cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microscopic characteristics of orthoquartzite from sliding friction experiments. I. Sliding surface

Abstract Optical and TEM observations were made on the active surfaces of the sliding blocks from orthoquartzite subjected to sliding friction experiments (Hayes, 1975; Dunn and Hayes, 1975) at a constant effective confining pressure of 500 bars and a shortening rate of 2.5 · 10 −5 s −1 , dry and in the presence of pore fluids. Surface-wear features show that the sequence in the destruction of the sliding surface is: (a) penetration, ploughing, and immediate shearing off of brittle asperities to produce gouge, (b) formation of cracks at grain boundaries and intragranular cracks, facilitating shearing of asperities, and forming pluckouts and a rough or smooth sliding surface. Microcracks occurring and terminating in dislocation-free regions indicate that crack growth through dislocation coalescence of pre-existing dislocations is invalid for orthoquartzite at room temperature.
Evaluation of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Reducing Distress in Pediatric Cancer Patients Undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging Procedures

We evaluated efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention compared to a standard care condition (SCC) in 55 pediatric patients with central nervous system cancer, aged 6 to 18 years, undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There were no significant differences between the CBT and the SCC groups on child, parent, or staff ratings of MRI distress, child self-reports of expected MRI distress, or observed behavioral distress. The CBT intervention was effective, however, in reducing distress during intravenous line (IV) insertion preceding the index MRI on the basis of staff but not child or parent ratings of distress. No significant differences in need for sedation were present between the CBT and the SCC groups. Positive changes in staff-patient interactions and improved patient education regarding the MRI were apparent. Discussion focuses on recommendations for future studies examining cognitive-behavioral interventions in pediatric patients.
Semiconductor-based high repetition rate mode-locked lasers for time and frequency based coherent communications and signal processing applications

Mode-locked laser designs for both time and frequency domain based applications are presented. It is shown that for strictly time domain applications, simple laser cavity designs can produce pulse trains at 10 GHz with sub-5 fs relative timing jitter (1 Hz-100 MHz) using only commercially available components. Frequency stabilized sources maintain low timing jitter while achieving 1MHz maximum frequency deviations for optical spectra consisting of ~200 10 GHz spaced frequencies. Methods of characterizing pulse-to-pulse timing jitter by examining the photodetected spectrum are reviewed. The effects of the phase noise of an rf source used to drive an actively mode-locked laser on the laser's amplitude and timing fluctuations is also discussed.
The effects of a cyclic polyether on the electrical properties of phospholipid bilayer membranes.

The cyclic polyether XXXII, a neutral, lipid soluble molecule, produces large increases in the conductance of bilayer membranes formed from a variety of lipids. The conductance increases linearly with the concentration of alkali metal cation but with the square, and at higher concentrations the cube, of the polyether concentration. This implies that two or three polyether molecules combine with a single cation to carry it across the membrane. In the presence of XXXII the bilayer is permeable solely to cations and the membrane potential is described by an equation of the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz type. The permeability ratios determined from potential measurements are independent of salt concentration, decrease in the sequence Cs>Rb>K>NH4>Na>Li(1.0,0.25, 0.15, 0.075, 0.007, 0.0013) and are equal to the conductance ratios at low (e.g. 10−3 m) salt concentration. At higher salt concentrations, the permeability and conductance ratios are not equal and maxima in the conductancevs. salt concentration curves are observed. Both these phenomena are postulated to be caused by the formation of relatively impermeant 1ν1 polyether cation complexes in the aqueous phase. The 1ν1 aqueous association constants deduced from bilayer measurements decrease in the sequence K>Rb>Na>NH4>Cs>Li (120, 34, 26, 19, 12, 4 liters per mole) and agree quantitatively with the literature values for the more water soluble polyether XXXI, which lacks only thet-butyl groups of XXXII.
Neocortical levels of lithium are increased in bipolar disorder.

Salts of lithium, present in the human diet at trace levels,1 are used to manage depressive, manic and psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder and related conditions.2, 3 Although a neurological function for lithium was first proposed over 60 years ago based on its anti-manic properties,2 surprisingly, a significant pool of lithium has never been identified in the brain.4, 5 In this study, with quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, lithium is identified as a physiological trace element in the human neocortex. Moreover, cortical levels of lithium are found to be elevated in bipolar subjects with no past history of lithium pharmacotherapy.
The Conservation of Immovable Cultural Property: Ethical and Practical Dilemmas

AbstractThe conservation of immovable cultural property—outdoor monuments, buildings, archaeological sites, and landscapes—is a relatively recent profession, yet one that has grown out of earlier 19th-century restoration theories. Although part of the broader conservation context, architectural conservation presents unique problems due to the issues of context, immobility, size, scale, and complexity of use and materials. These issues are examined with respect to established standards for the examination, documentation, and treatment of traditional historic and artistic works.
Phylogeny of the Characeae (charophyta) inferred from organismal and molecular characters

Summary Phylogenetic hypotheses proposed for extant genera of the Characeae by Wood & Imahori (1965) and by Khan & Sarma (1984) are based on morphological characters, and morphological characters and chromosome numbers respectively. For all six extant taxa, cladistic analyses have been performed on organismal characters and chromosome numbers, sequence data from the nucelar-encoded small subunit rRNA gene, and a combined morphological and molecular data set. These analyses support: 1) monophyly of the Characeae, 2) monophyly of tribe Chareae, 3) placement of Nitellopsis basal to the rest of the Chareae, and 4) monophyly of Lamprothamnium. Neither the Wood & Imahori nor the Khan & Sarma hypothesis is strongly supported. Additional analyses based on a more comprehensive taxon sampling may help resolve: 1) monophyly of Chara, 2) monophyly of Nitella, 3) monophyly of the Nitelleae, 4) placement of Nitella axillaris, and 5) placement of Lamprothamnium.
Oscillatory instabilities to zonally varying barotropic flows

The barotropic instability of a forced, axisymmetric vortex patch is examined and linked to prior work on the destabilization of a single Rossby wave via triad interactions. Both oscillatory instabilities, which share certain qualitative aspects with Rossby wave triads, as well as stationary instabilities are studied. It is shown that instability is confined to quite limited regions of the parameter space described by the magnitude of flow variation along the vortex edge and the zonally averaged flow along the vortex edge. However, more realistic flow variations along the vortex edge expand the region of parameter space where instability is found. The nonlinear manifestation of these instabilities is examined, and it is found that the leading oscillatory branch of instabilities can lead to large perturbations of the vortex patch, and its ultimate filamentation. Extension of these results to observed structures in the troposphere and stratosphere is discussed.
Knowledge and Liberal Education: A Critique of Paul Hirst

(1986). Knowledge and Liberal Education: A Critique of Paul Hirst. Journal of Curriculum Studies: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 1-16.
Error-free transmission of DPSK at 5 Gb/s using a silicon microring modulator

We demonstrate the first error-free transmission of DPSK using a microring modulator, with a power penalty of 1.1 dB in comparison to a commercial LiNb0 3 phase modulator. Additionally, long-haul transmission of microring-modulated DPSK is characterized.
Mutagenesis assays in yeast.

Analyzing mutation spectra is a very powerful method to determine the effects of various types of DNA damage and to understand the workings of various DNA repair pathways. However, compiling sequence-specific mutation spectra is laborious; even with modern sequencing technology, it is rare to obtain spectra with more than several hundred data points. Two assay systems are described for yeast, one for insertion/deletion mutations and one for base substitution mutations, that allow determination of specific mutations without the necessity of DNA sequencing. The assay for insertion/deletion mutations uses a variety of different simple repeats placed in frame with URA3 such that insertions or deletions lead to a selectable Ura(-) phenotype; essentially all such mutations are in the simple repeat sequence. The assay for base substitution mutations uses a series of six strains with different mutations in one essential codon of the CYC1 gene. Because only true reversions lead to a selectable phenotype, the bases mutated in any reversion event are known. The advantage of these assays is that they can quantitatively determine over several orders of magnitude the types of mutations that occur under a given set of conditions, without DNA sequencing.
The organization of forebrain afferents to the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the rat.

Axonal transport techniques were used to define the organization of projections from the forebrain to the paraventricular (PVH) and supraoptic (SO) nuclei of the hypothalamus in the adult rat. First, injections of a retro-gradely transported fluorescent tracer, true blue, were placed in the region of the PVH, and the distribution of retrogradely labeled cells was charted. Then, the autoradiographic method was used to confirm the results of the retrograde transport experiments, to describe the route taken by inputs to the PVH and SO, and to determine the distribution of each projection within the various subdivisions of the nuclei that have been recognized previously on the basis of cytoarchitectonics, efferent projections, and immunohisto-chemistry. The results can be summarized as follows. First, direct projections to the PVH arise from all areas of the hypothalamus (except the SO, the medial and lateral mammillary nuclei, and the magnocellular preoptic nucleus), and from the subfornical organ and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Second, every forebrain region projecting directly to the PVH appears to innervate cell groups in parvocellular parts of the nucleus that in turn project to the neurohemal zone of the median eminence, and to autonomic centers in the brainstem and spinal cord. In addition, each input has a unique distribution within the parvocellular division. Third, relatively few regions in the forebrain project directly to magnocellular neurosecretory parts of the PVH, and are thus in a position to influence directly the release of posterior pituitary hormones. These regions (each of which also projects to the parvocellular division) include the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, the median preoptic nucleus, the subfornical organ, and the bed nucleus. Therefore, inputs from the hippocampal formation, amygdala, and lateral septum that have been shown to influence the magnocellular neurosecretory system appear to be relayed by way of short projections from other parts of the hypothalamus (including perhaps parvocellular parts of the PVH) and from the bed nucleus. Fourth, most of these cell groups innervate preferentially either oxytocinergic (dorsomedial and bed nuclei) or vasopressinergic (subfornical organ) parts of the magnocellular division of the PVH. Only the projection from the median preoptic nucleus appears to be distributed uniformly over parts of the magnocellular division in which oxytocin- and vasopressin-con-taining cells are concentrated. And fifth, each region that preferentially innervates either oxytocinergic or vasopressinergic neurons in the PVH also preferentially innervates the same cell type in the SO (which does not contain a distinct parvocellular division). The results indicate that the coordination of neuroendocrine and autonomic responses from the PVH is mediated at least in part by a complex series of neural inputs, each of which innervates more than one functional subdivision within the nucleus.
Photoclinometric determination of the topography of the Martian north polar cap

Photoclinometry is useful for the determination of topography for areas which have a uniform albedo. The technique is applied to early spring Viking images of the Martian north polar cap, taken when the surface was covered by a nearly uniform frost cover. Unlike earlier approaches, the topographic profiling can be used for surfaces with any photometric function, but the strike of the planetary surface relative to the illumination angle must be specified along the profile. The resultant profiles are relatively insensitive to misestimation of the photometric function and slope orientation, but are quite sensitive to the assumed values of the reflectance of an equivalent level surface and the atmospheric opacity (if it is large).
Theoretical study of the6Σ+,6Π, and4Σ+ van der Waals states of NO

Potential energy curves for the weakly bound6Σ+,6Π, and4Σ+ states of NO are presented at various levels of correlation treatment. The binding energies for the van der Waals minima vary from about 30 cm−1 for the6Σ+ state to about 20 cm−1 for the4Σ+ and6Π states. We investigate the importance of constraining the wave function to dissociate to a spherically symmetric O atom where the oxygen 2p orbitals are equivalent. For high levels of correlation treatment, we find that these restrictions have little effect on the potential, while greatly increasing the length of the CI expansion.
Direct measurement of androgen receptors in cultured sertoli cells

Abstract Cytoplasmic and nuclear forms of macromolecules with the properties of androgen receptors have been demonstrated by direct labeling techniques in cultured Sertoli cells. The cytoplasmic form was excluded from Sephadex G-200 and could be distinguished from androgen binding protein (ABP) on the basis of size, heat stability, relative electrophoretic mobility, and binding complex dissociation rate. When cultured Sertoli cells were incubated with 3 H-testosterone, a time- and temperature-dependent accumulation of label into the nuclear fraction was observed, 46% of which crystallized as authentic testosterone. Specific binding was saturable with an apparent association constant of 0.4nM −1 . Approximately 30% of the nuclear bound hormone was extracted within 1 h by 0.4M KCl and 34% of this was associated with macromolecular species as measured by gel filtration. Unlabeled androgens and to some degree progestogens competed with 3 H-testosterone for binding sites. These data constitute direct evidence that Sertoli cells contain androgen receptors.
Reference functions to decrease errors in Monte Carlo integrals

Abstract Given a set of points generated by Monte Carlo, the accuracy of the Monte Carlo integral of a function f ;( x ) performed using these points can be improved if there are “reference functions”, i.e. other functions that can be integrated both analytically and by Monte Carlo using the same points. This statement is shown to be true. Formulae are developed to make practical use of it. Guidelines are given as how to choose reference functions, recommending that there be a linear combination of these functions that approximates the function f ( x ) as well as possible. Not only the statistical error but also some systematic errors due to biases in the Monte Carlo generator are reduced. Monte Carlo integrations using reference functions may be considered as bridging the gap between numerical and usual Monte Carlo integrations.
Noninvasive detection of acute rejection in a new experimental model of heart transplantation

We have shown that positron emission scintigraphy detects changes in the uptake of 18-F 2-deoxyglucose and 13-N ammonia by the acutely rejecting myocardium in a nonworking model of heterotopic heart transplantation in the rat. We developed a new working model of heterotopic heart transplantation to determine the possible relevance of these changes to clinical transplantation. Moderate aortic valvular regurgitation was produced allowing the heterotopic left ventricle to fill and eject. Rejecting allografts and nonrejecting isografts (controls) were studied 4 days after transplantation. Histologically, isografts were normal and all allografts showed mild acute rejection. Decay-corrected uptakes of 18-F 2-deoxyglucose and 13-N ammonia reflect glucose metabolism and blood flow, respectively. Values are presented as percent of injected dose per gram of tissue. Uptake of 18-F 2-deoxyglucose was higher in rejecting allografts compared with nonrejecting isografts (3.0 +/- 1.8 versus 1.1 +/- 0.4; p = 0.024). Ammonia uptake was elevated in allografts compared with isografts (2.2 +/- 0.5 versus 1.3 +/- 0.5; p = 0.023). Uptakes of 18-F 2-deoxyglucose and 13-N ammonia are higher in mildly rejecting allografts, implying increased glucose utilization and blood flow during acute rejection. These data support our earlier findings of changes in myocardial metabolism in the absence of diminishing blood flow in acutely rejecting hearts. This model may lead to a better understanding of the physiology and metabolism of acute rejection.
Modulation of ryanodine-induced Ca2+ release in amphibian skeletal muscle.

Abstract We examined effects of ryanodine on tension in intact and skinned amphibian skeletal muscle. 100 μM ryanodine (RY) alone in the frog Ringer's solution (FR) produced tension in the intact muscle reaching its peak by 1 h: 10 min treatment with RY augmented depolarization-induced tension and prevented a subsequent caffeine-induced contraction. In contrast, RY in Ca 2+ -free FR was unable to produce tension, after which caffeine produced irreversible tension. In skinned fibers. RY at pCa 6.5 produced tension and abolished a subsequent caffeine-induced contraction: while RY in 2 mM EGTA did not produce tension. These data indicate that RY, in the presence of Ca 2+ , releases Ca 2+ from the SR resulting in subsequent depletion of Ca in the SR.
Respiration rate signal extraction from heart rate

There is an ongoing need for more sensitive sensors and instrumentation to monitor parameters of human physiological functions. Often it is desired that this measurement process be as non-intrusive as possible, thereby requiring lightweight, high performance sensors and data acquisition systems. In the current application it is desired to measure and extract as much information from a single non-intrusive sensor as possible to avoid encumbering mission personnel with motion-inhibiting harnesses. One particular signal processing task of interest is extraction of respiration information by analysis of heart rate. Thus, signal- processing algorithms are described which perform this task using communication, non-uniform sampling, and spectrum analysis techniques.
The Multinational Corporation and Social Justice: Experiments in Supranational Governance

The multinational corporation (MNC) is dichotomous in nature. While on the one hand it is a vehicle for private capital accumulation, when socially-embedded it may serve as a means to further social provisioning and social justice. A social economics approach to the MNC is developed to incorporate both private and social transaction costs in international production and trade where the divergence in these costs may require collective action to mitigate the effects of social dislocation. These issues are illustrated by experiments in corporate codes of conduct related to child labor and environmental sustainability. Since corporate codes may be insufficient to socially embed the activities of MNCs, efforts to develop supranational governance mechanisms to better achieve social justice are also considered.
The incorporation of epithelial cells by cementum.

The formation of cellular cementum was studied by electron microscopy at the advancing edge of developing roots of molars of 25-day-old rats. It was found that the basement lamina about Hertwig's epithelial root sheath first becomes discontinuous on the dental sac side, collagen and cementoblast processes appearing within the formerly intact epithelial compartment. As an increasing bulk of dentinal and cemental collagen is deposited, some sheath cells become reoriented perpendicular to the surface of the dentinal collagen and then migrate from it toward the future periodontal space. Those sheath cells remaining in place after the commencement of cementum mineralization are subsequently embedded there by the mineralizing collagen located external to them. Ultrastructural proof is provided that two cell types, epithelial root sheath cells and cementoblasts, are incorporated by the forming cementum. Rate of formation is discussed as a basis for this nonspecific incorporation of cells by a mineralized connective tissue.
Effect of chain overlap on translational diffusion of polystyrene in tetrahydrofuran

Abstract Photon correlation spectroscopy of three polystyrene samples of narrow molecular weight distribution in tetrahydrofuran is reported. The apparent translational diffusion coefficient, deduced from the first moment of the correlation functions, was studied at concentrations ranging from the dilute regime to values substantially in excess of those at which molecular overlap occurs. While the two samples of highest molecular weight exhibited behavior in the semidilute regime consistent with the pseudo-gel model of deGennes, data determined for the lower molecular weight sample (M = 3.9 × 105) indicate a breakdown of the scaling theory. The results suggest that the quasielastic light scattering technique is sensitive to two transition processes, the first at a concentration c∗ which is close to that at which the hydrodynamic domains of the coils overlap, the second at a higher concentration, labeled c∗∗. The latter value appears near to the critical concentration at which the effect of entanglements a...
New Pharmacotherapies in the Treatment of Advanced Prostate Cancer

Recent drug approvals in the field of prostate cancer therapy have brought about a change in the treatment landscape of locally advanced and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. While this improvement offers a welcoming change in the standard treatment practice of prostate cancer, questions remain with regard to the proper sequencing of the right therapy for the appropriate patient. This review highlights the pre-clinical, safety and clinical studies that help bring to the forefront the drugs recently approved for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer and offer some insights to its use.
The selling of clinical psychiatry in America.

Today clinical psychiatry in America is under pressure from employers, insurance companies, and government to compromise patient care. That such a conflict is inherent in our work should not surprise us. Administrators of public and private funds are charged with seeing that resources are well spent. What is alarming is the extent to which clinical psychiatry is bending to these interests to the detriment of patients' needs. There is no room in America today for research into areas other than the brain. A new generation of psychiatrists are being trained to focus on the brain. Americans are enthralled with computers and data bases, and because computers simplify the task of collecting information about mental disorders in families, the "genetic load" has become the preferred etiological explanation for mental disorders. Such an explanation eliminates the need for the slow, more difficult, and frequently painful task of collecting data that permits examination of the meaning and impact of these disorders i...
The use of soybean meal as a replacement for fish meal in diets for hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis × M. chrysops

Abstract A series of feeding trials was conducted to determine the feasibility of using soybean meal to partially replace fish meal in diet formulations for hybrid striped bass. Pelleted diets were formulated with soybean meal (supplemented with methionine) replacing either 25, 50, or 75% of the protein from fish meal. Diets were fed at 4% of body weight, adjusted periodically for change in weight. Growth parameters and feed efficiencies were compared to a fish-meal-based control diet. All diets were isocaloric (14.6 kJ GE (gross energy)/g) and isonitrogenous (35% crude protein). In 12-week laboratory trials, fish (5 g initially) gained 4 times their original weight. Feed efficiencies were not significantly different and ranged from 1.2 to 1.8 g fed/g gain after 12 weeks. At the end of 6 weeks, only those fish fed 25% soybean meal protein diet grew as well as those fed 1005 fish-meal-based diet. However, by the end of 12 weeks, there was no significant difference in weight gain of fish fed diets with either 25 or 75% of protein from soybean meal as compared to the fish meal control diet. In 8-week feeding trials at 19°C, using larger fish (100–150 g), there was no significant difference among weight gain of fish fed 0, 25, 50, or 75% of dietary protein as soybean meal. Mean weight gains ranged from 122 to 140 g. In the 14-week pond trial, with fish weighing 100–200 g, there was no significant difference in weight gains of fish fed 100% of their dietary protein as fish meal and those fed a diet with 50% of the protein replaced with soybean meal. Weight gains averaged 338–352 g. These data indicate that, at least for larger hybrid striped bass, up to 75% of the fish meal protein in diets can be replaced with soybean meal protein.
Quantifying media literacy: Development, reliability, and validity of a new measure

Media literacy has the potential to alter outcomes in various fields, including education, communication, and public health. However, measurement of media literacy remains a critical challenge in advancing this field of inquiry. In this manuscript, we describe the development and testing of a pilot measure of media literacy. Items were formed based on a composite conceptual model and administered to college communications students (n = 34). Each of three media literacy subscales had good internal consistency reliability (α(1) = 0.74, α(2) = 0.79, α(3) = 0.75). Principal components analysis revealed a five-factor structure that corresponded closely with the underlying conceptual model. As was expected, the media literacy scale was significantly correlated with a composite critical thinking measure (r = 0.32, P = .03). This scale may be valuable for the measurement of media literacy and the assessment of media literacy interventions.
Measles virus: conditions for the propagation and purification of infectious virus in high yield.

Abstract Tissue culture conditions for the efficient propagation of cell-free measles virus, and a novel method for the purification of infectious virus in milligram quantities are described in this report. Infected suspension cultures of HeLa cells incubated at 32.5°C yielded virus titers approaching 10 8 PFU/ml, 30–50% of which was cell-free. After concentration by ultrafiltration and sedimentation, infectious virus was separated from host cell membranes and proteins by density equilibrium centrifugation in gradients of colloidal silica. Residual contaminants and silica particles were removed by Chromatographie elution through agarose gel. This protocol achieved a ≈1400 fold purification of virus which retained ≈75% infectivity while yielding ≈1.5 mg of viral protein from each liter of infected cell culture medium. Electron microscopy of the purified virus revealed only intact particles having the morphological characteristics of the paramyxoviruses. Serological studies confirmed the purified material to be antigenically reactive measles virus. SDS-PAGE analysis of the virus preparation identified eight polypeptide species as described by others. Seven of these are virus-specified structural proteins corresponding to the L, H, P, NP, F 1 , M, and F 2 polypeptides. The eighth major structural protein was defined as host cell derived actin.
Education, Demographics and the Future of Technology Based Industries Technical Industries: Their Dependence on the Educational System

To summarize this paper, we in industry care about engineering education because our industries' survival and success depend critically upon the professional socialization process that we call engineering education. This process of engineering education needs some rather fundamental changes because the shift from the industrial age to the information age has brought many fundamental changes into our businesses and into society in general. My three recommendations for engineering education are: ??? Continue to teach the fundamentals of the engineering disciplines and their underlying mathematics and sciences. ??? Teach students a set of critical, intellectual process skills. ??? Teach students how to continue to learn for a life-long career.
Fuzzy Project Scheduling/PERT

PERT stands for “Project Evaluation and Review Technique”. A project defines a combination of interrelated activities (jobs) that must be completed in a certain order before the entire project can be completed. The project that we will concentrate on in this chapter is shown in Figure 26.1.
THE UNIVERSAL RECIPE OR HOW TO GET YOUR MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTED BY PERSNICKETY EDITORS

A couple of years ago, AIPEA President Jiri Konta asked your editor to prepare a short article describing his concept of the "ideal" manuscript for publication in Clays and Clay Minerals. I begged off at first, believing that my limited experience in the editing field hardly qualified me to instruct eminent scientists how to write. I also believed that the "ideal" manuscript for Clays and Clay Minerals should be no less "ideal" nor no more "ideal" than a manuscript submitted to any other technical journal in clay science or, for that matter, in any field of science or technology. Never having refrained before from rushing in where "mortals fear to tread," I quickly dismissed my first qualm; however, I am still of the opinion that manuscripts submitted to Clays and Clay Minerals, except for the subject matter itself, should not be prepared differently from those destined for any other scientific journal. It is, therefore, with those thoughts in mind that the article published in AIPEA's 1989 Newsletter evolved. Because the subject matter of the AIPEA article is germane to members of our own Clay Minerals Society, many of whom may not individually belong to AIPEA, it is reprinted here in a slightly revised form. Hopefully, the following comments, ideas, hints, recommendations, and guidelines will indeed contribute to the preparation of better organized and more readable reports in clay science that truly do what all scientific communications are supposed to do--convey information and ideas to the reader in a succinct, unambiguous, tothe-point manner, unencumbered by flowery prose, complicated jargon, convoluted reasoning, or wild-eyed speculation.
Cloning of Bacillus licheniformis Xylanase Gene and Characterization of Recombinant Enzyme

Hemicellulose is a major component of lignocellulose biomass. Complete degradation of this substrate requires several different enzymatic activities, including xylanase. We isolated a strain of Bacillus licheniformis from a hot springs environment that exhibited xylanase activity. A gene encoding a 23-kDa xylanase enzyme, Xyn11, was cloned, and the recombinant protein was expressed in an Escherichia coli host and biochemically characterized. The optimum activity of the enzyme was at pH 5–7 and 40–50°C. The enzyme was stable at temperatures up to 50°C. Against birchwood xylan, the enzyme had an apparent K m of 6.7 mg/mL and V max of 379 μmol/min/mg.
Proton pump inhibitors do not impair the effectiveness of metformin in patients with diabetes

Aims In order to exert its pharmacodynamic effect, the diabetes drug metformin needs to be taken up into hepatocytes by the organic cation transporter (OCT) system. A recent in vitro study found that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) inhibit OCT1, OCT2 and OCT3, suggesting that PPIs might reduce metformin's effectiveness. This pharmacoepidemiologic study looked for evidence of a clinical effect of such an interaction. Methods This was an observational cohort study examining changes in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) with exposure to metformin and to PPIs as single agents and in combination. The aim was to assess evidence of a deleterious drug−drug interaction. Results PPIs did not reduce the effectiveness of metformin, and indeed were associated with a minimally better glycaemic response by − 0.06 HbA1c percentage points (95% confidence interval, −0.10, −0.01) in metformin initiators. Conclusions Despite a mechanistic basis for a potential drug–drug interaction, we found no evidence of a deleterious interaction between PPIs and metformin.
Multiple sexual selection pressures drive the rapid evolution of complex morphology in a male secondary genital structure

The genitalia of internally fertilizing taxa represent a striking example of rapid morphological evolution. Although sexual selection can shape variation in genital morphology, it has been difficult to test whether multiple sexual selection pressures combine to drive the rapid evolution of individual genital structures. Here, we test the hypothesis that both pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection can act in concert to shape complex structural variation in secondary genital morphology. We genetically modified the size and shape of the posterior lobes of Drosophila melanogaster males and tested the consequences of morphological variation on several reproductive measures. We found that the posterior lobes are necessary for genital coupling and that they are also the targets of multiple postcopulatory processes that shape quantitative variation in morphology, even though these structures make no direct contact with the external female genitalia or internal reproductive organs during mating. We also found that males with smaller and less structurally complex posterior lobes suffer substantial fitness costs in competitive fertilization experiments. Our results show that sexual selection mechanisms can combine to shape the morphology of a single genital structure and that the posterior lobes of D. melanogaster are the targets of multiple postcopulatory selection pressures.
Transcellular transport of leptin by the short leptin receptor isoform ObRa in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells.

Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone that acts in specific regions of the brain to regulate body weight and neuroendocrine function. The mechanism by which leptin enters the brain is unknown. We previously reported that rat brain microvessels, which constitute the blood-brain barrier, contain large amounts of messenger RNA encoding a short form of the leptin receptor (ObRa), suggesting that this site may be important for receptor-mediated transport of leptin into the brain. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ObRa is capable of transcellular transport of intact leptin. A transwell system in which Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells stably expressing ObRa are grown in a monolayer was used to determine receptor distribution on apical or basolateral cell surfaces and the capacity for directional transport of 125I-leptin. Binding of 125I-leptin was greater on the apical vs. the basolateral cell surface and transport of 125I-leptin occurred only in the apical to basolateral direction. 11% o...
Where did the researchers go?: supporting social navigation at a large academic

Dealing with the information overload is an important challenge. Over the last decade researchers have tried to tackle that problem using social technologies. We present a social information access system that helps researchers attending a large academic conference to plan talks they wish to attend. More specifically, we have tried to address the problem of collecting reliable feedback from the community of users. Following "do it for yourself" approach, the system encourages users to add interesting talks to their individual schedules and uses scheduling information for social navigation support. We also report results of evaluation of the system at the ELearn 2007 conference.
Identification of Platform Variables in Product Family Design Using Sensitivity Analysis

Product family design strategies based on a common core platform have emerged as an efficient and effective means of providing product variety. The main goal in product platform design is to maximize internal commonality within the family while managing the inherent loss in product performance. Therefore, identification and selection of platform variables is a key aspect when designing a family of products. Based on previous research, the Product Platform Constructal Theory Method (PPCTM) provides a systematic approach for developing customizable products, while allowing for multiple levels of commonality, multiple product specifications, and balancing the tradeoffs between commonality and performance. However, selection of platform variables and the modes for managing product variety are not guided by a systematic process in this method. When developing a platform with more than a few variables, a quantitative method is needed for selecting the optimal platform variable hierarchy. In this paper we present an augmented PPCTM which includes sensitivity analysis of platform variables, such that hierarchical rank is conducted based on the impact of the variables on the product performance. This method is applied to the design of a line of customizable finger pumps.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Efficiently mining frequent trees in a forest: algorithms and applications

Mining frequent trees is very useful in domains like bioinformatics, Web mining, mining semistructured data, etc. We formulate the problem of mining (embedded) subtrees in a forest of rooted, labeled, and ordered trees. We present TREEMINER, a novel algorithm to discover all frequent subtrees in a forest, using a new data structure called scope-list. We contrast TREEMINER with a pattern matching tree mining algorithm (PATTERNMATCHER), and we also compare it with TREEMINERD, which counts only distinct occurrences of a pattern. We conduct detailed experiments to test the performance and scalability of these methods. We also use tree mining to analyze RNA structure and phylogenetics data sets from bioinformatics domain.
A Summary Of Estimation In Electrical Machine Systems

With increasing regularity, estimation algorithms are be- coming prominent components of electrical machine sys- tems. Their capabilities contribute significantly to improved system performance. In summarizing these contributions, this paper outlines the contemporary role of estimation in high-perfomance electrical machine systems and provides several examples related to motion estimation. Additionally, this paper looks forward, ontlining potential uses of estimation in electrical machine systems, and directions for continued research.
Genome-Wide Demethylation of Arabidopsis Endosperm

Parent-of-origin-specific (imprinted) gene expression is regulated in Arabidopsis thaliana endosperm by cytosine demethylation of the maternal genome mediated by the DNA glycosylase DEMETER, but the extent of the methylation changes is not known. Here, we show that virtually the entire endosperm genome is demethylated, coupled with extensive local non-CG hypermethylation of small interfering RNA–targeted sequences. Mutation of DEMETER partially restores endosperm CG methylation to levels found in other tissues, indicating that CG demethylation is specific to maternal sequences. Endosperm demethylation is accompanied by CHH hypermethylation of embryo transposable elements. Our findings demonstrate extensive reconfiguration of the endosperm methylation landscape that likely reinforces transposon silencing in the embryo.
Nanostructured ultrathin films of silicate clay and polyelectrolytes: Deposition parameters and mechanical properties by nanoindentation

Recently, we have investigated the electrostatic layer-by-layer (ELBL) deposition of polycation and clay platelet ultrathin films. We have investigated the properties of these films using techniques such as ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In this work, we report our results regarding the formation of this type of hybrid ultrathin films focusing on their mechanical properties as probed by nanoindentation experiments. Structural information such as film thickness, platelet coverage, surface morphology, roughness, etc., is important parameters for their potential use as coatings. We have investigated the relationship of several of these parameters with their mechanical hardness and modulus properties as a function of indentor probe depth in nanoindentation experiments. The ultrathin films have remarkable mechanical properties very different from most polymer ultrathin films.
“Québec History X”: Re-Visioning the Past Through Rap 1

This article examines how contemporary rap texts invoke historical events to contribute to a vision of the imagined community of Quebec as a diverse and accommodating, “transcultural” society. It examines how the recent anthem rap songs of the controversial, franco-nationalist rappers Loco Locass actually reflect the attitude of accommodation found in the recent Bouchard-Taylor Report. Similar sentiments of reconciliation appear in their collaboration with franco-Algonuin rapper Samian, “La Paix des Braves” (Face a la Musique, 2008) which commemorates the Great Peace of Montreal and the more recent agreement between Quebec and the Cree in 2002. In contrast, Webster, a black rapper from Quebec City, suggests in “Quebec History X” (Sagesse immobile, 2008) that such visions elide historical incidences of racial oppression and conflict, and that Quebecois society still has progress to make in terms of revealing its past in order to enlighten the present.
Psychological Co-morbidities of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS is a common, painful gastrointestinal condition associated with psychiatric comorbidities and significant psychological distress, occurring as either a cause or consequence of disabling and embarrassing bowel symptoms. The most common psychiatric comorbidities observed in IBS patients are the anxiety disorders, present in up to 50% of patients seeking treatment. To a lesser extent, somatization and mood disorders are also common. Psychological interventions, particularly gut-directed hypnotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, have demonstrated modest efficacy in treating IBS symptoms directly, but very little research has tested the efficacy of psychotherapy for IBS when it is directly associated with psychiatric comorbidity. Current recommendations for treatment of IBS and comorbid psychiatric diagnoses are to treat them independently, acknowledging that each may contribute to the onset and maintenance of symptoms. Further, it is likely that an improvement in one condition may result in an improvement in the other. Recommendations for the assessment and treatment of IBS in the context of psychiatric comorbidity are presented in this chapter.
Theoretical modeling of bifunctional multilayer systems

Crystalline multilayer systems with structure ABABA... offer the possibility of combining functional properties of two distinctly different materials, and of exploiting the interfaces to couple functionality of one component to the other. The multilayer environment permits the amplification of interface properties as would be important for device applications. The manipulation of ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and/or ferroelastic properties in so-called ferroic materials through growth of thin films, multilayers, and graded composition structures has received considerable experimental and theoretical attention in recent years. We survey the current status of atomic-scale modeling of multilayer systems which could exhibit ferroic behavior; i.e., spontaneous order below a critical temperature and hysteresis in stimulus-response behavior. The roles of interfacial strain, chemical variability at the interface, and film thickness are explored, taking as a primary example the classic BaTiO3‖Fe3O4 ferroelectric ‖ ferrimagnetic interactions. First principles band structure calculations are used to determine relaxed interface structures and residual stresses, as well as the underlying electronic distributions. Embedded cluster methods are then used to extract local chemical bonding characteristics and hyperfine properties.
MAGMA INTERACTIONS IN THE DEER ISLE GRANITE COMPLEX, MAINE: FIELD AND TEXTURAL EVIDENCE

The Devonian Deer Isle granite complex, Penobscot Bay, Maine, exhibits complex and highly diverse textures of minerals and rocks that are the result of thermal perturbations related to injections of new magma during the crystallization history of the pluton. The pluton-wide systematic spatial variation in the abundance of minerals, plagioclase-mantled alkali feldspar, schlieren, enclaves, and rock textures allows us to define four facies. Their spatial distribution across the Deer Isle granite complex reflects crystallization within a zoned magma-chamber. Lithological and textural variations were produced by a combination of the open-system behavior and crystal–melt fractionation during evolution of the magma chamber. The Flye Point and Oak Point facies are basal cumulates formed by crystal accumulation during emplacement and growth of the chamber. Both subsequently matured by compaction and filter pressing of residual melts. The transition from the relatively static cumulate-rich base into a dynamic magmatic flow regime is preserved by the texturally variable Settlement Quarry facies. The overlying leucocratic Crotch Island facies represents an evolved felsic cap that was modified by addition of low-density melts derived from the growing pile of cumulates. The decreasing abundance of mafic enclaves from the Flye Point facies toward the Crotch Island facies indicates that the importance of replenishments of mafic magma, in terms of adding heat and material to the chamber, waned during crystallization. As crystallization proceeded, convection ceased and texturally distinct granite domains were preserved.
The MIMO Radar and Jammer Games

The interaction between a smart target and a smart MIMO radar is investigated from a game theory perspective. Since the target and the radar form an adversarial system, their interaction is modeled as a two-person zero-sum game. The mutual information criterion is used in formulating the utility functions. The unilateral, hierarchical, and symmetric games are studied, and the equilibria solutions are derived.
Optimal choice of bilateral contract transaction for minimizing total transmission loss

Deregulation has significantly changed the way present day power systems operate. With economics being the driving force behind the introduction of deregulation, transmission loss minimization has added importance. This paper presents two approaches to determine the optimal bilateral transaction from the point of view of minimizing the total transmission loss. One is based on the load flow and the other uses the loss formula, which does not resort to any online load flow computation. This makes it much superior in terms of computation speed. In spite of the assumptions involved, the loss formula based approach pinpoints the optimal transaction. Results are presented for four test systems.