cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of tetrahydrocannabinol on rat preovulatory follicles: a quantitative cytochemical analysis

Using a microdensitometric histochemical assay, delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase Types I and II hydrogen generation were measured in preovulatory follicles from normal rats, and in follicles from rats given tetrahydrocannabinol for three days prior to sacrifice. Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and Type I hydrogen generation are involved in steroidogenesis, whereas Type II hydrogen generation is involved with general cellular metabolism. All ovaries were removed on pro-oestrus, frozen, sectioned and the sections reacted with the appropriate media. Enzyme activity was measured in the theca and in three regions of the membrana granulosa; peripheral, antral and corona radiata. Compared to control animals, the hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was significantly reduced in all follicular regions in rats exposed to tetrahydrocannabinol. Type I hydrogen generation was significantly less in the theca and peripheral region of preovulatory follicles from rats given tetrahydrocannabinol, but the same in the antral region and corona radiata. In all follicular regions examined, Type II hydrogen generation was unchanged following tetrahydrocannabinol administration. Thus, only the enzymes specifically associated with follicular steroidogenesis were affected by administration of the drug.
Skeletal studies of the people of Sicily: An update on research into human remains from archaeological contexts

Human skeletal remains, commonly at the focus of the archaeological investigations of cemeteries, recently have become of increasing importance in reconstructing the culture history of Sicily. A review of the history of osteological investigations on Sicily, including note of recent studies, demonstrates the considerable progress made in recent years and provides future researchers with indications of directions that are available to be taken. This list provides an update to an earlier study (Becker 1995–96). We now have a more useful indication of the extent of human skeletal material now available from Sicilian archaeological sites, from all periods, that may be used in comparative studies.
Estimation of the diffusion-limited rate of microtubule assembly

Microtubule assembly is a complex process with individual microtubules alternating stochastically between extended periods of assembly and disassembly, a phenomenon known as dynamic instability. Since the discovery of dynamic instability, molecular models of assembly have generally assumed that tubulin incorporation into the microtubule lattice is primarily reaction-limited. Recently this assumption has been challenged and the importance of diffusion in microtubule assembly dynamics asserted on the basis of scaling arguments, with tubulin gradients predicted to extend over length scales exceeding a cell diameter, approximately 50 microns. To assess whether individual microtubules in vivo assemble at diffusion-limited rates and to predict the theoretical upper limit on the assembly rate, a steady-state mean-field model for the concentration of tubulin about a growing microtubule tip was developed. Using published parameter values for microtubule assembly in vivo (growth rate = 7 microns/min, diffusivity = 6 x 10(-12) m2/s, tubulin concentration = 10 microM), the model predicted that the tubulin concentration at the microtubule tip was approximately 89% of the concentration far from the tip, indicating that microtubule self-assembly is not diffusion-limited. Furthermore, the gradients extended less than approximately 50 nm (the equivalent of about two microtubule diameters) from the microtubule tip, a distance much less than a cell diameter. In addition, a general relation was developed to predict the diffusion-limited assembly rate from the diffusivity and bulk tubulin concentration. Using this relation, it was estimated that the maximum theoretical assembly rate is approximately 65 microns/min, above which tubulin can no longer diffuse rapidly enough to support faster growth.
Staying on target with CRISPR-Cas

Four independent studies shed light on the specificity of RNA-guided genome editing tools based on the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 protein.
Hydrogen assisted cracking of type 304 stainless steel

This paper reports a study of hydrogen assisted cracking in type 304 stainless steel. It shows that the most detrimental effect in increasing the susceptibility of the material to hydrogen cracking is the formation of martensite upon deformation. This is particularly damaging if the martensite is localized at the grain boundaries. With martensite present intergranular impurities such as phosphorus play a secondary role. As martensite becomes more difficult to form, the importance of impurities increases.
Dehn twists and products of mapping classes of riemann surfaces with one puncture

Let S be a Riemann surface that contains one puncture x. Let ℐ be the collection of simple closed geodesics on S, and let ℱ denote the set of mapping classes on S isotopic to the identity on S ∪ {x}. Denote by tc the positive Dehn twist about a curve c ∈ ℐ. In this paper, the author studies the products of forms (tb−m ∘ tan) ∘ fk, where a, b ∈ ℐ and f ∈ ℱ. It is easy to see that if a = b or a, b are boundary components of an x-punctured cylinder on S, then one may find an element f ∈ ℱ such that the sequence (tb−m ∘ tna) ∘ fk contains infinitely many powers of Dehn twists. The author shows that the converse statement remains true, that is, if the sequence (tb−m ∘ tan) ∘ fk contains infinitely many powers of Dehn twists, then a, b must be the boundary components of an x-punctured cylinder on S and f is a power of the spin map tb−1 ∘ ta.
Persistent annotations deserve new URIs

Some digital libraries support annotations, but sharing these annotations with other systems or across the web is difficult because of the need of special applications to read and decode these annotations. Due to the frequent change of web resources, the annotation's meaning can change if the underlying resources change. This project concentrates on minting a new URI for every annotation and creating a persistent and independent archived version of all resources. Users should be able to select a segment of an image or a video to be part of the annotation. The media fragment URIs described in the Open Annotation Collaboration data model can be used, but in practice they have limits, and they face the lack of support by the browsers. So in this project the segments of images, and videos can be used in the annotations without using media fragment URIs.
Phylogenetic characterization of several para- and meta-PCB dechlorinating Clostridium species: 16s rDNA sequence analyses.

The genus Clostridium has more than 127 species, grouped according to their morphology and functions. Nine Clostridium species were identified based on their ability to dechlorinate meta- and para-PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) contaminated sediments. The phylogenetic relatedness of these PCB-degrading Clostridium species was studied using ribosomal RNA genes. The diversity of small-subunit rRNA genes associated with the domain bacteria was examined using defined operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in samples from PCB contaminated sediments from Lake Medinah, New York. The RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) of the OTVs was measured. OTUs B (105 clones), A (33 clones) and C (45 clones) accounted for 75% of all the 16S rDNA clones expressing anaerobic para- and meta-PCB dechlorinating activity. In this report we describe complete 16S rDNA sequences of OTU-A and OTU-B, and partial rDNA sequences of OTUs C-J. The OTU-B and OTU-I form a phylogenetically related cluster, closely affiliated with Clostridium hydroxybenzoicum strains. OTUs A, C, D, G, H and J also belong to the genus Clostridium, but they represent separate species. OTU-E, a close affiliate to Bacteroides forsynthus, is a meta-PCB dechlorinator. The Cl. hydroxybenzoicum strains (OTU-B) are primarily para-PCB dechlorinators and are the most common. Some less prevalent OTUs (– E, -G, -H and –I), are also mostly para-PCB dechlorinators. Other Clostridium species such as Cl. beijerinckii (OTU-A), Cl. intestinalis (OTU-D) and Cl. thermolacticum (OTU-J) are primarily meta-PCB dechlorinators. Cl. paraputrificum (OTU-C) and Cl. cellulosi (OTU-F), were less prevalent in the total consortium, but they could dechlorinate both para- and meta-PCB. Although a few less prevalent Clostridium species can degrade both para- and meta-PCBs, this study confirms that para- and meta-PCB dechlorinating species are generally phylogenetically different.
Pathogenetic concepts of acute coronary syndromes

Abstract The propensity of plaque to disrupt is a major determinant of future ischemic events. Although they are distinct from one another, the atherosclerotic and thrombotic processes appear to be interdependent and may be integrated under the term “atherothrombosis.” It is now clear that plaque composition, rather than the percent stenosis, is a major determinant of plaque vulnerability. Plaque disruption seems to depend on both passive and active phenomena and is not purely mechanical. Inflammation (activation of monocytes/macrophages) is a major determinant of both plaque vulnerability and thrombogenicity as they relate to plaque disruption. In one-third of acute coronary syndromes, there is, however, no plaque disruption but only superficial erosion of a markedly stenotic, fibrotic plaque. In these cases, thrombus formation may be exacerbated by a hyperthrombogenic state present in patients with certain systemic risk factors. The endothelium plays a pivotal role in vascular homeostasis and hemostasis. This dynamic organ regulates blood thrombogenicity as well as contractile, secretory, and mitogenic activities in the vessel wall. Some classic risk factors induce endothelial dysfunction by reducing the bioavailability of nitric oxide, increasing tissue endothelin-1, and activating pro-inflammatory signaling pathways. Vascular hemostasis, which is the maintenance of blood fluidity and vascular integrity, is achieved by counter-balancing the intrinsic clotting tendency of blood. As a consequence of the central role of endothelial cells in hemostatic control, a dysfunctional endothelium will generate a pro-thrombotic environment favoring development of atherosclerotic lesions and thrombotic complications.
Rise in prostatic Cancer Incidence Associated With Increased Use of Transurethral Resection

We examined the association between prostatic cancer incidence rates and the rates of transurethral prostatectomy to explore reasons for the nationally reported dramatic increases in incidence rates of prostatic cancer from 1973 through 1986. There was a strong correlation between both incidence of all stages of prostatic cancer combined and of localized disease and the increasing use of transurethral resection, a common surgical procedure usually performed to relieve urinary obstruction due to benign enlargement of the prostate. Our analyses suggest that increased detection of existing tumors via transurethral resection was the primary reason for the observed increase in incidence rates of prostatic cancer. However, analyses of mortality trends, particularly among nonwhites, and laboratory studies of the histologic nature of clinically asymptomatic tumors suggest that part of the increase may reflect changes in the real risk of prostatic cancer.
The deposition of calcium pyrophosphate and phosphate by matrix vesicles isolated from fetal bovine epiphyseal cartilage.

Since calcium (Ca) deposition by isolated fetal bovine matrix vesicles is selectively supported by nucleoside triphosphate, and since the Ca deposits appear to be amorphous by transmission electron microscopy [1], attempts were made to study further the nature of these Ca deposits. Calcification of isolated matrix vesicles was allowed to occur in a calcifying medium in which either inorganic phosphate (Pi) or [γ-P]ATP was labeled with32P.32P in Ca P (pyrophosphate) deposits were analyzed by a Dowex 1×10 anion exchange chromatography. The results of the analysis indicate that the (32P) radioactivity was mainly associated with Pi when Pi in the calcifying media was labeled with32P. In contrast,32P was found to be associated with inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) when [γ-32P]ATP was used. Using a specific enzyme coupling assay for PPi, the presence of PPi in the Ca deposits was demonstrated. The amounts of Pi and PPi in the Ca deposits initiated by fetal calf matrix vesicles were found to be approximately equal. To exclude the possibility that the major part of PPi of Ca P deposit existed as adsorbed form, the deposition was performed under the conditions in which Pi was omitted from calcifying medium. The results of these experiments showed that substantial amount of PPi and Ca deposits remained the same and was not correlated to the amount of Pi in these deposits. In contrast, Pi of CaP was decreased if Pi was omitted from the calcifying medium. Thus, it appears that the major portion of PPi exists as mineral rather than adsorbed form. The moles of Ca deposited were approximately equal to the sum of moles Pi and PPi deposited. Levamisole at 10 mM inhibited 70% of ATPase (specific release of32Pi from [γ-32P]ATP at pH 7.6) activity, 18% of Ca deposition, and 34% of Pi deposition during 3 hours of incubation. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP) or adenosine diphosphate (ADP) at 1 mM exerted earlier and greater inhibition on Ca and P (Pi and PPi) deposition than did 10 mM levamisole. Adenosine (1 mM) had little effect on Ca P deposition. Prolonged incubations which allowed enzymatic degradation of ADP and AMP substantially reduced the ADP and AMP inhibition. Levamisole was able to potentiate the AMP and ADP inhibition since it prevents further breakdown of AMP or ADP by alkaline phosphatase. Thus, we concluded that alkaline phosphate is not the major factor in thein vitro Ca P deposition by fetal bovine matrix vesicles. Instead, it appears that nucleoside trisphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase is directly involved in the early stages of deposition since both the enzyme and Ca P deposition were inhibited by AMP or ADP. The possible involvement of ATP phyophosphohydrolase in chondrocalcinosis is suggested.
Localization of pericardial effusion with wide angle phased array echocardiography

Abstract Twenty-eight patients with proved pericardial effusions were studied in the left lateral decubitus position with an 80 ° phased array sector scanner to determine the distribution of pericardial effusions of various sizes. Twenty-one of 28 patients were studied 2 minutes after assuming the sitting position to determine the change in the distribution of the effusions with postural change. In small volume effusions, the fluid was truly posterior at and below the atrioventricular groove. With moderate-sized effusions a more uniform distribution of the fluid was found, and with large effusions more fluid was visualized apically, posteromedially, laterally and anteriorly. Upright redistribution of the fluid was seen with moderate to large nonloculated effusions. Assumption of a uniform distribution of pericardial effusion used for M mode quantification is most valid for moderate effusions and less valid for small and large effusions. Imaging was performed in two additional patients with cardiac tamponade to assess qualitative changes in short axis ventricular volumes with respiration. The introduction of a pericardiocentesis needle was visualized. Clinical implications are discussed.
Stabilization of Explicit Flow Solvers Using a Proper-Orthogonal-Decomposition Technique

A new numerical technique for the stabilization of explicit computational-fluid-dynamic solvers is presented. When using computational-fluid-dynamic codes to solve practical problems one sometimes finds the solution fails to converge due to the presence of a small number of eigenvalues of the flow solver outside the unit circle. In this paper we use the proper orthogonal decomposition technique to estimate the unstable eigenvalues and eigenmodes of the flow solver as the solution diverges for linear problems or exhibits limit-cycle oscillations for nonlinear problems. We use the resulting eigeninformation to construct a preconditioner that repositions the unstable eigenvalues from outside the unit circle to a point inside the unit circle close to the origin resulting in a stable flow solver. In this work the proposed method is applied to a nonlinear steady cascade solver. However, the technique can be easily applied to external flow solvers and to unsteady frequency-domain (time-linearized and harmonic-ba...
The primate larynx. A comparative physiological study of intrinsic muscles.

A study was made of the mechanical properties of the thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles in three primates: Squirrel monkey, rhesus Macaque, and Hynan gibbon. The thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles were stimulated electrically through their respective motor nerve supply. Isometric contractions of muscles were recoded by a force transducer and high-speed inkwriter. Measurements were made of the contraction time, half-relaxation time, tetanus, and tetanus : twitch tension ratio of each muscle. It was found that the thyroarytenoid possessed the properties of a “very fast” muscle (14 msec) and the cricothyroid of the gibbon and rhesus those of a muscle of “average” speed (38 msec). With the exception of the cricothyroid muscle in the squirrel monkey (19 msec), there were no real differences among the three primates studied. Comparative values of both laryngeal muscles were similar for the domestic dog and primate but not for the cat, whose laryngeal muscles had been found to be physically slower. The...
A “toad’s eye” view of drought: regional socio-natural vulnerability and responses in 2002 in Northwest Colorado

Drought is a part of the normal climate variability and the life and livelihoods of the Western United States. However, drought can also be a high impact or extreme event in some cases, such as the exceptional 2002 drought that had deleterious impacts across the Western United States. Studies of long-term climate variability along with climate change projections indicate that the Western United States should expect much more severe and extended drought episodes than experienced over the last century when most modern water law and policies were developed, such as the 1922 Colorado River Compact. This paper will discuss research examining regional socio-natural climate vulnerability and adaptive response capacities to the 2002 drought in the Yampa–White Basins region of Colorado across sectors and will demonstrate how a bottom-up or “toad’s eye” approach to understanding drought is paramount to complement top-down, instrumental data-driven analyses of drought. The results of empirical observations through interviews and participant observation in combination with analysis of drought indicators will be presented. Implications for adaptation research and planning for climate variability and change will be discussed.
Menthol cigarettes and smoking initiation: a tobacco industry perspective

Objectives To determine what the tobacco industry knew about menthol cigarettes and the initiation of smoking. Methods Based on Food and Drug Administration staff-supplied research questions we used a snowball sampling strategy to search the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu) between February and April 2010. Of the approximately 11 million documents available in the LTDL, the iterative searches returned tens of thousands of results. Researchers reviewed 2634 documents and 128 were deemed relevant to one or more of the research questions. Results The documents show that menthol is added to cigarettes in part because it is known to be an attractive feature to inexperienced smokers who perceive menthol cigarettes as less harsh and easier to smoke and because of their availability from friends and family. Second, the tobacco industry found that some youths smoke menthols because they perceive them to be less harmful than non-menthol cigarettes. A key product design issue concerns whether to increase brand menthol levels to appeal to the taste preferences of long-term menthol smokers or keep menthol levels lower to appeal to inexperienced smokers. Marketing studies showed that the companies carefully researched the menthol segment of the market in order to recruit younger smokers to their brands. The industry tracked menthol cigarette usage by age, gender and race to inform product development and marketing decisions. Conclusions Menthol is a prominent design feature used by cigarette manufacturers to attract and retain new, younger smokers.
Targeted Integration of T-DNA into the Tobacco Genome at Double-Stranded Breaks: New Insights on the Mechanism of T-DNA Integration

Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA normally integrates into random sites in the plant genome. We have investigated targeting of T-DNA by nonhomologous end joining process to a specific double-stranded break created in the plant genome by I-CeuI endonuclease. Sequencing of genomic DNA/T-DNA junctions in targeted events revealed that genomic DNA at the cleavage sites was usually intact or nearly so, whereas donor T-DNA ends were often resected, sometimes extensively, as is found in random T-DNA inserts. Short filler DNAs were also present in several junctions. When an I-CeuI site was placed in the donor T-DNA, it was often cleaved by I-CeuI endonuclease, leading to precisely truncated targeted T-DNA inserts. Their structure requires that T-DNA cutting occurred before or during integration, indicating that T-DNA is at least partially double stranded before integration is complete. This method of targeting full-length T-DNA with considerable fidelity to a chosen break point in the plant genome may have experimental and practical applications. Our findings suggest that insertion at break points by nonhomologous end joining is one normal mode of entry for T-DNA into the plant genome.
Element selective detection for supercritical-fluid chromatography

Abstract This manuscript describes the use of Supercritical-Fluid Chromatography (SFC) with plasma spectrometric detection for the analysis of organometallics. An introduction on the principles and characteristics of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is included, along with a discussion about requirements for coupling SFC to plasma detection and the different approaches for interfacing SFC to ICP. The last part of this review paper provides a comprehensive description of SFC–ICP applications for the analysis of organometallics containing iron, silicon, tin, chromium, arsenic, lead, mercury and antimony.
Diffusion approximations and nearly optimal maintenance policies for system breakdown and repair problems

We consider the problem of service system deterioration and maintenance when there are only small statistical differences in the quality (or time required) of each produced item when the system is in the different states of deterioration, but where those marginal differences are economically important. This is somewhat analogous to the situation in the modeling of queues in heavy traffic, where the main effects which are dealt with might also be considered to be “marginal” ones. In our case the production of each item takes a random length of time and the deterioration during any production or sampling period can have a fairly general (and state dependent) statistical relation with this time and with the quality of the production. Due to this generality, there are several continuous parameter interpolations (of the sequence of conditional probabilities of the system states, given the observed data) which are appropriate for purposes of the weak convergence, each with its own advantages. (We can work with the “natural time scales” of the deterioration process, or with that of the sampling process, or with something in between.) The diffusion process limit is obtained when the random sequences (time, quality) are appropriately correlated. The limit process is of the form of a filtering problem for white-noise corrupted observations of a function of a Markov chain, but the limit problem is somewhat nonstandard since the effective noise covariance and the signal part of the effective observation might depend on the current conditional probability, due to the nature of the “scaling.”
Designing LC VCOs Using Capacitive Degeneration Techniques

In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of VCOs using a capacitively degenerated negative resistance cell. The negative resistance cell using capacitive degeneration has a higher maximum attainable oscillation frequency and a smaller equivalent shunt capacitance when compared to the widely used cross-coupled negative-gm cell. These properties are of particular interest for the design of high-frequency and/or wide tuning range VCOs. The negative resistance provided by a traditional capacitively degenerated negative resistance cell is lower than that provided by a cross-coupled negative-gm cell. We present an active capacitive degeneration topology that overcomes this limitation. To validate this circuit topology we use two test vehicles. The first test vehicle is a 5.3 GHz VCO designed in a 0.25 μm CMOS technology and the second test vehicle is a 20 GHz VCO designed in a 0.25 μm BiCMOS technology. Measurement and simulation results from both test vehicles effectively demonstrate the efficacy of the capacitive degeneration technique.
Metal contaminants in commercial preparations of nucleotides.

Abstract Commercial preparations of ATP contain aluminum in amounts as high as 0.3 mol%. Aluminum ion causes a change in the spectrum of the dye Eriochrome Blue, and the effect is potentiated by adenine nucleotides. Hexokinase is inhibited by aluminum; the inhibition is antagonized by magnesium and is slowly relieved by EDTA. Some commercial preparations of ATP and ADP contain nearly 1 mol% of magnesium. A commercial preparation of GTP contains 0.07 mol% copper and 1.4 mol% barium.
Seismic image of the Mount Spurr magmatic system

The three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure of Mount Spurr is determined to depths of 10 km by tomographic inversion of 3,754 first-arriving P-wave times from local earthquakes recorded by a permanent network of 11 seismographs. Results show a prominent low-velocity zone extending from the surface to 3–4 km below sea level beneath the southeastern flank of Crater Peak, spatially coincident with a geothermal system. P-wave velocities in this low-velocity zone are approximately 20% slower than those in the shallow crystalline basement rocks. Beneath Crater Peak an approximately 3-km-wide zone of relative low velocities correlates with a near-vertical band of seismicity, suggestive of a magmatic conduit. No large low-velocity zone indicative of a magma chamber occurs within the upper 10 km of the crust. These observations are consistent with petrologic and geochemical studies suggesting that Crater Peak magmas originate in the lower crust or upper mantle and have a short residence time in the shallow crust. Earthquakes relocated using the three-dimensional velocity structure correlate well with surface geology and other geophysical observations; thus, they provide additional constraints on the kinematics of the Mount Spurr magmatic system.
Rapid structural and chemical characterization of ternary phase diagrams using synchrotron radiation

A technique based on synchrotron radiation was developed that allows for rapid structural and chemical characterization of ternary alloys over a wide range of composition. The technique was applied to isothermal sections of the Cr–Fe–Ni system grown on Al2O3(0001) sapphire substrates by sequential deposition of layers of graded.thickness followed by annealing to interdiffuse the elements. A film spanning the Cr–Fe–Ni ternary system was measured in 4 h at a resolution of 2 at.% by rastering the sample under a focused beam of synchrotron radiation while simultaneously measuring the diffraction pattern with a charge-coupled device detector to determine crystallographic phases, texture, and lattice parameters and also measuring the x-ray fluorescence with an energy-dispersive detector to determine elemental composition. Maps of phase composition and lattice parameter as a function of composition for several annealing treatments were found to be consistent with equilibrium values. The technique will be useful in combinatorial materials design.
CUTICLE THICKNESS IN PHLOX AND RESISTANCE TO POWDERY MILDEW: AN UNRELIABLE LINE OF DEFENSE

The relationship between leaf cuticle thickness and resistance to the powdery mildew Erysiphe cichoracearum was investigated for nine feral Phlox taxa. Cuticle thickness, the first potential host resistance feature, is variable within plants, although not correlated with leaf age, and both within and among taxa. There is also considerable variation within and among taxa in resistance response to artificial inoculations with a broadly compatible E. cichoracearum strain. However, no significant correlations between cuticle thickness and resistance were observed. The implications of these results for anti-mildew defenses in both feral and cultivated hosts are discussed. CONSTITUTIVE PATHOGEN defenses in plants are preformed structures or chemicals which inhibit or prevent infection. Presumably, the first line of such defense is the plant cuticle, whose thickness or chemical composition may inhibit epidermal fungal infections by reducing spore germination or hyphal penetration (Agrios, 1978). However, previous studies have provided conflicting evidence on the anti
Learning and optimization of machining operations using computing abilities of neural networks

The authors present a scheme that uses a feedforward neural network for the learning and synthesis task. Neural networks consist of a collection of interconnected processors that compute in parallel. The parallelism allows the network to examine various constraints simultaneously during the learning phase and enables reductions in computing time that are attractive in real-time applications. The learning abilities of these networks in a tuning operation are discussed. The network learns by observing the effect of the input variables of the operation (such as feed rate, depth of cut, and cutting speed) on the output variables (such as cutting force, power, temperature, and surface finish of the workpiece). The learning phase is followed by a synthesis phase during which the network predicts the input conditions to be used by the machine tool to maximize the metal removal rate subject to appropriate operating constraints. >
Gas-turbine performance improvements through the use of multiple turbine interstage burners

The focus of this investigation is to increase the power and thermodynamic efficiency of a gas-turbine engine through the use of multiple interstage burners (MIBs). Liu and Sirignano [(Liu, F., and Sirignano, W. A., "Performance Increases for Gas Turbine Engines Through Combustion Inside the Turbine," Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1999, pp. 111-118), (Liu, F., and Sirignano, W. A., "Turbojet and Turbofan Engine Performance Increase Through Turbine Burners," Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 17, No. 3, 2001, pp. 695-705)] suggest burning fuel in the turbine to achieve high-pressure combustion that can significantly improve engine performance. An extension to the Liu and Sirignano research, including turbine cooling for MIB engines, was performed, and results showed large performance improvements for land-based power production engines. Unfortunately, the investigation showed minimal improvements for aircraft engines due to the large amount of cooling air required to keep turbine surface temperatures below critical limits. Thus, this investigation focused on improvements for land-based energy production engines with MIBs. Furthermore, land-based engine performance may be significantly increased by the use of open-loop or closed-loop steam cooling in conjunction with MIBs. Comparisons of the performance of these engines with open-loop air cooling, open-loop steam cooling, and closed-loop steam cooling were made. Results show that open-loop steam cooling yields the highest net power output and thermal efficiency. In addition, it was discovered that one main burner and one interstage burner, that is, two MIBs, is a good compromise for all three cooling schemes.
Insulin Mediates Glucose-stimulated Phosphorylation of PHAS-I by Pancreatic Beta Cells AN INSULIN-RECEPTOR MECHANISM FOR AUTOREGULATION OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS BY TRANSLATION

Although glucose regulates the biosynthesis of a variety of beta cell proteins at the level of translation, the mechanism responsible for this effect is unknown. We demonstrate that incubation of pancreatic islets with elevated glucose levels results in rapid and concentration-dependent phosphorylation of PHAS-I, an inhibitor of mRNA cap-binding protein, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-4E. Our initial approach was to determine if this effect is mediated by the metabolism of glucose and activation of islet cell protein kinases, or whether insulin secreted from the beta cell stimulates phosphorylation of PHAS-I via an insulin-receptor mechanism as described for insulin-sensitive cells. In support of the latter mechanism, inhibitors of islet cell protein kinases A and C exert no effect on glucose-stimulated phosphorylation of PHAS-I, whereas the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, the immunosuppressant, rapamycin, and theophylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, promote marked dephosphorylation of PHAS-I. In addition, exogenous insulin and endogenous insulin secreted by the beta cell line, βTC6-F7, increase phosphorylation of PHAS-I, suggesting that beta cells of the islet, in part, mediate this effect. Studies with beta cell lines and islets indicate that amino acids are required for glucose or exogenous insulin to stimulate the phosphorylation of PHAS-I, and amino acids alone dose-dependently stimulate the phosphorylation of PHAS-I, which is further enhanced by insulin. Furthermore, rapamycin inhibits by ∼62% the increase in total protein synthesis stimulated by high glucose concentrations. These results indicate that glucose stimulates PHAS-I phosphorylation via insulin interacting with its own receptor on the beta cell which may serve as an important mechanism for autoregulation of protein synthesis by translation.
Performance analysis and design of optimized static random access memory (SRAM)

Abstract Achieving specific access time requirements while maintaining low area and power are important design goals for high-performance embedded Static RAMs. In this paper, we present a new design for the pre-charge circuit of an SRAM called ‘Power-Down Y-Controlled PMOS (PDYCP) load pre-charge’, which reduces power dissipation by a factor of three in comparison with the YCL [1] pre-charge technique. An optimization tool is described that obtains the transistor sizes for this pre-charge circuit and word drivers, as well as for the sense amplifiers. The design methodology for the SRAm is presented together with the modeling approach used in the optimization tool, which guarantees timing accuracy across a wide range of RAM array sizes.
Soil protozoan dynamics in a shortgrass prairie

Soil Protozoa (primarily small naked amoebae and flagellates) were counted under control conditions and with stresses of nitrogen, water, or nitrogen and water under field conditions (Ecosystem Stress Area, Pawnee Site, northeastern Colorado, USA) in the summer of 1974. Protozoan populations were also measured in soil cores removed from the field and incubated under a wet-dry cycle. Protozoan numbers were higher in the top 1 cm of soil and overlying litter than at a depth of 5–6 cm in all treatments. After rainfall totaling 35 mm, the control and fertilized only treatments showed population increases with the fertilized only treatment showing the greater change. Protozoa showed marked responses to the addition of water to soil cores, with the largest numbers appearing after peak CO2 evolution. Numbers of active (trophic) forms ranged from about 20.000. g−1 dry soil in the control treatment under dry conditions to over 100,000. g−1 dry soil in the irrigated plus fertilized plot. There were few (<5%) cystic (dormant) forms in all treatments contrary to earlier studies in mesic climates. A rough estimate of protozoan production is presented.
Activity Sensors for Use in Psychiatric Evaluation

The need for objective methods of patient evaluation has long been recognized in clinical psychiatry. While the relationship between mood states and motor activity has been observed for many years, this relationship was never accurately defined due to the imprecise nature of the available observational techniques. This report describes two activity sensors and their related systems which objectively measure motor activity levels and patterns without affecting the patient's movements.
Selective adsorption of oxyanions on activated carbon exemplified by Filtrasorb 400 (F400)

Abstract The adsorption of inorganic anions, namely, bromate, chloride, chlorate, iodate, nitrate, perchlorate, dihydrogen phosphate, and sulfate on activated carbon was studied. The free energy of adsorption was calculated by including chemical interaction, solvation, and electrostatic attraction. Results showed that specific chemical interaction between anions and the activated carbon surface played a major role on the adsorption process. Attempt was made to correlate solute properties such as hydration number, hydration enthalpy, and free energy of hydration to the degree of adsorption. Results showed good linear relationship between the free energy of adsorption and the properties of the solutes, specifically the hydration number, the free energy of hydration and the hydration enthalpy for all anions studied with a correlation coefficient ( R 2 ) of 0.97, 0.87, and 0.86, respectively, except sulfate and dihydrogen phosphate. The results suggested that the adsorption of sulfate and dihydrogenphosphate followed mechanisms different from that of other oxyanions, which mostly are the conjugate bases of strong BrOnsted acids. The competition between perchlorate and other anions for the activated carbon was studied as well. Among all inorganic anions studied and in the concentration range of 0.1–1.0 mM, only nitrate competed with perchlorate for adsorption. A competition model based on the Langmuirian type was adequate to describe the adsorption of oxyanions in bisolute system on activated carbon.
Catheterization for Congenital Heart Disease Adjustment for Risk Method (CHARM)

Objectives This study sought to develop a method to adjust for case mix complexity in catheterization for congenital heart disease to allow equitable comparisons of adverse event (AE) rates. Background The C3PO (Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Project on Outcomes) has been prospectively collecting data using a Web-based data entry tool on all catheterization cases at 8 pediatric institutions since 2007. Methods A multivariable logistic regression model with high-severity AE outcome was built using a random sample of 75% of cases in the multicenter cohort; the models were assessed in the remaining 25%. Model discrimination was assessed by the C-statistic and calibration with Hosmer-Lemeshow test. The final models were used to calculate standardized AE ratios. Results Between August 2007 and December 2009, 9,362 cases were recorded at 8 pediatric institutions of which high-severity events occurred in 454 cases (5%). Assessment of empirical data yielded 4 independent indicators of hemodynamic vulnerability. Final multivariable models included procedure type risk category (odds ratios [OR] for category: 2 = 2.4, 3 = 4.9, 4 = 7.6, all p Conclusions Using CHARM (Catheterization for Congenital Heart Disease Adjustment for Risk Method) to adjust for case mix complexity should allow comparisons of AE among institutions performing catheterization for congenital heart disease.
Collision Theories of Pressure Broadening of Spectral Lines

It is shown that in the calculation of absorption in the Lorentz collision theory, it is essential to include the work done impulsively by the electric field during the sudden changes of position at collision. This work was implicitly included in the theory of Van Vleck and Weisskopf, but these authors did not give the breakdown into work done between and at collision. It is verified that the shapes of spectral lines for a classical harmonic oscillator and also a Debye slow rotator are the same in absorption and spontaneous emission, provided the energy density obeys the Rayleigh-Jeans law. The usual proofs of equilibrium simply establish equality of the integrated absorption and emission, without examining the detailed balancing at individual frequencies, not necessarily near resonance.
Electron-ion coincidence studies of the behaviour of molecules upon core excitation

We have measured the time of flight mass spectra of several molecules, which include carbon disulfide (CS2) and thiophene (C4H4S), in coincidence with Auger electrons which result from the decay of core excitations in these molecules. These experiments allow us to observe the behaviour of parent ions of the molecules which are selected for their excitation energy and also for the site of the original excitation. We have observed strong state selectivity in the fragmentation of CS2. As a result of this, there is a strong correlation between electronic states of the parent ion and electronic states of the fragments which arise from these states. This correlation can be deduced from the observed kinetic energy releases in fragmentation, which are nearly independent of the electronic excitation energy of the parent ion. We have also observed a certain amount of site selectivity in the fragmentation of a molecule as large as thiophene. This shows up as a difference in the yields of certain fragment ions from states in the same region of excitation energy of the parent ion, depending on the site of the original excitation of the molecule. Clearly, such an observation argues against complete statistical behaviour in the fragmentation of thiophene.
The origin of writing systems: Preclassic Mesoamerica

Abstract This paper focuses on the origins of Mesoamerican writing, analyzing remains of precursor systems in terms of the linguistic and graphic resources for the emergence of written language. This emergence is seen as the outcome of a conjunction of numerals with elements of representational art. Hieroglyphic writing emerged in southern Mesoamerica during the era of state formation, apparently via this process, to represent day names in the ritual calendar; the graphic precursors were numerals and Olmec iconography used in ritual context. Contrasting evolutionary developments affected two script traditions descended from the rudimentary ancestral script; grammatical differences among the languages represented seem largely responsible for these contrasts. A Oaxacan textual tradition remained relentlessly logographic; it ‘devolved’ into a captioning adjunct to a richer iconographic system for recording information pertinent to elite activities and prerogatives. A Southeastern Mesoamerican tradition, culm...
Notes on the biology ofOdynerus dilectus [Hym.: Eumenidae], a predator of the alfalfa weevil,Hypera postica [Col.: Curculionidae]

We describe the nest construction and architecture, and the prey collection and storage behavior ofOdynerus dilectusSaussure, a ground-nesting eumenid wasp of North America that exclusively utilizes weevil larvae of the genusHypera as prey. This species may have potential as a biological control agent of alfalfa and clover weevils in the genusHypera because of its rapid collection of weevil larvae, its gregarious nesting habit, and the apparent ease with which individuals can be transplanted. Other European congeners have many similar characteristics. The potential for adverse interactions betweenO. dilectus andBathyplectes curculionis (Thomson), a parasite ofHypera, is discussed.
Materials characterization of railgun erosion phenomena

Abstract This paper describes the observations of aluminum projectile (or armature) tribomaterial deposition onto copper (stator) conducting rails in an experimental solid-armature railgun system, by optical, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The extreme deformation at the aluminum/copper interface creates a solid-state flow regime by dynamic recrystallization which also leads to the erosion-product deposition. Melting of the low-temperature aluminum deposit also contributes to the rail damage and degradation of electromagnetic behavior. The creation of nano-grains by dynamic recrystallization allows for mixing at the aluminum/copper interface, and there is no evidence for traditional alloying.
Progressive alteration in the pattern of nucleic acid metabolism in the newt iris in cultivation

The dorsal iris of the adult newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) was cultured in vitro for periods up to 12 days and then exposed to [3H] uridine. Labeled RNA extracted from the tissue was studied on a sucrose density gradient. The profiles indicate that incorporation into ribosomal RNA's is progressively increased during the first four days and progressively decreased during the following days. Incorporation into the precursor of ribosomal RNA is also progressively decreased in the later phase. Compared with ribosomal RNA's and their precursor, an RNA fraction with an S value higher than 40 is less affected. A study of incorporation of [3H] thymidine into the trichloroacetic acid-insoluble fraction of the same tissue cultured in vitro showed a wave of incorporation beginning on day 4 and persisting to the end of the culture period. The data were compared with data obtained for the same tissue left in situ after lentectomy, which depigments and forms a lens.
Maple, Mathematica, and Matlab: the 3M's without the tape

To begin this new series of Technology Reviews, the authors explore the three preeminent productivity tools for scientific and engineering computation. The forthcoming series will compare the tools in areas they overlap and contrast their scopes in areas where they extend beyond one another. The authors plan to particularly examine how they support three different categories of professional tasks, spanning the range of our readers' work: undergraduate education, scientific and engineering computation, and technical communication and publication.
Transfer rates of dissolved tracers through estuaries based on 228Ra: A study of Long Island Sound

Abstract Using 228Ra (half-life = 5.7 y) we have determined the transfer rate of water as the carrier of tracers (dissolved substances) into Long Island Sound from its western boundary. The primary sampling was done in the summer of 1991, with additional sampling of surface waters in the winter and summer of 1992 and the summer of 1993. The (228Ra/226Ra) activity ratio was determined by γ-spectrometry of Mn-coated fibers through which sea water was passed. An independent measurement of 226Ra activity per liter of sea water via scintillation counting of 222Rn was made at each sampling site. Based on the 228Ra concentrations in Long Island Sound water, water from the western boundary (off Randalls Island near the connection of the East River with the sound) and shelf water entering the sound from the east together with the measured flux of 228Ra from Long Island Sound sediments, we can determine the transfer rate of water from the East River to Long Island Sound during the summer of 1991. This value was between 0.40 × 1014 l y−1 and 1.1 × 1014 l y−1, depending on the 228Ra flux from sediments used. The corresponding residence time of water in Long Island sound was between 166 and 63 days.