cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Jackpile Sandstone: Structurally Localized Fluvial Deposit: ABSTRACT

The Jackpile sandstone of local usage--exposed near Laguna, New Mexico--is in the uppermost unit in the Morrison formation of Jurassic age. The petrography, sedimentary structures and shape of the unit, its relation to tectonic structures, and analogies to similar ancient and modern sandstones suggest that it was probably deposited by a northeast-flowing stream system that was largely confined by contemporaneous structural depression. Continued downwarping after deposition, followed by erosional truncation, emphasized the structural localization of the unit. The sandstone is fine to medium grained, friable, and moderately well sorted; coarser grained beds are more abundant near the base of the unit. The composition ranges from a calcite-cemented subarkose near the base to kaolinite-indurated quartz sandstone near the top. Terrestrial plant remains are locally abundant. The so-called Jackpile sandstone is a northeast-trending tabular body as much as 12 miles wide, at least 30 miles long, and up to 200 feet thick. It splits into distributary-like bar fingers to the northeast. Cross-beds in the Jackpile sandstone dip mostly northeast, suggesting that the sediments were transported northeastward. The unit wedges to the northwest and southeast along an angular unconformity bounded by the overlying Dakota sandstone, and broad folds in the strata below this unconformity parallel the southeastern limit of the Jackpile sandstone. Other stratigraphic units in the Morrison formation tend to thicken in the area of the Jackpile sandstone. This suggests that structural downwarping was active in the area before, as well as during and after Jackpile deposition. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1256------------
Fluorescent Carbon Nanotubes in Cross-Linked Micelles

Micellar suspensions of isolated single-walled carbon nanotubes were cross-linked, encasing the nanotubes in robust surfactant cages. These cages are surprisingly robust to changes in environmental conditions, allowing nanotubes to remain completely isolated, and thus fluoresce strongly, even when assembled into dense, solid films.
Performance of externally FRP reinforced columns for changes in angle and thickness of the wrap and concrete strength

In this study, the performance of axially loaded, small-scale, and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wrapped concrete columns with various wrap angle configurations, wrap thicknesses, and concrete strengths was investigated through nonlinear finite element analysis. Three different wrap thicknesses, wrap ply angle configurations of 0°, ±15°, and 0°/±15°/0° with respect to the circumferential direction, and concrete strength values ranging from 3 ksi to 6 ksi were considered. An existing experimental study on FRP-confined circular columns in the literature was utilized to validate numerical analysis models. The finite element analysis results showed substantial increase in the axial compressive strength and ductility of the FRP-confined concrete cylinders as compared to the unconfined cylinders. The increase in wrap thickness also resulted in enhancement of axial strength and ductility of the concrete columns. The gain in axial compressive strength in FRP-wrapped concrete columns was observed to be higher for lower strength concrete and the highest in the columns wrapped with the 0° ply angle configuration.
ANALYSIS OF THE NUCLEAR REACTION SPECTROSCOPY OF $sup 177$Hf, $sup 179$Hg, AND $sup 181$Hf.

This study of the nuclear levels in $^{181}\mathrm{Hf}$, $^{179}\mathrm{Hf}$, and $^{177}\mathrm{Hf}$ has utilized the reactions $^{180}\mathrm{Hf}(d,p)^{181}\mathrm{Hf}$, $^{180}\mathrm{Hf}(d,t)^{179}\mathrm{Hf}$, $^{178}\mathrm{Hf}(d,t)^{177}\mathrm{Hf}$, and $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}(d,p)^{177}\mathrm{Hf}$ at incident deuteron energies of 10-12 MeV. The emergent particles were analyzed in a broad-range magnetic spectrograph. The ground-state $Q$ values were determined to be $^{180}\mathrm{Hf}(d,p)$, $Q=3475\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10$ keV; $^{180}\mathrm{Hf}(d,t)$, $Q=\ensuremath{-}1112\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4$ keV; $^{178}\mathrm{Hf}(d,t)$, $Q=\ensuremath{-}1364\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9$ keV; and $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}(d,p)$, $Q=4150\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7$ keV. Angular distributions were measured for the reactions $^{180}\mathrm{Hf}(d,p)^{181}\mathrm{Hf}$, $^{178}\mathrm{Hf}(d,t)^{177}\mathrm{Hf}$, and $^{176}\mathrm{Hf}(d,p)^{177}\mathrm{Hf}$, and interpreted with the aid of the distorted-wave Born approximation theory. $l$ values have been assigned and spectroscopic factors extracted. The assignment of $l$ values has resulted in the interpretation of the structure of $^{181}\mathrm{Hf}$ and $^{177}\mathrm{Hf}$ up to 2 MeV. The ($d,t$) study of $^{179}\mathrm{Hf}$ has been used in conjunction with previously reported ($d,p$) data, and has resulted in an extension of the previous analysis. Nilsson states identified in one or more nuclei are the ${\frac{7}{2}}^{+}[633]$, ${\mathrm{\textonehalf{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$[521], ${\frac{5}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[512]$, ${\frac{7}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[514]$, ${\frac{9}{2}}^{+}[624]$, ${\frac{1}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[510]$, ${\frac{3}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[512]$, ${\frac{7}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[503]$, ${\frac{3}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[501]$, ${\frac{5}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[503]$, and ${\frac{13}{2}}^{+}[606]$. In addition a large number of $K=\frac{1}{2}$ and $\frac{3}{2}$ bands have been observed which do not have a simple interpretation in the Nilsson theory. While the low-lying (predominantly Nilsson) states agree quite well with the calculations of Soloviev, the higher states do not.
Evidence of a contractile mechanism in the taste bud of the mouse fungiform papilla.

Abstract The taste pores of anesthetized mice were directly observed by means of an epimicroscope. After exposure to HCl vapor, the taste bud responded by extruding fluid from the pore. Within a few seconds the fluid receded leaving a ring of material. By electron microscopy the pore was seen to be filled with vesicles, presumably in a fluid matrix. A possible contractile mechanism is hypothesized; it consists of a long wavy bundle of tonofilaments whose extension and retraction could account for these observations.
Inflation of a pressure-limited cuff inside a model trachea

A theory of the elastic behaviour of thin rubber films is developed to describe inflation of pressure-limited tracheal tube cuffs (a) outside and (b) inside rigid cylindrical model tracheas. At each stage, assumptions and results were successfully checked against experiment. The theory predicts cylinder wall versus intracuff pressure. This allows, for any suitable cuff (of which there are many), the determination of a single intracuff pressure that ensures a satisfactory seal, for any diameter within the human adult range, the wall pressure staying below some chosen safety limit.
The vexed question of peasant passivity: nationalist discourse and the debate on peasant resistance in literary representations of the Bengal famine of 1943

There were few food riots during the Bengal famine of 1943; the reason for this passivity has often been the subject of scholarly debate, and is the central dilemma in many literary representations of the famine. Despite the radical sensibility of many of the writers of the Progressive Writers’ Association, their representation of peasant resistance is ambivalent, and muted by the competing allegiances within nationalist discourse at the time. At a time of explosive radical protest, which might have mobilized against an “artificial famine” in which millions starved to death, attention was focused, instead, on anti-colonial critique. The famine was held up as one more instance of British colonial misrule, rather than as an event that exposed inequitable fault lines within class, caste, gender and metropolitan or rural locations. Indeed, Bengal famine texts gesture towards a utopian post-independence horizon, where hunger and social injustice will not exist.
STIMULUS-DRIVEN COMPETITION IN A CHOLINERGIC MIDBRAIN NUCLEUS

The mechanisms by which the brain selects a particular stimulus as the next target for gaze are poorly understood. A cholinergic nucleus in the owl's midbrain exhibits functional properties that suggest its role in bottom-up stimulus selection. Neurons in the nucleus isthmi pars parvocellularis (Ipc) responded to wide ranges of visual and auditory features, but they were not tuned to particular values of those features. Instead, they encoded the relative strengths of stimuli across the entirety of space. Many neurons exhibited switch-like properties, abruptly increasing their responses to a stimulus in their receptive field when it became the strongest stimulus. This information propagates directly to the optic tectum, a structure involved in gaze control and stimulus selection, as periodic (25-50 Hz) bursts of cholinergic activity. The functional properties of Ipc neurons resembled those of a salience map, a core component in computational models for spatial attention and gaze control.
Set Correlation and Contingency Tables.

Set correlation is a realization of the general multi variate linear model, can be viewed as a multivariate generalization of multiple correlation analysis, and may be employed in the analysis of m...
Ion beam sputtered Y2O3

We have investigated the ion beam sputtering (IBS) of Y2O3 as an alternative to HfO2 for high index layers in interference coatings for high power lasers. We present results on structural and optical properties of Y2O3 deposited from an oxide target. The IBS Y2O3 films are amorphous with a surface roughness of <6 A for λ/4 thickness at 1 μm. The Y2O3 films are transparent with extremely low absorption loss at 1 μm and laser damage is in the range 10 J/cm2 when tested at a wavelength of 1.03 μm and pulse duration of 375 ps.
CAM and Respiratory Disease

Complementary and alternative medicine is used commonly for respiratory diseases. This review summarizes data that identify potential links between dietary intake and asthma, and results of interventional trials of herbal substances for the treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute bronchitis.
Increasing Peer-Directed Social-Communication Skills of Children Enrolled in Head Start

The current study assessed the effects of an intervention to improve the social-communicative interactions of six children at-risk for delays in language and social skills enrolled in Head Start. A...
T cell contact with Ia antigens on nonhemopoietic cells in vivo can lead to immunity rather than tolerance.

Long-term H-2-heterozygous a\---|-(a x b)F1 bone marrow (BM) chimeras prepared with supralethal irradiation (1,300 rad) are devoid of Ia+ host BM-derived antigen-presenting cells (APC), but show quite strong host Ia expression in germinal centers, probably on follicular dendritic cells (a class of nonhemopoietic stromal cells). To examine whether Ia expression on these non-BM-derived cells is capable of inducing post-thymic tolerance of T cells, thymectomized irradiated (a x b)F1 mice were reconstituted with parent alpha stem cells and then, 6 mo later, given parent alpha thymus grafts. As measured by primary mixed lymphocyte reactions and V beta expression, the CD4+ cells differentiating in the thymus-grafted mice showed no detectable tolerance to the H-2 (Ia) antigens of the host. To examine whether the thymus-grafted mice contained immunologically significant quantities of host Ia antigens, long-term alpha\---|-(alpha x b)F1 chimeras were injected with normal strain alpha CD4+ cells; the donor cells were recovered from thoracic duct lymph of the chimeras and tested for host reactivity in vitro. The results showed that Ia expression in the chimeras was sufficient to cause selective trapping of a substantial proportion of host-Ia-reactive CD4+ cells soon after transfer and, at later stages, to induce strong priming. Tolerance was not seen. The data place constraints on the view that T cell recognition of antigen expressed on cells other than typical BM-derived APC leads to tolerance induction.
Time-sliced three-dimensional inverse image reconstruction of objects in highly scattering media

An inverse image reconstruction approach that makes use of an algorithm based on the diffusion approximation of the radiative transport theory and a sequence of picosecond-duration slices of transmitted two-dimensional (2D) light intensity distribution for fast 3D image reconstruction is presented. The results of simulation and experiment for a cylindrical geometry are presented. Object localization in the lateral dimensions is better than that in the axial direction. The observed difference in axial and lateral resolutions are analyzed by introducing the concept of "longitudinal sensitivity".
Nucleotide channel of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase used for intermolecular uridylylation of protein primer.

Poliovirus VPg is a 22 amino acid residue peptide that serves as the protein primer for replication of the viral RNA genome. VPg is known to bind directly to the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, 3D, for covalent uridylylation, yielding mono and di-uridylylated products, VPg-pU and VPg-pUpU, which are subsequently elongated. To model the docking of the VPg substrate to a putative VPg-binding site on the 3D polymerase molecule, we performed a variety of structure-based computations followed by experimental verification. First, potential VPg folded structures were identified, yielding a suite of predicted β-hairpin structures. These putative VPg structures were then docked to the region of the polymerase implicated by genetic experiments to bind VPg, using grid-based and fragment-based methods. Residues in VPg predicted to affect binding were identified through molecular dynamics simulations, and their effects on the 3D-VPg interaction were tested computationally and biochemically. Experiments with mutant VPg and mutant polymerase molecules confirmed the predicted binding site for VPg on the back side of the polymerase molecule during the uridylylation reaction, opposite to that predicted to bind elongating RNA primers.
A path loss model for 300-GHz wireless channels

This paper presents the path loss model for 300 - 320 GHz wireless channels.The single-slope large-scale path loss model that includes log-normal shadow fading is devised from the large set of measured data. A good match between the modelled and the measured path loss is observed. The results show that for short distances, the path loss exponent is around 2 and the shadow fading is the smallest at the center of the frequency band of interest.
Comparative distributions of alkalies, alkaline earths and lead among major tissues of the tuna thunnus alalunga

The occurrences of K, Rb, Cs, Ca, Sr, Ba and Pb have been determined in various tissues of the tuna fish Thunnus alalunga. K, Rb, and Cs are distributed uniformly throughout the organs of the fish; 95% of the ca and Sr, and 70% of the Ba and Pb are contained in the skeleton. It is found that there are smaller amouts of Cs, Ba and Pb associated with the nutrient metals K and Ca in a marine animal compared to a terrestrial animal. This difference is a result of the purity of K and Ca in sea-water and the smaller amounts of trace metals associated with them compared to the impurity of K and Ca in terrestrial rocks. Food-chain enhancement and depletion of metals can be evaluated by comparing rations of trace metals to abundant nutrient metals in seawater and tuna. Cs is enriched relative to K in going from seawater to tuna by a factor of 13. Sr and Ba are both depleted by factors of 5 relative to Ca in going from seawater to tuna, while Pb is enriched relative to Ca by a factor of 14. Special clean laboratory procedures were used to prepare samples for accurate analysis by stable isotope dilution mass spectrometric techniques.
7 Information visualisation and semiotic morphisms

Information visualisation design is generally ad hoc using trial and error, and perhaps prior visualisation experiments. This chapter suggests a different approach: general design principles based on a combination of algebraic abstract data type theory, semiotics, and social theory. Major concepts include semiotic spaces to describe systems of related signs, semiotic, morphisms to describe representations of signs, and preservation measures to describe the quality of representations. Some examples are given, each with a critical discussion, illustrating how semiotic morphisms can help with design.
Response of baldcypress ( Taxodium distichum L. var. Distichum ) to increases in flooding salinity in Louisiana’s Mississippi River deltaic plain

Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum L. var.distichum) plants were subjected to flooding with tap water and salt water with salinity ranging from two to seven parts per thousand (ppt) under controlled environment conditions. Imposition of flooding and salinity stresses was designed to simulate the increase in submergence and salinity level which Louisiana’s extensive cypress swamps are currently experiencing due to rapid subsidence. The effect of flooding and salt water intrusion on stomatal behavior and net photosynthesis were measured. Stomatal conductance was reduced between 40% and 65% and net photosynthesis declined between 51% and 70% in response to flooding and increases in salinity within three days of flooding and salt application. Both responses were rapid, occurred shortly after treatment began, and Jasted throughout experiment. However, stomatal conductance recovered within three weeks after flooding was initiated. Net photosynthesis recovery was up to 75% of pre-flood levels within three weeks. Increase in salinity, however, caused more extensive impact and greater reductions of stomatal conductance, and net photosynthesis. Stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis did not recover when salinity exceeded three ppt. Results presented suggest that baldcypress swamps of the Gulf Coast area will be adversely affected if salt water intrusion is not contained or if the predicted global increase in sea level occurs.
Human islet preparations distributed for research exhibit a variety of insulin-secretory profiles

Human islet research is providing new insights into human islet biology and diabetes, using islets isolated at multiple US centers from donors with varying characteristics. This creates challenges for understanding, interpreting, and integrating research findings from the many laboratories that use these islets. In what is, to our knowledge, the first standardized assessment of human islet preparations from multiple isolation centers, we measured insulin secretion from 202 preparations isolated at 15 centers over 11 years and noted five distinct patterns of insulin secretion. Approximately three quarters were appropriately responsive to stimuli, but one quarter were dysfunctional, with unstable basal insulin secretion and/or an impairment in stimulated insulin secretion. Importantly, the patterns of insulin secretion by responsive human islet preparations (stable Baseline and Fold stimulation of insulin secretion) isolated at different centers were similar and improved slightly over the years studied. When all preparations studied were considered, basal and stimulated insulin secretion did not correlate with isolation center, biological differences of the islet donor, or differences in isolation, such as Cold Ischemia Time. Dysfunctional islet preparations could not be predicted from the information provided by the isolation center and had altered expression of genes encoding components of the glucose-sensing pathway, but not of insulin production or cell death. These results indicate that insulin secretion by most preparations from multiple centers is similar but that in vitro responsiveness of human islets cannot be predicted, necessitating preexperimental human islet assessment. These results should be considered when one is designing, interpreting, and integrating experiments using human islets.
First Principles Modeling of Electrolyte Materials in All-Solid-State Batteries

Abstract This contribution reviews the series of approximations that comprise “first principles” modeling techniques which we have used in recent years to simulate ideal models of solid electrolytes, some of which are of technological interest in the development of all-solid-state battery technologies.
Low-molecular-weight guayule natural rubber as a feedstock for epoxidized natural rubber

Abstract The low-molecular-weight fraction of guayule rubber ( M w 2.68 × 105) can be modified to yield a low-viscosity analog of epoxidized natural rubber. A hexane or cyclohexane solution of rubber is treated at 23–63°C with peracid formed in situ from hydrogen peroxide and formic acid. The epoxidized polymer enhances the physical properties of cured rubber compositions, particularly abrasion and oil resistance properties. Low-molecular-weight natural rubbers from other temperate zone plants could be similarly modified.
Charting the travels of copper in eukaryotes from yeast to mammals

Throughout evolution, all organisms have harnessed the redox properties of copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) as a cofactor or structural determinant of proteins that perform critical functions in biology. At its most sobering stance to Earth's biome, Cu biochemistry allows photosynthetic organisms to harness solar energy and convert it into the organic energy that sustains the existence of all nonphotosynthetic life forms. The conversion of organic energy, in the form of nutrients that include carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids, is subsequently released during cellular respiration, itself a Cu-dependent process, and stored as ATP that is used to drive a myriad of critical biological processes such as enzyme-catalyzed biosynthetic processes, transport of cargo around cells and across membranes, and protein degradation. The life-supporting properties of Cu incur a significant challenge to cells that must not only exquisitely balance intracellular Cu concentrations, but also chaperone this redox-active metal from its point of cellular entry to its ultimate destination so as to avert the potential for inappropriate biochemical interactions or generation of damaging reactive oxidative species (ROS). In this review we chart the travels of Cu from the extracellular milieu of fungal and mammalian cells, its path within the cytosol as inferred by the proteins and ligands that escort and deliver Cu to intracellular organelles and protein targets, and its journey throughout the body of mammals. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cell Biology of Metals.
Routine Drainage of the Operative Bed Following Elective Distal Pancreatectomy Does Not Reduce the Occurrence of Complications

: Routine drainage of the operative bed following elective pancreatectomy remains controversial. Data specific to distal pancreatectomy (DP) have not been examined in a multi-institutional collaborative. : Data from the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pancreatectomy Demonstration Project were utilized. The impact of drain placement on development of pancreatectomy-related and overall morbidity were analyzed. Propensity scores for drain placement were calculated, and nearest neighbor matching was used to create a matched cohort. Groups were compared using bivariate and logistic regression analyses. : Over 14 months, 761 patients undergoing DP were accrued; 606 were drained. Propensity score matching was possible in 116 patients. Drain and no drain groups were not different with respect to multiple preoperative and operative variables. All pancreatic fistulas (p < 0.01) and overall morbidity (p < 0.05) were more common in patients who received a drain. The placement of a drain did not reduce the incidence of clinically relevant pancreatic fistula nor the need for postoperative procedures. : Placement of drains following elective distal pancreatectomy was associated with a higher overall morbidity and pancreatic fistulas. Drains did not reduce intra-abdominal septic morbidity, clinically relevant pancreatic fistulas, nor the need for postoperative therapeutic intervention.
A new approach to scheduling in manufacturing for power consumption and carbon footprint reduction

Abstract Manufacturing scheduling strategies have historically emphasized cycle time; in almost all cases, energy and environmental factors have not been considered in scheduling. This paper presents a new mathematical programming model of the flow shop scheduling problem that considers peak power load, energy consumption, and associated carbon footprint in addition to cycle time. The new model is demonstrated using a simple case study: a flow shop where two machines are employed to produce a variety of parts. In addition to the processing order of the jobs, the proposed scheduling problem considers the operation speed as an independent variable, which can be changed to affect the peak load and energy consumption. Even with a single objective, finding an optimal schedule is notoriously difficult, so directly applying commercial software to this multi-objective scheduling problem requires significant computation time. This paper calls for the development of more specialized algorithms for this new scheduling problem and examines computationally tractable approaches for finding near-optimal schedules.
Phenocryst-matrix partition coefficients for K, Rb, Sr and Ba, with applications to anorthosite and basalt genesis

Abstract Partition coefficients for K, Rb, Sr, and Ba distributed between plagioclase, K-feldspar, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, mica, hornblende, garnet, and olivine phenocrysts and their igneous matrix materials, have been determined by a mass-spectrometric stable isotope dilution technique. Typical differentiation of a basalt through fractional crystallization results in higher K, Ba, and Rb concentrations, slightly higher K/Sr, Ba/Sr and Rb/Sr ratios, and slightly lower K/Rb and Ba/Rb ratios in the liquid. K/Ba may be a useful solar-system indexing criterion. The high K/Rb ratio and other trace element characteristics of andesine-labradorite anorthosites reflect their origin as plagioclase cumulates. Partition coefficients have been applied to a simple model of basalt genesis.
Reliability analysis of window glass failure pressure data

Abstract Results are presented for reliability analyses of 14 samples of new, full-size, simply supported monolithic glass plates and PVB laminated glass units that were tested to destruction. In all, the data base includes 318 specimens that were tested to failure under uniform lateral pressure and under controlled laboratory experimental conditions. Six probability distributions are employed in the reliability analyses. Results indicate that, a structural design perspective, the 2-parameter Weibull distribution consistently produces conservative (but not unduly low) estimates of sixty-second constant failure pressures ( P 60 ) at target reliabilities of 0.992 and 0.999. Normal and 3-parameter Weibull distributions appear to be usable for reliability analyses of architectural glass failure pressures, but they are not as consistent in producing reasonable lower bounds of glass failure pressures as is the 2-parameter Weibull distribution. Lognormal distributions (2- and 3-parameter) and the Gumbel extreme value distribution do not always produce meaningful results. At room temperature, the reliability analysis results do not support the presence of a 0.75 strength factor in building codes for specifying the lateral pressure resistance of PVB laminated glass units relative to that of monolitic glass plates. In fact, reliability analysis results herein indicate comparable nominal resistances to lateral pressure for monolithic glass plates and PVB laminated glass units at room temperature. At elevated temperatures, the “relative strength issue” becomes more complex; compared to test results at room temperature, a strength reduction clearly occurs in PVB laminated glass units tested at 170°F (77°C), but little strength reduction appears to occur at 120°F (49°C).
Modeling soil metabolic processes using isotopologue pairs of position-specific 13C-labeled glucose and pyruvate

Most organic carbon (C) in soils eventually turns into CO2 after passing through microbial metabolic pathways, while providing cells with energy and biosynthetic precursors. Therefore, detailed insight into these metabolic processes may help elucidate mechanisms of soil C cycling processes. Here, we describe a modeling approach to quantify the C flux through metabolic pathways by adding 1-13C and 2,3-13C pyruvate and 1-13C and U-13C glucose as metabolic tracers to intact soil microbial communities. The model calculates, assuming steady-state conditions and glucose as the only substrate, the reaction rates through glycolysis, Krebs cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, anaplerotic activity through pyruvate carboxylase, and various biosynthesis reactions. The model assumes a known and constant microbial proportional precursor demand, estimated from literature data. The model is parameterized with experimentally determined ratios of 13CO2 production from pyruvate and glucose isotopologue pairs. Model sensitivity analysis shows that metabolic flux patterns are especially responsive to changes in experimentally determined 13CO2 ratios from pyruvate and glucose. Calculated fluxes are far less sensitive to assumptions concerning microbial chemical and community composition. The calculated metabolic flux pattern for a young volcanic soil indicates significant pentose phosphate pathway activity in excess of pentose precursor demand and significant anaplerotic activity. These C flux patterns can be used to calculate C use efficiency, energy production and consumption for growth and maintenance purposes, substrate consumption, nitrogen demand, oxygen consumption, and microbial C isotope composition. The metabolic labeling and modeling methods may improve our ability to study the biochemistry and ecophysiology of intact and undisturbed soil microbial communities.
Evolution of seed dispersal in North American Ephedra

Related plants often produce seeds that are dispersed in very different ways, raising questions of how and why plants undergo adaptive shifts in key aspects of their reproductive ecology. Here we analyze the evolution of seed dispersal syndromes in an ancient group of plants. Ephedra (Gymnospermae; Gnetales; Ephedraceae) is a genus containing ≈50 species in semiarid ecosystems worldwide and with three distinct types of cones. We collected mature cones and seeds of ten species of Ephedra in southwestern United States and measured nine morphological traits for each species. Principal component analysis and other data characterized three types of Ephedra cones and seeds. Species with dry, winged cone bracts are dispersed by wind (i.e., E. torreyana and E. trifurca), those with succulent, brightly-colored cone bracts are dispersed by frugivorous birds (i.e., E. antisyphilitica), and those with small, dry cone bracts and large seeds are dispersed by seed-caching rodents (e.g., E. viridis and E. californica). Two species (E. funerea and E. nevadensis) have cone and seed morphologies intermediate between two seed dispersal syndromes. Seed and cones traits were mapped onto two recent phylogenies to help reveal the evolutionary history of seed dispersal syndromes. Bird dispersal is thought to be the ancestral form of seed dispersal in ephedras as it is common in the Old World where Ephedra originated, but the three North American species dispersed by birds are not monophyletic. The two wind dispersed species in North America also do not cluster together, suggesting separate origins. Seed dispersal by seed-caching rodents is common in North America and appears to have evolved several times, but this syndrome is absent form other continents. The evolutionary history of Ephedra in North America suggests that the means of seed dispersal has been malleable. Evolutionary shifts were likely linked to changes in ecological conditions.
The effects of NGF and fetal cell transplants on spatial learning after intradentate administration of colchicine

Abstract This study was performed to assess the effects of NGF infusion alone or in combination with fetal hippocampal transplants on recovery of function after damage to hippocampal dentate granule cells. Two groups of male Fischer-344 rats received bilateral infusions of colchicine (COLCH; 2.5 μg/site) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF; 0.5 μl) through chronic indwelling cannulae into the dentate gyrus. At the time of COLCH injection, a unilateral intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula was implanted. One week later, when animals were tested in activity chambers for 60 min, COLCH-treated rats showed a significant increase in spontaneous locomotor activity. Two weeks after COLCH treatment, animals were assigned to various post-treatment groups and received 1.0 μl of rat fetal hippocampal cell suspensions (ED-17 or 18) or Earle's basic salt solution in the same site as prevous hippocampal infusions. Modified Alzet miniosmotic pumps (0.25 μl/h) containing NGF (10 ng/μl) or ACSF with cytochrome C (20 ng/μl) were implanted subcutaneously and attached to the previously implanted ICV cannulae. The animals were tested for learning ability in a Morris water maze task starting 6 or 12 weeks post-COLCH. During both test periods, COLCH lesions significantly impaired acquisition and retention. At 6 weeks postlesion, NGF treatment ameliorated this COLCH-induced behavioral deficit while the presence of transplants did not ameliorate the COLCH-induced learning deficit. COLCH/transplant/NGF-treated rats performed better than both COLCH-lesioned rats with or without transplants. At 12 weeks postlesion COLCH-induced behavioral deficits were not ameliorated by NGF or transplants. Morphological examination performed after behavioral testing confirmed the presence of viable transplants and COLCH-induced granule cell loss. Exogenous NGF infusions appeared to have no effect on the morphological measures taken. These data demonstrate a time-dependent facilitative effect of exogenously applied NGF on functional deficiencies produced by experimentally induced neurodegeneration in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.
Application of the Finite Inclusions Theorem to robust analysis and synthesis

In a recent publication the Finite Nyquist Theorem and its corollary, the Finite Inclusions Theorem (FIT), were stated and proved. FIT provides a simple condition for a family of polynomials with parameter uncertainty to have all its roots in a given convex region of the complex plane. Since FIT requires knowledge of the family's value set at only finitely many points along the region's boundary, it provides a powerful tool for robust analysis and synthesis of parametrically uncertain systems. In this paper we demonstrate this fact by: (1) employing FIT in robust stability analysis; (2) using FIT in the computation of the weighted H ∞ norm of a transfer function with parameter uncertainty; and (3) carrying out FIT synthesis for an Automatic Bus Steering problem.
Finite Strain Analysis of Shock Compression of Brittle Solids Applied to Titanium Diboride

Abstract A finite strain theory is developed for polycrystalline brittle materials undergoing shock loading. Inelastic deformation arises principally from extension and opening or sliding of microcracks, and depends on pressure as well as deviatoric stress. In the general theory, internal energy depends on a logarithmic measure of finite elastic strain, entropy, and an internal variable associated with fracture. The theory is applied towards planar shock loading of an isotropic sample under possible static pre-stress. An exact analytical solution is derived when inelasticity is idealized as rate independent. The model and solution are applied to describe polycrystalline ceramic titanium diboride. Results provide new insight into experimental shock data, demonstrating importance of elastic nonlinearity and pressure dependent strength. The model describes shock pressure, mean stress, and shear stress in shocked titanium diboride, including the double yield point, with a minimal number of fitting parameters. The analysis predicts an increase in the Hugoniot elastic limit and suppression of inelasticity with increasing compressive pre-stress, in agreement with recent experiments.
Insecticide Resistance in Eggs and First Instars of the Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

Two strains of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., eggs and first instars collected from pyrethroid-resistant adults were evaluated for insecticide resistance and compared to a susceptible strain. Dose-response bioassays were conducted using two insecticide formulations (Temprid: imidacloprid/β-cyfluthrin, and Transport: acetamiprid/ bifenthrin). The lethal concentration (LC50) for the two resistant egg strains exposed to imidacloprid/β-cyfluthrin ranged from 3 to 5-fold higher than susceptible strain eggs. Resistant strain eggs dipped into formulations of acetamiprid/bifenthrin had LC50 values which were significantly greater (39 to 1,080-fold) than susceptible strain eggs. Similar to eggs, resistant strain first instars exposed to residual applications of imidacloprid/β-cyfluthrin had LC50 values ranging from 121 to 493-fold greater than susceptible strain first instars. When resistant strain first instars were treated with acetamiprid/bifenthrin, they had LC50 values that were 99 to >1,900-fold greater than susceptible strain first instars. To determine differences between egg and first instar resistance, stage resistance ratios (SRR) were compared between the two stages. There was little difference between the egg and first instar stages, indicated by small SRR values ranging from 1.1 to 10.0. This study suggests that insecticide resistance is expressed early during bed bug development.
Effect of metabolic acidosis on the insulin-like growth factor-I system and cathepsins B and L gene expression in the kidney.

Prolonged acidemia causes growth retardation and muscle wasting, in part because of reduced food intake, depressed growth hormone secretion, and low serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels. Paradoxically, in the rat kidney, protein synthesis increases, cathepsin B and L activities decline, protein degradation falls, and the kidneys enlarge. Because IGF-I has been implicated as a cause of renal hypertrophy in a variety of conditions, we examined whether IGF-I could be playing a role in the renal hypertrophy of acidosis. Rats were gavaged with NH4Cl or water for 4 days. Water-gavaged rats either were pair-fed with the NH4Cl-loaded rats (pH 7.15) or were given free access to food and served as controls. After 2 days, kidney weight and IGF-I mRNA levels did not differ between the groups, but kidney IGF-I protein levels were significantly higher in the acidotic rats. After 4 days the kidneys of the acidotic rats were significantly larger than the kidneys in both control groups but the renal IGF-I levels did not differ between the groups. It is notable that renal cathepsin B and L mRNA levels were reduced by 30% to 50% at both times. Thus the transient increase in renal IGF-I protein levels in acidosis, before the onset of hypertrophy, suggests that IGF-I may play a role in initiating kidney growth. Furthermore, it appears that reduced cathepsin B and L gene expression is a cause of the low renal cathepsin activity seen in acidosis. This likely contributes to the depressed renal proteolysis caused by acidosis. (J Lab Clin Med 2000;136:468-75)
Synergetic Role of Li+ during Mg Electrodeposition/Dissolution in Borohydride Diglyme Electrolyte Solution: Voltammetric Stripping Behaviors on a Pt Microelectrode Indicative of Mg–Li Alloying and Facilitated Dissolution

We describe a voltammetric and spectroscopic study of Mg electrodeposition/dissolution (MgDep/Dis) in borohydride diglyme electrolyte solution containing Li+ carried out on a Pt ultramicroelectrode (UME, r = 5 μm). The data reveal Li+ cation facilitation that has not been previously recognized in studies made using macroelectrodes. While a single broad, asymmetric stripping peak is expected following MgDep on a Pt macroelectrode in 0.1 M Mg(BH4)2 + 1.5 M LiBH4 diglyme solution on a Pt UME, the stripping reveals three resolved oxidation peaks, suggesting that MgDep/Dis consists of not only a Mg/Mg2+ redox reaction but also contributions from Mg–Li alloying/dissolution reaction processes. Detailed XPS, SIMS, ICP, and XRD studies were performed that confirm the importance of Mg–Li alloy formation processes, the nature of which is dependent on the reduction potential used during the MgDep step. Based on the electrochemical and surface analysis data, we propose an electrochemical mechanism for MgDep/Dis in a b...
Missed Ideological Opportunities and George W. Bush’s Middle Eastern Policies

Numerous analysts have criticized George W. Bush's Middle Eastern policies for their strong ideological content. This article agrees with a core premise of these critiques, but it does so for very ...
Continuous foam separation and activated carbon filtration to clarify dilute colloidal suspensions

A 380 gal/day (1.0 liter/min) foam separation-activated carbon filtration unit, designed from a laboratory-scale unit, has been tested with naturally-occurring suspensions of sand, clay, and humus containing up to 210 mg/l suspended solids. Foam separation results have been subjected in detail to stepwise, multiple, linear repression analysis, yielding the ratio of the effluent to the feed particulate concentration as a power function of the feed surfactant concentration and the volume of air required per unit volume of feed clarified. The total operating cost function, including surfactant, air, and the capacity of the granular activated carbon, can be minimized, with operating costs from 38 to 97¢/1000 gal. for feed suspensions containing 35 to 210 mg/l suspended solids. Scale-up factors are included. On a fait l'essai d'un dispositif pour separation d'ecume et filtration avec carbone active, dont la capacite etait de 380 gallons par jour (1.0 litre a la minute) et qui avait ete concu a partir d'un appareil de laboratoire; l'essai s'est fait dans le cas de suspensions naturelles de sable, d'argile et d'humus contenant jusqu'e 210 milligrammes par litre de solides en suspension. On a soumis les resultats de la separation d'ecume a une analyse de regressions lineaires multiples et etagees; le rapport resultant entre la concentration est apparu comme une fonction de puissance de la concentration de l'agent tensio-actif d'alimentation et du volume d'air requis par unite de volume du produit d'alimentation clarifie. On peut minimiser le coǔt total d'operation (qui embrasse l'agent tensio-actif, l'air et la capacite du carbone active en granules) et obtenir des coǔts de 38 a 97 cents par 1000 gallons pour des suspensions de produits d'alimentation contenant 35 a 210 milligrammes par litre de matieres solides; on fournit des facteurs pour calculs d'escalade.
First Report of Enterobacter Bulb Decay of Onions Caused by Enterobacter cloacae in New York.

During the summer of 2010, onions (Allium cepa L.) of several cultivars growing in muck-land soils in Orange, Genesee, Orleans, and Oswego counties of New York exhibited leaf dieback and bulb decay consistent with disease symptoms caused by Enterobacter cloacae as described previously (1,3,4). Isolations of bacteria from symptomatic tissues and muck soil were made using onion extract medium (OEM), which contains extracts of autoclaved onions, salts, and inhibitors of fungi and gram-positive bacteria. Some presumptive strains of E. cloacae were isolated; 5 from symptomatic onions growing in Genesee County, 2 from muck-land soil, and 27 from bulbs stored for ~2.5 months in a farm storage facility in Oswego County. Tentative identification was based on colony morphology (convex, cream-color colonies, 2 to 3 mm in diameter following incubation at 28°C for 1 day on OEM), which was similar to the morphology of reference strains of E. cloacae ATCC 23355, ATCC 13047, and strain 310 (gift of H. F. Schwartz, which ...
Lifestyle Practices and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in the Elderly:The Leisure World Cohort Study

Modifiable behavioral risk factors are major contributing causes of death, but whether the effects are maintained in older adults is uncertain. We explored the association of smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, physical activity, and body mass index on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in 13,296 older adults and calculated risk estimates using Cox regression analysis in four age groups (<70, 70–74, 75–79, and 80+ years). The most important factor was current smoking, which increased risk in all age-sex groups. In women, alcohol consumption (≤3 drinks/day) was related to decreased (15–30%) risk in those <80 years old; in men, 4+ drinks/day was associated with reduced (15–30%) risk. Active 70+ year olds had 20–40% lower risk. Both underweight and obese women were at increased risk. Lifestyle practices impact CVD death rates in older adults, even those aged 80+ years. Not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, physical activity, and normal weight are important health promoters in our aging population.
Molecular cloning of chicken hepatic histidase and the regulation of histidase mRNA expression by dietary protein.

Abstract Chicken hepatic histidase activity varies with dietary protein consumption, but the mechanisms responsible for this alteration in activity are unclear. In the present research, the complete coding sequence and deduced amino acid sequence for chicken histidase was determined from clones isolated from a chicken liver cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of chicken histidase has greater than 85% identity with the amino acid sequences of rat, mouse, and human histidase. In a series of four experiments, broiler chicks were allowed free access for 1.5, 3, 6, or 24 h to a low (13 g/100 g diet), basal (22 g/100 g diet) and high (40 g/100 g diet) protein diet. In the final experiment 5, chicks were allowed free access for 24 h to the basal, high protein diet or the basal diet supplemented with three different levels of l -histidine (0.22 g/100 g diet, 0.43 g/100 g diet or 0.86 g/100 g diet). There were no differences in the expression of the mRNA for histidase at 1.5 h, but at 3 h, histidase mRNA expression was significantly (P
Some Criteria for Removal of Skeletally Bound Radioactive Strontium.

SummaryThe removal of skeletally bound Sr89 is accelerated by diets whose Ca/P ratios are 4 or greater. Also, supplemental magnesium increases the removal of isotope if the dietary Ca P ratio is 2 or less. Large dietary Ca P ratios and supplemental magnesium produce hypercalciuria which is essential for increased Sr89 elimination. Increased intake of magnesium ions routinely decreases urinary phosphorus and fecal calcium causing their balance to become more positive.