cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organic matter and nutrient dynamics of the forest and forest floor in the Hubbard Brook forest.

The forest floor is a major reservoir of organic matter and nutrients for the ecosystem and as such it influences or regulates most of the functional processes occurring throughout the ecosystem. This study reports on the nutrient and organic matter content of the forest floor of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest during different seasons and attempts to correlate results from studies of vegetation, litter, decomposition, stemflow, throughfall, and soil. An organic matter budget is presented for an undisturbed watershed. Average weight of the forest floor on an undisturbed watershed ranged from 25,500 to 85,500 kg/ha. The weighted watershed average was 46,800 kg/ha. Although the F and H horizons did not vary significantly with time, the L horizon increased significantly during the period June to August largely as a result of a severe hail storm. The order of abundance of elements in the forest floor was Nτ;Ca≷Fe>S>P>Mn>K>Mg>Na>Zn>Cu. The concentrations of Ca, K, and Mn decreased with depth in the forest floor while N, P, S, Na, Fe, Zn, and Cu concentrations increased. N:P ratios were similar in decomposing leaf tissue, the forest floor, litterfall, and net stemflow plus throughfall suggesting a similar pattern of cycling. S was proportional to N and P in decomposing leaf tissue, the forest floor, and litterfall. Net stemflow and throughfall were affected by a relatively large input of SO4=-S from the atmosphere. Residence times for elements in the forest floor were affected by inputs other than litterfall (precipitation, stemflow, and throughfall). Calculation of residence times using all inputs caused smaller values than if litterfall alone was used. While all residence times were reduced, the major differences occurred for K, S, and Na. N and P showed relatively long residence times as a result of retranslocation and immobilization by decomposers. The slow turnover rate because of the strong demand and retention by all biota must account for the efficiency of the intrasystem cycling process for N and P. K showed the shortest residence time. A rapid and efficient uptake of K by vegetation seems to account for the efficient cycling of this element. The patterns of nutrient cycling are several depending on the chemical properties of the forest floor, and nutritional requirements of the biota.
Correcting lateral heat conduction effect in image-based heat flux measurements as an inverse problem

Abstract The image deconvolution method is developed, which is coupled with the one-dimensional (1D) analytical inverse method to calculate more accurate heat flux fields by correcting the lateral heat conduction effect in image-based surface temperature measurements. The theoretical foundation is a convolution-type integral equation with a Gaussian filter (kernel) that relates a heat flux field obtained by using the 1D inverse method on a surface to the true heat flux field. The accuracy of this method is evaluated and the standard deviation in the Gaussian filter is determined for different materials through simulations. This method is used to calculate heat flux fields in temperature-sensitive-paint measurements on a 7°-half-angle circular cone at Mach 6 in a short-duration hypersonic wind tunnel. In addition, a simple method is proposed to solve a projection problem associated with image deconvolution for a highly curved developable surface.
A test of lens opacity as an indicator of preclinical Alzheimer Disease.

Previous studies reported that characteristic lens opacities were present in Alzheimer Disease (AD) patients postmortem. We therefore determined whether cataract grade or lens opacity is related to the risk of Alzheimer dementia in participants who have biomarkers that predict a high risk of developing the disease. AD biomarker status was determined by positron emission tomography-Pittsburgh compound B (PET-PiB) imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Aβ42. Cognitively normal participants with a clinical dementia rating of zero (CDR = 0; N = 40) or with slight evidence of dementia (CDR = 0.5; N = 2) were recruited from longitudinal studies of memory and aging at the Washington University Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The age, sex, race, cataract type and cataract grade of all participants were recorded and an objective measure of lens light scattering was obtained for each eye using a Scheimpflug camera. Twenty-seven participants had no biomarkers of Alzheimer dementia and were CDR = 0. Fifteen participants had biomarkers indicating increased risk of AD, two of which were CDR = 0.5. Participants who were biomarker positive were older than those who were biomarker negative. Biomarker positive participants had more advanced cataracts and increased cortical light scattering, none of which reached statistical significance after adjustment for age. We conclude that cataract grade or lens opacity is unlikely to provide a non-invasive measure of the risk of developing Alzheimer dementia.
Regime type and politics in Ukraine under Kuchma

Abstract The article surveys and discusses different definitions of regime type in Ukraine and whether they provide a sound understanding of the regime emerging in Ukraine and other CIS states since the late 1990s. Ukraine and the CIS witnessed democratic regression and therefore could not be assumed that they were on a ‘transition’ path to a consolidated democracy. The majority of CIS states have either already moved to fully authoritarian regimes, such as Russia. Or, like Ukraine, they remained as unstable competitive authoritarian regimes which exhibited a ‘hybrid’ fusion of the former Soviet system and the emerging reformed economy and polity. Ukraine's oligarchs during Kuchma's second term preferred a fully authoritarian regime but they were also divided among themselves and faced a formidable opposition. These factors blocked the creation of a fully authoritarian regime under Kuchma and led to the victory of the opposition through Ukraine's Orange Revolution.
Role of a Psychiatric Pharmacist in a Los Angeles “Skid-Row” safety-net clinic

Limited access to a psychiatrist prompted a collaborative practice agreement between a psychiatric pharmacist, a psychiatric pharmacy resident, and primary care physicians at the Center for Community Health, a safety-net clinic providing comprehensive care to the homeless in Skid Row, Los Angeles, CA, USA. From July 2009 to February 2010, 36 (75%) of the 48 patients referred to the psychiatric pharmacy resident met the criteria for the chart review. Twenty-six (54%) were seen for regular follow-up care over 7 months. Most referrals were for depression, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The types of drug therapy problems, pharmacist interventions, and clinical mental health outcomes are discussed.
High-speed full-spectrum interrogation of fiber Bragg grating sensor application in reducing sensor strain sensitivity

We used high-speed full-spectrum interrogation of a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor to measure dynamic strain in different sensor packages in real-time. In this effort we performed solenoid impact tests on a variety of sensor mounting structures made with FR4, steel, and carbon fiber composite materials. Full spectrum FBG interrogation at 40 kHz repetition rate was the key that allowed us to measure and compare dynamic strain in the structures, with measurement resolution on the sub-millisecond scale. With this interrogation method we were able to measure the full character of the dynamic strain including the strain non-uniformity and distribution manifested in peak-splitting and spectrum broadening. Results showed that the FR4 board with soft epoxy responded with a maximum dynamic strain on the order of 3000 micro-strain. Adding hard materials such as steel and graphite fiber composite reduced the strain about 7 times. However, the FR4 board mounted in a free-floating configuration using hard epoxy reduced the maximum strain to a value below the noise threshold of the full spectrum interrogation configuration. Here we proposed using edge detection method of FBG interrogation due to its increased strain sensitivity which enabled us to further analyze the critical results obtained by full spectrum interrogation. We also proposed using edge detection to measure sensor strain in real time for the purpose of filtering out the strain noise from useful signal. We will use the results and data obtained with both methods to analyze and enhance the performance of our electric field sensors in environments of high static and dynamic strain.
Enthalpy of formation of sulfate green rusts

Abstract As a contribution to the systematic study of iron oxide thermodynamics, this work reports enthalpies of formation of green rust, a double layered (Fe II , Fe III ) hydroxide with the ideal stoichiometry Fe II 1 - x Fe III x ( OH ) 2 [ A m - ] y / m · n H 2 O , with sulfate as the anion in the interlayer. Samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Full chemical analysis was performed. Contents of Fe II , Fe III , water, and sulfate were obtained. We report standard enthalpies of formation for green rust with different Fe II /Fe III ratios. Enthalpies of formation from single cation compounds, namely, Fe(OH) 2 , Fe(OH) 3 , FeSO 4 and H 2 O show reasonable agreement with Gibbs free energies of formation from single cation compounds recalculated from the reported literature values. These values show that green rust has little stabilization over a mechanical mixture of these single cation compounds and there is no thermodynamic preference for any particular Fe II /Fe III ratio.
Double barrier hitting time distributions with applications to exotic options

Abstract In this paper we derive two defective density functions related to double barrier hitting probabilities of a geometric Brownian motion. A technique developed by Gerber and Shiu (1994, 1996) and Laplace transforms are used. Our approach is simple and straightforward, and purely analytical. We then apply the formulas to value some exotic options whose payoffs are contingent on barrier hitting time. This work is motivated by a recent development of equity indexed annuities in the United States.
Distance learning and the minority student: special needs and opportunities

The burgeoning population of immigrants and minorities within the United States coupled with physical and fiscal limitations of educational institutions has fostered an accompanying growth of distributed education classes and programs. Serving a multicultural population presents a variety of concerns that must be addressed in the design of effective distance-learning programs. The inclusion of diverse cultural perspectives can also give rise to multiple opportunities for innovation.
Telescoping, multimodel approaches to evaluate extreme convective weather under future climates

[1] Understanding of the possible response of severe convective precipitating storms to elevated greenhouse gas concentrations remains elusive. To address this problem, telescoping, multimodel approaches are proposed, which allow representation of a broad range of processes that could regulate convective storm behavior. In the global-cloud approach (G-C), the NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis Project (NNRP) global data set provides initial and boundary conditions for short-term integrations of a mesoscale model and nested convective-cloud-permitting domain. In the global-regional-cloud approach (G-R-C), the NNRP data set provides initial and boundary conditions for long-term integrations of a regional climate model, which in turn forces short-term integrations of a mesoscale model and nested convective-cloud-permitting domain. Upon applying these approaches to historical extreme convective storm events, it was found that the global-scale data could be dynamically downscaled to produce realistic convective-scale solutions. In particular, tornado proxies computed from the model-simulated winds were shown to compare well in relative numbers to those of tornado observations on many of the days considered. This supports the telescoping modeling concept as a viable means to address effects of elevated greenhouse gas concentrations on convective-scale phenomena. In an evaluation of the two approaches, it was also found that simulations of the historical events by the G-C were superior to those by the G-R-C. Sensitivity of the convective-scale processes to details in the downscaled synoptic-scale flow, and to the placement of the mesoscale model domain within the regional climate model, reduced the effectiveness of the G-R-C.
An Overview of ACRLMetrics, Part II: Using NCES and IPEDs Data

Abstract This report is the second in a two-part analysis of ACRL Metrics , an online service that provides access to a range of quantitative data for academic libraries. In this analysis, ACRL Metrics ’ inclusion of data from the National Center for Educational Statistics’ Academic Libraries Survey and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System is considered. Data organization, key ratios, reporting tools, and other facets of ACRL Metrics are evaluated.
Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip-based immunoassay with multiple reaction zones: Toward on-chip multiplex detection platform

Abstract In this work, a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchip-based immuno-sensing platform with integrated pneumatic micro valves is described. The microchip was fabricated with multiple layer soft lithography technology. By controlling the activation status of corresponding valves, reagent flows in the microchannel network can be well manipulated so that immuno-reactions only take place at designated reaction zones (DRZs). Four DRZs are included in the prototype microchip. Since these DRZs are all isolated from each other by micro valves, cross contamination is prevented. Using the inner surface of the all-PDMS microchannel as immunoassay substrate, on-chip sandwich format solid phase immunoassay was performed to demonstrate the feasibility of this immuno-sensing platform. Mouse IgG and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were used as the model analyte and the signal reporter respectively. Only 10 μl sample is needed for the assay and low detection limit of 5 ng/ml (≈33 pM) was achieved though low-cost polyclonal antibodies were used in our experiment for feasibility study only. Much lower detection limit may easily be achieved by using high quality monoclonal antibodies. Through a simple yet effective comparison experiment, it was also found that high concentration BSA blocking solution (5% BSA in PBS buffer) can effectively suppress the non-specific binding in the surface of the microfluidic channels. The encouraging results from mouse IgG immunoassay proved the feasibility of our microchip design. With slight modification of the assay protocol, the same chip design can be used for multi-target detection and can provide a simple, cost-effective and integrated microchip solution for multiplex immunoassay applications.
Bootstrap theory of quasirotational spectra

Abstract In a previous paper we have developed a self-consistent (bootstrap) theory of vibrations which is particularly suited for the description of the anharmonicity of the even nuclear spectra. In this paper we combine the bootstrap idea with the group theoretical approach. We show that this theory enables us to understand the smooth transition from vibrational to rotational spectrum and in particular the quasirotational spectrum which is the intermediate situation. Applications of this theory is made for the quadrupole-quadrupole and the pairing Hamiltonians. The observation is made that the smooth transition from vibrational to rotational spectrum for both cases is very similar.
On the simultaneous electrophysiological measurements of neurotransmitter release and perineural calcium currents from frog motor nerve endings

Abstract Ca 2+ currents from the perineural region of motor nerve endings were measured together with evoked acetylcholine (ACh) release (i.e., end-plate potentials EPPs) in frog skeletal muscle in an attempt to define experimental conditions in which simultaneous measurements of both phenomena were feasible. In a solution containing low Ca 2+ (0.9 mM), high Mg 2+ (10 mM) and modest concentrations of K + channel blockers (250 μM tetraethylammonium, 100 μM 3,4,-diaminopyridine), reliable measurements of perineural Ca 2+ currents were possible. For convenience, this solution will be termed ‘Ca 2+ current’ Ringer. The mean number of ACh quanta released in Ca 2+ current Ringer was near the midpoint of the relationship between extracellular [Ca 2+ ] and evoked ACh release observed previously in normal Ringer solutions. Consequently, ACh release in response to low-frequency motor nerve stimulation (0.05 Hz) was well maintained, allowing simultaneous measurements of Ca 2+ currents and evoked ACh release to be made. Ca 2+ currents and EPPs measured simultaneously in Ca 2+ current Ringer were increased or decreased in parallel by increasing or decreasing the extracellular Ca 2+ concentrations. Ca 2+ channel blockers (Cd 2+ , 500 μM; ω-conotoxin, 3 μM) eliminated both EPPs and the Ca 2+ component of the perineural current. NaF (10 mM), which stimulates ACh release, produced parallel increases in EPPs and perineural Ca 2+ currents. N G -cyclohexyladenosine (CHA), an A 1 adenosine receptor agonist, inhibits ACh release without effects on perineural currents. The results suggest that the concurrent electrophysiological recording of Ca 2+ currents and ACh release in Ca 2+ current Ringer is a reliable experimental approach for determining whether drugs or disease states affect ACh release by acting on Ca 2+ channels in the presynaptic membrane.
The Coding Properties of Lysine-accepting Transfer Ribonucleic Acids from Black-eyed Peas

Lysine-accepting transfer RNA from ungerminated and germinated embryo axes of black-eyed peas (Vigna sinensis L. Savi) was fractionated on benzoylated diethylaminoethyl cellulose and reverse phase Freon columns. Cochromatography indicated the presence of two similar lysyl transfer RNA fractions in each tissue. Ribosome binding studies revealed that the larger of the two fractions in each case is specific for the AAG codon, while the smaller one recognizes AAA and AAG. Possible implications of this difference in quantities of isoacceptors in translation of genetic information are discussed.
The role of the pericardium in interactions between the cardiac chambers

Abstract Distension of one side of the heart involves both the strium and the ventricle, and such atrioventricular enlargement encoroaches more on pericardial volume than would ventricular distension alone. The influence of distension of the entire right side of the heart on the pressure-volume relationship of the entire left heart was studied in six postmortem canine hearts with intact pericardium. The pressure-volume relation of the left heart was determined when the right heart was empty and when it was filled with saline. The pressure-volume curve of the left heart became steeper when the volume of the right heart was increased. However, after subtracting pericardial pressure from the left heart pressure, the pressure-volume curves were unaffected by increased volume of the right heart. Selective distension of the entire right heart has a considerable effect on the filling characteristics of the left heart when the pericardium is intact, although this is less than that observed in experiments in which the more compliant atria have been excluded. This effect becomes negligible after subtracting pericardial pressure.
Dynamic Seed Analysis in a Social Network for Maximizing Efficiency of Data Collection

Applying data mining techniques to social media can yield interesting perspectives to understanding individual and human behavior, detecting hot issues and topics, or discovering a group and community. However, it is difficult to gather the data related to a specific topic due to the main characteristics of social media data sets: data is large, noisy, and dynamic. To collect the data related to a specific topic and keyword efficiently, we propose a new algorithm that selects the best seed nodes with limited resources and time. The algorithm also evaluates various user influence and activity factors, and updates the seed nodes dynamically during the gathering process. Furthermore, we compare two data sets collected by the algorithm and existing approaches.
Retail Product Development and Brand Management Collaboration between Industry and University Student Teams

Abstract This paper describes a collaborative project between academia and industry which focused on improving the marketing and product development strategies for two private label apparel brands of a large regional department store chain in the southeastern United States. The goal of the project was to revitalize product lines of the two brands by incorporating student ideas for new solutions, thereby giving the students practical experience with a real-life industry situation. There were a number of key players involved in the project. A privately-owned department store chain based in the southeastern United States which was seeking an academic partner had recognized a need to update two existing private label brands. They targeted middle-aged consumers looking for casual, moderately priced merchandise. The company was seeking to change direction with both packaging and presentation, and possibly product design. The branding and product development divisions of the company contacted professors in an ac...
How to attract a sperm

One of the most fundamental questions of fertilization is how do sperm locate eggs? In many animals and lower plant groups, sperm are guided by chemo-attractants released from eggs. In this issue of Nature Cell Biology, Kaupp and colleagues now examine the very early events of this process in the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata.
Narrow-bore wall-coated open-tubular columns for fast high-resolution gas chromatographic separations of toxicants of environmental concern

Abstract High-resolution gas chromatographic columns with 100 μm I.D. can achieve better separations than presently used 250-μm I.D. wall-coated open-tubular (WCOT) columns in about half the total time. However, these columns also produce narrower solute peaks that require low dead volume gas chromatographic systems. This paper describes a new technique for static coating of such columns and their adoption for cold on-column injections and interfacing with mass spectrometer and electron-capture detectors. They can be used with present gas chromatographic equipment, usually without any system modifications. A number of questions relating to the use of these new columns were examined experimentally. The results show no compromise in GC performance. A number of applications of narrow bore WCOT columns are presented, including comparisons of separations with corresponding 250 or 320-μm I.D. columns. It is shown that many difficult environmental separations can be resolved using narrow bore WCOT columns.
Temperature diurnal variations (migrating tides) in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere based on measurements from SABER on TIMED

[1] Derived diurnal variations of temperature (diurnal migrating tides) in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere based on satellite measurements from SABER on TIMED are presented. They complement earlier studies by us and by others that concentrated on higher altitudes. The amplitudes range from less than 1°K to a few °K, compared to those in the upper mesosphere, which can reach 20°K. They are important to the understanding of the dynamics and energetics and can be of additional value when used with previous measurements that have records spanning decades but which do not provide adequate information to estimate diurnal variations. We compare with results by others based on satellite and ground-based measurements. At low altitudes (∼25–12 hPa), the comparisons are generally quite good, even for magnitudes of 1° or less. With increasing altitude, the diurnal amplitudes display asymmetry with respect to the equator on latitude versus day coordinates up to about 1 hPa (∼48 km), where a transition begins, and the morphology becomes reminiscent of the first symmetric propagating mode of the migrating tide. A transition also appears in the diurnal phase gradient with respect to altitude, where the regular progression of the diurnal phase becomes significantly smaller at altitudes from about 2.8 to 0.22 hPa. The seasonal variations can show significant semiannual behavior that peak near equinox but are less obvious at lower altitudes below ∼10 hPa. Interannual variations in the upper stratosphere are qualitatively consistent with those found previously at higher altitudes by us.
Quantum-chromodynamic predictions for large-p T hadron production with transversely polarized beam and target

We apply a hard-scattering model based on quantum-chromodynamic perturbation theory to the production of hadrons at large transverse momentum by transversely polarized beam and target protons. We find that, at large ${x}_{T}=\frac{2{p}_{T}}{\sqrt{s}}$, the spin-spin asymmetry ${A}_{\mathrm{NN}}$ for the case of transversely polarized protons is significantly smaller than the corresponding asymmetry ${A}_{\mathrm{LL}}$ for longitudinally polarized protons. This situation is due to the relatively smaller size of both the quark-quark scattering asymmetry and the spin-dependent distribution functions for quarks in the transversely polarized proton.
Using Enzyme Folding to Explore the Mechanism of Therapeutic Touch: A Feasibility Study

Abstract Objectives: The goal of this research is to design a novel model using protein folding to study Therapeutic Touch, a noncontact form of energy manipulation healing. Presented is a feasibility study suggesting that the denaturation path of ribonuclease A may be a useful model to study the energy exchange underlying therapeutic touch. Design: The folding of ribonuclease A serves as a controlled energy-requiring system in which energy manipulation can be measured by the degree of folding achieved. A kinetic assay and fluorescence spectroscopy are used to assess the enzyme-folding state. Results: The data suggest that the kinetic assay is a useful means of assessing the degree of refolding, and specifically, the enzyme function. However, fluorescence spectroscopy was not shown to be an effective measurement of enzyme structure for the purposes of this work. Conclusions: More research is needed to assess the underlying mechanism of therapeutic touch to complement the existing studies. An enzyme-foldin...
Injection molding of a transparent polyurethane: A statistical evaluation

In this study the effect of processing variables upon the optical properties of an injection-molded thermoplastic polyurethane were investigated. The investigation was separated into two phases. The first phase used conventional experimental methods, the second phase used a central composite factorial design. The processing variables studied were: melt temperatures, tool temperature, injection speed, injection pressure, back pressure, screw speed, cushion size, and cycle time. The optical responses used to evaluate the processing variables were: percent haze, percent luminous transmittance, and line of sight deviation. Each of the significant parameters used was found to have some effect on at least one optical property. Statistical analysis showed interaction among the processing parameters, indicating that simultaneous control of the parameters was required. Empirical models were derived to predict responses for a given set of processing conditions. There was good agreement between the models and experiments.
Corneal curvatures and refractions of central American frogs

Abstract We employed neutralizing infrared videophotorefraction and photokeratometry to examine the manifest refractions and corneal curvatures of 21 species of anurans (frogs and toads) in five families (Dendrobatidae, Bufonidae, Centrolenidae, Leptodactylidae, and Hylidae) resident in Central America. We found that all of the annurans exhibited hyperopic refractions in air, but that the observed hyperopia was not totally explained by the small eye artefact (Glickstein & Millodot, 1970). An allometric comparison of the corneal radii of these small anurans with those of a large number of other vertebrates, inferred from ocular axial lengths, showed that their corneal radii increased significantly more rapidly with increasing body size than that of other vertebrates generally (allometric slope constants: anurans: 0.270 ± 0.032; other vertebrates: 0.151 ± 0.004). Among the anurans examined, nocturnal Hylids had significantly larger eyes than diurnal Dendrobatid frogs and Bufonid toads.
SU-E-T-134: Dosimetric Implications From Organ Segmentation

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric implications resulting from organ segmentation performed by different clinical experts Methods: Twelve patients received SBRT treatment to thoracic region within the past year were selected for this study. Three physicians contoured a set of organs following RTOG guideline. DVHs of all contours were generated from the approved plans used for treatment, and were compared to those produced during planning. Most OARs were evaluated on their max dose, some, such as heart and chest wall, were also evaluated on metrics such as max dose to 4cc of volume, or 30Gy volume dose. Results: In general, there is a greater dosimetric difference between the RTOG contour sets and clinical contour sets than among the three RTOG contour sets themselves for each patient. For example, there was no difference in esophagus max dose between the RTOG contour sets for ten patients. However, they showed an average of 2.3% higher max dose than the clinical contour set, with a standard deviation of 6.6%. The proximal bronchial tree (PBT) showed a similar behavior. The average difference of PBT max dose for seven patients is 0% between the three RTOG contour sets, with standard deviation of 1%. They showed an averagemore » of 16.1% higher max dose than the clinical contour set, with a standard deviation of 126%. Conclusion: This study shows that using RTOG contouring standards improves segmentation consistency between different physicians; most of the contours examined showed less than 1% dose difference. When RTOG contour sets were compared to the clinical contour set, the differences are much more significant. Thus it is important to standardize contouring guidelines in radiation therapy treatment planning. This will reduce uncertainties in clinical outcome analysis and research studies.« less
The Superpave Gradation Restricted Zone and Performance Testing With the Georgia Loaded Wheel Tester

Guidelines for the new hot-mix asphalt design system, Superpave, were developed under the Strategic Highway Research Program. One of the most controversial components of this system is the aggregate gradation restricted zone. This restricted zone was adopted as a gradation specification primarily to deter the use of high levels of natural sand in high-performance mixes. By designing mixes with gradations that avoid the restricted zone (i.e., limit natural sand), the internal strength provided by internal friction could be improved. Some agencies question the validity of the restricted zone. The specified gradations of many current mixes contain bands that enter the restricted zone, but the mixes have performed well for years in actual field conditions. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) currently specifies several standard mixes with gradations that enter the restricted zone and still perform well. These high-performance mixes contain good quality, 100 percent manufactured aggregates and no n...
Structural Evolutions of Salicylaldoximes as Selective Agonists for Estrogen Receptor β

The bioisosteric replacement of the phenol ring, a signature functional group of most estrogen receptor (ER) ligands, with a hydrogen-bonded pseudocyclic ring, led to the development of a novel class of nonsteroidal ER-ligands based on a salicylaldoxime template. A series of structural modifications were applied to selected molecules belonging to the monoaryl-salicylaldoxime chemical class in an attempt to improve further their ERβ-selective receptor affinity and agonist properties. Among several modifications, the best results were obtained by the simultaneous introduction of a meta-fluorine atom into the para-hydroxyphenyl substituent present in the 4-position of salicylaldoxime, together with the insertion of a chloro group in the 3-position of the central scaffold. The resulting compound showed the best affinity (Ki = 7.1 nM) and selectivity for ERβ over ERα. Moreover, in transcription assays, it proved to be a selective and potent ERβ-full agonist with an EC50 of 4.8 nM.
Pharmacodynamics, tissue distribution, toxicity studies and antitumor efficacy of the vascular targeting fusion toxin VEGF121/rGel

As a part of an ongoing assessment of its mechanism of action, we evaluated the in vivo pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, toxicity and antitumor efficacy of VEGF(121)/rGel, a novel fusion protein. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that VEGF(121)/rGel cleared from the circulation in a biphasic manner with calculated half-lives of 0.3 and 6h for the alpha and beta phases, respectively. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of (64)Cu-DOTA-VEGF(121)/rGel showed relatively high blood retention 30 min after injection (26.6 ± 1.73% ID/g), dropping to 11.8 ± 2.83% and 0.82 ± 0.11% ID/g at 60 and 240 min post injection, respectively. Tissue uptake studies showed that kidneys, liver and tumor had the highest drug concentrations 48 h after administration. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD), based on a QOD×5 i.v. administration schedule, was found to be 18 mg/kg with an LD(50) of 25mg/kg. Treatment of BALB/c mice with VEGF(121)/rGel at doses up to the MTD caused no alterations in hematologic parameters. However, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) parameters increased in a dose-related manner. The no-observable-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) was determined to be 20% of the MTD (3.6 mg/kg). VEGF(121)/rGel treatment of mice bearing orthotopically-placed MDA-MB-231 breast tumors caused increased vascular permeability of tumor tissue by 53% compared to saline-treated controls. Immunohistochemical analysis showed significant tumor hypoxia and necrosis as a consequence of vascular damage. In summary, VEGF(121)/rGel appears to be an effective therapeutic agent causing focused damage to tumor vasculature with minimal toxic effects to normal organs. This agent appears to be an excellent candidate for further clinical development.
Paramagnetic relaxation of atrazine solubilized by humic micellar solutions

This study examines a central tenet of the “membrane−micelle” model of humic substancesthat humic molecules form “micelle-like” aggregates with hydrophobic interiors into which nonpolar organic compounds partition. We solubilized atrazine, labeled by a trifluoromethyl group on the ethylamino side chain, in aqueous solutions containing 10% humic acid by weight and observed the F-19 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation of atrazine induced by paramagnetic probes added to the humic solution. One paramagnetic probe, Gd·EDTA anion, remains in aqueous solution while the other, TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy), is sorbed by humic micelles. The hydrophilic anionic paramagnetic probe induces virtually no paramagnetic relaxation in atrazine solubilized by 10% aqueous humic acid solutions while the hydrophobic neutral paramagnetic probe causes rapid paramagnetic relaxation. These results show that atrazine solubilized by concentrated humic acid solutions occupies a domain accessible only to neutral...
Picosecond Dynamics Of The GaAs (110) Surface Studied With Laser Photoemission

A novel laser system and detection scheme is described which has been developed to investigate the transient dynamics of photoexcited electrons at material surfaces and interfaces with photoemission. The excited carrier population on the surface of GaAs (110) and the related Cr/GaAs (110) surface has been studied with 1-2 picosecond time resolution. Studies reveal a rapid rise and fall of the photexcited carrier population at the clean semiconductor surface within 15 picoseconds of excitation. For times greater than 15 picoseconds the carrier density decays slowly. Studies of the photoexcited surface after deposition of small numbers of Cr atoms reveal a remarkable decrease in the carrier density observed at the surface for a coverage as low as .006 monolayer.
Optimized data analysis for AMS radiocarbon dating

Abstract Because efficiencies of detection of 14 C and 12 C vary with time during AMS data acquisition, it is desirable to have a data analysis technique which recognizes time variations and uses all available data to extract the maximum possible information content from a data set while providing meaningful statistical information about measurement errors. Toward this end, a new method of data reduction and error analysis is being developed for the determination of 14 C to 12 C ratios for radiocarbon dating from data sets taken at the National Ocean Sciences AMS facility.
Achromatic N-Prism Beam Expanders: Optimal Configurations II

We extend the analysis of Trebino (Appl. Opt. 24, Apr. 15, 1985) of single-material achromatic prism beam expanders to include two-material devices and practical expanders consisting entirely of commercially available 45-45-90 prisms. We show that sacrificing simultaneous achromaticity and thermal stability allows the construction of two-material prism beam expanders with only one of these two properties, but having significantly greater transmission than a similar-magnification single-material device. Finally, a numerical optimization routine yields optimal incidence angles for two-, three-, and four-prism single-material achromatic prism beam expanders. In general, we find that the "up-up-...-up-down" configuration is optimal in nearly all practical cases.
Five on one side: personal and social information in spatial choice.

Abstract To examine whether the outcome of a rat’s own choices (“personal information”) and the choice behavior of another rat (“social information”) can jointly control spatial choices, rats were tested in an open field task in which they searched for food. For the rats of primary interest (Subject Rats), the baited locations were all on one side of the arena, but the specific locations baited and the side on which they occurred varied over trials. The Subject Rats were sometimes tested together with an informed “Model” rat that had learned to find food in the same five locations (all on the same side of the arena) on every trial. Unintended perceptual cues apparently controlled spatial choices at first, but when perceptual cues to food location were not available, choices were controlled by both personal information (allowing the baited side of the arena to be determined) and social information (allowing baited locations to be determined more precisely). This shows that control by personal and social information are not mutually exclusive and supports the view that these two kinds of information can be used flexibly and adaptively to guide spatial choices. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: tribute to Tom Zentall.
Radiation Exposure in the Acute and Short-Term Management of Urolithiasis at 2 Academic Centers

Purpose: Diagnostic imaging has a central role in the evaluation and management of urolithiasis. A variety of modalities are available, each with benefits and limitations. Without careful consideration of imaging modalities in quantity and type patients may receive excessive doses of radiation during initial diagnostic and followup evaluations. Therefore, we determined the effective radiation dose associated with an acute stone episode and short-term followup.Materials and Methods: A multicenter retrospective study of all patients who presented with an acute stone episode was performed. The analysis included all imaging studies related to stone disease performed within 1 year of the acute event. Using accepted effective radiation dose standards for each of these examinations, the total radiation dose administered was calculated and compared by patient characteristics including stone location, stone number and intervention strategy. The primary outcome assessed was a total radiation dose greater than 50 mS...
Survival of Red Flour Beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on Concrete Partially Treated with Cyfluthrin

Different densities of red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), were exposed for 1 h on concrete with 20, 40, 60, or 80% of the total area treated with 200 mg/m 2 of 20% [(AI) ] cyfluthrin wettable powder. Residual bioassays were repeated 4 times at monthly intervals. Population density did not affect knockdown or survival of red flour beetles. The percentage of beetles still mobile after they were exposed decreased as the percentage of treated area increased, and there was no significant difference with respect to month. Survival decreased as the percentage of treated concrete increased and increased with each successive monthly bioassay. When beetles were knocked down after exposure, survival was higher for beetles knocked down on untreated concrete compared with treated concrete in 9 out of 16 comparisons. The presence of untreated pockets within a treated area could enable some of the insects to partially survive exposure to cyfluthrin in field applications.
The Observed Annual Cycle in the Meridional Transport of Atmospheric Energy

Abstract The annual cycles in the atmospheric storage and in the meridional transport of energy are discussed. The calculations are based on a five-year sample from more than 500 radiosonde stations mainly located in the Northern Hemisphere. All statistics represent values integrated vertically between the earth's surface and 75 mb and horizontally along a latitude circle. Several new and interesting features of the eddy and mean transports of potential energy, sensible heat, latent heat and kinetic energy become apparent by the breakdown according to calendar month. In December through February more than half of the sensible heat is transported poleward by the standing eddies. The transient eddy heat flux does not peak in winter but in April and November. The strong annual cycle in the tropical Hadley circulation does not contribute to the poleward transfer of energy for the year as a whole.
Polymer models of topological insulators

Background The classic model of eukaryotic gene expression requires spatial contact between a distal enhancer and a proximal promoter. To control gene expression, various models of enhancer-blocking insulators have been proposed, including a decoy model and a topological model [1]. The decoy model suggests that the enhancer or the promoter interacts with an insulating element to prevent enhancer-promoter interactions. The topological model suggests that two or more insulating elements interact with each other to form loops. An outstanding question in the field is whether the topological model is effective at preventing enhancer-promoter interactions. Materials and methods Here we use the polymer model of chromatinized DNA and simulations of Brownian polymer dynamics to study the topological model of enhancer-blocking insulators. We consider one- and two-loop topological elements and assess spatial contacts between various regions of DNA induced or suppressed by an topological elements. Results We find that a loop formed in the region between an enhancer and a promoter in fact facilitates enhancerpromoter contacts and does not act as an enhancerblocking insulator. However, we find that sequestration of an enhancer (or promoter) within a loop is a plausible mechanism for topological insulators. Both the facilitating and insulating effects of topological elements are more dramatic with two-loop elements. Conclusions
Lensless imaging of nanoporous glass with soft X-rays

Coherent soft X-ray diffraction has been used to image nanoporous glass structure in two dimensions using different methods. The merit of the reconstructions was judged using a new method of Fourier phase correlation with a final, refined image. The porous structure was found to have a much larger average size then previously believed.
Treatment of electrostatic effects in proteins: multigrid-based Newton iterative method for solution of the full nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation.

The nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation (NPBE) provides a continuum description of the electrostatic field in an ionic medium around a macromolecule. Here, a novel approach to the solution of the full NPBE is developed. This robust and efficient algorithm combines multilevel techniques with a damped inexact Newton's method. The CPU time required for solution of the full NPBE, which is less than that for standard single-grid approaches in solving the corresponding linearized equation, is proportional to the number of unknowns enabling applications to very large macromolecular systems. Convergence of the method is demonstrated for a variety of protein systems. Comparison of the solutions to the linearized Poisson–Boltzmann equation shows that the damping of the electrostatic field around the charge is increased and that the potential scales logarithmically with charge. The inclusion of the full nonlinearity thus reduces the impact of highly charged residues on protein surfaces and provides a more realistic representation of electrostatic effects. This is demonstrated through calculation of potential around the active site regions of the 1,266-residue tryptophan synthase dimer and in the computation of rate constants from Brownian dynamics calculations in the superoxide dismutase–superoxide and antibody–antigen systems. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Scott O'Neill and Lincoln Elementary School Preventing a Slide From Good to Worse

This case was developed for use in courses on the study of organizations, with a focus on school administration and supervision. It focuses on the challenges—most notably, changing demographics and...
The REA Pattern, Knowledge Structures, and Conceptual Modeling Performance

Most database textbooks on conceptual modeling do not cover domainspecific patterns. The texts emphasize notation, apparently assuming that notation enables individuals to correctly model domain‐specific knowledge acquired from experience. However, the domain knowledge acquired may not aid in the construction of conceptual models if it is not structured to support conceptual modeling. This study uses the Resources Events Agents (REA) pattern as an example of a domain‐specific pattern that can be encoded as a knowledge structure for conceptual modeling of accounting information systems (AIS), and tests its effects on the accuracy of conceptual modeling in a familiar business setting. Fifty‐three undergraduate and forty‐six graduate students completed recall tasks designed to measure REA knowledge structure. The accuracy of participants' conceptual models was positively related to REA knowledge structure. Results suggest it is insufficient to know only conceptual modeling notation because structured knowled...
Transformaciones del trabajo y juventud: temas de búsqueda

Resumen es: El articulo intenta conectar los cambios en las nuevas formas de ser joven con las transformaciones historicas del trabajo ocurridas en la segunda mitad ...