cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Mixed Stability Program for Quasi-Geostrophic Ocean Currents

Abstract A simple, two-layer, quasi-geostrophic model is used to investigate the stability of baroclinic currents confined to a finite length scale L in a basin of considerably larger dimension (4L). The current distributions studied are typical of oceanic boundary currents and of certain oceanic and atmospheric eddies. The sharp shear zone which couples the relativity broad interior portion of the current to the resting ocean makes it possible for instabilities to arise which can get their energy either from the available potential energy of the tilted interface or from the basic zonal kinetic energy of the current. In a two-layer inviscid ocean of density contrast Δρ on an f-plane, and with a flat bottom, the two parameters governing the stability of a given current are the internal Froude number F=ρf2L2(gΔρH)−1 and the layer depth ratio δ=Htop/Hbottom. The stability calculations show that these finite-width currents can be stable for intermediate values of F if δ is small enough. For moderate δ (0.2 to...
Transformation of Aminoacyl tRNAs for the In Vitro Selection of “Drug-like” Molecules

Evolutionary approaches are regularly used to isolate single molecules with desired activities from large populations of nucleic acids (approximately 10(15)). Several methods have also been developed to generate libraries of mRNA-encoded peptides and proteins for the in vitro selection of functional polypeptides. In principal, such mRNA encoding systems could be used with libraries of nonbiological polymers if the ribosome can be directed to polymerize tRNAs carrying unnatural amino acids. The fundamental problem is that current chemical aminoacylation systems cannot easily produce sufficient amounts of the numerous misacylated tRNAs required to synthesize a complex library of encoded polymers. Here, we show that bulk-aminoacylated tRNA can be transformed into N-monomethylated aminoacyl tRNA and translated. Because poly-N-methyl peptide backbones are refractory to proteases and are membrane permeable, our method provides an uncomplicated means of evolving novel drug candidates.
Alcohol use among Mexican American U.S.-Mexico border residents: differences between those who drink and who do not drink in Mexico.

Abstract The predominately Hispanic U.S.–Mexico border population is at an elevated risk for drinking and associated problems due to the area's low SES, poor services infrastructure, and drug-related violence. Among Mexican American residents, recent studies suggest this risk is particularly pronounced among younger age groups, and a key characteristic of this elevated risk involves crossing the border to drink in Mexico (where the legal drinking age is 18). However, few studies have compared the drinking behavior of U.S. residents who consume alcohol on the Mexico side of the border with those who do not. We address this gap in the present study. A multistage household probability sample of 1307 Mexican American border residents was interviewed about their drinking and associated problems over the past year. The survey response rate was 67%. Among current drinkers who reported going to Mexico in the past 12 months (N = 468), 36.1% reported consuming alcohol in Mexico. Those who drank in Mexico reported significantly more drinks per week (12.8 versus 8.7, p
Parison formation and inflation behavior of polyamide‐6 during extrusion blow molding

Parison formation and inflation behavior of three polyamide 6 resins during extrusion blow molding were investigated using cinematography, a transparent mold, a pinch-off mold and a modified blow pin, which allowed the pressure inside the parison to be determined during inflation. The glass fiber filled polyamide exhibited negligible extrudate swell and significant drawdown, whereas polyolefin modified polyamide exhibited appreciable extrudate swell and relatively small drawdown effects. The inflation behavior of the polyolefin modified polyamide was similar to the behavior of conventional blow molding grade polyolefins, whereas the unmodified and glass filled polyamides exhibited different inflation characteristics. Their inflation behavior at different internal pressures was characterized by decreasing and increasing Hencky strain rates with inflation time at high and low internal blow pressures, respectively. The characterized parison formation and inflation behavior of the polyamides emphasize the importance of rigorous blow moldability experiments and the difficulties associated with linking various rheological material functions to the blow moldability of modified polyamides.
Site of covalent attachment of alpha-scorpion toxin derivatives in domain I of the sodium channel alpha subunit

Abstract Purified and reconstituted sodium channels from rat brain have been photoaffinity labeled with a photoactivable derivative of the alpha-scorpion toxin V from Leiurus quinquestriatus (LqTx). A battery of sequence-specific antibodies has been used to determine which of the peptides produced by chemical and enzymatic cleavage of the photolabeled sodium-channel alpha subunit contain covalently attached LqTx. Nearly all of the covalently attached LqTx is found within homologous domain I. Two site-directed antisera, which recognize residues 317 to 335 and residues 382 to 400, respectively, specifically immunoprecipitate a 14-kDa peptide produced by CNBr digestion to which LqTx is covalently attached. It is proposed that a portion of the receptor site for alpha-scorpion toxins is formed by peptide segment(s) between amino acid residues 335 and 378 which is located in an extracellular loop between transmembrane helices S5 and S6 of homologous domain I of the sodium channel alpha subunit.
Robbit antisera to human B cell alloantigens: Effects on the mixed lymphocyte response

Abstract Antisera were produced in rabbits to two glycoproteins (31,000 MW and 23,000 MW by SDS-gel electrophoresis) isolated from papain digests of membranes from a human B lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL). After minimal absorption with a T LCL the antisera reacted with two glycoproteins (35,000 MW and 27,000 MW) present in detergent-solubilized membranes from human B LCLs. The immunizing molecules are proposed to have arisen by proteolysis of the intact molecules in the detergent-solubilized membranes. The glycoproteins were detectable on human B LCLs and macrophages, but absent from T LCLs and fibroblasts. The molecules were identified as B cell alloantigens by their reactivity with alloantisera specific for human B cells. The rabbit antisera reacted with peripheral blood B lymphocytes, but not with T lymphocytes, platelets or erythrocytes. Pretreatment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the rabbit antisera in a uni- or bidirectional mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) rendered them unable to stimulate, but they were able to respond. Addition of the antisera at various intervals during the MLR to block continuous stimulation indicated that cells were activated at different times. The presence of an F(ab′) 2 or Fab′ preparation of the antisera throughout the MLR did not inhibit the response at the concentrations tested. Further experiments suggest that, while a responding lymphocyte can replicate several times without restimulation, there is a delay between commitment to and commencement of division.
National Cholesterol Month

In this issue of ATVB , there is a special collection of articles in recognition of National Cholesterol Month. As Brown and Goldstein noted in 1985 in their Nobel Prize lecture (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1985/brown-goldstein-lecture.pdf), “Cholesterol is the most highly decorated small molecule in biology. Thirteen Nobel Prizes have been awarded to …
Designing a Product Package Platform

An essential part of designing a successful product family is establishing a recognizable, familiar, product family identity. It is very often the case that consumers first identify products based on their physical embodiment. The Apple iPod, DeWalt power tools, and KitchenAid appliances are all examples of product families that have successfully branded themselves based on physical principles. While physical branding is often the first trait apparent to designers, there are some products that cannot be differentiated based on physical appearance. This is especially common for consumable products. For example, it is impossible to differentiate between diet Coke, Classic Coke, and Pepsi when each is poured into separate glasses. When differentiation is difficult to achieve from a product’s physical characteristics, the product’s package becomes a vital part of establishing branding and communicating membership to a product family while maintaining individual product identity. In this paper, product packaging is investigated with a focus on the graphic packaging components that identify product families. These components include: color, shape, typography, and imagery. Through the application of tools used in facilities layout planning, graph theory, social network theory, and display design theory an approach to determine an optimal arrangement of graphic components is achieved. This approach is validated using a web based survey that tracks user-package interactions across a range of commonly used cereal boxes.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The Effect of Inhomogeneous Plastic Deformation on the Ductility and Fracture Behavior of Age Hardenable Aluminum Alloys

Abstract : The role of alloy composition, grain structure, precipitate microstructure, and precipitate dislocation interactions on the plastic deformation characteristics and the resulting fracture behavior of two isotropic Al Li Cu X alloys designated AF/C-458 (1.8 w/o Li) and AF/C- 489 (2.1 w/o Li) was examined. Inhomogeneous deformation due to strain localization from the shearing of the delta (Al3Li), theta (Al2Cu), and Tau (sub 1) (Al2CuLi) precipitates lead to fine and coarse planar slip for the AF/C-458 and AF/C-489 alloys, respectively. The intensity of this planar slip was predicted through slip intensity calculations using precipitate density measurements, dislocation particle interactions, and grain boundary misorientation-slip continuity statistics. The slip intensity predictions were corroborated through atomic force microscopy (AFM) measured slip height offsets on the polished surface of single aged and 2% plastically strained tensile samples. Our results suggest that the low ductility of AF/C-489 in comparison to AF/C-458 is primarily due to the much larger slip lengths, i.e. grain size, which increased the strain localization and stress concentrations on grain boundaries, thus promoting low-energy intergranular fracture.
Separation of plasma carotenoids and quantitation of β-carotene using HPLC

Abstract A method was developed for the extraction and separation of human plasma carotenoids and quantitation of β-carotene. Carotenoids were extracted from plasma with ethanol : hexane and separated by C 18 reversed phase HPLC using spherical 3 μm packing. beta-Carotene was identified and quantitated using an external standard. The within-run precision of three different plasma pools ranged from 3.53–5.72% relative standard deviation (RSD). The between-run precision was 7.34% RSD. The method was linear to 500 μg/l with a statistical detection limit of 3.80 μg/l. Recovery of added β-carotene was from 90.41–100.37%. This method was compared to a spectrophotometric ‘total carotene’ method. The mean plasma concentrations of 25 male and 25 female human volunteers for the ‘total carotene’ were 1549 μg/l for all samples, 1487 μg/l for males and 1611 μg/l for females. The corresponding true β-carotene concentrations obtained by HPLC analysis were 134.8, 115.9 and 153.7 μg/l, respectively. The true β-carotene concentrations were on the average only 8.76% (8.07% for males and 9.46% for females) of the concentrations obtained by the spectrophotometric ‘total carotene’ method. Correlation between the methods had an r = 0.6107. The poor correlation is due to the difference in the measured components. Total carotene methods measure all solvent extractable moieties having absorbance in the 430–460 nm region, while the HPLC method quantitates true β-carotene after chromatographic separation from other carotenoids. Reference intervals were established for plasma β-carotene using REFVAL, an IFCC computer program for determining statistical reference intervals. The reference interval for all samples is 40 to 344 μg/l.
Developing Dictyostelium discoideum cells contain two distinct acid hydrolase-containing vesicles.

Abstract Two distinct populations of acid hydrolase-containing vesicles have been found in devloping Dictyostelium discoideum cells. Percoll gradient centrifugation revealed these vesicle populations have densities of 1.07 and 1.13 g/ml. The 1.13 g/ml vesicle populations arose during the aggregation stage of differentiation. Although both vesicle populations contained an array of acid hydrolases, they could be shown to differ by several criteria. Electron micrographs of prespore cells showed they contained two types of vesicles with distinct acid phosphatase-staining patterns. One of these vesicle types appeared identical to the lysosomes found in vegetative cells. The second vesicle type had a morphology similar to that of a previously identified organelle, the prespore vesicle. The prespore vesicle is known to contain spore coat proteins which are exocytosed during the final stages of spore differentiation. The higher density acid hydrolase-containing vesicle population was found to contain spore coat proteins. Electron micrographs of the higher density vesicle population showed the presence of acid phosphatase-staining vesicles with a morphology similar to that of prespore vesicles. These data suggest that the higher density acid hydrolase-containing vesicles represent a subpopulation of lysosomes which appear during development and which may be identical to prespore vesicles.
Effect of nutrient medium pH on symbiotic nitrogen fixation byRhizobium leguminosarum andPisum sativum

Experiments were performed to measure the pH-sensitive steps in nodulation and symbiotic fixation byPisum sativum and isolate RP-212-1 ofRhizobium leguminosarum. An aeroponic system with rigorous pH control was used to obtain numerous effective nodules. After exposure to various pH levels, the following responses were measured: (1) legume root growth and development, (2) survival and growth rate of a single effective bacterial isolate, (3) degree of nodulation, (4) rate of nitrogen fixation, (5) plant biomass, and (6) nitrogen content of plants. Both bacterial growth and root development were adequate at all pH levels from 4.4 to 6.6, but efficient nodulation and nitrogen fixation did not occur at pH 4.8 and below. The processes required for symbiosis were about 10 times as sensitive to acidity as either bacterial growth or root growth alone. Nodulation was the most acid-sensitive step.
Mechanism of Lithium Diisopropylamide-Mediated Ortholithiation of 1,4-bis(Trifluoromethyl)benzene under Nonequilibrium Conditions: Condition-Dependent Rate Limitation and Lithium Chloride-Catalyzed Inhibition

Lithiation of 1,4-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzene with lithium diisopropylamide in tetrahydrofuran at −78 °C occurs under conditions at which the rates of aggregate exchanges are comparable to the rates of metalation. Under such nonequilibrium conditions, a substantial number of barriers compete to be rate limiting, making the reaction sensitive to trace impurities (LiCl), reactant concentrations, and isotopic substitution. Rate studies using the perdeuterated arene reveal odd effects of LiCl, including catalyzed rate acceleration at lower temperature and catalyzed rate inhibition at higher temperatures. The catalytic effects are accompanied by corresponding changes in the rate law. A kinetic model is presented that captures the critical features of the LiCl catalysis, focusing on the influence of LiCl-catalyzed re-aggregation of the fleeting monomer that can reside above, at, or below the equilibrium population without catalyst.
The Civic Mission of a Federal Agency in the Age of Networked Governance: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been engaged in a process of organizational learning to build civic capacity for nearly 4 decades, in effect discovering its civic mission. This article examines how EPA has increasingly become a more effective enabler of democratic network governance in the watershed arena and has developed ambitious cross-media initiatives to help transform the culture of the agency. Its very progress, however, highlights significant challenges that the agency must address.
Is upper extremity trauma an independent risk factor for lower extremity venous thromboembolism? An 11-year experience at a Level I trauma center

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important problem in orthopedic trauma patients. An association between VTE and upper extremity injury has not been reported. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether upper extremity trauma is an independent risk factor for lower extremity VTE. This study also attempted to identify associations between VTEs and demographic and injury variables in patients that sustained upper extremity trauma. Eleven years of data from the trauma registry at our Level I trauma center was retrospectively reviewed in an injury-matched cohort study. From an initial pool of 646 patients who sustained upper extremity trauma, 32 subjects (4.95%) were identified as having major upper extremity injuries as well as thromboembolic complications. Thirty-two injury-matched controls were randomly selected from the 646 patients with major upper extremity injuries. Regression analysis was performed to determine variables that were significantly associated with lower extremity thromboembolic complications. Overall incidence of VTE in patients sustaining upper extremity injury was 4.95% (deep vein thrombus 4.64%, pulmonary embolism 0.31%) and was similar to the 4.95% VTE rate in patients without upper extremity injury. Major head injury (p = 0.022) occurred at increased frequency in the VTE group. Patients with increased length of hospital stay (p < 0.001) and length of time on a ventilator (p = 0.002) were at significantly higher risk for thromboembolic complications. No patient with isolated upper extremity trauma had complications from VTE. Lower extremity VTE occurs at similar rates in patients sustaining upper extremity injury compared to those patients that do not. Major upper extremity orthopedic trauma is not an independent risk factor for lower extremity VTE, and current clinical management guidelines for VTE prophylaxis are adequate for patients sustaining major upper extremity trauma.
TNF-mediated cytotoxicity and resistance in human prostate cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND The contribution of TNF receptor (TNF-R) expression was investigated with respect to TNF sensitivity or insensitivity for androgen-dependent and androgen-independent human prostate cancer (PCA) cell lines, respectively. METHODS Flow cytometric analyses using monoclonal antibodies against the 55-kDa receptor (TNF-R1) and the 75-kDa receptor (TNF-R2) indicated that both receptors were expressed on all three cell lines. RESULTS Moreover, expression of TNF-R1 was greater than expression of TNF-R2 in these PCA cells. All three PCA cell lines produced IL-6. However, IL-6 production was enhanced when TNF-insensitive JCA-1 and PC-3 cells, but not TNF-sensitive LNCaP cells, were treated with rTNF (10−9 M). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the lack of an antiproliferative effect of rTNF on the androgen-independent PCA cell lines PC-3 and JCA-1 is not due to the failure of these cells to express TNF-R, but may be related to the differences in TNF-mediated IL-6 expression by these PCA cell lines. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Structural phase stability in lithium to ultrahigh pressures.

The relative phase stabilities of the fcc, bcc, and hcp structures for Li are studied up to a compression of 100 by the linear muffin-tin-orbitals method. We make the first theoretical study of phase stability for Li that includes the hcp phase above 350 kbar and find a new high-pressure hcp phase to be stable between 5.4 and 26 Mbar. This phase results from a 2s-to-2p electronic transition that induces a series of phase transitions (fcc\ensuremath{\rightarrow}hcp\ensuremath{\rightarrow}bcc) in the ultrahigh-pressure range of 5.4lPl26 Mbar. Above 26 Mbar, the relatively open bcc structure remains the most stable phase up to the highest pressures that were examined (1000 Mbar). At low pressures, the two close-packed structures (fcc and hcp) are found to be favored over the bcc structure, which contradicts a recent calculation showing bcc stability at zero pressure.
Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency: masked multimodal imaging assessment

Background:Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) was implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS).Objective:We evaluated neurosonography (NS), magnetic resonance venography (MRV), and transluminal venography (TLV) in subsets of MS patients drawn from a single-center, prospective, case-control study of 206 MS and 70 non-MS volunteers.Methods:As previously reported, findings on high-resolution B-mode NS imaging with color and spectral Doppler of the extracranial and intracranial venous drainage consistent with CCSVI were similar among MS and non-MS volunteers (3.88% vs 7.14%; p = 0.266). Ninety-nine MS participants consented to intravascular contrast-enhanced 3D MRV to assess their major systemic and intracranial venous circulation, and 40 advanced to TLV that included pressure measurements of the superior vena cava, internal jugular, brachiocephalic, and azygous veins.Results:NS findings and MRV patterns were discrepant for 26/98 evaluable subjects, including four with abnormal...
Enhanced surface cooling as an alternative for thermal discharges.

Excess heat is an unavoidable by-product of electricity generation from fossil and nuclear fuels. In most cases, excess heat is transferred to a cooling water stream and discharged to a local receiving water body, or processed through on-site cooling towers. In many cases existing discharges are potentially responsible for significant ecological impacts, and regulatory authorities are mandating the construction of cooling towers, often at significant expense. Most existing cooling water discharges are designed to reduce excess temperatures through rapid dilution. Enhanced surface cooling is an alternative approach which involves the development of a thin surface plume, while limiting mixing of the discharge with ambient waters. This process encourages rapid transfer of heat to the atmosphere while limiting impacts to sensitive benthic environments and most of the volume of the receiving water body. This discharge approach may be particularly effective for receiving water bodies which have limited natural ...
PARTICIPATION IN CRIME PARTNERSHIPS BY FEMALE DRUG USERS: THE EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS, DRUG USE, AND CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT*

Research findings on the crime patterns of women suggest that social changes in gender roles are associated with increased female criminality. Some researchers note that the increasing participation of women in established criminal organizations increases female crime levels in general, Other researchers demonstrate that involvement with deviant boyfriends or husbands in particular not only introduces women to addictive drugs, but also contributes to greater crime participation. Measures of the domestic network, crime commitment, drug use, ethnicity, and participation in vice and predatory crimes are used to focus on women's formation and participation in crime partnerships. Findings reveal that ethnicity, living with boyfriends or husbands, high levels of crime commission, particularly while carrying weapons, and participating in vice and predatory crimes are factors that are shared by a number of crime partnerships. On the other hand, having children raised by others, a history of incarceration and arrest, and opiate use are factors that are important for specific crime partnerships; therefore, these factors are unique considerations that relate to the likelihood that criminal partnerships will develop.
Combining classifiers for Chinese word segmentation

In this paper we report results of a supervised machine-learning approach to Chinese word segmentation. First, a maximum entropy tagger is trained on manually annotated data to automatically labels the characters with tags that indicate the position of character within a word. An error-driven transformation-based tagger is then trained to clean up the tagging inconsistencies of the first tagger. The tagged output is then converted into segmented text. The preliminary results show that this approach is competitive compared with other supervised machine-learning segmenters reported in previous studies.
FLOWER STRUCTURE IN PERICLINAL CHIMERAS OF APPLE

pollen from one flower to another under experimental conditions. It is the principal, perhaps the sole, pollinator of the spice-bush. The hypothesis that beetle pollination is the original condition in flowering plants finds support in three lines of evidence: many primitive angiosperms of modern floras are pollinated by beetles; some living cyeads are pollinated bv beetles and the Mesozoic cyead, Cycadeoidea (Bennettitales), which approached the angiosperms in the structure of the reproductive organs, was possibly pollinated by beetles; the beetles were the only important flower-visiting insects in existence during the Mesozoic era when the angiosperms originated.
PRINCIPLED ENGAGEMENT IN CHINA

Abstract In recent years, those who debate U.S. policy towards China have divided themselves into two main camps, those who favor “containment” of China, and those who favor “engagement.” The most effective approach lies somewhere in between; “principled engagement” involves promoting China's good behavior both domestically and internationally, while holding its government accountable for bad behavior. China has made significant advances in terms of human rights in the past few decades, and imposing economic sanctions on the nation would negatively affect Chinese workers and Christian entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs hold increasing promise as agents of positive change on human rights.
Ignitability limits for combustion of unintended hydrogen releases: Experimental and theoretical results

The ignition limits of hydrogen/air mixtures in turbulent jets are necessary to establish safety distances based on ignitable hydrogen location for safety codes and standards development. Studies in turbulent natural gas jets have shown that the mean fuel concentration is insufficient to determine the flammable boundaries of the jet. Instead, integration of probability density functions of local fuel concentration within the quiescent flammability limits, termed the flammability factor, was shown to provide a better representation of ignition probability. Recent studies in turbulent hydrogen jets showed that the envelope of ignitable gas composition (based on the mean hydrogen concentration), did not correspond to the known flammability limits for quiescent hydrogen/air mixtures. The objective of this investigation is to validate the flammability factor approach to the prediction of ignition in hydrogen leak scenarios. The ignition probability within a turbulent hydrogen jet was determined using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser as the ignition source. Laser Rayleigh scattering was used to characterize the fuel concentration throughout the jet. Measurements in methane and hydrogen jets exhibit similar trends in the ignition contour, which broadens radially until an axial location is reached after which the contour moves inward to the centerline. Measurements of the mean and fluctuating hydrogen concentration are used to characterize the local composition statistics conditional on whether the laser spark results in a local ignition event or complete light-up of a stable jet flame. The flammability factor is obtained through direct integration of local probability density functions. A model was developed to predict the flammability factor using a presumed probability density function with parameters obtained from experimental data and computer simulations. Intermittency effects that are important in the shear layer are incorporated in a composite probability density function. By comparing the computed flammability factor with the measured ignition probability we have validated the flammability factor approach for application to ignition of hydrogen jets.
A mathematical model for structure-function relationships in hemoglobin*

Summary A mathematical model is outlined for the cooperative binding of oxygen by hemoglobin. The model, which is based on the Perutz stereochemical mechanism, involves parameters that correspond to well-defined chemical processes. Illustrative results are presented for the oxygenation curve, the Bohr effect, the variation of the Hill constant with pH, and the behavior of the des-hist (146β) species.
Aggression-associated changes in murine olfactory tubercle bioamines.

The relationship between changes in regional brain bioamine levels and the expression of intraspecies aggressive behavior was evaluated in two murine models. In one study, normal male mice were maintained either in aggregate (i.e., normal, intraspecies social behavioral controls) or isolated (i.e., developed, non-social intraspecies aggressive 'fighter' behavior) housing environments, and the accompanying changes in both olfactory tubercle (OT) and hypothalamic (HYPOTH), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) concentration indices quantitated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for analysis of behavior-related alterations in localized bioamine deposition loci. Intact mice which had been housed in isolation cages and which exhibited aggressive, intraspecies reflexive-biting ('fighter') behavior when introduced to a novel (stimulus) animal, exhibited significant (P<0.05) elevations in NE levels, and depressed DA concentrations, in the OT regions relative to aggregated controls, indicating an intrinsic social influence on the maintenance of basal adrenergic indices at this neural locus. No changes in 5-HT levels were indicated between control and aggressive, isolated 'fighter' groups in either OT or HYPOTH loci. In addition, the NE and DA levels in the HYPOTH samples of both control and aggressive groups were found to be comparable. In the second study, utilizing an alternate type of aggression-induced murine model, changes in bioamine parameters were determined from samples obtained from aggregated, olfactory-bulbectomized (Obx) mice which are recognized to exhibit an overt, intraspecies, reflexive-biting behavior as compared to sham-operated (control) mice housed under identical conditions. In these studies, Obx-mice exhibited a significant increase in 5-HT levels in the OT relative to sham-operated controls, but similar NE and DA concentrations. In addition, all hypothalamic bioamine indices were found to be comparable between control and Obx groups. These data, collected for both isolation-developed, and experimentally-induced (i.e., OBX), intraspecies aggressive models, indicate that the distinctive types of aggressive behaviors displayed by these two murine models are accompanied by specific alterations in regional bioamine levels within the OT of these groups, relative to controls. These data suggest that the specific type of overt aggressive behavior demonstrated by these models may be causally related to the identified changes in bioamine concentrations in the forebrain regions of the CNS, in loci recognized to participate in environmental recognition and social processing activities.
Militant atheism, pragmatism, and the God-shaped hole

This paper addresses recent examples of militant atheism. It considers the theistic reply that describes atheism as deriving from a “God-shaped hole” in the human soul. The paper will argue that American pragmatism offers a middle path that avoids militant atheism without suffering from this problem. The paper describes this middle path and considers the problem that is seen in Rorty’s recent work: how the pragmatist can remain critical of religious fundamentalism without succumbing to a militant version of atheism. The solution proposed is tolerant acceptance of religion along with melioristic criticism developed within shared norms of inquiry.
Emotional intelligence under stress: Useful, unnecessary, or irrelevant?

This investigation among 158 freshmen examined the association between emotional intelligence (emotion-relevant abilities) and stress (feelings of inability to control life events), considering personality (self-perception of the meta-emotion traits of clarity, intensity, and attention) as a moderating variable. Results suggest that emotional intelligence is potentially helpful in reducing stress for some individuals, but unnecessary or irrelevant for others. We highlight results among the highly stressed intense but confused participants in particular because they have average emotional intelligence, but do not appear to use it, presumably because they lack confidence in their emotional ability.
EPIC Evaluation of the Impact of Poultry Litter Application Timing on Nutrient Losses

Recently, changes in the utilization practices of animal manures for fertilization have been encouraged to reduce the potential of nonpoint pollution of lakes and streams from agricultural land. However, the potential impact of changing some of these practices has not been fully studied. The objective of this study was to examine the potential impact of limiting poultry litter application times on nutrient movement important to water quality. The WinEPIC model was used to simulate poultry litter applications during the winter months and chemical fertilizer application, with both cool season and warm season grass pastures on the major soil regions of Alabama. With the warm season grass, soluble nitrogen (N) losses could be reduced if the application of poultry litter was made after 30 December. With the cool season grasses, there was no significant difference in application dates for poultry litter for soluble N losses for any soil region, and no improvement could be noted for limiting applications in northern Alabama compared to southern Alabama. No significant difference was observed for soluble phosphorus (P) losses for application date for either warm season or cool season grass pastures. This indicates that factors other than plant P uptake during the growing season were the dominant regulators of the amount of soluble P lost in runoff. Also, the results would indicate that best management practices such as are administered with the P index are more important than plant growth factors in determining N and P losses to the environment.
Comment on "Evaluating landfill disposal of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood and potential effects on groundwater: Evidence from Florida" by Jennifer K. Saxe, Eric J. Wannamaker, Scott W. Conklin, Todd F. Shupe and Barbara D. Beck [Chemosphere 66 (3) (2007) 496-504].

Saxe et al. failed to recognize that there is a time lag with respect to disposal of treated wood and its impact on the environment. They were misleading in the references to our work and have chosen to evaluate the FDEP data set in a manner that makes it exceedingly difficult to evaluate trends. Saxe et al. also confused the issue with respect to proposed ultimate disposal recommendations within Florida. Currently the State is considering regulations that would require the disposal of arsenic-treated wood within lined landfills (FDEP, 2006) and the authors of this comment believe that such proposed regulations would help to minimize future impacts associated with the disposal of arsenic-treated wood.
Design and synthesis of heterogeneous azeotropic distillations—II. Residue curve maps

Abstract A residue curve map analysis for ternary heterogeneous mixtures is developed to aid in the sequencing of heterogeneous distillation columns. In the analysis, distillation boundaries and the projected liquid boiling envelope are superimposed to divide the triangular composition diagram into distinct distillation regions. This provides a starting point for column sequencing In Part III.
Functional implications of the three-dimensional architecture of the rat renal inner medulla.

A new, region-based mathematical model of the urine concentrating mechanism of the rat renal inner medulla (IM) was used to investigate the significance of transport and structural properties revea...
α-adrenergic mobilization of hepatic mitochondrial calcium

Recently it has been demonstrated that activation of a-adrenergic receptors by catecholamines in isolated rat liver parenchymal cells causes release of calcium from some intracellular store(s) [l-3] . It has been proposed that the resulting rise in cytosolic calcium is responsible for some of the metabolic changes observed [l-3]. With the identification of physiological o-adrenergic receptors in rat-liver plasma membranes [4,5], one may postulate activation of these receptors generates an intracellular second messenger which either stimulates the release or inhibits the uptake of calcium by an intracellular organelle [2]. Using methods specifically designed to prevent mobilization of mitochondrial calcium during isolation [6-81, we present data here showing that activation of cw-adrenergic receptors in the perfused rat liver produces a large net loss of calcium from the mitochondria which correlates with the release of calcium from the liver into the perfusate. It is postulated that the calcium released from the mitochondria into the cytosol, allosterically activates phosphorylase b kinase [9], and is also transiently expelled from the cell by a calcium-extruding mechanism [lo].
Cooperatively controlled collision avoidance

The cooperative control concept can be applied to the vehicle controlled collision avoidance system. It can be transformed from the driver assistant controller and be extended to the future IVHS applications. In this paper, the system architecture of the cooperatively controlled collision avoidance system and advantage over independently controlled vehicles will be discussed.
Microdiffraction using two-dimensional detectors

X-ray diffraction analysis on small samples or micro-area of large samples is always a challenge due to weak diffraction and poor statistics, especially when dealing with samples containing large grain size, inhomogeneous phase distribution, and preferred orientation. Two-dimensional X-ray diffraction has many advantages in microdiffraction analysis. A two-dimensional detector can collect a large amount of data both in terms of speed and angular coverage. This paper covers some aspects about instrumentation of two-dimensional X-ray diffraction and its applications in phase identification and stress analysis on small samples and micro-area of large samples.
A momentum integral network method for thermal-hydraulic systems analysis☆

Abstract The momentum integral network method employed in the MINET code is described in detail. In using this method, pressure is calculated dynamically in only a few key locations, and long runs of piping, etc., are each covered by one integral (over multiple nodes) momentum equation. Advantages of this approach for large and complex thermalhydraulic systems such as balance of plant, are described. Validation studies are summarized and cited. A comparison is made between this approach and the local pressure representation. A nodalization study is reported, in which the computational time is shown to increase linearly (or less) with the number of nodes, in contrast to a higher order increase expected from calculations based on a local pressure representation.
Minimum-buffered routing of non-critical nets for slew rate and reliability control

In high-speed digital VLSI design, bounding the load capacitance at gate outputs is a well-known methodology to improve coupling noise immunity, reduce degradation of signal transition edges, and reduce delay uncertainty due to coupling noise. Bounding load capacitance also improves reliability with respect to hot-carrier oxide breakdown and AC self-heating in interconnects, and guarantees bounded input rise/fall times at buffers and sinks. This paper introduces a new minimum-buffer routing problem (MBRP) formulation which requires that the capacitive load of each buffer, and of the source driver, be upper-bounded by a given constant. Our contributions include the following. (i) We give linear-time algorithms for optimal buffering of a given routing tree with a single (inverting or noninverting) buffer type. (ii) For simultaneous routing and buffering with a single noninverting buffer type, we give a factor 2(1+/spl epsiv/) approximation algorithm and prove that no algorithm can guarantee a factor smaller than 2 unless P=NP. For the case of a single inverting buffer type, we give a factor 4(1+/spl epsiv/) approximation algorithm. (iii) We give local-improvement and clustering based MBRP heuristics with improved practical performance, and present a comprehensive experimental study comparing the runtime/quality trade-offs of the proposed MBRP heuristics on test cases extracted from recent industrial designs.
A beginner’s guide to radiation damage

Many advances in the understanding of radiation damage to protein crystals, particularly at cryogenic temperatures, have been made in recent years, but with this comes an expanding literature, and, to the new breed of protein crystallographer who is not really interested in X-ray physics or radiation chemistry but just wants to solve a biologically relevant structure, the technical nature and breadth of this literature can be daunting. The purpose of this paper is to serve as a rough guide to radiation damage issues, and to provide references to the more exacting and detailed work. No attempt has been made to report precise numbers (a factor of two is considered satisfactory), and, since there are aspects of radiation damage that are demonstrably unpredictable, the `worst case scenario' as well as the `average crystal' are discussed in terms of the practicalities of data collection.
Blind channel estimation using the second-order statistics: algorithms

Most second-order moment-based blind channel estimators belong to two categories: (i) optimal correlation/spectral fitting techniques and (ii) eigenstructure-based techniques. These two classes of algorithms have complementary advantages and disadvantages. A new optimization criterion referred to as the joint optimization with subspace constraints (JOSC) is proposed to unify the two types of approaches. Based on this criterion, a new algorithm is developed to combine the strength of the two classes of blind channel estimators. Among a number of attractive features, the JOSC algorithm does not require the accurate detection of the channel order. When compared with existing eigenstructure-based techniques, the JOSC performs better, especially when the channel is close to being unidentifiable. When compared with correlation/spectral fitting schemes, the JOSC is less affected by the presence of local minima.
Developmental Antecedents of Sexual Coercion in Juvenile Sexual Offenders

Previous research has linked adult sex offending behavior to a multiplicity of variables, including juvenile delinquency and the experience of childhood abuse. The purpose of this study was to explore developmental pathways among childhood abuse, juvenile delinquency, and personality dimensions possibly conducive to adolescent sexual coercion. Using a retrospective self-report inventory, we measured the extent to which juvenile sexual offenders experienced childhood trauma, engaged in adolescent delinquency, and exhibited particular dispositions and cognitive biases. The effects of childhood and adolescent antecedents on sexual coerciveness were then analyzed through simultaneous multiple regression path analyses. Results suggest that sexual compulsivity and hypermasculinity, through misogynistic fantasy behavior, significantly discriminate verbally and physically coercive juvenile offenders from those offenders who do not report using force in their offenses. Results also suggest that alcohol abuse may play a more salient role in the expression of coercive juvenile sexual coercion than previously hypothesized.
An Efficient Key Distribution Protocol Based on BB84

Private key cryptography suffers from a major weakness - it requires sharing of a secret key between two parties. An intruder can copy the secret key as it is being exchanged, thereby severely compromising the security of the system. Thus a private key cryptographic system depends entirely on secrecy of the key. Public key cryptography does not have a key distribution problem but its security relies on the fact that determining the factors of a number that is the product of two very large prime numbers is not computationally feasible. It has been shown that a quantum computer can solve the prime factors of very large numbers in polynomial time which would otherwise take millions of years. Public key cryptography will therefore become insecure if quantum computing becomes a reality. Quantum cryptography, originally presented in BB84 protocol, avoids all these issues by encrypting the shared key using a series of photons. In this paper a key distribution protocol based on the concepts of BB84 is proposed It provides an additional layer of security by sending the key data bits twice; during the second transmission the original key bits or their complements are randomly chosen for transmission. The sender informs the receiver about the orientation of the key bits during the second round of transmission only after the data has been sent out.
Two New Species of Colpocephalum (Mallophaga: Menoponidae)

Colpocephalum strangei is described from the falconiform, Phalcoboenus australis , from the Falkland Islands, and C . javensis from the piciform, Dryocopus j . javensis , from Thailand.
Solvent expansion and solute solubility predictions in gas-expanded liquids

Determination du comportement de la dilatation de deux systemes binaires (Toluene/CO 2 , Butanol/CO 2 ) dans le domaine de miscibilite en phase liquide en tenant compte de la variation du volume moaire partiel pour chaque compose dans la phase liquide. Prevision de la solubilite d'un solute (Acetaminophene, β-Carotene) dans la phase liquide. Les deux systemes binaires sont utilises pour la recristallisation GAS, respectivement, des deux solutes. Utilisation de l'equation d'etat de Peng Robinson.
Adjuvants for Enhancing the Immunogenicity of Whole Tumor Cell Vaccines

Whole tumor cell lysates can serve as excellent multivalent vaccines for priming tumor-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. Whole cell vaccines can be prepared with hypochlorous acid oxidation, UVB-irradiation and repeat cycles of freeze and thaw. One major obstacle to successful immunotherapy is breaking self-tolerance to tumor antigens. Clinically approved adjuvants, including Montanide™ ISA-51 and 720, and keyhole-limpet proteins can be used to enhance tumor cell immunogenicity by stimulating both humoral and cellular anti-tumor responses. Other potential adjuvants, such as Toll-like receptor agonists (e.g., CpG, MPLA and PolyI:C), and cytokines (e.g., granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor), have also been investigated.