cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recombination of Electrothermal Plasma and Decomposition of Plasma-Exposed Propellants

Information about species involved in initiating ignition of propellants by electrothermal plasma is critical to determining any chemical effect on the enhancement of electro-thermal-chemical gun performance. An experimental study using a triple-quadrupole molecular beam mass spectrometer was conducted to measure species from plasma recombination and from plasma-induced decomposition of propellants (JA2 and M43). The mismatch between the plasma pulse and the sampling time requirement by the mass spectrometer makes direct probing plasma species difficult, requiring the use of a plasma-holding chamber to prolong the event for sampling. The secondary jet evolving from the holding chamber should represent the nature of the plasma jet as it propagates through the propellant bed in actual electro-thermal-chemical applications. Recombination species that can be consistently detected are C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 3 , C 2 H 2 , CH 4 , CH 3 , H 2 , and H for a plasma produced within a polyethylene capillary. NO, CO and CO 2 are also detectable if sufficient air is present in the chamber or using a Lexan capillary. Species measurements of JA2 and M43 indicate the formation of NO and H 2 CO during impingement by the jet, which are typical "dark-zone" species observed for these propellants.
Too good to be true: rhesus monkeys react negatively to better-than-expected offers.

To succeed in a dynamically changing world, animals need to predict their environments. Humans, in fact, exhibit such a strong desire for consistency that one of the most well-established findings in social psychology is the effort people make to maintain consistency among their beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. However, displeasure with unpredictability leads to a potential paradox, because a positive outcome that exceeds one’s expectations often leads to increased subjective value and positive affect, not the opposite. We tested the hypothesis that two evolutionarily-conserved evaluation processes underlie goal-directed behavior: (1) consistency, concerned with prediction errors, and (2) valuation, concerned with outcome utility. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) viewed a food item and then were offered an identical, better, or worse food, which they could accept or reject. The monkeys ultimately accepted all offers, attesting to the influence of the valuation process. However, they were slower to accept the unexpected offers, and they exhibited aversive reactions, especially to the better-than-expected offers, repeatedly turning their heads and looking away before accepting the food item. Our findings (a) provide evidence for two separable evaluation processes in primates, consistency and value assessment, (b) reveal a direct relationship between consistency assessment and emotional processes, and (c) show that our wariness with events that are much better than expected is shared with other social primates.
Efficacy of prolonged intermittent therapy with combined 5‐fluorouracil and methyl‐ccnu following resection for carcinoma of the large bowel. A veterans administration surgical oncology group report

This prospective evaluation of 5-FU and methyl-CCNU administered in combination to patients with curative surgery for histologically proved colorectal adenocarcinoma is based upon 645 patients randomized between August 1973 and July 1979. Beyond the requirement that the resection be clinically and microscopically complete, patients were not stratified prior to random treatment assignment to surgery alone or surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Drug therapy consisted of discrete 5-day courses administered at 7-week intervals, start to start. Toxic reactions were reported in association with 40% of courses. In 10% of patients with hematologic toxicity, the reactions were sufficiently severe to require the suspension or discontinuation of treatment. Treated patients experienced a slightly more favorable survival than did controls. However, the advantage was seen only in the 216 patients (34% of total) with one to four positive lymph nodes in the resected specimen. Similar proportions of treated and control deaths were attributed to residual or recurrent disease. Cancer 53:1–8 1984.
Alfalfa leafcutter bee: Effect of alfalfa saponins on larval mortality

Two strains of alfalfa, one with a high and one with a low concentration of saponin in the leaves, were tested for effect on the mortality of immature Megachile pacifica (Panzer) exposed to leaf pieces in the nests. The average difference between strains was nonsignificant. Results did not support the view that saponin in alfalfa leaf pieces used in lining the egg cell are responsible for high mortality of leafcutting bees foraging on alfalfa.
Corruption, illegal trade and compliance with the Montreal Protocol

This paper studies the effects of corruption, rule of law and tariffs on illegal trade in chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) controlled by the Montreal Protocol. Since data on illegal trade is not available, it is not possible to test any theoretical conclusions about smuggling. The paper, however, attempts to circumvent the problem by developing a model of illegal trade in CFCs that derives predictions about the effects of corruption, rule of law and tariffs on both legal and illegal imports of CFCs. Then the theoretical predictions concerning legal imports are tested using panel data on CFC consumption. Using the estimates of legal imports, inferences about illegal trade are made. The basic findings indicate that knowledge about the degree of rule of law, corruption and the level of tariffs is needed for the correct interpretation of the data on environmental performance reported to international monitoring agencies.
Racialized Policing: Officers’ Voices on Policing Latino and African American Neighborhoods

Conflict between the police and minorities is a consistent theme in inner city neighborhoods. Most studies focus on minorities’ attitudes toward the police and overlook police experiences and perceptions, thus neglecting a vital element in understanding this relationship. The objective of this study was to understand how police officers socially construct race within Latino or African American neighborhoods. A total of N = 40 police officers were interviewed. Through qualitative analysis, police officers’ comments reveal that they may not racialize but instead moralize African American neighborhoods; alternatively, police officers voiced positive racializations for the Mexican neighborhood. The implications of these findings for future research and police–minority relations are further discussed.
Direct synthesis of thermochromic VO2 through hydrothermal reaction

Thermochromic VO{sub 2} was directly synthesized using hydrothermal techniques. The effects of formation conditions on the structure and morphology of the final product were studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Unique hollow sphere morphology was observed for the synthesized VO{sub 2} powders. Ex-situ XRD studies after heat treatment confirmed the thermal stability of the VO{sub 2} structure. Thermochromic properties, as a consequence of the reversible structural transformation between monoclinic VO{sub 2} and tetragonal phases, were observed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). - Graphical abstract: Thermochromic VO{sub 2} crystals with hollow spherical and asterisk shape were directly synthesized using hydrothermal techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies confirmed the thermal stability and the reversible thermochromic properties of the VO{sub 2} structure. - Highlights: • One-step synthesis of thermochromic VO{sub 2} monoclinic phase, and VO{sub 2} (A and B phases) using hydrothermal technique. VO{sub 2} (A), VO{sub 2} (B). • Identification of the relationship between synthesis conditions and the morphology/structure of the final products. • Formation of VO{sub 2} monoclinic phase with an interesting hollow sphere shape. • Demonstration of superior thermal stability of the VO{sub 2} monoclinic phase. • Characterizing the thermochromicmore » properties of VO{sub 2} monoclinic phase.« less
Spectral order and a matrix limit theorem

We prove that are positive-definite Hermitian matrices and where V denotes the supremura in the sense of spectral order. Actually the convergence is proved (in the sense of strung convergence) in the case when the As are bounded operators on Hilbert space. Generalization to unbounded operators is briefly discussed
Microfluidic channel on organic substrates as size reducing technique for 915 MHz antenna designs

This paper presents for the first time, the use of a microfluidic channel with organic substrates to reduce the size of different antenna designs at 915 MHz (dipole and loop). The channel was created by drilling a cavity on a 50 mil RO3003™ substrate and bonding it to two 5 mil substrates in order to seal the structure. Compared to designs fabricated on an unperturbed substrate, the overall size reduction in length for the dipole with water-filled channel was ~44% (60 mm), while a 54% reduction in area was observed for its loop counterpart. Broad bandwidths of 22% and 11% were achieved for the water loaded dipole and loop, respectively. The results obtained for both designs agreed well with simulations.
Mass transfer in AC electrolysis part II: Experimental study on sinusoidal current

An experimental study has been made for laminar mass transfer to a rotating disk and a rotating hemispherical electrode when sinusoidal alternating current (AC) together with direct current (DC) are flowing across the electrode/electrolyte interface. A resistor-capacitor circuit was used to measure the phase shift between the applied AC and the resulting periodical concentration overpotential. The limiting AC current density corresponding to a zero instantaneous surface concentration was determined as a function of AC frequency and DC current density. The experimental data agreed with the theoretical calculations in a regime of a dimensionless AC frequency K = (ω/Ω)Sc1/3 greater than 1 and less than 200.
Purification and properties of a protamine kinase from bovine kidney microsomes.

Abstract About an eightfold increase in protamine kinase activity was detected following extraction of highly purified microsomes from bovine kidney with 1% Triton X-100. Relative to the soluble fraction, the microsomes contained about 30% protamine kinase activity. The microsomal protamine kinase was purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified enzyme exhibited an apparent M r ≈ 45,000 as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by gel permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. Relative to protamine, the purified kinase exhibited about 100% activity with the synthetic peptide RRLSSLRA and about 5,8, and 2 , purified preparations of the protamine kinase were inactivated. These properties were identical to those of purified preparations of a protamine kinase from extracts of bovine kidney cytosol ( Z. Damuni, G. D. Amick, and T. R. Sneed, 1989 , J. Biol. Chem. 264, 6412–6418). Near identical peptide patterns were obtained following incubation of purified preparations of the microsomal and cytosolic protamine kinases with Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase. The results indicate that a form of the cytosolic protamine kinase is present in microsomes.
Effects of Anisotropy Properties on Interface Pattern Formation

The anisotropy in interfacial energy and interface kinetics significantly influence the interface patterns that develop when an alloy is directionally solidified beyond the threshold of the planar interface stability condition. These anisotropy effects not only influence the planar to cellular and cellular to dendritic transitions, but they also cause tilting of cells and dendrites with respect to the heat flow direction. The extent of tilt depends upon the velocity as well the crystal orientation at the interface. Experimental studies on pattern formation in anisotropic materials are presented, and these results are compared with the linear and weakly nonlinear analyses of the planar interface stability.
Public-academic linkages: a "linchpin" model.

The “linchpin” model of collaboration between state mental health agencies and university training programs has been developed in two states. This paper describes the model, pointing out both strengths and weaknesses. Recommendations for institutions seeking this type of collaboration and persons who are in the collaborative role are provided.
Silicone-coated alumina powders by the emulsion technique

Alumina powders were prepared using an emulsion technique to chemically bond silanol-terminated poly dimethylsiloxane (PDMS or silicone) to the surface of alumina powders. Stable aqueous emulsions of silicone were prepared using Tween-80 surfactant. Transmission optical microscopy was used to measure the oil-droplet and coated-particle sizes. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy was used to quantify bonding between the silicone and the Al2O3. Coated powders were dry-pressed, and PDMS was compared to paraffin for dry-pressing behaviour and green strength. Densification studies were made on powders. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the sintered ceramic.
The morphology of human papillomas of the upper respiratory tract

Recurrent squamous papillomas of the upper respiratory tract were examined by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Surface of the cells is irregular and is covered by numerous stout microvilli. These are shorter and broader than those of cells of the uninvolved mucosa. The villi often seem umbilicated at the apex; the remainder of them, however, are rounded. The epithelium participating in the formation of papillomas shows some maturation of the cells but this does not progress normally. The predominating area is the thickened spinous layer representing the bulk of the lesion. The basal layer shows mildly increased activity but the basement membrane is intact. The cells often are very closely packed but in some areas, more particularly in the deep layer, they are loosely arranged. The intercellular space contains a moderately electron-dense finely fibrillar material. No abnormal mitoses are found. The neighboring univolved epithelium often shows increased growth activity and some inflammation. The larygneal papillomas propably represent an overgrowth of epithelium which may develop following hindered desquamation caused and/or heralded by a chronic inflammatory condition probably of viral origin and may be preceded by epithelial metaplasia and hyperplasia.
Durable goods and sticky prices: Industry-level evidence

Abstract We employ industry data to examine price stickiness of durables versus non-durables to evaluate Barsky et al. (2007) proposal that stickiness of durables’ prices influences aggregate dynamics. Policy impacts from impulse responses accord with sticky-price frameworks even though non-durables’ prices are relatively flexible.
Exponentially stabilizing finite-dimensional controllers for linear distributed parameter systems: Galerkin approximation of infinite dimensional controllers

Abstract The Galerkin method is presented as a way to develop finite-dimensional controllers for linear distributed parameter systems (DPS). The direct approach approximates the open-loop DPS and then generates the controller from this approximation; the indirect approach approximates the infinite-dimensional stabilizing controller. The indirect approach is shown to converge to the stable closed-loop system consisting of DPS and infinite-dimensional controller; conditions are presented on the behavior of the Galerkin method for the open-loop DPS which guarantee closed-loop stability for large enough finite-dimensional approximations.
Social Network Profiles as Taste Performances

This study examines how a social network profile's lists of interests-music, books, movies, television shows, etc.-can function as an expressive arena for taste performance. By composing interest tokens around a theme, profile users craft their "taste statements." First, socioeconomic and aesthetic influences on taste are considered, and the expressivity of interest tokens is analyzed using a semiotic framework. Then, a grounded theory approach is taken to identify four types of taste statements-those that convey prestige, differentiation, authenticity, and theatrical persona. The semantics of taste and taste statements are further investigated through a statistical analysis of 127,477 profiles collected from the MySpace social network site between November 2006 and January 2007. The major findings of the analysis include statistical evidence for prestige and differentiation taste statements and an interpretation of the taste semantics underlying the MySpace community-its motifs, paradigms, and demographic structures.
Mothers, Fathers, and Infants: The Role of Person Familiarity and Parental Involvement in Infants’ Perception of Emotion Expressions

The roles of person familiarity and parental involvement in 3.5-month-old infants' sensitivity to the dynamic emotion expressions of others were explored. In the home, parental facial/vocal expressions (happy, sad, angry) were videotaped, and measures of parent-infant involvement were obtained. In the laboratory, 32 infants alternately viewed their mother and father and an unfamiliar woman and man portraying expressions in an intermodal preference task. Infants looked differentially at mothers' expressions but not at those of fathers or unfamiliar adults. Examination of parent-child involvement patterns revealed significant relations with infants' sensitivity to expressions. Results suggest that person familiarity may facilitate infants' developing understanding of others' emotion expressions, and that individual differences in family dynamics may be relevant to infants' patterns of responding.
Prognostic value of cardiac troponin-I levels following catheter-based coronary interventions

Abstract This study has examined the prognostic significance of troponin-I (Tn-I) levels after catheter-based coronary interventions in coronary arteries and saphenous vein grafts lesions. Tn-I and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) fraction levels were measured at 6 and 18 to 24 hours after catheter-based coronary intervention in 1,129 consecutive patients with normal preintervention plasma levels of Tn-I, and CK-MB levels below the cutoff for myocardial infarction. Patients were stratified according to maximal postangioplasty Tn-I levels. Group I (n = 784) had no elevated Tn-I ( 0.45 ng/ml. Major in-hospital complications (death, Q-wave infarction, and emergent coronary bypass grafting) and out-of-hospital intermediate-term (8 months) outcomes were compared between the 3 groups. Tn-I elevation >0.45 ng/ml was associated with increased risk of mortality (group III, 1.6%; group II, 0.6%; and group I, 0.1%; p = 0.019) and major in-hospital complications (3.2%, 1.7%, and 0.5%; p = 0.004). There was no difference in death (1.8%, 3.2%, and 2.4%; p = 0.74), Q-wave infarction (0.6%, 0%, and 0.3%; p = 0.66), or target lesion revascularization (10.1%, 9.0%, and 9.3%; p = 0.86) between the 3 groups at follow-up. Cardiac event-free survival was similar between groups (p = 0.3). By multivariate analysis, Tn-I >0.45 ng/ml was an independent predictor for major in-hospital complications (odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 3.9, p = 0.01). The degree of risk was also associated with the conjoint elevation of Tn-I and CK-MB levels (odds ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.2, p = 0.01). We conclude that Tn-I levels >3 times the normal limit and conjoint elevation of Tn-I and CK-MB levels after coronary angioplasty are associated with increased risk of major in-hospital complications, but have no incremental risk of adverse intermediate-term (8 months) clinical outcomes.
Human mammalian cell sorting using a highly integrated micro-fabricated fluorescence-activated cell sorter (μFACS)

We demonstrate a high performance microfabricated FACS system with highly integrated microfluidics, optics, acoustics, and electronics. Single cell manipulation at a high speed is made possible by the fast response time (∼0.1 ms) of the integrated PZT actuator and the nozzle structure at the sorting junction. A Teflon AF-coated optofluidic waveguide along the microfluidic channel guides the illumination light, enabling multi-spot detection, while a novel space-time coding technology enhances the detection sensitivity of the μFACS system. The real-time control loop system is implemented using a field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) for automated and accurate sorting. The μFACS achieves a high purification enrichment factor: up to ∼230 fold for both polystyrene microbeads and suspended human mammalian cells (K562) at a high throughput (>1000 cells s−1). The sorting mechanism is independent of cell properties such as size, density, and shape, thus the presented system can be applied to sort out any pure sub-populations. This new lab-on-a-chip FACS system, therefore, holds promise to revolutionize microfluidic cytometers to meet cost, size, and performance goals.
Periparturient hypocalcemia in cows: effects on peripheral blood neutrophil and lymphocyte function.

Abstract Periparturient dairy cows are quite susceptible to intramammary infections and clinical mastitis, epidemiologic evidence indicates that parturient paresis (milk fever) greatly increases the risk of mastitis, although a causal relationship has not been established. In the present experiment the effects of hypocalcemia at parturition on the immune status of dairy cows were investigated. Ten healthy, multiparous Holstein cows were fed a high Ca diet prepartum to induce hypocalcemia at parturition. Five of these cows received intramuscular parathyroid hormone (crude synthetic N-terminus 1–34) to prevent hypocalcemia at parturition. Effects of hypocalcemia on various neutrophil and lymphocyte functions were determined during the periparturient period, ranging from 6 wk prepartum to 5 wk postpartum. All cows exhibited severe loss of immune cell function in the weeks surrounding parturition. Hypocalcemia or the development of parturient paresis did not exacerbate the immune cell dysfunction. This implies that the degree of hypocalcemia observed did not have a large or irreversible influence on neutrophil and lymphocyte function in periparturient cows.
Specific, high-affinity bradykinin binding by purified porcine kidney post-proline cleaving enzyme.

Abstract Post-proline cleaving enzyme (PPCE) was purified from porcine kidney cytosol. The purified enzyme bound [ 125 I-Tyr 5 ]-bradykinin but neither [ 125 I-Tyr 1 -kallidin nor [ 125 I-Tyr 8 ]-bradykinin. Scatchard analysis of the data was consistent with a single class of binding sites with a K assoc = 1.3 ± 0.1 × 10 8 M −1 . The optimal pH for [ 125 I-Tyr 5 ]-bradykinin binding was 6.8. The specificity of binding was evaluated with sixty-seven bradykinin analogs. The catalytic activity of the enzyme was measured with N- benzyloxycarbonyl-Gly-Pro-methylcoumarinyl - 7 - amide (Z-Gly-Pro-MCA). The optimal pH for hydrolysis of this substrate was broad and centered at 8.3. The apparent K m and V max were obtained from Lineweaver and Burk plots and were 4.8 ± 0.4 × 10 −5 M and 42 ± 5 μ moles · mg −1 · min −1 respe The ic 50 values for bradykinin, diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), and N -benzyloxycarbonyl-Pro- Prolinal (Z-Pro-Prolinal) to inhibit Z-Gly-Pro-MCA hydrolysis by PPCE were 5.9 ± 1.4 × 10 −7 M, 8.8 ± 3.1 × 10 −7 and 7.9 ± 0.3 × 10 −9 M respectively. Corresponding values for inhibition of [ 125 I-Tyr 5 ]- bradykinin binding by PPCE were 5.1 ± 2.3 × 10 −9 M, 1.2 ± 0.3 × 10 −6 M and 1.4 ± 0.6 × 10 −8 M.
Residual stress in physically vapor deposited films: A study of deviations from elastic behavior

Abstract The residual stress in films made by plasma-enhanced physical vapor deposition is generally very high, of the order of 1% of the shear modulus. The present work is a report of a study of the lattice parameter and the residual stress as measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods on different crystal planes. ZrN films are studied on stainless steel substrate; these films are considered typical of group IVB nitride films and were used as a model system of practical significance. Deviations from simple behavior after a heat treatment are found on the (111) and (200) families of planes but not on high index planes. The deviations are discussed in terms of plastic deformation, shear stresses and microcracking on these planes which are the primary and secondary slip systems respectively. The residual stress in the substrate is low, in contrast to what would be expected from the high stress in the film. The XRD data appear to indicate that the effect of this stress is absorbed, at least in part, by plastic deformation on the (200) planes of the stainless steel substrate; unfortunately the present experimental arrangement did not permit the (111) primary slip plane to be studied.
Seismic Refraction Analysis of Multiple Dipping Interfaces—Revisited

Many geophysical exploration texts do not provide an accurate or complete analysis of planar multiple dipping layers with respect to the determination of seismic-refraction travel times. Often, given equations apply only to special cases and not to the general layered-earth model composed of arbitrarily dipping interfaces. As an extension of these textbook discussions, this paper presents a derivation of a general travel-time equation that not only satisfies the rule of reciprocity for any given model but also provides an accurate representation of layered-earth models when forward and reverse travel times computed for individual geophone positions are graphed as time-distance curves. The general equation is based on the use of layer thicknesses measured perpendicular to the dipping interfaces at refraction points of down-going or up-going ray-path intervals, rather than layer thicknesses measured beneath shot points as in other methods. This detailed approach is readily adaptable to computer manipulation...
The iron-containing domain is essential in Rad3 helicases for coupling of ATP hydrolysis to DNA translocation and for targeting the helicase to the single-stranded DNA-double-stranded DNA junction

Helicases often achieve functional specificity through utilization of unique structural features incorporated into an otherwise conserved core. The archaeal Rad3 (xeroderma pigmentosum group D protein (XPD)) helicase is a prototypical member of the Rad3 family, distinct from other related (superfamily II) SF2 enzymes because of a unique insertion containing an iron-sulfur (FeS) cluster. This insertion may represent an auxiliary domain responsible for modifying helicase activity or for conferring specificity for selected DNA repair intermediates. The importance of the FeS cluster for the fine-tuning of Rad3-DNA interactions is illustrated by several clinically relevant point mutations in the FeS domain of human Bach1 (FancJ) and XPD helicases that result in distinct disease phenotypes. Here we analyzed the substrate specificity of the Rad3 (XPD) helicase from Ferroplasma acidarmanus (FacRad3) and probed the importance of the FeS cluster for Rad3-DNA interactions. We found that the FeS cluster stabilizes secondary structure of the auxiliary domain important for coupling of single-stranded (ss) DNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis to ssDNA translocation. Additionally, we observed specific quenching of the Cy5 fluorescent dye when the FeS cluster of a bound helicase is positioned in close proximity to a Cy5 fluorophore incorporated into the DNA molecule. Taking advantage of this Cy5 quenching, we developed an equilibrium assay for analysis of the Rad3 interactions with various DNA substrates. We determined that the FeS cluster-containing domain recognizes the ssDNA-double-stranded DNA junction and positions the helicase in an orientation consistent with duplex unwinding. Although it interacts specifically with the junction, the enzyme binds tightly to ssDNA, and the single-stranded regions of the substrate are the major contributors to the energetics of FacRad3-substrate interactions.
Self-efficacy conception of anxiety

Abstract In social cognitive theory, perceived self-efficacy to exercise control over potential threats plays a central role in anxiety arousal. Threat is a relational property reflecting the match between perceived coping capabilities and potentially hurtful aspects of the environment. People who believe they can exercise control over potential threats do not engage in apprehensive thinking and are not perturbed by them. But those who believe they cannot manage threatening events that might occur experience high levels of anxiety arousal. Experimental analyses of the microrelation between perceived self-efficacy and anxiety arousal reveal that perceived coping inefficacy is accompanied by high levels of subjective distress, autonomic arousal and catecholamine secretion. Environmental events are not always completely under personal control and most human activities contain some potential risks. The exercise of control over anxiety arousal, therefore, requires not only development of behavioral coping effi...
Little Words That Matter: Discourse Markers “So” and “Oh” and the Doing of Other-Attentiveness in Social Interaction

The article presents an analysis of actual, recorded social interactions between close familiars with the goal to describe discursive practices involved in showing engagement with the other party, or other-attentiveness. Focusing on the deployment of the discourse markers ‘‘so’’ and ‘‘oh’’ in utterances that launch new conversational topics, the article demonstrates that ‘‘so’’ overwhelmingly prefaces other-attentive topics, whereas ‘‘oh’’ prefaces self-attentive topics. We consider the interactional implications of this distribution and how the basic meanings of these linguistic objects are employed in the service of communicating interpersonal involvement.
Influence of mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) on soil nitrogen and carbon development: Implications for global carbon sequestration

The genus Prosopis contains many N-fixing species throughout the world's semi-arid regions. Previous work with Prosopis glandulosa found that small young trees obtained most of their N from N-fixation, while mature trees that had accumulated 1·3 Mg N ha−1in the soil beneath their canopy derived a much smaller percentage of their N from N-fixation. This work examined the percentage of nitrogen derived from nitrogen- fixation (%Ndfa) and soil development as a function of tree size on seven Texas sites. The tree basal diameters ranged from 3·2 cm to 76·4 cm. Leaf and trunk core samples were taken from trees to determine N, P, and natural abundance ratios of15N/14N. Soil samples were taken 75 cm from the trunk and outside the influence of the tree canopy. Soil values for organic C, available P, pH, NO3, NH4and15N/14N were measured. A comparison of15N/14N from background soil parent material and the leaves or trunk was used to estimate the percentage of N derived from N fixation. Increases under canopy over background in soil C, N, and P were significantly correlated with trunk diameter and had maximum values of 17·7 Mg ha−1for C, 4·4 Mg ha−1for N and 13 kg ha−1for available P. The soil C/N ratio was negatively correlated with trunk diameter. Leaf concentrations of N and P increased with trunk diameter. The soil N was significantly correlated with leaf N and P, the soil P was significantly correlated with leaf P. The15N/14N ratios of the soil were highly correlated with the15N/14N of the leaves, but were not correlated with the15N/14N ratios of trunk wood. The trunk wood had a much higher % Ndfa (75%) than the leaves (25%). This difference was to be expected, since the trunk represents the oldest tissues (when the trees obtained most of its N from fixation) while the leaves represent the current years growth and is coupled with soil15N/14N values. The %Ndfa of the leaves declined significantly with soil nitrate levels as would be expected since the N-fixation process is strongly inhibited by available N. If an increase of 2 Mg ha−1soil C could be achieved on the subtropical, semi-arid areas to which Prosopis and Acacia are adapted, 6·2×109Mg of carbon would be sequestered. As projected 2010 carbon emissions are 8·5×109Mg of carbon, management of tree legumes in arid regions has significant potential to positively impact global C sequestration.
Interplay of polyethyleneimine molecular weight and oligonucleotide backbone chemistry in the dynamics of antisense activity

The widespread utilization of gene silencing techniques, such as antisense, is impeded by the poor cellular delivery of oligonucleotides (ONs). Rational design of carriers for enhanced ON delivery demands a better understanding of the role of the vector on the extent and time course of antisense effects. The aim of this study is to understand the effects of polymer molecular weight (MW) and ON backbone chemistry on antisense activity. Complexes were prepared between branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) of various MWs and ONs of phosphodiester and phosphorothioate chemistries. We measured their physico-chemical properties and evaluated their ability to deliver ONs to cells, leading to an antisense response. Our key finding is that the antisense activity is not determined solely by PEI MW or by ON chemistry, but rather by the interplay of both factors. While the extent of target mRNA down-regulation was determined primarily by the polymer MW, dynamics were determined principally by the ON chemistry. Of particular importance is the strength of interactions between the carrier and the ON, which determines the rate at which the ONs are delivered intracellularly. We also present a mathematical model of the antisense process to highlight the importance of ON delivery to antisense down-regulation.
Limiting Distribution under Assortative Mating

A multi-locus model for complete positive assortative mating is discussed. For a two-locus model, if the gene frequencies for the two loci are different, as they are likely to be, it is shown that in equilibrium the population is not composed of only two homozygous types, as is usually thought. The limiting distribution will have three homozygous genotypes depending upon the initial gene frequencies. If there are m-loci such that gene frequencies at all loci are different, there will be (m+1) such homozygous genotypes present in the equilibrium population, one in each phenotypic group.
Early behavioral adherence predicts short and long-term weight loss in the POUNDS LOST study

The primary aim of this study was to test the association of early (first 6 months) adherence related to diet, self-monitoring, and attendance with changes in adiposity and cardiovascular risk factors. This study used data from the 24-month POUNDS LOST trial that tested the efficacy of four dietary macronutrient compositions for short-and long-term weight loss. A computer tracking system was used to record data on eight indicator variables related to adherence. Using canonical correlations at the 6 and 24 month measurement periods, early behavioral adherence was associated with changes in percent weight loss and waist circumference at 6 months (R = 0.52) and 24 months (R = 0.37), but was not associated with cardiovascular disease risk factor levels. Early dietary adherence was associated with changes in insulin at 6 months (R = 0.19), but not at 24 months (R = 0.08, ns). Early dietary adherence was not associated with changes in adiposity.
Erectile dysfunction and andropause symptoms in infertile men.

ABSTRACT Purpose: We evaluated the prevalence of andropause symptoms and erectile dysfunction in our infertile population. Materials and Methods: A total of 302 consecutive men presenting for infertility evaluation and 60 consecutive men with proven fertility seeking vasectomy (controls) were administered the Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male and Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaires. Information regarding other clinical parameters, including seminal parameters, was collected by review of patient charts. Results: Of the 302 infertile men screened, 38% reported significant andropause symptoms and 28% had abnormal SHIM scores. Of the subgroup of infertile men with nonobstructive azoospermia, 25% reported andropause symptoms and 27% had an abnormal SHIM score. In the fertile group 21% reported andropause symptoms and only 11% had an abnormal SHIM score. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in infertile men was significantly higher than in the fertile controls (p=0.007). Conclusions: Andropause symptoms and erectile dysfunction are common among infertile men, affecting approximately 38% of this population. This finding suggests that the population of infertile men should be carefully screened to identify and treat those with erectile dysfunction.
Performance of simultaneous and sequential Tc-99m/I-123 SPECT imaging in estimation of striatal activity

We determined theoretical bounds on performance in estimating /sup 99m/Tc and /sup 123/I dopamine transporter and receptor striatal activity concentrations under both sequential and simultaneous imaging conditions. Anatomically realistic brain projection datasets, representing pre-synaptic transporter and post-synaptic dopamine receptor studies using /sup 99m/Tc-Trodat and /sup 123/I-IBZM, respectively, were generated by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. Both simultaneous and sequential acquisitions were considered; twice as many total counts were simulated for each isotope for simultaneous imaging. For each condition, signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) were calculated as the ratio of the true striatal activity to the square root of the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRB) on precision of activity concentration estimation for both known and unknown striatal size. In all cases, simultaneous imaging led to better performance by a factor which approached the theoretical limit of /spl radic/2 at high count levels. From physical considerations alone, simultaneous /sup 99m/Tc//sup 123/I brain imaging is expected to lead to improved performance in striatal activity estimation compared to sequential imaging, for the same total imaging time. Moreover, simultaneous imaging offers physiological advantages over sequential imaging.
A multi-agent system for the quantitative simulation of biological networks

We apply the multi-agent system (MAS) platform to the task of biological network simulation. In this paper, we describe the simulation of signal transduction (ST) networks using the DECAF [9] MAS architecture. Unlike previous approaches that relied on systems of differential equations (DE), the distributed framework of MAS scales well and allows us to model large, highly interconnected ST pathways. This scalability is achieved by adopting a hybrid strategy that factors macro-level measures, such as reaction rateconstants, to calculate the stochastic kinetics at the level of individual molecules. Thus, by capturing the ST domain at an intermediate level of abstraction, we are able to retain much of the granularity afforded by a purely individual-based approach. The task distribution within a MAS enables us to model certain physical properies, such as diffusion and subcellular compartmentalization, which have proven to be difficult for DE systems. We demonstrate that large-grained agents are well suited to maintaining interal state representations and efficient in computing reactant concentration, both of which are vital considerations in modeling the ST domain. In our system, a molecular species is modeled as an individual agent with hierarchical task network structures to represent self- and externally-initiated reactions. An agent's identity is determined by a rule file (one for every participating molecular species) that specifies the reactions it may participate in, as well as its initial concentration. Reactions within the system are actuated by inter-agent communication. We present results from modeling the well-studied epidermal growth factor (EGF) pathway, demonstrating the viability of MAS technologies as a simulation platform for biological networks.
Finite element analysis of static and dynamic fracture of brittle microcracking solids: Part 1: Formulation and simple numerical examples

Abstract The continuum constitutive modeling for rate-dependent fracture of brittle microcracking solids is discussed. The rate-type constitutive equation that is proposed takes into account the rate effect on microcracking and plastic deformation. In order to best the validity of the proposed modeling, numerical studies are conducted on a barunder uniaxial tension, a beam under pure bending, and on the phenomenon of microcracking around the tip of a macro-crack under mode-I loading.
A Fast, Analytically Based Method to Optimize Local Transmit Efficiency for a Transmit Array

Purpose: to develop an analytically-based algorithm for rapid optimization of the local RF magnetic (B_1^+) field intensity for a given RF power through a transmit array. The analytical nature of the method will yield insight to optimization requirements and provides a valuable reference for numerically-based searches. Materials and Methods: with knowledge of the B_1^+ field distribution generated by each single coil of the array, both the phases and the amplitudes of each coil current are optimized to maximize the magnitude of the B_1^+ field in a specific location of the body per unit of power transmitted through the array and, consequently, minimizing the whole body SAR for a given pulse sequence. Results: simulations considering the human body show that the proposed method can reduce the whole body SAR for a given B1+ magnitude at the location of interest by a factor of about 6.3 compared to the classic birdcage current configuration, and by a factor of 3.2 compared to phase only shimming in a case with significant coupling between the elements of the array. Conclusion: the proposed method can rapidly provide valuable information pertinent to the optimization of field distributions from transmit arrays.
Development of biogenic amines during fermentation of poultry carcasses

Abstract The development of selected biogenic amines, including phenethylamine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, spermine, putrescine, tryptamine, 5-hydroxy-tryptamine, and 3-hydroxy-tyramine, were measured over 70 days of lactic acid bacterial fermentation of whole poultry carcasses. The development of ammonia nitrogen and changes in the concentration of amino acids, including phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, tyrosine, methionine, spermidine, and spermine, were also evaluated. The concentration of amino acids phenylalanine, lysine, and tyrosine decreased significantly during the 70-day fermentation period. The concentration of the following biogenic amines increased during bacterial fermentation: phenethylamine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, putrescine, and tryptamine.
'Nearly Allied to Her Right to Be' - Medicaid Funding for Abortion: The Story of Harris v. McRae

This paper, published as the sixth chapter of Women and the Law Stories tells the story of Harris v. McRae, the 1980 Supreme Court decision upholding the Hyde Amendment’s exclusion of coverage for medically necessary abortions from the otherwise comprehensive Medicaid program. Decided in the context of a growing, religiously-impelled mobilization against abortion and funding, this decision not only gutted the right to abortion for poor women, but it also undermined fundamental constitutional principles. Furthermore, the decision set the stage for restrictive approaches to constitutional protection of fundamental rights affecting the poor, reproductive rights, and previously assumed rights more broadly. As we write almost thirty years later, the Hyde Amendment and the McRae decision remain unchallenged obstacles to comprehensive health care for poor women and to recognition of their full citizenship.
A Description of the Impact of Multimedia Anchored Instruction on Classroom Interactions

This preliminary study explores and describes the effects of a multimedia based anchored instruction intervention on student/teacher interactions in an eighth grade social studies classroom. Ninete...
Grandparent Education Through Simulation-Diabetes.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of using human patient simulation (HPS) to teach type 1 diabetes (T1DM) management to grandparents of grandchildren with T1DM.Methods...
Transboundary Harm in International Law: Trail Smelter's (Semi) Precautionary Legacy

Although almost every discussion of state responsibility begins with its talismanic invocation, time has not been kind to the Trail Smelter arbitration. Its primary contributions to international law have been the statement that: no State has the right to use or permit the use of its territory in such a manner as to cause [environmental] injury . . . in or to the territory of another, and its requirement that Canada pay the United States compensation for damages. While these Trail Smelter principles have become customary international environmental law, the arbitration itself is often viewed as a quaint remnant of a bygone world. Many scholars view Trail Smelter's marginalization as inevitable in light of international law's evolution from a state-to-state realm to one of multi-lateral, consensus-based actions. Others have suggested that the arbitration's impact is blunted by the fact that harm was not contested before the Arbitral Tribunal. This unique combination of characteristics leads many to conclude that Trail Smelter has little relevance for resolving the thorny transboundary environmental challenges that beset our ever-globalizing world. I think the case has much to teach modern international environmental law, but for somewhat unconventional reasons. This chapter explores one of the arbitration's least considered facets - the decisional process itself. Hampered by a lack of scientific evidence, the Trail Smelter Tribunal crafted an adaptive decisional structure in order to fulfill its charge to be just to all parties while resolving a conflict over pollution flowing across the Canadian border and causing harm in Washington State. The Tribunal's innovative and far-reaching solution, which I am calling (semi)precautionary, was to craft an interim regime from the available but incomplete information, with a clear understanding that the interim period would be used to develop more information. The newly-developed information was then used to create a permanent regime designed to minimize harms while permitting the smelter to continue operations. This structure - using preliminary measures to prevent harm while information sufficient to create a permanent regime fair to all parties is developed - is the Trail Smelter arbitration's (semi)precautionary legacy. Regardless of the critiques of the arbitration's holdings or its normative relevance, this (semi)precautionary legacy resonates profoundly in modern international environmental law. For example, this early case presaged much of the contemporary debate about appropriate regulation, like that surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Viewing this controversy through Trail Smelter's (semi)precautionary lens might reveal an appropriate middle ground between the competing claims for regulatory legitimacy made by advocates and opponents of the precautionary principle.