cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Device Related Transport Properties of Quantum Well Systems

The transport properties of two device-related semiconductor microstructure quantum-well systems are addressed here. The first involves the theory of negative differential mini-band conductance (NDC) in a lateral semiconductor superlattice of very thin quantum dots laid out in a square array on a plane, both with and without a normal magnetic field. NDC of the total current is made steeper by the magnetic field, and the Hall coefficient is shown to exhibit hole features near the electron energy band top. The second system discussed here is composed of two parallel planar quantum wells separated by a potential barrier, which exhibits electron-hole Coulomb drag effects shown to involve nonlinearity.
Assessment of optical iris-beam waveguides

Using a scaling procedure, alignment requirements for an optical iris guide are predicted from experimental data obtained with an iris guide for millimetre waves. The results indicate that, although the tolerance requirements concerning random misalignments are within practical limits, the allowable bending radius of the guide axis is unreasonably large.
The process domains concept as a framework for fish and mussel habitat in a coastal plain river of southeastern North America

Abstract Hydrologic processes interact with geomorphic patterns to create the spatial and temporal variation in riverine habitat that affects the distribution of aquatic species throughout stream networks. The process domains concept (PDC) states that longitudinally-abrupt changes in geomorphic processes along streams determine temporal patterns of natural disturbance that influence the distribution of stream organisms. Despite its potential generality, the PDC has been applied primarily to mountain streams of western North America. We tested the utility of the PDC as a conceptual framework for characterizing spatiotemporal variability in abiotic conditions and assessed the influence of process domains (PDs) on community composition of fishes and mussels along a fifth order river mainstem in the gulf coastal plain of the southeastern United States. We measured channel cross sections at three transects nested within three sites nested within three stream reaches to quantify multi-scale spatial variability in channel geomorphology along the mainstem of the Neches River, Texas, USA. Next, we modeled stage-dependent channel hydraulics to quantify temporal variability in habitat area and benthic disturbance. Lastly, we sampled fishes and mussels at each site and tested whether PDs correlate with spatial variation in taxonomic and functional community composition. Channel cross-sectional dimensions varied at the reach scale and affected the modeled temporal variability in habitat area and benthic disturbance. This interaction between channel geomorphology and disturbance regime indicated the presence of distinct PDs at the reach scale. Taxonomic composition of fishes did not differ among reaches, whereas abundance and richness of mussels were strongly reduced in the upper reach compared to the middle and lower reaches. Only slight differences in functional traits of fishes and mussels were apparent among reaches, suggesting that reach scale PDs do not influence community composition via the filtering of these functional traits. This study provides empirical evidence that the PDC is a useful framework for describing hydrogeomorphic conditions and mussel abundance and richness and can guide channel restorations in streams draining regions of low topography.
Abbreviated PTSD Checklist (PCL) as a guide to clinical response.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate two abbreviated versions of the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as an index of change related to treatment. Method: Data for this study were from 181 primary care patients diagnosed with PTSD who enrolled in a large randomized trial. These individuals received a collaborative care intervention (cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or medication) or usual care and were followed 6 and 12 months later to assess their symptoms and functioning. The sensitivity of the PCL versions (i.e., full, two-item, six-item), correlations between the PCL versions and other measures, and use of each as indicators of reliable and clinically significant change were evaluated. Results: All versions had high sensitivity (.92–.99). Correlations among the three versions were high, but the six-item version corresponded more closely to the full version. Both shortened versions were adequate indicators of reliable and clinically significant change. Conclusion: Whereas prior research has shown the two-item or six-item versions of the PCL to be good PTSD screening instruments for primary care settings, the six-item version appears to be the better alternative for tracking treatment-related change. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Budd–Chiari-like syndrome in a dog with a chondrosarcoma of the thoracic wall

Objective: To describe a dog with Budd–Chiari-like syndrome secondary to caudal vena cava compression from a thoracic wall chondrosarcoma. Case summary: A 9-year-old spayed female Shetland Sheepdog cross with a recent history of non-productive cough developed severe abdominal distension and dyspnea. Marked ascites and enlarged hepatic veins were identified with ultrasonography. At surgery, a right thoracic wall mass was found to be compressing the caudal vena cava. Fluid analysis of the ascites revealed a modified transudate with elevated protein concentration, consistent with Budd–Chiari-like syndrome. Clinical signs resolved following thoracotomy and complete resection of the mass. New or unique information provided: Obstruction of venous blood flow can result from compression exerted by a space-occupying thoracic wall mass on the caudal vena cava. Clinical resolution can be achieved with return of adequate venous circulation by removal of the mass and alleviation of the external pressure.
The effects of severely decreased hydrophobicity in a subdomain 3/4 loop on the dynamics and stability of yeast G-actin.

The hydrophobicity of the subdomain 3/4 hydrophobic loop (262-274) has been implicated to be essential for actin's function. We previously showed (Kuang, B., and Rubenstein, P. A. (1997) J. Biol. Chem 272, 1237-1247) that a mutant yeast actin (V266G/L267G) with markedly decreased hydrophobicity in this loop conferred severe cold sensitivity to its polymerization. Here we further tested the mutational effect on the conformation and function of G-actin. This GG mutation caused no significant changes in overall secondary structure or in the microenvironment around actin's tryptophan residues, nor did it alter the dissociation constant of G-actin for ATP. However, it lowers the intrinsic ATPase activity and the melting temperature for Mg-GG actin from 51 to 33°C and transforms the conformation of subdomain 2 and the central cleft of G-actin into an F-monomer-like structure. The results suggest that the hydrophobic plug may not only play a role in actin filament stabilization but also may be important for controlling the stability of G-actin and for promoting the conformational change of the monomer needed for addition to a growing actin filament.
Spatial Correlation Between H-Alpha Emission and Infrared Cirrus

Cross-correlation of the DIRBE 100 micron survey with previously published H-alpha maps tests correlations between far-infrared dust and the warm ionized interstellar medium in different regions of the sky. A 10 x 12 deg patch at Galactic latitude b = -21 shows a correlation slope a_0 = 0.85 +/- 0.44 Rayleighs / MJy sr significant at 97% confidence. A set of H-alpha images over the north celestial polar cap yields a weaker correlation slope a_0 = 0.34 +/- 0.33 Rayleighs / MJy sr. Combined with observations from microwave anisotropy experiments, the data show roughly similar correlations on angular scales 0.7 deg to 90 deg. Microwave experiments may observe more emission per unit dust emission than are traced by the same structures observed in H-alpha.
Time-domain properties of instantaneous uniform quantization

Based on many examples and counterexamples, time-domain properties of instantaneous uniform quantization (IUQ) are analyzed. It is concluded that the most important attributes of an IUQ are the equivalence of its (input) quantization intervals and the uniqueness of their representation. Several equivalent definitions of IUQ independent of their specific mathematical representation are proposed. Several important properties of IUQ are shown to exist regardless of their mathematical description. Two models, direct and additive, of IUQ have been studied. A direct quantization is a four-parameter (quantization step, mode, offset, and gain) function. For the additive model, a unity gain had to be assumed. The utility of this material has been illustrated by an example. >
PHENOTYPIC VARIATION IS CLINAL IN THE YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER

Abstract Subspecies are assumed to have unique evolutionary histories, but molecular data sometimes contradict subspecies designations based on morphology. A recent genetic survey of the Yellow-throated Warbler (Dendroica dominica) found that none of its three continental subspecies qualified as evolutionarily significant units. I performed a range-wide morphological assessment of the continental Yellow-throated Warbler subspecies in an effort to quantify their differences and examine if and how subspecific differences related to geography. Results indicated much overlap in the morphological characters most important in diagnosing Yellow-throated Warbler subspecies (bill length and the proportion of yellow in the lores), and discriminant function analysis failed to correctly assign most individuals, especially those collected near a subspecies border. There was a strong west-to-east clinal change in bill length and the proportion of yellow in the lores and no evidence of discrete morphological groups. I r...
ISO 14001 and its role in environmental preservation

The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) standard, which provides the course of action for an organization to follow in its development of an EMS, is based on a Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle that fosters the continual improvement of environmental preservation goals. This incremental process begins when an organization first recognizes how its practices affect the environment, identifies how it can develop the programs that will allow management of its own unique “significant environmental aspects,” and determines how to best adhere to applicable environmental rules and regulations. Each organization will find that the implementation of ISO 14001 provides better control over its processes, resulting in the minimization of out-of-compliance issues. In particular, integrating environmental management with business operations allows an organization to better manage the environmental impacts of those operations. Moreover, by identifying and documenting operational controls as part of the EMS process, an organization cannot help but achieve continual environmental improvement. A documented EMS is especially important because it functions to increase employee awareness of what is required to achieve environmental goals, as well as enables the evaluation of the system through internal assessments. Accomplishing the above tasks leads to environmentally sound performance and, in turn, to the readiness that ensures achievement of an organization's primary mission—to provide efficient and affordable services to its customers. Although the outcome of implementing an EMS in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard considerably improves the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization's environmental program, only those organizations that have fully implemented the requirements outlined in the standard are officially registered to ISO 14001. This paper is presented to describe the implementation of the ISO 14001 standard at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, with emphasis on the benefits that were gained and the lessons that were learned. Division Newport was the first Department of Defense activity to register an entire federal facility to the ISO 14001 standard, and received the 2001 White House Closing the Circle Award in the EMS category. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mary opal wolanin: A life worth living … a life of giving

Abstract This is the first of two articles related to the conversation that the board had with Mary Opal Wolanin that evening. In Part I, she tells of her life,
Adsorption/desorption hysteresis in inkbottle pores: A density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulation study

The mechanisms of adsorption and desorption in inkbottle-shaped pores are considered for lattice models using grand canonical mean field density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulation. We find that they depend significantly on the particular pore geometry, the nature of the fluid-solid interaction, and the temperature. We find two mechanisms for desorption. One mechanism involves the emptying of the main cavity even as the density of fluid in the necks remains high, a mechanism observed recently in studies of an off-lattice model of an inkbottle. The other is a simultaneous desorption from the entire pore space, behavior that is more closely related to the traditional picture of pore blocking in the inkbottle system.
Theoretical studies of phenol disubstituted porphyrins

Calculations on neutral and oxidized phenol disubstituted porphyrins were performed. Two electron oxidation may be accompanied by loss of one or more protons at either the central NH positions or the outer OH positions. These latter oxidized and deprotonated structures may be stabilized by quinonelike forms. Our calculations support the idea that quinonelike structures are important, based both upon energetic and rotational barrier calculations.
Degradation and movement of aldicarb residues in Florida citrus soils

The movement and degradation of the pesticide aldicarb was monitored in two Florida citrus groves. One of these was a bedded grove near Oviedo and the other was located in the central ridge near Lake Hamilton. Soil core samples were collected at 0.3 or 0.6 m depth increments six times over an eight-month period and were analyzed for aldicarb and its two oxidation products aldicarb suljoxide and aldicarb suljone. These analyses showed a relatively rapid decrease of aldicarb accompanied by an increase in aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb suljone; the levels of these carbamate metabolites peaked after about 50 days and then began to decline. The dissipation rate of aldicarb carbamate residues in surface soils corresponded to a half-life of approximately 20 days at both jield sites. The degradation rate in subsoils appeared to be significantly longer (half-life greater than 60 days), especially at the Lake Hamilton site. Aldicarb carbamate residue concentrations measured in replicate soil analyses were highly variable, with coeflcients of variation ranging up to 300% for samples collected at the same time and depth. These data point out the need for carefirl design of soil-sampling strategies (including numbers, timing, and location of samples) in order to obtain statistically valid results from unsaturated zone pesticide monitoring studies.
A stereoselective approach for the synthesis of alpha-sialosides.

A highly efficient synthesis of the human melanoma associated antigen GD3 derivative has been described. A key feature of the synthetic approach was the use of sialyl donors that were protected with a C-5 trifluoroacetamide moiety. These sialyl donors gave high yields and excellent α-anomeric selectivities in direct glycosylations with a wide variety of glycosyl acceptors ranging from C-8 hydroxyls of sialic acids and C-3 hydroxyls of galactosides to reactive primary alcohols.
Energy-efficient Routing of Multimedia Traffic in Frequency-Hop Packet Radio Networks

Conservation of energy is important in a packet radio network, but reliance on energy-efficient routes for all types of traffic leads to large delays and low success probabilities in many situations. We describe and evaluate protocols that select routes according to the service priorities of the traffic. Energy conservation is emphasized for delay-tolerant traffic but sacrificed for delay-intolerant traffic, which gives good performance for both types of traffic.
Permanent-magnet synchronous-generator wind-energy systems with boost matrix converters

An idea of wind-energy systems with gearless permanent-magnet synchronous generators and boost matrix converters are presented. The converters combine the indirect sparse-matrix topology with inductive-capacitive-diode networks. Rotor-flux orientation is employed in control of the generatorside rectifier stage of the interface converter. The maximum power point tracking controls the shoot-trough duty ratio of the inverter stage needed for boosting the output voltage. Selected results of experimental investigation of the proposed solutions are provided.
SYNTHETIC AND MECHANISTIC ASPECTS OF THE REACTION OF 1,1-DIFLUORO-2,2-BIS(DIMETHYLAMINO)ETHENE WITH ETHYL PROPIOLATE

1,1-Difluoro-2,2-bis(dimethylamino)ethene undergoes a [2 + 2] cycloaddition with ethyl propiolate at −25 °C [ΔH⧧ = 4.2 (±0.4) kcal/mol and ΔS⧧ = −56.7 (±0.9) cal/mol·K], and the cyclobutene product undergoes electrocyclic ring opening at +15 °C [ΔH⧧ = 18.5 (±0.6) kcal/mol and ΔS⧧ = −9.7 (±1.0) cal/mol·K]. The resultant diene undergoes Diels−Alder reactions with electron-deficient dienophiles to give aromatic products. A complementary computational study addresses the issue of the [2 + 2] cycloaddition mechanism.
Multiple Roles for the T7 Promoter Nontemplate Strand during Transcription Initiation and Polymerase Release

Transcription initiation begins with recruitment of an RNA polymerase to a promoter. Polymerase-promoter interactions are retained until the nascent RNA is extended to 8-12 nucleotides. It has been proposed that accumulation of "strain" in the transcription complex and RNA displacement of promoter-polymerase interactions contribute to releasing the polymerase from the promoter, and it has been further speculated that too strong a promoter interaction can inhibit the release step, whereas a weak interaction may facilitate release. We examined the effects of partial deletion of the nontemplate strand on release of T7 RNA polymerase from the T7 promoter. T7 polymerase will initiate from such partially single-stranded promoters but binds them with higher affinity than duplex promoters. We found that release on partially single-stranded promoters is strongly inhibited. The inhibition of release is not due to an indirect effect on transcription complex structure or loss of specific polymerase-nontemplate strand interactions, because release on partially single-stranded templates is recovered if the interaction with the promoter is weakened by a promoter base substitution. This same substitution also appears to allow the polymerase to escape more readily from a duplex promoter. Our results further suggest that template-nontemplate strand reannealing drives dissociation of abortive transcripts during initial transcription and that loss of interactions with either the nontemplate strand or duplex DNA downstream of the RNA lead to increased transcription complex slippage during initiation.
Effect of fluid overload and dose of replacement fluid on survival in hemofiltration.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is used to treat renal failure in children. Despite widespread use of the technique, little research has evaluated how variations in dose of replacement fluid or degree of fluid overload at initiation relate to outcomes. We conducted a retrospective review of patients treated with convective CRRT at our institution, using a multivariable Cox regression model. Children with high fluid overload (>10%) at CRRT initiation were at 3.02 times greater risk of mortality than those with low or no fluid overload [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50–6.10, P =0.002]. The hazard ratio for death in children treated with high-dose convective clearance was not statistically significant. Our data support previous findings that volume overload in excess of 10% is strongly correlated with poor outcome. We favor early institution of CRRT, before excessive fluid overload occurs. In contrast to findings in adults, we find no advantage to higher rates of convective clearance. Given the risks and increased complexity associated with high-volume hemofiltration, we recommend further study prior to widespread adoption of high-level convection in children treated with continuous veno-venous hemofiltration.
Error Bounds on Dynamic Polarizability and Oscillator Strength

Two uniformly convergent series are introduced to give bounded estimates of the dynamic polarizability in the region below as well as above the first resonance line. Upper and lower bounds on the oscillator strength can also be obtained from these approximations. The series are simple and rapidly convergent.
Myofibril MgATPase activities and energy metabolism in cardiomyopathic mice with diastolic dysfunction.

To study the genomic physiology of cardiac myofibril proteins in the heart, we have successfully created a cardiac troponin I (cTnI; a myofibril protein) gene knockout mouse model using gene targeting techniques. The phenotype of the cTnI gene knockout mouse is a cardiomyopathy with diastolic dysfunction resulting in sudden death in neonates. In the present studies, energy metabolism was analyzed in myocardial cells from cTnI-null hearts. Myofibril MgATPase activities were determined in myocardial cells from either wild-type or cTnI mutant mouse hearts. Furthermore, the quantity and quality of the mitochondria in wild-type and cTnI mutant animals were counted and analyzed. Our results demonstrate that damaged relaxation and increased Ca2+-independent force production in cTnI-null hearts is in part related to the increased myofibril MgATPase activities accompanied by an increase in mitochondria quantity and mitochondrial ATPase activities. These data indicate that cardiomyopathies with diastolic dysfunction are different from cardiomyopathies caused by systolic dysfunction. The former involves the damage of cardiac relaxation due to increased MgATPase activities and increased Ca2+-independent force production inside of myofilaments, while the latter involves the damage of systolic contraction due to decreased MgATPase activities and decreased force production.
Impact of turbulence on multi-wavelength coherent optical communications

In this paper, we present the impact of optical turbulence on the performance of coherent optical communications which employs multi-wavelength plane wave optical radiation. Performance is assessed in terms of the achievable signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio as a function of the receiver aperture size. It is demonstrated that the use of multi-wavelength radiation improves the effective SNR. Furthermore, it is shown that the onset of SNR saturation fue to an increase in the aperture size is impacted by the use of multi-wavelength radiation.
The purification of rat neurophysins by a method of preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

A method is described for the purification of the three major rat neurophysins (RNPs) utilizing the capacity of RNP I to form a dye complex with bromphenol blue during preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The complexing separates RNP I from RNP II, and, once isolated, RNP I is separated from bromphenol blue by dialysis against NaCl. The three protein produets are obtained in high yield and appear homogeneous by analytical PAGE and by end-group analysis. The N-terminal residue of all three proteins was found to be alanine. The amino acid composition of RNP I shows it to possess an extra Phe, which could account for its binding to bromphenol blue. A comparison of the amino acid compositions of RNP II and RNP III suggests that RNP III may be metabolically derived from RNP II by C-terminal cleavage of a small peptide fragment.
Aptamer-based surface plasmon resonance sensing of glycated human blood proteins

The concentration ratio of glycated to non-glycated forms of various blood proteins can be used as a diagnostic measure in diabetes to determine a history of glycemic compliance. Depending on a protein’s half-life in blood, compliance can be assessed from a few days to several months in the past, which can then be used to provide additional therapeutic guidance. Current glycated protein detection methods are limited in their ability to measure multiple proteins, and are susceptible to interference from other blood pathologies. In this study, we developed and characterized DNA aptamers for use in Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensors to assess the blood protein hemoglobin. The aptamers were developed by way of a modified Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) process which selects DNA sequences that have a high binding affinity to a specific protein. DNA products resulting from this process are sequenced and identified aptamers are then synthesized. The SELEX process was performed to produce aptamers for a glycated form of hemoglobin. Equilibrium dissociation constants for the binding of the identified aptamer to glycated hemoglobin, hemoglobin, and fibrinogen were calculated from fitted Langmuir isotherms obtained through SPR. These constants were determined to be 94 nM, 147 nM, and 244 nM respectively. This aptamer can potentially be used to create a SPR aptamer based biosensor for detection of glycated hemoglobin, a technology that has the potential to deliver low-cost and immediate glycemic compliance assessment in either a clinical or home setting.
The Safety Net and Faith-Based Services

The focus of this policy article is not on the merit of faith-based initiative but on who serves the poor. The key argument is that in the United States, especially through its federal government, has increasingly abdicated “safety net” services of helping poor cope with the hardship of poverty. As we document, as a collective, Americans pay low taxes and turn away from using taxes to help poor people. Furthermore, the American government no longer financially supports the poor but rather provide them with work-incentive-based services. While the general public and their politicians have turned away from the poor, year in and year out faith-based communities and their congregations and organizations care for and actively serve those with the least resources. Thus, it is our position that the current administration needs the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, but this office needs to adopt new approaches that are more community oriented.
Polymeric molecular shuttles: Polypseudorotaxanes & polyrotaxanes based on viologen (paraquat) urethane backbones & bis(p-phenylene)-34-crown-10

Abstract Reaction of di( p -isocyanatophenyl)methane (MDI, 4 ) with N,N′-di(2-hydroxyethyl)- ( 1b ) or N,N′-di[2-(2′-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl]-4,4′-bipyridinium di(hexafluorophosphate) ( 1e ) and other diols [oligo(ethylene glycol)s and poly(tetramethylene oxide)s] in the presence of bis( p -phenylene)-34-crown-10 ( 2 ) afforded polyurethane (pseudo)rotaxanes as statistical ( 7P or 7R ) and segmented analogs 10P ( P = pseudorotaxane, R = rotaxane). In 7R a bulky alcohol was incorporated at the chain ends and in 13R a bulky diol as in-chain units to form polyrotaxanes and preclude the possibility of dethreading. The crown ether 2 in 10P and 13R was shown by 1 H NMR spectroscopy to be shuttling between the viologen (paraquat) and urethane sites; in DMSO the crown ether prefers the urethane site, probably because of H-bonding with the N–H moieties and complexation of the pyridinium site by the dipolar solvent, while in acetone at low temperatures the viologen site is preferred by the crown ether, with Δ H = −6.91 kcal/mol and Δ S = −22.9 eu for 13R .
Can regulation improve safety in critical care

This article examines national and state safety practice initiatives, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quality focus, federal and state outcomes reporting, and consumer access to outcomes data. The efforts of national and regional legislators and health care institutions to create regulations for staffing and technology to reduce medical errors is reviewed. The potential of a unified cooperative effort from all stakeholders to implement the above initiatives to improve intensive care unit safety practices is discussed.
Synthesis, separation, and stereochemistry of diastereomeric oligodeoxyribonucleotides having a 5′-terminal internucleotide phosphorothioate linkage

Abstract An automated, solid-phase, phosphoramidite-coupling method provided the title compounds, up to a hexadecamer, for HPLC isolation of diastereomerically pure samples, and comparative digestions with snake venom phosphodiesterase and nuclease P1.
Development of the digestive tract in larval summer flounder

Histological changes of the digestive system and its associated glands, and structures of the jaw were studied in summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus from hatching (day 0) until day 44. Specimens for this study were hatched from artificially spawned broodstock and maintained in the laboratory (20 ± 1° C). During the first 3 days after hatching, the formation of the oral jaw apparatus, lengthening of the digestive tube, yolk resorption, and mucosae differentiation are the most conspicuous elements of development. The larval digestive system is morphologically ready to process external food at the time of mouth opening (3–4 days after hatching). Epithelial cells of the anteromedian and the posterior intestine show evidence of lipid and protein absorption, respectively, after first feeding. The most noticeable events occurring during the next month of independent life are an increase in mucosal folding, cellular differentiation in the luminal epithelia, gut segmentation and looping, and liver growth. Gastric glands and pyloric caeca appear by day 31 and complete the morphological digestive features characteristic of the juvenile stage.
Structure of GaAs(100)-c(8×2) determined by scanning tunneling microscopy

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) has been used to study the c(8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) reconstruction of GaAs(100). High-resolution STM images imply this surface is composed of equal numbers of arsenic and gallium atoms, resolving disagreements in the interpretation of several previous experiments. The c(8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) structure arises from an ordered arrangement of (4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) subunits, with each subunit containing two As dimers and two Ga dimers.
Ion beam analysis techniques at SUNY-Albany

Abstract The 4 MV Dynamitron accelerator and a 3 MV tandem accelerator are being utilized for ion beam analysis at SUNY, Albany. Various ion beam analysis techniques set up on the eight beam-lines of the accelerators and commonly used are: Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS); channeling; particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE); nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) including hydrogen, lithium, and aluminium depth profiling; and a microbeam scanning system with a spatial resolution of 2 μm in conjunction with RBS and PIXE. Studies on several ion beam analysis techniques will be presented. Several examples of chemical and microstructural analyses will be given.
Tapping mode atomic force microscopy of scleroglucan networks

Tapping mode Atomic Force Microscopy (TmAFM) has been used to study the fungal polysaccharide scleroglucan deposited from aqueous solution and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) onto a mica surface. The solutions from which the microscope samples were produced were prepared by first dissolving the solid scleroglucan in 0.1M NaOH, then neutralizing the solution with HCl, followed by dilution to the required concentration in either water or DMSO. It was found that from the aqueous solution described above, scleroglucan forms networks. Based on a comparison of the denatured-renatured and aqueous solution samples, network formation is due to the imperfect registration between the chains forming the triple helices. The relatively large stiffness of the scleroglucan triple helix is also assumed to contribute to the formation of the extended networks. The triple helix diameter was measured to be 0.92 ± 0.27 nm, which is in the same range as that obtained by other researchers using similar techniques. Denatured scleroglucan, deposited from DMSO onto mica, forms a web-like layer on top of which there are sphere-like structures. These morphologies are believed to be due to triple helix denaturation yielding highly flexible single chains in DMSO, which results in coiling and web-like dense packing of scleroglucan upon deposition onto mica. Most interestingly after addition of water to the samples deposited from DMSO, some of the chains can be renatured into short, stiff rod-like structures which are similar to the structures observed by other researchers. The imaging data for aqueous solution deposition can be analyzed by plotting maximum end-to-end distance versus the perimeter of the networks deposited onto mica. This yields a Flory-like exponent of 0.67, which is almost similar in value to that obtained by other researchers for linear structures of scleroglucan but less than that expected for a polymer chain following a self-avoiding walk (v = 0.75) model on a two-dimensional surface. The fractal dimension that can be used to characterize the networks was determined graphically to be 1.22 ± 0.06. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 42: 89–100, 1997
Scattering of suprathermal electrons in the solar wind: ACE observations

[ 1] Suprathermal electrons in the solar wind have a strahl component with anisotropic velocity distributions which are directed along the background magnetic field away from the Sun. Analyses of strahl distributions from 73.3 eV to 987 eV as measured during the year 2004 by the SWEPAM plasma instrument on the ACE spacecraft are reported here. This manuscript describes 29 events which correspond to times of strahl pitch-angle distributions which are broader than those observed at earlier or later times and enhanced magnetic field fluctuations at frequencies less than or similar to 3 Hz. Although most previously reported observations at energies up to a few hundred eV show that strahl pitch-angle widths decrease with increasing energy, during the 29 events reported here, this width increased on average as strahl energy increased. This manuscript also develops the hypothesis that this characteristic is due to electron scattering by broadband whistler fluctuations.
A New Marine Interstitial Ciliate from the Northwest Atlantic Coast Tracheloraphis primitarum Sp. N. (Ciliophora, Kinetofragminophora, Karyorelictida, Trachelocercidae)

A new species of marine interstitial ciliate, Tracheloraphis primitarum sp. n., is described from intertidal sands (160-200-μm medium grain size) along the Northwest Atlantic coast. Living specimens are not transparent under incident light, 0.4-0.9 mm in length, and are characterized by an elongated body, bulbous anterior and rounded posterior regions. Cytostome is simple without a cleft on the lip. Protargol silver impregnation shows 18-29 longitudinal kineties. The glabrous zone is very narrow, 6-7 μm wide, and corresponds to the area occupied by one kinety and two interkinetal spaces. Ten to fifteen kineties terminate against the glabrous zone. Interkinetal extrusomes are present. The nuclear apparatus is a single centrally-placed nuclear group that consists of three large irregular macronuclei and 2-3 micronuclei; these are either clustered or encapsulated.
Factors influencing children's concept identification performance with nonpreferred relevant attributes.

Abstract It has been demonstrated that young children have difficulty solving simple concept problems when the relevant dimension is the less preferred dimension. Three experiments were conducted to determine the influence of the following factors upon task difficulty: (a) age (4 yr 6 months-5 yr 11 months and 7 yr 0 months-8 yr 9 months); (b) the percentage of redundancy between relevant and irrelevant cues (0, 25, and 50%); (c) saliency of reinforcement; (d) discriminability of relevant nonpreferred dimension; and (e) learning-set pretraining to reject preferred irrelevant dimensions. The results indicated that when compared with the younger children, the older children are far less affected by having the preferred dimension irrelevant. The learning-set pretraining condition resulted in substantial facilitation effects indicating that the inability to inhibit responding to dominant irrelevant cues is an important factor and that an effective rejection strategy can be acquired by young children with brief training. Partial reinforcement of irrelevant dimensions, saliency of reinforcement, and discriminability of the nonpreferred relevant dimension were shown to not contribute significantly to the difficulty experienced by young children on these problems.
Understanding Narratively, Understanding Alterity*

Phenomenology's systematic exploration of how a world comes into existence for knowers – knowers who are often conceptualized as individual and ostensibly isolated – requires that it provide some account of the constitution of alterity. In this paper, I address this issue by arguing that we apperceive alterity in terms of the intentionality of behavior. A corollary of this argument is that the apperception of an alter as specifically human is a secondary attribution, following the primary apperception of intention. I further argue that the intentionality of behavior is understood through the projection of a narrative frame, or a “protonarrative,” onto the alter's behavior. I suggest that protonarrativity is the form that experience takes as its ontological condition. Our living is not simply known to us reflectively as protonarrative; rather, experience is lived as protonarrative.
Rate-responsive ventricular pacing in pediatric patients.

Abstract Single-chamber, rate-responsive pacing enables pacemaker-dependent patients to increase their heart rates with activity, thus mimicking the physiologic chronotropic response to exercise. Studies have shown that rate-responsive pacing in adults significantly improves both exercise capacity during stress testing and symptoms during regular daily activity.1 The experience with rate-responsive pacing in the pediatric population is limited. Previous studies have demonstrated increased exercise capacity and subjective improvement of symptoms with rate-responsive pacing.2,3 We report our experience with 5 pediatric patients with ventricular rate-responsive pacing who were studied in both the fixed-rate and rateresponsive modes.
In vivo Multimotor Force–Velocity Curves by Tracking and Sizing Sub-Diffraction Limited Vesicles

Determining in vivo force–velocity relationships of motor proteins is a critical step toward clarifying how they accomplish intracellular transport. We show that in vivo force–velocity curves corresponding to an estimated 1, 2, and 3 motors-per-vesicle can be constructed by tracking and sizing transported vesicles. The force range for these curves would normally be constrained by diffraction limited diameter measurements. However, we present a new method that uses the image intensity obtained with differential interference contrast microscopy as a proxy for vesicle diameters smaller than the diffraction limit. We calibrate this novel sizing method in vitro with polystyrene microsphere standards and apply it in vivo to vesicles. The resulting diameter vs. velocity data for large, small, and sub-diffraction limited vesicles is used to construct force–velocity curves that extend the force range of our previous curves. These extended 1-, 2-, and 3-motor in vivo curves qualitatively agree with a simple model of load sharing for motors that jointly transport a single vesicle.
Cooperative Networks and Competitive Dynamics: a Structural Embeddedness Perspective

Firms are embedded in networks of cooperative relationships that influence the flow of resources among them. Dynamic resource flows and differentiated structural positions lead to asymmetries and influence firms' competitive behavior toward others in the network. We develop a multilevel conceptual model relating key network properties to competitive action and response. A structural embeddedness perspective with a focus on simultaneous cooperation and competition advances our understanding of competitive dynamics and provides intriguing possibilities for future research.
Schur-Ostrowski theorems for functionals on L 1 (0,1)

Hardy, Littlewood and Polya [5] introduced the partial ordering of majorization among n-dimensional real vectors. Many well-known inequalities can be recast as the statement that certain functions are increasing with respect to this ordering. Such functions are said to be Schur-convex. An important result in the theory of majorization is the Schur–Ostrowski theorem, which characterizes Schur-convex functions. The concept of majorization has been extended to elements of $L_1 (0,1)$ by Ryff [10]. A functional on $L_1 (0,1)$ that is increasing with respect to the ordering of majorization is said to be Schur-convex. In this paper, we prove an analogue of the Schur–Ostrowski condition that characterizes Schur-convex functionals in terms of their Gâteaux differentials. We also introduce another partial ordering in $L_1 (0,1)$ called unrestricted majorization. This partial ordering is similar to majorization but does not involve the use of decreasing rearrangements. We establish a characterization of nondecreasi...
Inversion of multiple thermal indicators: Quantitative methods of determining paleoheat flux and geological parameters IV. Case histories using thermal indicator tomography

A quantitative tomographic method to determine simultaneously several geological, geochemical, and geothermal parameters associated with reconstruction of the geohistory and thermal history of sediments in a well is presented. Using vitrinite reflectance data from the well Inigok-1, National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska, the numerical algorithm was tested and found to be effective in delineating the variation of heat flux with time. In addition, the size and timing of a major unconformity also were bracketed. Application of tomography using apatite fission track distributions with depth as a thermal indicator enabled not only the thermal history of two wells in the NW Canning Basin of Australia to be determined, but also the chemical parameters associated with fission track annealing to be constrained. Results of both the Alaska study and the Australian study were consistent with the qualitative behavior inferred from current geological models.
Sequential Bilateral Isolated Lung Perfusion in the Rat: An Experimental Model

Abstract Background . A model of isolated single-lung perfusion in the rat has been established in our laboratory to study the chemotherapeutic treatment of pulmonary metastases. A sequential bilateral isolated lung perfusion model was designed to investigate the feasibility of staged perfusions in the rat. Methods . Twenty-four Fischer rats were randomized into three experimental groups of 8 rats each. All rats underwent left isolated lung perfusion. One, 2, or 3 weeks later, the rats in groups I, II, and III, respectively, underwent contralateral (right) perfusion. Five control animals (group IV) underwent sequential bilateral sham thoracotomies 1 week apart. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed 1 week after the second operation in the rats in groups I and IV. Results . All animals survived the first operation, with 100% (8/8), 75% (6/8), and 100% (8/8) of the animals in perfusion groups I, II, and III, respectively, surviving the second operation. All control animals (group IV) survived the second sham thoracotomy. Arterial blood gas analysis did not show a significant difference in the oxygen or carbon dioxide partial pressure or the pH between group I and IV ( p = 0.32, 0.96, and 0.76, respectively). Conclusions . Our experiments demonstrate that sequential bilateral isolated lung perfusion is safe in and well tolerated by the rat. This model can be used to investigate the safety and efficacy of staged perfusions with chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of bilateral pulmonary metastases in the rat.
Large-scale rhyolite peperites (Jurassic, southern Chile)

Development of a Jurassic volcano-tectonic rift basin in the southern Andes created a setting in which thick, rhyolitic volcaniclastic sequences accumulated in submarine environments and were penetrated by hypabyssal intrusions during or shortly after deposition. In the Ultima Esperanza District of southern Chile, extensive masses of peperite were produced when rhyolite magma underwent quenching, disruption, and commingling with wet, unconsolidated sediments during intrusion at shallow levels beneath the sea floor. The peperite forms discordant intrusive masses with volumes of up to several cubic kilometers, in which large, widely spaced, coherent rhyolite feeder pods are surrounded by, and grade into closely packed and dispersed peperite. Closely packed peperite consists of tightly fitting clasts separated by sediment-filled fractures. In dispersed peperite, the sediment forms a matrix surrounding large masses of fractured rhyolite and smaller more widely separated rhyolite clasts; evidence of in situ quench fragmentation is well preserved on both outcrop and thin-section scales. Thin sections show that clast margins and, in some cases, entire small clasts underwent cooling-contraction granulation, releasing shards of quenched rhyolite and fragments of phenocrysts into the adjacent sediment. Interaction between magma and wet sediment was non-explosive and involved fluidization of the host sediments, creating space for the intruding magma and causing pervasive injection of highly mobile sediment along thermal contraction cracks in quench-fragmented rhyolite. The ability of the magma to undergo complex intermixing with large volumes of sediment, with widespread preservation of in situ fragmentation textures, is interpreted to reflect a relatively low magma viscosity, presumably caused by retention of volatiles in the magma at the ambient pressures involved. Beds of redeposited peperite within the rift-basin fill indicate that some of the intrusive peperite masses reached the sea floor, undergoing slumping and mass flow. The peperites were thus an important local source of coarse-grained debris during the evolution of the basin.
Concentrations and risks of organic and metal contaminants in Eurasian caviar

Abstract Caviar (fish roe of sturgeon) may contain high levels of contaminants. Concentrations of organic contaminants, including DDT, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)), and 23 metals were measured in three species of caviar (Acipenser Huso huso, Acipenser gueldenstaedti, and Acipenser stellatus) imported from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Iran, and Russia just prior to the 2006 export ban. PCB concentrations averaged 15.4±25.8 ng/g wet weight basis (wwt), DDT averaged 79±139 ng/g wwt, arsenic (As) averaged 960±486 ng/g, and PBDEs were detected in all samples. Cluster analyses grouped most of the Huso huso samples together, while most of the remaining clusters were grouped by origin. Trends of contaminant concentrations, estimated by incorporating data from earlier studies, show that PCB and DDT levels have been declining since 1978, and HCH levels since 2000. The maximum allowable daily consumption rate of caviar is limited by PCBs, DDTs and As. While the health risks are uncertain since consumption rates are unknown, declining concentrations and low consumption rates suggest that health advisories for caviar are unwarranted.