cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ATS-6 Experiment Summary

The ATS-6 is the most advanced experimental satellite that has evolved from the Application Technology Satellite Program conducted and implemented by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC). This project utilizes a state-of-the-art spacecraft and ground terminal network to perform advance studies and to conduct technological demonstrations in a large number of scientific areas. The design and implementation of this unique spacecraft permitted multiple experimentation simultaneously. The control of the spacecraft is performed at ATS Operational Control Center (ATSOCC) located at NASA/GSFC. Experimentation which was performed covered a wide spectrum of communications, technological, meterorological, and scientific subjects. Three principal ground terminals are utilized to assist the experimenters to acquire data. Data reduction and analysis are performed by the many facilities at NASA/GSFC in support of the experimenters.
Resource allocation and population genetics of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians: effects of age and allozyme heterozygosity on reproductive output

The relationships among multiple-locus heterozygosity, age, reproduction and growth were examined over the ca. 2-yr lifespan of a cohort of northern bay scallops, Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck), from the Niantic River estuary, Connecticut, USA. Electrophoretic analyses revealed a relatively low proportion of polymorphic loci (=0.35) and low level of heterozygote deficiency ( D. across 6 loci=-0.05) in this population. Allele frequency distributions showed a high degree of temporal stability within and among cohorts. No significant correlation was found between multiple-locus heterozygosity and either somatic or reproductive growth. Our results lend support to the postulated linkage between low heterozygote deficit and lack of a heterozygosity/growth association in marine bivalves, and in the pectinid group in particular. Partial reproductive senility occurs in these scallops in their second year of life. Somatic tissue weight increased exponentially with increasing shell height, whereas pre-spawning gonad mass attained asymptotic values in 2-yr-old scallops. Thus, weight-specific reproductive effort was significantly lower in second- than first-year scallops (24 and 33% respectively). This pattern could be generated if high individual reproductive effort in the first year were correlated with accelerated (early) post-reproductive senescence. This kind of resource allocation, in which somatic growth is given precedence over reproductive growth in older individuals, has been previously reported in only one other bivalve, a pectinid (Chlamys islandica), in which the decline in reproductive effort occurs only after the scallops reach an age of ca. 20 yr.
Voluntarism in Social Welfare and Urban Government: The Case of Hamburg, 1700-1799

This article focuses on the Free Imperial City of Hamburg in the eighteenth century. It analyzes how government structures and social welfare policies coped with a variety of social, economic, and political challenges in these years.The article argues that the traditional values of voluntarism in government were strained by these challenges and had to be rethought and reworked but were never jettisoned until much later, perhaps not until the middle of the nineteenth century. The article focuses on the structures of government and on various social welfare institutions, in particular, parish relief, almshouses, hospitals, and outdoor relief.
Concerning the mechanism of scale growth due to cation diffusion in Fe2O3 and CuS

Abstract From considerations of the growth of compact multi-layered oxides on iron, it was concluded that the growth of all iron oxide layers must occur by outward diffusion of iron. On this basis, marker experiments were made during the oxidation of Fe 3 0 4 to Fe 2 O 3 and, in accord with the above considerations, it was found that the growth of Fe 2 O 3 was due to iron ion movement. Depending upon the composition of the oxides involved, a marker initially placed on the lower oxide will be found at various positions in the higher oxide if the metal ion is the most mobile ionic species and will never be found at the lower-higher oxide interface.
High prevalence of adenomatous polyps of the duodenal papilla in familial adenomatous polyposis

Eighteen consecutive asymptomatic patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (both familial polyposis coli and Gardner's syndrome) were studied over a 12-month period; side-viewing upper endoscopy and biopsy were used to assess the frequency of adenomatous polyps of the duodenal papilla. Nine of the 18 patients demonstrated adenomatous polyps of the papilla, varying in size and appearance from microadenomas in normalappearing duodenal papillae (two) to a sessile polyp 3 cm in diameter. Two were tubulovillous adenomas (0.5 cm and 2 cm in diameter) and the remainder were tubular adenomas. Severe atypia and malignancy were not encountered. These findings reveal that adenomas of the duodenal papilla are common in individuals with familial adenomatous polyposis. Because of these findings and because of the known risk of periampullary adenocarcinomas and nonmalignant complications of polyps of the duodenal papilla in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, upper gastrointestinal screening of such patients should include examination of the duodenal papilla with a side-viewing endoscope.
Early development profile of arginase activity in fetal calf livers

Abstract 1. 1. Early acquisition of arginase in fetal calf livers is demonstrated. 2. 2. Developmental profile indicates two peaks of activity occuring at approximately 30 and 60 days of development. 3. 3. The early profile is analogous to that of humans but unlike that of smaller laboratory animals.
Electron-Impact Total Ionization Cross Sections of CH and C2H2.

Electron-impact total ionization cross sections for the CH radical and C{sub 2}H{sub 2} (acetylene) have been calculated using the Binary-Encounter-Bethe (BEB) model. The BEB model combines the Mott cross section and the asymptotic form of the Bethe theory, and has been shown to generate reliable ionization cross sections for a large variety of molecules. The BEB cross sections for CH and C{sub 2}H{sub 2} are in good agreement with the available experimental data from ionization thresholds to hundreds of eV in incident energies.
Activity space environment and dietary and physical activity behaviors: A pilot study

Abstract This study examined relationships among individual demographics, environmental features (e.g., fast food outlet density, park land use) of residential neighborhoods and activity spaces, and weight-related behaviors (diet, physical activity). Participants’ movement was tracked for 7 days using global positioning systems (GPS). Two activity space measures (one standard deviation ellipse, daily path area) were derived from the GPS data. Activity spaces were generally larger than residential neighborhoods; environmental features of residential neighborhoods and activity spaces were weakly associated; and some activity space environmental features were related to dietary behaviors. Activity spaces may provide new insights into environmental influences on obesity-related behaviors.
Partial purification and properties of S-cysteinyl-hydroxychlorpropham transferase from oat (Avena sativa L.)

Abstract S -Cysteinyl and glutathione conjugates of isopropyl-3′-chloro-4′-hydroxycarbanilate (4-hydroxychlorpropham) were synthesized directly in the presence of soluble enzyme systems isolated from etiolated shoots of oat seedlings. The enzyme systems responsible for these reactions were partially purified and charaterized. Enzyme A appeared to be a multicomponent system, equally reactive with either cysteine or glutathione. Enzyme B was twice as active as enzyme A in the formation of S -cysteinyl-hydroxychlorpropham. Affinity chromatography of enzyme A produced an enzyme fraction with properties similar to those of enzyme B. Both enzymes (A and B) were significantly inhibited by increased cysteine concentrations. The reaction of glutathione with enzyme B was limited. However, when low concentrations of a nonreacting effector, cysteine ethyl ether, were added, glutathione conjugation increased significantly. At higher concentrations, cysteine ethyl ester formed a conjugate with 4-hydroxychlorpropham. Isopropyl-5′-chloro-2′-hydroxycarbanilate (2-hydroxy-5-chlorpropham) did not conjugate with either cysteine or glutathione but did react with cysteine ethyl ester. Isopropyl-3′-chlorocarbanilate (chlorpropham) was not a substrate for thioether conjugation. These data suggest that para - and/or ortho -hydroxylated carbanilates and cysteine-related substrates may form thioether conjugates when incubated under appropriate conditions with these complex enzyme systems.
OLAP-based query recommendation

Query recommendation is an invaluable tool for enabling users to speed up their searches. In this paper, we present algorithms for generating query suggestions, assuming no previous knowledge of the collection. We developed an online OLAP algorithm to generate query suggestions for the users based on the frequency of the keywords in the selected documents and the correlation between the keywords in the collection. In addition, performance and scalability experiments of these algorithms are presented as proof of their feasibility. We also present sampling as an additional approach for improving performance by using approximate results. We show valid recommendations as a result of combinations generated using the correlations between the keywords. The online OLAP algorithm is also compared with the well-known Apriori algorithm and found to be faster only when simple computations were performed in smaller collections with a few keywords. On the other hand, OLAP showed a more stable behavior between collections, and allows us to have more complex policies during the aggregation and term combinations. Additionally, sampling showed improvement in the time without a significant change on the suggested queries, and proved to be an accurate alternative with a few small samples.
Analysis of the Structure and Interaction in Two-Dimensional Assemblies of Tobacco Mosaic Viruses on Model Lipid Membranes

View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint SlideWe created two-dimensional (2D) assemblies of tobacco mosaic viruses (TMVs) and characterized their structures using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray scattering. The TMVs were adsorbed on an oppositely charged, fluid lipid monolayer supported by a solid substrate and submerged in a buffer solution. The lipid monolayer confined the viral particles within a plane, while providing them with lateral mobility so that overall the TMV assembly behaved like a 2D liquid. The inter-particle interaction is controlled by the chemical condition in the buffer. The degree of structural orders observed varied, depending on both the inter-particle interaction and the lateral mobility of the particles. Quantitative analysis of the X-ray scattering data provides information on the nature of the interaction between TMVs as well as possible membrane deformation due to the contact with TMVs. This study provides the proof-of-concept that X-ray scattering may be used to study the structure of membrane associated proteins in substrate-supported single bilayer under near-native conditions.
Assessment of calibration for reconstructed eye-witness memories

Abstract Two experiments examined confidence judgments associated with eyewitness memory for events to misinformation [Loftus, E. F. (1975). Leading questions and the eyewitness report. Cognitive Psychology, 7, 560–572]. Participants in each experiment watched videos depicting crimes and either responded to questionnaires (Experiment 1) or read narratives (Experiment 2) containing veridical or non-veridical information. Upon testing for memory performance 24 h later, participants exposed to misinformation accepted the misinformation as part of their memory of the events in the videos. In both experiments, confidence judgments of participants subjected to misinformation were high and comparable to those of participants not subjected to misinformation. The relationship between accurate responding and confidence was assessed via calibration analysis [Yates, J. F. (1990). Judgments and decision making. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall]. Performance on various measures of calibration was generally better for participants who were not exposed to misinformation. We conclude that confidence judgments can depend on factors other than those that improve the accuracy of memory, such as the retrieval fluency of one’s memories.
Is Infant Immunity Actively Suppressed or Immature

Almost 7 million children under the age 5 die each year, and most of these deaths are attributable to vaccine-preventable infections. Young infants respond poorly to infections and vaccines. In particular, dendritic cells secrete less IL-12 and IL-18, CD8pos T cells and NK cells have defective cytolysis and cytokine production, and CD4pos T cell responses tend to bias towards a Th2 phenotype and promotion of regulatory T cells (Tregs). The basis for these differences is not well understood and may be in part explained by epigenetic differences, as well as immaturity of the infant’s immune system. Here we present a third possibility, which involves active suppression by immune regulatory cells and place in context the immune suppressive pathways of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), CD5pos B cells, and Tregs. The immune pathways that these immune regulatory cells inhibit are similar to those that are defective in the infant. Therefore, the immune deficiencies seen in infants could be explained, in part, by active suppressive cells, indicating potential new avenues for intervention.
Temperature Dependence of the Na 23 Quadrupole Coupling Constants in Rochelle Salt

The Na-23 nuclear quadrupole coupling constant in Rochelle salt is found to have a linear dependence on temperature which extends through both the higher- and lower-temperature nonferroelectric phases. This result necessitates a reinterpretation of some earlier data, but is in perfect agreement with the recent calculations of Zeks, Shulka, and Blinc.
Role for extracellular signal-responsive kinase-1 and -2 in retinal angiogenesis.

PURPOSE. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent mitogen for micro- and macrovascular endothelial cells (ECs). Evidence points to a possible role for two mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, the extracellular-signal responsive kinases (ERK)-1 and -2, in VEGF signaling in ECs. This study was undertaken to begin to define the precise role of MAP kinases in VEGF signal transduction related to angiogenesis. METHODS. Bovine retinal microvascular endothelial cells (BRMECs) and a well-established rat model of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were used to investigate the role of ERK-1/2 /2 in EC proliferation and tube formation and in retinal angiogenesis in vivo. RESULTS. Administration of VEGF to BRMEC cultures increased ERK-1/2 2 phosphorylation, cell proliferation, and tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. Phosphorylation of retinal ERK-1/2 also was increased in the ROP model. An inhibitor of ERK, AG126, and an inhibitor of ERK kinase (MEK), PD98059, exhibited a dose-dependent reduction of ERK phosphorylation and EC proliferation, but not tube formation, in VEGF-stimulated BRMECs. In the ROP model, intravitreous injection of 10 μM AG126 or PD98059 reduced the retinal neovascular area by 71% and 48%, respectfully. No effect was seen on intraretinal blood vessel growth. CONCLUSIONS. These experiments point to a critical role for ERK and MEK in proliferation of ECs, but not in tube formation. Furthermore, inhibition of either of these two signal intermediates can significantly retard retinal neovascularization. This suggests that the MAPK pathway may provide rational targets for therapeutic intervention in ocular and other diseases with an angiogenic component.
40Ar/39Ar thermochronology constraints on the timing of Proterozoic basement exhumation and fault ancestry, southern Sangre de Cristo Range, New Mexico

Proterozoic ancestry is increasingly being proposed for both Ancestral Rocky Mountain (Pennsylvanian-Permian) and Laramide-age (Late Cretaceous–early Tertiary) faults in the southwestern United States. We test this hypothesis by using 40 Ar/ 39 Ar thermochronology on Proterozoic basement rocks in the southern Sangre de Cristo Range, New Mexico. Hornblende and mica yield ages consistent with basement rocks cooling below ∼500 °C after ca. 1.4 Ga regional metamorphism, followed by protracted basement residence at temperatures between 300 and 400 °C until the Neoproterozoic. K-feldspar age spectra are dominated by Neoproterozoic apparent ages and constrain basement exhumation from mid-crustal depths (∼10 km) to within a few kilometers of the surface during the Neoproterozoic. Samples were also collected across the north-striking, steeply west-dipping Montezuma fault, which bounds the eastern Rocky Mountain range front and has known Ancestral Rocky Mountain and Laramide-age movement. Contrasting 40 Ar/ 39 Ar K-feldspar–derived thermal histories from opposing sides of the fault require two episodes of Neoproterozoic fault movement. Overall, rocks to the west record multiple diffusion domain (MDD) thermal histories, which indicate that cooling was caused by 5–7 km of basement exhumation between 1000 and 800 Ma, whereas rocks to the east were exhumed later, between 750 and 600 Ma. Assuming that the present-day fault geometry was established in the Proterozoic, west-side-up throw late in the Grenville orogeny (ca. 1000 Ma) accommodated east-west shortening. West-side-down extensional movement at ca. 750 Ma is inferred to be associated with the incipient rifting of the supercontinent Rodinia.
Use of antidepressants in the second trimester is associated with reduced pregnancy duration, and third trimester antidepressant use with infant convulsions

Commentary on: Hayes RM, Wu P, Shelton RC, et al. Maternal antidepressant use and adverse outcomes: a cohort study of 228 876 pregnancies. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2012; 207: 49.e1– 9.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Approximately 10–20% of women will meet the criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) during their lifetime, including during pregnancy.1 Rates of antidepressant exposure … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAmerican%2Bjournal%2Bof%2Bobstetrics%2Band%2Bgynecology%26rft.stitle%253DAm%2BJ%2BObstet%2BGynecol%26rft.aulast%253DHayes%26rft.auinit1%253DR.%2BM.%26rft.volume%253D207%26rft.issue%253D1%26rft.spage%253D49.e1%26rft.epage%253D49.e9%26rft.atitle%253DMaternal%2Bantidepressant%2Buse%2Band%2Badverse%2Boutcomes%253A%2Ba%2Bcohort%2Bstudy%2Bof%2B228%252C876%2Bpregnancies.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.ajog.2012.04.028%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22727349%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/j.ajog.2012.04.028&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22727349&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F16%2F3%2F74.atom
3D Multi-parametric Breast MRI Segmentation Using Hierarchical Support Vector Machine with Coil Sensitivity Correction

Rationale and Objectives The goal of the study is to develop a technique to achieve accurate volumetric breast tissue segmentation using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. This segmentation can be useful to aid in the diagnosis of breast cancers and to assess breast cancer risk based on breast density. Tissue segmentation is also essential for development of acoustic and thermal models used in magnetic resonance guided high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment of breast lesions. Materials and Methods In addition to commonly used T1-, T2-, and proton density–weighted images, three-point Dixon water- and fat-only images were also included as part of the multiparametric inputs to a tissue segmentation algorithm using a hierarchical support vector machine (SVM). The effectiveness of a variety of preprocessing schemes was evaluated through two in vivo datasets. The performance of the hierarchical SVM was investigated and compared to the conventional classification algorithms—conventional SVM and fuzzy C-mean (FCM). Results The need for co-registration, zero-filled interpolation, coil sensitivity correction, and optimal SNR reconstruction before the final stage classification was demonstrated. The overlap ratios of the hierarchical SVM, conventional SVM and FCM were 93.25%–94.08%, 81.68–92.28%, and 75.96%–91.02%, respectively. Classification outputs from in vivo experiments showed that the presented methodology is consistent and outperforms other algorithms. Conclusion The presented hierarchical SVM-based technique showed promising results in automatically segmenting breast tissues into fat, fibroglandular tissue, skin, and lesions. The results provide evidence that both the multiparametric breast MRI inputs and the preprocessing procedures contribute to the high accuracy of tissue classification.
The Research Challenge to Social Scientists in the Developing Family Planning Programs: The Case of Taiwan

In Taiwan because of a series of developments favorable to an erosion of the dependence on familial and local institutions and to the development of linkages with larger social and economic units one would expect that fertility might be on the decline and that a favorable environment for the introducation of a family planning program may be coming about. And this assumption is correct according to the author. The birth rate declined from 42 in 1958 to 34 in 1964 even before any organized family planning program. Surveys in Taiwan have indicated that the desired number of children is about 3-4 that most women complete their families by the age of 30 and then start trying ineffective and undesirable methods of birth control and that the majority of the population is motivated towards effective methods of population control. IUD acceptance has increase from 3650 in 1963 to 111242 in 1966.
Nature of excited0+states inGd158described by the projected shell model

Excited ${0}^{+}$ states are studied in the framework of the projected shell model, aiming at understanding the nature of these states in deformed nuclei in general, and the recently observed 13 excited ${0}^{+}$ states in $^{158}\mathrm{Gd}$, in particular. The model, which contains projected two- and four-quasiparticle states as building blocks in the basis, is able to reproduce reasonably well the energies for all the observed ${0}^{+}$ states. The obtained $B(E2)$ values, however, tend to suggest that these ${0}^{+}$ states might have a mixed nature of quasiparticle excitations coupled to collective vibrations.
A study of turbulence on compression ramps with k-epsilon and Reynolds stress models

A theoretical study was conducted to determine the effects of adverse pressure gradient and compressibility in modeling turbulent compressible flows. The kinetic energy/dissipation and Reynolds stress model predictions are presented and compared with experimental data. The effects of compressibility, which include the mass averaged fluctuation term, the pressure dilatation term, and the dilatation dissipation, are important in modeling the turbulent compressible flows. The normal stresses and longitudinal strain rates also have an effect in the prediction of turbulent energy productions on the curved surfaces. A new compressible formulation of the pressure strain term, which includes the dilatation effects, in the Reynolds stress equation is presented.
Applications of Time-Lens Optical Systems

We demonstrate reduced timing jitter on a picosecond pulse train, magnification and time-reversal using a temporal imaging system.
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF AOPLONEMA (HEMIPTERA: MIRIDAE: ORTHOTYLINAE) WITH A BIOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND REASSESSMENT OF THE PHYLOGENY OF THE GENUS

Abstract Aoplonema lopidium sp. nov. is described from the Mexican states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, representing the first records of this genus from mainland Mexico. A summary of the hypothesized phylogenetic species relationship is (A. princeps (A. lopidium (A. rubrum + A. nigrum))). A biogeographical analysis proposes that the Sierra Madre del Sur is the sister area to the rest of the areas occupied by the other species of Aoplonema.
Evidence for the involvement of a distinct form of cytochrome P450 3A in the oxidation of digitoxin by rat liver microsomes.

The preceding paper (B. Gemzik, D. Greenway, C. Nevins, and A. Parkinson (1992). Regulation of two electrophoretically distinct proteins recognized by antibody against rat liver cytochrome P450 3A1. J. Biochem. Toxicol, 7 (43–52).) described the regulation of two rat liver microsomal proteins (50- and 51-kDa) recognized by antibody against P450 3A1. It was also shown that changes in the levels of the 51-kDa 3A protein were usually paralleled by changes in the rate of testosterone 2β-, 6β-, and 15β-hydroxylation. The present study demonstrates that age- and sex-dependent changes in the 50-kDa protein were paralleled by changes in the rate of digitoxin oxidation to digitoxigenin bisdigitoxoside. Induction or suppression of the 50-kDa protein by treatment of rats with various xenobiotics were also paralleled by changes in the rate of digitoxin oxidation. These results suggest that, contrary to previous assumptions, the conversion of digitoxin to digitoxigenin bisdigitoxoside and the conversion of testosterone to 2β-, 6β- and 15β-hydroxytestosterone are primarily catalyzed by different forms of P450 3A. Further evidence for this coclusion was obtained from studies in which the suicide inhibitor, chloramphenicol, was administered to mature female rats previously treated with pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile (PCN), which induces both the 50-kDa and the 51-kDa protein. Treatment of mature female rats with PCN alone caused a marked increase (16- to 18-fold) in the 6β-hydroxylation of testosterone and the rate of digitoxin oxidation. Treatment of PCN-induced rats with chloramphenicol caused a ∼70% decrease in liver microsomal testosterone 6β-hydroxylation, but had no effect on the rate of conversion of digitoxin to digitoxigenin bisdigitoxoside. The oxidation of testosterone by purified 3A1 (a 51-kDa protein) was also inhibited by chloramphenicol in a time- and reduced nicotinamite adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent manner. In addition to testosterone and chloramphenicol, purified 3A1 also metabolized trole-andomycin, but it was unable to convert digitoxin to digitoxigenin bisdigitoxoside. Testosterone inhibited the microsomal oxidation of digitoxin, but digitoxin did not inhibit testosterone oxidation. This suggests that testosterone is a substrate for the 3A enzyme that metabolizes digitoxin, but that this form of P450 3A does not contribute significantly to testosterone oxidation by rat liver microsomes. We propose that the 2SbT-, 6β-, and 15β-hydroxylation of testosterone by rat liver microsomes is primarily catalyzed by the 51-kDa 3A proteins (either 3A1 or 3A2 depending on the source of microsomes), whereas digitoxin oxidation is primarily catalyzed by the 50-kDa protein.
Genetic contributions to sensitive parenting

A professor from whom I took a course in graduate school asserted that journals could serve one of two functions: an archival function for articles that nailed down the details of an often paradigm-specific effect or a heuristic function, in which all the details of the findings were not yet nailed down, but the work could serve as an inspiration to others. He was squarely on the side of the heuristic function.
Water diffusivity in human nail plate.

ABSTRACT The diffusivity of water in human nail at 32°C was determined for cadaveric, human finger nails having water contents ranging from 0.536 g H 2 O/g dry nail to 0.035 g H 2 O/g dry nail by measuring the desorption of tritiated water from nails suspended in water or in the vapor phase above salt solutions yielding a range of relative humidities (RH). Diffusivity increased with increasing RH from (7.7 ± 1.3) × 10 −10 cm 2 s −1 at 15% RH to (3.2 ± 1.1) × 10 −7 cm 2 s −1 in the liquid phase study at 100% RH, a more than 400‐fold increase. The diffusivity values, which may be understood in terms of the equilibrium water content of the nail and a free volume theory for diffusion in hydrophilic polymers, were consistent with water diffusivities measured in other keratinized tissues including wool, horn and the corneocyte phase of stratum corneum. Analysis of the tritium desorption data was complicated by a tritium exchange process between 3 H 2 O and nail keratin, the kinetics of which are presented in part. The combination of the concentration‐dependent water diffusivity with the natural water activity gradient in nail in vivo leads to the prediction of a nonlinear steady‐state water concentration profile in human nail in vivo which, in turn, has implications for ungual drug delivery. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 96: 3352–3362, 2007
Quality improvement through consumer sorting and disposal

Sorting allows consumers to capture the value of quality differences. As higher quality goods are removed, the value of the seller’s remaining stock falls, lowering the price and profits. Bundling and other marketing mechanisms can discourage sorting and prevent the depreciation of the seller’s stock. With comparative statics and simulations, the author shows that sellers can increase expected quality and profits by committing to discard a proportion of their resale stock after sorting occurs. In this manner, sorting acts similarly to agricultural grading. [EconLit Classification: Q1, Q11, Q13, L0, L1, D8, D82]. r 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Climate change and cutaneous water loss of birds.

Summary There is a crucial need to understand how physiological systems of animals will respond to increases in global air temperature. Water conservation may become more important for some species of birds, especially those living in deserts. Lipids of the stratum corneum (SC), the outer layer of the epidermis, create the barrier to water vapor diffusion, and thus control cutaneous water loss (CWL). An appreciation of the ability of birds to change CWL by altering lipids of the skin will be important to predict responses of birds to global warming. The interactions of these lipids are fundamental to the modulation of water loss through skin. Cerebrosides, with their hexose sugar moiety, are a key component of the SC in birds, but how these lipids interact with other lipids of the SC, or how they form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, to form a barrier to water vapor diffusion remains unknown. An understanding of how cerebrosides interact with other lipids of the SC, and of how the hydroxyl groups of cerebrosides interact with water molecules, may be a key to elucidating the control of CWL by the SC.
Body fat in neonates and young infants: validation of skinfold thickness versus dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

Background There is an interest in noninvasive measurement of body fat in newborns and infants. Measurement of skinfold thickness (SFT) is a simple clinical method. Objective We correlated fat mass (FM) values of neonates and infants predicted from SFT measurements and compared them with FM values measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a validated in vivo method for determining body fat. Design The weight, length, body composition (DXA measurement of FM and percentage of body fat), and SFT of 104 healthy term and preterm infants were measured at 0, 2, and 4 mo of age. Results Mean (+/- SD) FM determined by DXA increased from 440 +/- 220 g at birth to 1310 +/- 450 g at 2 mo of age and to 2170 +/- 605 g at 4 mo of age. The percentage of body fat increased from 13.3% at birth to 24.5% and 31.2% at 2 and 4 mo of age, respectively. An equation was developed to calculate FM (in g) in newborns by using the sum of SFT measurements (in mm) and body length (l; in cm): FM = 68.2 x SigmaSFT((0.0162) x l) - 172.8 (R(2) = 0.948, P Conclusions With the use of statistical bootstrap analysis, the results provide an in vivo validation of SFT measurements against DXA for newborns and young infants. Body fat measurements by SFT correlate with FM values determined by DXA (R(2) = 0.936). Estimation of nutritional status is possible with errors (SD) of +/- 75, +/- 170, +/- 300, and +/- 380 g for infants with an FM 2000 g, respectively.
Global Scale Observations of Ionospheric Instabilities from GPS in Low Earth Orbit

The GPS receiver used for navigation on the Space Shuttle exhibits range rate noise which appears to result from scintillation of the satellite signals by irregularities in ionospheric plasma. The noise events cluster in geographic regions previously identified as susceptible to instability and disturbed ionospheric conditions. These mechanisms are reviewed in the context of the GPS observations. Range rate data continuously monitored during the free orbiting phase of several space shuttle missions reveals global scale distribution of ionospheric irregularities. Equatorial events cluster +/- 20 degrees about the magnetic equator and polar events exhibit hemispheric asymmetry suggesting influence of off axis geomagnetic polar oval system. The diurnal, seasonal and geographic distribution is compared to previous work concerning equatorial spread F, Appleton anomaly and polar oval. The observations provide a succinct demonstration of the utility of space based ionospheric monitoring using GPS. The susceptability of GPS receivers to scintillation represents 'an unanticipated technical risk not factored into the selection of receivers for the United States space program.
Space Use, Survival, Movements, and Reproduction of Reintroduced Louisiana Black Bears

Studies of reintroduced animals are beneficial to evaluate the success of reintroduction programs and to understand factors influencing fitness of reintroduced individuals. The geographic distribution of the federally threatened Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) has been reduced to 3 isolated populations due to habitat loss and excessive harvest. We reintroduced 23 adult female Louisiana black bears and their cubs to east-central Louisiana, USA, and documented postrelease space use, survival, movements, and reproduction. Individual females used larger home ranges after reintroduction than they had in the source population (P = 0.037). Spring ranges of reintroduced females were smaller than summer, autumn, and annual ranges (all P 0.60). Survival of reintroduced females did not differ between their first (S = 0.933) and second (S = 1.00) year after release or from annual survival of females in the source population (S = 0.964–1.00). Mean straight-line distance traveled by females from their release sites to the center of established home ranges or last recorded locations was 22.7 km. Six females reproduced after reintroduction and produced 15 cubs. Mean postrelease litter size of parturient reintroduced females (2.5) was similar to reported mean litter size of females in the source population (2.4). Our results suggest that the Louisiana reintroduction program is proceeding favorably; however, future studies should continue to monitor survival and reproduction of reintroduced females in Louisiana. Additional demographic parameters (i.e., cub survival) should be estimated to allow for population viability analysis to determine if the new population is self-sustaining.
Should Achievement Tests Be Used To Judge School Quality

This study provides empirical evidence to answer the question whether student scores on standardized achievement tests represent reasonable measures of instructional quality. Using a research protocol designed by Popham and the local study directors, individual test items from a nationally-marketed standardized achievement test were rated by educators and parents to determine the degree to which raters felt that the items reflect important content that is actually taught in schools, and the degree to which raters felt that students' answers to the questions would be likely to be unduly influenced by confounded causality. Three research questions are addressed: What percentage of test items are considered suspect by raters as indicators of school instructional quality? Do educators and parents of school-age children differ in their ratings of the appropriateness of test items? Do educators and parents feel that standardized achievement test scores should be used as an indicator of school instructional quality? Descriptive statistics show that on average, raters felt that the content reflected in test questions measured material that is important for students to know. However, for reading and language arts questions, between about 20% to 40% of the items were viewed as suspect in terms of the other criteria.
Structure-activity relationships of lipopolysaccharide sequestration in guanylhydrazone-bearing lipopolyamines.

Abstract The toxicity of Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) resides in its structurally highly conserved glycolipid component called lipid A. Our major goal has been to develop small-molecules that would sequester LPS by binding to the lipid A moiety, so that it could be useful for the prophylaxis or adjunctive therapy of Gram-negative sepsis. We had previously identified in rapid-throughput screens several guanylhydrazones as potent LPS binders. We were desirous of examining if the presence of the guanylhydrazone (rather than an amine) functionality would afford greater LPS sequestration potency. In evaluating a congeneric set of guanylhydrazone analogues, we find that C 16 alkyl substitution is optimal in the N -alkylguanylhydrazone series; a homospermine analogue with the terminal amine N-alkylated with a C 16 chain with the other terminus of the molecule bearing an unsubstituted guanylhydrazone moiety is marginally more active, suggesting very slight, if any, steric effects. Neither C 16 analogue is significantly more active than the N -C 16 -alkyl or N -C 16 -acyl compounds that we had characterized earlier, indicating that basicity of the phosphate-recognizing cationic group, is not a determinant of LPS sequestration activity.
A Starring Role for Microglia in Brain Sex Differences

Microglia, the resident innate immune cells in the brain, have long been understood to be crucial to maintenance in the nervous system, by clearing debris, monitoring for infiltration of infectious agents, and mediating the brain's inflammatory and repair response to traumatic injury, stroke, or neurodegeneration. A wave of new research has shown that microglia are also active players in many basic processes in the healthy brain, including cell proliferation, synaptic connectivity, and physiology. Microglia, both in their capacity as phagocytic cells and via secretion of many neuroactive molecules, including cytokines and growth factors, play a central role in early brain development, including sexual differentiation of the brain. In this review, we present the vast roles microglia play in normal brain development and how perturbations in the normal neuroimmune environment during development may contribute to the etiology of brain-based disorders. There are notable differences between microglia and neuroimmune signaling in the male and female brain throughout the life span, and these differences may contribute to the vast differences in the incidence of neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders between males and females.
The genetic‐determination of ossification sequence polymorphism

Serial hand-wrist x-rays of 81 pairs of twins were examined to investigate the genetics of ossification sequence polymorphism. Discordance in ossification sequence was 3.5 times more common between like-sex dizygotic twins than between monozygotic twins, with the difference being significant at the 0.01 level of confidence. These findings support the contention that the major part of variation in ossification sequence is genetically determined.
Performance and modeling of resonantly enhanced LiNbO/sub 3/ modulators for low-loss analog fiber-optic links

The performance of resonantly enhanced LiNbO/sub 3/ traveling wave optical modulators is investigated. High-frequency performance of broad band velocity matched LiNbO/sub 3/ modulators with low half-wave voltages is shown to be relatively independent of termination. A resonant enhancement technique involving external line stretching of the length of the nonactive section of the modulator is proposed and demonstrated at low-frequencies. An accurate model is developed to facilitate design of resonantly enhanced optical modulators. >
Synergistic and Additive Properties of the Beta-Globin Locus Control Region (LCR) Revealed by 5′HS3 Deletion Mutations: Implication for LCR Chromatin Architecture

Deletion of the 234-bp core element of the DNase I hypersensitive site 3 (5'HS3) of the locus control region (LCR) in the context of a human beta-globin locus yeast artificial chromosome (beta-YAC) results in profound effects on globin gene expression in transgenic mice. In contrast, deletion of a 2.3-kb 5'HS3 region, which includes the 234-bp core sequence, has a much milder phenotype. Here we report the effects of these deletions on chromatin structure in the beta-globin locus of adult erythroblasts. The 234-bp 5'HS3 deletion abolished histone acetylation throughout the beta-globin locus; recruitment of RNA polymerase II (pol II) to the LCR and beta-globin gene promoter was reduced to a basal level; and formation of all the 5' DNase I hypersensitive sites of the LCR was disrupted. The 2.3-kb 5'HS3 deletion mildly reduced the level of histone acetylation but did not change the profile across the whole locus; the 5' DNase I hypersensitive sites of the LCR were formed, but to a lesser extent; and recruitment of pol II was reduced, but only marginally. These data support the hypothesis that the LCR forms a specific chromatin structure and acts as a single entity. Based on these results we elaborate on a model of LCR chromatin architecture which accommodates the distinct phenotypes of the 5'HS3 and HS3 core deletions.
Genetically Stable Picornavirus Expression Vectors with Recombinant Internal Ribosomal Entry Sites

In many respects, picornaviruses are well suited for their proposed use as immunization vectors. However, their inherent genetic instability hinders application for prophylactic purposes. We demonstrate the improved expression and stability of a heterologous insert through a novel vector design strategy that partially replaces noncoding regulatory sequences with coding sequences for foreign gene products.
Local-Scale Variability of Daily Solar Radiation--San Diego County, California.

Abstract The spatial variability of daily solar radiation values over a region of several hundred square kilometers was examined. Coefficients of variability were obtained as the standard deviations of between-station daily radiation difference divided by the mean values for 28 pairs of measuring sites. The coefficient was then plotted as a function of between-station distance. Unlike the results of previous studies undertaken at larger regional scales, no mathematical function could be obtained relating the magnitude of the coefficient to between-station distance. This results from the effect of differences in relief, varying proximity to the coast, and local climatic patterns. The values of the coefficient and the spatial patterns of solar radiation distribution exhibit strong seasonal changes.
In-sample Asymptotics and Across-sample Efficiency Gains for High Frequency Data Statistics ∗

We revisit in-sample asymptotic analysis extensively used in the realized volatility literature. We show that there are gains to be made in estimating current realized volatility from considering realizations in prior periods. Our analysis is reminiscent of local-to-unity asymptotics. The weighting schemes also relate to Kalman-Bucy filters, although our approach is non-Gaussian and model-free. We derive theoretical results for a broad class of processes pertaining to volatility, higher moments and leverage. The paper also contains a Monte Carlo simulation study showing the benefits of across-sample combinations.
Virtual switching without a hypervisor for a more secure cloud

Cloud computing leverages virtualization to offer resources on demand to multiple "tenants". However, sharing the server and network infrastructure creates new vulnerabilities, where one tenant can attack another by compromising the underlying hypervisor. We design a system that supports virtualized networking using software switches without a hypervisor. In our architecture, the software switch runs in a Switch Domain (DomS) that is separate from the control VM. Both the guest VMs and DomS run directly on the server hardware, with processing and memory resources allocated in advance. Each guest VM interacts with the software switch through a shared memory region using periodic polling to detect network packets. The communication does not involve the hypervisor or the control VM. In addition, any software bugs that crash the software switch do not crash the rest of the system, and a crashed switch can be easily rebooted. Experiments with our initial prototype, built using Xen and Open vSwitch, show that the combination of shared pages and polling offers reasonable performance compared to conventional hypervisor-based solutions.
Stop Mucking Up Copyright Law: A Proposal for a Federal Common Law of Contract is a Common Sense Solution

This article proposes an alternative to the two current schools of academic thought regarding which body of contract law should govern copyrights. The traditionalists contend that existing state contract law, either common law contract or Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, is adequate to meet the marketplace's need for stable and predictable law. The other school argues that neither form of state law is adequate. Rejecting existing contract law, this school proposes creating new sui generis bodies of state law, such as the proposed Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA), to address problems applying state common law or the UCC to copyrights and copyrightable works. Both schools, to some degree, recognize the vexing problems encountered by scholars trying to reconcile state contract law and the federally created body of copyright law. This article rejects this artificial dilemma in proposing a third alternative, one that has not been suggested in the literature: federal courts or Congress should create a body of contract law for copyrights. This avoids the federal preemption and choice of law issues presented by applying state law principles to a federal body of property rights by creating a federal body of contract law. Further, in light of The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) recent withdrawal of UCITA as a proposed uniform state law, this article represents the only counter proposal to the traditional school of thought and may serve as a possible starting point for developing a uniform body of federal contract law for copyrights.