cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal preferenda and behavior of Atlantic eels (genus Anguilla) in relation to their spawning migration

The final preferred temperatures (FPTs) of adult premigratory and migratory life-history phases of American eels, Anguilla rostrata, were determined by chronic tests in a horizontal thermal gradient. Mean FPTs were between 17 and 20°C and were not significantly different between life-history phases, acclimation temperatures, illumination regimes, photoperiods or sexual maturation states. Thermal behavior of eels was highly variable, both among individuals of the various test groups and among repeated tests of single individuals. Light inhibited behavioral thermoregulation by promoting shelter-seeking. The following inferences are drawn from the laboratory findings and observations of migrating A. rostrata and A. anguilla (European eels) in the North Atlantic: (1) decreasing temperatures may initiate downstream migration of silver eels, (2) eels may select temperatures close to their FPT in thermally stratified environments, but will tolerate higher and lower temperatures depending on illumination or other physical constraints, (3) the oceanic phase of the migration to the Sargasso Sea may take place at relatively shallow depths in the open ocean, probably within the upper 1000 meters. The strong eurythermality observed in eels may facilitate their occupation of and migration through thermally diverse and unpredictable habitats.
Comparison between Institutionally-Defined Clinical Criteria and CDC-Criteria for the Diagnosis of Ventriculostomy-Related Infection (P02.220)

Objective: To compare our clinical criteria for ventriculostomy-related infections (VRIs) to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) criteria. Background The diagnosis of VRI is commonly made based upon clinical impression rather than utilizing specific criteria, which may result in misdiagnoses and overutilization of antibiotics. Design/Methods: A prospective observational study of VRI was conducted between August 2009 and April 2011. Patients were excluded due to death within three days of EVD insertion, EVD insertion at an outside hospital >1 day before transfer, or pre-insertion CNS infection. CSF was sampled every other day and additionally for clinical suspicion of VRI. Clinical criteria for VRI was fever (T≥38.3C) accompanied by an increase in CSF white blood cells (WBCs) and/or decrease in CSF glucose. CDC-defined VRI was concurrently diagnosed by an infectious disease epidemiologist. Both the epidemiologist and treating team were blinded to the other9s diagnosis. Results: A total of 133 patients met criteria. Mean age was 57 years and 52% were female. The majority of diagnoses were subarachnoid hemorrhage (n=63, 47%) and intracerebral hemorrhage (n=44, 33%). There were 31 (23%) patients diagnosed and treated for VRI using clinical criteria. Of all treated patients, 13 (42%) had CDC-defined VRI and only one (3%) had positive CSF cultures. There was no difference in maximum daily temperature or CSF WBCs, protein, or glucose between those with CDC-defined VRI and those treated who did not meet CDC criteria. In addition, two patients not empirically treated developed culture-positive ventriculitis. The positive predictive value of our clinical diagnosis as compared to CDC criteria was only 42%; negative predictive value was 98%. Conclusions: The majority (58%) of patients diagnosed with VRI by clinical criteria did not meet CDC criteria, raising concern for antibiotic overuse. Improved clinical parameters for defining VRI must be developed for more precise management. Disclosure: Dr. Czeisler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Choi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Guo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bernstein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Presciutti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lantigua has nothing to disclose. Dr. Carpenter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ko has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schmidt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Claassen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mayer has received personal compensation for activities with Astellas Pharmaceuticals, General Electric, Medivance, Inc., Acorda Therapeutics, Actelion, the Medicines Company, Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Edge Therapeutics, Novartis, Codman, Baxter, and Orsan. Dr. Mayer has received research support from Non-Invasive Medical Systems, Inc. Dr. Lee has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharmaceuticals, EKR Therapeutics, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Edwards Lifesciences, Medivance, Innercool, and Astellas as a speaker. Dr. Connolly has nothing to disclose. Dr. Badjatia has nothing to disclose.
Understory Composition of Five Tsuga canadensis Associated Forest Communities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

ABSTRACT: Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere (eastern hemlock), a long-lived, coniferous tree species native to the southern Appalachian Mountains, is currently experiencing rapid defoliation and mortality resulting from recent invasions of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand, HWA), an exotic, invasive insect. Prior to HWA infestation, T. canadensis often developed unique microclimates and exerted a strong functional influence upon the landscape. Therefore, its loss will likely impact forest structure, composition, and future successional trends throughout the Region. Research has shown that overstory T. canadensis trees are currently experiencing severe decline. However, the early effects of this decline on understory vegetation have received little study. We investigated the impacts of HWA upon T. canadensis-associated understory vegetation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) by resampling understory vegetation on 29 permanent plots established 5 – 6 years previously across five forest ...
Household Size as a Correlate of Divorce Rate: A County-Level Analysis

Divorce remains one of the main challenges facing American families today. Previous studies have shown that the risk of divorce is influenced by many factors, including spouses' characteristics and the types of neighborhoods in which they live. This study extends previous work by examining the association between household size and divorce rate at the county level using 1990 and 2000 county-level data. The results show that household size is negatively and significantly associated with divorce rate in both 1990 and 2000, regardless of the region of residence. That effect was stronger in 2000, where household size appeared as the second most significant correlate of divorce rate among all other variables considered in the linear multiple regression analysis. Such findings suggest that household size acts as a social capital variable which helps to maintain family structure, thus reducing the risk of union dissolution.
Parabolic Equation Techniques for Seismic Waves

Parabolic equation techniques for solving seismic wave propagation problems are discussed. These techniques provide an excellent combination of accuracy and efficiency for problems involving laterally varying media. Due to recent improvements, the parabolic equation method is applicable to problems involving wide propagation angles, large variations in the properties of the medium, and all types of waves.
Reversible leukoencephalopathy with acute neurological deterioration and permanent residua in classical homocystinuria: A case report

We report a 24-year-old patient with underlying classical homocystinuria who developed acute neurological deterioration apparently induced by malnutrition secondary to poor compliance with treatment and pancreatitis. Neurological examination revealed stupor, tremor of the upper extremities, spasticity, and Babinski responses of the bilateral lower extremities. The biochemical profile, including marked hypermethioninaemia, hyperhomocysteinaemia, and decreased cystine in plasma, is consistent with cystathionine β-synthase deficiency. Brain MRI showed reversible diffuse white-matter changes without evidence of thrombosis. The clinical features and neuroimaging including diffusion-weighted MRI suggest a demyelinating process similar to other inborn errors of the transsulfuration pathway such as methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency, disorders affecting methylcobalamin metabolism (cobalamin C, D, E, and G disorders), and methionine adenosyltransferase deficiency. She was left with residual spastic paraparesis despite normal follow-up MRI. Our observation suggests that reversible demyelination is another neurological manifestation of classical homocystinuria; however, the pathophysiology is unknown.
The Mediating Effects of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion on Trait Anxiety

Research has found meditation to be associated with improved mental health; however, less is known about how these positive outcomes develop. To better understand the operant effects of meditation on mental health, this study is set forth to examine the potential mediating effects of commonly measured constructs of mindfulness and self-compassion on trait anxiety, a personality trait prevalent in many psychiatric conditions. This longitudinal study uses a meditation treatment (n = 108) and comparative control (n = 94) designed to examine relational changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, and trait anxiety data collected in three waves: (a) baseline, (b) mid-program, and (c) post-program. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed significant increases in mindfulness and self-compassion scores among the treatment cohort and cross-lagged regression models that revealed significant reductions in trait anxiety were mediated by preceding increases in mindfulness. SEM model testing found that increases in mindfulness precipitate increases in self-compassion, but neither self-compassion nor anxiety mediated mindfulness. Whereas both self-compassion and mindfulness were associated with reductions in anxiety, the cultivation of mindfulness had the most robust mediating effect on reductions in trait anxiety. These finding reinforce previous studies that have suggested that increases in mindfulness skills may mediate the effects of meditation on mental health outcomes. Among the strengths of the current study are the longitudinal three waves of data, including mid-program data that enables cross-lagged regression. The cross-lagged models indicate the temporal ordering of changes and reveal mindfulness as the key mediating variable preceding substantive changes in self-compassion and trait anxiety.
Star wars at the bottom line: The accounting forum for defense contractors

During the 1980s, as the United States engaged in the largest military build up of its history, accusations of fraud and abuse in the defense establishment escalated as well. In 1992, The Accounting Review published an exclusively neo-classical economics-based “Forum on Accounting for Defense Contracts.” Demski and Magee (1992) were invited by the editor to comment on the articles in the forum. This paper critiques Demski and Magee's article and argues that, by highlighting four particular market imperfections and ignoring others, Demski and Magee establish a set of preconditions which shifts the blame for fraud from industry to the government. An “Alternative Perspective on Accounting for Defense Contracts”, which examines the institutional and social mechanisms which abet unethical behavior in defense, is also presented.
Courts and Community Relevance of a Social-Control Dichotomy

The concept of community courts is interpreted as an attempt to bring the control functions of the community in conjunction with the courts' support of the legal order. Since sociocultural variables are involved, the interpretation invites the exercise of the comparative method. Two versions of social control—coercive versus self-regulative—are presented as a platform for analysis of the significance of community courts.
Analogous intermediate shape coding in vision and touch

We recognize, understand, and interact with objects through both vision and touch. Conceivably, these two sensory systems encode object shape in similar ways, which could facilitate cross-modal communication. To test this idea, we studied single neurons in macaque monkey intermediate visual (area V4) and somatosensory (area SII) cortex, using matched shape stimuli. We found similar patterns of shape sensitivity characterized by tuning for curvature direction. These parallel tuning patterns imply analogous shape coding mechanisms in intermediate visual and somatosensory cortex.
P(1),P(4)-Diadenosine 5'-tetraphosphate modulates l-arginine and l-citrulline uptake by bovine aortic endothelial cells.

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that P1,P4-diadenosine 5′-tetraphosphate (Ap4A) interacts with high-affinity and low-affinity binding sites on the bovine aortic endothelial cell (BAEC) surface. In this report we demonstrate that Ap4A interaction with the lower affinity site modulates l -arginine ( l -Arg) and l -citrulline ( l -Cit) uptake by BAEC. Competition uptake studies demonstrate that l -Arg and l -Cit uptake occurs through a common transporter system that is sensitive to Ap4A. Evidence is also presented that is consistent with Ap4A modulating l -Arg uptake by increasing the affinity of l -Arg for the transporter.
New absolute spectroscopic measurement of the solar equatorial rotation rate

We have used an atomic-beam resonance-scattering technique applied to the 7699 A solar potassium absorption line to make an absolute spectroscopic determination of the solar equatorial rotation rate. To our knowledge this is a new method which has not previously been used for studying solar rotation. Our measurements were made during 1979–82, initially with a permanent apparatus at Oberlin College and more recently with a portable apparatus installed at the Snow Telescope on Mt. Wilson. After carefully allowing for possible systematic errors, we conclude that the solar sidereal equatorial rotation rate is 13.8 ± 0.3 deg day#X2212;1 and that it has not varied significantly over the period of our observations.
Multilinear Calderón–Zygmund Theory

Abstract A systematic treatment of multilinear Calderon–Zygmund operators is presented. The theory developed includes strong type and endpoint weak type estimates, interpolation, a multilinear T 1 theorem, and a variety of results regarding multilinear multiplier operators.
Canonical Quantization of Relativistic Balls of Dust

The Hamiltonian form for the equations of a relativistic perfect fluid is considered and later specialized to the case of spherical symmetry and vanishing pressure. When comoving coordinates are used in the canonical formalism, one gets a reduced Hamiltonian which is independent of time. The continuous number of degrees of freedom are decoupled and the Schr\"odinger equation separates from a functional differential equation to a set of identical ordinary differential equations. Boundary conditions for these equations are naturally obtained by requiring that the minisuperspace be geodesically complete. The formalism remains the same whether one treats a closed nonhomogeneous universe or a collapsing star. The problem of singularities is discussed, and it is concluded that in this minisuperspace quantum formalism there is no inevitable singularity.
Waste management issues for the UK ready-mixed concrete industry

The UK government has recognised the vital contribution that the construction industry has to play in contributing towards sustainable development. While the issue of hardened concrete waste has received considerable attention, process waste arising from the manufacture of ready-mixed concrete is relatively unexplored. It is apparent that initiatives such as the landfill tax have encouraged UK ready-mixed concrete manufacturers to reduce substantially the amount of waste they produce. Environmental pressures continue to increase and ready-mixed concrete producers are being forced towards a closed loop production system.
Foreigners and Municipal Reform in Istanbul: 1855–1865

Ever since it had been recognized that the decay of the Ottoman Empire could not be arrested by traditional methods, foreigners and non-Muslims had played a significant part in the Empire's modernization. The Compte de Bonneval and Baron de Tott were only the most famous of a group of foreign advisers who were employed by the Ottoman government to help reform the military establishment during the eighteenth century. During the Tanzimat era, 1839–1876, when the Porte became irrevocably committed to modernization, foreigners and non-Muslims were employed in a multitude of capacities. They ranged from the Prussian Von Moltke who was to advise on the vital problem of reorganizing the army, to Giuseppe Donnizetti, brother of the composer, who was charged with the somewhat less important task of organizing a Western-style military band.
Protein binding to expanded telomere repeats in Tetrahymena thermophila.

The ends of eukaryotic chromosomes are protected by DNA-protein structures called telomeres. Telomeric DNA is highly conserved, usually consisting of long tracts of a repeating G-rich sequence. Tetrahymena thermophila telomeric DNA consists of alternating blocks of GGGG and TT sequences (i.e. a G4T2 repeat sequence). We examined the relative importance of the guanine and thymine elements of the repeat sequence in promoting in vitro binding by T. thermophila proteins. We identified single- and, for the first time, double-stranded telomere binding activities from a crude T. thermophila protein extract and tested the binding of these activities to altered telomere repeat sequences. All deletions or substitutions made to the guanine element virtually abolished binding, indicating that four G's are essential for recognition by the binding activity. However, G's alone are not sufficient for efficient binding, as elimination of the thymine element dramatically reduced binding. By contrast, substantial expansion of the thymine element was well tolerated, even though one such change, G4T4, is lethal in vivo. We tested up to a four-fold expansion of the thymine element and found that highly efficient binding was still achieved. These results suggest a minimal recognition sequence for T. thermophila proteins, with the T element providing an important spacer between essential G elements.
Selective surface reactions of single crystal metal carbides: alkene production from short chain alcohols on titanium carbide and vanadium carbide

Abstract The adsorption and reaction of ethanol and 2-propanol on the (1 0 0) surface of single crystal vanadium carbide (VC) and titanium carbide (TiC) have been studied using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. A mixture of molecular and dissociative adsorption is observed at cryogenic temperatures on both of the carbide surfaces. Dissociative adsorption of the short chain alcohols leads to the formation of an alkoxy intermediate at 153 K on both VC(1 0 0) and TiC(1 0 0). With increasing temperature, the alkoxy intermediate selectively reacts with the carbide surfaces to produce an alkene. A comparison of TPD intensities indicates that dissociative adsorption occurs to a greater extent on TiC; however, the reaction yield for dehydration of the alkoxy surface species is ∼20% greater on VC(1 0 0) as compared to TiC(1 0 0). Specific isotopic labeling studies of the ethanol reaction identify γ-hydride elimination as a key step in alkene formation on VC(1 0 0). This pattern of reactivity on metal carbide surfaces significantly differs from the decomposition reactions, producing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, or the β-hydride elimination reactions, producing an aldehyde and hydrogen, that are observed on most transition metal surfaces.
Information Resource Managers and E-government Effectiveness: A Survey of Texas State Agencies

Abstract This study examines the views of information resource managers (IRMs) in Texas state agencies on e-government. The existing empirical research has focused on what local governments provide in terms of e-government information and services and less on the perspectives of key e-government decision makers. This study fills this void by examining how e-government had an impact on management of state agencies. Theories and expectations are provided on what the literature argues are the most important impacts of e-government on management. Specifically, these are the reinventing government movement, external environmental pressures, resource capacity, and demographic factors. A survey of Texas state agency IRMs was administered in the late spring of 2005 and the results are reported in this study. The findings revealed that the reinventing government movement, external environmental pressures, and resource capacity were the most important factors that had an impact on e-government management capacity. In this study, the size of state agency was not found to be as important. Future research should focus more on state e-government management, an often-neglected area of research.
Embracing the Complexity of Instruction: A Study of the Effects of Teachers' Instruction on Students' Reading Comprehension

The purpose of this study was to determine whether third-grade teachers' instructional actions during reading comprehension lessons contributed to their students' reading comprehension achievement. Our framework focused on teachers' emphasis on three dimensions of instruction (pedagogical structure, teacher-directed instruction, and support for student learning), as observed in comprehension lessons across a year. Third-grade teachers' instruction was analyzed first by measuring their latent propensity to engage in instructional actions in the three dimensions and then by using these latent variables in a multilevel model to examine their students' gains in reading comprehension. Results provided support for the theoretical dimensions, taking into account contextual variables including lesson, student, and teacher characteristics; teachers' engagement in teacher-directed instruction and their support for student learning significantly contributed to their students' reading comprehension. Results suggest t...
Far-infrared spectrum and ab initio calculations for vinylene carbonate

Abstract The far-infrared spectrum of vinylene carbonate shows five closely spaced bands near 233 cm −1 , characteristic of a nearly harmonic ring-puckering potential energy function. Using a coordinate dependent kinetic energy expansion, the potential energy function was determined to be V ( cm −1 )=1.652×10 5 x 2 −1.416×10 5 x 4 where x is the puckering coordinate in A. This shows the molecule to be much more rigid than the similar 3-cyclopenten-1-one due to π bonding interactions involving the oxygen atoms adjacent to the carbonyl group. Ab initio calculations with a B3LYP/6-311++G ∗∗ basis set yield structural data in good agreement with the previous microwave work and also predict vibrational frequencies that correspond closely to the experimental values.
Nanoscale characterization of natural fibers and their composites using contact-resonance force microscopy

Abstract Contact-resonance force microscopy (CR-FM) has been used for the first time to evaluate the mechanical properties of the interphase in natural fiber-reinforced composites and of cell wall layers of natural fibers. With CR-FM, quantitative images of the spatial distribution in nanoscale elastic properties were acquired. The images were calibrated with nanoindentation values. From the modulus images, the average interphase width was found to be (49 ± 5) nm for composite without any treatment, and (139 ± 21) nm for one with a maleic anhydride polypropylene treatment. There was a gradient of modulus across the interphase that ranged between the values of fiber and the polymer. The average values of indentation modulus obtained for different cell wall layers within a fiber were 22.5–28.0 GPa, 17.9–20.2 GPa, and 15.0–15.5 GPa for the S 2 and S 1 layers and the compound middle lamellae, respectively.
Stray field sensitivity of a pole head on a dual layer perpendicular disk

The two-dimensional finite element method is used to study the effects of external fields on single-pole heads on a dual-layer medium. Profiles of the perpendicular field, H/sub y/, under the pole tips are given for various geometries and field directions. A 1000* scale model was built to study the three-dimensional effects for external y-axis fields. The stray field problem is shown to be serious for y-axis fields, i.e. fields perpendicular to the disk surface. >
X-ray diffraction measurement of the Jahn-Teller distortion in TmVO4

Abstract Single crystal X-ray diffraction has been used to determine the magnitude and temperature dependence of the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic distortion below the cooperative Jahn-Teller phase transition occuring in TmVO 4 at 2.15 K. The results are in good agreement with mean field theory and with the results of a previous investigation of the soft acoustic mode above the transition. It can be concluded that the interaction of long wavelength acoustic phonons with the ground doublet of the Tm 3+ ion is the dominant mechanism for the transition.
The use of heterogeneity corrections and its impact on delivered dose in patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy of the lung

Objective Tissue density correction algorithms are widely used in North America when planning stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatments and influence calculations regarding delivered dose. In turn, this may have an impact on complications and local control on tumors treated in the lung. This study evaluated the impact of patient-related and tumor-related factors on the dose to the tumor with and without heterogeneity corrections.
The enantiomeric separation of 4,5-disubstituted imidazoles by HPLC and CE using cyclodextrin-based chiral selectors

The enantiomeric separation of a series of fifteen racemic 4,5-disubstituted imidazole compounds was examined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). These alkaloid analytes are important precursors for the total synthesis of the natural product calcaridine A and other Leucetta-derived alkaloids. Therefore, the enantiomeric analysis of these analytes is not only important in the production of enantiomerically pure calcaridine A, but also for a better understanding of the stereochemistry involved in related biosynthetic pathways. Several bonded cyclodextrin (both native and derivatised) stationary phases were evaluated for their ability to separate these racemates via HPLC. Likewise, several cyclodextrin derivatives were evaluated for their ability to separate this set of compounds via CE. Using HPLC, 14 of the 15 racemic compounds were separated. Eight of the analytes were separated using CE with resolutions up to 7.0. Using both HPLC and CE approaches, the ent...
Differences in the Ways that Family Caregivers Experience Medication Administration Hassles

AbstractComplex medication regimens that result in medication administration hassles, the daily irritants that caregivers experience when assisting another person with a medication regimen, are now known to be related to increased caregiver strain. This paper reports data regarding the prevalence of the most intense individual medication administration hassles by selected caregiver characteristics (gender, race, age, employment status). The results underscore the necessity and utility of asking caregivers specific questions about multiple aspects of their medication administration responsibility, and provide insight into groups that should be targeted for information access and educational support.
Third-Order Elastic Constants of Magnesium. I. Experimental

The complete set of ten third-order elastic constants of magnesium has been determined from measurements of the hydrostatic-pressure and uniaxial-compression derivatives of natural sound velocities using an ultrasonic pulse-superposition technique. The specimen was neutron irradiated with an integrated exposure of 2 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{18}$ (fast) neutrons per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ to suppress dislocation effects. The results are ${c}_{111}=\ensuremath{-}6.63$, ${c}_{112}=\ensuremath{-}1.78$, ${c}_{113}=+0.30$, ${c}_{222}=\ensuremath{-}8.64$, ${c}_{123}=\ensuremath{-}0.76$, ${c}_{133}=\ensuremath{-}0.86$, ${c}_{333}=\ensuremath{-}7.26$, ${c}_{144}=\ensuremath{-}0.30$, ${c}_{155}=\ensuremath{-}0.58$, and ${c}_{344}=\ensuremath{-}1.93$ in units of ${10}^{12}$ dyn ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$.
Improving Structural Order for a High‐Performance Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐Based Polymer Solar Cell with a Thick Active Layer

A series of low-bandgap polymers based on thienyl benzodithiophene (BDTT) and furan-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole (FDPP) units with different side chains are presented. By replacing the branched ethylhexyl group on the FDPP unit with linear side chains, the structural order and carrier mobility of the modified polymers are enhanced accordingly. The power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of single-junction devices based on polymers of this series are improved from ≈5% to ≈7%. More importantly, devices made from the modified polymers show excellent photovoltaic performance with a thick active layer of up to 360 nm, a very promising characteristic for the industrial implementation of polymer solar cell devices.
Bour ded point evaluations for nonminimal measures

Abstract A compactly supported positive measure σ in the complex plane C is said to be nonminimal if there is a compactly supported positive measure μ, not equal to σ, with logarithmic potential equal to the logarithmic potential of σ outside some compact set and less than or equal to the logarithmic potential of σ on C . If σ is a nonminimal measure then there is a nonempty open set, Ω, such that every sequence of polynomials converging in L 2 ( σ ) converges normally on Ω.
Gaseous Discharge Super-High-Frequency Noise Sources

The positive column of an electrical discharge through argon it utilized as a source of random fluctuations to provide a standard noise source for microwave frequencies. It is shown that the waveguide may be matched to the discharge with very low reflection over the entire recommended transmission bandwidth of the waveguide without the utilization of tuned elements. Further, when the discharge is not excited, microwave transmission through the guide is possible with very low reflection. The noise temperature is about 15.5 db above 290° K. Performance data are given for frequencies between 2,600 and 26,000 mc per second. The effect of varying the discharge parameters, geometry, gas, gas pressure and current, upon both the radio-frequency and noise performance is discussed. The factors affecting the occurrence of low-frequency fluctuations in the discharge are considered and the proper operating conditions to avoid their effects on the microwave performance are given. The hypothesis that the noise temperature corresponds to the electron temperature of the positive column is presented and supporting evidence is offered.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist ACPD inhibits some, but not all, muscarinic‐sensitive K+ conductances in basolateral amygdaloid neurons

Muscarinic agonists produce membrane depolarization and losses of spike frequency accommodation and the slow afterhyperpolarization (AHP) when applied to neurons of the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Underlying these changes are the musca- rinic-induced inhibitions of several K+ conductances, including the voltage-activated M-current (I,), a slowly decaying Ca2+-activated current (Imp), a voltage-insensitive leak current (ILeak), and the hyperpolarization-activated inward rectifier current (IIR). Similar depolarizations and losses of the slow AHP have been observed in other neuronal cell types following stimulation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. Therefore, we tested the effects of the metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist, l-aminocyclopentane- ls,3a-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD), on pyramidal neurons impaled with a single microelec- trode for current- and voltage-clamp recordings in a brain slice preparation of the rat BLA. Application of ACPD (20 or 100 p,M) to BLA neurons inhibited I, and Imp, result- ing in membrane depolarization and reductions in the amplitude and duration of the slow AHP. However, ACPD did not inhibit the muscarinic-sensitive current IIR, nor was I,, blocked in the majority of neurons examined. These findings suggest the possibility that muscarinic cholinergic and metabotropic glutamatergic receptor agonists may activate separate intracellular transduction pathways which have convergent inhibitory effects onto I, and Imp in BLA pyramidal neurons. Amygdala, K+ currents, Glutamate receptors, ACPD
International business simulation/gaming: an assessment and review

Can international business (IB) simulation games play a significant role in filling the need for students who understand lB concepts? This article reviews the gaming literature to identify gaming's strengths and weaknesses to determine the roles that stimulations can play in lB pedagogy. It then reviews the existing IB simulation games to determine what each game can or cannot contribute to the teaching of international business. Potential adopters can then select the simulation that best fulfills their course requirements.
A speed limit for conformational change of an allosteric membrane protein.

Neuromuscular acetylcholine receptors are synaptic ion channels that open and close with rate constants of ≈48,000 s-1 and ≈1,700 s-1, respectively (in adult mouse, at 24°C, -100 mV membrane potential). Perturbations of many different sites in the protein can change these rate constants, with those in the extracellular domain mainly affecting channel-opening and many of those in the membrane and intracellular domains mainly affecting channel-closing. We used single-channel recordings to measure the total open time per activation (τb) elicited by a low concentration of the natural transmitter, acetylcholine. τb increased in constructs with mutations that increased the gating equilibrium constant by either increasing the opening or decreasing the closing rate constant. However, τb did not approach the same asymptote in fast-opening and slow-closing constructs. The maximum value for the slow closers was about twice that for the fast openers. One interpretation of this difference is that there is an upper limit to the channel-opening rate constant, which we estimate to be ≈0.86 μs-1. One possibility is that this limit is the rate of conformational change in the absence of an overall activation barrier and thus reflects the kinetic prefactor for the acetylcholine receptor opening isomerization.
Access to healthy food stores modifies effect of a dietary intervention.

Background Recent evidence suggests that opening a grocery store in a food desert does not translate to better diet quality among community residents. Purpose This study evaluated the influence of proximity to a healthy food store on the effect of a dietary behavioral intervention on diet among obese adults randomized to either a high fiber or American Heart Association diet intervention. Methods Participants were recruited from Worcester County, Massachusetts, between June 2009 and January 2012. Dietary data were collected via 24-hour recalls at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. Based on in-store inspection data, a store was considered as having adequate availability of healthy foods if it had at least one item available in each of 20 healthy food categories. Linear models evaluated maximum change in dietary outcomes in relation to road distance from residence to the nearest June healthy food store. The analysis was conducted in January to June 2014. Results On average, participants (N=204) were aged 52 years, BMI=34.9, and included 72% women and 89% non-Hispanic whites. Shorter distance to a healthy food store was associated with greater improvements in consumption of fiber (b=–1.07 g/day per mile, p p =0.03) with and without covariate adjustment. Conclusions The effectiveness of dietary interventions is significantly influenced by the presence of a supportive community nutrition environment. Considering the nationwide efforts on promotion of healthy eating, the value of improving community access to healthy foods should not be underestimated. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT00911885
Learn Global; Serve Local: Student Outcomes from a Community-Based Learning Pedagogy.

Although research suggests that service learning (SL) is being incorporated into the college classroom at an increasing rate, faculty often report that they are not convinced of its educational values. There is a lack of research on, and awareness about, what SL is, how it can be incorporated into the curriculum, and the outcomes on student learning. In this article, the authors discuss the research and philosophy behind SL as an experiential pedagogical technique, describe one model of integrating SL into a large college classroom, and share findings on student outcomes across six areas of student development. Findings include implications for practice related to previous service experience of students, student gender, and service as a course requirement.
5′ Processing of tRNA Precursors Can Be Modulated by the Human La Antigen Phosphoprotein

Eukaryotic precursor (pre)-tRNAs are processed at both ends prior to maturation. Pre-tRNAs and other nascent transcripts synthesized by RNA polymerase III are bound at their 3′ ends at the sequence motif UUUOH [3′ oligo(U)] by the La antigen, a conserved phosphoprotein whose role in RNA processing has been associated previously with 3′-end maturation only. We show that in addition to its role in tRNA 3′-end maturation, human La protein can also modulate 5′ processing of pre-tRNAs. Both the La antigen’s N-terminal RNA-binding domain and its C-terminal basic region are required for attenuation of pre-tRNA 5′ processing. RNA binding and nuclease protection assays with a variety of pre-tRNA substrates and mutant La proteins indicate that 5′ protection is a highly selective activity of La. This activity is dependent on 3′ oligo(U) in the pre-tRNA for interaction with the N-terminal RNA binding domain of La and interaction of the C-terminal basic region of La with the 5′ triphosphate end of nascent pre-tRNA. Phosphorylation of La is known to occur on serine 366, adjacent to the C-terminal basic region. We show that this modification interferes with the La antigen’s ability to protect pre-tRNAiMet from 5′ processing either by HeLa extract or purified RNase P but that it does not affect interaction with the 3′ end of pre-tRNA. These findings provide the first evidence to indicate that tRNA 5′-end maturation may be regulated in eukaryotes. Implications of triphosphate recognition is discussed as is a role for La phosphoprotein in controlling transcriptional and posttranscriptional events in the biogenesis of polymerase III transcripts.
A Defense of Experiential Realism: The Need to take Phenomenological Reality on its own Terms in the Study of the Mind

In this article I argue for the importance of treating mental experience on its own terms. In defense of “experiential realism,” I offer a critique of modern psychology’s all-toofrequent attempts to effect an objectification and quantification of personal subjectivity. The question is “What can we learn about experiential reality from indices that, in the service of scientific objectification, transform the qualitative properties of experience into quantitative proxies?” I conclude that such treatment is neither necessary for realizing, nor sufficient for capturing, subjectively given states (such as perception, pain, imagery, fear, thought, memory)—that is, for understanding many of the principle objects of psychological inquiry. A “science of mind” that approaches its subject matter from a third-person perspective should, I contend, be treated with a healthy amount of informed skepticism.
Distribution of wave crest maxima in the vicinity of offshore structures

The design of fixed or floating offshore structures requires accurate information of wave crest maxima to avoid topside inundation and minimize the wave impact on the underside of the deck structure. The extreme value theory is utilized to obtain the distribution of wave crest maxima in vicinity of offshore structures. The theory requires the accurate estimates of wave crests distribution especially in the very upper tail of the distribution. In order to include the wave-structure interaction into the model a three-parameter semi-empirical model developed in the earlier studies is utilized. The semi-empirical distribution is developed based on a second order Rayleigh-Stokes model and takes advantage of method of L-moments for parameter estimation. The wave crest distributions obtained from the semi-empirical model are compared with linear and nonlinear models utilizing model test data from a mini-TLP experiment. The analysis indicates that the semi-empirical model is robust in approximating the probability distribution of data and consequently results in more reliable estimates of wave crest maxima. In addition, the spatial variation of wave crest maxima in the vicinity and underneath of the offshore structure and consequently the statistics of wave crest maxima in the area around the offshore structure are studied.
On direct adaptive control of a class of nonlinear scalar systems

We develop an adaptive control for a scalar system with nonlinear uncertainty. Specifically, we consider scalar systems that are not stabilizable via a linear feedback and hence there does not exist a simple procedure to design stabilizing adaptive controllers for these systems. We present an adaptive control framework for such scalar systems that guarantees convergence of the state to the origin. The overall objective of this note is to emphasize the inherent difficulties in designing adaptive controllers for systems with nonlinear uncertainties.
Acanthocephalan phylogeny and the evolution of parasitism.

Abstract The study of parasite evolution relies on the identification of free-living sister taxa of parasitic lineages. Most lineages of parasitic helminths are characterized by an amazing diversity of species that complicates the resolution of phylogenetic relationships. Acanthocephalans offer a potential model system to test various long-standing hypotheses and generalizations regarding the evolution of parasitism in metazoans. The entirely parasitic Acanthocephala have a diversity of species that is manageable with regards to constructing global phylogenetic hypotheses, exhibit variation in hosts and habitats, and are hypothesized to have close phylogenetic affinities to the predominately free-living Rotifera. In this paper, I review and test previous hypotheses of acanthocephalan phylogenetic relationships with analyses of the available 18S rRNA sequence database. Maximum-parsimony and maximum-likelihood inferred trees differ significantly with regard to relationships among acanthocephalans and rotife...
A survey of conjugate gradient algorithms for solution of extreme eigen-problems of a symmetric matrix

A survey of various conjugate gradient (CG) algorithms is presented for the minimum/maximum eigen-problems of a fixed symmetric matrix. The CG algorithms are compared to a commonly used conventional method found in IMSL. It is concluded that the CG algorithms are more flexible and efficient than some of the conventional methods used in adaptive spectrum analysis and signal processing. >
Geochemistry and 40Ar-39Ar geochronology of impact-melt clasts in feldspathic lunar meteorites: Implications for lunar bombardment history

We studied 42 impact-melt clasts from lunar feldspathic regolith breccias MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88105, Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 93069, Dar al Gani (DaG) 262, and DaG 400 for texture, chemical composition, and/or chronology. Although the textures are similar to the impactmelt clasts identified in mafic Apollo and Luna samples, the meteorite clasts are chemically distinct from them, having lower Fe, Ti, K, and P, thus representing previously unsampled impacts. The 40Ar- 39Ar ages on 31 of the impact melts, the first ages on impact-melt samples from outside the region of the Apollo and Luna sampling sites, range from ~4 to ~2.5 Ga. We interpret these samples to have been created in at least six, and possibly nine or more, different impact events. One inferred impact event may be consistent with the Apollo impact-melt rock age cluster at 3.9 Ga, but the meteorite impact-melt clasts with this age are different in chemistry from the Apollo samples, suggesting that the mechanism responsible for the 3.9 Ga peak in lunar impact-melt clast ages is a lunar-wide phenomenon. No meteorite impact melts have ages more than 1σ older than 4.0 Ga. This observation is consistent with, but does not require, a lunar cataclysm.
Photoconductive Generation of Subpicosecond Electrical Pulses and Their Measurement Applications

The generation of short electrical pulses via optical methods has for some time been performed by driving Auston switches (photoconductive gaps) with short laser pulses.[l] The shape of the electrical pulse depends on the laser pulseshape, the material properties of the semiconductor, the nature of the charge source, and the characteristics of the associated electrical transmission line. The same techniques can also measure the generated electrical pulses by sampling methods. An alternate measurement approach has been to use the electro-optic effect in a crystal.[2] In this case, the field of the electrical pulse is sampled through the rotation of the polarization of the optical sampling pulse. Because it has demonstrated 460 fsec time resolution,[3] the electro-optic method is presently considered to be the fastest sampling technique. However, recent work utilizing photoconductive switches has generated and measured subpicosecond electrical pulses.[4] This large reduction in the generated pulsewidth demonstrates the ultrafast capability of the Auston switches and challenges the ultrafast time resolution of the electro-optic methods. We will now discuss subpicosecond pulse generation using photoconductive gaps,[4] together with the initial interpretation of these experimental results. In addition, we will present some recent measurements, which will allow us to conclude with a relatively complete description of the pulse generation process.
Ethical Decision Making: Special or No Different?

Theories of ethical decision making assume it is a process that is special, or different in some regard, from typical individual decision making. Empirical results of the most widely known theories in the field of business ethics contain numerous inconsistencies and contradictions. In an attempt to assess why we continue to lack understanding of how individuals make ethical decisions at work, an inductive study of ethical decision making was conducted. The results of this preliminary study suggest that ethical decision making might not be meaningfully “special” or different from other decision making processes. The implications of this research are potentially significant in that they challenge the fundamental assumption of existing ethical decision making research. This research could serve as an impetus for further examination of whether ethical decision making is meaningfully different from other decision making processes. Such studies could create new directions for the field of business ethics.