cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maturity Effects on Mineral Concentration and Uptake in Annual Ryegrass

ABSTRACT Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) provides livestock feed and captures nutrients from fields receiving manure application. The objective of this study was to determine relationships among maturity and yield, mineral uptake, and mineral concentration. Primary spring growth of ‘Marshall’ ryegrass was harvested every 7 d to 56 d maturity and was fertilized with swine effluent containing 254 and 161 kg nitrogen (N) and 42 and 26 kg phosphorus (P) ha−1 for two years. Yield increased linearly to a maximum of 13.6 mg ha−1 after 49 d in 2001 and 8.0 mg ha−1 after 56 d in 2002. Mineral uptake was highly correlated (r > 0.95) with yield and attained a maximum single harvest of 192 kg N ha−1 and 32 kg P ha−1 (mean of two years). Concentration of all minerals except calcium (Ca) declined as ryegrass matured. Low magnesium (Mg) concentration (< 2 g kg−1 dry matter) increases the risk of hypomagnesemic grass tetany.
Environmental disputes and human rights violations: a role for criminologists

As multinational trade has become more prevalent, more governments are being pressured to lower their environmental standards to accommodate the wishes of large international corporations. With large profits at stake, governments and corporations allegedly are colluding to violate the rights of activists who work to protect the natural environment. As reports of detentions, beatings, rapes, and homicides of environmentalists increase, organizations as diverse as the Sierra Club and Amnesty International have banded together to try raise awareness of this issue. They hope to pressure governments and corporations into ensuring that the basic human rights of environmental activists are preserved. Focusing mostly on Central and South America, this paper will discuss the development of human rights, detail the alleged violations suffered by environmental activists, the reasons behind these violations, and document what steps that could be taken to help to ensure that the human rights of environmental activists...
Federal government regulation of occupational skin exposure in the USA

There are at least 14 federal regulations and three agencies that are involved in the regulation of occupational skin exposures in the USA. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires the reporting of health effects information on chemicals, and such information is used to assess the risks of human and environmental exposure. The health effects information and any resulting risk assessments are generally available to the public. A fair amount of this information relates to skin irritation, sensitization, and dermal absorption. The EPA can require the submission of new data necessary for it to carry out its risk assessments, and has the authority to ban hazardous chemicals for certain uses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the correct labeling of cosmetics and requires safety and efficacy data on new products that are claimed to have preventive or health benefits. Commercial distribution of topical skin-care and protection products, therefore, can be potentially scrutinized by the FDA, which can control the use of hazardous chemicals in such products. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has the most direct contact with workplaces through its field inspection compliance activity, which is directed at the reduction of workplace injuries and illnesses. Our analysis suggests that although considerable amounts of health effects information is generated and available, such information may not always be adequately conveyed to the end users of chemical products. In addition, the most effective and practical means of preventing exposure is often not apparent or generally known. Current regulations may have created a reliance on use of chemical protective equipment that may not always be the best approach to protecting workers. Lack of performance criteria that are measurable has hampered industry from objectively assessing skin exposures. This lack of performance criteria or guidance has also hindered the implementation of prevention strategies and a critical assessment of their effectiveness. Better guidance from regulatory agencies directed at performance-based control of occupational skin hazards is presently needed.
Quantum electrodynamics effects in the 4s-4p transitions in Cu-like and Zn-like ions.

Multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock energies are compared with experiment for the 4s-4p transitions in Cu-like ions and the 4${s}^{2}$ $^{1}S_{0}$\char21{}4s4p $^{1}P_{1}$ transition in Zn-like ions for Au, Pb, Bi, Th, and U. The Coulomb, Breit, and QED contributions to these transitions are tabulated for selected ions in the range Z=50\char21{}92. Results show that the agreement between theory and experiment is good enough to show the importance of QED corrections in the spectra of these highly stripped ions. Contrary to earlier findings by Seely et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 2924 (1986)] we find no significant differences between the observed and calculated transition energies after finite-nuclear-size corrections are included.
Macroeconomic Determinants of the Stock Market Index for a Major Latin American Country and Policy Implications

Applying the exponential GARCH model and based on a quarterly sample during 1998.Q1-2011.Q2, we find that the Argentine stock market index is positively associated with real GDP, the ratio of M2 money supply to GDP, the peso/USD exchange rate and the U.S. stock market index. It is negatively influenced by the money market rate, government spending as a percent of GDP and the inflation rate. Hence, a strong domestic economy, a lower interest rate, an increased money supply as a percent of GDP, lower government spending as a percent of GDP, depreciation of the Argentine peso, a lower inflation rate, or a robust U.S. stock market would help the Argentine stock market.
Regression analysis of physical and geotechnical properties of surface marine sediments

Physical properties, undrained shear strength, and sound velocity of marine sediments (< 5 m below the seafloor) were measured in the laboratory on gravity and box cores taken in Eckernfoerde Bay, Baltic Sea. Shear wave velocity of surface marine sediments was estimated based on in‐situ measured profiles of shear modulus versus depth. Sediments at the study site are mainly soft silty clays, with high water content, high void ratio, high organic content, low bulk density, gas bubbles, low compressional and shear wave velocity, and low shear strength. Based on the sediment properties, regression analyses indicate that sound velocity correlates with sand %, water content, and shear strength for these samples. The results indicate that sound velocity may correlate with shear strength of marine sediments in a relative uniform environment, such as nongassy sediment. No usable relationship between sound velocity and sediment properties was found for gassy sediments. Shear wave velocity correlates with shear stre...
The Historical Faith of William Tyndale: Non-Salvific Reading of Scripture at the Outset of the English Reformation*

This essay argues that for William Tyndale, not only was scripture not sola, but it did not have to be read solely as scripture, that is, the salvific word of God. It could also be read with historical faith, a term that Tyndale borrowed from the German Reformer Philip Melanchthon and used to signify “believing in scripture as one would a non-scriptural history.” Tyndale did not exactly advocate this approach to scripture, but he recognized it as having at least some validity, given the role of human agency and authority in the transmission of God's word. More broadly, the notion of historical faith in scripture reflects the Reformation elevation of what John Foxe called the “truth of history” along with that of scripture. In the polemical writings of Tyndale and later English Protestant Reformers, scripture served both as a means of personal salvation and as a source of historical evidence against the Catholic Church. As a source for this kind of evidence, scripture was cited in conjunction with non-scri...
Diachronic Dutch Books and Sleeping Beauty

Hitchcock advances a diachronic Dutch Book argument (DDB) for a 1/3 answer to the Sleeping Beauty problem. Bradley and Leitgeb argue that Hitchcock’s DDB argument fails. We demonstrate the following: (a) Bradley and Leitgeb’s criticism of Hitchcock is unconvincing; (b) nonetheless, there are serious reasons to worry about the success of Hitchcock’s argument; (c) however, it is possible to construct a new DDB for 1/3 about which such worries cannot be raised.
Increased Toll-like receptor 4 expression on T cells may be a mechanism for enhanced T cell response late after burn injury

Background: Burn injury is associated with a dynamic T cell response. We have previously reported an enhanced functional T cell response 14 days after burn injury. Toll-like receptors (TLR), primarily expressed on innate immune cells, have recently been identified on certain T cell subsets, including activated and memory T cells. Our hypothesis is that increased TLR4 expression on memory T cells may be a mechanism for enhanced T cell response 14 days after burn injury. Methods: Splenocytes from wild-type C57B1/6 mice were harvested 14 days after a 20% total body surface area (TBSA) scald burn or sham injury. Splenocytes ex vivo were surface stained either with monoclonal anti-CD3, anti-CD4, anti-CD8, or anti-CD44 antibodies or a two-step biotinTLR4 monoclonal antibody-streptavidin-FITC surface stain and results analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: TLR4 expression is successfully detected on CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. TLR4 expression is significantly (p < 0.05) increased on CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells 14 days after burn injury. There is a significant (p < 0.05) increase in CD44 hi (memory) CD4 + and CD44 hi (memory) CD8 + T cells 14 days after burn injury and this is associated with a significant (p < 0.05) increase of TLR4 expression in both T cell populations. Conclusions: This study demonstrates for the first time the potential role of TLR4 expression on memory T cells generated late after burn injury. Although further analysis is required, these data reiterate the importance of adaptive immunity and the complexity of the immune response to burn injury.
Body composition changes and inhibition of fat development in vivo implicates androgen in regulation of stem cell lineage allocation

Androgens regulate body composition in youth and declining testosterone that occurs with aging is associated with muscle wasting, increased fat mass and osteopenia. Transgenic mice with targeted androgen receptor (AR) over-expression in mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were generated to explore the role of androgen signaling in the regulation of body composition. Transgenic males, but not females, were shorter and have reduced body weight and visceral fat accumulation. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) revealed significant reductions in fat mass with a reciprocal increase in lean mass, yet no difference in food consumption or locomotor activity was observed. Adipose tissue weight was normal in brown fat but reduced in both gonadal and perirenal depots, and reduced hyperplasia was observed with smaller adipocyte size in visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Although serum leptin, adiponectin, triglyceride, and insulin levels were no different between the genotypes, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance testing (IPGTT) showed improved glucose clearance in transgenic males. High levels of the AR transgene are detected in MSCs but not in mature fat tissue. Reduced fibroblast colony forming units indicate fewer progenitor cells resident in the marrow in vivo. Precocious expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and CCAAT enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) was observed in proliferating precursor cultures from transgenic mice compared to controls. In more mature cultures, there was little difference between the genotypes. We propose a mechanism where enhanced androgen sensitivity can alter lineage commitment in vivo to reduce progenitor number and fat development, while increasing the expression of key factors to promote smaller adipocytes with improved glucose clearance.
Radiolarian skeletons: size, weight, sinking speed, and residence time in tropical pelagic oceans

Abstract Hand separated radiolarian skeletons, mainly from the Panama Basin PARFLUX sediment trap (5°21.8′N, 82°01.4′W) samples, were measured for length, width, and projected area (58 species), and weight (53 species). Volume and density contrast were computed. The measured mean weights ranged from 0.05 to 24 μg per shell. The values appear to be significantly greater than weights of preserved radiolarians from the bottom sediments, for which selective dissolution of many large species can account. The weight is best correlated with projected area among the dimensions of Radiolaria as a group. The density contrast of the skeletons relative to seawater generally falls between 0.01 and 0.5 g cm −3 and appears to be constant with an order-of-magnitude increase of the shell diameter. The sinking speeds of skeletal remains of 55 radiolarian species measured in 3, 10, and 20°C seawater range from 13 to 416 m day −3 . Despite the wide variety of morphology, the sinking speed is best correlated with weight per shell, with reasonably small deviations from a regression line. The observed sinking speeds are generally lower than those predicted by Stokes Law and systematically deviate from it. Non-sphericity of the specimens can only partially account for the departure. Using the sinking speeds, residence times of the 55 species in the 5-km pelagic water column range from 2 weeks to 14 months. Judging from the residence time and vertical flux measurements, most polycystine Radiolaria appear to reach the bottom without substantial loss in their assemblages. Large phaeodarian radiolarians appear to reach the water-sediment interface relatively quickly and ultimately dissolve there. Small phaeodarians dissolve en route.
Use of new technologies to detect and understand HIV drug resistance

New sensitive genotyping technologies can detect low level drug resistant variants that are often missed by standard methods. New technologies have the potential to help the field investigate important viral population characteristics which may impact antiretroviral treatment responses. Specific viral factors such as the number of viral variants with drug resistance mutations in the circulating quasispecies (resistance mutational load), genetic linkage (mutations within the same viral genome), and specific mutation patterns may all impact treatment response. The detection level for particular resistance mutations and the relative mutational loads required to predict virologic failure for different regimens requires better definition. The ability to identify mutation linkage may improve the prediction of virologic failure. It should be emphasized that not all low level resistant variants lead to virologic failure as other active agents in a regimen (with different genetic barriers) may suppress the resistant variant. New sensitive genotyping methods have limitations due to both the inability to extract a fully representative sample of all viral variants present in blood and by the intrinsic error rates of the enzymatic and detection processes employed. These limitations can lead to discordant results between different sensitive technologies. The impact of low level resistant variants on treatment response is likely a multifactorial process with mutation load, linkage, and the genetic barrier of the regimen all contributing. The development of new genotypic resistance technology will allow the field to examine how these factors interact and impact therapy. This paper will describe some of the new sensitive technologies to detect genotypic drug resistance and the important questions that need to be addressed to help improve their clinical utility.
Exogenous 14C-urea distribution in Rajiformes and teleosts

Abstract 1. 1. The tissue distribution of 14 C-urea was investigated in rays and two marine teleosts. 2. 2. High levels of 14 C-urea were detected in the extradural fluid (EDF). 3. 3. The time patterns in the EDF, CSF, sera, brain, kidney and gill show variations from these patterns previously reported for elasmobranchs.
Game-theory approach for multi-objective optimal design of stationary flat-plate solar collectors

A game-theory approach has been used for the multi-objective optimum design of stationary flat-plate solar collectors. The clear-day solar-beam radiation and diffuse radiation at the location of the solar collector (Miami) are estimated. Three objectives are considered in the optimization-problem formulation: maximization of the annual average incident solar energy; maximization of the lowest month incident solar energy; and minimization of costs. The game-theory methodology is used for the solution of the three objective-constrained optimization problems to find a balanced solution. This solution represents the best compromise in terms of the super-criterion selected. Two types of sensitivity analyses are conducted on the optimum solution in this work. The sensitivity analysis with respect to the design variables indicates which design valuables are more important to different objective functions. The sensitivity analysis with respect to the solar constant shows that small fluctuations of solar constant ...
Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on humoral immunity: I. Similarities to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan Strain I (SAC) in the in vitro T-dependent antibody response.

Abstract We have determined that suppression of the in vitro T-dependent humoral immune response by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) is dependent on the type and concentration of serum used in the culture media. Only five out of 23 commercial lots of serum (screened at both 5 and 10%) could support a suppression in the presence of 30 nM TCDD, with the remaining lots demonstrating an apparent ‘protective-like’ effect against the TCDD exposure. When log dose response curves were established with TCDD (0.3, 3.0, and 30 nM) in media containing each of the serum lots supporting a suppression (at both 5 and 10%), we determined that only three lots could support a full dose-responsive suppression. Subsequently, in a comparison study between the effects of TCDD and the polyclonal B-cell activator Staphylococcus aureus Cowan Strain I (SAC) on the in vitro T-dependent humoral immune response, we have found that SAC suppresses the antibody response to SRBC and demonstrates the same serum dependency for this effect as was previously noted for TCDD. Under serum-free culturing conditions, TCDD (30 nM) caused a 15-fold increase in the AFC response to SRBCs over controls, suggesting that direct addition of TCDD to whole splenocyte cultures in the absence of serum-derived growth factors results in an increase in B-cell activation. Likewise, under serum-free conditions, SAC dose-dependently increased the AFC response over media controls, and at doses which achieved the same degree of suppression of the humoral response as TCDD. Taken together, these studies suggest that TCDD has actions that are similar to a T cell independent polyclonal B cell activator such as SAC, and selectively acts on the B cell to suppress the T-dependent humoral immune response by a mechanism which is unique to this series of compounds. This effect however, is only detectable under appropriate serum-supported (or serum-deficient) culture conditions as described.
The Effects of Feed Restriction Time on the Growth and Feed conversion of Broiler Males

Abstract Four trials were conducted, using commercial broiler male chicks, to determine the effect of length of feed restriction time on growth and feed conversion. Data also were collected to determine the effects of feeding restriction time on variability of body weight and the size of the digestive system and its component parts. Growth in broiler males was not adversely affected by limiting the feeding time to as much as 15 minutes in two hours. Feed conversion was consistently improved by limiting feeding time. Variability in body weight was not affected until feeding time was limited to 15 minutes every four hours. The weight of the digestive system was significantly larger for the birds limited in feeding time to 15 minutes every four hours. The weight of the crop and proventriculus contributed the major portion to this increase; gizzard and intestine weights were not affected.
The role ofelav-like genes, a conserved family encoding RNA-binding proteins, in growth and development

Abstract The elav gene is the prototype for a developmental regulator encoding a tissue-specific RNA-binding protein. The family of elav -like genes includes multiple members that are expressed in the nervous system at different times during development and also one that is expressed in all tissues. The elav- like proteins are proposed to function by binding to specific mRNAs and regulating their expression to control a developmental program. Consistent with this model, the overexpression of some elav -like genes results in an alteration in the developmental fates of some cells. Potential mRNA targets for these proteins have been identified along with functions in alternative RNA processing, cytoplasmic polyadenylation, and mRNA stability. This diversity of post-transcriptional regulatory events may be due to combinatorial interactions with other RNA-binding proteins and multiple effectors of RNA regulation.
The welfare reforms of the 1990s and the stratification of material well-being among low-income households with children☆

Abstract We examine the incidence of material hardship experienced by low-income households with children, before and after the major changes to U.S. anti-poverty programs during the 1990s. We use the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine a series of measures of household material hardship that were collected in the years 1992, 1995, 1998, 2003 and 2005. We stratify our sample to differentiate between the 1) deeply poor (
Investigation on the Frequency Range of Validity of Electroquasistatic RC Models for Semiconductor Substrate Coupling Modeling

Electroquasistatic analysis is currently the dominant approach for the modeling of semiconductor substrate noise coupling. The electroquasistatic (EQS) approximation is considered acceptable for frequencies such that the distances over which substrate interactions are considered are a small fraction of the wavelength. Yet, with clock bandwidths in state-of-the-art and future designs extending to multiple tens of gigahertz, it is necessary to accurately investigate and quantify the range of validity of the EQS approximation. This investigation is carried out in this paper by means of a rigorous electrodynamic model for the induced surface voltage due to an elementary dipole source in various types of commonly used semiconductor substrates for digital and radio-frequency integrated circuits. In addition to enabling a quantitative assessment of the frequency range of the validity of the electroquasistatic approximation and, hence, the RC models used commonly in computer-aided design tools for substrate noise coupling, the proposed electrodynamic model is used to investigate the prominence of inductive-like characteristics in noise propagation through the substrate. Through these investigations, it is demonstrated that the electrodynamic model used in this paper provides for a unified rigorous electromagnetic analysis of substrate noise coupling over the entire frequency bandwidth of interests to practical applications, from DC to multiple tens of gigahertz.
A low-cost concurrent BIST scheme for increased dependability

Built-in self-test (BIST) techniques constitute an attractive and practical solution to the difficult problem of testing VLSI circuits and systems. Input vector monitoring concurrent BIST schemes can circumvent problems appearing separately in online and in offline BIST schemes. An important measure of the quality of an input vector monitoring concurrent BIST scheme is the time required to complete the concurrent test, termed concurrent test latency. In this paper, a new input vector monitoring concurrent BIST technique for combinational circuits is presented which is shown to be significantly more efficient than the input vector monitoring techniques proposed to date with respect to concurrent test latency and hardware overhead trade-off, for low values of the hardware overhead.
Full chip thermal simulation

A multilayer, full chip thermal analysis is presented. The design of the chip at functional-block level is directly captured by the simulator, allowing the assessment of the chip layout impact on the system performance due to the elevated operational temperature. The heat generation for each block is obtained by running the circuit-level electrical simulation separately on individual functional units. The thermal diffusion equation is then solved based on the actual structure of the chip including substrate and interconnect/insulating layers. Different thermal conductivity can be specified for each material layer. The effect of package on chip temperature distribution is modeled using thermally resistive layers as the boundary between the simulated structure and surrounding environment. Proper adjustment of the boundary thermal resistance results in the correct range of simulated temperature distribution as compared to the measured data. Both physics and implementation for the thermal simulation are described. The code is applied to the analysis of a realistic design of a CPU chip made of SOI technology with up to six metal interconnect layers. A comprehensive review of the simulation results is presented.
Pusaka: Heirloom Jars of Borneo

The great stoneware jars of Borneo, which form the treasured heirlooms (pusaka) of many Bornean households, are very much in vogue amongst Western and South-East Asian collectors who today help to sustain a trade in them which has been one of great significance and profit in the region for centuries. However, suprisingly little is known about these jars, their significance or their provenance. In this study, for the first time the secrets and mysteries of these ceremonial jars are unravelled. The jars are studied by means of reference to the modes of production, to the literature on the subject (particularly that from the nineteenth century), and to archaeological finds. From this three angled-approach a composite picture emerges which shows their origins, establishes a classification of jar-types, and reflects many facets of popular Bornean culture as revealed by the trade in jars, their history and the lore that surroundes them. The text is accompanied by 32 colour illustrations and more than 100 illustrations in black and white of Bornean jars to be found in various museums, in particular the excellent Brunei and Sabah museum collections, covering specimens ranging from the ninth to the twentieth centuries. Barbara Harrison developed her knowledge of and interest in Bornean jars whilst working with her husband, the late Tom Harrisson, in Sarawak. She was formerly the Director of the Princesshof Museum, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
Concomitant pathologies among a spectrum of parkinsonian disorders.

Introduction Many clinicopathological studies do not specify the presence of other pathologies located within the brain, so disease heterogeneity may be under appreciated.
Geometric Tiling for Reducing Power Consumption in Structured Matrix Operations

This work focuses on reducing power consumption while maintaining the efficiency and accuracy of matrix computations using both algorithmic and architectural means. We transform the algorithms, in adaptation to application specifics, to translate the matrix structures into power saving potential via geometric tiling. Instead of using blind tiling, we index and partition matrix elements according to the underlying geometry to claim a better estimate and control of numerical range within and across geometric tiles, which can then be exploited for power saving.
Micro-pixel arrays of bright organic electroluminescent devices for high definition displays

Arrays of 600 micro-pixels of organic light emitting devices were fabricated by vacuum deposition of organic molecules. Pixels with dimensions as small as 20/spl times/20 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ were easily achieved. Individual pixels showed bright green light in excess of 28,500 cd/m/sup 2/ in CW mode.
Prevalence of Antibody to Trypanosoma cruzi in Pregnant Hispanic Women in Houston

We assessed the seroprevalence of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi among pregnant Hispanic women in Houston. Sera from 2,107 Hispanic and 1,658 non-Hispanic subjects were tested by ELISA for the presence of antibodies to T. cruzi. Twenty-two (0.6%) of 3,765 subjects had sera that were reactive. Seroreactivity was confirmed by hemagglutination assay. Eleven subjects had reactive sera, giving a confirmed seroprevalence of 0.3% (95% CI, 0-1%). Nine sera from Hispanic and two from non-Hispanic women were positive by hemagglutination assay, for a prevalence of 0.4% and 0.1%, respectively, during pregnancy. On the basis of these seroreactivity data, transplacental transmission of T. cruzi could occur in the continental United States. Screening for antibodies to T. cruzi during pregnancy would provide the potential for early intervention in congenital Chagas' disease.
Delays and User Performance in Human-Computer-Network Interaction Tasks

Objective: This article describes a series of studies conducted to examine factors affecting user perceptions, responses, and tolerance for network-based computer delays affecting distributed human-computer-network interaction (HCNI) tasks. Background: HCNI tasks, even with increasing computing and network bandwidth capabilities, are still affected by human perceptions of delay and appropriate waiting times for information flow latencies. Method: Conducted were 6 laboratory studies with university participants in China (Preliminary Experiments 1 through 3) and the United States (Experiments 4 through 6) to examine users’ perceptions of elapsed time, effect of perceived network task performance partners on delay tolerance, and expectations of appropriate delays based on task, situation, and network conditions. Results: Results across the six experiments indicate that users’ delay tolerance and estimated delay were affected by multiple task and expectation factors, including task complexity and importance, ...
Numerical modeling of Shoemaker‐Levy 9 impacts as a framework for interpreting observations

Computational models of the impacts of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 onto Jupiter may provide the best framework by which the observational data can be interpreted. Among the observations that have already been at least partially explained in a way that appears to be consistent with the impact models are: the sources and timings of multiple flashes observed from Earth, the temperatures and durations of the single flashes observed from the Galileo spacecraft, and the asymmetry of the plumes and ejecta patterns observed by the Hubble Space Telescope. Further modeling subsequent to the impacts has shown that (contrary to pre-impact expectations) fireball trajectory data do not provide strong constraints on either fragment mass or maximum penetration depth. Instead, it is the cross-sectional area of the fragment (or swarm of sub-fragments) at the time of impact that determines the ejection velocity and trajectory of the fireball. The observation of seemingly consistent plume heights, coupled with this computational result, suggests that SL-9 fragments were loosely-bound {open_quotes}rubble piles,{close_quotes} possibly with widely varying masses, that in most cases dispersed to about the same diameter (2.0 {+-} 0.5 km) by the time they reached the Jovian atmosphere. After more data become available and correlated, and more simulationsmore » are performed, it is expected that fragment size estimates will become more precise. 15 refs., 4 figs.« less
Generation of spatially correlated fracture models for seismic simulations

SUMMARY The critical geometrical parameters that quantify the spatial distribution of natural fractures are the orientation, length and position of fractures. Knowledge of their spatial distribution is important as they control the movement of subsurface fluids and also influence seismic waves propagating in the subsurface. However, generating realistic models of all of these geometrical parameters to use in forward seismic modelling or inversion applications can become very difficult, especially when constraints are available only at a few sparse well locations. Hence, this provides strong motivation for applying seismic data to estimate these quantities in field settings, and reliable seismic modelling provides important constraints for interpretation and inversion. The Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) approach has been used frequently to generate models with stochastic distributions of fractures based on sparse well and seismic data. However, most of these studies lack any constraint from physical models of the behaviour of fractured media. In this paper, we implement and extend an alternative modelling technique to generate several realizations of a fracture model beginning with theoretical results for the strain energy of a fractured material and propose ways to better incorporate geological field observations. The method utilizes an elastic energy function that sums the interactions of all pairs of fractures present in the model. The energy for each pair depends on the distance between the two fractures, their orientations, lengths and some material properties. This energy function also serves as an objective function for a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm used to obtain multiple realizations of correlated fracture networks. We improve earlier versions of this technique by incorporating periodic boundary conditions, including criteria to limit the maximum range of pair-wise calculations and suggesting methods to constrain models to match field data. Assuming that the host rock is isotropic and homogeneous, this method produces orthogonal sets of fractures, a pattern that is commonly observed during basin formation or subsidence. This shows how the method can be utilized to provide constraints with a physical basis to facilitate the development of fracture models. We also outline how the fracture model can be converted into an anisotropic seismic velocity model to compute synthetic seismograms for reservoir characterization applications.
Similarity Relationships in Creep Contacts and Applications in Nanoindentation Tests

The study of indentation responses of rate-dependent (viscoplastic or creeping) solids has generally focused on the relationship between indentation hardness and an effective strain rate, which can be defined from a similarity transformation of the governing equations. The strain rate sensitivity exponent can be determined from the slope of a log-log plot of the hardness versus effective strain rate, while determining other constitutive parameters requires a knowledge of the relationship between contact size, shape, and indentation depth. In this work, finite element simulations have shown that the effects of non-axisymmetric contact and crystallography are generally negligible. Theoretical predictions agree well with real nanoindentation measurements on amorphous selenium when tested above glass transition temperature, but deviate quite significantly for experiments on high-purity indium, coarse-grained aluminum, and nanocrystalline nickel. Such a discrepancy is likely to result from the transient creep behavior.
Removal of Calcein in Wastewater Produced from the Batch Marking of Fish

Abstract The fluorochrome dye known as calcein (trade name SE-MARK; Western Chemical, Ferndale, Washington) is currently being tested to determine its utility for creating lethally and nonlethally detectable fluorescent marks on bony tissues of fish via batch immersion. The work is being done under an Investigational New Animal Drug (INAD) exemption granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, conditions set forth in the INAD prohibit discharge of waste calcein solution from hatchery facilities, making calcein impractical for marking otoliths in certain fish (e.g., larval American shad Alosa sapidissima) due to the large volumes of wastewater created from the marking process. We performed simple laboratory tests that demonstrated the efficiency of activated carbon for removing the dye from solution; we also developed an adsorptive capacity model at calcein concentrations of 125 and 250 mg/L. Evaluation of a treatment column and a batch-type treatment showed that 7.3 and 6.6 g of carbon/L of ...
Images of Europe: How Commission Officials Conceive Their Institution's Role*

How do Commission officials conceive the Commission’s role in the European Union? Should the Commission be the government of Europe or the servant of Member States? Is there a third possibility ‐ that of institutional pragmatism, whereby Commission and Member States share authority? This article lays out jurisdictional options and role conceptions adopted by Commission officials, and estimates their relative incidence using a 2008 large-scale survey among Commission officials (N = 1,901). There is a plurality of views, though within relatively narrow parameters. In explaining variation, national background shapes views more than professional background. The role of the European Commission in Europe’s institutional architecture is uncertain. Politicization, enlargement and management failures have shaken an elitist, technocratic European Union polity. A functionalist system for inter-state collaboration has evolved in a polity in which decision rules and objectives are contested (Bauer, 2008; Hooghe and Marks, 2009a; Peterson, 2008). The transformation of European governance affects Commission officials directly. As strategic actors in European decision-making ‐ equipped with expertise, located at the heart of the EU’s policy networks and entrusted with authority over several policies ‐ Commission officials have become involved in contentious political decisions. However, as non-elected professionals with unclear lines of accountability, they have a weak claim to political legitimacy. How do Commission officials reconcile decision power with political vulnerability? This study draws on a large online survey among a representative sample of Commission officials (N = 1,901) to examine how these people conceive Europe’s future jurisdictional architecture and their role in a changing EU. EU jurisdictional options are often boiled down to a choice between a supranational/federal Europe and an intergovernmental/state-centric Europe, and European Commission officials are usually
Head Start: Challenges and Training Needs

Head Start is the largest program providing comprehensive educational, health, and social services to young children and their families in poverty and is an important player in the early childhood service delivery system. This article summarizes the results of a needs assessment of Head Start programs in one region in the nation. Three important challenges were identified: (a) serving young children with emotional-behavior issues, (b) working with families, and (c) working with community institutions. The paper focuses on a midwestern state, presenting interview information that confirms trends found in survey data from the whole region. As collaboration between early childhood programs serving children with disabilities becomes more prevalent, the challenges facing Head Start are a concern for the early childhood community.
Collaborative jamming mitigation on block-fading channels

Collaborative techniques have been proposed to improve communications in the presence of a hostile jammer. A distributed detection and decoding technique based on collaborative decoding has been shown to he effective for communications over non-fading channels for coherent communications. In this paper, we consider collaborative communications strategies for jamming channels in which the message and jamming signals experience independent block fading at each receiving node. Furthermore, we assume that the phase of the message signal is not known and must be estimated from the received signal. Joint decoding and estimation of all of the fading and jamming parameters is computationally prohibitive, so we develop iterative estimation and decoding algorithms. The fading coefficient and parameters of the jamming signal are estimated using the EM and BCJR algorithms. The results show that the proposed technique is an effective response to hostile jamming.
Zebrafish as a model to study drug transporters at the blood-brain barrier

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) restricts the delivery of therapeutics into the central nervous system (CNS). This limitation is due largely to localization of drug transport mechanisms to the brain endothelial cells (BECs). Although mammalian and in vitro models are currently used to study drug transport, zebrafish (Danio rerio) are advantageous for dissecting complex biological problems such as the BBB. This report focuses on zebrafish as a suitable model system for studying the BBB and drug transport. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2012); 92 5, 567–570. doi:10.1038/clpt.2012.168
Alterations in Brain Structures Related to Taste Reward Circuitry in Ill and Recovered Anorexia Nervosa and in Bulimia Nervosa

Strong correlations between gyrus rectus volume and ratings of taste pleasantness suggest overstimulation to sensory input that may contribute to food avoidance.
Adsorption of methylene blue on hemicellulose‐based stimuli‐responsive porous hydrogel

A stimuli-responsive porous hydrogel was synthesized from wheat straw hemicellulose using CaCO3 as the porogen, and its application for the removal of methylene blue was studied. The porous structure of the prepared hydrogel was confirmed by SEM analysis. The effects of pH and polyelectrolyte on the swelling of the hydrogels were discussed, and the porous hydrogels showed excellent sensitivity to pH and salt. The deswelling kinetic study indicated that the hydrogels exhibited rapid shrinking in NaCl aqueous solutions. The methylene blue adsorption on the hydrogels was investigated, and the obtained adsorption data was fitted to the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion kinetics models, and the pseudo-first-order kinetic model could describe the adsorption process, and the adsorption process of methylene blue on the hydrogels was controlled by external film diffusion. This study reported that the hemicellulose-based porous hydrogel is promising for water treatment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41606.
How are depression and bulimia related

The idea that bulimia may be related to affective illness was encouraged by early reports of a high prevalence of clinical depression in bulimic patients as well as a high lifetime prevalence of depression in the families of these patients. More recent evidence suggests, however, that bulimia and major depression are distinct entities. The authors review clinical data, family studies, pharmacotherapy, and the neurobiology of bulimia and discuss the nature of the relationship between depression and bulimia.
Dynamic tubers in tuberous sclerosis complex: A window for intervention?

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) has a rich history and special place in Neurology given its myriad and multiorgan manifestations that have intrigued physicians for more than 100 years.1 Within the brain, the eponymic “tubers” and subependymal giant cell astrocytomas are the main clinically relevant manifestations. These are usually monitored using brain MRI every 1 to 3 years in patients younger than 25 years.2 Tubers, in particular, have been the focus of extensive study based on the generally accepted view that they are the main contributors to epilepsy as well as to autism, intellectual disabilities, and behavioral problems in patients with TSC. This view of tubers now appears to be relatively simplistic given greatly increased knowledge over the past decade about the normal function of the causative TSC1 (encodes hamartin) and TSC2 (encodes tuberin) genes, and their downstream signaling pathways, most notably the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase.3
Effect of biomass heating time on bio-oil yields in a free fall fast pyrolysis reactor

Abstract The goal of this study is to evaluate the role of biomass heating time on bio-oil yield during fast pyrolysis in a free fall reactor. Biomass heating times were controlled using several configurations for conveying solids from the bottom of the free fall reactor. In all tests reactor wall temperature was 550 °C, sweep gas flowrate was 18 L/min, and heated reactor length was 2.77 m, which set the minimum biomass heating time of approximately 1.4 s (particles falling downward in sweep gas). Analysis of products included solid, liquid and gas mass yields; proximate analysis of the solids; and water-soluble sugar and carboxylic acid content of the liquid. These experiments showed that biomass continued to pyrolyze well beyond the few seconds frequently assumed to be adequate to achieve fast pyrolysis. Bio-oil yield increased with biomass heating times, even for times exceeding 40 s. Analysis of liquid products suggests that hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin all contributed toward the longer than expected pyrolysis times.
Sudden Death: The Legislative History of Future Dangerousness and the Texas Death Penalty

This Note concerns the past and present of the Texas death penalty's "future dangerousness" standard. One of three "special questions" in Texas' s original death penalty bill, the future dangerousness question asks "whether there is a probability that the defendant would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society."1 An affirmative vote, under almost all circumstances, results in a death sentence.2 And as many have recognized, the ambiguities in the question pose enormous problems for judges
Bridging the Muslim-Christian Divide in Nigeria

The last two decades have seen rising religious tensions in Nigeria, one of the worlds few countries evenly divided between adherents of Islam and Christianity. This paper will review the sources of religious conflicts in Nigeria, and examine the impacts of some of the many peace-building initiatives underway to bridge the religious divide, particularly in the restive Middle Belt region. Special attention will be paid to the work of the Interfaith Mediation Centre, which has embarked upon a major interfaith peace initiative in six states of Nigeria.
Where are all the self-employed women? Push and pull factors influencing female labor market decisions

Previous research focuses on factors that influence self-employment participation, in part because entrepreneurship has been associated with economic growth. This literature has tended to focus only on men or the comparison of women to men, while ignoring substantial heterogeneity in employment decisions among women. By investigating the impact of individual, household, and local economic and cultural characteristics on the labor market outcomes of different groups of women, we get a more comprehensive picture of their self-employment decision. Recognizing self-employment as one of multiple labor market choices, we use multinomial logit and two confidential, geocoded micro-level datasets to study women`s career choices in urban areas. We find that the effects of various push and pull factors differ between married and unmarried women. In particular, more progressive gender attitudes pull married women into self-employment, while household burdens associated with children push them into self-employment. For unmarried women, the local business climate and individual characteristics have the strongest influence. In both cases, the motivations for women are quite different than men.