cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple impact event in the Paleozoic: Collision with a string of comets or asteroids?

Eight circular geologic structures ranging from ∼3 to 17 km in diameter, showing evidence of outward-directed radial deformation and intensive brecciation, lie within a linear swath ∼15 km wide along a straight line stretching ∼700 km across the United States from southern Illinois through Missouri to eastern Kansas. Based on their similar geological characteristics and the presence of diagnostic and/or probable evidence of shock, these structures, once classified as ‘cryptovolcanic’ or ‘cryptoexplosion’ structures, are more confidently ascribed to hypervelocity impact. No other similar occurrence of aligned features is known, and we calculate the probability of a chance alignment to be <10−9. The unusual alignment suggests that the features are coeval and related to a multiple impact event, with a best-constrained late Mississippian-early Pennsylvanian (∼330–310 Myr) age. Calculations suggest that the proposed impact-crater chain is unlikely to have been formed by an incoming impactor disrupted by terrestrial or lunar tidal effects, and may have been the result of a string of asteroidal or cometary objects produced by breakup within the inner Solar System.
Temperature-sensitive mutants of influenza A virus: response of children to the influenza A/Hong Kong/68-ts-1(E) (H3N2) and influenza A/Udorn/72-ts-1(E) (H3N2) candidate vaccine viruses and significance of immunity to neuraminidase antigen.

Extract: The influenza A/Hong Kong/1968-ts-1[E] (H3N2) candidate live virus vaccine strain, which had previously been shown to be safe and protective in seronegative adult volunteers, was administered intranasally to 21 children at a dose of 105 TCID50. One group contained 15 children (5–11 years of age) who lacked serum anti-body to the hemagglutinin (≤ 1:8), but possessed serum antibody to the neuraminidase antigen. The second group included six children (2 4/12–3 10/12 years of age) who lacked serum antibody to both hemagglutinin and neuraminidase surface antigens of the influenza A virus. Twelve of the 15 children in the first group were infected, but only one child developed mild rhinitis; 6 of the 12 infected vaccinees shed virus for a short interval, while 11 of the group developed an immunologic response. In contrast, each of the six vaccinees who lacked serum antibody for both surface of the virus shed a relatively larger quanity of virus over a longer interval than those in the first group, and each child developed an immunologic response. Four of the doubly seronegative vaccinees developed a febrile response during their infection and three had rhinitis. Two additional children who lacked serum antibody to both surface antigens of influenza virus were given the influenza A/Udorn/1972-ts-1[E] recombinat virus which had the same genetic temperature-sensitive (ts) lesions as the Hong Kong virus but possessed a more contemporary hemagglutinin. this recombinant virus infected both of the children and induced transient fever in one. None of the total of 23 vaccinees developed signs or symptoms of lower respiratory tract involvement. Although the Hong Kong and Udorn ts-1[E] recombinants possessed two discrete ts lesions, evidence of genetic instability was detected during infection of two of the eight young children who lacked immunity to both surface antigens of the virus. It seems likely that a complete assessement of the virulence of vaccine candidate influenza a viruses can only made in individuals who lack immunity to both surface antigens of the influenza A virus.
Effects of incremental exercise on cerebral oxygenation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy: A systematic review

We conducted a systematic review and meta-regression analysis to quantify effects of exercise on brain hemodynamics measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The results indicate that acute incremental exercise (categorized relative to aerobic capacity (VO(2)peak) as low - <30% VO(2)peak; moderate - ≥30% VO(2)peak to <60% VO(2)peak; hard - ≥60% VO(2)peak to <VO(2)peak; and very hard - ≥VO(2)peak intensities) performed by 291 healthy people in 21 studies is accompanied by moderate-to-large increases (mean effect, dz±95% CI) in the prefrontal cortex of oxygenated hemoglobin (O(2)Hb) or other measures of oxygen level (O(2)Hbdiff) or saturation (SCO(2)) (0.92±0.67, 1.17), deoxygenated hemoglobin (dHb) (0.87±0.56, 1.19), and blood volume estimated by total hemoglobin (tHb) (1.21±0.84, 1.59). After peaking at hard intensities, cerebral oxygen levels dropped during very hard intensities. People who were aerobically trained attained higher levels of cortical oxygen, dHb, and tHb than untrained people during very hard intensities. Among untrained people, a marked drop in oxygen levels and a small increase in dHb at very hard intensities accompanied declines in tHb, implying reduced blood flow. In 6 studies of 222 patients with heart or lung conditions, oxygenation and dHb were lowered or unchanged during exercise compared to baseline. In conclusion, prefrontal oxygenation measured with NIRS in healthy people showed a quadratic response to incremental exercise, rising between moderate and hard intensities, then falling at very hard intensities. Training status influenced the responses. While methodological improvements in measures of brain oxygen are forthcoming, these results extend the evidence relevant to existing models of central limitations to maximal exercise.
Assignment of the L30-mRNA complex using selective isotopic labeling and RNA mutants

The helix-loop-helix structure formed in the pre-mRNA and the mRNA of L30, a ribosomal protein from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, serves as an auto-regulatory binding site for the protein to suppress the L30 synthesis upon overproduction. Using a 33-nucleotide model RNA, the structures of the L30 binding site RNA in the presence and absence of the protein were investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Homonuclear and(13)C/(15)N-based resonance assignments and spectral comparisons indicated that the purine-rich internal loop is dynamic in the free RNA but becomes ordered in the presence of L30 protein. Although the resonances in the loop region are sharper and more disperse in the bound RNA, their assignment was extremely challenging, due to spectral complexity and broadened resonances caused by local dynamics. Two strategies, namely selective(13)C/(15)N-labeling and NMR analyses of five complexes with RNA mutants, were used to overcome these difficulties. Only using these approaches could assignment of the internal loop resonances and identification of the unusual NOEs and nucleotide conformations within the internal loop be made. In the case of structural determination of the L30-mRNA complex, it was critical to be able to take advantage of the available biochemical information in order to complete the structure determination.
Application of multivariate statistical analysis to evaluate local sources of chlorobenzene congeners in soil samples

Abstract The distribution of tri- thru hexachlorobenzene congeners in the surface soil from five locations in the Niagara Falls/Erie County area of western New York State has been determined. The extract obtained by steam distillation was used directly with minimal additional clean-up steps for GC/MS analysis. Using GC/MS in the selected ion monitoring mode, a detection level of 100 pg/g (100 pptr) of the chlorobenzene congeners was achieved. Application of SIMCA pattern recognition and multiple discriminant analysis showed that the pattern of chlorobenzene congeners in soil samples collected near Love Canal is similar to the patterns found in other areas of Niagara Falls. The sources of these congeners may be nearby industrial plants and combustion sources. The soil samples from the town of Cheektowaga (comparison area) in nearby Erie County exhibit a different pattern of chlorobenzene congeners from the other soil samples.
Drag Measurements of Porous Plate Acoustic Liners

This paper presents the results of direct drag measurements on a variety of porous plate acoustic liners. The existing literature describes numerous studies of drag on porous walls with injection or suction, but relatively few of drag on porous plates with neither injection nor suction. Furthermore, the porosity of the porous plate in existing studies is much lower than typically used in acoustic liners. In the present work, the acoustic liners consisted of a perforated face sheet covering a bulk acoustic absorber material. Factors that were varied in the experiment were hole diameter, hole pattern, face sheet thickness, bulk material type, and size of the gap (if any) between the face sheet and the absorber material.
Barrett’s dysplasia and early cancer in women — response to endoscopic ablation with photodynamic therapy

Barrett's dysplasia and early cancer in women — response to endoscopic ablation with photodynamic therapy
Clinical pharmacokinetics of antiarrhythmic drugs.

HE therapeutic and toxic effects of antiarrhythmic drugs depend on drug concentration at the sites of action. Since a specific receptor for most antiarrhythmic drugs has not been defined, it is not possible to determine concentrations at these sites. However, drug concentrations in body fluids, such as plasma or whole blood, often correlate with pharmacologic response. Disposition of the drug in the body is accomplished by multiple processes: drug absorption, distribution into tissue, transfer through body membranes, removal through the urine and other excreta, and chemical transformation in the liver and other organs. These processes are largely responsible for determining concentration of the drug in blood or plasma and at the drug’s site of action. Intersubject variation in drug disposition accounts for much of the variability in response observed when a standard dose of drug is given to a series of patients. Thus, drug concentration correlates better with pharmacologic and clinical response than does drug dose. The strategy of clinical pharmacokinetics is to adjust drug dose to produce blood or plasma concentrations with a high probability of producing the desired response while avoiding toxicity. Pharmacokinetics is the study of drug disposition, and clinical pharmacokinetics is its application to the treatment of patients. Mathematical models are useful in predicting drug concentrations in various parts of the body in relation to dose, route of administration, and time. Although the mathematical details of these models may become complex, an understanding of the general principles of drug disposition permits the clinician more effective use of each available antiarrhythmic drug for patients with heart disease. Application of these 1 principles also enables clinicians to anticipate
NMDA and non-NMDA antagonists infused into the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis depress the acoustic startle reflex

Abstract The neural pathway that mediates the acoustic startle reflex has been proposed; however, the pharmacology underlying this reflex is less well known. The present study examined the role of excitatory amino acid receptors at the level of the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, a brainstem nucleus obligatory for the whole body startle reflex and implicated as the locus where extrinsic systems such as the amygdala may act to modulate acoustic startle. Twenty-nine rats, chronically implanted with bilateral cannulae aimed at the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, were tested to assess the effects of γ- d -glutamylglycine (DGG), dl -2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5), and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2, 3-dione (CNQX) on the amplitude of the acoustic startle reflex. Local infusion of each of the 3 compounds significantly reduced startle amplitude by as much as 70–80%. AP5 and CNQX attenuated startle over a dose range which indicated that the reticularis pontis caudalis may be much more sensitive to these compounds than other nuclei along the primary startle pathway. These results suggest that, at the level of the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, an excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter may mediate acoustic startle, and that both NMDA and non-NMDA receptor subtypes may be important for the expression of the acoustic startle reflex.
The effects of d-amphetamine and illumination on behaviors of the squirrel monkey.

A behavioral classification and scoring procedure was developed for observing specific responses of squirrel monkeys. The observational procedure along with the photocell method of measuring general activity were then employed to examine the effects of illumination and d-amphetamine on the behavior of squirrel monkeys. It was found that d-amphetamine decreased the incidence of those behaviors seen normally under light conditions while it increased the frequency of behaviours normally seen in the dark.
Aspiration of Osteoprogenitor Cells for Augmenting Spinal Fusion: Comparison of Progenitor Cell Concentrations from the Vertebral Body and Iliac Crest

Background: Successful arthrodesis in challenging clinical scenarios is facilitated when the site is augmented with autograft bone. The iliac crest has long been the preferred source of autograft material, but graft harvest is associated with frequent complications and pain. Connective tissue progenitor cells aspirated from the iliac crest and concentrated with allograft matrix and demineralized bone matrix provide a promising alternative to traditional autograft harvest. The vertebral body, an even larger reservoir of myeloproliferative cells, should provide progenitor cell concentrations similar to those of the iliac crest. Methods: Twenty-one adults (eleven men and ten women with a mean age of 59 ± 14 years) undergoing posterior lumbar arthrodesis and pedicle screw instrumentation underwent transpedicular aspiration of connective tissue progenitor cells. Aspirates were obtained from two depths within the vertebral body and were quantified relative to matched, bilateral aspirates from the iliac crest that were obtained from the same patient at the same time. Histochemical analysis was used to determine the prevalence of vertebral progenitor cells relative to the depth of aspiration, the vertebral level, age, and gender, as compared with the iliac crest standard. The cell count, progenitor cell concentration (cells/cc marrow), and progenitor cell prevalence (cells/million cells) were calculated. Results: Aspirates of vertebral marrow demonstrated comparable or greater concentrations of progenitor cells compared with matched controls from the iliac crest. Progenitor cell concentrations were consistently higher than matched controls from the iliac crest (p = 0.05). The concentration of osteogenic progenitor cells was, on the average, 71% higher in the vertebral aspirates than in the paired iliac crest samples (p = 0.05). With the numbers available, there were no significant differences relative to vertebral body level, the side aspirated, the depth of aspiration, or gender. An age-related decline in cellularity was suggested for the iliac crest aspirates. Conclusions: The vertebral body is a suitable site for aspiration of bone marrow for graft augmentation during spinal arthrodesis.
Blood methyl methacrylate levels in patients having prosthetic joint replacement.

(1974). Blood Methyl Methacrylate Levels in Patients Having Prosthetic Joint Replacement. Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica: Vol. 45, No. 5, pp. 737-741.
Anisotropic Templating Effect in the Formation of Two-Dimensional Anionic Cadmium-Thiocyanate Coordination Solids [(12C4)(2)Cd][Cd(2)(SCN)(6)] and [(12C4)(2)Cd][Cd(3)(SCN)(8)] with Checkerboard and Herringbone Patterns, Respectively.

This paper reports the syntheses, characterization, and structures of two new two-dimensional cadmium−thiocyanate coordination solids [(12C4)2Cd][Cd2(SCN)6] (1) and [(12C4)2Cd][Cd3(SCN)8] (2), wher...
NEW HEAVY LEPTON PAIR-PRODUCTION FROM Z′ RESONANCES AT HADRON COLLIDERS

We examine the possibility that heavy lepton (L) pair production can be significantly enhanced by the existence of a new neutral gauge boson Z′ in hadron collisions. We find that in several E6-type models, the production cross section far exceeds that expected in the standard model. This may allow for the observation of pairs above the large W+W− background.
Real-time systolic array processor for 2-D spatial filtering

The use of systolic arrays (SA) to implement two-D local state-space (LSS) digital filters for real-time image processing is presented. The simple modular structure of the SA is ideal for VLSI implementation. The array used is composed of ROM/adder (or multiplier/adder) cells and is shown to be 100% efficient. The size of the array is equal to the overall size of the system matrix and is much smaller than arrays where the number of cells equals the number of image pixels. Still, this array is capable of processing a 512*512 image in less than 1/30 seconds allowed in real-time applications for second-order filters. The use of ROMs along with the inherent good performance of LSS filters under the effect of finite-length registers, makes this implementation desirable. The array is also far less expensive than other proposed real-time two-D digital filter implementations. >
Tenure and beyond: search for meaning

Discusses academic tenure and getting the most out of a university post. Short philosophical discussion of the pluses and minuses of academic life.
Functional Expression of O-linked GlcNAc Transferase DOMAIN STRUCTURE AND SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY

Abstract O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) modifies nuclear pore proteins and transcription factors. InArabidopsis, the OGT homolog participates in the gibberellin signaling pathway. We and others have proposed that mammalian OGT is the terminal step in a glucose-sensitive signal transduction pathway that becomes disregulated in insulin resistance. To facilitate mutational analysis of OGT in the absence of competing endogenous activity, we expressed the 103-kDa human OGT inEscherichia coli. Kinetic parameters for the purified recombinant enzyme (K m = 1.2 μm for Nup 62; K m = 0.5 μm for UDP-GlcNAc) are nearly identical to purified mammalian OGT. Deletions in the highly conserved C terminus result in a complete loss of activity. The N-terminal tetratricopeptide repeat domain is required for optimal recognition of substrates. Removal of the first three tetratricopeptide repeats greatly reduces theO-GlcNAc addition to macromolecular substrates. However, this altered enzyme retains full activity against appropriate synthetic peptides. Autoglycosylation of OGT is augmented when the first six tetratricopeptide repeats are removed showing that these repeats are not required for catalysis. Given its proposed role in modulating insulin action, OGT may modify kinases involved in this signaling cascade. Among the many kinases tested, OGT glycosylates glycogen synthase kinase-3 and casein kinase II, two enzymes critical in the regulation of glycogen synthesis.
Interprocessor communication for high performance, explicit time integration

Parallel, explicit finite element analysis is based almost exclusively on point-to-point interprocessor communication. However, point-to-point communication on multicore architectures results in large performance variability because of shared caches and sockets. The interprocessor communication required during the solution phase must be designed to achieve a high degree of scalability and performance for explicit time integration operators. An analysis of point-to-point communication on different hardware platforms, communication library implementations, and message sizes demonstrates the need for a flexible software design that allows for optimization. Autotuning modules and preliminary performance tests are necessary to identify the optimal combination of calls. Performance differences of point-to-point messaging on multicore machines are illustrated with a test that uses combinations of MPI communication calls. The differences are apparent when cache and sockets are shared among the cores and for message sizes up to 1.5 MB. Alternative communication schemes are shown to perform faster depending on the architecture and message size. Nearly linear scalability results for explicit time integration are demonstrated using the design techniques.
Two-Dimensional Free Oscillations in Natural Basins

Abstract A method is designed to calculate normal modes of natural basins. The purpose is to determine the period and configuration of free oscillations in a way that provides for the full two-dimensionality of the problem, and thus avoids limitations such as are inherent in the traditional channel approximation. The method—called resonance iteration—is amenable to detailed numerical analysis. As a test, the lowest positive and negative modes in a rotating square basin of uniform depth are calculated for a range of rotation speeds, with results that agree well with existing evaluations of this case. Similar agreement was found in an application to Lake Erie, a basin that conforms to the channel approximation. The method was then applied to two basins where it was expected to give results differing from those obtained by earlier methods: Lake Superior and the Gulf of Mexico. The fundamental gravitational mode of Lake Superior was found to have a period of 7.84 hr, which is 9% greater than the value known f...
Estimating the economic impact of a minor league baseball stadium

Minor league baseball has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. In many communities baseball supporters are proposing sports stadiums often with some degree of tax support requiring voter approval. Economic growth and development are issues citizens are asked to consider when they vote. This paper presents an easily adaptable model for estimating the direct and indirect economic impact of a minor league baseball team on the community. An application of the model is featured. Direct expenditures from external sources are estimated and RIMS II regional multipliers are applied to determine the indirect impact on area output, earnings and employment.
Cross‐cultural nongeneralizations

Let a thousand flowers bloom in cross-cultural evaluations, and let no single flower be exalted as the universal exemplar of beauty.
Stimulation of brain aromatic alkylamine N-methyltransferase activity by FAD and methylcobalamin.

We studied the effects of methylcobalamin alone and with various reducing systems (FADH2, FAD or its analogues in combination with NADH or β-mercaptoethanol) on the activity of partially purified aromatic alkylamine N-methyltransferase (AANMT) from rat brain. As expected, the specific activity of AANMT in the presence of methylcobalamin alone was enhanced (125% of control). Surprisingly, in the presence of FAD alone (but not FADH2 et cetera) it was 175% of control; and int the presence of methylcobalamin plus FAD plus β-mercaptoethanol it reached 307% of control. Preliminary evidence suggests that FAD induces allosteric kinetics for the activated enzyme with respect to the methyl donor 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MTHF).
Bistability, autowaves and dissipative structures in semiconductor fibers with anomalous resistivity properties

This work provides a discussion of bistability conditions, switching autowave properties and emergence of dissipative structures in semiconducting fibers with anomalous positive dependence of electrical resistivity on temperature of sigmoid type, (1 + e −T )−1. An open system thermodynamics approach is utilized for the analysis of this dissipative solid-state system. The approach aims to represent the structure of the solution space of its governing equation in the form of physical phase diagrams, known as non-equilibrium phase diagrams, and two specific binary diagrams have been obtained here. One of the diagrams, where the electrical power density and ambient temperature represent external parameters, shows a wide region with dissipative structures as non-uniform steady-state temperature profiles on the fiber. The possibility of efficient external control over the dissipative structure geometry is also demonstrated.
Ets1 Induces Dysplastic Changes When Expressed in Terminally-Differentiating Squamous Epidermal Cells

Background Ets1 is an oncogene that functions as a transcription factor and regulates the activity of many genes potentially important for tumor initiation and progression. Interestingly, the Ets1 oncogene is over-expressed in many human squamous cell cancers and over-expression is highly correlated with invasion and metastasis. Thus, Ets1 is believed to mainly play a role in later stages of the oncogenic process, but not early events. Methodology/Principal Findings To better define the role of Ets1 in squamous cell carcinogenesis, we generated a transgenic mouse model in which expression of the Ets1 oncogene could be temporally and spatially regulated. Upon Ets1 induction in differentiating cells of stratified squamous epithelium, these mice exhibited dramatic changes in epithelial organization including increased proliferation and blocked terminal differentiation. The phenotype was completely reversed when Ets1 expression was suppressed. In mice where Ets1 expression was re-induced at a later age, the phenotype was more localized and the lesions that developed were more invasive. Many potential Ets1 targets were upregulated in the skin of these mice with the most dramatic being the metalloprotease MMP13, which we demonstrate to be a direct transcriptional target of Ets1. Conclusions/Significance Collectively, our data reveal that upregulation of Ets1 can be an early event that promotes pre-neoplastic changes in epidermal tissues via its regulation of key genes driving growth and invasion. Thus, the Ets1 oncogene may be important for oncogenic processes in both early and late stages of tumor development.
Early season height differences as robust predictors of weed growth potential in maize: new avenues for adaptive management?

Summary Weed interference in annual cropping systems can be highly variable from year-to-year, as well as spatially heterogeneous. These factors have confounded efforts to develop simple methods for predicting competitive outcomes early in the growing season. A 2-year study was conducted with maize in competition with four annual weed species (Setaria faberi, Abutilon theophrasti, Chenopodium album and Amaranthus retroflexus) to: (i) characterise the relationship between early crop–weed height differences and weed growth potential, and (ii) assess threshold-type decision rules based on these relationships. Analysis of 742 weed individuals suggests that early season height disparities are robust predictors of season-long growth. For example, weeds £8 cm tall when maize canopy was 60 cm tall had a very low probability (c. 2%) of growing larger than 150 cm and this applied across weed species, relative emergence dates and spatial proximity to the maize row. In our dataset, weeds less than 150 cm tall were associated with low crop yield losses and weed fecundity. Precision management of weed individuals based on early season height differences may provide a reliable and practical basis for selective post-emergence weed control that is relevant to both yield loss and longer-term seedbank
ELM suppression by resonant magnetic perturbation in high-performance, stationary plasmas

The method of resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) has been shown to suppress edge-localized modes (ELMs) in the high-performance, stationary (or 'hybrid') scenario in the DIII-D tokamak. Calculations of stability to peeling–ballooning (P–B) modes are shown to be consistent with the observed suppression of type-I ELMs, while the ELM suppression, dependence on edge safety factor and density pump-out are similar for hybrids and standard H-mode discharges. However, other small ELMs can appear when the edge safety factor is outside the resonance window or when the H-mode pedestal is perturbed, which are not related to P–B stability. The role of the edge bootstrap current in determining stochastic heat transport during RMP is discussed.
Temperament and the self-organization of personality.

This paper explores the development of cortical plasticity and cognitive representations in light of temperamental differences in basic motivational systems. Motivational systems related to reward/approach and punishment/avoidance begin to function early in life. By controlling the child's behavioral and emotional reactions, these systems provide exteroceptive and interoceptive information capable of stabilizing cortical synapses through use-dependent processes. By controlling attention, the motivational systems further contribute to synaptic stabilization through modulatory processes. As a result, children with strong reward/approach systems are likely to develop representations that emphasize potential rewards and frustrations and may become vulnerable to impulsive disorders. Children with strong punishment/avoidance systems may develop representations emphasizing punishment and relief, along with a vulnerability to anxiety disorders. These motivationally constructed representations differentiate in varied ways across domains involving the physical world, moral rules, and the self and, thus, contribute to the various forms of impulsive and anxious psychopathology.
Surface ionization: An experimental study of strontium and lanthanum on tungsten

Abstract The ionization of Sr and La was studied on the (110), (100) crystal surfaces of W and on polycrystalline W surfaces. It was shown that differences amounting to as much as 0.25 eV occur in the value of the surface work function when comparing Sr or La on the same surface. The work function of the W(110) plane was found to be 5.52 ± 0.05eV. The value found for the W(100) plane is 4.56 ± 0.04 eV. Trace amounts of oxygen attack the W (110) crystal surface at elevated temperatures, exposing other planes and permanently reducing the work function of this surface.
On the sensitivity of cloud effective radius retrieval based on spectral method to bi-modal droplet size distribution: A semi-analytical model

Abstract The bi-spectral solar reflective method is widely used to infer cloud optical thickness ( τ ) and effective radius ( r e ) from satellite cloud reflectance observations. An important assumption often made in this method is that cloud droplet size distribution (DSD) follows the monomodal Gamma or Lognormal distributions, with a fixed variance. However, it is known that the warm rain processes, e.g., collision–coalescence, can broaden cloud DSD and even lead to bi-modal size distribution. In this study, a semi-analytical model is developed to better understand the retrieved r e based on the monomodal DSD assumption when the true DSD is bi-modal. The results based on this model agree well with the results from rigorous radiative transfer simulations. The model reveals that the r e retrieval based on the monomodal DSD assumption tends to underestimate the r e of the true bi-modal DSD. This bias is due to the nonlinear relationship between cloud droplet single-scattering albedo and cloud droplet size. The degree of this underestimation is found to increase with r e and the width of the DSD. The model also indicates that the underestimation more strongly affects the 3.7 µm band than in the 2.1 µm band retrievals; leading to smaller 3.7 µm band r e retrieval than that based on 2.1 µm. It is also demonstrated through numerical tests that cloud optical thickness retrieval shows little sensitivity to the cloud microphysics assumption and is relatively accurate. This is probably because the asymmetry factor of cloud droplet varies within a relatively small range, and therefore limits the impact of cloud microphysics on τ retrieval. This study has several implications, in particular for understanding the potential impact of drizzle on cloud r e retrieval. Future work is needed to evaluate the model in more realistic cloud field.
EXISTENCE THEORY AND Q-MATRIX CHARACTERIZATION FOR THE GENERALIZED LINEAR COMPLEMENTARITY PROBLEM

Abstract Necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of solutions and a characterization of the set of Q -matrices for the generalized linear complementarity problem (GLCP) are presented. The results lead to an algorithm for solving the GLCP for any general vertical block matrix and provide an insight into the geometry of the problem. It is also shown that the GLCP is NP-complete in the case of a general vertical block matrix.
Paul between Jews and Gentiles in Corinth

In 1 Corinthians, Paul advised Christians that they should not be polytheists (idolaters) and that they must confine sex to marriage. He thus took a normal Jewish stance toward Graeco-Roman culture. Yet he did not seek to make Gentile Christianity merely one form of Judaism, for he elsewhere vigorously opposed Jewish principles. The modern sociological study of religion allows us to realize that Paul was engaging in boundary definition for nascent Christianity. In this boundary definition he was, unlike other wings of early Christianity, successful.
Transfer of lens model training

Abstract The effects of training on the ability to learn probabilistic cue-criterion relationships as a function of differential feedback and previous tasks were assessed. One group received outcome feedback (the correct answer), a second group received feedforward (statistical information about the task), and a third group received lens model feedback (statistical information about the task and statistical information about performance). Compared with outcome feedback, both feedforward and lens model feedback led to increases in the two components of accuracy (ra): consistency (Rs) and knowledge (G). There was no systematic effect of the eight different tasks on increased effectiveness of feedforward or lens model feedback. Judges who received lens model feedback subsequently used outcome feedback more effectively. The effects of previous tasks on accuracy were due to increases in consistency, and not knowledge.
Talking the Post‐Fordist Talk,...but Walking the Post‐industrial Walk

Recent innovations applied to the design and management of production in the United States have been termed “post‐Fordist”, in an effort to distinguish these methods from those of large‐scale mass‐production characteristic of earlier decades. These efforts, however, may be vulnerable to criticism from both a conceptual and also a practical position. Specifically, suggests that post‐Fordist methods not only fail to live up to their ideological promise, but are inappropriate to our current “post‐industrial” state of diminishing manufacturing output.
TG–DSC–FTIR–MS study of gaseous compounds evolved during thermal decomposition of styrene-butadiene rubber

The thermal decomposition behavior of styrene-butadiene rubber was studied using a system equipped with thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectroscopy. Two different experiments were conducted. From these experiments, thermogravimetric analysis results indicated a mass loss of 58 % in the temperature range of ~290–480 °C and a mass loss of 39 % in the temperature range beyond 600 °C. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of oxides, even at 1,000 °C, accounting for the Zn, Mg, Al, Si, and Ca in the original sample.
Pressure Natriuresis After Adrenomedullin in Anesthetized Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Abstract Adrenomedullin (ADM), a peptide with potent vasodilatory and natriuretic actions, is elevated in patients with essential hypertension. Because pharmacological doses of ADM result in renal vasodilation and natriuresis, it has been suggested that ADM may play a modulatory role in hypertension through potential actions on renal pressure natriuresis. However, it is unclear whether elevation of plasma ADM within the pathophysiological range has similar actions. To determine the effects of pathophysiological doses of ADM on blood pressure and on the relationship between renal perfusion pressure (RPP) and renal hemodynamics and sodium excretion, renal function was determined at RPPs of 80, 105, 130, and 155 mm Hg in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) infused with ADM at 50 ng · kg−1 · min−1 (ADM-50, n=5) and at 100 ng · kg−1 · min−1 (ADM-100, n=5) and in control SHR (n=5). Decreasing RPP from 155 to 80 mm Hg in control SHR decreased ( P <.05) absolute sodium excretion from 0.81±0.25 to 0.04±0.02 μEq/min, fractional sodium excretion from 0.32±0.11% to 0.06±0.04%, and urine flow rate from 11.5±2.8 to 1.03±0.31 μL/min. ADM infusion elevated ( P <.05) plasma ADM levels in ADM-infused SHR (679±47 pg/mL in ADM-50, 858±79 in ADM-100) compared with control (79.5±27.8). However, although reduction of RPP from 155 to 80 mm Hg in ADM rats decreased absolute sodium excretion (ADM-50, 0.98±0.10 to 0.09±0.04 μEq/min; ADM-100, 0.95±0.09 to 0.07±0.02 μEq/min), fractional sodium excretion (ADM-50, 0.31±0.03% to 0.17±0.04%; ADM-100, 0.33±0.02% to 0.09±0.01%), and urine flow (ADM-50, 13.6±1.4 to 1.73±0.75 μL/min; ADM-100, 13.5±1.5 to 1.07±0.16 μL/min), these decreases were not different from values found in controls. Renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate were also similar in control and ADM-treated SHR at each level of RPP. Thus, acute increases in ADM to levels found in pathophysiological conditions have no effect on blood pressure, pressure natriuresis, or renal autoregulation in the SHR. These findings do not support the hypothesis that ADM serves as a modulating factor in hypertension, at least in the SHR.
Nutrient and mineral composition of dried mamaki leaves (Pipturus albidus) and infusions

Abstract Mamaki, Pipturus albidus, is currently one of the few native Hawaiian plants suitable for herbal tea preparation. This study reports the nutritional composition and mineral content of dried mamaki leaves and infusions. Three varieties and two sub-varieties, namely “hybrid purple”, “green”, “purple sub-variety 1”, “purple sub-variety 2” and “panaewa”, of mamaki were harvested in winters and summers over a 3-year period. Statistical analyses showed macronutrient values in dried mamaki leaves harvested in summer were significantly different from those in winter. The elemental values of phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, boron, copper, iron, manganese and zinc were also significantly different between the two seasons. Dried mamaki leaves contained higher amounts of ash, protein, fat and total fibers when compared with various commercial teas. Copper and iron levels in infusions from the leaves harvested in summer were significantly higher from those in winter. Phosphorus, potassium, sodium, boron, iron, manganese, and zinc values in steeped infusions of whole, ground, and crushed leaves were significantly different from each other. The dried leaves and infusions both contained the highest amount of calcium when compared to those in other commercial teas. The high calcium content found in infusions make the mamaki leaves a valuable commodity.
Threshold effects in photodetachment near an autodetaching or excited-state resonance.

Near-threshold photodetachment processes are considered for a simple model system that represents a negative ion that supports an excited state close to the threshold of a single-electron continuum. The excited state is assumed to be autodetaching if it lies above the threshold. Expressions for the discrete-state--discrete-state matrix elements of the Green's operator are derived and are used to obtain a solution of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation which is exact within the model. The weak-field resonance profile is presented, and the importance of terms that are neglected in the usual pole approximation is discussed. The time development of the populations and shifts of threshold are discussed for stronger fields. Population trapping through threshold shifts and through interference effects are considered. The possibility of meeting both trapping conditions simultaneously is discussed.
A Collaborative Practice Model Reduces Indwelling Urinary Catheter Use and Risk for Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infections

Objectives: (1) Decrease use of indwelling urinary catheters. (2) Limit the number of overall catheter days. Design: Prospective cohort study. Population, Sample, Setting, and Years: Patients requiring indwelling urinary catheters admitted to general medical units at Yale-New Haven Hospital were included. Patients with chronic catheters were excluded. Data were collected in spring 2002 and repeated in spring 2003. Intervention and Outcome: A physician–nurse protocol was developed to allow physicians to select, via a computerized order-entry system, one the following options: (1) discontinue catheter, (2) maintain catheter for 48 hours, or (3) maintain chronic device. The protocol permits nurses to independently remove urinary catheters for patients meeting established criteria. Outcome measures included calculated device days (CDD), calculated infection rates (CIR), and device utilization ratio (DUR). Methods: During 53 consecutive days in 2002, all patients (n = 883) were assessed for occurrence, duration, and appropriateness of catheter use. Patients with catheters were assessed for infection. This procedure was repeated 1 year later postintervention (n = 894). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: Compared to baseline, there was a 51% reduction in catheter use post intervention (164 versus 81) among all four patient units. Although the outcome variables were not statistically significant, they were clinically significant. The CDD declined from 892 to 521 days, a 42% reduction, while the CIR decreased from 36 of 1000 to 19 of 1000 patient days (47% reduction). The DUR (device days/all patient days) fell from 16% to 10%. One unit demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in CIR (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Results of this study demonstrate that use of a collaborative practice model reduces indwelling urinary catheter use and risk for nosocomial urinary tract infections. Implications: This protocol will heighten clinicians' awareness of the appropriate use of catheters and parameters to guide decision-making regarding their removal.
An economic theory of mutually advantageous issue linkages in international negotiations

There has been considerable interest in recent years in the question of issue linkages in international negotiations. What is significant about discussions of linkages in the present era is the stress put on making trade-offs explicit among issues. Most of the highly publicized cases of proposed issue linkages appear to have been motivated by attempts of individual countries or groups of countries to extend their dominant bargaining or veto power in one particular issue area into other areas so as to achieve maximum advantage from their whole array of international interactions. The existence of an additional rationale for linkage that relies upon mutual interest has important implications. Drawing on the economic theory of exchange, the use of issue linkages to facilitate the completion of a greater number of mutually beneficial agreements among nations is considered.
Optical Observation of Freedericksz Transition in Wedged Homeotropic Nematics

Abstract It is revealed that due to the initial bend in the molecular alignment of a homeotropic nematic wedge, there exists a relaxation in the reorientational degeneracy of the electrically induced Freedericksz transition. The reorientation of the weakly predis-torted molecules takes place in a plane perpendicular to the refracting edge of the sample in the direction favoured by the wedge. The propagation vector K of the illuminating narrow beam is set in the plane of the molecular orientation and the angle β between the O- and the E-emergent beams has been taken to measure the director's orientation. For a finite angle of incidence (k, n0 ) = ± θ0, the β vs. applied voltage curves show points of inflexion which correspond to molecular rotation through θ0 and ( ) respectively. Further evidence of the lifting of the orientational degeneracy is provided by the conoscopy of the wedged nematics. A discussion of this optical approach to describe the Feedericksz transition along with experimental results will...
Leucine motif-dependent tyrosine autophosphorylation of type III receptor tyrosine kinases.

Activation loop tyrosine autophosphorylation is an essential requirement for full kinase activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). However, mechanisms involved are not fully understood. In general, kinase domains of RTKs are folded into two main lobes, NH2- and COOH-terminal lobes. The COOH-terminal lobe of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) is folded into seven α-helices (αD–αI). In the studies presented here we demonstrate that leucine residues of helix I (αI) regulate tyrosine autophosphorylation and phosphotransferase activity of VEGFR-2. The presence of leucines 1158, 1161, and 1162 are essential for tyrosine autophosphorylation and kinase activation of VEGFR-2 and are involved in helix-helix packing via hydrophobic interactions. The presence of leucine 1158 is critical for kinase activation of VEGFR-2 and appears to interact with αE, αF, αH, and β7. The analogous residue, leucine 957 on platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β and leucine 910 on colony stimulating factor-1R are also found to be critical for tyrosine autophosphorylation of these receptors. Leucines 1161 and 1162 are also involved in helix-helix packing but they play a less critical role in VEGFR-2 activation. Thus, we conclude that leucine motif-mediated helix-helix interactions are critical for kinase regulation of type III RTKs. This mechanism is likely to be shared with other kinases and might provide a basis for the design of a novel class of tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Neuroprotective effects of compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in a Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder. Extrapyramidal motor symptoms stem from the degeneration of the dopaminergic pathways in patient brain. Current treatments for PD are symptomatic, alleviating disease symptoms without reversing or retarding disease progression. Although the cause of PD remains unknown, several pathogenic factors have been identified, which cause dopaminergic neuron (DN) death in the substantia nigra (SN). These include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation and excitotoxicity. Manipulation of these factors may allow the development of disease-modifying treatment strategies to slow neuronal death. Inhibition of DJ-1A, the Drosophila homologue of the familial PD gene DJ-1, leads to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DN loss, making fly DJ-1A model an excellent in vivo system to test for compounds with therapeutic potential. In the present study, a Drosophila DJ-1A model of PD was used to test potential neuroprotective drugs. The drugs applied are the Chinese herb celastrol, the antibiotic minocycline, the bioenergetic amine coenzyme Q10 (coQ10), and the glutamate antagonist 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulphamoylbenzo[f]-quinoxaline (NBQX). All of these drugs target pathogenic processes implicated in PD, thus constitute mechanism-based treatment strategies. We show that celastrol and minocycline, both having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, confer potent dopaminergic neuroprotection in Drosophila DJ-1A model, while coQ10 shows no protective effect. NBQX exerts differential effects on cell survival and brain dopamine content: it protects against DN loss but fails to restore brain dopamine level. The present study further validates Drosophila as a valuable model for preclinical testing of drugs with therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases. The lower cost and amenability to high throughput testing make Drosophila PD models effective in vivo tools for screening novel therapeutic compounds. If our findings can be further validated in mammalian PD models, they would implicate drugs combining antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as strong therapeutic candidates for mechanism-based PD treatment.