cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in curve and surface design

Abstract This article identifies trends in the development of curve and surface design schemes in order to speculate about future research. The main theme is the growing importance of a geometric approach towards design as opposed to a purely analytic one.
Detection of triethylenemelamine-induced translocation heterozygotes in CD-1 mice: fertility and cytological methods

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the extent to which translocation carriers can be missed in the heritable translocation test. CD-1 male mice were treated with the mutagen triethylenemelamine and bred to untreated females and male progeny were subjected to fertility and cytogenetic analyses. Fertility testing involved mating 1 male to 3 virgin females and subjecting the females to uterine analysis. The males were classified as having normal or reduced fertility according to the number of live implants produced by the females. The cytogenetic analysis involved scoring 25 primary spermatocytes per mouse for translocation multivalents. A total of 03 male progeny were analyzed. Evaluation of fertility and cytogenetic data confirmed the presence of 18 translocation heterozygotes among the male progeny. On the basis of fertility testing, 1 translocation heterozygote was classified as normal (false negative) based on the production of 11 or more live implants by at least 1 mated female. On the basis of cytogenetic analysis of 25 cells per mouse, 1 partially sterile male was classified as normal (false negative); however, analysis of additional cells showed that this mouse was a translocation heterozygote. The study demonstrates the importance of evaluating fertility and cytogenetic criteria to minimize the extent of misclassification in conducting a heritable translocation test.
Wake Recovery Performance Benefit in a High-Speed Axial Compressor

Rotor wakes are an important source of loss in axial compressors. The decay rate of a rotor wake is largely due to both mixing (results in loss) and stretching (no loss accrual). Thus, the actual loss associated with rotor wake decay will vary in proportion to the amounts of mixing and stretching involved. This wake stretching process, referred to by Smith (1996) as recovery, is reversible and for a 2-D rotor wake leads to an inviscid reduction of the velocity deficit of the wake. It will be shown that for the rotor/stator spacing typical of core compressors, wake stretching is the dominant wake decay process within the stator with viscous mixing playing only a secondary role. A model for the rotor wake decay process is developed and used to quantify the viscous dissipation effects relative to those of inviscid wake stretching. The model is verified using laser anemometer measurements acquired in the wake of a transonic rotor operated alone and in a stage configuration at near peak efficiency and near stall operating conditions. Results from the wake decay model exhibit good agreement with the experimental data. Data from the model and laser anemometer measurements indicate that rotor wake straining (stretching) is the primary decay process in the stator passage. Some implications of these results on compressor stage design are discussed.
Numerical study of the spectrum of broadband electrostatic noise in the magnetotail

A numerical study of the spectrum of broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) generated by ion beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) is presented, in which two cases are analyzed. The first case is concerned with a single hot-electron species. In the second case, a second population of cold electrons (arising from diffusion from the lobe into the PSBL) is introduced. The presence of the second electron component in the dispersion relation for generating BEN was found to significantly increase the upper frequency range of the unstable spectrum, enhancing the associated growth rates. It is shown that ion beam instabilities can explain most major features of the observed BEN spectrum. The results explain the gradual rise in the upper frequency range of BEN as a spacecraft approaches the plasma sheet from the lobe, and the sudden jump in that frequency up to near the plasma frequency upon crossing the PSBL.
Metals physics at ultrahigh pressure: Aluminum, copper, and lead as prototypes.

New shock compression data for Al, Cu, and Pb in the pressure range 0.3--1 TPa (3--10 Mbar) have been combined with first-principles theory and earlier equation-of-state data to give the first self-consistent description of the thermodynamic states of metals at ultrahigh pressures. No evidence is found for a break in the slope of the shock Hugoniot of Al near 0.5 TPa, as claimed by Al'tshuler.
Charge-transfer bonding in metal–arene coordination

Abstract X-ray crystallographic structures of donor–acceptor complexes of aromatic hydrocarbons with transition metals are re-examined with the focus on the arene ligands. Thus, significant structural and electronic changes are revealed in the arene moiety due to coordination to the metal center including: (i) expansion of the aromatic six-carbon ring; (ii) endocyclic π-bond localization; (iii) distortion of the planarity (folding) of the arene ring; and (iv) shortening of the metalarene bond distances. All structural features are characteristic of metal–arene (π- or σ-) complexes that exhibit various degrees of (metal-to-ligand) charge transfer. The concept of charge-transfer bonding not only explains the structural details but also the various facets of chemical reactivity of metal-coordinated arenes including efficient carbonhydrogen bond activation and nucleophilic–electrophilic umpolung, both of which are critical factors in homogeneous metal catalysis.
Evidence for small-scale heterogeneity in Earth's inner core from a global study of PKiKP coda waves

Abstract Recent seismic observations have provided evidence that the inner core contains strong heterogeneity at a scale-length of tens of kilometers. The corresponding lateral variations in elastic properties could be caused by pockets of partial melt, alignment of iron crystals, or variations in chemistry. However, the relevant seismic observations (precritical PKiKP coda waves) were subtle and were made using historic seismic data. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the seismic data might be explainable by scatterers in the lower mantle or by a complex inner core boundary. To address these issues, we investigate a preexisting global database of precritical PKiKP waveforms at distances of 10°−50°, and a second, newly generated global data base of PKiKP waveforms at distances of 50°−90°. We analyze the data using standard array processing techniques and identify PKiKP coda waves based on travel time, ray parameter, amplitude, and coherence. Although it remains unclear whether the scattered energy is being created within the inner core or along its boundary, we find three lines of evidence which support the idea that it is in fact related to the inner core: at smaller distances the decay rate of PKiKP coda is significantly lower than the decay rates of the corresponding PcP and ScP codas; at larger distances, we find examples of emergent, spindle-shaped PKiKP coda waves that exist without the parent PKiKP phase; and at larger distances, we infer a PKiKP coda decay rate similar to that determined from the data at the smaller distances. It is likely that many more PKiKP coda observations can be made with existing data sets, and hence seismologists possess a new, extraordinarily fine probe for inferring inner core structure.
A neural network approach to target recognition

Summary form only given, as follows. An approach to distortion-invariant target identification and target classification based on the adaptive resonance theory II (ART-II) is presented. The neural network used demonstrates fast unsupervised learning coupled with stable retention and retrieval of information. To keep the dimensions of the network to a bare minimum and to speed up the computational process as well as to achieve invariance, six distortion-invariant features are extracted from each target image and are used as network inputs. These continuous valued features are derived from the geometrical moments of the image. The ART-based target recognition system (ATRS) can be used in two different modes, (a) as a target classifier and (b) as a target recognition system. Several parameters associated with the network itself allow for greater flexibility in feature manipulation. The ATRS is found to perform well on three major counts: speed of processing, flexibility in feature manipulation, and noise tolerance. The determination of critical settings of the various parameters associated with the network is crucial in tuning the ATRS to ensure stable and consistent performance. >
The equity factor: a vital part of the quality equation

Equitable practices of fair and just treatment are vital in promoting quality education and permeate Deming′s 14 points of quality management. When inequitable practices exist, they have a negative impact on worker motivation, quality of work performance and job satisfaction. Inequitable practices can be both overt and covert with lose‐lose confrontations resulting for both worker and administrator. Hidden inequities violate the sense of fair and just treatment which is deeply embedded in our culture. Administrator actions which run counter to the concept of fairness and justice cause worker discontent and detract from quality workmanship. Fusing together the tenets of equity theory and Deming′s 14 points, administrators can provide equal ratios of inputs to outcomes in the workplace, increase worker morale, and provide fair and equitable treatment.
Otitis media, genetics and environment: Some considerations for emerging nations

The analysis explores environmental, cultural and genetic factors which may be related to the incidence of otitis media. The implications are traced for response by health officials in emerging nations.
Prevalence of precipitins in groups at risk of developing hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Summary A study was made of the prevalence of serum precipitins to Micropolyspora faeni, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris, Aspergillus fumigatus, and pigeon serum in population groups suspected to be at high risk for the development of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Pigeon breeders' sera contained precipitins mainly to pigeon serum (38%) and A. fumigatus (18%). Occupants of homes in which forced air heating systems were investigated for the presence of microorganisms reacted mostly with M. faeni (13%) and A. fumigatus (8%). Individuals from environments where several cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis were discovered reacted largely with M. faeni (28%) and T. vulgaris (21%). Sera supplied by physicians from patients with respiratory symptoms reacted primarily to A. fumigatus (24%) and to a lesser extent to M. faeni (16%) and T. vulgaris (9%). The results indicate that the prevalence of precipitins to the tested antigens is not uniform and may be influenced by the environment. Furthermore, the prevalence of precipitins in groups at risk is greater than previously reported for the normal population.
A new Karzanov-type O(n3) max-flow algorithm

A new algorithm is presented for finding maximal and maximum value flows in directed single commodity networks. The algorithm gradually converts a combination of blocking preflows and backflows to a maximal flow in the network. Unlike other maximal flow algorithms, the algorithm treats the network more symmetrically by attempting to increase flow on both the ForwardStep and the BackwardStep. The algorithm belongs to the so called phase algorithms, and is applied to Dinic-type layered networks. With an effort of at most O(n^3) for maximum value flow, the algorithm ties with the fastest maximum flow algorithms in dense networks, where m ~ n^2, and can therefore be seen as a significant alternate technique. The algorithm is based on the Karzanov [1] algorithm, and shares features with the algorithm of Tarjan [2]. The first version of this algorithm was presented by the author in [3].
Wavefront sensing of atmospheric phase distortions at the Palomar 200-in. telescope and implications for adaptive optics

Major efforts in astronomical instrumentation are now being made to apply the techniques of adaptive optics to the correction of phase distortions induced by the turbulent atmosphere and by quasi-static aberrations in telescopes themselves. Despite decades of study, the problem of atmospheric turbulence is still only partially understood. We have obtained video-rate (30 Hz) imaging of stellar clusters and of single-star phase distortions over the pupil of the 200" Hale telescope on Palomar Mountain. These data show complex temporal and spatial behavior, with multiple components arising at a number of scale heights in the atmosphere; we hope to quantify this behavior to ensure the feasibility of adaptive optics at the Observatory. We have implemented different wavefront sensing techniques to measure aperture phase in wavefronts from single stars, including the classical Foucault test, which measures the local gradient of phase, and the recently-devised curvature sensing technique, which measures the second derivative of pupil phase and has formed the real-time wavefront sensor for some very productive astronomical adaptive optics. Our data, though not fast enough to capture all details of atmospheric phase fluctuations, provide important information regarding the capabilities that must be met by the adaptive optics system now being built for the 200" telescope by a team at the Jet Propulsion Lab. We describe our data acquisition techniques, initial results from efforts to characterize the properties of the turbulent atmosphere at Palomar Mountain, and future plans to extract additional quantitative parameters of use for adaptive optics performance predictions.
Anthrax-related panic is more dangerous than the disease

Given that anthrax is not very contagious between humans, along with all the precautions already taken and that there have only been a few cases of terrorist-induced anthrax worldwide, a widespread panic of the disease is totally unjustified. However, the fear of anthrax still dominates the news in the USA (and some other countries) and, as a result, thousands of Americans have been preventatively taking antibiotics for weeks [1xSee all References[1]. This seems nonsensical because all known antibiotics were developed and are used to treat bacterial infections rather than to prevent them. In addition, there are serious side effects associated with extensively taking these drugs [1xSee all References[1].Such a mass hysteria is no less dangerous than anthrax itself [2xSee all References[2]. Indeed, the prolonged indiscriminate use of antibiotics on a large scale could readily spread a new kind of drug resistance among various types of other pathogenic bacteria. The future consequences of this for the US populace (and the entire human race) might be very harmful. Thus, it is an urgent duty of life scientists to alarm and educate the public in this issue, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its pending report on bioweapons (see working draft of WHO report at http://www.who.int/emc/pdfs/BIOWEAPONS_FULL_TEXT2.pdf). The periodic coverage of various anthrax-related topics in the leading scientific journals and science-popular magazines is also necessary. Indeed, the latest Nature initiative to widely provide access to the most recent scientific data relating to anthrax is timely (http://www.nature.com/nature/anthrax).Those who are scared of anthrax should try to realize that deadly risk is part of our everyday life. Anyone could be killed by an accident or be lethally infected by influenza, HIV, salmonella, pathogenic Escherichia coli and so on (the long list of common microbial pathogens could easily be continued), and all these ‘traditional’ dangers overwhelm the recent peril of anthrax. In my Russian childhood I lived very close to the place where the carcasses of anthrax-killed animals were first sanitized then discarded and no one in my neighborhood was ever infected. All we need now is to be reasonably cautious, just like when crossing a street. Let common sense, as always, rule our lives!
Parallel Multigrid Computation of the Unsteady Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations

Parallel computation on distributed-memory machines offers the capability of a scalable approach to the solution of large CFD problems. However, in order to fully realize this capability, it is necessary not only to devise parallel methodologies, but also to develop numerical schemes for which the computational effort also scales with problem size. To this end, a parallel multigrid scheme for the calculation of the unsteady incompressible Navier?Stokes equations is considered here. A spatial and temporal second-order accurate implicit discretization scheme on a staggered grid is employed, and a full approximation storage multigrid method, appropriate for nonlinear problems, is used. A parallel solver is developed which smooths the equations at each multigrid level in a fully coupled mode. The programming paradigm is single program multiple data with message passing. In comparison with single-grid calculations, it is demonstrated that the convergence rate for multigrid calculations is considerably superior and dominates the slight degradation in speed up.
Light-dependent phosphorylation of rhodopsin by β -adrenergic receptor kinase

The structural components involved in transduction of extracellular signals as diverse as a photon of light impinging on the retina or a hormone molecule impinging on a cell have been highly conserved. These components include a recognition unit or receptor (for example, the β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) for catecholamines or the ‘light receptor’ rhodopsin), a guanine nucleotide regulatory or transducing protein, and an effector enzyme (for example, adenylate cyclase or cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase)1,2. Molecular cloning has revealed that the βAR shares significant sequence and three-dimensional homology with rhodopsin3. The function of the βAR is diminished by exposure to stimulatory agonists, leading to desensitization4. Similarly, ‘light adaptation’ involves decreased coupling of photoactivated rhodopsin to cGMP phosphodiesterase activation5–7. Both forms of desensitization involve receptor phosphorylation. The latter is mediated by a unique protein kinase, rhodopsin kinase, which phosphorylates only the light-bleached form of rhodopsin8–10. An analogous enzyme (termed βAR kinase or βARK) phosphorylates only the agonist-occupied βAR11. We report here that βARK is also capable of phosphorylating rhodopsin in a totally light-dependent fashion. Moreover, rhodopsin kinase can phosphorylate the agonist-occupied βAR. Thus the mechanisms which regulate the function of these disparate signalling systems also appear to be similar.
Cover Picture: Acceleration of Calcite Kinetics by Abalone Nacre Proteins (Adv. Mater. 22/2005)

Abalone utilizes a system of macromolecular matrices and soluble proteins to produce beautiful and mechanically robust shells. The cover shows work by Qiu and co-workers reported on p. 2678, in which AP8 proteins isolated from the shell of red abalone are shown to alter the growth of calcite both by accelerating the rate and modifying the shape from the simple rhombohedra seen in the upper left of the scheme to the more complex form seem in the lower right. The changes are made manifest at an atomic scale through alterations in the growth speed and shape of the atomic steps that form the growth hillocks (background).
On reliability-based optimisation methods for automotive structures

To reduce the cost of prototype and physical tests, CAE analysis has been widely used to evaluate vehicle performance during the product development process. Combining CAE analysis and optimisation approach, the vehicle design process can be implemented more efficiently at affordable cost. Reliability-based design optimisation (RBDO) formulation considers variations of input variables, such as component gauges and material properties. This paper is on the application of reliability-based design optimisation of automotive structures. Several fundamental approaches aimed at simulations, optimisation and robustness analysis are discussed. They include sampling techniques and non-linear response surface methodologies, optimisation and robustness assessment, reliability-based design optimisation and robust design formulation. The major focus is on the implementation of reliability-based design optimisation methodologies in vehicle crash safety design. Some recent applications are presented to demonstrate how these approaches were used for vehicle structure design.
Hypoxia-ischemia produces focal disruption of glutamate receptors in developing brain

We examined the impact of a perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult on the distribution of glutamate receptors in developing brain. We used a well characterized rodent model for perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, unilateral carotid artery occlusion followed by exposure to 8% oxygen for 2.5 h in 7-day-old rat pups. This preparation results in focal neuronal damage in striatum, hippocampus, and cortex ipsilateral to ligation. Alterations in the regional distribution of glutamate binding in the first 24 h after the insult were assessed with quantitative in vitro [3H]glutamate autoradiography. In lesioned animals, we found progressive selective reductions in [3H]glutamate binding in forebrain ipsilateral to ligation in regions destined for neuronal damage. The earliest and most prominent unilateral reductions in binding were noted in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus (-45 + 9%, compared with contralateral hemisphere at 24 h). Acute reductions in specific glutamate binding appear to be a sensitive marker for hypoxic-ischemic neuronal damage in the immature brain. These observations suggest that neurons bearing glutamate receptors may be particularly susceptible to hypoxic-ischemic injury.
Three Unique 5′ Untranslated Regions Are Spliced to Common Coding Exons of High- and Low-Molecular-Weight Microtubule-Associated Protein-2†

: Three unique 5′ untranslated regions (UTRs) have been characterized for human microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) transcripts. All three UTRs shared a common 171-bp sequence adjacent to the MAP-2 coding region and then diverged upstream. The size of the unique upstream sequence was 281, 146, or 104 bp. PCR of genomic DNA demonstrated that the 5′ UTRs span multiple exons. The unique region of the UTRs recognizes a 9.5- and a 6-kb MAP-2 transcript in poly(A)+ mRNA isolated from human MSN cells, and PCR analysis demonstrated that each unique UTR is contained in multiple high- and low-molecular-weight MAP-2 transcripts. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) performed on MSN mRNA isolated from polysomes demonstrated that all three of the UTRs contained within multiple MAP-2 transcripts were associated with polysomes and hence translated. RT-PCR from human fetal spinal cord and adult brain mRNA demonstrated that all of the UTRs are expressed at these developmental time points.
An exact two-dimensional approach to fiber micro-buckling

Abstract Fiber micro-buckling is studied within the context of a two-dimensional (lamellar) model. A bifurcation approach, which rigorously accounts for finite strains and material nonlinearity in both constituents, is employed to examine the possibility of shear and extensional micro-buckling modes. Numerical results for a range of material and geometric parameters are presented, and an asymptotic bifurcation condition is developed for long wavelength shear modes. It is found that shear modes are preferred at higher fiber volume fractions and extensional modes at lower fiber fractions. However, the transition fiber volume fraction, which depends strongly on material nonlinearity, may be higher than previously expected. The distinction between mechanical loading and thermal loading (where one constituent goes into tension and one into compression) is also touched upon briefly.
Sulfur isotopic composition of cenozoic seawater sulfate

A continuous seawater sulfate sulfur isotope curve for the Cenozoic with a resolution of ∼1 million years was generated using marine barite. The sulfur isotopic composition decreased from 19 to 17 per mil between 65 and 55 million years ago, increased abruptly from 17 to 22 per mil between 55 and 45 million years ago, remained nearly constant from 35 to ∼2 million years ago, and has decreased by 0.8 per mil during the past 2 million years. A comparison between seawater sulfate and marine carbonate carbon isotope records reveals no clear systematic coupling between the sulfur and carbon cycles over one to several millions of years, indicating that changes in the burial rate of pyrite sulfur and organic carbon did not singularly control the atmospheric oxygen content over short time intervals in the Cenozoic. This finding has implications for the modeling of controls on atmospheric oxygen concentration.
Defensive Force as an Act of Rescue

Jewish law takes an approach to self-defense that differs dramatically from the conventional assumptions of Western secular legal systems. The central theme of Talmudic jurisprudence is that self-defense rests on a duty not to stand idly by while one's neighbor suffers. “Do not stand on the blood of one's neighbor,” as the point is cryptically put in Leviticus 19:16. This way of thinking about self-defense departs in two significant ways from common Western assumptions. First, it stresses that the roots of self-defense are a duty rather than a right to act; second, it treats the case of third-party defense (defense of others) as logically prior to the first-party case of self-defense.
Overview of techniques applicable to self-interference incoherent digital holography

Self-interference incoherent digital holography (SIDH) retrieves the complex hologram from the object illuminated by the incoherent light. Supported by the adaptive optic feature, SIDH is readily applicable to the ocular imaging to investigate the human retinal cells. Considering the practical issues, issues related to resolution, phase-shifting, and contrast should be addressed to implement the viable SIDH system which is capable of recording the holographic information of human retinal cells under the incoherent illumination. Super resolution image reconstruction technique can be directly applied to SIDH to enhance the resolution of the system without any change of configuration. We present the improved way to incorporate the phase-shifting itself into the lateral shift required by the super resolution technique. To deal with the phase-shifting issue, we present an arbitrary phase shift retrieval algorithm which can reduce the number of phase-shift and accept the blind phase-shift. The single-shot imaging is also possible by adopting the off-axis configuration of SIDH. We will provide the detailed procedures to retrieve the complex hologram using the proposed arbitrary phase shifting algorithm and the off-axis configuration.
Molecular study of pyruvate kinase deficient patients with hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia.

Abstract DNA analysis was performed on 30 unrelated patients with hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia (HNSHA) who had been found to be pyruvate kinase (PK) deficient by enzyme assay. 19 different mutations were identified among 58 of the 60 alleles at risk. 13 of these were missense mutations that caused single amino acid changes. Included were the following nucleotide substitutions: 401A, 464C, 993A, 1022C, 1076A, 1178G, 1179A, 1373A, 1378A, 1456T, 1484T, 1493A, 1529A. The remaining six mutations were as follows: two nonsense mutations, 721T and 808T; a nucleotide deletion, 307C; a nucleotide insertion, 1089GG; a three nucleotide in frame deletion, 391-392-393 and a deletion of 1149 bp from the PKLR gene that resulted in the loss of exon 11. All the patients were studied for two polymorphic sites, nucleotide (nt) 1705 A/C and a microsatellite in intron 11, to better understand the origin of the mutations. The 1529A mutation, which is the most common mutation in the European population, was found in 25 alleles. With a single exception this mutation was in linkage disequilibrium with both of the polymorphic markers, i.e., found with 1705C and 14 repeats in the microsatellite. This finding is consistent with a single origin of this common mutation. Other mutations occurring more than once were of much lower frequency than the 1529A mutation.
Trading memory for disk bandwidth in video-on-demand servers

In a Video-on-Demand server, requests from different clients are independent of each other and may arrive at random time. Commercial systems may contain hundreds to thousands of clients and thus providing an individual stream for each client may require very high disk bandwidth in the server. Therefore the disk bandwidth may become a bottleneck resource, restricting the number of concurrent displays in the system. In this paper, we propose a scheme that trades memory for disk bandwidth and strikes a balance in order to prevent either memory or disk bandwidth from becoming a bottleneck resource. Moreover, we obtain the balance point of trading memory for disk bandwidth which leads to the most cost-effective system configuration.
Geology of the Dry Creek Site, a Stratified Early Man Site in Interior Alaska

The Dry Creek archeologic site contains a stratified record of late Pleistocene human occupation in central Alaska. Four archeologic components occur within a sequence of multiple loess and sand layers which together form a 2-m cap above weathered glacial outwash. The two oldest components appear to be of late Pleistocene age and occur with the bones of extinct game animals. Geologic mapping, stratigraphic correlations, radiocarbon dating, and sediment analyses indicate that the basal loess units formed part of a widespread blanket that was associated with an arctic steppe environment and with stream aggradation during waning phases of the last major glaciation of the Alaska Range. These basal loess beds contain artifacts for which radiocarbon dates and typologic correlations suggest a time range of perhaps 12,000–9000 yr ago. A long subsequent episode of cultural sterility was associated with waning loess deposition and development of a cryoturbated tundra soil above shallow permafrost. Sand deposition from local source areas predominated during the middle and late Holocene, and buried Subarctic Brown Soils indicate that a forest fringe developed on bluff-edge sand sheets along Dry Creek. The youngest archeologic component, which is associated with the deepest forest soil, indicates intermittent human occupation of the site between about 4700 and 3400 14C yr BP.
Corrections to scaling in the critical theory of deconfined criticality

Inspired by recent conflicting views on the order of the phase transition from an antiferromagnetic N\'eel state to a valence bond solid, we use the functional renormalization group to study the underlying quantum critical field theory which couples two complex matter fields to a noncompact gauge field. In our functional renormalization group approach, we only expand in covariant derivatives of the fields and use a truncation in which the full field dependence of all wave-function renormalization functions is kept. While we do find critical exponents which agree well with some quantum Monte Carlo studies and support the scenario of deconfined criticality, we also obtain an irrelevant eigenvalue of small magnitude, leading to strong corrections to scaling and slow convergence in related numerical studies.
Expression theory and the measurement of apparently labile values

Systematic inconsistencies in judgments and choices have been attributed to either the encoding of information and/or its evaluation. However, anomalics in decision making can also result from the way people express their internal experiences on different overt response scales. A model that relates underlying preferences for gambles to a variety of observable judgments and choices (e.g. binary choices, judgments of minimum selling price, ratings of attractiveness) is developed. The model, called Expression Theory, explains how stable and consistent underlying preferences can result in inconsistent overt responses, including “preference reversal” phenomena. Thus, one can choose alternative A over B, but rate B as more attractive than A. An axiomatic foundation is developed for Expression Theory that gives insight into the structure of the model and suggests further empirical work. The relative importance of the axioms to the substantive theory is discussed, along with issues relevant to the measurement of the numerical scales.
Differentiated phenotypes of primary murine alveolar epithelial cells and their susceptibility to infection by respiratory viruses

Severe respiratory viral infections are associated with spread to the alveoli of the lungs. There are multiple murine models of severe respiratory viral infections that have been used to identify viral and host factors that contribute to disease severity. Primary cultures of murine alveolar epithelial cells provide a robust in vitro model to perform mechanistic studies that can be correlated with in vivo studies to identify cell type-specific factors that contribute to pathology within the alveoli of the lung during viral infection. In this study, we established an in vitro model to compare the responses of type I (ATI) and type II (ATII) alveolar epithelial cells to infection by respiratory viruses used in murine models: mouse-adapted severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV, v2163), murine coronavirus MHV-1, and influenza A (H1N1) virus, strain PR8. Murine alveolar cells cultured to maintain an ATII cell phenotype, determined by expression of LBP180, were susceptible to infection by all three viruses. In contrast, ATII cells that were cultured to trans-differentiate into an ATI-like cell phenotype were susceptible to MHV-1 and PR8, but not mouse-adapted SARS-CoV. Epithelial cells produce cytokines in response to viral infections, thereby activating immune responses. Thus, virus-induced cytokine expression was quantified in ATI and ATII cells. Both cell types had increased expression of IL-1β mRNA upon viral infection, though at different levels. While MHV-1 and PR8 induced expression of a number of shared cytokines in ATI cells, there were several cytokines whose expression was induced uniquely by MHV-1 infection. In summary, ATI and ATII cells exhibited differential susceptibilities and cytokine responses to infection by respiratory viruses. This in vitro model will be critical for future studies to determine the roles of these specialized cell types in the pathogenesis of respiratory viral infection.
Contrasted perceptions of abilities in business: African American vs. white business school graduates

Attempts to extend the work of a study which examined the differences that exist between the attitudes of White and African American college business students using the Blacks in Business Scale (Stevens, 1984). Considers particularly the perception of white students with regards to their beliefs about African Americans. Concludes that White students hold a positive view of their counterparts but African Americans still believe that White students have a less positive view of African Americans than they themselves possess. Discusses the implications for managers.
The control of Phanerozoic atmosphere and seawater composition by basalt–seawater exchange reactions

Abstract We present results from a long term geochemical cycling model, with a focus on the sensitivity of atmospheric carbon dioxide, oxygen, and the major element composition of seawater to seafloor spreading rates. This model incorporates rock weathering, basalt–seawater exchange reactions, and the formation and destruction of chemical sediments and organic matter. Hydrothermal reactions between seafloor and seawater involving calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and carbon are the high temperature counterparts to low temperature redox, weathering, precipitation and diagenetic reactions. A major source of uncertainty is the extent to which these exchange fluxes are controlled by seafloor spreading rate. In addition, the return fluxes of these components to the atmospheric and primary silicate reservoirs reflect not only the overall rates of subduction and metamorphism, but the distribution of the overlying sedimentary burden and authigenic minerals formed during basalt alteration as well. In particular, we show how the stoichiometry of exchange fluxes (Mg/Ca and SO 4 /Ca) may buffer atmospheric CO 2 and O 2 concentrations.
Cytoplasmic control of nuclear behavior during meiotic maturation of frog oocytes.

Fully grown oocytes of the frog (Rana pipiens) undergo cytoplasmic and nuclear maturation when treated with progesterone after the follicular envelopes have been removed. The mechanism of this maturation was investigated by injection of cytoplasm from progesterone-treated oocytes at various stages of maturation into fully grown but immature oocytes. The injected cytoplasm becomes effective in inducing maturation by 12 hours after progesterone administration, reaches a maximum effectiveness around 20 hours, and then declines after the donor oocytes complete maturation. However, even cytoplasm from early embryos retains some capacity to induce oocyte maturation. The frequency with which maturation is induced is proportional to the volume of the injected cytoplasm. Progesterone itself is not directly responsible for the maturation-producing effect of injected cytoplasm since injected progesterone does not promote maturation. However, externally applied progesterone does induce the completion of the first meiotic division, presumably by releasing a cytoplasmic “maturation promoting factor.” The production of this cytoplasmic factor was not affected by removal of the nucleus. After completion of the first meiotic division, oocytes cease further development at the metaphase of the second meiotic division, where they remain until fertilized or activated to develop. Cytoplasm from such secondary oocytes when injected into one of the blastomeres at the two-cell stage of development suppresses mitosis as well as cleavage. Mitosis is usually arrested at metaphase. No such inhibition was brought about by injection of cytoplasm from cleaving blastomeres. Thus, the arrest of mitosis and cleavage can be attributed to a specific “cytostatic factor” in the cytoplasm of the secondary oocyte. Activation of donor secondary oocytes by insemination or pricking with a glass needle soon destroys the cytostatic factor. Likewise, addition of cortical cytoplasm to endoplasm from the secondary oocyte rapidly destroys the cytostatic capacity. This result implies that cortical material is involved in the process of removing the cytostatic factor at the time of normal activation or fertilization. Enucleation of oocytes demonstrated that production and removal of the cytostatic factor is independent of the nucleus.
Effect of PRESS and STEAM sequences on magnetic resonance spectroscopic liver fat quantification.

Purpose To compare PRESS and STEAM MR spectroscopy for assessment of liver fat in human subjects.
Quality function deployment (QFD) processes in an integrated quality information system

A general design of an integrated total quality information system involving the Quality Function Deployment process is proposed in this paper. Data flow diagram is used to illustrate the structure of the information system. Within it, the Quality Function Deployment process is especially discussed in detail. BACKGROUND
Development of methodology for synthesis of [α-C]-labeled phenethylamine

Abstract A one solvent two-step procedure for the synthesis of [α-C]-labeled phenethylamine is described. The method employs crown ethers to aid in the solubilization of sodium cyanide in tetrahydrofuran (THF) for the formation of phenylacetonitrile from benzyl chloride. Reduction of phenylacetonitrile to phenethylamine was accomplished with borane using the same solvent. The overall yield of phenethylamine was 44.5% based on cyanide. The procedure is amenable to hot cell conditions for eventual [α- 11 C]- labeling of phenethylamine. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was found to be a less desirable solvent for this reaction due to its participation in the Kornblum oxidation.
Iron metabolism by an ectomcorrhizal fungus, Cenococcum graniforme

Abstract When Cenococcum graniforme is grown in submerged culture where iron is not a limiting nutrient, ‘reductants’ are released which will reduce Fe(111). Of the two ‘reductant’ responses observed, one is associated with the reduction of unchelated Fe(111) and the second reduces iron from ethylenediaminetetraacetate. With iron supplied as Fe citrate, ferrichrome A, Fe salts, Fe ethylenediaminetetraacetate or Fe diethylenetriaminepentaacetate, all cultures produced ‘reductant’ for unchelated Fe(111); however, only cultures grown in the presence of ethylenediametetraacetate or diethylenetriaminepentaacetate would reduce chelated iron. Transport of iron into the cells was found to be a Fe(11) system which was energy dependent and displayed saturation kinetics. Purified cell walls of C. graniforme will bind Fe(11) and these cell walls could serve as a potential source of iron to the adjacent cells.
High surface area α-aluminas II. Adsorption of oxygen, ethylene, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide on silver dispersed on HSA α-alumina

Abstract High surface area (HSA) α-Al2O3 (ca. 100 m2 g−1) prepared from unground (U) and ground (G) diaspore was utilized to obtain two very good silver dispersions of 0.43 and 0.56 for 0.83%AgAl2/O3(U) and 0.71%AgAl2/O3(G), respectively, as measured by oxygen adsorption and hydrogen titration at 443 K. The corresponding integral heat of adsorption (Qad) for oxygen at 300 and 443 K was43 ± 1kcal mol−1, which is similar to values for η-alumina-supported silver. The adsorption of other reactants and products in ethylene oxidation, i.e., C2H4, CO2, and CO was also examined. On the reduced silver catalysts, no irreversible adsorption of ethylene or carbon monoxide occurred, and averageQad values for reversible adsorption were 5.1 and 12.8 kcal mol−1, respectively. However, after oxygen adsorption on these silver catalysts, significant irreversible adsorption along with an enhancement of reversible adsorption occurred for ethylene and carbon monoxide. The integral heat of adsorption for ethylene on the oxygen-covered silver catalysts was around 11 kcal mol−1 for the reversible uptake, while values were around 37 kcal mol−1 at 443 K and 14 kcal mol−1 at 300 K for irreversible ethylene adsorption on the oxygen-covered silver surfaces. Integral heats of carbon dioxide adsorption at 300 K were 8 kcal mol−1 for reversible adsorption, while irreversible adsorption on the reduced and oxygen-covered samples gaveQad values of 15 and 13 kcal mol−1, respectively. The integral heats of carbon monoxide adsorption at 300 K were near 13 kcal mol−1 for reversible adsorption and 34 kcal mol−1 for irreversible adsorption on the oxygen-covered silver surfaces. TheCO(a)/O(a) andCO2(a)/O(a) ratios after oxygen exposure imply the formation of carbonate species.
PRL3 Promotes Cell Invasion and Proliferation by Down-regulation of Csk Leading to Src Activation *

Phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL3) is overexpressed in a variety of tumors, and high levels of PRL3 expression are associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. Consistent with an oncogenic role for PRL3, we show that ectopic PRL3 expression promotes cell proliferation and invasion. However, little is known about the molecular basis for PRL3 function. Obtaining this knowledge is vital for understanding PRL3-mediated disease processes and for the development of novel anticancer therapies targeted to PRL3. Here we report that up-regulation of PRL3 activates the Src kinase, which initiates a number of signal pathways culminating in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, STAT3, and p130Cas. The activation of these pathways likely contributes to the increased cell growth and motility of PRL3 cells. We provide evidence that PRL3 induces Src activation through down-regulation of Csk, a negative regulator of Src. Importantly, Src activation and Csk down-regulation are also observed in colon cancer cells expressing a higher level of PRL3. Thus, we have revealed a biochemical mechanism for the PRL3-mediated cell invasion and proliferation in which elevated PRL3 expression causes a reduction in Csk level, leading to Src activation.
CO, CI, and (Possibly) HCN in the Cloverleaf Quasar

The Cloverleaf (H1413+117) is a quasar at redshift 2.56 which derives its name from its optical image, which is gravitationally lensed into a pattern of four points with separations of about 1″. The lensing galaxy is unseen, but models assuming an elliptical potential at intermediate redshift give total magnifications of roughly a factor of 10 (Kayser et al. 1990). The Cloverleaf’s optical spectrum has classical broad emission lines, plus broad absorption troughs — it is classified as a BALQ (broad absorption line quasar).
Pubertal testosterone programs context-appropriate agonistic behavior and associated neural activation patterns in male Syrian hamsters.

Abstract Pubertal testosterone programs the level of aggressive behavior displayed by male Syrian hamsters during resident–intruder interactions. To further explore the pubertal programming of adult male agonistic behaviors, the current study investigated the formation, stability, and maintenance of dominant–subordinate relationships in males that either did (T@P) or did not (NoT@P) experience testicular hormones during adolescent development. NoT@P males were gonadectomized prepubertally and T@P males were gonadectomized in adulthood. Four weeks after gonadectomy, all males received testosterone-replacement. Two weeks later, two males of the same hormonal history were given a 60 min introductory trial in a neutral arena, followed immediately and again 24 h later by three 5-min trials. During the introductory trial, each male was deemed dominant, subordinate, or no-status. Brains were collected 1 h after the last trial and sections were stained for Fos-immunoreactivity. Dominant T@P males flank marked more frequently than subordinate and no-status T@P males; this difference was not found in NoT@P males. NoT@P males showed an increase in the number of offensive postures the day after the first series of tests, whereas T@P males did not. Dominant T@P males had significantly more Fos expression than no-status T@P males in anterior cingulate cortex; this relationship was not observed in NoT@P males. Additionally, dominant T@P males had higher Fos expression than dominant NoT@P males in lateral septum. Thus, pubertal testosterone does not organize the formation or stability of male–male relationships, but does program the behavioral strategies used to maintain these relationships over time and the neural correlates of status.