cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear relaxation and superconducting fluctuations in small aluminum particles

Abstract 27 Al spin-lattice relaxation times have been measured in the normal and superconducting states of aluminum particles with average diameters between 170 and 750 A. Good agreement with recent microscopic theory is obtained for an applied field H = 1200 Oe, but for H = 100–150 Oe the effect of superconducting fluctuations is overestimated by the theory. An observed additional contribution to the relaxation rate is tentatively attributed to cross-relaxation processes involving nuclei near particle surfaces.
Pairs of edge disjoint Hamiltonian circuits in 5-connected planar graphs

A variety of examples of 4-connected 4-regular graphs with no pair of disjoint Hamiltonian circuits were constructed in response to Nash-Williams conjecture that every 4-connected 4-regular graph is Hamiltonian and also admits a pair of edge-disjoint Hamiltonian circuits. Nash-Williams's problem is especially interesting for planar graphs since 4-connected planar graphs are Hamiltonian. Examples of 4-connected 4-regular planar graphs in which every pair of Hamiltonian circuits have edges in common are included in the above mentioned examples.
Pneumonectomy acutely after pediatric bilateral lung transplantation: Management of communicating thoracic spaces

psychosocial predictors of mechanical circulatory support device implantation and competing outcomes in the Waiting for a New Heart Study. J Heart Lung Transplant 2012;3:16-26. 3. Zahn D, Weidner G, Beyersmann J, et al. Combined risk scores and depression as predictors for competing waiting-list outcomes in the Waiting for a New Heart Study. Transpl Int 2010;23:1223-32. 4. Spaderna H, Mendell NR, Zahn D, et al. Social isolation and depression predict 12-month outcomes in the “waiting for a new heart study.” J Heart Lung Transplant 2010;29:247-54. 5. Spaderna H, Smits JM, Rahmel AO, Weidner G. Psychosocial and behavioural factors in heart transplant candidates—an overview. Transpl Int 2007;20:909-20.
Dissolution kinetics: The nature of the particle attack of layered silicates in HF

The dissolution of layered silicates by hydrotluoric acid was studied with the aid of a slurry reactor. The nature of particle dissolution was delineated by measurements of reaction rates and by the examination of partially dissolved particles using a scanning electron microscope. The rates of particle dissolution per unit mass were modeled as a function of the fraction x dissolved by an equation of the form (-?(x)J/(-r(x = 0)) = (I -x)"-'. For the three layer silicates the parameter n takes on a value of l/Z, reflecting radial attack at the unit cell edges. The reactive edge surface area is considerably smaller than the total wetted particle surface area. In contrast, the two layer kaolinite structure dissolves at both the layer edges and the planar faces, and the parameter R varies from 0 to I as the particle dissolution proceeds to completion. Comparison of the rates of dissolution on the basis of the actua1 reactive surface areas show that layered silicates having the same octahedral sheet dissolve at the same rate. It is concluded that attack is preferential at surfaces where the octahedral sheets are exposed.
Review of: “Facilities Design”Sunderesh Heragu

(1998). Review of: “Facilities Design”Sunderesh Heragu. IIE Transactions: Vol. 30, No. 7, pp. 686-686.
Proton Polarization and Relaxation in Ytterbium-Doped Yttrium Hydroxide

Measured proton-spin-lattice relaxation times and proton-polarization enhancements are reported for four samples of Y${(\mathrm{HO})}_{3}$:Yb with Yb content ranging from 0.01 to 0.27 at.%. The protons were dynamically polarized above their thermal equilibrium values by mechanically rotating the sample in a spin refrigerator. Relevant theories are discussed. The crystal-field splitting for the ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+3}$ ion in Y${(\mathrm{HO})}_{3}$ is estimated from data for several other rare-earth hydroxides. Experimental data are presented for the rate of the enhanced-proton-polarization buildup and are in agreement with the theory. The temperature and field dependences of the proton-spin-lattice relaxation rate are shown to agree with theory. A dependence of this rate on the ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+3}$-ion concentration which differs from the theory is reported. In the low-temperature region where the ion-spin-lattice relaxation is dominated by the direct process the proton rate has a first-power concentration dependence as expected, but at higher temperatures where the Raman process is dominant an exponential dependence of the proton rate on the ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$ concentration is observed, but not explained. Attempts are made to qualitatively explain observed changes of the proton line shape and the relaxation-recovery curves with changing concentration.
Congenital Smooth Muscle Hamartoma Masquerading as Congenital Pigmented Nevus

Smooth muscle hamartomas are rare benign tumors of the skin, characterized by proliferation of large interlacing bundles of nonstriated muscle within the reticular dermis. The lesions may masquerade as one of several clinical entities. In this report, we describe two patients with congenital smooth muscle hamartomas masquerading as congenital pigmented nevi. Review of the literature indicates that these cases represent the ninth and tenth reported cases of congenital smooth muscle hamartoma. Our second case represents the largest lesion reported to date.
True 3D displays: Multi-focal retinal scanned-light displays for overcoming the accommodation/vergence conflict

Conventional stereoscopic displays require viewers to decouple the linked processes of accommodation and vergence, generating eye fatigue. In contrast, a deformable mirror in the described scanned-light display varies the focus of objects to match vergence demands. As in natural vision, the viewer brings different objects into focus by shifting accommodation.
A shape reconstruction method for electromagnetic tomography using adjoint fields and level sets

A two-step shape reconstruction method for electromagnetic (EM) tomography is presented which uses adjoint fields and level sets. The inhomogeneous background permittivity distribution and the values of the permittivities in some penetrable obstacles are assumed to be known, and the number, sizes, shapes, and locations of these obstacles have to be reconstructed given noisy limited-view EM data. The main application we address in the paper is the imaging and monitoring of pollutant plumes in environmental cleanup sites based on cross-borehole EM data. The first step of the reconstruction scheme makes use of an inverse scattering solver which recovers equivalent scattering sources for a number of experiments, and then calculates from these an approximation for the permittivity distribution in the medium. The second step uses this result as an initial guess for solving the shape reconstruction problem. A key point in this second step is the fusion of the `level set technique' for representing the shapes of the reconstructed obstacles, and an `adjoint field technique' for solving the nonlinear inverse problem. In each step, a forward and an adjoint Helmholtz problem are solved based on the permittivity distribution which corresponds to the latest best guess for the representing level set function. A correction for this level set function is then calculated directly by combining the results of these two runs. Numerical experiments are presented which show that the derived method is able to recover one or more objects with nontrivial shapes given noisy cross-borehole EM data.
John Locke and the unbearable lightness of modern education

(1994). John Locke and the unbearable lightness of modern education. Educational Philosophy and Theory: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 1-15.
Immanuel Kant, marketing theory and the modern temper

Immanuel Kant, a revered eighteenth century philosopher, largely laid the groundwork for modern methods of analysis that transcend formal scientific analysis. He did so by affirming that the human mind possesses inherent ways of reasoning that can often transcend the contrived methods of science. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, furthermore, Kant was a key inspiration within the romantic movement and, as such, he influenced Hegel, Marx, Freud, and modern social theorists. Since modern marketing research is clearly indebted to these intellectual traditions, a knowledge of Kant is vital to well groomed marketing researchers and to the decision makers who use their services.
Five Years with the Rassias Method in German: a Follow‐Up Report from the University of Florida

The 1982–83 academic year marked the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model (DILM) in German at the University of Florida. Since the publication of a report describing our procedure in the April, 1980 issue of FLA, the German Department at the university has experimented with various textbooks and developed some new material for use in German with the DILM. We have also worked with different class sizes and at both slow and fast paces. Revising our test strategy and adding a business component resulted in a sharp increase in our retention rate. We have attracted a number of new majors and built upper division enrollments. There have also been some setbacks with funding and with the attitude of junior faculty. This follow-up report discusses the pros and cons of the DILM, offers some advice on introducing such a program in any language, and concludes that DILM-trained students do learn to communicate more effectively than traditionallytaught beginners.
Fetal loss from anesthesia and surgical trauma in the rabbit

Abstract The influence of pentobarbital anesthesia, laparotomy, and uterine horn atmospheric exposure on survival and normal development of New Zealand White rabbit fetuses has been determined. Anesthesia and surgery were accomplished on the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th postcoital days. Atmospheric exposure times of 0, 5, 10, and 15 min were used. Neither pentobarbital anesthesia nor laparotomy with atmospheric exposure of the uterine horns significantly affected the spontaneous incidence of malformed fetuses in the rabbit colony. However, anesthesia and the surgical trauma of laparotomy increased the incidence of early death and resorptions. Older fetuses were more vulnerable to damage from the anesthetic procedure but less vulnerable to damage from the surgical trauma of laparotomy. Atmospheric exposure per se did not appear to influence the incidence of resorptions.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Binary Gas Adsorption in Zeolite Cavities

Abstract Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations have been performed for binary adsorption of Lennard-Jones molecules with point multipole moments in zeolite cavities of type X. Fluid-solid electrostatic interactions were taken into account. Phase diagrams and total coverage were calculated for three binaries and compared with experimental measurements. MC simulations gave good agreement with experiment for two mixtures (C2H4-CO2 and CO2-CH4) but there were discrepancies between simulation and experiment for the system i-C4H10-C2H4. The dependence of excess Gibbs free energy on the composition and pressure was studied. Negative deviations from ideality are due to energetic heterogeneity and size effects. Unlike liquid-vapor equilibrium, deviations from the Lorentz-Berthelot mixing rules for the adsorbates have little effect upon the phase behavior. Density distributions show that the components compete for the high energy sites inside the cavity; depending on its relative strength of adsorption, one compo...
Femtosecond laser photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of nitro-aromatic explosives and explosives related compounds

The ultrafast laser-induced photoionization and photodissociation processes of the nitroaromatic containing explosive and explosive related compounds (ERCs) nitrobenzene (NB), 1,3-dinitrobenzene (DNB), m-nitrotoluene (MNT), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) have been investigated at three laser wavelengths and power densities using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Examination of the mass spectra of these compounds reveals the enhanced formation of the molecular ion [M+] when ultraviolet (332 nm) and visible (495 nm) light is used relative to infrared (795 nm) radiation. In addition, at 795 nm and a power density of 3. 5 × 1014 W/cm2, the presence of a competition between multiphoton ionization (MPI) and Coulomb explosion (CE) channels is revealed by peak shape analysis, and is thought to be operative under these conditions for all of the molecules investigated.
Use and interpretation of serologic and skin tests in the respiratory mycoses: current considerations.

The foregoing is an effort to summarize for the clinician the current status of skin and serologic tests in the diagnosis of the respiratory mycoses, and to discuss certain factors which ongoing experience reveals are relevant to their use and interpretation, i.e., specificity and sensitivity of antigens; stage and extent of infection or disease;. cross reactions; antibody stimulation by skin tests; the extensive distribution of the fungi in nature and man's increasing disturbance of them lessening the value of history of residence and travel; and, finally, what serologic tests are available commercially or as Public Health Service contributions and where they are performed.
Comparison of two software packages for determining radiographic bone aluminium equivalent values

Radiographic photodensitometry has been used to track changes in bone mineral content in the distal limb of horses through traditional film radiographs. With increasing popularity of digital radiographs, the technique has been adapted for digital technology. The objective of this study was to validate and describe the analysis of digital radiographs and to compare traditional densitometric analysis to digital analysis. Twelve traditional and 12 digital radiographs were taken of the left third metacarpal (MCIII) of 12 horses with an aluminium stepwedge penetrometer attached to the radiographic cassette. Both medial-lateral and dorsal-palmar views were represented. The traditional and digital radiographs were each analysed using two different methods to compare results. Analysis involved determining optical density at each step of the aluminium stepwedge, plotting optical density verses mm Al, and then determining the equation of the subsequent line. The optical density of each cortice was inserted into the...
Using molecular dynamics to probe the structural basis for enhanced stability in thermal stable cytochromes P450.

High temperature molecular dynamics (MD) has been used to assess if MD can be employed as a useful tool for probing the structural basis for enhanced stability in thermal stable cytochromes P450. CYP119, the most thermal stable P450 known, unfolds more slowly during 500K MD simulations compared to P450s that melt at lower temperatures, P450cam and P450cin. A comparison of the 500K MD trajectories shows that the Cys ligand loop, a critically important structural feature just under the heme, in both P450cin and P450cam completely unfolds while this region is quite stable in CYP119. In CYP119 this region is stabilized by tight nonpolar interactions involving Tyr26 and Leu308. The corresponding residues in P450cam are Gly and Thr, respectively. The in silico generated Y26A/L308A CYP119 double mutant is substantially less stable than wild type CYP119 and the Cys ligand loop unfolds similar to P450cam. The MD thus has identified a potential “hot spot” important for stability. As an experimental test of the MD results, the Y26A/L308A double mutant was prepared and thermal melting curves show that the double mutant exhibits a melting temperature (Tm) 16°C lower than wild type CYP119. Control mutations that were predicted by MD not to destabilize the protein were also generated and the experimental melting temperature was not significantly different from the wild type enzyme. Therefore, high temperature MD is a useful tool in predicting the structural underpinnings of thermal stability in P450s.
Magnetometers and Interference Devices

Superconducting quantum flux sensors presently provide the basis for instruments with capability for rapid measurement of magnetic fields as small as 10–10 Gauss; furthermore, electric potential differences as small as 10–16 volts, electrical currents, and resistances in low impedance circuits can be measured at power levels as low as 10–23 watts. These instruments are sufficiently well developed that commercial versions of the magnetometers are available from at least three commercial suppliers, and the cost of a complete magnetometer can be as low as a few thousand dollars. Many applications to physical measurement problems have been described in the literature and applications outside of physics in medicine and geophysics have been demonstrated. Superconducting quantum flux sensors provide new measurement capabilities that are ready for application to opportunities in many fields of science and technology.
Crystal structure and profile fitting of Mg(OD)2 by time-of-flight neutron diffraction

The crystal structure of Mg(OD)2 has been refined from time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffraction data. Mr = 60.304, trigonal, P{\bar 3}m1, a = 3.1455 (1), c = 4.7646 (3) A, V = 40.831 (4) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 2.453 g cm−3, neutron time of flight, Rietveld refinement, Rwp = 3.84%, Rp = 2.83%, reduced χ2 = 2.98 for 70 variables, data collected at 305 K. The O–D bond length is 0.937 (1) A (0.956 A corrected for `riding' motion). The use of a pseudo-Voigt profile function to allow for strain and particle-size broadening in TOF neutron diffraction of fine anisotropic powders is described.
Evidence for reversability of age-related decrease in human lymphocyte adenylate cyclase activity

Abstract Age-related loss of adenylate cyclase responsiveness to guanyl nucleotide was demonstrated in lymphocytes freshly isolated from human subjects. Enzyme activity of cells from young ( 65 years) subjects were markedly sensitive to inhibition by non-ionic detergents. When enzyme activity in the presence of guanyl nucleotide and low concentrations of Triton X-100 was determined in a mixture of cells from the young and aged donors, the activity was 40±17 percent (mean ± S.D.) greater than anticipated from the activity of the cells of the two age groups assayed separately. The detergent range which facilitated the enhanced enzyme activity was too low to extract the catalytic subunit of adenylate cyclase from the cells. These results further suggest that in man, changes distal to receptors contribute to diminished responsiveness of lymphocyte adenylate cyclase as a function of age. In addition, these age-related changes may be partially reversible by reconstitution with factors from cells from younger subjects.
On the complete determination of biological systems

The nascent field of systems biology ambitiously proposes to integrate information from large-scale biology projects to create computational models that are, in some sense, complete. However, the details of what would constitute a complete systems-level model of an organism are far from clear. To provide a framework for this difficult question it is useful to define a model as a set of rules that maps a set of inputs (e.g. descriptions of the cell's environment) to a set of outputs (e.g. the concentrations of all its RNAs and proteins). We show how the properties of a model affect the required experimental sampling and estimate the number of experiments needed to "complete" a particular model. Based on these estimates, we suggest that the complete determination of a biological system is a concrete, achievable goal.
Development of Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis Following Transperitoneal Renal Transplantation in a Child

A 9 1/2-year-old female developed pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) which was detected radiographically 4 1/2 months after transperitoneal cadaveric renal transplantation, during a period characterized by recurrent episodes of acute rejection. Radiographic evaluation was prompted by the development of cramping abdominal pain, distention, and tenderness localized to the region of the allograft, which occurred during one such episode. Pneumatosis was localized primarily to an area of colon that lay in direct contact with the allograft. Evaluation of the available clinical and roentgenographic evidence suggested that pneumatosis may have resulted from the development of a sympathetic inflammatory reaction within the bowel wall adjacent to the acutely inflamed allograft. Subsequent stabilization of renal function was associated with resolution of the pneumatosis over the ensuing 8 months without surgical intervention or additional medical therapy.
Is uric acid transported by the hippurate transport system

Experiments were designed to determine whether renal excretion of uric acid is achieved by the same mechanism as for renal tubular excretion of hippurates and related organic acids. Surviving slices of rabbit kidney cortex were unable to accumulate C14-urate by a concentrative mechanism. Further, entry of C14-urate into renal slices was unaffected by acetate, probenecid or anoxia in accord with earlier observations from this laboratory with non-radioactive urate. Experience with isolated perfused rat liver supports the use of this experimental method as a model of the hippurate transport system. Unlike hippurate and a large number of related organic anions, neither urate nor C14-activity derived from urate was concentrated in the bile from this preparation. Probenecid did not inhibit excretion of the small amounts of C14-activity which did appear in the bile. Urate did not compete with indigo carmine, a nonmetabolizable substrate of the hippurate transport system, for excretion into the bile. From these findings, it is concluded that urate and organic acids such as hippurate do not behave similarly in kidney or in liver. The possibility that urate might be excreted by an independent active transport mechanism is not excluded. The demonstration that renal tissues can synthesize urate from hypoxanthine raises the possibility that urate synthesis might also occur in the intact animal and might contribute to the renal clearance of uric acid.
Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of calsequestrin on CK2-sensitive sites in heart

Calsequestrin (CSQ) concentrates in junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) where it functions in regulation of Ca2+ release. When purified from heart tissue, cardiac CSQ contains phosphate on a cluster of C-terminal serine residues, but little is known about the cellular site of kinase action, and the identity of the kinase remains uncertain. To determine basic features of the phosphorylation, we examined the reaction in canine heart preparations. CSQ phosphorylation was observed in [32P]metabolically-labeled heart cells after adenoviral overexpression, and its constitutive phosphorylation was limited to a CK2-sensitive C-terminal serine cluster. The CSQ kinase was oriented intralumenally, as was CSQ, inside membrane vesicles, such that exposure to each required detergent permeabilization. Yet even after detergent permeabilization, CSQ was phosphorylated much less efficiently by protein kinase CK2 in cardiac microsomes than was purified CSQ. Reduced phosphorylation was strongly dependent upon protein concentration, and phosphorylation time courses revealed a phosphatase activity that occurred constitutively as phosphorylated substrate accumulates. Evidence of selective dephosphorylation of CSQ glycoforms in heart homogenates was also seen by mass spectrometry analysis. Molecules with greater mannose content, a feature of early secretory pathway compartments, were more highly phosphorylated, while greater dephosphorylation was apparent in more distal compartments. Taken together, the analyses of CSQ phosphorylation in heart suggest that a constitutive process of phosphate turnover occurs for cardiac CSQ perhaps associated with its intracellular transport (Mol Cell Biochem 266: 209–217, 2004)
The function of very long chain fatty acids in membrane structure: evidence from milk cerebrosides.

Abstract The glucosyl- and lactosyl ceramides isolated from the fat globule membrane and skimmilk phases of cows and goats milks were quantified and analyzed for fatty acid composition. The fatty acid compositions of both cerebrosides were distinctly different from the two phases. Cerebrosides dispersed in the skimmilk contained primarily C 18 and shorter carbon chain fatty acids. Those bound in the fat globule (plasma) membrane were constituted mainly of fatty acids with 20 to 25 carbons. The naturally occurring dispersion of lipoprotein-bound cerebrosides containing shorter chain acids in the skimmilk phase may have implications to membrane instability and demyelination.
Evolving California opinion on offshore oil development

Whether oil companies should be allowed to drill more oil wells along the California coast is the subject of a great deal of conflict. We examine public opinion on the question using a series of public opinion polls of Californians. We find that public support for coastal oil development has sharply declined since 1980. The groups most supportive of drilling are conservatives, Republicans, the least well educated, the old, and non-whites. Surprisingly, proximity to offshore oil development is not related to support. These findings give us a basis for predicting that support for further oil drilling will continue to decline. Finally, we show that the public's attitudes on energy policy do not lead to any practical energy policy.
A CPW-fed single-layer printed Quasi-Yagia antenna for 60 GHz wireless communication systems

A design of a planar single-layer quasi-Yagi antenna is proposed for 60 GHz wireless communication systems. The antenna is made of a fully planar structure made of only single metallic layer printed on one side of a low-loss dielectric slab. The antenna shows a maximum gain of 11.8 dBi with a very wide 3dB gain bandwidth covering the entire unlicensed FCC-60 GHz band (i.e. from 57 GHz to 64 GHz). The antenna also designed to show a forward-to-backward radiation ratio of more than 13 dB in entire band. This Quasi-Yagi antenna is designed to be fed using a coplanar-waveguide transmission line, with a transition to a twin-line, showing a -10dB-impedance bandwidth of around 4.25 GHz (centered at around 62 GHz).
Tendon laxity in superior oblique palsy

Background: Some congenital superior oblique palsies are known to be due to anomalous or lax superior oblique tendons. This prospective study of 24 patients with a diagnosis of superior oblique palsy was performed to determine the prevalence and significance of anatomic tendon anomaly or laxity as diagnosed by traction testing of the superior oblique tendon. Methods: Traction testing was performed on 24 consecutive superior oblique palsy patients to determine the relative laxity of the tendons. Results: All 14 patients who were believed to have congenital palsy by history and clinical examination were found to have lax tendons. No patient with acquired unilateral palsy showed similar tendon laxity. Conclusion: These findings have significant implications regarding the diagnosis and possible cause of congenital superior oblique palsy as well as implications for surgical management.
Characteristics of Coupled Microstrip Transmission Lines-I: Coupled-Mode Formulation of Inhomogeneous Lines

This paper consists of two parts. In Part I, coupled-mode theory is employed to determine the effects of reflection at the various ports and unequal inductive and capacitive coupling coefficients on the coupling and directivity of two coupled lines. Since couplers utilizing microstrip lines generally have unequal inductive and capacitive coupling coefficients, the results presented here should be useful in explaining the behavior of microstrip coupled lines. It is shown how the difference in the coupling coefficients leads to finite directivity and, under certain conditions, to "codirectional" instead of "contradirectional coupling." In Part II, the coupling coefficients and other parameters of various microstrip-line geometries are presented. Using these parameters in the results obtained here leads to an improved understanding of and design criteria for coupled microstrip lines.
Large‐Deflection Solution of the Coaxial‐Ring‐Circular‐Glass‐Plate Flexure Problem

Nonlinear deflections and radial surface stresses in thin elastic circular plates laterally deformed into symmetrical concave shapes are analyzed. The deformations are induced by loading each plate with a small center ring while the plate is resting on a ring of nearly the same diameter as the plate. The rings and plate are coaxial, i.e. concentric. Center deflections up to 3 and 4.5 times the plate thickness were predicted for ring-diameter ratios of 0.5 and 0.2, respectively. The predicted deflection profiles at various loads agreed quite well with those which were determined experimentally on a chemically strengthened glass plate. This analysis provides a new criterion for using the coaxial-ring loading method for flexural strength testing of brittle materials.
Protein flexibility and dynamics using constraint theory.

Abstract A new approach is presented for determining the rigid regions in proteins and the flexible joints between them. The short-range forces in proteins are modeled as constraints and we use a recently developed formalism from graph theory to analyze flexibility in the bond network. Forces included in the analysis are the covalent bond-stretching and bond-bending forces, salt bridges, and hydrogen bonds. We use a local function to associate an energy with individual hydrogen bonds, which then can be included or excluded depending on the bond strength. Colored maps of the rigid and flexible regions provide a direct visualization of where the motion of the protein can take place, consistent with these distance constraints. We also define a flexibility index that quantifies the local density of flexible or floppy modes, in terms of the dihedral angles that remain free to rotate in each flexible region. A negative flexibility index provides a measure of the density of redundant bonds in rigid regions. A new application of this approach is to simulate the maximal range of possible motions of the flexible regions by introducing Monte Carlo changes in the free dihedral angles, subject to the distance constraints. This is done using a method that maintains closure of the rings formed by covalent and hydrogen bonds in the flexible parts of the protein, and van der Waals overlaps between atoms are avoided. We use the locus of the possible motions of HIV protease as an example; movies of its motion can be seen at http://www.pa.msu.edu/∼lei. © 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc.
Vapor-alcohol control tests with compressed ethanol-gas mixtures: scientific basis and actual performance.

Commercial compressed vapor-alcohol mixtures ("dry gas") were evaluated to ascertain their suitability for control tests in breath-alcohol analysis. Dry gas control tests were conducted at nominal vapor-alcohol concentrations (VACs) of 0.045, 0.085, and 0.105 g/210 L (n = 50 at each VAC) with Alcotest 7110 MK III and Intoxilyzer 1400 evidential breath-alcohol testers. The measurement results were analyzed by standard statistical methods, and their correlation with certified dry gas VAC target values was examined. Also measured and examined statistically were the VACs of National Institute of Standards and Technology-traceable Research Gas mixtures (dry gas) ethanol standards at 97.8 and 198 ppm (n = 30-50 at each VAC). With the Alcotest 7110 MK III programmed to report VACs normalized to standard atmospheric pressure at 760 torr and the intoxilyzer 1400 programmed to report VACs at ambient atmospheric pressure, the predicted effects of ambient atmospheric pressure were confirmed experimentally. We developed and validated the following conversion factor for VAC units at 34 degrees C and 760 torr: ppm/2605 = g/210 L and g/210 L x 2605 = ppm. We found that the dry gas vapor-alcohol control samples conformed to established formal specifications and concluded that they compared favorably with simulator effluents for control tests of breath-alcohol analyzers, which are capable of adjusting VAC results for ambient atmospheric pressure. Language: en
Oxygen Regulation of Airway Branching in Drosophila Is Mediated by Branchless FGF

The Drosophila tracheal (respiratory) system is a tubular epithelial network that delivers oxygen to internal tissues. Sprouting of the major tracheal branches is stereotyped and controlled by hard-wired developmental cues. Here we show that ramification of the fine terminal branches is variable and regulated by oxygen, and that this process is controlled by a local signal or signals produced by oxygen-starved cells. We provide evidence that the critical signal is Branchless (Bnl) FGF, the same growth factor that patterns the major branches during embryogenesis. During larval life, oxygen deprivation stimulates expression of Bnl, and the secreted growth factor functions as a chemoattractant that guides new terminal branches to the expressing cells. Thus, a single growth factor is reiteratively used to pattern each level of airway branching, and the change in branch patterning results from a switch from developmental to physiological control of its expression.
Teaching hardware-based DSP: Theory to practice

The authors have developed a teaching model which includes theory, demonstrations, lab exercises, and real-time DSP experience using MATLAB and the Texas Instruments C6711 digital signal processing starter kit. This paper describes specific demonstrations' that can be used as part of this model.
Human taste response as a function of locus of stimulation on the tongue and soft palate

Taste recognition thresholds and psychophysical intensity functions were determined for NaCl, sucrose, QHC1, urea, and citric acid for four loci on the tongue and on the soft palate. The results showed greater differences between loci than previously reported. Contrary to older data, the threshold for bitter was found to be lower for the fungiform papillae at the front of the tongue and for the soft palate than for the vallate papillae. For all compounds, the slopes of the intensity functions varied with the locus of stimulation. The functions for most compounds were steepest at the vallate and foliate loci.
Detecting electric-field-tuned atom–atom level mixing in a cold 85Rb Rydberg gas by two-unequal-frequency photons

We use two-unequal-frequency microwave photons as sensitive probes to study the nsns to the np(n + m − 1)p Rydberg pair state transition in a cold 85Rb gas, where n and m are integers. The principal quantum number n dependence of the energy differences between ns(n + 1)s and np3/2np3/2 as well as ns(n + 2)s and np1/2(n + 1)p1/2 has been measured and the results are consistent with the calculated values. Additionally, we demonstrate that the pair state Stark shift is the sum of the Stark shifts of both isolated Rydberg atoms. Finally, we tune the dipole–dipole mixing probability by applying an electric field to tune the energy difference between the dipole–dipole coupled states, ns(n + 2)s and np1/2(n + 1)p1/2. The results reported here are essential steps towards electric-field-controlled chemical reactions [1], quantum gates, molecular autoionization and few-body correlations.
Geostationary infrared methods for detecting lightning-producing cumulonimbus clouds

[1] This study documents the behavior of cloud top infrared (IR) fields known to describe physical processes associated with growing convective clouds, for 30 nonlightning and 33 cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning-producing convective storms. The goal is to define “critical” threshold values for up to 10 IR fields that delineate lightning from nonlightning convective storms. Meteosat Second Generation and United Kingdom Meteorological Office very low frequency arrival time difference satellite and lightning data, respectively, were used in this study. These were collected during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) field campaign in August–September 2006 in Equatorial Africa. The main conclusions show that eight of 10 IR fields that describe updraft strength, cloud depth, and glaciation (or ice at cloud top) are significantly different between the nonlightning and lightning-producing convective clouds. The lack of notch overlap in “box and whiskers” plots confirms a 95% confidence that the two data sets are different. Nonlightning-producing clouds are far less vertically developed and possess >50% weaker updrafts (as estimated from satellite trends), as well as little to no evidence of ice or glaciation at cloud top. Results from this study therefore can be used to nowcast and identify with high confidence convective clouds that are producing or are going to produce CG lightning using Meteosat data, assuming appropriate tracking of growing cumulus clouds is performed.
Recent results from PHENIX

The PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider reports recent results on the nuclear modification factor, RAA, the mid-rapidity baryon to meson ratio and the scaling properties of v2 based on data from Au+Au, Cu+Cu, d+Au and p+p at a variety of colliding energies. The wide variety of new results support and extend previous results and continue to point to the utility of a fundamentally partonic picture as a way to explain the observations.
Oxymoron no more: the expanding world of heterochromatic genes.

Heterochromatin has been oversimplified and even misunderstood. In particular, the existence of heterochromatic genes is often overlooked. Diverse types of genes reside within regions classified as constitutive heterochromatin and activating influences of heterochromatin on gene expression in Drosophila are well documented. These properties are usually considered paradoxical because heterochromatin is commonly portrayed as ‘silent chromatin’. In the past, studies of heterochromatic genes were limited to a few Drosophila genes. However, the recent discovery of several hundred heterochromatic genes in Drosophila, plants and mammals through sequencing projects offers new opportunities to examine the variety of ways in which heterochromatin influences gene expression. Comparative genomics is revealing diverse origins of heterochromatic genes and remarkable evolutionary fluidity between heterochromatic and euchromatic domains. These features justify a broader view of heterochromatin, one that accommodates repressive, permissive and activating effects on gene expression, and recognizes chromosomal and evolutionary transitional states between heterochromatin and euchromatin.
Extrapolation of LiDAR for forest structure estimation using SAR, InSAR, and optical data

One of the most fundamental new technical challenges of a DES-DynI spaceborne mission is the fusion of the several sensor modalities - LiDAR, SAR, InSAR, and Optical - in order to accurately estimate desired 3D Vegetation structures and biomass parameters at their point of intersection and to extrapolate them over continuous areas.
Comparisons of adaptive threshold control algorithms for unslotted common-spreading-code packet-radio networks

The authors describe adaptive threshold control algorithms for the detection of a header in an unslotted centralized packet radio system with common direct-sequence spread-spectrum modulation. Two threshold control strategies, namely, the fixed-maximum-delay (FMD) strategy and the fixed-sample-size (FSS) strategy, are analyzed for two distinct types of false-alarm events, namely, false-alarm on multiple access noise and false-alarm on a header prefix. These strategies are based on an estimate of the total noise power in the receiver. The FSS strategy achieves constant false-alarm rate on sidelobes without prior knowledge of the number of active transmitting radios. The FMD strategy achieves nearly constant false-alarm rate on sidelobes with derived knowledge of the average number of active transmitting radios. Both strategies reduce the dynamic range of the false-alarm rate on a header prefix considerably. >
Two Larger Examples of Program Development

Two programs are developed to show the use of the methodology on slightly larger and more complicated problems. Each has a few further lessons to offer on the subject of program development. An attempt will be made to guide the reader to produce the solutions, as has been done in previous chapters. The developments will proceed at a faster rate than before at the places that involve only principles and strategies illustrated earlier.
Disulfiram (tetraethylthioperoxydicarbonic diamide): a reappraisal of its toxicity and therapeutic application.

(1979). Disulfiram (Tetraethylthioperoxydicarbonic Diamide): A Reappraisal of Its Toxicity and Therapeutic Application. Drug Metabolism Reviews: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 319-335.
Prevalence of Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) on White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in Forest Fragments

Effects of fragmentation on distribution of ectoparasites of mammals are not well understood. A previous study reported higher nymphal tick (Ixodes scapularis) densities in smaller than in larger fragments. We tested whether there was a higher prevalence of ticks on white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in small forest fragments in an agricultural landscape. We observed a lower prevalence of ticks on mice in smaller than in larger fragments. Differences in infection rates between fragments, use of fragments by white-tailed deer, and agricultural history of landscapes could contribute to the apparent differences in tick abundance between this study and that reported previously. Resolution of the apparently contradictory data will require that the abundance of host-seeking ticks and prevalence on mice be measured in both landscapes.
On the transport modes of fine sediment in the wave boundary layer due to resuspension/deposition: A turbulence‐resolving numerical investigation

Previous field observations revealed that the wave boundary layer is one of the main conduits delivering fine sediments from the nearshore to continental shelves. Recently, a series of turbulence-resolving simulations further demonstrated the existence of a range of flow regimes due to different degrees of sediment-induced density stratification controlled by the sediment availability. In this study, we investigate the scenario in which sediment availability is governed by the resuspension/deposition from/to the bed. Specifically, we focus on how the critical shear stress of erosion and the settling velocity can determine the modes of transport. Simulations reveal that at a given wave intensity, which is associated with more energetic muddy shelves and a settling velocity of about 0.5 mm/s, three transport modes, ranging from the well-mixed transport (mode I), two-layer like transport with the formation of lutocline (mode II), and laminarized transport (mode III) are obtained as the critical shear stress of erosion reduces. Moreover, reductions in the settling velocity also yield similar transitions of transport modes. We also demonstrate that the onset of laminarization can be well explained by the reduction of wave-averaged bottom stress to about 0.39 Pa due to attenuated turbulence by sediments. A 2-D parametric map is proposed to characterize the transition from one transport mode to another as a function of the critical shear stress and the settling velocity at a fixed wave intensity.
Relative Importance of Step Count, Intensity, and Duration on Physical Activity's Impact on Vascular Structure and Function in Previously Sedentary Older Adults

Background Age-related endothelial dysfunction and vascular stiffening are associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. Many groups have encouraged goals of ≥10 000 steps/day or ≥30 min/day of moderate intensity physical activity (MPA) to reduce age-related CV risk. The impact of MPA on the vasculature of older adults remains unclear. Methods and Results We randomized 114 sedentary older adults ages ≥50 to 12 weeks of either no intervention (group 1), a pedometer-only intervention (group 2), or a pedometer with an interactive website employing strategies to increase the adoption of habitual physical activity (PA, group 3). Endothelial function by brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD%), vascular stiffness by tonometry, step-count by pedometer, and PA intensity/distribution by accelerometer were measured. Step-count increased in groups 2 (5136±1554 to 9596±3907, P <0.001) and 3 (5474±1512 to 8167±3111, P <0.001) but not in group 1 (4931±1667 to 5410±2410). Both groups 2 and 3 increased MPA ≥30 min/day. Only group 3 increased MPA in continuous bouts of ≥10 minutes ( P <0.001) and improved FMD% ( P =0.001). Neither achievement of ≥10 000 steps/day nor ≥30 min/day of MPA resulted in improved FMD%. However, achieving ≥20 min/day in MPA bouts resulted in improved FMD%. No changes in vascular stiffness were observed. Conclusions MPA reverses age-related endothelial dysfunction, but may require MPA to be performed in bouts of ≥10 minutes duration for ≥20 min/day to be effective. Commonly encouraged PA goals do not guarantee improved endothelial function and may not be as effective in reducing CV risk. Clinical Trial Registration URL: Clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT-01212978.
Everyday Moments Finding `quality time' in American working families

American popular and academic discourses suggest that `quality time' — conceived as unstressed, uninterrupted special time with children — is important for family well-being. However, such discourses often engender stress and guilt among working parents, who have difficulty finding time for `quality time'. This article explores the concept of `quality time' in academic and popular literature (such as websites) and then draws on interviews and ethnographic video recordings of 32 dual-earner, two-parent American families to explore both perceived and lived experiences of family time. It proposes that everyday activities (like household chores or running errands) may afford families quality moments, unplanned, unstructured instances of social interaction that serve the important relationship-building functions that parents seek from `quality time'.
Political Support or Contributions: An Empirical Investigation of US Trade Policy

Contribution Driven models of tariff formation have recently gained prominence due to the strong support derived from US tariff and contribution data. The empirical tests must, however, specify alternative hypothesis to judge the quality of the Contribution Driven approach. In this paper we examine the empirical relevance of the Contribution Driven model relative to the Political Support model. Is protection for sale, or do altruistic policy makers worry about political support? We find strong evidence that protection is indeed "for sale." Similar to Eicher and Osang (2002), who tested the Contribution Driven approach against the Tariff Function models, we use a single, unified theoretical framework in order to take strict interpretations of the two opposing theoretical models to the data. We use J tests to compare the power of the two models directly, to find that we cannot reject the null hypothesis of correct specification of the Contribution Driven model while we uncover significant evidence of misspecification in the Political Support approach.