cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Western Waters: Anglo-American Nonfictional Narrative in the Nineteenth Century

Anglo-American westward expansion provided a major impulse to the development of the young United States' narrative tradition. Early U.S. writers also looked to the South, that is, to the Spanish New World and, in some cases, to Spain itself. Washington Irving's “A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus” (1828), the first full-length biography of the admiral in English, inaugurated the trend, and Mark Twain's “Life on the Mississippi” (1883) transformed it by focusing on the life and lives of the Mississippi River Valley and using an approach informed by Miguel de Cervantes's “Don Quijote de la Mancha.” From Irving's “discovery of America” to Twain's tribute to the disappearing era of steamboat travel and commerce on the Mississippi, the tales about “western waters,” told via their authors' varied engagements with Spanish history and literature, constitute a seldom acknowledged dimension in Anglo-America's nonfictional narrative literary history.
Assessing response to tacrine using the factor analytic structure of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) ― Cognitive Subscale

A factor analysis of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (ADASc), the primary cognitive outcome measure in most clinical trials of drugs for Alzheimer's disease, was undertaken to test whether factor scores are differentially sensitive to change in a placebo-controlled 30-week trial of the cholinesterase inhibitor tacrine. The factor analysis identified three factors: language, memory and praxis, a factor structure similar to an earlier report. All three factors showed worsening for placebo patients and improvements for tacrine patients, with significant between-group treatment effects. None of the factors was significantly more sensitive to change than another, suggesting that tacrine affects a range of cognitive function.
Reactions of immature monkeys (Macacus rhesus) to injections of ovarian hormone

Series of injections of ovarian hormone have been made into normal and ovariectomized immature animals. Injections were made twice daily for twenty-two days. The total dose exceeded 1000 rat units per animal. Effects noted in the living animals were the appearance of reddening and swelling of the ‘sexual skin’ and change of the cell content of the vaginal smear to the interval type of the mature animal. Measurements made at operation, before and after injections, indicated considerable enlargement of both the cervix and body of the uterus. The thymus glands of the injected animals weighed significantly less than those of the controls. Histologic study of the genital tract showed extreme thickening of the vaginal walls, considerable growth of the uterine epithelium and glands, hypertrophy of the muscle layers of the uterus, and advanced differentiation of the epithelium of the uterine tubes. The ovaries of the injected normal animal were smaller and contained fewer primordial and medium-sized follicles than those of the controls. The presence of large numbers of atretic follicles, especially large flattened scars from former relatively well-developed follicles also suggests a harmful effect of this amount of ovarian hormone upon follicular development. Several stages of elimination of ova from polyovular follicles were also observed. There was marked growth in the ducts and an increase in the number of alveoli of the mammary glands.
Altered base ratios in HeLa cell RNA during poliovirus infection.

Abstract Ackermann et , al. (1959) reported that resting (non-dividing) HeLa cells infected with poliovirus produced large increments of protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) as compared to uninfected controls. However, the incremental RNA exhibited base ratios similar to normal HeLa cell RNA, indicating that the bulk of the new RNA was not virus RNA. Salzman et , al. (1959) found no significant increase in RNA of HeLa cells infected with poliovirus when the cells were actively multiplying, rather than resting. The present report shows that the RNA in actively-multiplying HeLa cells infected with poliovirus has greatly altered base ratios. This shift in base ratio was detected by measuring P 32 incorporated into 2′, 3′ nucleotides of RNA during the period of virus replication. The shift is in the direction of the base composition of RNA obtained from purified poliovirus (Schaffer et , al. , 1960) .
Novel Microporous Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Blend Electrolytes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

In the present paper, novel microporous poly(vinylidene fluoride)‐hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVDF-HFP) blend electrolyte/electrode films were obtained as the result of phase separation between PVDF-HFP and polyethylene oxide (PEO) oligomer additives, which were cast from a common solvent. Upon solvent evaporation and removal of the additives, an interconnected microporous morphology was formed. The additives can either be removed from the films by vacuum evaporation or methanol extraction. The conductivities of the methanol extracted microporous (pore sizes range from 1 to 5 μm) films formed from PVDF-HFP/PEO oligomer blends after electrolyte activation are more than 70% higher than those of the methanol extracted nanoporous (pore size in range from 10 to 100 nm) films prepared from PVDF-HFP/dibutyl phthalate blends. Microporous films formed by vacuum evaporation had conductivities similar to solvent extracted nanoporous separators. Battery performance tests were carried out using lithium cobalt dioxide as the cathode and mesocarbon microbeads as the anode. The cells prepared using extracted microporous PVDF-HFP/PEO oligomer blend films as separators show more than 40% higher specific discharge capacity at the C/2 rate, and 70% higher rate capability than those using extracted nanoporous separators. © 2000 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Culture medium oxygen tension affects fibronectin production in human adult and cord blood macrophages.

Abstract Varying culture medium oxygen tension from one-half to twice the normal concentration did not alter adult or cord blood monocyte-derived macrophage secretion of lysozyme or total protein. Lowering oxygen tension did result in significant increases in fibronectin concentration in both adult and cord blood macrophage culture supernatants. Dexamethasone (10−7 M) completely blocked adult macrophage but had no effect on cord blood macrophage fibronectin release in response to lowering oxygen tension. These results indicate that human macrophages selectively regulate fibronectin production in response to changes in oxygen tension in vitro.
Bipolaron Hopping Conduction in Boron Carbides

The electrical conductivities of boron carbides, B{sub 12+x}C{sub 3{minus}x} with 0.1 < x < 1.7, between 300 and 1200K suggest the hopping of a nearly temperature-independent density of small (bi)polarons. The activation energies of the nobilities are low, {approx} 0.16 eV, and are nearly independent of the composition. At lower temperatures, conductivities have non-Arrhenius temperature dependencies and strong sensitivity to carbon concentration. Percolative aspects of low-temperature hopping are evident in this sensitivity to composition. Boron carbides' Seebeck coefficients are anomalous in that (1) they are much larger than expected from boron carbides' large carrier densities and (2) they depend only weakly on the carrier density. Carrier-induced softening of local vibrations gives contributions to the Seebeck coefficient that mirror the magnitudes and temperature dependencies found in boron carbides.
Single bubble dynamics under microgravity conditions in the presence of dissolved gas in the liquid

Abstract Single bubble dynamics during nucleate pool boiling was experimentally investigated as part of the Nucleate Pool Boiling Experiment (NPBX) on the International Space Station (ISS) where the gravity level was of the order of 10−7 ge. The effects of variations in pressures, liquid and surface temperatures, and dissolved gas content on bubble dynamics were studied. Two dimensional axisymmetric numerical computations that account for time-varying system pressures and wall temperatures as well as the presence of dissolved gas in the liquid were carried out to simulate the experimental conditions. Simulated growth and wall heat transfer rates are in good agreement with the experimental results. The simulations show that the noncondensable gas accumulates at the top of the bubble as it grows, thus reducing the effect of subcooling. Although the non-uniform accumulation of gas also induces capillary flow around the bubble due to the varying surface tension force along the liquid–vapor interface, it is shown that this variation is very small and the resulting capillary flow has only a second order effect on the flow field. Numerical simulations predict single bubble departure diameters larger than what the boiling chamber would allow for. The results of the experiments confirmed that single bubbles did not depart and remained in contact with the surface independent of system parameters.
Assessing tungsten transport in the vadose zone: From dissolution studies to soil columns

This study investigates the dissolution, sorption, leachability, and plant uptake of tungsten and alloying metals from canister round munitions in the presence of model, well characterized soils. The source of tungsten was canister round munitions, composed mainly of tungsten (95%) with iron and nickel making up the remaining fraction. Three soils were chosen for the lysimeter studies while four model soils were selected for the adsorption studies. Lysimeter soils were representatives of the typical range of soils across the continental USA; muck-peat, clay-loamy and sandy-quartzose soil. Adsorption equilibrium data on the four model soils were modeled with Langmuir and linear isotherms and the model parameters were obtained. The adsorption affinity of soils for tungsten follows the order: Pahokee peat>kaolinite>montmorillonite>illite. A canister round munition dissolution study was also performed. After 24 d, the measured dissolved concentrations were: 61.97, 3.56, 15.83 mg L(-1) for tungsten, iron and nickel, respectively. Lysimeter transport studies show muck peat and sandy quartzose soils having higher tungsten concentration, up to 150 mg kg(-1) in the upper layers of the lysimeters and a sharp decline with depth suggesting strong retardation processes along the soil profile. The concentrations of tungsten, iron and nickel in soil lysimeter effluents were very low in terms of posing any environmental concern; although no regulatory limits have been established for tungsten in natural waters. The substantial uptake of tungsten and nickel by ryegrass after 120 d of exposure to soils containing canister round munition suggests the possibility of tungsten and nickel entering the food chain.
J = I =1, vector mesons and low-energy π− scattering

The effect of including a 2π-vector meson interaction into the Chew-Low interaction with pionic re-scattering has been examined. This model shows negligible corrections on the low-energy π−Open image in new windows andp phase shifts for vector mesons with mass (3.5÷5.5)µ. A vector meson of mass 4µ contributes to theI=1/2 π−Open image in new window cross-section sufficiently (∼ 150 mb) at 650 MeV but does not reproduce its width.
The maintenance and generation of membrane polarity in hepatocytes.

Hepatocytes, the major epithelial cells in the liver, are highly polarized. Their plasma membranes are separated by tight junctions into sinusoidal– basolateral and canalicular–apical domains, which contain distinct sets of proteins and lipids. A normal membrane polarity is vital for hepatocytes to perform many diverse functions, such as canalicular bile secretion and simultaneous sinusoidal secretion of large quantities of serum proteins into blood. Hepatocyte polarity is lost in many diseases like cholestasis. A complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in hepatocyte polarity therefore is of considerable significance to both liver cell biology and the pathogenesis of liver diseases. To maintain the distinct distribution of proteins and lipids in the canalicular and sinusoidal membranes, hepatocytes have developed complex polarized trafficking and retention mechanisms. The establishment of membrane polarity in hepatocytes begins during liver embryogenesis. During hepatocyte differentiation, specific routes and mechanisms are defined for the delivery of plasma membrane proteins. How this polarity is maintained in adult hepatocytes and is generated during development are two major unanswered questions in this field. In this review, we first give an overview of the current knowledge about how membrane polarity is maintained in hepatocytes with the focus on recent developments in polarized protein trafficking.We then present a hypothetical model about how membrane polarity may be generated during liver development, and finally, we present an example of how membrane polarity is altered in cholestasis. Readers are directed to recent reviews for discussion of lipid trafficking in hepatocytes.1,2
Age-specific interaction between the parasitoid, Encarsia formosa and its host, the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Strain B).

The effect of hostage, the instar of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) parasitized, on the growth and development of Encarsia formosa (Gahan) was studied. E. formosa was able to parasitize and complete its life cycle no matter which instar of B. tabaci (Strain B), [also identified as B. argentifolii (Bellows and Perring)], was provided for oviposition, but parasitoid development was significantly slower when 1st or 2nd instar B. tabaci rather than 3rd or 4th instars were parasitized. Host age influenced the day on which E. formosa nymphs hatching from eggs was first observed. Mean embryonic development was significantly longer when 1st (5.4 days) rather than 2nd, 3rd or 4th instars (4.1, 3.4 and 3.5 days, respectively) were parasitized. The duration of the 1st instar parasitoid and the pupa, but not the 2nd or 3rd instar parasitoid, were also significantly greater when 1st instars were parasitized than when older host instars were parasitized. Interestingly, no matter which instar was parasitized, the parasitoid did not molt to the 3rd instar until the 4th instar host had reached a depth of about 0.23 mm (Stage 4–5) and had initiated the nymphal-adult molt and adult development. Histological studies revealed that whitefly eye and wing structures had either disintegrated or were adult in nature whenever a 3rd instar parasitoid was present. It appears, then, that the molt of the parasitoid to its last instar is associated with the host whitefly's nymphal-adult molt. However, the initiation of the host's final molt, while a prerequisite for the parasitoid's 2nd–3rd instar molt, did not necessarily trigger this molt. In contrast to its significant effect on various aspects of parasitoid development, host instar did not significantly influence the mean size of the parasitoid larva, pupa, or adult. Larval and pupal length and adult head width were similar for all parasitoids, regardless of which host instar was parasitized as was adult longevity. Adult parasitoid emergence was more synchronous when 2nd, 3rd and 4th instars were parasitized than when 1st instars were parasitized. Results are compared with those reported when the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, was parasitized by E. formosa, and provide possible explanations for why T. vaporariorum is a more suitable host than B. tabaci for E. formosa.
The crane scheduling problem.

Abstract This paper examines crane scheduling for ports. It starts with a simple static case and uses it as a building block to develop a better understanding of the dynamic problem with berth length limitations. The paper assumes that ships are divided into holds and that (usually) only one crane can work on a hold at a time. Cranes can be moved freely from hold to hold, and ships cannot depart until all their holds have been handled. In the most general case, ships arrive at different times and must queue for berthing space if the berths are full. The objective is to turn around (serve) all the ships, while minimizing their aggregate cost of delay. The paper presents exact and approximate solution methods for crane scheduling. The approximation methods are based on optimality principles and are easy to implement. The exact methods can only be used for a few ships. The paper includes examples, performance tests, and a discussion of port operations and further work.
Isolation, partial purification and some properties of two acid proteases from adult Dirofilaria immitis

Abstract Two acid proteases were isolated from the soluble extracts of adult Dirofilaria immitis , the filarial heartworm of canines. Activity of these proteases was detected using 3 H-labeled bovine α-casein as substrate, and they were designated Fp-I and Fp-II in order of their elution from a CM-cellulose column. The molecular weight of partially purified Fp-I was approximately 170000, and it was active between pH 4.6–5.8. The activity of Fp-I doubled in the presence of various sulfhydryl reagents at 5 mM, and it was inhibited 50–60% by the sulfhydryl inhibitors p -hydroxymercuribenzoate and iodoacetate at 1 mM, the heavy metal chelating agent o -phenanthroline at 1 mM and the peptide aldehyde protease inhibitors pepstatin (10 μM), leupeptin, antipain and chymostatin (50 μM). The molecular weight of the more extensively purified Fp-II is approximately 48000. This protease was active between pH 2.6–3.4 and was highly sensitive to inhibition by pepstatin (80% inhibition at 10 nM). Fp-II was not significantly affected by sulfhydryl reagents, sulfhydryl inhibitors, metal chelating agents or peptide aldehyde protease inhibitors other than pepstatin. These properties of dirofilarial Fp-II resemble those of mammalian cathepsin D.
The effects of chronic mescaline administration on operant behavior in the pigeon

A dose of 6.5 mg/kg mescaline which acutely abolishes fixed-ratio appetitive responding in pigeons becomes progressively less disruptive with repeated administration. When responding reaches about 60% of baseline (in about 3 weeks) no further tolerance occurs. A dose of 3.5 mg/kg mescaline acutely lowers responding to about 60% of baseline and repeated administration of this dose continues to produce approximately the same response deficit. Discontinuation of both doses results in an immediate return to baseline levels of responding. Two possible mechanisms underlying this two-stage action of mescaline seen in this and other studies are discussed. The endogenous hallucinogen hypothesis of schizophrenia is considered in light of the existence of tolerance-resistant hallucinogenic drug effects.
Toward a reliable, secure and fault tolerant smart grid state estimation in the cloud

The collection and prompt analysis of synchrophasor measurements is a key step towards enabling the future smart power grid, in which grid management applications would be deployed to monitor and react intelligently to changing conditions. The potential exists to slash inefficiencies and to adaptively reconfigure the grid to take better advantage of renewables, coordinate and share reactive power, and to reduce the risk of catastrophic large-scale outages. However, to realize this potential, a number of technical challenges must be overcome. We describe a continuously active, timely monitoring framework that we have created, architected to support a wide range of grid-control applications in a standard manner designed to leverage cloud computing. Cloud computing systems bring significant advantages, including an elastic, highly available and cost-effective compute infrastructure well-suited for this application. We believe that by showing how challenges of reliability, timeliness, and security can be addressed while leveraging cloud standards, our work opens the door for wider exploitation of the cloud by the smart grid community. This paper characterizes a PMU-based state-estimation application, explains how the desired system maps to a cloud architecture, identifies limitations in the standard cloud infrastructure relative to the needs of this use-case, and then shows how we adapt the basic cloud platform options with sophisticated technologies of our own to achieve the required levels of usability, fault tolerance, and parallelism.
Statistical network optimisation of dynamically complex systems

The aim of this research is to optimise large-scale network handling capabilities for large system inventories and to implement strategies for the purpose of reducing capital expenses. As computers become more and more networked, it is easier to share files among storage media. In addition, more bandwidth will be consumed by network flow because customers will be connected through networks which will transfer files and data, such as video files (MPEGn, AVI, WMV, etc.) to be viewed at a customer's computer (host).
Charge trapping centers in N‐rich silicon nitride thin films

We have examined the behavior of the Si dangling‐bond center in regard to charge trapping in N‐rich amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride thin films. The effects of multiple electron and hole injections were monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance. These results continue to support a model in which the Si dangling bond is a negative U defect in N‐rich nitrides, and that a change in charge state of pre‐existing diamagnetic positively and negatively charged sites is responsible for the memory properties of silicon nitride thin films.
Aeolian controls of soil geochemistry and weathering fluxes in high-elevation ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Abstract When dust inputs are large or have persisted for long periods of time, the signature of dust additions are often apparent in soils. The of dust will be greatest where the geochemical composition of dust is distinct from local sources of soil parent material. In this study the influence of dust accretion on soil geochemistry is quantified for two different soils from the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, USA. At both study sites, dust is enriched in several trace elements relative to local rock, especially Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Mass-balance calculations that do not explicitly account for dust inputs indicate the accumulation of some elements in soil beyond what can be explained by weathering of local rock. Most observed elemental enrichments are explained by accounting for the long-term accretion of dust, based on modern isotopic and geochemical estimates. One notable exception is Pb, which based on mass-balance calculations and isotopic measurements may have an additional source at one of the study sites. These results suggest that dust is a major factor influencing the development of soil in these settings and is also an important control of soil weathering fluxes. After accounting for dust inputs in mass-balance calculations, Si weathering fluxes from San Juan Mountain soils are within the range observed for other temperate systems. Comparing dust inputs with mass-balanced based flux estimates suggests dust could account for as much as 50–80% of total long-term chemical weathering fluxes. These results support the notion that dust inputs may sustain chemical weathering fluxes even in relatively young continental settings. Given the widespread input of far-traveled dust, the weathering of dust is likely and important and underappreciated aspect of the global weathering engine.
Mouse models for evaluating sex chromosome effects that cause sex differences in non-gonadal tissues

XX and XY cells have a different number of X and Y genes. These differences in their genomes cause sex differences in the functions of cells, both in the gonads and in non-gonadal tissues. This review discusses mouse models that have shed light on these direct genetic effects of sex chromosomes that cause sex differences in physiology. Because many sex differences in tissues are caused by different effects of male and female gonadal hormones, it is important to attempt to discriminate between direct genetic and hormonal effects. Numerous mouse models exist in which the number of X or Y genes is manipulated, aiming to observe the effects on phenotype. In two models, namely the four core genotypes model and SF1 knockout gonadless mice, it is possible to detect sex chromosome effects that are not explained by group differences in gonadal hormones. Moreover, mouse models are available to determine whether the sex chromosome effects are caused by X or Y genes.
Religiosity and Mental Health: A Meta–Analysis of Recent Studies

A meta–analysis was performed in an attempt to clarify the proposed relationship between religiosity and psychological adjustment. Specific focus was given to the issue of definition, namely, whether differences in researchers’ conceptualizations of religiosity and mental health could account for the various contradictory findings by psychologists of religion. Analysis of 34 studies conducted during the past 12 years revealed that the definitions of religiosity and mental health utilized by psychologists in this field were indeed associated with different types and strengths of the correlations between religiosity and mental health. Discussion of results assesses the fit between relevant theory and the pattern of change in effect size across categories of religion and adjustment, and concludes with implications for therapeutic uses of religious involvement.
Burials and Belonging in Nigeria: Rural–Urban Relations and Social Inequality in a Contemporary African Ritual

In sub-Saharan Africa, rural–urban relationships are primary arenas in which social change is shaped, expressed, and contested. Like people in many contemporary African societies, rural–urban migrants of the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria face powerful expectations to be buried “at home” in their ancestral villages and to perform elaborate and expensive funeral ceremonies for their dead relatives. This article argues that Igbo funerals crystallize many of the structural paradoxes associated with inequality in Nigerian society, particularly as they are manifest in kin-based patron–client relations between rural communities and their migrant kin. The tensions that coalesce around burials illustrate how rituals are not only socially integrative but also can reflect, reveal, and contribute to discontents regarding transformations in the organization and extent of social inequality.
Family economic stress and academic well-being among Chinese-American youth: The influence of adolescents’ perceptions of economic strain.

This study examined the pathways by which family economic stress influenced youth's educational outcomes in a sample of 444 Chinese American adolescents (M ages = 13.0, 17.1 years at waves 1 and 2, respectively). Using latent variable structural equation modeling, results across two waves of data, spanning early to late adolescence, demonstrated that the influence of parent report of economic stress on youth academic achievement (i.e., GPA), school engagement, and positive attitudes about education was mediated through youth's perceptions of family economic strain and self-reports of depressive symptoms. These relationships were observed to remain significant after accounting for selection bias using individual fixed-effects models. Finally, youth's perceptions of family economic strain were found to more strongly predict depressive symptoms during later, as compared to earlier, adolescence; all other modeled relationships were equivalent across the two time periods. Implications for expanding theoretical tenets of the Family Economic Stress Model are discussed.
Analysis of a simple protocol for short message data service in an integrated voice/data CDMA system

In a mobile cellular CDMA system, the transmissions of the users are power controlled such that their received energies at the base station are approximately equal. This is done with a desire to maximize the capacity of such systems, and further, stability is maintained by limiting the arrival rates of users into the system. This paper analyzes a simple protocol for transmission of short data messages in an integrated voice/data wireless DS-CDMA network. Voice calls are given preemptive priority over data calls and the protocol for data calls is controlled by the QoS (quality of service) requirement for the voice calls. Imperfections in power control for such CDMA systems are included while studying the effect of the protocol on average performance measures like throughput, blocking probability and delay for the short message data service.
Solvent reorganization energy of electron-transfer reactions in polar solvents

A microscopic theory of solvent reorganization energy in polar molecular solvents is developed. The theory represents the solvent response as a combination of the density and polarization fluctuations of the solvent given in terms of the density and polarization structure factors. A fully analytical formulation of the theory is provided for a solute of arbitrary shape with an arbitrary distribution of charge. A good agreement between the analytical procedure and the results of Monte Carlo simulations of model systems is achieved. The reorganization energy splits into the contributions from density fluctuations and polarization fluctuations. The polarization part is dominated by longitudinal polarization response. The density part is inversely proportional to temperature. The dependence of the solvent reorganization energy on the solvent dipole moment and refractive index is discussed.
Thyroid hormone and dietary carbohydrate interact to regulate rat liver S14 gene transcription and chromatin structure.

Dietary carbohydrate and thyroid hormone (T3) in- teract to regulate rat liver S14 gene expression. The molecular basis for this interaction was examined by analysis of hepatic mRNAslr levels, S14 gene tran- scription, and chromatin structure. While starvation of euthyroid rats inhibited hepatic S 14 gene transcrip- tion r90%, sucrose administration induced mRNAslr and 514 transcription to 82% of euthyroid-fed levels within 4 h. In contrast, administration of sucrose or Ts to starved hypothyroid animals restored S14 gene transcription to only 30% of euthyroid-fedvalues. Both Ts and sucrose were required to restore S14 run-on activity and mRNAs14 to euthyroid-fed levels within 4 h. Thus, TI and sucrose interact synergistically and rapidly to induce 514 gene transcription. Analysis of 514 chromatin structure showed that starvation of hypothyroid rats inhibited the formation of three DNase I-hypersensitive sites flanking the 5’-end of the S14 gene (Hss-1 at -65 to -265 base pairs; Hss-2 at -1.2 kilobases and Hss-3 at -2.67 kilobases). The loss of these sites correlated with the repression of 514 gene transcription in starved hypothyroid rats. Whereas administration of sucrose to starved hypothy- roid rats consistently induced the Hss-1 and Hss-2 sites, T3 consistently induced all three DNase I-hyper- sensitive sites. Yet, neither treatment alone induced 514 gene transcription to euthyroid levels. The com- bination of T3 and sucrose induced no additional change in S14 chromatin structure over that induced by Ts alone. Thus, regulation of S14 chromatin struc- ture alone is not the sole mechanism by which these stimuli regulate 514 gene transcription. We speculate that the synergistic regulation of 514 gene transcrip- tion by Ta and dietary carbohydrate involves a complex interaction between factors which regulate the acces- sibility of putative c&regulatory elements through changes in chromatin structure and the regulation of “transcription factors” which interact with these ele- ments. The mRNA (mRNA& coding for the rat liver S14 protein (Mr = 17,000, p1 4.9) is subject to tissue-specific, develop- mental, hormonal, and nutritional regulation (l-9). The over- all pattern of regulation of this sequence shares many char- acteristics in common with the regulation of hepatic lipogenic enzymes and their mRNAs (9, 10). Although the function of * This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant GM36851. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked
Replacing the stop sign: unmanaged intersection control for autonomous vehicles

As computers replace humans as the drivers of automobiles, our current traffic management mechanisms will give way to hyper-efficient protocols designed to exploit the capabilities of fully autonomous vehicles. We have introduced such a system for coordinating large numbers of autonomous vehicles at intersections [2, 3]. Our experiments suggest that this system could alleviate many of the dangers and delays associated with intersections by allowing vehicles to "call ahead" to an agent stationed at the intersection and reserve time and space for their traversal. Unfortunately, such a system is not cost-effective at small intersections. In this paper, we propose an intersection control mechanism for autonomous vehicles designed specifically for low-traffic intersections where the previous system would not be practical. Our mechanism is based on purely peer-to-peer communication and thus requires no infrastructure at the intersection. We present experimental results demonstrating that our system, while not suited to large, busy intersections, can significantly outperform traditional stop signs at small intersections.
Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography as an Exploration Tool for Geochemical Evaluation of Source-Rock Potential: ABSTRACT

A pyrolysis system was developed to identify the possible production type (oil, condensate, and gas) and the presence of contamination (by migrated oil or drilling additives) in rock samples. This is accomplished by incorporating gas chromatography (GC) in the pyrolysis system so that a direct analysis can be made of the hydrocarbons in the pyrolysis products from sediments samples. This analytical capability of making a positive identification of pyrolysis products is one of the important advantages of this system. Because of this additional feature, this pyrolysis system can overcome problems related to the interpretation of indirect production type indicators such as the oxygen and hydrogen indices used by the commercially available ROCK-EVAL system. The productive type is recognized either qualitatively by GC fingerprint traces or quantitatively by hydrocarbon composition (C1-C4, C5-C14, and C15+) from the kerogen (Peak II) pyrolysate. Oil-prone sediments are recognized by GC traces with a full spectrum of C1 to C28 hydrocarbons, or by high amounts of C15+ hydrocarbons. In contrast, gas-prone sediments are characterized by the predominance of light hydrocarbons from C1 to C7 in the GC trace, or by low amounts of C5-C14 and C15+ hydrocarbons. Condensate or mixed type production is intermediate in character between the two. Migrated oil or liquid contaminants are detected by a stepwise heating of the rock samples and GC analysis or Peak I (solvent extractables) and Peak II (kerogen decomposition) products. The application of this pyrolysis system over the past four years as a rapid method for evaluation of organic richness, maturation, and production type using well or outcrop samples along with the limitations of the techniques will also be discussed. End_of_Article - Last_Page 582------------
Epoxy nanocomposites: Analysis and kinetics of cure

The effect of organo-nanoclay (Nanomer I30E) on the cure mechanism and kinetics of epoxy nanocomposites based on Epon 828 and Epicure 3046 was studied by means of dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at four heating rates (2.5, 5, 10, and 20°C.min -1 ) and by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The DSC cure data for epoxy-amine mixtures with and without nanoclay was modeled by means of different approaches; the Kissinger and isoconversional models were used to calculate the kinetics parameters while the Avrami model was utilized to compare the cure behavior of the two systems. The Nanomer I30E was shown to initiate rapid homopolymerization of the Epon 828 resin at temperatures above 180°C. For the epoxy-amine mixtures, the presence of nanoclay had little effect on the cure kinetics in the early stages (i.e., at lower temperatures), and the apparent activation energy was around 60 kJ.mol -1 . However, in the later stages, the apparent activation energy increased significantly in the absence of nanoclay, but did not do so when it was present. The presence of nanoclay also lowered the final glass transition temperature by about 4°C.
Graph-Based Analysis of Human Transfer Learning Using a Game Testbed

The ability to transfer knowledge learned in one environment in order to improve performance in a different environment is one of the hallmarks of human intelligence. Insights into human transfer learning help us to design computer-based agents that can better adapt to new environments without the need for substantial reprogramming. In this paper, we study the transfer of knowledge by humans playing various scenarios in a graphically realistic urban setting that are specifically designed to test various levels of transfer. We determine the amount and type of transfer that is being performed based on the performance of trained and untrained human players. In addition, we use a graph-based relational learning algorithm to extract patterns from player graphs. These analyses reveal that indeed humans are transferring knowledge from on 3 set of games to another and the amount and type of transfer varies according to player experience and scenario complexity. The results of this analysis help us understand the nature of human transfer in such environments and shed light on how we might endow computer-based agents with similar capabilities. The game simulator and human data collection also represent a significant testbed in which other Al capabilities can be tested and compared to human performance.
Releasing a Multimodal Dialogue System into the Wild: User Support Mechanisms

We present City Browser, a web-based platform which provides multimodal access to urban information. We concentrate on aspects of the system that make it compelling for sustained interaction, yet accessible to new users. First, we discuss the architecture’s portability, demonstrating how new databases containing Points of Interest (POIs) may easily be added. We then describe two interface techniques which mitigate the complexity of interacting with these potentially large databases: (1) contextsensitive utterance suggestions and (2) multimodal correction of speech recognition hypotheses. Finally, we evaluate the platform with data collected from users via the web.
Mupirocin for preventing exit-site infection and peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Was it effective?

8. Vickery S, Price CP, John RI et al. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and amino-terminal proBNP in patients with CKD: relationship to renal function and left ventricular hypertrophy. Am J Kidney Dis 2005; 46: 610–620 9. Haug C, Metzele A, Steffgen J et al. Changes in brain natriuretic peptide and atrial natriuretic peptide plasma concentrations during hemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure. Horm Metab Res 1994; 26: 246–249 10. Gangji AS, Helal BA, Churchill DN et al. Association between Nterminal propeptide B-type natriuretic peptide and markers of hypervolemia. Perit Dial Int 2008; 28: 308–311 11. Enia G, Mallamaci F, Benedetto FA et al. Long-term CAPD patients are volume expanded and display more severe left ventricular hypertrophy than haemodialysis patients. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2001; 16: 1459–1464 12. Paniagua R, Amato D, Vonesh E et al. Predictive value of natriuretic peptides in patients on peritoneal dialysis: results from the ADEMEX trial. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2008; 3: 407–415 13. Schleiffer T, Nagel D, Franz H et al. Endothelin and atrial natriuretic peptide in non-insulin-dependent diabetic versus nondiabetic patients on chronic hemodialysis. Ren Fail 1994; 16: 747– 758 14. Clerico A, Recchia FA, Passino C et al. Cardiac endocrine function is an essential component of the homeostatic regulation network: physiological and clinical implications. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2006; 290: H17–H29 15. Gunal AI, Ilkay E, Kirciman E et al. Blood pressure control and left ventricular hypertrophy in long-term CAPD and hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study. Perit Dial Int 2003; 23: 563–567 16. Struijk DG. Volume status in CAPD and APD: does treatment modality matter and is more always better?. Perit Dial Int 2007; 27: 641–644 17. Rodriguez-Carmona A, Perez-Fontan M, Garca-Naveiro R et al. Compared time profiles of ultrafiltration, sodium removal, and renal function in incident CAPD and automated peritoneal dialysis patients. Am J Kidney Dis 2004; 44: 132–145 18. Johnson DW, Dent H, Hawley CM et al. Association of dialysis modality and cardiovascular mortality in incident dialysis patients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2009; 4: 1620–1628 19. Locatelli F, Marcelli D, Conte F et al. Survival and development of cardiovascular disease by modality of treatment in patients with end-stage renal disease. J Am Soc Nephrol 2001; 12: 2411–2417 20. Foley RN, Parfrey PS, Harnett JD et al. Mode of dialysis therapy and mortality in end-stage renal disease. J Am Soc Nephrol 1998; 9: 267–276
Evaluation of Cleaning and Washing Processes for Cotton Fiber Part II : Washing Processes and Equipment 1

A brief survey of wet-processing equipment of potential interest for washing cotton staple prior to spinning is provided, emphasizing continuous processes for staple-and highlighting a) wool-scouring equipment, b) rayon-washing equipment, and c) various adaptations of the full scour-and-bleach process developed by Cotton Incorporated for cotton staple in continuous batt formation. A series of seven different washing treatments ranging from simple warm- and hot-water washes to a full scour and bleach were applied to cotton in continuous batt formation for subsequent evaluation by other authors of this series of papers. They characterize these washed cottons with respect to dust levels, carding and spinning properties, and the chemical nature and biological activities of the dust remaining on the cotton fiber subsequent to washing. Technical and economic feasibility perspectives are also discussed.The remarkable reduction in biological activity of residual cotton dust remaining on the cotton fiber subsequen...
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Associated with Histamine2-Receptor Antagonists and a Proton-Pump Inhibitor

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of vitamin B12 deficiency associated with long-term use (∼4½ y) of histamine2 (H2)-receptor antagonists and a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) in a patient with gastroesophageal reflux.CASE SUMMARY:A 78-year-old nonvegetarian white woman with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux (GER) was started on cimetidine 300 mg 4 × daily in February 1990 and took various other antisecretory medications over the course of the next 4½ years. She had a normal serum vitamin B12 concentration of 413 pg/mL in August 1992. In June 1994, her serum vitamin B12 concentration was found to be in the low normal range at 256 pg/mL. Biochemical markers of vitamin B12–dependent enzyme activity were measured at that time, and methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine (HCYS) were elevated at 757 nmol/L and 27.3 μmol/L, respectively. Serum folate was within the normal range at 4.9 ng/mL, and serum creatinine was slightly elevated at 1.4 mg/dL. MMA and HCYS concentrations decreased dramatically with oral replacemen...
Correlation between estimates of tumor perfusion from microbubble contrast-enhanced sonography and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE We compared measurements of tumor perfusion from microbubble contrast-enhanced sonography (MCES) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in an animal tumor model. METHODS Seven mice were implanted with Lewis lung carcinoma cells on their hind limbs and imaged 14 days later with a Philips 5- to 7-MHz sonography system (Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA) and a Varian 7.0-T MRI system (Varian, Inc, Palo Alto, CA). For sonographic imaging 100 microL of a perfluoropropane microbubble contrast agent (Definity; Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging, Billerica, MA) was injected and allowed to reach a pseudo steady state, after which a high-mechanical index pulse was delivered to destroy the microbubbles within the field of view, and the replenishment of the microbubbles was imaged for 30 to 60 seconds. The MRI included acquisition of a T(10) map and 35 serial T(1)-weighted images (repetition time, 100 milliseconds; echo time, 3.1 milliseconds; alpha, 30 degrees ) after the injection of 100 microL of 0.2-mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist; Berlex, Wayne, NJ). Region-of-interest and voxel-by-voxel analyses of both data sets were performed; microbubble contrast-enhanced sonography returned estimates of microvessel cross-sectional area, microbubble velocity, and mean blood flow, whereas DCE-MRI returned estimates of a perfusion-permeability index and the extravascular extracellular volume fraction. RESULTS Comparing similar regions of tumor tissue seen on sonography and MRI, region-of-interest analyses revealed a strong (r(2) = 0.57) and significant relationship (P < .002) between the estimates of perfusion obtained by the two modalities. CONCLUSIONS Microbubble contrast-enhanced sonography can effectively depict intratumoral heterogeneity in preclinical xenograft models when voxel-by-voxel analysis is performed, and this analysis correlates with similar DCE-MRI measurements.
Individual metal ligands play distinct functional roles in the zinc sensor Staphylococcus aureus CzrA.

Recent studies on metalloregulatory proteins suggest that coordination number/geometry and metal ion availability in a host cytosol are key determinants for biological specificity. Here, we investigate the contribution that individual metal ligands of the α5 sensing site of Staphylococcus aureus CzrA (Asp84, His86, His97′, and His100′) make to in vitro metal ion binding affinity, coordination geometry, and allosteric negative regulation of DNA operator/promoter region binding. All ligand substitution mutants exhibit significantly reduced metal ion binding affinity (KMe) by ≥103 M−1. Substitutions of Asp84 and His97 give rise to non-native coordination geometries upon metal binding and are non-functional in allosteric coupling of metal and DNA binding (ΔGcoupling≈0 kcal mol−1). In contrast, His86 and His100 could be readily substituted with potentially liganding (Asp, Glu) and poorly liganding (Asn, Gln) residues with significant native-like tetrahedral metal coordination geometry retained in these mutants, leading to strong functional coupling (ΔGcoupling≥+3.0 kcal mol−1). 1H–15N heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectra of wild-type and mutant CzrAs reveal that all H86 and H100 substitution mutants undergo 4° structural switching on binding Zn(II), while D84N, H97N and H97D CzrAs do not. Thus, only those variant CzrAs that retain some tetrahedral coordination geometry characteristic of wild-type CzrA upon metal binding are capable of driving 4° structural conformational changes linked to allosteric regulation of DNA binding in vitro, irrespective of the magnitude of KMe.
Reproductive and Pollination Biology of the Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, Gossypium tomentosum (Malvaceae)

Abstract: Gossypium tomentosum is a cotton species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. We studied several aspects of its reproductive biology, including potential pollinators, floral biology, and diurnal and seasonal flowering phenology. Flower visitors were observed in G. tomentosum populations on O'ahu, Kaho'olawe, and Maui. Primary visitors were introduced species, honeybees and carpenter bees, both of which were pollinating the flowers. No native bee species were seen visiting flowers. In examining floral biology we found that in some cases 10% of flowers had styles that were as short as the anthers or were recurved toward the anthers. In the greenhouse, in the absence of pollinators, these flowers were the only ones that set fruit. Flowering of G. tomentosum commences in January and February, following the rainy season, peaks in May, and may continue into August and September. In one year, after higher than average precipitation during the rainy season, there was a greater abundance of flowering, and fl...