and performance goals to the unlicensed device manufacturers. Second, it assesses several proposed methods for unlicensed devices to avoid licensed users and develops variants of each that can achieve the necessary accuracy. Third, it presents an analytic model for assessing harmful interference that not only provides quantitative analysis, but, also provides insight into how factors such as directional antennas, power control, and licensed channel avoidance strategies affect the aggregate interference. Further, it suggests that complex factors such as unlicensed device modulation schemes can be captured in a simple measurement. These ideas are applied to the notice of proposed rulemaking on unlicensed operation in the TV broadcast bands
Techniques for Modeling the Electrostatic Field of Large Biomolecules

Electrostatic interactions play an essential role in many molecular processes within living organisms. However, for the large biological macromolecules typically involved in such processes, the accurate representation of the electrostatic potential is difficult to achieve in simple and, at the same time, computationally efficient ways: coarse-graining the electrostatic interactions becomes therefore necessary for any meaningful computational simulation of these processes. Multipole expansions offer a natural approach to coarse-graining due to their ability to capture directional variation of the interacting fields. Yet, the dependence of the multipole moments on the center of expansion and their limitations in accuracy near the molecular surface makes their application to large molecules unreliable. We present strategies in which we combine our Rankwise Distributed Multipole Analysis (RWDMA) method with partitioning schemes to overcome these limitations and develop relatively simple electrostatic models for large molecules. We illustrate the method with models of the electrostatic potentials of the histone core of a nucleosome complex and of the Arc repressor protein.
Effect of Eimeria acervulina infections on plasma L-arginine

Abstract As part of a program to study the pathological effects of coccidia infections on growth, we have examined the relationship of plasma L-arginine (ARG) levels to infective doses of Eimeria acervulina and infection-associated changes in weight gain, plasma carotenoids, and plasma NO2- + NO3-. Chickens consuming a starter ration containing 1.68% ARG were infected with a range of doses of E. acervulina. At 6 d postinoculation (PI), weight gains were significantly reduced by infections with 5 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) oocysts per chick (OPC). Gross lesion scores of chickens infected with 5 x 10(4) through 1 x 10(6) OPC were significantly greater than scores of chicks infected with 1 x 10(3) OPC. Compared with levels from uninfected controls, plasma NO2- + NO3- concentrations were significantly increased by infection with 5 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) OPC, plasma concentrations of ARG were significantly decreased by infection with 5 x 10(4) through 1 x 10(6) OPC, and plasma carotenoids were significantly decreased by all infection doses. Plasma arginine was significantly correlated with plasma carotenoids (P > 0.0187), but not with infection dose or weight gain; plasma NO2- + NO3- was positively correlated (P > 0.0043) with infection dose and negatively correlated (P > 0.0158) with weight gain. Regression analysis of the measured variables indicated that the strongest relationship existed between plasma ARG and carotenoids. This finding suggests that in this infection model, reduction in plasma ARG is most likely associated with nutrient malabsorption that accompanies infection and is likely not significantly impacted by synthesis of nitric oxide that is associated with the immune response.
Dialysis of small samples in agarose gels.

Abstract Reduction of the salt concentration of small volumes (0.1 ml or less) of solutions of macromolecules can be accomplished by placing the solution in a small well in an agarose gel. This technique has been especially useful in preparation of samples for electron microscopy.
Joint source-channel vector quantization using deterministic annealing

A new approach to the combined source-channel vector quantizer design problem is presented. The method utilizes deterministic annealing to avoid local minima that trap conventional descent algorithms. The temperature is used to control the fuzziness of the encoder and decoder association probabilities. In the low temperature limit, the method reduces to a descent method that is an analog of the generalized Lloyd algorithm (GLA) for noisy channels. Thus, in this sense, it is a generalization of noisy channel GLA (NC-GLA). Simulations were performed in order to compare the approach with several versions of NC-GLA. The method outperformed the other methods under all test conditions. Moreover, the gains over other methods grow with the codebook size. >
Tax evasion and mechanisms of social control: A comparison with grand and petty theft

Schwartz and Orleans’ (1967) study of the deterrent effect of sanctions on tax evasion is considered one of the seminal studies in contemporary deterrence theory. In their field experiment, conducted in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, the authors compared the effectiveness of threats of legal sanctions and “appeals to conscience” in extracting compliance with taxpaying laws. While both strategies appeared to increase compliance, the appeal to conscience seemed more effective than the threat of legal sanctions. The present research incorporates advances in deterrence theory which have occurred since the early work by Schwartz and Orleans. While some theories of crime focus on factors which motivate individuals to violate the law, others, like deterrence theory, focus on factors which inhibit law violation. The present study draws on the mechanisms of social control, or inhibition, posited by deterrence theory to compare the deterrent effectiveness of three types of punishment threat for tax evasion and theft. The analysis utilizes survey data from a sample of 401 adult residents of a metropolitan area in the United States. Deterrence theory posits three mechanisms of social control, in the form of threatened punishments, which might inhibit illegal behavior: legal sanctions (state-imposed punishment), social stigma (peer-imposed punishment), and guilt feelings (self-imposed punishment). In a previous paper based on a different set of data, we report significant
Relations between hydrodynamic and mechanical properties of a sphere

Important hydrodynamic characteristics of a heart chamber are isometric pressures at operating distensions, compliances at operating distensions, and wall-displacement resistances at operating distensions. Wall-displacement resistance is the pressure change relative to the rate of cavity-volume change causing the pressure change. Another chamber characteristic is the dependence of wall-displacement resistance on distension. Equations were derived showing dependences of hydrodynamic characteristics on dimensions and mechanical properties of a thick-walled sphere whose inner and outer fibers are comparably stretched at operating distensions. Equations could be arranged so as to identify midwall elements whose enclosed volumes best express distension. If the appropriate midwall volume is used to express distension, then the fractional change of any intensive variable (pressure, apparent average stress, apparent midwall stress, wall-displacement resistance, volume-normalized wall-displacement resistance, apparent average viscosity, apparent midwall viscosity) depends simply on a property of the wall elements and fractional distension change or fractional rate of distension change. The apparent average stress or viscosity calculated with the assumption that the quantity is uniformly distributed is virtually the value of the quantity in the midwall element. These principles should be useful in characterizing normal and abnormal myocardiumin situ.
Lift Enhancement of a Wing/Strake Configuration Using Pneumatic Blowing

Fig. 1 Wing /strake model with blowing port (shown at port 1 location). Peters, W. L., ‘‘An Evaluation of Jet Simulation Parameters for Nozzle Afterbody Testing at Transonic Mach Numbers,’’ Arnold Engineering Development Center, TR-76-109, Oct. 1976. Robinson, C. E., High, M. D., and Thompson E. P., ‘‘Exhaust Plume Temperature Effects on Nozzle Afterbody Performance over the Transonic Mach Number Range,’’ AGARD, CP150-19, March 1975. Robinson, C. E., and High, M. D., ‘‘Exhaust Plume Temperature Effects on Nozzle Afterbody Performance over the Transonic Mach Number Range,’’ Arnold Engineering Development Center, TR-74-9, 1974. Price, E. A., and Peters, W. L., ‘‘Test Techniques for Jet Effects on Fighter Aircraft,’’ AGARD, CP-348-24, 1984. Zacharias, A., ‘‘An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the Interaction Between the Engine Jet and Surrounding Flow Field,’’ AGARD, CP-308, Jan. 1982. (Paper 8). Mathur, N. B., and Yajnik, K. S., ‘‘Jet Plume Temperature Effects on Afterbody Pressure Distribution and Drag,’’ International Journal of Turbo and Jet Engines, Vol. 3, 1986, pp. 91– 97. Galigher L. L., Yaros, S. F., and Bauer R. C., ‘‘Evaluation of BoatTail Geometry and Exhaust Plume Temperature Effects on Nozzle Afterbody Drag at Transonic Mach Numbers,’’ Arnold Engineering Development Center, TR 76-102, Oct. 1977. Peters, W. L., and Kennedy T. L., ‘‘An Evaluation of Jet Simulation Parameter for Nozzle /Afterbody Testing at Transonic Mach Numbers,’’ AIAA Paper 77-106, 1977. Compton, W. B., ‘‘Effects of Jet Exhaust Gas Properties on Exhaust Simulation and Afterbody Drag,’’ NASA TR-R 444, Oct. 1975.
Substrate sites of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase: Pertinence of the adenine and fluorescein binding sites

Abstract The (Na + + K + )-activated ATPase catalyzes the K + -activated hydrolysis of 3- O -methylfluorescein phosphate (3OMFP) with a K m of 50 μM, nearly two orders of magnitude lower than the K m for nitrophenyl phosphate, 3 mM. Both ATP and nitrophenyl phosphate are competitors toward 3OMFP with K i values corresponding to their K m values (for ATP that at the low-affinity sites of the E 2 conformation). Enzyme treated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) such that 60% of the (Na + + K + )-ATPase activity is lost still hydrolyzes both 3OMFP and nitrophenyl phosphate: the apparent K m values are increased less than 2-fold and the V max is unaffected. ATP still inhibits these K + -phosphatase reactions of the FITC-treated enzyme, and this inhibition can exceed the 40% of residual (Na + + K + )-ATPase activity. Evaluation of a kinetic model indicates that the K i for ATP is increased about an order of magnitude by FITC-binding. Similar results obtain with trinitrophenyl-ATP (TNP-ATP) as inhibitor, in this case with K i values in the micromolar range. Finally, FITC treatment increases K + -activated ADPase activity. These observations are interpreted as the fluorescein ring of 3OMFP binding to the adenine pocket of the substrate site, thereby conferring high affinity, just as the fluorescein ring of FITC binding to the adenine pocket in the E 1 conformation permits specific linkage of the isothiocyanate chain to a particular lysine, Lys-501. Then, coincident with the transition to the E 2 conformation, which bears the low-affinity site for ATP and which catalyzes the K + -phosphatase reaction, the FITC molecule tethered to Lys-501 is pulled from the adenine pocket: allowing 3OMFP and ADP to bind as substrates and ATP and TNP-ATP as inhibitors, albeit in altered conformation. The E 1 to E 2 transition thus involves not only a change from high to low affinity for ATP, but also a distortion of the adenine pocket and the orientation between Lys-501 and Asp-369, the residue associated with catalysis.
Teratogenic Action of a Hypocaloric Diet and Small Doses of Cortisone.

SummaryTwo relatively small doses of cortisone acetate administered to pregnant mice caused 1.4 and 12.0% cleft palate, respectively, in the offspring. A hypocaloric diet, consisting of about 40% of ad lid. daily intake, given during middle 3rd of pregnancy, produced 5.6% cleft palate. The doses of cortisone plus the restricted diet caused 36.8 and 50.7% cleft palate, respectively. These results are discussed.
Mortality and recovery of runt white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in a commercial farm in California, USA.

Abstract We investigated the effect of raising runt white sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus ) separately from dominant fish during the initial stages of grow-out in a commercial farm. Runt fish are poor-growers, have underdeveloped muscle mass, swim slowly and are more-frequently found at the top of the water column. The objective of the study was to describe the mortality and recovery rates (and their determinants) of white-sturgeon runts after separating them from dominant fish. Runt white sturgeon were stocked into twelve 2 m × 2 m rectangular tanks and graded periodically during a follow-up of 46–102 days. Overall mortality rates ranged from 0.3 to 7 dead fish per 1000 sturgeon-days at risk and overall recovery rates from 3.9 to 13.5 recovered fish per 1000 sturgeon-days at risk. Period-specific mortality and recovery rates increased over time. The period-specific mortality rates for all three periods were significantly higher for tanks of runts originating from grow-out tanks with high mortality ( p -values: first period = 0.06; second period = 0.09; third period = 0.03), but were similar for tanks of runts of high- and low-mean initial weight. The period-specific recovery rates were significantly higher in runts originating from high-mortality grow-out tanks only for the third period ( p = 0.05) but not the first and second periods ( p -values = 0.33 and 0.25, respectively). Recovery rates were significantly higher in the higher-mean-weight runts tanks for the first and third period but not for the second ( p -values: first period = 0.02; second period = 0.65; third period = 0.06). We concluded that the proportion of runts that recover during a 46–89 day period is substantial (16–58%); therefore, it might be worthwhile growing such fish separately in a fish farm for about three months. Financial analysis showed that this practice was profitable, if the value of white sturgeon fish for the farm exceeded $2.05 per kg.
Aging and Employment: Characteristics of Those Working and Retired in California

Abstract Little is known about the aging worker's psychological, social, and physiological characteristics. In this study, 447 individuals (working and retired) aged 50 and over completed the California Work and Health survey. Most of the working respondents (n = 150) were employed full-time and worked in education, health care, government, and retail trade. Those working reported being in greater health, being less depressed, and having more energy and activities than those retired. There was no difference between those working and retired in social and psychological characteristics such as number of friendships and ability to control important things in life and overcome difficulties. Educating managers and business professionals about these characteristics is essential given anticipated social security system changes in the future.
Synthesis and Properties of Processable Polyimides Containing Diacetylene Groups

Diacetylene-containing polyimides have been prepared by the oxidative coupling of new diethynyl diimide monomers. Condensation of various ethynyl-terminated amines with either 4,4‘-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) or pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) provided the monomers. Processability was enhanced by increasing the number of consecutive methylenes in the backbone, by incorporating aliphatic side chains, and for the 6FDA-based polyimides in general. The 6FDA-based diacetylene-containing polyimides are soluble in many common solvents including acetone. By controlling polymerization time, either oligomers or polyimides can be produced in high yield. High-resolution 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy were used to monitor the polymerization. With the exception of the polyimides containing aliphatic side groups, thermal analysis reveals a diacetylene reaction exotherm that occurs without evolution of volatile byproducts; upon thermal annealing, the exotherm disappears and these polyimides become i...
Exclusive J/ψ production from e+e− annihilation in SCET

We study the possibility of using soft-collinear effective theory (SCET) and non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) to investigate the exclusive J/ψ production from e + e − annihilation. By performing a two-step matching at scale μ H and μ c respectively, we determine the SCET Wilson coefficient and run to the scale Λ∼1 GeV to sum large logarithms. We apply our model to the two-body final state. In order to fit our SCET model, we estimate the upper limit on the mass of the exclusive particle. Together with the symmetry consideration, we conclude that our model is applicable to J/ψ production accompanied with an f 2 meson or a ground state glueball. Finally, we use our results to calculate the cross section for the e + e −→J/ψ+f 2(1270) process.
Review: Recent Developments in Enzyme-Based Biosensors for Biomedical Analysis

The need for simple, rapid, cost-effective, and portable screening methods has boosted the development of practical biosensors with applications in clinical monitoring, and diagnosis of disease. Compared with traditional analytical methods, enzyme-based bioanalytical devices have several distinct advantages such as high sensitivity and specificity, portability, cost-effectiveness, and the possibilities for miniaturization and mass production. Additionally, they can be developed for point-of-care diagnostic testing. This paper reviews recent advances in the development of enzyme biosensors, design characteristics, performances, and applications with a focus on electrochemical and optical sensors. Recent emerging technologies and innovative biosensing designs, such as nanosensors, paper based-sensors, lab-on-a-chip, biochips, and microfluidic devices are discussed. Specific applications in bioanalysis, clinical diagnosis, and pharmacology are discussed.
X-Ray diffraction studies of the structure and properties of grain boundaries

Etude de la structure atomique et des proprietes thermiques des joints de torsion [001] a grand angle dans Au. Presentation du reseau reciproque du joint e=5. Determination, a partir des mesures de l'intensite integree en fonction de la temperature, du facteur de Debye-Waller du joint de grain dans le plan de l'interface
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR AND ACADEMIC MEASURES FOR DISADVANTAGED PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN

Sum?nary.-Relationships between the Shape-0 Ball Test, a perceptualmotor measure, and 2 measures of academic ability were determined. A group of disadvantaged pre-school children served as Ss. Results indicated that the Shape-0 Ball test correlated significantly with the composite teacher rating but not with the Otis-Lennon MAT. These results do not agree with previous research in which pre-school children from higher socio-economic levels were Ss. Previous research efforts on perceptual-motor development have indicated a relationship between certain types of perceptual-motor tasks and academic measures. In particular, previous research in which the Shape-0 Ball Test was employed as a measure (Thomas & Chissom, 1972a, 1972b; Chissom & Thomas, 1972) has indicated that the test gives a measure of perceptual-motor abilities and correlates with several academic measures. These studies with pre-school children have yielded correlations between the Shape-0 Ball Test and (1) the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception of .70, (2) the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test of .54, and (3) a 4-part teacher rating of .67. Since these results have been consistent for samples of predominantly white children from middle-income families, the purpose of this study was to try to replicate previous results with children identified as economically and socially disadvantaged.
Experimentally determined rocket-exhaust flowfield in a constrictivetube launcher

Pressure histories have been obtained during a flight test program in which a 6.0-in (15.2-cm) diameter rocket was launched from instrumented tube launchers whose cross section varied. Pressure measurements were used to define the flow mechanisms characterizing the underexpanded, supersonic rocket exhaust flow in the constrictive tube launcher. As the exhaust flow impinged on the constriction, the local pressure rose immediately, resulting in a pressure gradient in the annular region between the rocket and the launcher wall and, hence, the blowby flow. Later, when the rocket exhausted into the large-diameter forward tube, the flow was choked by the constrictive change in cross section and a normal shock wave was generated in the forward tube. Neither the geometry of the constriction nor the presence of vent ports significantly affected the pressure distribution in the launcher.
Comparison of Internal Hernias (IH) between open and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (GBP)

Purpose: Internal hernias are well-known complications of gastrointestinal surgery, and in particular, GBP. Controversy exists over whether IHs are more common after laparoscopic or open GBP. Presently, there are no comparisons of IH between these techniques. This study evaluated the incidence and types of IH after both open and laparoscopic GBP. Methods: A retrospective analysis of a bariatric database that included all GBPs performed between September 1995 and November 2004 at an academic medical center. All GBPs were performed with the roux limb brought retrocolic and retrogastric. For the open cases, the mesocolic and mesenteric spaces were routinely closed but Petersen’s space was left open. For the laparoscopic cases, all spaces were closed. Results: 773 open GBPs were performed and 15 IHs were diagnosed (1.9%). 14 were Petersen hernias. One patient was operated on elsewhere and the type of hernia could not be ascertained. All hernias occurred within 1 year after discharge. In 899 laparoscopic GBPs, there were 18 IHs (2%). Five (28%) were lesser sac, 6 (33%) were Petersen, and 7 (39%) were intermesenteric. 14 occurred in the first 450 cases and only one occurred in the last 399 cases. Four of the hernias occurred within one month after surgery. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that IHs occur with equal frequency after open and laparoscopic GBP. Our prior open experience validated the need to meticulously close the Petersen space. Our laparoscopic experience demonstrated our own learning curve with space closure. The cumulative effect was the dramatic reduction in IHs. PII: S1550-7289(05)00275-3
Maritime transport in support of arctic resource development

Abstract Resources are available in the Arctic that will utilize maritime services as economic forces dictate their development. The clear immediate opportunity is for alternative transportation of oil and gas products although future exploitation of additional Arctic coal deposits (as well as other mineral resources) may generate additional maritime transport service demands. Living resources of the Arctic, although significant, are not expected to create development of maritime transportation systems beyond a possible increase in fishing vessels. Transportation technology is either already in existence for Arctic resource development or can be developed when economic and institutional factors are favourable, provided that appropriate research programs are instituted to provide the necessary fundamental knowledge.
Island formation and condensation of a chemisorbed overlayer

Abstract The condensation of a chemisorbed overlayer from a lattice gas into a particular ordered structure in discussed in terms of the lattice-gas theory of Lee and Yang. The formation of islands of ordered structure is identified with the condensation phenomenon predicted by the theory. The phase diagram (transition temperature versus coverage) based on the theory of a two-dimensional Ising ferromagnet in zero magnetic field is constructed for the condensation of a lattice gas system with net attractive interactions between the particles. It is demonstrated that critical points at coverages other than θ = 0.5 are achieved for overlayer systems with unit meshes larger than (1 × 1). Low-energy electron diffraction results of the thermal disordering (island dissolution) for oxygen chemisorbed on W(110) are compared with the theory, and the effect of substrate surface heterogeneity on the phase diagram is discussed.
Numerical studies of eddy transport properties in eddy-resolving and parametrized models

This paper is a study of the transport properties of large-scale quasi-geostrophic flow, when it is forced by an unstable shear of much greater horizontal scale than the scale of the resultant eddies. One of the purposes is thereby to test certain phenomenological parametrization schemes which predict the transport of potential vorticity or heat, or which predict the time-mean state of the zonally averaged atmosphere. Models used are highly nonlinear spectral quasi-geostrophic models, with sufficient resolution to resolve the energy-containing scales and partially resolve an enstrophy inertial range. A scale separation is enforced between the mean and eddy flow, this being a necessary condition for transfer theories to work. An expression is derived for the rate of change of the mean flow in such cases. As a quantitative predictor of the time-mean state of the zonal flow, baroclinic adjustment is found to work only when nonlinear wave-wave interaction between eddies is small. In such cases, the amplitude of the eddy flow is determined by the forcing on the zonal flow, which itself equilibrates close to the critical value for linear instability. In fully nonlinear models if the zonal flow is strongly forced the mean flow can be highly supercritical. The flux of potential vorticity is found to depend strongly and monotonically on the mean shear, although no obvious simple relationship is found relating it to potential vorticity gradient. In part because potential vorticity is not a passive scalar, using phenomenological transfer coefficients is by no means straightforward. Such transfer relationships are seen to be in some ways unsatisfactory.
Waves generated by collisions of solitary waves

The small-amplitude, long-wavelength perturbation expansion of the water-wave equation has been extended to the fourth order of approximation for overtaking collisions of solitary waves. It is found that collisions of solitary waves generate, besides the dispersive wave train reported by us earlier [Q.-s. Zou and C.-H. Su, Phys. Fluids 20, 2113 (1986)], a single wavelet consisting of a positive headwave followed by a tailwave of the same shape but of negative value. This wavelet propagates with the linear wave speed and in the opposite direction to that of the solitary waves and the dispersive wave train. A model equation which has all the relevant properties pertaining to the generation of these waves from our perturbation analysis is proposed. Numerical calculations of this model equation confirm the perturbation results.