cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cervical strain determined by ultrasound elastography and its association with spontaneous preterm delivery

Objective: To determine if there is an association between cervical strain, evaluated using ultrasound elastography, and spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD) 25 th centile [endocervical: odds ratio (OR) 0.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03–0.96; entire cervix: OR 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03– 0.9]. Additional adjustment for gestational age, race, smoking status, parity, maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and previous preterm delivery did not appreciably alter the magnitude or statistical significance of these associations. Strain values obtained from the external cervical os and from the sagittal view were not associated with sPTD. Conclusion: Low strain values in the internal cervical os were associated with a significantly lower risk of spontaneous preterm delivery < 37 weeks of gestation.
Student personality, classroom environment, and student outcomes: A person–environment fit analysis

The study examined whether classroom environment moderates the relationship between student personality and student outcomes. Researchers agree that congruence between persons and their environments leads to better outcomes for the individual. Therefore, I hypothesized that the congruence between classroom environment and student personality would have a positive impact on student satisfaction and performance. The sample included 732 undergraduate students enrolled in Introductory Psychology courses. Data was collected at three different times during the semester. Student personality was operationalized using the Five Factor Model and measured during the first two weeks of the semester. A measure was used to assess the classroom environment in weeks ten through twelve. Student satisfaction was assessed during the last two weeks of the semester using a four item measure. Final percentage grades for each participant were used to assess student performance. Data were analyzed using polynomial regression analysis and surface response methodology. Results indicate that classroom environment is a strong predictor of student satisfaction, and personality is a strong predictor of performance. Structure and focus and student competition seem to be important classroom environment dimensions that increase both satisfaction and performance. Some personality and classroom environment combinations were found to increase satisfaction and performance.
594 LINEAR INCREASE IN BONE MINERAL CONTENT IN CHILDREN 1 TO 7 YEARS OF AGE WITH LOWER CONTENT IN FEMALES AFTER 4 YEARS

594 LINEAR INCREASE IN BONE MINERAL CONTENT IN CHILDREN 1 TO 7 YEARS OF AGE WITH LOWER CONTENT IN FEMALES AFTER 4 YEARS
Identification of G actin-binding proteins in rat tissues using a gel ovarlay technique

Abstract Actin-binding proteins were assayed in various tissues using an 125I-actin overlay procedure. Four major G actin-binding proteins of 90 000, 65 000, 58 000 and 40 000 Mr have been identified. The 90K protein is present in all tissues and binds labelled actin in a calcium-sensitive manner with binding increasing 3–4-fold in the presence of Ca2+. The distribution of the 58K and 65K protein which are not Ca2+-sensitive was more variable. These proteins were present in different ratios in different tissues. 125I-actin binding to all four actin-binding proteins is specific and can be displaced by preincubation of the gels with unlabelled actin. The interaction of actin with these proteins does not appear to involve ionic forces, since binding is not diminished by varying the salt concentration. Skeletal muscle glycolytic enzymes, the lens crystallins and the histones also bind 125I-actin. This binding cannot be displaced by preincubation with unlabelled actin and is presumably non-specific. The calcium sensitivity of two highly purified actin-binding proteins, the 90K human platelet protein and villin was compared using 125I-actin. The platelet 90K protein binds actin at less than 10−7 M free calcium, but detectable binding to villin does not occur below 10−6 M free calcium. The ubiquity of these actin-binding proteins is clear and we conclude that the calcium-sensitive 90K actin-binding protein in all of these tissues is the same as the platelet protein.
Threshold galling load and frictional behavior of stainless steel couples in line contact

Tests were performed in this study to determine the threshold galling load of various stainless steel material couples using a multi-cycle line contact testing procedure. Line contact was achieved by loading the end of a stationary button against the length of a rotating cylinder. Tests were performed on various grades of stainless steel in both self-mated and dissimilar-mated pairs. The presence of galling was determined by unassisted visual inspection of the contact surfaces. The frictional behavior of the mated components was monitored during the testing procedure. The dynamic coefficient of friction was found to sharply increase upon the onset of galling.
Multiple-Rusophycus (Arthropod Ichnofossil) Assemblages and Their Significance

Rusophycus is an ichnogenus comprising shallow burrows generally attributed to trilobites and other arthropods. The paleoethological interpretation of these structures is not conclusively known; workers variously have attributed the ichnogenus to feeding, resting, hiding/escape, hunting or nesting behaviors. Rusophycus morphology varies from unornamented, bilobed forms to forms that preserve details of ventral anatomy of the trace maker. Rusophycus occurs as single or multiple impressions. Some examples of multiple-Rusophycus assemblages are clearly the result of the activity of a single animal (e.g., serially arranged impressions of the same size), but others represent the activity of several individuals. Associated traces representing multiple individuals are especially interesting, for they may give evidence of complex behavior, for example, interactions between the trace makers. Some of the multiple-trace assemblages show alignment (congruent anterior-posterior orientation of the individuals) suggesti...
Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī on the Soul (al-nafs) and Spirit (al-rūḥ): An Investigation into the Eclectic Ideas of Mafātīḥ al-ghayb

This article aims to illustrate how al-Rāzī forges his doctrine on the soul in Mafātīḥ al-ghayb. It investigates al-Rāzī’s analysis of the soul's nature, its generation, and its attachment to the body by examining his exegesis of key Qur'anic verses. It analyses the ways that al-Rāzī interprets key cosmological terms from the Qur'an (including ‘soul’, ‘vital spirit’, ‘God's command’, and ‘power’), and provides examples of his practical application of taʾwīl to key Qur'anic verses. The article argues that al-Rāzī moulds ideas from ancient Greek Stoicism and Muʿtazilī theology into Mafātīḥ al-ghayb. By doing so, it illustrates that the hermeneutical device of taʾwīl was instrumental to the process through which al-Rāzī assimilated eclectic ideas from non-canonical sources into the worldview of Sunnism.
Multiple decomposition pathways for the oxenium ion precursor O-(4-(4'-methylphenyl)phenyl)-N-methanesulfonylhydroxylamine.

Although O-arylhydroxylamine derivatives have been claimed to be sources of oxenium ions in a large number of studies, it is not clear that the products of these reactions are due to oxenium ions. Previously, we had shown through azide trapping studies that the quinol ester 2a and the title compound 3a generate the oxenium ion 1a. The ester 2a exclusively generates 1a in water and is also a photoprecursor of 1a in water. This is not true of 3a. The oxenium ion pathway accounts for a significant fraction of the reaction of 3a under neutral and acidic pH conditions, but there are three other pathways that account for hydrolysis of 3a. Both 3a and its conjugate base 3a− are present in aqueous solution under mild pH conditions. In addition to the oxenium ion product 4a, two other significant products are generated: the phenol 6a and the rearrangement product 8a. Both 4a and 8a are generated exclusively from 3a, whereas 6a is generated from both 3a and 3a−. Azide trapping studies show that 6a and 8a are not ge...
Neutral-Higgs-boson contribution to the electric dipole moment of the neutron.

We examine the neutron electric dipole moment in models where CP violation occurs in the (enlarged) Higgs sector. In particular, we study the contributions of neutral-scalar exchange between two light quarks and find that there is a substantial enhancement relative to the usual estimates (which consider quark electric dipole moments) where such contributions are neglected. At present, we cannot calculate reliably the resulting value for the neutron electric dipole moment, but we find it to be of order ${10}^{\mathbf{\ensuremath{-}}28}$ e cm for Higgs-boson masses of order 100 GeV.
Protein synthesis in the growing rat lung.

Developmental control of protein synthesis in the postnatal growth of the lung has not been systematically studied. In male Fischer 344 rats, lung growth continues linearly as a function of body weight (from 75 to 450 g body weight). To study total protein synthesis in lungs of growing rats, we used the technique of constant intravenous infusion of tritiated leucine, an essential amino acid. Lungs of sacrificed animals were used to determine the leucine incorporation rate into newly synthesized protein. The specific radioactivity of the leucine associated with tRNA extracted from the same lungs served as an absolute index of the precursor leucine pool used for lung protein synthesis. On the basis of these measurements, we were able to calculate the fractional snythesis rate (the proportion of total protein destroyed and replaced each day) of pulmonary proteins for each rat. Under the conditions of isotope infusion, leucyl-tRNA very rapidly equilibrates with free leucine of the plasma and of the extracellu...
Gamma rays from Au197

New gamma rays are found in sup 197/Au from negaton decay of /sup 197m/ Pt prepared by fast neutron capture in /sup 196/Pt. The assignment of these new gamma transitions to /sup 197/Au is established through gamma-gamma and beta- gamma coincidence measurements along with half life considerations. A tentative decay scheme of /sup 197/Au is proposed. (auth)
Duration of hydrogen-atom spin-exchange collisions

Interruption of the hyperfine interaction during electron spin-exchange collisions shifts the hydrogen-atom ground-state $delta$m/subF/=0 hyperfine transition frequency in proportion to the spin-exchange collision rate and to the average time T/subD/ for hydrogen-hydrogen collisions during which the exchange interaction interrupts the hyperfine interaction. Measurements of the thermal average T/subD/ at 308 degreeK in an atomic hydrogen maser confirm the predictions of a semiclassical theory and a numerical estimate using straight- line collision trajectories. Measurements of much longer T/subD/ for hydrogen- atom collisions with O$sub 2$, NO, and NO$sub 2$ molecules are consistent with the formation of long-lived intermediate complexes during some collisions.
Linking principles with absolute detection power in atomic spectrometry: how far can we go?

Abstract The detection limit, the limit of guarantee of purity, and the limit of quantitation are defined and discussed with respect to analytical spectroscopy. The detection efficiency, ϵd, the intrinsic detection limit, and the extrinsic detection limit are also defined and discussed with respect to single atom detection. Absolute theoretical and experimental detection limits for several atomic absorption, optical emission, atomic (ionic) fluorescence, atomic ionization, and mass spectrometric methods are given and compared. The capabilities of these approaches with respect to absolute and concentrational detection limits are summarized in the text and in tabular form.
Comparison between the in vivo and in vitro interaction of aminoacridines with nucleic acids and other compounds.

Abstract The spectrum of acriflavine in living Ehrlich ascites tumor cells has been determined. The changes in spectra which accompany staining are similar to those obtained in acriflavine-nucleic acid solutions. Two characteristics of the interaction of diaminoacridine dyes with nucleic acid are noted. One is the appearance of a shorter wavelength peak which may be associated with a metachromatic type of staining interaction. The second is a shift of the long wavelength peak to longer wavelengths. This shift is compared with the nonspecific spectral changes which accompany changes in the solvent.
Molecular dynamics study of water penetration in staphylococcal nuclease

The ionization properties of Lys and Glu residues buried in the hydrophobic core of staphylococcal nuclease (SN) suggest that the interior of this protein behaves as a highly polarizable medium with an apparent dielectric constant near 10. This has been rationalized previously in terms of localized conformational relaxation concomitant with the ionization of the internal residue, and with contributions by internal water molecules. Paradoxically, the crystal structure of the SN V66E variant shows internal water molecules and the structure of the V66K variant does not. To assess the structural and dynamical character of interior water molecules in SN, a series of 10-ns-long molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was performed with wild-type SN, and with the V66E and V66K variants with Glu66 and Lys66 in the neutral form. Internal water molecules were identified based on their coordination state and characterized in terms of their residence times, average location, dipole moment fluctuations, hydrogen bonding interactions, and interaction energies. The locations of the water molecules that have residence times of several nanoseconds and display small mean-square displacements agree well with the locations of crystallographically observed water molecules. Additional, relatively disordered water molecules that are not observed crystallographically were found in internal hydrophobic locations. All of the interior water molecules that were analyzed in detail displayed a distribution of interaction energies with higher mean value and narrower width than a bulk water molecule. This underscores the importance of protein dynamics for hydration of the protein interior. Further analysis of the MD trajectories revealed that the fluctuations in the protein structure (especially the loop elements) can strongly influence protein hydration by changing the patterns or strengths of hydrogen bonding interactions between water molecules and the protein. To investigate the dynamical response of the protein to burial of charged groups in the protein interior, MD simulations were performed with Glu66 and Lys66 in the charged state. Overall, the MD simulations suggest that a conformational change rather than internal water molecules is the dominant determinant of the high apparent polarizability of the protein interior.
A Systematic Approach to Diabetes Management in the Post-DCCT Era

As with the discovery of a new wonder drug, the reporting of a major newclinical trial is usually followed by a three-step adjustment period in the collective attitudes of the health-care profession and the general public. There is initial euphoria that this is the answer, the panacea, i.e., the treatment for everyone. These feelings are followed by a rebound response of despondency that the side effects and problems with the new treatment are too serious and that the treatment is too costly and complex to make it useful at all. Finally, a rational place for the new discovery is found in medical practice.
Identifying Hospitalized Pediatric Patients for Early Discharge Planning: A Feasibility Study

A screening tool utilized by nurses at a critical point in the discharge planning process has the potential to improve caregiver decisions and enhance communication. The Early Screen for Discharge Planning–Child version (ESDP-C) identifies pediatric patients early in their hospital stay who will benefit from early engagement of a discharge planner. This study used a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent comparison group design to evaluate the impact of the ESDP-C on important outcomes related to discharge planning. Findings from the study provide preliminary evidence that the integration of the ESDP-C into the pediatric discharge planning process may be clinically useful.
Developing and testing a pushbroom camera motion control system: using a lidar-based streak tube camera for studying the influence of water waves on underwater light structure detection

A pushbroom sensor motion control system was developed for use in conjunction with a pulsed laser fan beam, streak tube camera, and a high speed low light level camera . The LIDAR and camera control system was tested to study the influence of water waves upon active-passive remote sensing systems and associated models that require pushbroom sensor motion. A pulsed laser fan beam signal at 532 nm was recorded using a streak tube camera and a (high speed, low light level, high quantum efficiency) digital CCD camera. Tests were conducted in 3 different water tanks, including 2 tanks with water waves (the longest wave tank or channel is 60 m long). Capillary waves, ~1 cm wavelength) were generated using an acoustic wave source generator. Streak tube camera and CCD images were collected in conjunction with a 532 nm pico-second short pulse laser. Images collected demonstrate the pulse stretching around submerged water targets as well as the ability to discriminate water depth of submerged targets in shallow water types. In turbid water, the pulsed layer backscatter structure showed a nearly random return as a function of depth if the signal was attenuated before reaching the bottom of the water column. The data collected indicated the motion control testing system can accommodate a variety of cameras and instruments in the lab and in the outdoor water wave channel. Data from these camera systems are being used to help validate analytical and Monte Carlo models of the water surface structure, and the underwater light field structure (pulse stretching) as well as to validate other LIDAR applications used in bathymetric and hydrographic surveys of coastal waters and marine inlets for physical and biological (submerged vegetation) surveys.
Adaptive evolution of crustin antimicrobial peptides in decapods

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are present in a wide range of taxonomic groups and played a crucial role in host adaptation to a diverse array of ever-changing pathogens. Crustin, a cysteine-rich cationic AMP, is known to exhibit antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in decapods. Given their important role in host-immune defense, a large proportion of amino acid substitutions in crustin AMPs are expected to be fixed by natural selection. Utilizing the complete coding nucleotide sequence data of crustin, the present study revealed the pervasive role of positive Darwinian selection in the evolution and divergence of crustin AMPs in decapods. Approximately, 20–35 % of codons in two phylogenetically distinct groups of closely related crustins in Penaeid shrimps are shown to have evolved under positive selection. Interestingly, several of these positively selected sites are located at the carboxyl-terminal region, the region that directly interacts with the invading pathogens. Pathogen-mediated selection pressure could be the likely cause for such an accelerated rate of amino acid substitutions and could have contributed to the structural and functional diversification of crustin AMPs in several taxa.
Reduction of drug self-administration by an alternative non-drug reinforcer in rhesus monkeys: magnitude and temporal effects.

Rationale: Recent studies have shown that non-drug alternative reinforcers reduce drug self-administration. A goal of the present study was to explore factors such as magnitude of the alternative reinforcer and inter-session access to the alternative to identify conditions that lead to optimal reductions in drug intake. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of increasing the volume/delivery (v/d) of saccharin on oral phencyclidine (PCP) self-administration in rhesus monkeys given continuous access to PCP and saccharin during daily sessions using a behavioral economic analysis. The effects of availability of a saccharin solution during the inter-session period on session PCP consumption in drug-experienced monkeys was also investigated. Methods: Subjects had access to PCP (0.25 mg/ml) and either water or saccharin (0.03%) from two drinking spouts under concurrent and independent fixed-ratio (FR) schedules during daily 3-h sessions. The FR requirements for both available liquids were simultaneously increased (FR4–64). The v/d of saccharin or water was increased (from 0.3 ml to 1.2 ml), while the v/d of PCP remained constant (0.6 ml). In a second experiment, subjects had access to water or saccharin and water during the inter-session period (17.5 h) under an FR1 schedule. PCP and water were available during daily 3-h sessions under concurrent FR schedules. The FR for both liquids was increased (FR16–128). Results: PCP intake was reduced at all FRs and magnitude conditions when saccharin (versus water) was concurrently available. Varying the v/d of saccharin only had a modest effect on the extent to which PCP intake was decreased at the higher FR values. Inter-session saccharin availability (versus water) reduced session PCP intake and the magnitude of this effect was also greater at the higher FR values. Conclusions: The magnitude of the saccharin delivery had an effect on PCP consumption at higher FRs, suggesting that economic factors such as high drug cost (FR) and low cost (responses/ml) of the alternative reinforcer (saccharin) interact to produce a maximum suppression of drug intake. Between-session availability of saccharin also effectively reduced drug intake, and it had a greater effect on the maintenance levels of drug self-administration when the unit price of drug was high.
Peripheral neuropathy in patients treated with leflunomide.

Objective Our objective was to describe the clinical features, time course, and outcome of new-onset peripheral neuropathy occurring in patients treated with leflunomide. Methods Case reports of peripheral neuropathy submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration in association with leflunomide use were reviewed. Data on patient demographics, underlying medical conditions and medications, details of leflunomide therapy, and treatment and outcome of the neuropathy event were abstracted. Time to neuropathy onset and time to improvement or recovery were analyzed by survival analysis. Results Of 80 reported patients, 61% were women. The patients' mean age was 62 years. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy began after a mean of 6 months of leflunomide use (range, 3 days to 3 years). Electrodiagnostic testing in 37 patients was consistent with a distal axonal, sensory, or sensorimotor polyneuropathy in most patients. Patients who stopped leflunomide use within 30 days of neuropathy symptom onset were more likely to have improvement or recovery than those who continued taking leflunomide for a longer period (P < .001). Conclusion Leflunomide use is associated with peripheral neuropathy in some patients. This neuropathy is usually axonal in nature, affecting multiple sensory or motor nerves of distal extremities. Patients who stopped leflunomide use within 30 days of symptom onset were more likely to have improvement of symptoms or complete recovery than were patients who continued to use the drug for longer periods of time. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, 580–585; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.01.016
A note on some prominent defective applications of neoclassical production theory

Abstract The neoclassical analysis of production, production runs, and production returns in the theory of the firm is clear and precise. Nevertheless, flawed versions have been used for policy prescriptions and both the analyses and prescriptions have been widely disseminated. Since these flawed analyses do not accurately describe the phenomena to be explained, policy prescriptions based thereupon may have and probably have had perverse results.
Inhibition of messenger RNA synthesis by 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole without its detectable accumulation in mouse T-lymphoma cells.

Abstract Two lines of evidence were obtained which indicate that inhibition of mRNA formation does not require the detectable accumulation of 5,6-dichloro-1-β- d -ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB), a halogenated analog of adenosine. First, the extent of inhibition by DRB of the formation of cytoplasmic poly(A)+ RNA was as rapid and severe (>90% inhibition) in wild-type mouse lymphoma cells (S49) as in mutant cells (AE1), derived from S49, which were deficient in the transport of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides. Second, the accumulation of [3H]DRB was measured directly and compared to the accumulation of [3H]adenosine. Whereas S49 cells accumulated [3H]adenosine in a linear manner, neither S49 nor AE1 cells accumulated [3H]DRB to a significant extent. This suggests that inhibition of mRNA synthesis by DRB may (1) require the transport and intracellular accumulation of only minute amounts of DRB, or (2) result from secondary event(s) triggered by interaction of DRB with a surface membrane component.
The elimination of (N-[[(4-chlorophenyl)amino]carbonyl]-2,6-difluorobenzamide) by the boll weevil☆

Abstract Boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, were either dipped in or injected with a solution of [14C]diflubenzuron (N-[[(4-chlorophenyl)amino]carbonyl]-2,6-difluorobenzamide) or fed on cotton squares that had been treated with the chemical to determine its turnover time and metabolic fate. No significant differences were observed between male and female weevils in their ability to eliminate [14C]diflubenzuron. Only minor differences were observed when immersion and injection treatments were compared. When weevils were treated with 66.3 ng of [14C]deflubenzuron per weevil by injection, the insects contained 13 to 15% of the radiolabel after 6 days and 4 to 6% after 13 days. The remainder of the radiolabel was in the frass. When weevils fed for 66 hr on cotton squares that had been treated with a wettable [14C]diflubenzuron preparation (Dimilin W-25), the insects averaged 120 ng of diflubenzuron per weevil. Forty-four hours after removing insects from the treated squares, 50% of the radiolabel had been excreted. In all cases, the radiolabel found in the frass or in the weevil was unchanged diflubenzuron. There were no data to indicate that the boll weevil could metabolize appreciable amounts of diflubenzuron.
A respiratory pigment from the eggs of a marine worm

Of the wide diversity of pigments occurring in nature, a certain number are considered to function as respiratory carriers by virtue of their ability to be reversibly oxidized and reduced (see review of Barron 2). I wish to report here the presence of such a pigment in the eggs of the marine worm Urechis caupo, together with evidence for its probable participation in cellular respiration.
Unbiased tournament selection

Tournament selection is a popular form of selection which is commonly used with genetic algorithms, genetic programming and evolutionary programming. However, tournament selection introduces a sampling bias into the selection process. We review analytic results and present empirical evidence that shows this bias has a significant impact on search performance. We introduce two new forms of unbiased tournament selection that remove or reduce sampling bias in tournament selection.
Man, Myth, Geologist

Charles Darwin became the founder and mythic hero of modern evolutionary biology with the publication of his work On the Origin of Species 150 years ago. The book bears the signature of a geological thinker who had turned to a faster-moving discipline.
Scaling in open dissipative systems.

The scaling behavior of open dissipative systems including the Kim-Kosterlitz exponents for interfacial growth, and the current fluctuations in a flowing sandpile are derived using a generalization of the arguments applied by Kolmogorov to the inertial range of turbulence. The approach may be considered a nonequilibrium equivalent to Flory theory.
The health effects of economic insecurity.

BACKGROUND. Interest in the health and behavioral effects of economic insecurity appears to vary with the performance of the economy. The current recession in the United States and Western Europe and growing unemployment in Eastern Europe make it timely to analytically review the recent research concerned with the health effects of economic contraction. METHODS. The research concerned with the health and behavioral effects of economic insecurity is organized by dependent variable and method. Rules for determining which effects are supported by strong and which by weak evidence are developed and applied to the literature. RESULTS. Evidence for effects on symptoms of psychological distress, seeking help for psychological distress, and nonspecific physiological illness is strong. Evidence for effects on suicide, child abuse, adverse birth outcomes, and heart disease is characterized as weak or sufficiently controversial to warrant skepticism. CONCLUSIONS. The health effects of economic security are undoubted...
Extraction of Opal Phytoliths from Herbivore Dental Calculus

Abstract Opal phytoliths can easily be extracted from herbivore dental calculus and examined to gain data for the reconstruction of prehistoric herbivore diet. The extraction process is a simple, quick and inexpensive three-step procedure. It consists of one or two distilled water washes to control and assess contamination and a final wash with dilute hydrochloric acid. A pilot study conducted on barnyard animals (cow, sheep and pig) from the American Colonial period site of Hampton, Virginia, demonstrates that dental calculus phytolith assemblages can provide data on herbivore diet that can be used to reconstruct livestock management practices and ecological change.
Horseshoe chaos in a periodically perturbed polarized optical beam

Abstract The problem of a single, polarized, laser pulse propagating as a travelling wave in an anisotropic, cubically nonlinear, lossless medium is investigated as a Hamiltonian system. This Hamiltonian system describes the travelling-wave dynamics of two nonlinearly coupled complex laser modes. Invariance of the Hamiltonian function under changes of phase of the complex two-component electric field amplitude reduces the phase space to the two-sphere, S 2 , on which the problem is completely integrable. The fixed points and bifurcations of the phase portrait on S 2 are studied as the beam intensity and medium parameters are varied, and homoclinic and heteroclinic connections are identified in each parameter domain. Horseshoe chaos is analytically shown to arise when the optical parameters of the medium are perturbed due to spatially periodic inhomogeneities, by using the Melnikov method. The resulting sensitive dependence on initial conditions has implications for the control and predictability of nonlinear optical polarization switching in birefringent media.
Facile E−E and E−C Bond Activation of PhEEPh (E = Te, Se, S) by Ruthenium Carbonyl Clusters: Formation of Di- and Triruthenium Complexes Bearing Bridging dppm and Phenylchalcogenide and Capping Chalcogenido Ligands

Reactions of [Ru3(CO)10(μ-dppm)] (1) and its ortho-metalated derivative [Ru3(CO)9{μ3-η3-P(C6H5)CH2P(C6H5)(C6H4)}] (11) with PhEEPh (E = Te, Se, S) have been investigated. Treatment of 1 with PhTeTePh at room temperature afforded the dinuclear compound [Ru2(CO)4(μ-TePh)2(μ-dppm)] (2) and the 54-electron triruthenium compounds [Ru3(CO)6(μ3-Te)2(μ-TePh)2(μ-dppm)] (3) and [Ru3(CO)6(μ3-Te)(μ-TePh)3(η1-COPh)(μ-dppm)] (4). Analogous reactions of 1 with PhEEPh (E = Se, S) led to [Ru2(CO)4(μ-EP[Ru3(CO)6(μ3-E)2(μ-EPh)2(μ-dppm)])2(μ-dppm)] (E = Se, 5; E = S, 8) and the 54-electron triruthenium compounds (E = Se, 6; E = S, 9), and [Ru3(CO)6(μ3-E)(μ-EPh)3(Ph)(μ-dppm)] (E = Se, 7; E = S, 10). Reactions of the ortho-metalated complex 11 with PhEEPh (E = Te, Se, S) in refluxing THF gave exclusively [Ru3(CO)6(μ-EPh)2{μ3-η3-P(C6H5)CH2P(C6H5)(C6H4)}] (E = Te, 12; E = Se, 13; E = S, 14). The new compounds have been characterized by a combination of analytical and spectroscopic methods, and molecular structures of 2−4, 7, 10,...
New approaches to crustal evolution studies and the origin of granitic rocks: what can the Lu–Hf and Re–Os isotope systems tell us?

The Lu-Hf and Re-Os isotope systems have been applied sparsely to elucidate the origin of granites, intracrustal processes and the evolution of the continental crust. The presence or absence of garnet as a residual phase during partial melting will strongly influence Lu/Hf partitioning, making the Lu–Hf isotope system exceptionally sensitive to evaluating the role of garnet during intracrustal differentiation processes. Mid-Proterozoic (1·1–1·5Ga ) ‘anorogenic’ granites from the western U.S.A. appear to have anomalously high eHf values, relative to their eNd values, compared with Precambrian orogenic granites from several continents. The Hf-Nd isotope variations for Precambrian orogenic granites are well explained by melting processes that are ultimately tied to garnet-bearing sources in the mantle or crust. Residual, garnet-bearing lower and middle crust will evolve to anomalously high eHf values over time and may be the most likely source for later ‘anorogenic’ magmas. When crustal and mantle rocks are viewed together in terms of Hf and Nd isotope compositions, a remarkable mass balance is apparent for at least the outer silicate earth where Precambrian orogenic continental crust is the balance to the high-eHf depleted mantle, and enriched lithospheric mantle is the balance to the low-eHf depleted mantle.Although the continental crust has been envisioned to have exceptionally high Re/Os ratios and very radiogenic Os isotope compositions, new data obtained on magnetite mineral separates suggest that some parts of the Precambrian continental crust are relatively Os-rich and non-radiogenic. It remains unclear how continental crust may obtain non-radiogenic Os isotope ratios, and these results have important implications for Re-Os isotope evolution models. In contrast, Phanerozoic batholiths and volcanic arcs that are built on young mafic lower crust may have exceptionally radiogenic Os isotope ratios. These results highlight the unique ability of Os isotopes to identify young mafic crustal components in orogenic magmas that are essentially undetectable using other isotope systems such as O, Sr, Nd and Pb.
The effects of aqueous neutral-salt solutions on the melting temperatures of deoxyribonucleic acids.

The helical stability of a variety of DNA samples, ranging in base composition from 0 to 72 mole-% GC, has been studied by heat denaturation at neutral pH in increasing concentrations of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CsCl, Li2SO4, and K2SO4. The variation of melting temperature with average base composition, dTm/dXGC, was found to decrease drastically in the concentrated salt media, e.g., from 41°C in 0.006M LiCl to 29°C in 3.2M LiCl, and from 39°C in 0.003M Li2SO4 to 18°C in 1.6M Li2SO4. At the same time, the thermal transition is much more cooperative in the concentrated salt solutions than at low ionic strength. Indeed, at limiting salt concentrations, the transition breadth seems to reach a minimum value irrespective of the compositional heterogeneity of the DNA samples. Attempts to correlate the observed decrease of dTm/dXGC with predicted changes in the enthalpy of melting, deduced from a simple theoretical treatment, experimental data on the binding of counterions and water to DNA, and experimental data on thermal denaturation, were unsuccessful. However, the strongly reduced composition dependence of the melting temperature can be understood in terms of a destabilizing effect of the concentrated salt media on GC-base pairs. It is suggested, though not proven, that the destabilization involves the displacement of water molecules from the DNA helix.
Investigating the impacts of web servers on web application energy usage

Software engineers make decisions about the design of the software they are creating on a daily basis. These decisions may impact the application in terms of efficiency, usability, flexibility, etc. Different competing design decisions are therefore often evaluated in terms of their projected impact on quality metrics prior to implementation. Recently energy has become a concern for software systems, ranging from mobile devices to large data centers. Additionally, it has been recognized that the software executing on a computing device can have a significant impact on the device's energy consumption. This raises the obvious question of whether or not it is possible to reduce the energy consumption of a software system by the means of software design decisions. This work examines how the use of different servers impacts the energy consumption of a web application. Through a controlled empirical experiment we have discovered several important findings in this regard. The results indicate that the energy consumption of a web application can vary greatly depending on the web server used to handle its requests. Furthermore, different web servers are more or less energy efficient depending on which web application features are being executed. The paper details an analysis of the results of the experiment.
The Petrology of a Composite Vertical Section of Cincinnatian Series Limestones (Upper Ordovician) of Southwestern Ohio, Southeastern Indiana, and Northern Kentucky

ABSTRACT The majority of Cincinnatian limestone strata in the Kope to Saluda Formations were formed under low energy, subtidal, offshore environmental conditions. The upper part of the rock section (Saluda, Whitewater, and Drakes Formations) was deposited under nearshore subtidal, lagoonal and intertidal conditions. Bryozoans and brachiopods, nearly equal in abundance, form about 60% of the allochems of the limestones. Crinoids form about 20%, and trilobites nearly 10% of the allochems. Brachiopods and trilobites decrease appreciably in abundance upward in the section and algae, ostracodes and corals, which are uncommon through most of the sequence, are very common in the upper part. Dolomite forms less than 1% of the limestones of the lower part of the sequence but more than 5% of those of the upper part. The most abundant limestone is a coarse, poorly sorted rock containing 30 to 40% fossil allochems which were originally deposited with calcareous ooze. The ooze matrix has been largely converted by neomorphism to microspar and pseudospar. The average limestone is approximately a borderline rock between a biomicrosparrudite and a biopseudosparrudite. It is postulated that for most of the subtidal limestones, bryozoans and crinoids forming meadow-like patches stabilized the muddy bottom sediment and created a wave-current baffle for each biotic area. The quiet water conditions thus produced were favorable for filter-feeding organisms and for the concomitant accumulation of allochems and ooze. Sediment generated in the interior of the biotic communities formed coarse coquinoid limestones. Accumulations of ooze with few allochems and the uncommon, better sorted arenites were probably developed under higher current energy conditions along the margins of the biotic patches in areas of less dense growth. With this model, development and association of allochems and ooze is independent of energy levels of topographic relief of the depositional surface and of the accumulation of the surrounding terrigenous mud. Aperiodic destruction of the benthic communities by suffocation resulted when largely terrigenous bottom sediments were thrown into suspension under storm conditions and swept over the communities by bottom currents.
Body mass affects seasonal variation in sickness intensity in a seasonally breeding rodent

Species that display seasonal variation in sickness intensity show the most intense response in the season during which they have the highest body mass, suggesting that sickness intensity may be limited by an animal's energy stores. Siberian hamsters ( Phodopus sungorus ) display lower body masses and less intense sickness when housed in short, winter-like days as opposed to long, summer-like days. To determine whether reduced sickness intensity displayed by short-day hamsters is a product of seasonal changes in body mass, we food restricted long-day hamsters so that they exhibited body mass loss that mimicked the natural photoperiod-induced loss of body mass in short-day hamsters. We then experimentally induced sickness with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and compared sickness responses among long-day food-restricted and long- and short-day ad libitum fed groups, predicting that long-day food-restricted hamsters would show sickness responses comparable to those of short-day ad libitum fed hamsters and attenuated in comparison to long-day ad libitum fed hamsters. We found that long-day food-restricted hamsters showed attenuated LPS-induced anorexia, loss of body mass and hypothermia compared with long-day ad libitum fed animals; however, anorexia remained elevated in long-day food-restricted animals compared with short-day ad libitum fed animals. Additionally, LPS-induced anhedonia and decreases in nest building were not influenced by body mass. Results of hormone assays suggest that cortisol levels could play a role in the attenuation of sickness in long-day food-restricted hamsters, indicating that future research should target the roles of glucocorticoids and natural variation in energy stores in seasonal sickness variation.
Mechanism of the interaction of human platelet profilin with actin

We have reexamined the interaction of purified platelet profilin with actin and present evidence that simple sequestration of actin monomers in a 1:1 complex with profilin cannot explain many of the effects of profilin on actin assembly. Three different methods to assess binding of profilin to actin show that the complex with platelet actin has a dissociation constant in the range of 1 to 5 microM. The value for muscle actin is similar. When bound to actin, profilin increases the rate constant for dissociation of ATP from actin by 1,000-fold and also increases the rate of dissociation of Ca2+ bound to actin. Kinetic simulation showed that the profilin exchanges between actin monomers on a subsecond time scale that allows it to catalyze nucleotide exchange. On the other hand, polymerization assays give disparate results that are inconsistent with the binding assays and each other: profilin has different effects on elongation at the two ends of actin filaments; profilin inhibits the elongation of platelet actin much more strongly than muscle actin; and simple formation of 1:1 complexes of actin with profilin cannot account for the strong inhibition of spontaneous polymerization. We suggest that the in vitro effects on actin polymerization may be explained by a complex mechanism that includes weak capping of filament ends and catalytic poisoning of nucleation. Although platelets contain only 1 profilin for every 5-10 actin molecules, these complex reactions may allow substoichiometric profilin to have an important influence on actin assembly. We also confirm the observation of I. Lassing and U. Lindberg (1985. Nature [Lond.] 318:472-474) that polyphosphoinositides inhibit the effects of profilin on actin polymerization, so lipid metabolism must also be taken into account when considering the functions of profilin in a cell.
A slide preparation technique for light microscopy analysis of ciliates preserved in acid Lugol's fixative

A slide preparation method for seawater samples preserved in acid Lugol's is presented here as an alternative to the traditional Utermohl settling chamber method for microplankton analysis. This preparation maintains the integrity of fragile cells, such as ciliates, resolves issues associated with the transience of samples prepared in settling chambers, and allows the use of automated image acquisition methods. Samples are filtered onto polycarbonate membranes and analyzed with transmitted light microscopy. The visibility of pore outlines is minimized by using mounting oil (Cargille Series A immersion oil, Certified Refractive Index, nD25°C 1.5840 ± 0.0002) with a refractive index matching that of the membrane material. We assessed the efficacy of this new method by comparing abundance and biomass estimates for ciliates in settled and filtered samples. Acceptable results were found for the most delicate of samples stored long-term in acid Lugol's. Some cell shrinkage occurred during the filtration and brief drying steps. Therefore, corrections for ciliate length and width measurements in filtered samples were determined to counteract this effect on total cell biovolume. Overall, the method provides a simple and stable alternative to settling chamber analysis for ciliates preserved in acid Lugol's.
Small-signal AC conductance of short ballistic GaAs diodes at zero bias

We derive here van der Ziel et al.'s expression for the small-signal ac conductance g 0 of short ballistic GaAs diodes at zero bias in terms of the carrier concentration n 0 in the potential minimum at zero bias with the help of noise considerations.
New Magnetic Metallic Glasses with Reduced Metalloid Content

Several new magnetic amorphous alloys containing early transition metals (TE) and having reduced metalloid (M) content have been melt spun. Some properties of three examples of this new class, 1) Co80Nb14B6, 2) Co84Nb10B6, and 3) Fe81 Nb5B14, are presented. The dominant late transition metal (TL) content assures an appreciable magnetic moment while the presence of an early transition metal significantly enhances the stability against crystallization. Crystallization temperatures are 1) 742K, 2) 698K, and 3) 762K for the three alloys, respectively. X-ray diffraction patterns show the materials to be amorphous and to exhibit a large-r correlation length (approximately 2.0 A) that is shorter than is typiclly observed in TL80M20 glasses containing more than one transition metal species (approximately 2.3–2.5A). The coercivities of the glassy compositions range from 30 to 70 mOe.
Quantitative trait loci for femoral size and shape in a genetically heterogeneous mouse population

The aim of this study was to examine the genetic effects on cortical bone geometry. Genotypes from 487 mice were compared with geometric traits obtained from μCT. We found 14 genetic markers that associate with geometric traits, showing the complexity of genetic control over bone geometry. Introduction: Previous studies have shown that genetic background affects bone characteristics, particularly bone mineral density, in both mouse and human populations. Much less is known, however, about the effects of polymorphic genes on bone size, shape, and mechanical integrity. In this study, we investigated the genetic determinants of geometric properties of cortical bone in mice. Materials and Methods: This study used a genetically heterogeneous mouse population, which is denoted UM-HET3 stock and is derived as the progeny of (BALB/cJ × C57BL/6J) F1 females and (C3H/HeJ × DBA/2J) F1 males. The experimental group consisted of 487 female UM-HET3 mice. Genotypic data from 99 polymorphic genetic loci was obtained from the mice at 4 weeks of age. At 18 months of age, the mice were humanely killed, and the right femurs were scanned with microcomputed tomography to assess geometric properties of cortical bone. A permutation-based test was used to detect significant associations between genetic markers and geometric traits. This test generates experimentwise p values, which account for the effect of testing multiple hypotheses. An experiment-wise p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Fourteen genetic markers were found to significantly associate with one or more geometric traits. Two markers (D3Mit62 and D4Mit155) were associated with traits describing bone size; 2 (D12Mit167 and D14Mit170) were linked with traits describing bone shape; and 10 (D1Nds2, D5Mit95, D6Mit216, D7Mit91, D8Mit51, D9Mit110, D11Mit83, D15Mit100, D15Mit171, and D17Mit46) were associated with both size and shape. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the genetic control of cortical bone geometry is complex and that femoral size and shape may be influenced by different, although overlapping, groups of polymorphic loci.