cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implicit versus explicit learning processes in a probabilistic, continuous fine-motor catching task

Abstract We compared the influences of explicit instruction and uninstructed implicit learning of correlations among visual events, in a fine-motor task. The task required visual tracking of a small “ball” of light and “catching” it by means of joystick manipulation. A general pattern of improvement with practice for instructed and “noninstructed” conditions was found. Additionally, both instructed and noninstructed conditions evidenced use of the predictive relationships among stimulus events. The improvement in overall performance caused by explicit verbal instructions was less than the improvement seen with the implicit learning condition. Further, instructed and noninstructed conditions showed different patterns of joystick activity. These findings suggest a qualitatively different approach to visual information processing and task performance for the instructional conditions.
Collection of the Liquid Fraction of Bee Venom

THE liquid fraction of honey bee venom (Apis mellifera L.) can be collected by a modification of the device described by Benton, Morse and Stewart1 and Benton2.
The Use of Evidentiality in Physicians’ Progress Notes

The practice of medicine involves obtaining, evaluating and analyzing information drawn from a variety of sources; thus physicians assess and act upon information that varies in terms of both reliability and the extent to which it may be directly perceived. In the hospital setting, physicians’ progress notes provide a record of this process that serves as a primary means of communication between treaters who are not co-present with one another; accordingly, in order to permit independent evaluation of the information they contain, physicians have developed a repertoire of linguistic devices to express differing attitudes towards the information that their notes convey. In this article, through the microanalysis of a pediatric resident’s note, I demonstrate how physicians use evidential markers, including the passive voice and agentless constructions, to construct frameworks of credibility and responsibility that both underlie and enable medical work. These grammatical devices permit the physician-reader t...
APL function definition notation

A pure functional notation for defining APL objects is described, and constructed with previous work in this area. The notation is extended to address both theoretical and pragmatic programming considerations. The notation is compatible with existing implementations, and is shown to straightforwardly incorporate popular extensions to the language.
The Thermal Sulfenate−Sulfoxide Rearrangement: A Radical Pair Mechanism

The thermal reaction of sulfenates (RS−OR), yielding their corresponding sulfoxides (RS(O)R), was studied experimentally. The first step of the reaction was found to be the formation a radical pair by homolytic cleavage of the carbon−oxygen bond of the sulfenate. The two transient radicals formed then recombine to form the carbon−sulfur bond of the sulfoxide. The thermolysis of cinnamyl-4-nitrobenzenesulfenate has a positive entropy of activation (ΔS⧧ = 6.4 ± 2.0 eu in toluene), characteristic of a dissociative pathway. A normal secondary kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD = 1.19 ± 0.04) was also measured with this substrate. Finally, a trapping experiment allowed the isolation and characterization of a product coming from the coupling of the cinnamyl radical and TEMPO. These studies confirm a mechanism that was proposed earlier based on computational studies. The experimentally determined bond dissociation energy of the carbon−oxygen bond of ∼28 kcal·mol-1 is in good agreement with the computed value of ∼26 k...
The effect of Cushing's disease on bone mineral density, body composition, growth, and puberty: a report of an identical adolescent twin pair.

As endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS) in children occurs during a critical developmental period, when the majority of peak bone mass is acquired, we hypothesized that children with CS might be at an increased risk of osteoporosis. To determine the effects of CS on bone density, bone metabolism, and growth, we studied a 15-yr-old female identical twin pair, one of whom had CS (twin A), and the other of whom was healthy (twin B). Before therapy for CS, twin A showed a severe loss of bone mineral density [BMD; -3.2SD at the lumbar spine (LS)] compared to twin B (-0.1 SD), which in twin A was associated with low serum osteocalcin levels and urinary pyridinium cross-link excretion. Cure of CS in twin A led to a marked increase in these bone markers, suggesting a state of active bone remodeling. After 27 months of follow-up, even though twin A's BMD improved significantly, it still remained abnormal [-1.9 SD at LS compared with that of twin B (0 SD)], suggesting that twin A continued to be at increased long ter...
Surface wind convergence as a short-term predictor of cloud-to-ground lightning at Kennedy Space Center

Cloud-to-ground lightning is a significant forecast problem at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. In this study, cloud-to-ground lightning is related in time and space to surface convergence for 244 days during the convective seasons of 1985 and 1986 over a 790 sq-km network at KSC. The method uses surface convergence, particularly the average over the area, to identify the potential for new, local thunderstorm growth, and it can be used to specify the likely time and location of lightning during the life cycle of the convection. A threshold of 75 x 10 to the -6th/s change in divergence is the main criterion used to define a convergence event, and a set of flashes less than 30 min apart defines a lightning event. Time intervals are found from the study to be approximately 1 h from beginning convergence to first flash, and another hour to the end of lightning. The influences of low-level winds and midlevel moisture in determining the location and intensity of convection are discussed. This is the first known dynamically-based forecast method for lightning prediction. The technique, currently in use at KSC, has been shown to be a systematic, quantitative tool for predicting lightning onset in situations where conventional analysis tools such as radar and satellite are limited.
Development and Significance of Statewide Volume Adjustment Factors in Mechanistic—Empirical Pavement Design Guide

A new Mechanistic—Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) has been developed under NCHRP Project 1-37A. Pavement design procedures recommended for use in MEPDG represent a significant departure from current procedures. The MEPDG requires new traffic inputs for estimating the magnitude, configuration, and frequency of the loads that are applied throughout the pavement design life. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) sponsored research in which one objective was development of statewide truck traffic volume adjustment factors, including class and monthly and hourly distribution factors, and evaluating significance of the developed inputs in the MEPDG. The AHTD provided classification data collected at 55 weigh-in-motion (WIM) sites from 2003 through 2005. Because of missing and inaccurate classification data at several WIM sites, only 23 sites provided classification data suitable for this study. On the basis of selected data, statewide monthly, hourly, and class distribution fac...
Segment Coding and Automated Document Recognition

This paper presents a very simple document recognition method called "segment coding". The method entails partitioning of a document into square segments of a given size and encode each segment according to the ratio of the numbers of black and white pixels inside the segment. The segment code is used as document feature for recognition. We show an experimental prototype which performs extremely well. We also show some analytical results including system parameter optimization and system performance versus database size. It is shown that the system is fast, flexible, extremely accurate and can accommodate a huge number of documents without significantly degrading recognition accuracy.
Amino acid composition of TopCross high-oil maize grain

Increased amino acid content in high-oil maize (Zea mays L.) grain may add further value to its use in livestock rations, especially if this enhanced amino acid content is consistent across varying growing conditions. Most high-oil maize (HOM) grown in the USA utilizes the TopCross system which involves planting a blend (TC Blend) of two types of maize. Field experiments and on-farm studies were conducted in 1997 and 1998 to compare the amino acid profile of grain from HOM TC Blends with that of their normal-oil maize (NOM) counterparts across a range of production environments in Ohio. In 1997, the composition of four amino acids (lysine, methionine, glycine and arginine) was significantly higher in HOM compared to NOM grain. In 1998, nine amino acids (lysine, methionine, glycine, arginine, asparagine, threonine, serine, cysteine and tryptophan) were greater in HOM than in NOM grain. Lysine and methionine content in HOM grain averaged 12 and 13% higher than in NOM grain in both years. The number of amino acids significantly affected by the grain parent was greater than that for maize type each year. A significant maize type × grain parent interaction for a limited number of amino acids suggest that TC Blend grain parents may affect the consistency of amino acid composition in HOM grain. Results of this study demonstrate that the levels of several amino acids, including economically important lysine and methionine, were consistently greater in HOM than in NOM grain across a range of production environments. Modelling with livestock ration balancing software showed that the additional amino acids and oil in HOM added 12–20% to its value as livestock feed.
Restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley: The role of modeling in policy

In 1923, following years of opposition and debate, the City of San Francisco, Calif., completed the O'Shaughnessy Dam, which flooded Hetch Hetchy Valley in California's Yosemite National Park. Today the future of Hetch Hetchy Valley is still debated. Current discussion of restoring the valley has arisen within the state, and the idea of restoration has been largely supported by the use of system optimization and simulation modeling. Mathematical modeling provides thorough and systematic analysis of water supply systems and can suggest improvements to incorporate additional water uses or changing priorities. CALVIN (California Value Integrated Network),an economic-engineering optimization model, was one of two models used to evaluate the water supply and hydro-power implications of removing the O'Shaughnessy Dam [Null, 2003; Null and Lund, 2006].
Navigating patient preference and guidelines as a fellow.

As fellows in training, clinical guidelines provide an important foundation for our learning. At this stage in our career, we cannot credibly start an argument with the words “in my years of practice,” and we often have to settle for the thrill of “one-upmanship” that comes from quoting the
Role of cytosol proteins in DNA chain growth and chromatin replication in Friend erythroleukemia cell nuclei

The influence of cytosol proteins on the replication of DNA and chromatin in isolated nuclei from Friend erythroleukemia cells has been investigated. The overall process has been clearly shown to proceed stepwise. In the absence of cytosol proteins DNA chain growth tends to stop after the addition of approximately 200 nucleotides to the ends of growing chains. In the presence of cytosol proteins these sections grow to approximately 250 nucleotides, and participate in the stepwise extension of the replication process through adjacent nucleosomal sections of the template. Immediately following pulse labeling, the newly replicated DNA resides in a chromatin form which appears to be relatively resistant to digestion by micrococcal nuclease. During a chase interval, the association of the pulse-labeled DNA with nuclear proteins matures to a form which yields lengths of DNA upon digestion with micrococcal nuclease that correspond to mono-, di-, tri- and polynucleosomal units of chromatin. In the absence of cytosol proteins the nuclease resistant state of the labeled DNA tends to predominate and persist. The data support the view that DNA replication in a chromosomal setting proceeds stepwise over successive nucleosomal sections of template made accessible by the interaction of the cytosol proteins at or near the replication fork.
Abnormal portal venous flow at sonography predicts reduced survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation.

PURPOSE To determine if ultrasound (US) findings of abnormal portal venous flow (APVF) before transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation are predictive of increased mortality risk after TIPS creation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective review of 141 patients with US before TIPS creation was performed. APVF was defined by (i) bidirectional flow, (ii) thrombus, and/or (iii) reversed flow. Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores were calculated. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests were used to detect survival differences based on the presence of APVF. Multivariate analysis included APVF, MELD, Child-Pugh class, International Normalized Ratio, creatinine level, total bilirubin level, ascites, hepatocellular carcinoma, low serum sodium level, congestive heart failure, and myocardial infarction. RESULTS Twenty-six percent of patients (36 of 141) exhibited APVF on US before TIPS creation. Patients with APVF had lower survival rates at 3 and 6 months after TIPS procedures in comparison with patients with normal portal flow ( P = .02 at 3 months and P = .04 at 6 months). In patients with MELD scores lower than 18, there was decreased survival based on APVF at 1, 3, and 6 months ( P = .04, P = .02, and P = .04, respectively). In patients with MELD scores of 18 or greater, there was a trend for lower survival rates with APVF, but it did not reach statistical significance. Multivariate analysis of patients with MELD scores lower than 18 demonstrated only APVF and low serum sodium levels as independent predictors of outcome, with APVF resulting in a greater than six-fold increased likelihood of mortality. CONCLUSION US findings of APVF before TIPS creation are associated with increased mortality risk and may be useful in identifying patients otherwise considered safe candidates based on MELD score alone.
Titrimetric determination of manganese following nitric acid oxidation in the presence of pyrophosphate

Abstract A new method for the determination of manganese is presented in which the element is oxidized to the tervalent state in strong phosphoric acid-pyrophosphate solution by means of nitric acid, and is then titrated with ferrous solution, using diphenylamine or diphenylamine sulphonate as an indicator. The method is applicable with little modification to a wide variety of materials, including steels, ores, and silicate minerals.
The use of denaturing conditions for gel diffusion of insoluble epidermal proteins.

Abstract Modifications of the classical technique for double diffusion in agar plates are presented. These procedures allow insoluble proteins to be dissolved in a variety of denaturing solvents and antibody production and specificity to be monitored by the appearance of precipitin lines in agarose gels as in the conventional Ouchterlony method. Results obtained using the insoluble proteins of bovine epidermis are summarized.
The Superconductivity of Some Transition Metal Compounds

About eighty transition metal compounds comprising borides, carbides, nitrides, oxides, silicides, and germanides of metals of Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A were tested for superconductivity down to 1.20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, using a magnetic method. Among the specimens were most of the known compounds of the above type not examined magnetically for superconducting behavior by previous workers, and in all cases the structures were checked by x-ray diffraction analysis. The following eleven new superconductors were discovered, with the transition temperatures (\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K) shown in parentheses: ${\mathrm{W}}_{2}$B (3.10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$C (9.18\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), ${\mathrm{Ta}}_{2}$C (3.26\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{4}$${\mathrm{N}}_{3}$ (7.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), ${\mathrm{V}}_{3}$Si (17.1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), ${\mathrm{V}}_{3}$Ge (6.01\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}$Si (1.30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}$Ge (1.43\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Th${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ (3.16\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), $\ensuremath{\beta}$-Th${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ (2.41\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}), and ${\mathrm{W}}_{3}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ (2.84\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}). These compounds include the first superconducting germanides, ${\mathrm{V}}_{3}$Ge and ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}$Ge, which, together with ${\mathrm{V}}_{3}$Si and ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}$Si, crystallize in the cubic $\ensuremath{\beta}$-tungsten structure. The transition temperature of ${\mathrm{V}}_{3}$Si is apparently the highest known for any binary superconducting compound.
Mood‐related self‐schemata and mood‐congruity effects in autobiographical memory: A study of women with premenstrual syndrome

Everyday autobiographical memory and mood interactions were explored in a small clinical sample of women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and a matched control group. Subjects kept daily records of memorable events for two consecutive menstrual cycles. Two recognition memory tests were given after a one-cycle delay. Mood, or affect, was self-assessed retrospectively over a week, at the end of each day during data collection and at testing, and when events occurred. Women with PMS were more depressed and more negative (angry) than positive (experiencing bursts of energy) in their daily moods than controls. Memory accuracy was poorer overall for PMS than control subjects, although no direct effects of menstrual cycle phase on memory were found. Instead, mood affected memory indirectly through moodrelated self-schemata which subsequently mediated mood-congruity effects. Memory accuracy for events experienced in negative mood states and associated with negative affective reactions was higher for PMS subjects when tested in negative mood states than for controls. No group differences were found on events associated with positive affect or positive daily moods when mood state at the time of testing was also positive. Women with PMS processed information selectively from negative events and events experienced in negative moods compared to controls. Negative events and negative moods appeared to interfere with remembering for control subjects. Women in the control group appeared to be biased towards selectively remembering positive events and events experienced on days when their mood states were relatively positive.
Seawater and Shellfish ( Geukensia demissa ) Quality Along the Western Coast of Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland: An Area Impacted by Feral Horses and Agricultural Runoff

We evaluated the quality of seawater and ribbed mussels (Gukensia demissa) at six sites along the West Coast of Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), a barrier island popular with tourists and fishermen. Parameters evaluated were summertime temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorus, total ammonia nitrogen, and nitrite levels for seawater and total heterotrophic plate counts and total Vibrionaceae levels for the ribbed mussels. Approximately 150 feral horses (Equus caballus) are located on ASIS and, combined with agricultural runoff from animals and croplands, local wildlife, and anthropogenic inputs, contribute to nutrient loads affecting water and shellfish quality. The average monthly dissolved oxygen for June was 2.65 mg L−1, below the minimum acceptable threshold of 3.0 mg L−1. Along Chincoteague Bay, total phosphorus generally exceeded the maximum level of 0.037 mg L−1, as set by the Maryland Coastal Bays Program management objective for seagrasses, with a high of 1.92 mg L−1 in June, some 50-fold higher than the recommended threshold. Total ammonia nitrogen approached levels harmful to fish, with a maximum recorded value of 0.093 mg L−1. Levels of total heterotrophic bacteria spiked to 9.5 × 106 cells g−1 of mussel tissue in August in Sinepuxent Bay, leading to mussels which exceeded acceptable standards for edible bivalves by 19-fold. An average of 76% of the bacterial isolates were in the Vibrionaceae family. Together, these data suggest poor stewardship of our coastal environment and the need for new intervention strategies to reduce chemical and biological contamination of our marine resources.
Silt Mounds of Missoula Flood Surfaces

Small silt mounds occur in channels of the Lake Missoula flood. Formed of wind-borne dust by alternation of general deposition and selective removal, they constitute an early stage of restoration of the loess mantle.
Enhancing antiretroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus cognitive disorders

The benefits of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV cognitive disorders vary substantially between individuals. This study evaluated whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drug penetration and CSF virological suppression influence the extent of neuropsychological (NP) improvement during ART. Overall performance on a battery of NP tests administered at baseline and follow-up (median 15 weeks) was computed by using the global deficit score (GDS) methods in 31 cognitively impaired, HIV-infected individuals who began new ART regimens. Virological suppression (attaining undetectable viral load by RT-PCR at follow-up) was assessed separately for plasma and CSF. Subjects on regimens containing greater numbers of CSF-penetrating drugs showed significantly greater reduction in CSF viral load. Subjects attaining CSF virological suppression demonstrated greater GDS improvement than those who did not (median GDS change, 0.62 vs 0.23; p = 0.01). A similar trend for plasma did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.053). NP improvement was greater in ART-naive versus treatment-experienced subjects. In a multivariate model (overall p = 0.0008), significant, independent predictors of GDS reduction were CSF HIV RNA suppression, baseline antiretroviral history, and their interaction. Including CSF-penetrating drugs in the ART regimen and monitoring CSF viral load may be indicated for individuals with HIV-associated cognitive impairment.
Protein composition of the vaccinia virus mature virion

The protein content of vaccinia virus mature virions, purified by rate zonal and isopycnic centrifugations and solubilized by SDS or a solution of urea and thiourea, was determined by the accurate mass and time tag technology which uses both tandem mass spectrometry and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to detect tryptic peptides separated by high-resolution liquid chromatography. Eighty vaccinia virus-encoded proteins representing 37% of the 218 genes annotated in the complete genome sequence were detected in at least three analyses. Ten proteins accounted for approximately 80% of the virion mass. Thirteen identified proteins were not previously reported as components of virions. On the other hand, 8 previously described virion proteins were not detected here, presumably due to technical reasons including small size and hydrophobicity. In addition to vaccinia virus-encoded proteins, 24 host proteins omitting isoforms were detected. The most abundant of these were cytoskeletal proteins, heat shock proteins and proteins involved in translation.
Downlink capacity optimization in a heterogeneous home area network with application to smart grid

This paper studies the optimization problem of total downlink capacity in heterogeneous multiuser Home Area Network (HAN) for Smart Grid application, where beamforming technique is employed at the smart meter. Based on the proposed system model, an optimal downlink power allocation scheme is proposed under the constraints that 1) each user should satisfy individual signal to interference noise ratio (SINR) requirement for successful heterogeneous communication; 2) the sum of transmit power allocated to each user is equal to the permissible total transmit power at the smart meter; 3) allocated transmit power to each user is feasible. By employing the theorem that the sum of independent exponentially distributed random variables follows Erlang distribution, the probability distribution function (PDF) of the smallest allocated transmit power is mathematically obtained from the properties of downlink indoor Saleh-Valenzuela (S-V) channels. Numerical results show that the total downlink capacity is greatly enhanced by the proposed power allocation scheme. Furthermore, numerical results validate the contribution of beamforming technique at the smart meter on capacity optimization.
Considerations for superficial photon dosimetry.

Dose measurements at superficial energies required special considerations. First, care must be taken in selecting appropriate phantom materials. Materials that are adequate tissue substitutes at megavoltage energies might not be adequate at superficial energies. The suitability of a material can be judged by comparing its mass attenuation and mass energy absorption coefficients at superficial energies to those of the tissue of interest. Second, very low energy x‐ray and electron contaminants must be removed from the superficial beam before they reach the detector. For detectors with a very thin window, this can be achieved by placing thin film on top of the detector. Failure to properly eliminate contaminants can result in a large increase in dose measured directly at the surface.
Robust adaptive controllers for interconnected mechanical systems : influence of types of interconnections on time-invariant and time-varying systems

We investigate robust adaptive controller designs for interconnected systems when no exact knowledge about the structure of the nonlinear interconnections between various subsystems is available. In this study, we concentrate on several different tupes of systems. We deal with both linear time-invariant (LTI) and linear time-varying (LTV) systems with nonlinear interconnections. For LTI systems, we examine the following types of interconnections: . interconnections that are bounded by first order polynomials in state space. . slowly time varying interconnections. . interconnections bounded by higher-order polynomials in state-space together with input channel interconnections. For LTV systems we deal with interconnections bounded by first-order polynomials in state space
Endoscopic fundoplication for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: initial experience.

Objective Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) is a promising approach for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that may decrease morbidity compared with conventional antireflux procedures. We report our initial experience with this minimally invasive approach. Methods Over a 24-month period, 46 patients (mean age, 49 years; 50% female) underwent 48 TIF procedures. All procedures were performed under general anesthesia. Two surgeons participated in all cases; one served as the endoscopist, and the other performed the partial fundoplication. Heartburn severity was measured using the GERD health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) instrument (best score = 0, worst score = 45), which includes an additional question assessing overall satisfaction. Results Preoperatively, 33 (72%) of 46 patients had small ( P = .001). Mean length of stay was 1.3 days. One patient was readmitted with aspiration pneumonia. Three patients had minor complications (1 had minor bleeding from a suture site and 2 had urinary retention). There were no perioperative deaths. Mean follow-up was 140 days. The mean GERD-HRQL scores improved significantly (23 vs 7; P P = .001). Four patients from the entire group (8.6%) had no improvement, in 3 instances due to breakdown of the wrap. Two patients were treated with repeat endoscopic fundoplication and 1 was treated with laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, and all had a significant improvement in symptoms after reoperation. Conclusions TIF is effective at short-term follow-up and safe for patients with GERD. However, long-term follow-up and randomized trials are required to assess the efficacy and durability of this approach compared with conventional surgical repair.
The inhibition of the metabolism of thiocyanate in the thyroid of the rat.

There is no concentration gradient for thiocyanate ion between the thyroid and serum. However, thiocyanate ion is metabolized by the thyroid with sulfate being the major sulfur product. This metabolism is completely inhibited by thiourea, sodium iodide, and sulfadiazine, but is only slightly inhibited by sodium perchlorate.
Evaluation of Catalyst Deactivation during Catalytic Steam Reforming of Biomass-Derived Syngas

Mitigation of tars produced during biomass gasification continues to be a technical barrier to developing systems. This effort combined the measurement of tar-reforming catalyst deactivation kinetics and the production of syngas in a pilot-scale biomass gasification system at a single steady-state condition with mixed woods, producing a gas with an H2-to-CO ratio of 2 and 13% methane. A slipstream from this process was introduced into a bench-scale 5.25 cm diameter fluidized-bed catalyst reactor charged with an alkali-promoted Ni-based/Al2O3 catalyst. Catalyst conversion tests were performed at a constant space time and five temperatures from 775 to 875 °C. The initial catalyst-reforming activity for all measured components (benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and total tars) except light hydrocarbons was 100%. The residual steady-state conversion of tar ranged from 96.6% at 875 °C to 70.5% at 775 °C. Residual steady-state conversions at 875 °C for benzene and methane were 81% and 32%, respectively. Catalytic deactivation models with residual activity were developed and evaluated based on experimentally measured changes in conversion efficiencies as a function of time on stream for the catalytic reforming of tars, benzene, methane, and ethane. Both first- and second-order models were evaluated for the reforming reaction and for catalyst deactivation. Comparison of experimental and modeling results showed that the reforming reactions were adequately modeled by either first-order or second-order global kinetic expressions. However, second-order kinetics resulted in negative activation energies for deactivation. Activation energies were determined for firstorder reforming reactions and catalyst deactivation. For reforming, the representative activation energies were 32 kJ/g‚mol for ethane, 19 kJ/g‚mol for tars, 45 kJ/g‚mol for tars plus benzene, and 8-9 kJ/g‚mol for benzene and toluene. For catalyst deactivation, representative activation energies were 146 kJ/g‚mol for ethane, 121 kJ/g‚mol for tars plus benzene, 74 kJ/g‚mol for benzene, and 19 kJ/g‚mol for total tars. Methane was also modeled by a second-order reaction, with an activation energy of 18.6 kJ/g‚mol and a catalyst deactivation energy of 5.8 kJ/g‚mol.
Quadruplex structure of Oxytricha telomeric DNA oligonucleotides.

THE telomeres of most eukaryotes contain a repeating G-rich sequence with the consensus d(T/A)1–4G1–8, of which 12–16 bases form a 3' single-strand overhang beyond the telomeric duplex1. It has been proposed that these G-rich oligonucleotides associate to form four-stranded structures from one2–4, two2,5 or four6,7 individual strands and that these structures may be relevant in vivo. The proposed structures contain Hoogsteen base-paired G-quartets, precedent for which has been in the literature for many years8. Here we use 1H NMR spectroscopy to study the conformations of the DNA oligonucleotides d(G4T4G4) (Oxy-1.5) and d(G4T4G4T4G4T4G4) (Oxy-3.5) which contain the Oxytricha telomere repeat (T4G4). We find that these molecules fold to form a symmetrical bimolecular and an intramolecular quadruplex, respectively. Both structures have four G-quartets formed from nucleotides that are alternately syn and anti along each strand. This arrangement differs from earlier models in which the strands are alternately all syn or all anti2,3,5. The T4 loops in Oxy-1.5 are on opposite ends of the quadruplex and loop diagonally across the G-quartet, resulting in adjacent strands being alternately parallel and antiparallel.
Predictions of H isotope separation using crystalline and amorphous metal membranes: A computational approach

Abstract First-principles calculations offer a useful complement to experimental approaches for characterizing H2, D2 and T2 permeance through dense metal membranes. In this study we performed calculations that combine ab initio density functional theory calculations and statistical mechanics to describe the properties of interstitial H and its isotopes in crystalline Pd-based binary alloys, crystalline Fe3B and amorphous Fe3B. We used Sieverts’ law to calculate the solubility of each isotope in the Pd-based metal membranes and Grand Canonical Monte Carlo for the isotopic solubilities in Fe3B membranes. A kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) scheme was implemented to examine diffusion of H, D, and T at elevated temperatures. From these results we are able to predict the permeability of H2, D2 and T2 in each material and consider which material would be best suited for membrane-based isotope separations at high temperatures.
Effects of hormones and cytokines on stimulation of adenylate cyclase and intracellular calcium concentration in human and canine periodontal-ligament fibroblasts

Summary-Adenylate cyclase was stimulated by prostaglandin E, (PGE,) and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) in both these types of fibroblast and by calcitonin gene-related protein (CGRP) in the human fibroblasts in vitro. PGE, (1 PM), CGRP (1 hM), and PTHrP (1 PM) stimulated adenylate cyclase up to 50-fold, IO-fold and 9-fold, respectively. Calcitonin (CT), substance P (SP), interleukin-lb (IL-l/3 ), and transforming growth factor-& (TGF/?,) had no effect on adenylate cyclase in either fibroblast. Intracellular Ca*+ (iCa*+ ) was measured in individual fibroblasts from the periodontal ligament using Indo-l and an adherent cell analysis and sorting interactive laser cytometer. Ionomycin (3 PM) caused a transient rise of iCa*+ m all human and canine fibroblasts tested. The mean percentage increase in iCaz+ in response to ionomycin was 820 and 840% for human and canine fibroblasts, respectively. The human fibroblasts responded to PGE, (1 PM) by an increased iCa2+ concentration; the mean percentage increase in iCa2+ was 187%. SP caused a less pronounced increase in iCa*+ in the human fibroblasts (56%). CGRP and SP caused a similar response in the canine fibroblasts. The mean percentage increase in iCa*+ in response to SP and CGRP was 95 and 78%, respectively. PTH, PTHrP, platelet-activating factor, CT, and IL-IS had no effect on iCa *+ in either type of fibroblast. The data indicate that CAMP and calcium have roles as intracellular secondary messengers in the action of PGE,, SP, CGRP, and PTHrP in fibroblasts of human and canine periodontal ligament.
Latinos, Blacks, and the Competition for Low-Skill Jobs: Examining Regional Variations in the Effect of Immigration on Homicide in the U.S.

Past research has shown that a lack of low-skill jobs increases both unemployment and homicide for blacks. Therefore, it is important for scholars to understand the potentially negative effects brought about by increased competition for these jobs. Given the recent dramatic rise in the number of low-skilled Latinos in the United States, this paper examines how increased Latino competition for low-skill jobs affects black homicide victimization. Using negative binomial regression, I examine black homicide victimization data obtained from coroner's reports. Results indicate that Latino competition for jobs only affects blacks in urban areas that have recently experienced a large increase in its Latino population; however, the effects vary by industry.
Restraining the Governors: The Nordic Experience with Limiting the Strong State

The combination of a tradition of arbitrary royal government and popular intolerance, with the existence of extensive, unitary and highly centralized institutions of government, and with the dominance of government by a single, reformist party for more than a half century would seem a potent recipe for governmental abuse of individual and minority group rights. That is especially true in the absence of the formal constitutional safeguards used to preserve rights elsewhere Yet the Nordic democracies have in fact proved exemplary in protecting civil liberties Why? This article challenges the view that Nordic political societies are consensual historically or by nature, and it describes the limited traditional institutional checks on abuse of individual and minority rights by government Instead it finds the basis for the Nordic democracies' excellent record in civil liberties in the combination of (1) the development of new, non-traditional institutional checks on government. (2) the use of direct democracy as a check on parliamentary majorities. (3) the pervasive use of corporatist channels encompassing the major oppositional interest groups to draft and implement legislation, and (4) the effective constraints placed on decisions by parliamentary majorities by the pattern of fierce partisanship in the finely balanced parliamentary party constellation These protections for individual and minority liberties arise primarily from the assumption that basic conflicts of interest are a fact of political life and that they should be institutionalized.
Structural Analysis of Escherichia Coli ThiF

Escherichia coli ThiF is an enzyme in the biosynthetic cascade for generating the essential cofactor thiamin pyrophosphate. In this cascade, ThiF catalyzes adenylation of the C terminus of ThiS. We report here the crystal structures of ThiF, alone and in complex with ATP. The structures provide insight into a preference for ATP during adenylation of the protein ThiS. Additionally, the structures reveal an ordered crossover loop predicted to clamp the flexible tail of ThiS into the ThiF active site during the adenylation reaction. The importance of the crossover loop for ThiF activity is highlighted by mutational analysis. Comparison of ThiF with the structural homologues MoeB, APPBP1-UBA3, and SAE1-SAE2 reveals that the ATP-binding site, including an arginine-finger, is maintained throughout evolution, and shows divergence occurring in protein substrate-binding sites and regions devoted to unique steps in the specific function of each enzyme.
Two types of cholinergic projections to the rat amygdala

The cholinergic innervation of the rat amygdala was studied immunohistochemically with antibodies against choline acetyltransferase and the low affinity p75 nerve growth factor receptor in normal rats and in rats lesioned with an immunotoxin, 192 IgG-saporin, directed against the p75 nerve growth factor receptor. The density of choline acetyltransferase-positive fibers was high in the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, the basolateral nucleus, and the amygdalohippocampal area; medium in the lateral nucleus, the cortical nucleus, the accessory basal nucleus, the periamygdaloid cortex, and the anterior amygdaloid area; and low in the medial and central nuclei. Nerve growth factor receptor-positive fibers were of medium density in the lateral nucleus, the accessory basal nucleus, the cortical nucleus, the anterior amygdaloid area, the periamygdaloid cortex, and the amygdalohippocampal area. The medial nucleus and the central nucleus displayed a low density of nerve growth factor receptor-positive fibers. The basolateral nucleus and the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract also contained a low density of nerve growth factor receptor-positive fibers even though the two nuclei displayed the highest density of choline acetyltransferase-positive fibers in the amygdala. Injections of 192 IgG-saporin induced a complete loss of cholinergic nerve growth factor receptor-positive neurons in the basal forebrain but spared a subpopulation of nerve growth factor receptor-negative cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis-substantia innominata complex. Following 192 IgG-saporin injections, choline acetyltransferase-positive and acetylcholinesterase-positive fibers were essentially unchanged in the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract and the basolateral nucleus and showed a partial reduction in the remaining nuclei of the amygdaloid complex. Cholinergic fibers emanating from cholinergic cell group 4 neurons reached the amygdala via the stria terminalis and the ventral amygdalofugal pathway. These observations indicate that two amygdaloid nuclei, the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract and the basolateral nucleus, receive their cholinergic projections predominantly, if not exclusively, from nerve growth factor receptor-negative cholinergic neurons whereas all remaining amygdaloid regions receive fibers from nerve growth factor receptor-negative as well as nerve growth factor receptor-positive cholinergic neurons.
Nail This To Your Door: A Disputation on the Power, Efficacy, and Indulgent Delusion of Western Scholarship That Neglects the Challenge of Gender and Women's History

Scholars of the North American West have not realized the promise of gender and women9s history for the field. Many of the best recent books, articles, documentary films, and museum exhibits slight the insights of gender history, except in the inclusion of occasional female actors who are made to parade under the sign of gender. This essay borrows the form of Martin Luther9s famous "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences" (also known as the 95 Theses), which sparked the Reformation, to launch both a critique of contemporary western historiography and a scholarly call to action. It advances 11 Theses that invite scholars to enter the gender historian9s version of the kingdom of heaven, where power and privilege are always visible and always interrogated.
Ocean surface wind speed and direction retrievals from the SSM/I

A semiempirical model is developed that retrieves ocean surface wind direction information in addition to improved wind speeds from Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) measurements. Radiative transfer and neural network techniques were combined in the authors' approach. The model was trained and tested using clear sky cases, but atmospheric transmittance is retrieved so that retrieval in other than clear sky conditions is possible. With two SSM/I instruments currently providing operational ocean surface wind speed retrievals, the addition of wind direction information and improved wind speed retrievals will enhance the impact of this data in weather prediction models and marine weather forecasting.
Effects of treadmill training on translational balance perturbation responses in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients

Abstract Objectives: Individuals with chronic hemiparesis because of remote stroke are at greater risk for falls than healthy, age-matched controls. Despite this well documented risk, it is, nevertheless, generally assumed that limited or no improvements in dynamic balance responses are possible beyond a brief rehabilitative window after stroke. Consequently, little or no health care resources are available to treat balance disorders during the chronic phase of the disease. Design: We investigated the effects of 3 months of treadmill aerobic exercise training on dynamic responses to destabilizing horizontal balance perturbations in 11 chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. Measurements: Reaction time (RXT) was measured from perturbation onset to the initial loss of foot contact. Recovery time (RCT) was ascertained from perturbation onset to the recovery of stable foot contacts bilaterally. Movement time (MVT) was the calculated difference between RCT and RXT. Results: As a group, the RCTs did not improve with training. However, further analyses identified a subset of patients (n = 6) with markedly slower RCTs at baseline versus a subset (n = 5) with faster RCTs (1252.4 msec v 718.9 msec; P P Conclusions: These findings suggest that progressive treadmill training may improve dynamic balance responses in selected patients, and that slow initial RCTs may predict positive responders. These results also suggest that treadmill training may help reduce the responders fall risk.
Discrete orthogonal M-band wavelet decompositions

The authors generalize the discrete orthogonal two-band (or dyadic) wavelet decomposition to the M-band case. Specifically, it is shown that any finite energy signal can be explained in terms of the dilates and translates of M-1 M-band wavelets. The advantage of such decompositions is that they are much more compact than two-band wavelet decompositions. This compactness is important both in coding applications and for the development of fast signal processing algorithms. A complete characterization of discrete orthogonal M-band wavelets is given, including a recipe for constructing such wavelets. >
Multipass transmission policy: an effective method of transmitting large multimedia objects in the wide-area network

Multimedia objects such as audio, video and images are usually very large in size and often used in time critical applications. The traditional method of transmitting these large objects over a WAN is to use TCP because of the high loss rate of IP datagrams over a WAN. We propose a method called multi pass transmission policy (MpTP). The basic idea of MpTP consists of three things: sending small packets, selective retransmission requested by the receiver, and multi pass transmission. MpTP function by sending small packets and packets not received on the first pass are retransmitted on the second pass and so on till the required reliability is reached. We have conducted experiments on both MpTP and TCP, as well as proposing a formal model of MpTP to analyze the MpTP approach.
Thoracoabdominal asynchrony failed to grade airway obstructions in foals

Respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) can be used to obtain a valid measure of tidal volume in humans. This device also compares the contributions to ventilation of the thorax and abdomen. Although thoracoabdominal asynchrony is a prominent clinical feature for patients with airway obstruction, the accuracy of the RIP device to assess the severity of obstruction is unclear. This study analyzes how well RIP variables reflect the degree of a fixed external inspiratory plus expiratory resistive load in foals. Foals were employed because the species and age group are commonly afflicted with respiratory disease. Eight conscious, sedated (xylazine 1.25 mg/kg body wt) foals were subjected to randomly ordered resistive loads at the airway opening and, on a separate day, to histamine aerosol challenge. During resistive loading, phase angle changed significantly, as did phase relation (P < or = 0.05). However, no significant correlation was found between the degree of change in resistive load and the degree to which phase angle or relation was altered (r(s) = 0.41 and 0.25, respectively). In addition, neither phase angle nor relation changed significantly with histamine challenge. We conclude that, although RIP variables changed markedly with fixed upper airway resistive loading, the degree to which they changed was erratic and therefore not useful for grading these obstructions. Furthermore, RIP variables were insensitive measures of histamine-induced bronchoconstriction.