cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inactivation and reactivation rates of fly and bee cholinesterases inhibited by Sevin

Abstract The inactivation rate constants and the reactivation rate constants of insect cholinesterases inhibited by the carbamate insecticide Sevin (l-naphthyl N-methyl carbamate) were measured. The inactivation rate constant of honeybee cholinesterase, inhibited by Sevin, was five times larger than that of housefly cholinesterase. This difference in rate constants may explain the difference between bee and fly sensitivities to Sevin. The reactivation rate constants of the inhibited enzymes were about the same for both insects.
Comparison of single-and two-phase LPE growth methods for InGaAsP/InP lasers and LEDs

Abstract Two well known methods for growth of InGaAsP/InP material for emitters operating in the 1.3 μm range are the single phase method, in which accurately equilibrated melts used, and the two-phase method in which solid InP is present in the melt. Both of these methods have been applied at RCA Laboratories in the fabrication of lasers and LEDs. Performance of devices obtained by both methods was similar, and equivalent to the best values published in the literature. Thus the choice of methods must be made on the basis of other criteria and it was the purpose of this work to attempt to provide a basis for this choice. A number of runs were made with each process, using both identical melts, and melts with slight changes in composition. The resultant epitaxial layers were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence, and the uniformity and consistency of growth obtainable from the two methods are reported.
An experimental study of three- and four-phase equilibria for isopropanol—water—carbon dioxide mixtures at elevated pressures

Abstract Compositions and molar volumes of the three phases in liquid—liquid—gas equilibrium are reported for ternary mixtures of isopropanol, water and CO2 at elevated pressures and at temperatures of 50 and 60°C. Phase compositions and molar volumes were also obtained for three-phase, liquid—liquid—liquid equilibrium and four-phase, liquid—liquid—liquid—gas equilibrium at 40°C. Gas—liquid and liquid—liquid critical endpoints, which represent pressure bounds on the liquid—liquid—gas region at 60°C, were determined from observations of critical opalescence. The phase behavior exhibited by the isopropanol—water—CO2 system is quite complex, particularly at conditions near the critical point of CO2. These conditions are well within the range of operating conditions proposed for supercritical-fluid extraction of organic compounds from water using CO2. Therefore, the existence of multiple coexisting phases can be an important factor in designing and operating such extraction processes.
Failure to find Increased Sodium, Potassium-ATPase in Red Cell Ghosts of Schizophrenics

Seeman and O'Brien1 have reported that the mean sodium, potassium-ATPase activity in the red cell ghost membranes of 6 schizophrenic patients (79.1 mµ;moles ATP split/h/mg dry weight) was significantly greater than in four normal subjects (35.2). Total ATPase was also greater among patients than controls, although the difference in the residual or magnesium-dependent fraction was said to be statistically insignificant. When enzyme activity is expressed in this way, small differences in ghost weight could result in large differences in activity. For this reason it would appear more valid to express sodium, potassium-ATPase as that percentage of the total ATPase activity which is activated by sodium + potassium. When the data for schizophrenic and normal subjects are calculated in this way (sodium, potassium-ATPase × 100/total ATPase), the result for the normals is 16 per cent and for the schizophrenics 24 per cent, a much smaller difference.
Age, sex, training, and the measurement of field dependence

Abstract This study was designed to: (a) examine the effects of age and sex on a person's susceptibility to field dependence training; (b) determine whether the field dependence phenomenon is a function of “cognitive style” or of a person's general inability to make correct judgments in the face of too much confusing and inaccurate information. Traditional Rod and Frame scoring is based on the latter assumption. Interpretation of results, however, has traditionally been based on the “cognitive style” assumption. Results indicate that Rod and Frame results are not a function of cognitive style. This seems particularly true of two aspects of the field dependence phenomenon: (a) the sex difference effect and (b) the correlation between Rod and Frame and Embedded Figures results. Age, more than sex, may be a function of both cognitive style and general ability to perceive the upright. A training effect was not demonstrated. Hypotheses were put forward to explain the nature of field dependence, the magnitude of field dependence errors, and the lack of a training effect.
The effect of added salt on polyelectrolyte structure

We present results of molecular dynamics simulations of strong, flexible polyelectrolyte chains in solution with added salt. The effect of added salt on the polyelectrolyte chain structure is fully treated for the first time as a function of polymer density. Systems above and below the Manning condensation limit are studied. The chain structure is intimately tied to the ion density near the chain even for chains in the counterion condensation (CC) regime. The end-to-end distance is demonstrated to be a function of the inverse Debye screening length and the Bjerrum length. The ion density near the polymer chain depends on the amount of added salt, and above the condensation limit the chains significantly contract due to added salt.
Oxidation, Creep and Fatigue Properties of Bare and Coated 31V Alloy

Increasing the efficiency of natural gas reciprocating engines will require materials with better mechanical and corrosion resistance at high temperatures. One solution to increase the lifetime of exhaust valves is to apply an aluminide coating to prevent corrosion assisted fatigue cracking, but the impact of the coating on the valve material mechanical properties needs to be assessed. In addition to cyclic oxidation testing in dry and humid air at 800°C, creep and high cycle fatigue (HCF) testing were conducted at 816°C on bare and slurry or pack-coated 31V alloy. The coated and bare creep specimens exhibited very similar creep rupture lives, as long as the specimens were annealed according to the 31V standard heat treatment before testing. The HCF behavior of the pack-coated alloy was close to the behavior of the bare alloy, but fatigue lifetimes of slurry-coated 31V specimens had higher variability. Aluminide coatings have the potential to improve the valve performance at high temperature, but the coating deposition process needs to be tailored for the substrate standard heat treatment.
Exploring Depressive Personality Traits in Youth: Origins, Correlates, and Developmental Consequences

Research suggests that depressive personality (DP) disorder may represent a persistent, trait-based form of depression that lies along an affective spectrum ranging from personality traits to diagnosable clinical disorders. A significant gap in this area of research concerns the development of DP and its applicability to youth. The present research explored the construct of DP traits in youth. Specifically, this study examined the reliability, stability, and validity of the construct, potential origins of DP traits, and the developmental consequences of DP traits. A sample of 143 youth (mean age = 12.37 years, SD = 1.26) and their caregivers completed semistructured interviews and questionnaires on two occasions, separated by a 12-month interval. The measure of DP traits was reliable and moderately stable over time. Providing evidence of construct validity, DP traits were associated with a network of constructs, including a negative self-focus, high-negative and low-positive emotionality, and heightened stress reactivity. Moreover, several potential origins of DP traits were identified, including a history of family adversity, maternal DP traits, and maternal depression. Consistent with hypotheses regarding their developmental significance, DP traits predicted the generation of stress and the emergence of depression (but not nondepressive psychopathology) during the pubertal transition. Finally, depression predicted subsequent DP traits, suggesting a reciprocal process whereby DP traits heighten risk for depression, which then exacerbates these traits. These findings support the construct of DP traits in youth, and suggest that these traits may be a useful addition to developmental models of risk for youth depression.
Cluster size dependence and yield linearity in cluster bombardment simulations of benzene.

Cluster bombardment of a molecular solid, benzene, is modeled using molecular dynamics simulations in order to investigate the effect of projectile cluster size and incident energy on the resulting yield. Using the mesoscale energy deposition footprint (MEDF) model, we are able to model large projectiles with incident energies from 5 to 140 keV and predict trends in ejection yield. The highest ejection yield at 5 keV was observed at C20 and C60, but shifts toward larger clusters for higher energies. These trends are explained in terms of the MEDF model. For these projectiles, all of the incident energy is deposited in the near-surface region, which is optimal for the projectile energy to contribute to the ejection yield. Because the energy is deposited in the optimal position for contributing to the ejection process, the yields increase linearly with incident energy with a slope that is nearly independent of the cluster size.
Phasor Estimation at Off-Nominal Frequency Inputs

Phasors are a steady state concept. In reality, a power system is never in a steady state. Voltage and current signals have constantly changing fundamental frequency (albeit in a relatively narrow range around the nominal frequency) due to changes in load and generation imbalances and due to the interactions between real power demand on the network, inertias of large generators, and the operation of automatic speed controls with which most generators are equipped.
Online U‐Topia: Cyberspace and the Mythology of Placelessness

The World Wide Web. The Information Superhighway. Cyberspace. Powerful metaphors that have infused our culture with a sense of its own technological prowess and superiority. According to some of its most ardent enthusiasts, in cyberspace we can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone we choose. We slip in and out of virtual identities as easily as we change our clothes. With the knowledge of the ages available to us at the click of a mouse, learning becomes little more than a process of searching and downloading. Using the Internet to spackle over any unfortunate gaps in our knowledge, we become "instant experts" on virtually any topic (Wright 2000). Online, we can "visit" remote places: check the weather on the Ross Ice Shelf, make a virtual pilgrimage up Ireland's Croagh Patrick (MacWilliams 2004), or marvel at the wonders observed through the Hubble Telescope. Not surprisingly, the World Wide Web is replete with religion-from simple congregational websites to fully orbed Wiccan cybercovens, from virtual puja (Dawson and Cowan 2004) to virtual hajj (Bunt 2000), and from Internet libraries designed to "crack" the Sumerian code (Cassidy 2002) to what some observers regard as the online revival of a populist Marian mysticism (Apolito 2005). According to one sociologist, the Internet "is the most portentous development for the future of religion to come out of the twentieth century" (Brasher 2001:17). And indeed, for some, the Internet has even become a metaphor for God (Turkle 1995; Henderson 2000). While both these latter claims may seriously overstate the reality of the situation, that religion and the Internet have become intimately and integrally linked is beyond dispute. In little more than a decade, a powerful set of interrelated mythologies has arisen about "life on the 'net"'-whatever we take that to mean ultimately-that challenges many of our heretofore accepted notions of society, culture, community, and the self (Rheingold 1993; Turkle 1995; Barlow [1996] 2001; for less utopian views, see Kroker and Weinstein 1994; Roszak 1994; Slouka 1995; Stoll 1995; Kroker and Kroker 1996; Wynn and Katz 1997). However useful computer-mediated communications have become, though, in many ways the World Wide Web represents at least as much the triumph of hyperbole and marketing as it does the next step in technological evolution. Often used as though its meaning is entirely transparent, the concept of "cyberspace" has traveled like a meme through the cultural consciousness since its introduction in the mid-1980s (Gibson 1984), an ambitious and ambiguous metonym that encompasses what popularly passes for the experiential totality of the Internet. The question, though, in terms of this Forum, is where do we go when we are online? Where is the "place" in cyberspace? The relentless commercial and enthusiast discourses of the World Wide Web tell us that online activity is a journey, that it takes us somewhere other than where we are. We are "traveling" the Infobahn; we are "exploring" or "navigating" the Internet; we
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Induces Expression of P-Glycoprotein in Promonocytic U1 Cells Chronically Infected with HIV Type 1

A productive infection with HIV-1 is associated with an increased expression of a 170 kd plasma membrane P-glycoprotein (P-gp), that functions as a metabolically active drug efflux pump, in human T and macrophage cell lines. In this investigation we show that phagocytosis of M. tuberculosis by U1 cells, that are chronically infected with HIV-1 but produce minimal or no virus, resulted in an expression of P-gp that was associated with increased production of HIV-1 p24 antigen. In addition, U1 cells that had phagocytosed M. tuberculosis accumulated significantly less intracellular isoniazid (INH) as compared to U1 cells. Furthermore, verapamil, that binds to P-gp, increased the intracellular accumulation of INH and the sensitivity of M. tuberculosis to INH. These data suggest induction of P-gp expression may be one of the host mechanisms for the development of multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis in HIV 1 infection.
Are US utility standby rates inhibiting diffusion of customer-owned generating systems?

New, small-scale electric generation technologies permit utility customers to generate some of their own electric power and to utilize waste heat for space heating and other applications at the building site. This combined heat and power (CHP) characteristic can provide significant energy-cost savings. However, most current US utility regulations leave CHP standby rate specification largely to utility discretion resulting in claims by CHP advocates that excessive standby rates are significantly reducing CHP-related savings and inhibiting CHP diffusion. The impacts of standby rates on the adoption of CHP are difficult to determine; however, because of the characteristically slow nature of new technology diffusion. This study develops an agent-based microsimulation model of CHP technology choice using cellular automata to represent new technology information dispersion and knowledge acquisition. Applying the model as an n-factorial experiment quantifies the impacts of standby rates on CHP technologies under alternative diffusion paths. Analysis of a sample utility indicates that, regardless of the likely diffusion process, reducing standby rates to reflect the cost of serving a large number of small, spatially clustered CHP systems significantly increases the adoption of these technologies.
When leadership failed

As we have seen, history is not only a tale of great men and their wills and their imagination, but it is partly also that story. Following Professor Lipset’s injuction, we find that by including leaders in our understanding of the world and in our reckoning of what is possible and desirable in human societies, we can more fully appreciate the extent to which choices can stretch constraits. The depths of Italian and Japanese liberalism and their replacement by fascism point us toward reisserting choice between great social, economic, and political forces on the one hand, and outcomes on the other. The choices to bolster the state against the challenges of mass politics. Goilitti reached out to leftist parties in a failed effort to incorporate the masses. Neither Hara nor Giolitti ever reached out directly to the masses with a compelling idea about a shared national project. Thay did not inspire citizens—they bought voters. And, in the event, buying agve way to bullying in both countries. Hara Kei and Giovanni Giolitti, two consummate politicians, had failed to be sufficiently creative. Their successors were remarkably creative bricoleurs who would not make the same mistake. And, as Lipset has reminded us, so long as leaders are creative, history has no shortcut and no end.
Excretion of α-N-acetylcitrulline in citrullinaemia

Abstract α-N-Acetylcitrulline has been identified in the urines of two unrelated patients with citrullinaemia. Identification was made on the basis of similarity to the synthetic compound prepared in this laboratory. Excretion of α-N-acetylcitrulline during normal protein intake was 75–120 mg/24 h compared to citrulline excretion of 360–770 mg/24 h in the 10-week-old patient, and in the 30-year-old patient it was 610 mg/24 h compared to citrulline excretion of 2200 mg/24 h.
Inhibition of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin or Apoptotic Pathway Induces Autophagy and Radiosensitizes PTEN Null Prostate Cancer Cells

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway plays a critical role in oncogenesis, and dysregulation of this pathway through loss of PTEN suppression is a particularly common phenomenon in aggressive prostate cancers. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a downstream signaling kinase in this pathway, exerting prosurvival influence on cells through the activation of factors involved in protein synthesis. The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and its derivatives are cytotoxic to a number of cell lines. Recently, mTOR inhibition has also been shown to radiosensitize endothelial and breast cancer cells in vitro. Because radiation is an important modality in the treatment of prostate cancer, we tested the ability of the mTOR inhibitor RAD001 (everolimus) to enhance the cytotoxic effects of radiation on two prostate cancer cell lines, PC-3 and DU145. We found that both cell lines became more vulnerable to irradiation after treatment with RAD001, with the PTEN-deficient PC-3 cell line showing the greater sensitivity. This increased susceptibility to radiation is associated with induction of autophagy. Furthermore, we show that blocking apoptosis with caspase inhibition and Bax/Bak small interfering RNA in these cell lines enhances radiation-induced mortality and induces autophagy. Together, these data highlight the emerging importance of mTOR as a molecular target for therapeutic intervention, and lend support to the idea that nonapoptotic modes of cell death may play a crucial role in improving tumor cell kill.
Comparison of cochlear microphonic potentials from albino and pigmented guinea pigs.

Recent behavioral tests would seem to indicate that auditory thresholds of albino guinea pigs are significantly lower than the thresholds of pigmented guinea pigs. In the present study, cochlear microphonic 10μV isopotential (CM sensitivity) functions were recorded from the round windows of these two groups of anesthetized guinea pigs (Cavia procellus) as one measure of the inner ear performance. For 15 of 20 tested frequencies (between 70 and 7000 Hz), the mean CM sensitivities of 6 albino animals were not significantly different from the mean CM sensitivities of 6 pigmented animals. The maximum cochlear potential magnitudes obtainable at three frequencies (100, 1000 and 4000 Hz) from each animal group also were found statistically alike. It is concluded that there is no difference between the tested guinea pig strains with regard to the measured parameters of the cochlear microphonic potential.
Impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism on neurohormonal responses to high- versus low-dose enalapril in advanced heart failure.

Abstract Background The impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism on neurohormonal dose response to ACE inhibitor therapy is unclear. Methods ACE Insertion (I) or Deletion (D) genotype was determined in 74 patients with chronic heart failure who were randomly assigned to receive either high-dose or low-dose enalapril over a period of 6 months. Monthly pre-enalapril and post-enalapril neurohormone levels (serum ACE activity (sACE), plasma angiotensin II (A-II), plasma renin activity (PRA), and serum aldosterone (ALDO) were compared between genotype subgroups and between patients who received high- or low-dose enalapril within each genotype subgroup. Results At baseline, predose/postdose sACE and postdose PRA were significantly higher in the DD genotype. At 6-month follow-up, postdose sACE was reduced in a dose-dependent fashion in all three genotypes ( P ACE genotype or enalapril dosage. Conclusions Predose sACE were consistently higher in the DD genotype when compared with ID or II subgroups. Despite a dose-dependent suppression of sACE, there were no observed statistically significant differences in ALDO and A-II suppression or escape with escalating doses of enalapril within each subgroup.
Domination and the Arts of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts

Behind the official story domination, acting and fantasy the public transcript as a respectable performance false-consciousness or laying it on thick making social space for a dissident subculture voice under domination - the arts of political disguise the infrapolitics of subordinate groups a saturnalia of power - the first public declaration of the hidden transcript.
A Component Replacement Model for Electricity Distribution Systems

A new replacement analysis methodology is developed and demonstrated to determine system-level component replacement schedules for electricity distribution systems composed of sets of heterogeneous assets. The proposed model is an iterative combined dynamic programming and integer programming approach to obtain cost-efficient system-level component replacement schedules with the objective of minimizing the total net present value of unmet demand (considering the system availability), maintenance, and purchase costs over a finite planning horizon. There is an annual budget limiting total expenditures for maintenance and replacement costs that limits the selection of component replacement schedules.
The germplasm release of NYL 235–4, a clone with resistance to the Colorado potato beetle

Clones selected from the wild diploid species,Solanum berthaultii, have been shown to possess valuable levels of resistance to the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), as well as to insects such as aphids, flea beetles, leafhoppers and the potato tuber moth. Resistance is associated with the presence of glandular trichomes on the foliage ofS. berthaultii (2). Six generations after producing a hybrid between the diploid species and a tetraploid variety, a clone with good beetle and leafhopper resistance, as well as reasonable agronomic characteristics has been produced.
Sulfonamide as an Activating Group for the Synthesis of Poly(aryl ether sulfonamide)s by Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution

Poly(aryl ether sulfonamide)s were produced utilizing the sulfonamide moiety as a new activating group for nucleophlic aromatic substitution polymerization. The activated monomer, 2,4-difluoro-N,N-...
Farm tenancy arrangements in the USA

Abstract United States farmers obtain operating control of 40 per cent of their farmland through some kind of rental arrangement. The most significant tenure category is that of the part-owners who own part of the land they farm, but rent the rest of it. They control more than 40 per cent of the total value of farm real estate. Share leasing is the most important type of rental arrangement. Share rents account, nationwide, for $2 out of every $3 rent paid to landlords. In general, the more productive the land and the higher the land value, the higher will be the portion of land under lease and the greater will be the use of share-rent leases.
The Effects of Chronic Renal Failure and Hemodialysis on Human Red and White Cell Calmodulin Levels

Red blood cell (RBC) and polymorphonuclear white blood cell (WBC) calmodulin levels were measured in 25 uremic patients on regular hemodialysis. Uremic patients had significantly higher RBC [11.45 ± 0.66 (± SE) fg/cell] and WBC (590.5 ±110 fg/cell) calmodulin levels than normal subjects (8.62 ± 0.37 and 130 ± 30 fg/cell; P < 0.05). An extremely high RBC calmodulin level (20.58 fg/cell)was found in a patient with sickle cell anemia. Uremic patients on dialysis for 2 yr or more had lower RBC (10.99 ± 0.58 fg/cell) and WBC (390 ± 50 fg/ cell) calmodulin levels than those who were on dialysis for less than 2 yr (RBC, 12.30 ± 1.56 fg/cell; WBC, 943 ± 256 fg/cell; P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in calmodulin levels when different subgroups of uremic patients were compared, e.g. patients with diabetes mellitus or those receiving supplemental vitamin D, anabolic steroids, or antihypertensive medications. We conclude that calmodulin levels are elevated in uremic patients on regular ...
Self-powered sensing for mechanical system condition monitoring

A self-powered wireless sensing module for the condition monitoring of mechanical systems and high energy manufacturing processes is described, with injection molding as a special application. The design and analysis of three constituent components in such a sensing module: an energy converter consisting of a piezoceramic stack, an energy regulator based on a pair of bipolar transistors, and a piezoelectric transmitter that transmits ultrasound signals proportional to the pressure within the injection mold, are presented in this paper. The energy extraction mechanism is investigated based on the interactions between the mechanical strain and the electric field developed within the piezoceramic stack. Analytical models for the energy modulator and signal transmitter are also established. Quantitative results are obtained that describe the energy flow among the three components and guide the parametric design of the three constituent components. Simulations and experimental studies have validated the functionality of each component. The models established can be used to subsequently optimize the design of the entire sensor module in terms of minimizing the energy requirement for the sensor and identifying the minimum level of signal intensity required to ensure successful detection of the signal by the signal receiver on the outside of the injection mold. The proposed self-powered sensing technique enables a new generation of sensors that can be employed for the condition monitoring and health diagnosis of a wide range of mechanical and civil systems that are characterized by high energy contents.
Effects of puromycin on memory for shuttle box extinction in goldfish and barpress extinction in rats.

Abstract Five experiments were conducted to investigated the generality of puromycin's reported effect on disruption on memory of a recently learned task. The first experiment replicated previous work on acquisition to determine the effectiveness of the procedures used. The second investigated the role of puromycin's low pH in memory disruption. The third experiment used short training and extinction sessions to determine if puromycin retarded retention of extinction. The fourth experiment used longer training and extinction sessions and multiple and delayed injections of puromycin, and the fifth experiment attempted to extend puromycin's effect on avoidance extinction to extinction produced in an appetitive operant task. Puromycin disrupted retention of extinction of both shuttle box avoidance in fish and barpressing in rats. The role of puromycin's pH was negligible.
Studies on the cortical pacemaker: synchrony and asynchrony of bilaterally recorded alpha and beta activity.

Abstract 1. 1. By measuring and charting the times elapsed between peaks of normal alpha and beta waves recorded simultaneously from right and left homologous areas in 52 human subjects, an attempt has been made to deduce the probable source for rhythmic control of these normal frequencies. 2. 2. Bilateral alpha and beta rhythms are probably under the control of a subcortical pacemaker or system of pacemakers. The possibility of transcallosal influences are not entirely ruled out, but seem unlikely under the circumstances discussed. 3. 3. Shifting bilateral synchrony-asynchrony of these normal rhythms may be accounted for by one of two possible mechanisms: 3.1. (a) the cortical rhythm may partially escape from the deep control, then be forced to return to synchrony by the influence from below, or 3.2. (b) the primary source of the rhythm oscillates physiologically from side to side. 4. 4. The progression of latencies in the occipito-frontal direction suggests transmission delays within the pacemaker itself, or in its deep subcortical connections. 5. 5. It seems very likely that the reticular formation of the brain stem and the diffuse thalamic projection system, operating in series, provide the anatomical substratum for the physiological observations of the present study.
Chemical Solution Deposition of Epitaxial Carbide Films

Carbide films exhibit many unique properties. The development of a versatile and simple technique for the deposition of carbide films will enable a wide range of technological applications. Here we report a cost-effective chemical solution deposition or polymer-assisted deposition method for growing epitaxial carbide (including TiC, VC, and TaC) films. These epitaxial carbide films exhibit structural and physical properties similar to the films grown by vapor deposition methods.
Seed harvesting is influenced by associational effects in mixed seed neighbourhoods, not just by seed density

Summary Rodents frequently forage in a density-dependent manner, increasing harvesting in patches with greater seed densities. Although seldom considered, seed harvesting may also depend on the species identities of other individuals in the seed neighbourhood. When the seed harvest of a focal species increases in association with another seed species, the focal species suffers from Associational Susceptibility. In contrast, if seeds of the focal species are harvested less when in association with a second species, the focal species benefits from Associational Resistance. To evaluate density dependence and associational effects among seeds in mixtures, we conducted seed removal experiments using a completely additive design patterned after a two-species competition experiment using seeds of either Achnatherum hymenoides (Indian ricegrass), Leymus cinereus (basin wildrye) or Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch wheatgrass), all native perennial grasses, combined with seeds of Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), a non-native annual grass. The experiment involved placing five fixed quantities of the native seeds mixed with five fixed quantities of B. tectorum seeds in a factorial design, resulting in 35 seed mixture combinations. The seed-eating rodent community at our study sites, in order of abundance, is composed of Peromyscus maniculatus (North American deer mouse), Dipodomys ordii (Ord's kangaroo rat) and Perognathus parvus (Great Basin pocket mouse). Native seed harvesting was density dependent, with a greater proportion of seeds being harvested as density increased. In the mixed density model, the presence of B. tectorum did not affect harvest of any of the native species' seeds when analysed individually. However, when all three native species were analysed together, increasing quantities of B. tectorum resulted in reduced harvest of native seeds, demonstrating weak but significant Associational Resistance. In contrast, harvest of B. tectorum seeds increased when in combination with any of the native seed species individually, indicating relatively strong Associational Susceptibility. These results demonstrate that seed harvest is determined not just by seed density, but also by the local seed neighbourhood and suggest that associational effects between native seeds and B. tectorum can occur in field conditions. The ecological implications of seed selection and associational effects on plant populations in natural and managed systems are also discussed.
A Large Sample Investigation of Batterer Intervention Program Attrition: Evaluating the Impact of State Program Standards:

Objective: The purpose of this study was to (a) investigate differences in demographic and psychological variables between treatment completers and dropouts among abusive men entering a court-mandated treatment program and (b) evaluate the goodness of fit of a logistic regression model for predicting attrition developed on a 16-week program by applying that model to the 26-week program. Method: The study employed a secondary analysis of 1,702 men, 850 completers and 852 dropouts, randomly selected from a larger pool of 3,595 men in court-ordered treatment. Results: Analysis indicated that few of the demographic and psychological variables differentiated between completers and dropouts. A logistic regression model for the 26-week program was developed that correctly predicted treatment completion for 60% of the sample and that employed some of the same predictor variables as the 16-week model. Conclusion: Implications for predicting attrition using logistic regression models for enhancing retention rates w...
A tight analysis and near-optimal instances of the algorithm of Anderson and Woll

This paper shows an asymptotically tight analysis of the Certified Write-All algorithm called AWT that was introduced by Anderson and Woll, SIAM J. Comput. 26 (1997) 1277, and a method for creating near-optimal instances of the algorithm. This algorithm is the best known deterministic algorithm that can be used to simulate n synchronous parallel processors on n asynchronous processors. The algorithm is instantiated with q permutations on {1,...,q}, where q can be chosen from a wide range of values. When implementing a simulation on a specific parallel system with n processors, one would like to select the best possible value of q and the best possible q permutations, in order to maximize the efficiency of the simulation.This paper shows that work complexity of any instance of AWT is Θ (q2/C ċ n1+logq(C/q)), where q is the number of permutations selected, and C is a value related to their combinatorial properties. The choice of q turns out to be critical for obtaining an instance of the AWT algorithm with near-optimal work. For any e > 0, and any large enough n, work of any instance of the algorithm must be at least n1+(1+n)√2 ln ln n/ln n. Under certain conditions, however, that q is about e√1/2 ln n ln ln n and for infinitely many large enough n, this lower bound can be nearly attained by instances of the algorithm that use certain q permutations and have work at most n1+(1+n)√2 ln ln n/ln n. The paper also shows a penalty for not selecting q well. When q is significantly away from e√1/2 ln n ln ln n, then work of any instance of the algorithm with this displaced q must be considerably higher than otherwise.
Sea-level-rise disaster in Micronesia: sentinel event for climate change?

Objectives: To describe the impact of an acute-onset sea-level-rise disaster in 2 coral atoll populations and to generate hypotheses for further investigation of the association between climate change and public health.Methods: Households of Lukunoch and Oneop islands, Micronesia, were assessed for demographics, asset damage, food availability, water quantity and quality, hygiene and sanitation, and health status. Every fourth household on Lukunoch was randomly selected (n = 40). All Oneop households were surveyed (n = 72). Heads of each household were interviewed in the local language using a standard survey tool. Prevalence data were analyzed, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.Results: A total of 112 total households were respondents representing 974 inhabitants. On Lukunoch, roughly half of all households surveyed reported at least a partial loss of their primary dietary staple and source of calories (taro and breadfruit). Six (15%) of 40 Lukunoch households surveyed (95% CI, 6%-30%) reported a complete loss of taro and four (10%) of the 40 households (95% CI, 3%-24%) reported a complete loss of breadfruit. On Oneop, nearly all households reported at least a partial loss of these same food staples. Twenty four (31%) of all 76 Oneop households reported a complete loss of taro and another 24 (31%) households reported a complete loss of breadfruit. One third of all households surveyed reported a complete loss. On Lukunoch 11 (28%) of 40 households, (95% CI, 15%-43%) reported damage from salination, but none were damaged to the point of a complete loss. Forty-nine (64%) of 76 Oneop households reported salination and five (6%) reported complete loss of their well.Conclusion: On March 5, 2007, an acute-onset, sea level rise event resulting in coastal erosion, shoreline inundation, and saltwater intrusion occurred in two coral atoll islands of Micronesia. The findings of this study suggest that highly vulnerable populations of both islands experienced disastrous losses involving crop productivity and freshwater sources. These findings reveal the need for effective public health research and sustainable interventions that will monitor and shape the health of small island populations predicted to be at high risk for adverse health effects due to climate change.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2010;4:81-87)
Laminar natural convection over a frustum of a cone

The problem of laminar, natural convection flow over a vertical frustum of a cone is treated in this paper. The thermal boundary condition at the wall include both the constant wall temperature and the constant wall heat flux cases. The governing differential equations are solved by a combination of quasilinearization and finite-difference methods. Numerical solutions are obtained for a range of Prandtl numbers. The solutions are found to approach to the solutions for a full cone if the flow is far downstream or the radius of the cross-section at the leading edge is very small.
Wide-area implementation of the message passing interface

The Message Passing Interface (MPI) can be used as a portable, high-performance programming model for wide-area computing systems. The wide-area environment introduces challenging problems for the MPI implementor, due to the heterogeneity of both the underlying physical infrastructure and the software environment at different sites. In this article, we describe an MPI implementation that incorporates solutions to these problems. This implementation has been constructed by extending the Argonne MPICH implementation of MPI to use communication services provided by the Nexus communication library and authentication, resource allocation, process creation/management, and information services provided by the I-Soft system (initially) and the Globus metacomputing toolkit (work in progress). Nexus provides multimethod communication mechanisms that allow multiple communication methods to be used in a single computation with a uniform interface; I-Soft and Globus provided standard authentication, resource management, and process management mechanisms. We describe how these various mechanisms are supported in the Nexus implementation of MPI and present performance results for this implementation on multicomputers and networked systems. We also discuss how more advanced services provided by the Globus metacomputing toolkit are being used to construct a second-generation wide-area MPI.
Numerical and experimental studies of ethanol flames

Abstract Ethanol combustion is investigated on the basis of a new chemical-kinetic mechanism consisting of 192 elementary steps among 36 species, augmented by 53 additional steps and 14 additional species to address the formation of oxides of nitrogen and 43 steps and 7 species to address formation of compounds involving three carbon atoms. The mechanism is tested against shock-tube autoignition-delay data, laminar burning velocities, counterflow diffusion-flame extinction and measurements of structures of counterflow partially premixed and diffusion flames, the last of these newly completed and reported here for the first time. These measurements, on ethanol–air flames at a strain rate of 100 s −1 , employing prevaporized ethanol with a mole fraction of 0.3 in a nitrogen carrier stream, were made for the pure diffusion flame and for a partially premixed flame with a fuel-side equivalence ratio of 2.3 and involved thermocouple measurements of temperature profiles and determination of concentration profiles of C 2 H 5 OH, CO, CO 2 , H 2 , H 2 O, O 2 , N 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 6 and C 2 H 2 + C 2 H 4 by gas chromatographic analysis of samples withdrawn through fine quartz probes. Computational investigations also were made of profiles of oxides of nitrogen and other potential pollutants in similar partially premixed flames of ethanol and other fuels for comparison purposes. The computational results are in reasonable agreement with experiment and perform as well as or better than predictions of other, generally much larger, mechanisms available in the literature. Further research is, however, warranted for providing additional and more stringent tests of the mechanism and its predictions.
Basis for a polarized superfluorescent fiber source with increased efficiency

We propose to produce a superfluorescent fiber source (SFS) with a linearly polarized output by inserting a discrete polarizer near the middle of a polarization-maintaining Er-doped fiber. We show that with a relatively low-loss polarizer (<0.5 dB) the output power of the polarized SFS is predicted to approach that of a standard, unpolarized SFS, i.e., the power of the desired polarization mode is nearly doubled. The efficiency of this source depends weakly on the polarizer location and extinction ratio, although it depends strongly on its insertion loss.
213 - Ionic Conductances and Surface Potential of Axon Membranes☆

Abstract Ionic currents across squid axon membranes under various clamped voltage conditions were measured with variation of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration. It was found that the maximum sodium conductance under voltage clamp was decreased by about 20% for trhee-fold increase in the extracellular Ca2+ concentration, whereas the steady state potassium conductance was not changed appreciably. The well known shift of the conductance-voltage curve along the voltage axis and the observed changes in maximum sodium conductance with respect to Ca2+ concentrations in the extracellular bulk solution are analyzed in terms of surface potential and a concept of surface ion concentration of the axon membrane.
Imaging the Azimuthal Tilt Order in Monolayers by Liquid Crystal Optical Amplification

Monolayers of the amphiphile 1-monopalmitoyl-rac-glycerol at the air−water interface assemble into domains in which the molecular tilt azimuth is organized into star-shaped patterns. When the domains are transferred to solid supports as Langmuir−Blodgett films, they are capable of producing a macroscopic azimuthal orientation of nematic liquid crystals, which allows the order in the monolayer to be observed by polarized optical microscopy.
Hydration dynamics as an intrinsic ruler for refining protein structure at lipid membrane interfaces.

Knowing the topology and location of protein segments at water–membrane interfaces is critical for rationalizing their functions, but their characterization is challenging under physiological conditions. Here, we debut a unique spectroscopic approach by using the hydration dynamics gradient found across the phospholipid bilayer as an intrinsic ruler for determining the topology, immersion depth, and orientation of protein segments in lipid membranes, particularly at water–membrane interfaces. This is achieved through the site-specific quantification of translational diffusion of hydration water using an emerging tool, 1H Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (ODNP)-enhanced NMR relaxometry. ODNP confirms that the membrane-bound region of α-synuclein (αS), an amyloid protein known to insert an amphipathic α-helix into negatively charged phospholipid membranes, forms an extended α-helix parallel to the membrane surface. We extend the current knowledge by showing that residues 90–96 of bound αS, which is a transition segment that links the α-helix and the C terminus, adopt a larger loop than an idealized α-helix. The unstructured C terminus gradually threads through the surface hydration layers of lipid membranes, with the beginning portion residing within 5–15 A above the phosphate level, and only the very end of C terminus surveying bulk water. Remarkably, the intrinsic hydration dynamics gradient along the bilayer normal extends to 20–30 A above the phosphate level, as demonstrated with a peripheral membrane protein, annexin B12. ODNP offers the opportunity to reveal previously unresolvable structure and location of protein segments well above the lipid phosphate, whose structure and dynamics critically contribute to the understanding of functional versatility of membrane proteins.
Stimulation of pontine reticular formation suppresses firing of serotonergic neurones in the dorsal raphe

THERE is ample evidence1–10 that both the pontine reticular formation (PRF; including the nucleus reticularis pontis oralis and caudalis in the terminology of Olszewski and Baxter11 or the gigantocellular tegmental field in Berman's12 terminology) and the brainstem raphe nuclei are involved in sleep processes. We report here that PRF-stimulation suppresses firing in raphe neurones. These results have implications which bear directly on current concepts about the cellular mechanisms involved in the control of the sleep cycle.
Large-cell renormalization-group approach to long-range hopping on energetically disordered lattices.

We describe an approach for computing the conductivity associated with long-range hopping on energetically disordered lattices. Using a numerically exact supercell procedure we compute the distribution [rho][sub [ital L]]([gamma]) of block conductances [gamma][sub [ital L]] associated with conducting cubes of edge length [ital L] that are randomly chosen from the disordered system of interest. This distribution of block conductances is then used in a self-consistent numerical calculation to obtain the renormalized bulk conductivity. The approach displays a surprisingly fast approach to the infinite-system limit, allowing finite-size effects to be minimized. In this paper we use this approach to study transport in a series of binary lattices containing a random distribution of two enegetically inequivalent ions. Specific examples considered include variations of the nearest-neighbor site percolation problem, long-range hopping on more general binary lattices, and the trapping-to-percolation transition that occurs in such systems.
New EPROM Data-Loss Mechanisms

Data-loss mechanisms in present-generation EPROMs have been studied. Defect-related data loss is primarily due to interpoly-oxide defects. This is a change from the previous generation and introduces a new EPROM failure mode--column data loss. Contamination-compensation is found to be due as much to field-driven motion as to diffusion, and one result is that contaminated regions can exhibit charge gain as well as charge loss. Intrinsic charge loss is attributed to detrapping of electrons from the oxide layers rather than to loss of stored charge, suggesting that with proper screening of defects EPROM data retention is effectively unlimited.