cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Achieving enhanced tensile ductility in an Al-6061 composite processed by severe plastic deformation

Abstract Tests were conducted on a metal matrix composite with an Al-6061 alloy as the matrix material and with 10 vol.% of alumina particulates as the reinforcement. For comparison purposes, some additional tests were also conducted on the unreinforced Al-6061 alloy. Processing of both materials was conducted by imposing severe plastic deformation through equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP). It is shown that ECAP is effective in refining the grain sizes of both materials to ∼300 nm. Tensile tests were conducted at room temperature and at elevated temperatures to evaluate the mechanical properties after ECAP. The results show there is a potential for achieving high ductilities in the composite after processing by ECAP.
Avoiding spurious submovement decompositions: a globally optimal algorithm

Evidence for the existence of discrete submovements underlying continuous human movement has motivated many attempts to "extract" them. Although they produce visually convincing results, all of the methodologies that have been employed are prone to produce spurious decompositions. Examples of potential failures are given. A branch-and-bound algorithm for submovement extraction, capable of global nonlinear minimization (and hence capable of avoiding spurious decompositions), is developed and demonstrated.
PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS: ENGAGING RURAL AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES IN BASIC RESEARCH AND THE STRONG AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION PROGRAM

The Center for Family Research has implemented the first family-community preventive intervention program designed specifically for rural African American families and youths. Basic information garnered during a decade of research in rural African American communities formed the theoretical and empirical foundations for the program, which focuses on delaying the onset of sexual activity and discouraging substance use among youths. The Center's researchers have formulated future directions for engaging rural families in basic research and preventive intervention programs.
What is the initial chemical precursor of DNA strand breaks generated by direct-type effects?

The present study tests the hypothesis that the majority of DNA strand breaks produced by direct-type effects are due to sugar free radical precursors and that these radicals are produced by direct ionization of the sugar-phosphate backbone or by hole transfer to the sugar from tightly bound water. Well-defined crystalline DNA samples of d(CGCG) 2 , d(CGCACG:GCGTGC), d(GTGCGCAC) 2 , and d((GCACGCGTGC) 2 were irradiated at 4 K, and their free radical dose response determined from 0 to 1800 kGy. A model is proposed that effectively describes the dose response curves. It includes the following parameters: the free radical concentration at saturation C m a x , the free radical yields G b and G s , and the destruction constants k b and k s . The subscripts b and s refer to base-centered and sugar-centered radicals, respectively. In each of these systems, the free radical concentration exhibits a remarkable resistance to dose saturation up to at least 1500 kGy. As predicted, G b > G s , the G b /G s ratio varying between 4 and 12. Likewise, k b > k s , the k b /k s ratio varying between 28 and 81. The lower cross-section for destruction of the sugar-centered radicals is consistent with the expectation that they are relatively radiation resistant. G b /G is between 0.81 and 0.92, indicating that at low doses the bases trap out 80-90% of the total free radical population. The remaining 10-20% are located on the sugar. At high dose, a larger fraction of the radicals are trapped on the backbone as seen from the ratio C m x S /C m x B , which ranges from 3.5 to 8. This unusually late onset of dose saturation closely parallels that observed for strand break products in earlier studies. There is, therefore, a good correlation between the dose response profiles of sugar-trapped radicals and strand breaks. These observations strongly support the hypothesis that sugar radicals are precursors to the majority of strand breaks produced by the direct-type effect in DNA.
The dissociation of the extracellular hemoglobin of Tubifex tubifex at extremes of pH and its reassociation upon return to neutrality

Abstract The dissociation of the extracellular hemoglobin of Tubifex tubifex at alkaline and acid pH, and its reassociation upon return to neutral pH, was investigated using gel filtration, ultracentrifugation, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE). Tubifex hemoglobin dissociated at pH above 8 and below 6; both dissociations appeared to be equilibrium processes. The extent of dissociation increased as the pH moved away from neutrality; although dissociation was virtually complete at pH 11, its extent at acid pH did not exceed 50–60% at pH 4. Ca(II), Mg(II), and Sr(II) cations over the range 1–100 m m decreased the extent of the dissociation only at alkaline pH. The visible absorption spectrum of the oxyhemoglobin remained unaltered in the pH range 4–9. At more extreme pH, it changed with time, altering irreversibly to that of the aquo ferri form. Gel filtration of the hemoglobin at both extremes of pH showed that it dissociated into two heme-containing fragments; one consisting of subunit 1 ( M r ~ 17,000) and the other containing subunits 2, 3, and 4 of the hemoglobin ( M r ~ 60,000). Upon return to neutral pH, the dissociated fragment reassociated to the extent of 50 to 80% to whole hemoglobin molecules. The reassociation decreased with increase in alkaline pH, and with decrease in acid pH to which the hemoglobin had been exposed; it increased in the presence of Ca(II), Sr(II), and Mg(II) only subsequent to dissociation at alkaline pH. The SDS-PAGE patterns, gel-filtration elution volumes, and α-helical contents, determined from circular dichroism at 222 nm, of the reassociated whole molecules were identical to those of the native hemoglobin.
Contemporary Outcomes in Vascular Patients Who Require Preoperative Coronary Stent

Background The documented risks of preoperative coronary revascularization prior to vascular surgery have led to a marked reduction in the role of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during preoperative risk stratification. However, many patients with peripheral arterial disease are first identified immediately after a PCI for an acute coronary syndrome. We sought to determine the risks associated with these patients who then go on to have a peripheral arterial intervention (open operation or endovascular procedure). We hypothesized that there was no difference in outcomes in patients whose medical condition required PCI with coronary stent placement prior to a vascular operation compared with a control cohort of nonstented patients who underwent a vascular operation alone. We report the vascular operative outcomes in a contemporary cohort of vascular patients who had PCI with coronary stent placement for an acute event. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort analysis, utilizing administrative data, of 3,678 vascular patients from 2005 to 2010 at a tertiary care hospital. Two groups were defined: patients with preoperative PCI and coronary stent placement within 1 year prior to vascular operation (N = 101, mean age 66 ± 1.22 years, 51.5% men); and patients with no PCI prior to vascular operation (N = 3,577, mean age 60 ± 0.27 years, 46.37% men). Cardiovascular risk factors and complications derived from ICD-9 codes were used to parse data after open peripheral vascular surgery, endovascular repair, or amputation. Primary outcomes were death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, major adverse cardiac event (MACE, defined as death, myocardial infarction, or subsequent coronary revascularization) or bleeding. Results Univariate analysis showed significant differences in both demographic and outcome analysis in patients with and without prior coronary stent. Patients with a recent PCI followed by a vascular procedure were more likely to undergo an endovascular procedure (75.3% vs. 64.5%, odds ratio = 1.67, P = 0.028). These patients also had 11 of 20 cardiovascular risk factors, significantly higher than in those without a prior PCI. Multivariate subgroup analysis indicated that patients with a prior coronary stent were more likely to have an episode of congestive heart failure (CHF) after 1 year of surgery (16.8%, P = 0.045). In addition, an acute cardiac ischemic event was more likely within 1 year (2.0%, P = 0.036) and beyond 1 year (4.0%, P = 0.022) of surgery. Importantly, there was no significant increase in death, myocardial infarction, MACE, or bleeding in patients with a preoperative coronary stent. Conclusions Patients who underwent PCI with coronary stent and then went on to require a vascular procedure had significantly more cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and were more likely to have an endovascular procedure than those patients without preoperative PCI. When controlling for CV risk factors and procedure type, there was no significant difference in death, MI, MACE, or bleeding complications between the groups.
A hyperasymptotic perturbative method for computing the radiation coefficient for weakly nonlocal solitary waves

We offer a new computational method to calculate the radiation coefficient α of a weakly nonlocal solitary wave in the limit that the amplitude e of the core of the structure tends to zero. (A weakly nonlocal solitary wave is a finite amplitude, nondissipative wave which decays to a sinusoidal oscillation of amplitude α at large distance from the core.) The multiple scales series for the solitary wave in powers of e is asymptotic but divergent. When truncated at optimal order ("superasymptotic" approximation), the series gives no information about the radiation coefficient α (except order-of-magnitude) because the absolute error is O(α). We describe two "hyperasymptotic" approximations which add a second, different asymptotic series to the multiple scales expansion so as to compute α itself. The zeroth order hyperasymptotic approximation has a relative error of O(e) in α; the sequence of approximations may be extrapolated to give the proportionality constant in the limiting asymptotic expression for α as e ⇒ 0. The first-order hyperasymptotic approximation has a relative error of only O(e2); its extrapolation gives the O(e) correction to the limit as e ⇒ 0.
Ultrawideband scattering from and the resonances of buried dielectric mines

A method of moments (MoM) analysis has been developed for the calculation of electromagnetic scattering from and the natural resonances of a dielectric body of revolution (BOR) embedded in a layered medium (the half-space problem constituting a special case). The layered-medium parameters can be lossy and dispersive, of interest for simulating soil. To make such an analysis tractable for ultra-wideband (short-pulse) applications and the calculation of natural resonances, we use the method of complex images to evaluate Sommerfeld-type integrals, characteristic of the dyadic Green's function of a layered medium. Example wideband scattering results as well as results for the fundamental natural resonant frequency are presented for a model plastic mine. Of special interest here is the influence of the background soil environment (e.g., water content, covering snow layer) on the ultra-wideband (UWB) scattering signature and the late-time resonances of plastic mines.
Singular solutions for shallow shells

Abstract Solutions are developed for non-axially symmetric shallow shells subjected to normal surface loading or thermal loading. The singular solutions which correspond to the concentrated normal load, the concentrated application of heat and the concentrated thermal gradient are identified by a consistent limiting process applied to the complete set of singular solutions. Numerical results are presented for the case of the normal concentrated load acting on shallow shells having negative, zero or positive Gaussian curvature. The behavior of the shallow shells in the neighborhood of the applied concentrated load is seen to be similar to that of a disc subjected to the same load. The influence of the concentrated load is felt over a wider region in shells of negative Gaussian curvature compared to shells of positive Gaussian curvature. However, for the case of the concentrated load, the stress and deflection parameters of the shell do not change dramatically as the Gaussian curvature of the shell is varied from positive to negative values.
The withholding of truth when counselling relatives of the critically ill: a rational defence

AbstractIn cases of sudden, life-threatening illness where the chance of survival appears negligible to the admitting physician, this opinion is not always revealed during the initial meeting with the patient's relatives. Reasons as to why this withholding of the truth may be acceptable are explored through review of available evidence and personal reflection. Factors identified include: the importance of hope in families' coping mechanisms, and the instinct to preserve it; the fallibility of physicians' perception of poor prognosis in the early phase of illness; the need to avoid large swings in relatives' expectations that occur when patients appear to rally during initial resuscitation; and the adverse effect that an atmosphere of hopelessness can have on the provision of medical care. A strategy for the staged disclosure of information and the confirmation of hopelessness is then described, the aim being to find a compromise between providing a true opinion about a patient's prognosis, and regard for ...
Mouse hematopoietic cell-targeted STAT3 deletion: stem/progenitor cell defects, mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS overproduction, and a rapid aging-like phenotype

Nuclear transcription factor Stat3 is important for proper regulation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) proliferation, survival, and cytokine signaling responses. A new, noncanonical role for Stat3 in mitochondrial function has been discovered recently. However, there is little information on the role(s) of mitochondrial Stat3 in HSC/HPC function, especially potential effects of Stat3/mitochondrial dysregulation in human diseases. We investigated hematopoietic cell–targeted deletion of the STAT3 gene in HSCs/HPCs with a focus on mitochondrial function. We found that STAT3−/− mice, which have a very shortened lifespan, dysfunctional/dysregulated mitochondrial function and excessive reactive oxygen species production in HSCs/HPCs that coincides with pronounced defects in function. These animals have a blood phenotype with similarities to premature aging and to human diseases of myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative neoplasms such as erythroid dysplasia, anemia, excessive myeloproliferation, and lymphomyeloid ratio shifts. We show herein that the lifespan of STAT3−/− animals is lengthened by treatment with a reactive oxygen species scavenger, which lessened the severity of the blood phenotype. These data suggest a need for more detailed studies of role(s) of Stat3 in HSC/HPC mitochondrial function in human diseases and raise the idea that mitochondrial Stat3 could be used as a potential therapeutic target.
THE CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF THE VIOLET ISOMER OF (⊘P)2[(CF3)2C2S2] RuCO

Abstract The crystal structure and the details of the molecular configuration of the violet isomer of (⊘3 P)2 [(CF3)2 C2 S2] -RuCO were established from three dimensional, single crystal, X-ray diffraction data. This isomer crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group D15 2h-Pbca, in a cell whose dimensions are: a = 22.394(8), b = 19.107(6) and c = 17.480(5)A. The measured and calculated densities are 1.56(2) and 1.56 gm-cm−3 and z = 8 molecules/ unit cell. The shape of the polyhedron of ligands around the central Ru atom is a square pyramid distorted principally by the fact that the Ru—C bond length is shorter than the four bonds to the nearly equidistant phosphorus and sulfur ligands. The dithiolene sulfur atoms occupy adjacent positions in the basal plane; the two triphenylphosphine ligands occupy a basal plane site and the unique axial position while the carbonyl carbon occupies the fourth basal plane site. The two Ru—S bond lengths are 2.298(3) and 2.287(3) A, while the two Ru—P distances are...
Tana River Mangabey Use of Nonforest Areas: Functional Connectivity in a Fragmented Landscape in Kenya

Habitat loss and fragmentation is a serious threat to biodiversity. Fragment isolation can be reduced if fragments are connected, either structurally through habitat corridors or functionally if the species can move through the surrounding matrix. One-way to evaluate landscape connectivity is to observe natural movements of animals within fragmented landscapes. The Tana River mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus) is an endangered monkey endemic to fragmented forests along the lower Tana River in Kenya, and who has been observed to move through matrix between fragments. One mangabey group moved through 1 km of matrix, while another group moved through two areas of matrix. I collected behavioral and ranging data on the latter group to describe its behavior and time spent in the matrix. Utilizing data from belt transects in the matrix and forest fragments, I characterized the vegetation structure of the matrix and compared it to the forests included in each group’s home range. The group spent the majority of their time eating while in the matrix, and spent an average 36.4 min in one matrix area and 100 min in the other. The matrix is generally characterized by the highest measures for a nonforest attribute and the lowest measures for forest attributes. These results suggest that forest fragments are functionally, but not structurally, connected for the mangabey; a landscape approach to conservation, therefore, should be taken for the lower Tana River. Research investigating the limitations of the mangabey’s ability to use the matrix is needed.
Stability of a compressible hydrous melt layer above the transition zone

Abstract Seismic and mineral physics structures suggest melt can be generated at the top of the transition zone. Because the melt phase is significantly more compressible than the solid phase, it is expected that a density crossover occurs with increasing pressure. Experimental studies suggest this crossover lies towards the base of the upper mantle. If the density crossover lies above the 410 km discontinuity, melt will collect and form a layer until such time as it reaches the crossover when part of it may become unstable. We investigate the stability of a compressible melt layer which intersects the density crossover. Analytic models of instabilities are used to determine the effects of compressibility and crossover location on instability growth rates. We find that increasing the compressibility increases growth rates due to the fact that rising perturbations expand and become more unstable as they rise. If the density crossover lies above a melt layer at the transition zone, perturbations must be large before becoming unstable, making it likely that the layer would remain. However, when the density crossover lies within the melt layer, all perturbations are unstable and they drain the melt layer completely unless diapiric separation occurs.
Disparities in Early Exposure to Book Sharing Within Immigrant Families

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the early developmental context of children in immigrant families (CIF), measured by the frequency with which parents share books with their children. METHODS: Trends in the frequency with which parents report book sharing, defined in this analysis as reading or sharing picture books with their young children, were analyzed across immigrant and nonimmigrant households by using data from the 2005, 2007, and 2009 California Health Interview Survey. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression assessed the likelihood that CIF shared books with parents daily. RESULTS: In this study, 57.5% of parents in immigrant families reported daily book sharing (DBS), compared with 75.8% of native-born parents. The lowest percentage of DBS was seen in Hispanic families with 2 foreign-born parents (47.1%). When controlling for independent variables, CIF with 2 foreign-born parents had the lowest odds of sharing books daily (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54–0.68). When stratified by race/ethnicity, separate multivariate logistic regressions revealed CIF status to be associated with lower odds of DBS for Asian (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.38–0.81) and Hispanic CIF (OR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.42–0.58). CONCLUSIONS: There is an association between the lower odds of DBS and parental immigrant status, especially for Hispanic and Asian children. This relationship holds after controlling for variables thought to explain differences in literacy-related practices, such as parental education and income. Because book sharing is central to children’s development of early literacy and language skills, this disparity merits further exploration with the aim of informing future interventions.
Comparison of Pheromone Application Rates, Point Source Densities, and Dispensing Methods for Mating Disruption of Tufted Apple Bud Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Small-plot (≈0.1 ha) studies were used to evaluate different pheromone dispensing systems, application rates, and point-source densities for mating disruption of the tufted apple bud moth, Platynota idaeusalis (Walker). Using polyvinyl chloride spirals impregnated with tufted apple bud moth pheromone (1:1 ratio of E11-tetradecenyl alcohol/E11-tetradecenyl acetate), pheromone rates of ≥1,482 spirals per hectare (74.1 g pheromone per hectare) were superior to a rate of 988 spirals per hectare (49.4 g pheromone per hectare) in decreasing male response to pheromone traps in 1995, whereas no differences were detected among rates of 988, 1,482 and 1,975 spirals per hectare in 1996. Within a range of 370–988 pheromone dispensers per hectare, point source densities were equally effective in suppressing male response to pheromone traps. Pheromone-impregnated paraffin disks were equally effective at inhibiting male response to pheromone traps compared with polyvinyl chloride spirals. However, a paraffin emulsion formulation of pheromone applied with a hand-held grease gun provided longer residual communication disruption effects than polyvinyl chloride spirals. Dilution of paraffin emulsion pheromone formulations in water for application with a backpack sprayer and airblast sprayer rendered them ineffective in reducing male response to pheromone traps. The releases of pheromone from polyvinyl chloride spirals and paraffin disks aged in the field were described by a linear and negative logarithmic curve, respectively, indicating that dispenser life time should be longer for spirals. The ratio of acetate to alcohol components of pheromone released from spirals increased over time, whereas the release ratio remained more constant for paraffin disks. This suggests that the disruption efficacy of spirals may be prematurely reduced because of imbalance of the released components.
Benefit Sharing for All?: Bioprospecting NGOs, Intellectual Property Rights, New Governmentalities

Michel Foucault's concept of governmentality has had an increasing influence on comparative inquiry into political economy in past decades. "Governmentality" denotes the complex types of power, in various forms, that are exerted over populations and that create regulations between people and things in order to establish security within and outside of the state. Up until at least World War II, the primary agency of governmentality was located in the state, in both national and international contexts. In the past couple of decades, a new agency has come on the scene: the non-governmental organization (NGO), principally an extra-statal and extranational institution.
A Comparison of Habitat Use and Demography of Red Squirrels at the Southern Edge of Their Range

Populations at the edge of their geographic range may demonstrate different population dynamics from central populations. Endangered Mt. Graham red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis), endemic to southeastern Arizona, represent the southernmost red squirrel population and are found at lower densities than conspecifics in the center of the range. To determine if differences are due to conditions at the southern periphery of the range, we compared habitat characteristics, demography, body mass, space use and nesting behavior with another subspecies located at the southern edge of the range, the Mogollon red squirrel (T. h. mogollonensis). We found that mean and minimum daily temperatures were higher at Mt. Graham whereas maximum temperatures were higher in the White Mountains, male Mogollon red squirrels were heavier than male Mt. Graham red squirrels in all seasons and female Mogollon red squirrels were slightly heavier than female Mt. Graham red squirrels in spring, proportion of squirrels in reproductive condition was lower in female Mogollon red squirrels, Mogollon red squirrels had smaller home ranges, used different types of nests and traveled less distance to nest than Mt. Graham red squirrels. There were no differences in annual rainfall, seedfall, habitat characteristics or survival between mountain ranges. Localized conditions appear to account for the disparity between populations. These differences demonstrate the importance of evaluating attributes of peripheral populations for maximizing persistence and intraspecific diversity.
Social Influences on Inequity Aversion in Children

Adults and children are willing to sacrifice personal gain to avoid both disadvantageous and advantageous inequity. These two forms of inequity aversion follow different developmental trajectories, with disadvantageous inequity aversion emerging around 4 years and advantageous inequity aversion emerging around 8 years. Although inequity aversion is assumed to be specific to situations where resources are distributed among individuals, the role of social context has not been tested in children. Here, we investigated the influence of two aspects of social context on inequity aversion in 4- to 9-year-old children: (1) the role of the experimenter distributing rewards and (2) the presence of a peer with whom rewards could be shared. Experiment 1 showed that children rejected inequity at the same rate, regardless of whether the experimenter had control over reward allocations. This indicates that children’s decisions are based upon reward allocations between themselves and a peer and are not attempts to elicit more favorable distributions from the experimenter. Experiment 2 compared rejections of unequal reward allocations in children interacting with or without a peer partner. When faced with a disadvantageous distribution, children frequently rejected a smaller reward when a larger reward was visible, even if no partner would obtain the larger reward. This suggests that nonsocial factors partly explain disadvantageous inequity rejections. However, rejections of disadvantageous distributions were higher when the larger amount would go to a peer, indicating that social context enhances disadvantageous inequity aversion. By contrast, children rejected advantageous distributions almost exclusively in the social context. Therefore, advantageous inequity aversion appears to be genuinely social, highlighting its potential relevance for the development of fairness concerns. By comparing social and nonsocial factors, this study provides a detailed picture of the expression of inequity aversion in human ontogeny and raises questions about the function and evolution of inequity aversion in humans.
Changing models of biomedical research.

Thanks to the revolutions in information technology, human “-omics” research, and intricate medical device development, academic health centers (AHCs) now have an unparalleled potential to become translational engines that both generate basic science advances and then translate them into human studies and, ultimately, into improved health care. However, AHC infrastructures have traditionally been optimized to foster basic research. Now modifications must be made to meet these expanded roles of AHCs, from providing fundamental biomedical insights to first-in-human interventions and, if warranted, to larger randomized clinical trials. Eventually, AHCs must integrate these improved treatments into patient care. Challenges to this process have been defined by the Institute of Medicine. Building the appropriate infrastructures for human investigation and stabilizing the careers of young physicians essential to these translational events have become critical needs that will require systemic investments if AHCs are to respond to these biological revolutions and fulfill their promise.
THE EVOLUTION OF ANCIENT MAYA EXCHANGE SYSTEMS: AN ETYMOLOGICAL STUDY OF ECONOMIC VOCABULARY IN THE MAYAN LANGUAGE FAMILY

This article presents a cultural reconstruction of ancient Maya economic development derived through etymological study of exchange-related terms in Mayan languages. It applies the results of historical linguistic analysis to archaeological and epigraphic data in order to gain insight into Maya economic prehistory. Cognitive spheres examined include generalized exchange, reciprocation, appropriation and vertical transfers of goods and labor, open commerce, and material valuables. Among the most poignant implications of the results are the antiquity of commerce and its rather extended evolutionary trajectory. Indicators of intense commercialization, however, are few and rather late. Widespread recognition of several elements of the diverse complex of Contact period Mesoamerican valuables can be traced only to the latter part of the Late Formative period or afterward. Evidence of formalized market systems—specifically linking commerce to towns and architectural plazas—appears only late in the Classic period. Terms associated with the hierarchical appropriation of goods and labor appear earlier and are more persistent and stable over time. In particular, there is a single widespread root for tribute obligation apparently subsuming tax, plunder, and work debt all under a single term, as well as evidence for the great antiquity of formalized servitude. Finally, various forms of general reciprocity and gifting are, as might be expected, shown to be of great diversity, complexity, and antiquity. In the course of analysis, several recent models of Mayan language interaction and diversification are examined and evaluated, and a slightly revised linguistic chronology is suggested that better reconciles linguistic data with archaeological facts as they are currently known. The results also have interesting implications for proto-Mayan geographical origins.
Long-Term Immunity to Lethal Acute or Chronic Type II Toxoplasma gondii Infection Is Effectively Induced in Genetically Susceptible C57BL/6 Mice by Immunization with an Attenuated Type I Vaccine Strain

C57BL/6 (B6) mice are genetically highly susceptible to chronic type II Toxoplasma gondii infections that invariably cause lethal toxoplasmic encephalitis. We examined the ability of an attenuated type I vaccine strain to elicit long-term immunity to lethal acute or chronic type II infections in susceptible B6 mice. Mice immunized with the type I cps1-1 vaccine strain were not susceptible to a lethal (100-cyst) challenge with the type II strain ME49. Immunized mice challenged with 10 ME49 cysts exhibited significant reductions in brain cyst and parasite burdens compared to naive mice, regardless of the route of challenge infection. Remarkably, cps1-1 strain-immunized B6 mice chronically infected with ME49 survived for at least 12 months without succumbing to the chronic infection. Potent immunity to type II challenge infections persisted for at least 10 months after vaccination. While the cps1-1 strain-elicited immunity did not prevent the establishment of a chronic infection or clear established brain cysts, cps1-1 strain-elicited CD8+ immune T cells significantly inhibited recrudescence of brain cysts during chronic ME49 infection. In addition, we show that uracil starvation of the cps1-1 strain induces early markers of bradyzoite differentiation. Collectively, these results suggest that more effective immune control of chronic type II infection in the genetically susceptible B6 background is established by vaccination with the nonreplicating type I uracil auxotroph cps1-1 strain.
Advances in Genosensor Research

Microfabricated devices containing arrays of nucleic acid hybridization sites, known as genosensors, are being developed for a variety of uses in genomic analysis. A great deal of the overall genosensor development effort involves optimization of experimental conditions in the actual use of genosensors. Here we describe a "low-tech" form of genosensor technology, involving arrays of oligonucleotides on glass microscope slides, which can be used to define optimal operating conditions and to develop applications of hybridization arrays in genome mapping and sequencing. In addition, we describe a porous silicon genosensor, which can be operated in a flowthrough mode, and discuss its advantages over current flat-surface designs. Porous silicon genosensors containing arrays of DNA fragments offer several unique capabilities in genome analysis.
Design of ultra high density and low power computational blocks using nano-magnets

All Spin Logic (ASL) employs multiple nano-magnets interacting through spin-torque using metallic interconnect. ASL gates, being magneto-metallic, can operate at ultra low terminal voltage of few millivolts, and hence can be exploited for low power computation. Since, nano-magnets can preserve their state upon withdrawal of supply voltage, ASL can be pipelined for higher performance, without insertion of extra latches. However, pipelining requires the use of clocked CMOS transistors, which significantly increase the required supply voltage. In this work we analyse the design of an 8-bit, pipelined ASL multiplier, integrated with CMOS clocking circuitry. We propose a design scheme for 3-D ASL, which involves stacking of multiple ASL layers that are clocked using the same CMOS transistors. Stacking of N ASL layers using the proposed scheme can enhance the power saving as well as area density by factor of N. The proposed design scheme for magneto-metallic computational blocks can achieve more than two order of magnitude higher density and 10x lower power consumption as compared to 15nm CMOS design.
The Production Of Heavy Water By Photodesorption

AbstractResearch from all over the globe has recently brought attention to the laser as a tool for isotope en- richment. So far the main thrust of this effort has been toward uranium enrichment; however, numerous suc-cesses in other areas have been demonstrated. Isotopes of boron, sulfur, chlorine, and carbon have been separated. A new technique is proposed for laser isotope enrichment. The technique, referred to as photodesorption,involves selective isotopic excitation of molecules adsorbed on a surface such that an evichment resultsfrom subsequent physical or chemical events undergone by the excited molecules. The specific processes ofconcern here are the physical photodesorption enrichment of heavy water from light water and tritiated waterfrom heavy water. The ability to work directly with water molecules has significant advantages for a com-mercial process.A photodesorption enrichment process has been formulated and some analyses have been performed. This process is described and some preliminary cost estimates are made which assume successful accomplishment ofthe major R D(1,2)however, only recently have isotopic separations, based on laser- induced photochemical and photophysicalexcitation been demonstrated. The excitations are possible because the frequencies of the lines in thespectrum are generally unique for most isotopes. Successful separation has generally employed tle7isotop-ically specific absorption of narrow band radiation by one isotopic species in the vapor state. (
An adaptive window-based susceptance extraction and its efficient implementation

The determination of the set (or window) of segments that are inductively coupled to a significant degree with a given segment plays a fundamental role in window-based techniques for the extraction of the susceptance of interconnect structures. We present a measure that quantifies the degree of coupling between segments in a window, thereby paving the way for an adaptive scheme for determining the coupling window associated with each segment. This measure has the properties that: (i) it is well-correlated with the simulation error that is inherent in window-based susceptance extraction techniques, and (ii) it can be computed efficiently using incremental and computation reuse techniques.
Cytological study of an X-autosome translocation in Mus musculus.

Earlier genetic studies on this stock of mice with an X-autosome translocation revealed that wild-type alleles of pink-eye and chinchilla of linkage group I have
Edgar Huntly and the Regulation of the Senses

Controversy over Freudian approaches to Charles Brockden Brown's Edgar Huntly (1799) has obscured the novel's sensory politics. Psychoanalytic readers like Leslie Fiedler, in Love and Death in the American Novel (1960), discovered in Brown's novel a striking confirmation of their theories because they were looking at a text in dialogue with psychoanalysis's antecedents. By recovering these antecedents, the essay shows that states of insensibility like sleepwalking-which Fiedler takes as figures for the unconscious-in fact had social and political meanings that even postcolonial critiques of psychoanalytic readings have tended to miss. Psychoanalysis has its roots in animal magnetism, or mesmerism, a practice of mental healing that in Brown's day presented "magnetic somnambulists" who entered a semiconscious state identical to natural sleepwalking. In this state, they had privileged access to knowledge, just as Clithero does in Edgar Huntly. By treating somnambulists as knowing figures, Brown's novel, and animal magnetism itself, transvalued an eighteenth-century sensory pathology: insensibility. In a period when the ability to produce public knowledge and even to claim to be human flowed from having the right kind of nervous sensitivity, being called insensible-sensorially deficient- was a serious charge: it meant having one's experiences discarded as fantasy or blankness. Treating insensible somnambulists as epistemically valuable rebuts the charge of blankness that clung to insensibility, as well as the social marginalization this charge portended for idiots, hysterics, and the sensorially disabled-a promising gesture that, in Edgar Huntly, finally runs aground in race.
Application of nontargeted metabolite profiling to discover novel markers of quality traits in an advanced population of malting barley

Abstract The process of breeding superior varieties for the agricultural industry is lengthy and expensive. Plant metabolites may act as markers of quality traits, potentially expediting the appraisal of experimental lines during breeding. Here, we evaluated the utility of metabolites as markers by assessing metabolic variation influenced by genetic and environmental factors in an advanced breeding setting and in relation to the phenotypic distribution of 20 quality traits. Nontargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolite profiling was performed on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain and malt from 72 advanced malting barley lines grown at two distinct but climatically similar locations, with 2-row and 6-row barley as the main genetic factors. 27 420 molecular features were detected, and the metabolite and quality trait profiles were similarly influenced by genotype and environment; however, malt was more influenced by genotype compared with barley. An O2PLS model characterized molecular features and quality traits that covaried, and 1319 features associated with at least one of 20 quality traits. An indiscriminant MS/MS acquisition and novel data analysis method facilitated the identification of metabolites. The analysis described 216 primary and secondary metabolites that correlated with multiple quality traits and included amines, amino acids, alkaloids, polyphenolics and lipids. The mechanisms governing quality trait-metabolite associations were interpreted based on colocalization to genetic markers and their gene annotations. The results of this study support the hypothesis that metabolism and quality traits are co-influenced by relatively narrow genetic and environmental factors and illustrate the utility of grain metabolites as functional markers of quality traits.
Dynamic analysis of supervisory controllers: a timed Petri net approach

In this study, we consider a system with two processes (A,B) sharing a single resource. Through out the study we assume that each box consists of a single transition, and processes A and B work in a cyclic manner according to the temporal constraints. An ordinary timed Petri net is introduced, which demonstrates both conflicts and concurrency. The objective of this study is to describe the dynamics of the system when there is no conflict and focus on the natural sequence. We then analyse the situation when the conflict is introduced into the system. >
Computer Applications in Penicillium and Aspergillus Systematics

Computer technology is having an impact on several major areas of concern to Penicillium and Aspergillus systematists. Use of Database Management Systems and other computer programs is allowing curators of culture collections to readily obtain and distribute information on strains, species and other taxa. Numeric classification systems require computers to analyse the empirical data on which they are based. Computers are also being used in fungal identification systems. The need for a multiuser database system for Penicillium and Aspergillus systematics is discussed.
Biodegradability Study on Cotton and Polyester Fabrics

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the biodegradability of fabrics in laboratory and large scale composting environments. Cotton jersey fabrics with three levels of finishing trea...
Countermeasure technique to combat greedy behavior in ad-hoc wireless networks

Greedy users deviate from the IEEE 802.11 Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) standards to unfairly increase their shares of the bandwidth on the expense of other standard-abiding users. The greedy behavior is implemented by modifying the firmware of the network interface card to manipulate the back-off timer. This paper presents a methodology using non cooperative game theory to formulate a countermeasure technique to combat the greedy behavior in ad-hoc networks using proactive routing protocol. The effect of the greedy attack on the Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) is evaluated to show the impact of the greedy behavior on the other nodes inside the network. The greedy node attempts to maximize its share of the bandwidth to increase data rate transmitted and to reduce its buffer queues and the need of retransmitting packets due to the unavailability of the bandwidth which will save resources (power and CPU processing) for the greedy node. The algorithm consists of three stages, first is to detect and identify the greedy node, then the greedy node will be temporarily isolated in the second stage. In the third stage, the greedy node will be given a second chance to join the group given that it will follow the standards. The game theory approach will consider all players (nodes) are rationale which will enable each node to review its past decisions and outcomes before making new decision.
Pharmacologic management of aggression and violence.

The author discusses the differential diagnosis of violent and aggressive behavior, traditional and alternative treatments and OBRA-90 legislation. Language: en
Effects of Temperature, Humidity, and Age on Stridulatory Rates in Atlanticus spp. (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Decticinae)

In Atlanticus gibbosus Scudder the wing-cycle rate during stridulation is a linear function of temperature: ŷ = 1.35 T — 9.56 (T = °C; r2 = .99). In A. dorsalis (Burmeister) the tooth-strike rate during stridulation can be described approximately as either a linear or an exponential function of temperature: ŷ = 33.55 T — 268.32 (r2 = .96) or Ln ŷ = .065 T + 4.523 ( r2 = .96). Humidity and aging had statistically significant but ecologically unimportant effects on stridulatory rates. In A. gibbosus the wing-cycle rate at low humidities (25±5% RH) was reduced to the extent expected from 0.7°C evaporative cooling. In A. dorsalis aging beyond ecological life expectancy caused an increase in tooth-strike rate and the occurrence of gaps in the tooth-strike sequence.
How the Urban West was Won The Local State and Economic Growth in Los Angeles, 1880-1932

The author examines early Los Angeles's transition from an essentially entrepreneurial growth regime (1880-1906) to a more state-centered growth regime (1906-1932). The analysis highlights the role...
Julio Roca and Carlos Pellegrini: An Expedient Partnership

During the second half of the nineteenth century Argentina was transformed from a sparsely populated, backward, and disunited community of provinces into a nation along European lines. The demands for economic development, a larger and better educated population, and the centralization of the state on a constitutional and legal basis were the greatest problems its leaders would have to face. Chief among constitutional hurdles was the hostility between the forces demanding autonomy for the province of Buenos Aires led by Adolfo Alsina ( Partido Autonomista ) and those representing national unity ( Partido Nacionalista ) following Bartolome Mitre, the first president of a united Argentina (1862-68).
Adult attachment, stress, and romantic relationships

In this article, we discuss theory and research on how individuals who have insecure adult romantic attachment orientations typically think, feel, and behave when they or their romantic partners encounter certain types of chronic or acute stress. We first review basic principles of attachment theory and then discuss how two forms of attachment insecurity-anxiety and avoidance-are associated with unique patterns of emotion regulation in response to certain types of threatening/distressing situations. We then discuss a diathesis-stress process model that has guided our research, highlighting studies that provide support for certain pathways of the model.
Disentangling fragmentation effects on herbivory in understory plants of longleaf pine savanna

Habitat fragmentation affects species and their interactions through intertwined mechanisms that include changes to fragment area, shape, connectivity and distance to edge. Disentangling these pathways is a fundamental challenge of landscape ecology and will help identify ecological processes important for management of rare species or restoration of fragmented habitats. In a landscape experiment that manipulated connectivity, fragment shape, and distance to edge while holding fragment area constant, we examined how fragmentation impacts herbivory and growth of nine plant species in longleaf pine savanna. Probability of herbivory in open habitat was strongly dependent on proximity to forest edge for every species, increasing with distance to edge in six species (primarily grasses and annual forbs) and decreasing in three species (perennial forbs and a shrub). In the two species of perennial forbs, these edge effects were dependent on fragment shape; herbivory strongly decreased with distance to edge in fragments of two shapes, but not in a third shape. For most species, however, probability of herbivory was unrelated to connectivity or fragment shape. Growth was generally determined more strongly by leaf herbivory than by distance to edge, fragment shape, or connectivity. Taken together, these results demonstrate consistently strong edge effects on herbivory, one of the most important biotic factors determining plant growth and demography. Our results contrast with the generally inconsistent results of observational studies, likely because our experimental approach enabled us to tease apart landscape processes that are typically confounded.