cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three poems on markets and consumption

This account reflects an effort to address the crisis of representation emerging from some of my recent fieldwork on pilgrimage in the postmodern era. Bracketed by the relatively dispassionate field note and the reasonably narcissistic journal entry, each of these particular poems is a liminal playground for the contest between introspection and exteroception. In these poems, I exploit the coincidence of the ethnographic and lyric moment to examine an anthropologist’s engagement with his craft. They address the experience of researcher ambivalence – in this case, the uncomfortable unwillingness to suspend the voice of judgment – occasioned by prolonged immersion in spectacular venues. Neither autoethnographic nor reflexive in any formal sense, these poems invite the reader to participate in the mixed emotions of a persona locked in the embrace of consumer culture, where to resist is to accommodate, and to accommodate, resist. The sites represented in the poems are, respectively, the flagship brand store A...
Extreme Sensitivity of Adult Neurogenesis to Low Doses of X-Irradiation

Therapeutic irradiation of the brain is associated with a number of adverse effects, including cognitive impairment. Although the pathogenesis of radiation-induced cognitive injury is unknown, it may involve loss of neural precursor cells from the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus and alterations in new cell production (neurogenesis). Young adult male C57BL mice received whole brain irradiation, and 6-48 h later, hippocampal tissue was assessed using immunohistochemistry for detection of apoptosis and numbers of proliferating cells and immature neurons. Apoptosis peaked 12 h after irradiation, and its extent was dose dependent. Forty-eight h after irradiation, proliferating SGZ cells were reduced by 93-96%; immature neurons were decreased from 40 to 60% in a dose-dependent fashion. To determine whether acute cell sensitivity translated into long-term changes, we quantified neurogenesis 2 months after irradiation with 0, 2, 5, or 10 Gy. Multiple injections of BrdUrd were given to label proliferating cells, and 3 weeks later, confocal microscopy was used to determine the percentage of BrdUrd-labeled cells that showed mature cell phenotypes. The production of new neurons was significantly reduced by X-rays; that change was dose dependent. In contrast, there were no apparent effects on the production of new astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. Measures of activated microglia indicated that changes in neurogenesis were associated with a significant inflammatory response. Given the known effects of radiation on cognitive function and the relationship between hippocampal neurogenesis and associated memory formation, our data suggest that precursor cell radiation response and altered neurogenesis may play a contributory if not causative role in radiation-induced cognitive impairment.
Transplantation as a Soybean Field Technique to Modify Root Nodule Occupancy

Field studies of symbiotic interactions between soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) and Bradyrhizobium japonicum (Kirch.) Jordon are often limited by an inability of specific inocula to compete successfully with indigenous bradyrhizobia for root nodule sites. The objective of this note is to describe and evaluate a transplantation technique for modifying soybean root nodule occupancy under field conditions. Pre-nodulated seedlings were prepared under greenhouse conditions in containers designed for the generation of transplants. The inoculation procedures used ensured that all nodules initiated prior to transplanting contained only selected strains of B. japonicum The seedlings were transplanted to field microplots when approximately 3 wk old and subsequently allowed to develop normally. The transplanted seedlings exhibited high rates of survival and excellent yield potentials. Control of nodule occupancy on tap roots and adjoining portions of major lateral roots was nearly complete for several weeks after transplanting.
Antiproliferative hybrid analogs of the hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3: Design, synthesis, and preliminary biological evaluation

The combination of 10-12 kbar pressure plus Lewis acidic zinc dichloride promotes highly regioselective and stereoselective Diels-Alder cycloaddition between 3-bromo-2-pyrone, prepared in a new way, and unactivated terminal alkene 4-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-1-butene. The conjugate base of A-ring allylic phosphine oxide 20 adds chemospecifically to the C-8 keto group of some C-8,C-24-diketones to form directly metabolically resistant 24-oxo analogs of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (calcitriol). Several of these new hybrid analogs are as efficacious in vitro as calcitriol at inhibiting growth of murine keratinocytes even at physiologically relevant 10-100 nanomolar concentrations.
Sizing up life and death

Determining the “rules” that govern the lifespans and birth and death rates of organisms is a central goal of population biology and lies at the heart of understanding a broad range of ecological and evolutionary phenomena (1, 2). Yet, until recently, quantifying these rules and, more importantly, providing a mechanistic explanation for how they operate have eluded biologists. This gap in our knowledge is understandable. Organisms manifest lifespans that range on the order of minutes or hours in the case of bacteria to many hundreds or thousands of years in the case of some tree species. In addition, for organisms like some unicellular algae and plants, which can reproduce asexually, the application of concepts like “birth” and “death” can be problematic or ambiguous. Nevertheless, the work of Marba et al. (3) in this issue of PNAS provides reason to hope that the life and death dynamics of otherwise very dissimilar organisms abide by predictable and explicable rules. Equally important, their work demonstrates that lifespan and birth/death rates scale with respect to body size across aquatic and terrestrial and unicellular and multicellular plant species in ways that accord remarkably well with those predicted by a generalized theory for the metabolic optimization of life history traits (4, 5).
Macroscopic behavior of freezing saturated silty soils

Abstract The macroscopic behavior of freezing saturated silty soils was studied through a series of nine laboratory experiments. Under the range of test conditions, the heaving rate remained near-constant throughout a given experimental run as long as the overburden load was unchanged; water flow varied throughout the early period of experiments and then also stabilized at a near-constant rate; and ice lenses were found to grow predominantly at the freezing front but also occasionally on its cold side. Because the amount of water frozen in the soil per unit time is shown to be largely independent of the growth of visible ice lenses, segregation ice probably forms pervasively throughout the soil samples, frequently on a scale too small to be visibly detected. An experimentally demonstrated consequence of this pervasive segregation ice is the low strength of apparently unlensed, newly thawed soils, relative to the same soil at the same water content which has never been frozen.
Limits of validity of the 1-dimensional approach in space-charge-wave and Gunn-effect theories

The dispersion relation for space-charge waves propagating in a thick (but finite) Gunn diode is derived. One of the solutions of this dispersion relation is found to be strongly coupled to the dielectric outside the semiconductor, and to exhibit a field amplitude which oscillates as it decays away from the semiconductor surface. The penetration depth of the field for this wave sets a lower limit to the semiconductor thickness, below which the usual 1-dimensional theory becomes questionable.
A Conceptual Framework for Corporate Modeling and the Results of a Survey of Current Practice

This paper attempts to ascertain the current state of the art of corporate simulation models by summarizing the results of a survey of 346 corporations in North America and Europe. It considers who is using corporate models, why, how, and which resources are required for implementation. A conceptual framework for corporate modelling is also given.
Control of phase synchronization of neuronal activity in the rat hippocampus

Analysis of the synchronization mechanisms of neural activity is crucial to the understanding of the generation, propagation and control of epileptiform activity. Recently, phase synchronization (PS) analysis was applied to quantify the partial synchrony that exists in complex chaotic or noisy systems. In a previous study, we have shown that neural activity between two remotely located sites can be synchronized through a complete cut of the tissue by endogenous non-synaptic signals. Therefore, it should be possible to apply signals to control PS. In this study, we test the hypothesis that stimulation amplitudes below excitation level (sub-threshold) can be used to control phase synchronization of two neural signals and we investigate the underlying mechanisms. PS of neuronal activity is first analysed in two coupled Rossler neuron models. Both synchronization and desynchronization could be generated with sub-threshold sinusoidal stimulation. Phase synchronization was then studied in in vitro brain slices. Neuronal activity between two sites was modulated by the application of small sinusoidal electric fields. PS between two remote sites could be achieved by the application of two identical waveforms while phase desynchronization of two close sites was generated by the application of a stimulus at a single site. These results show that sub-threshold stimuli are able to phase synchronize or desynchronize two networks and suggest that small signals could play an important role in normal neural activity and epilepsy.
Landlords, leaseholders & sweat equity: changing property regimes in aquaculture

Abstract This paper explores the tensions, issues and problems being experienced by one small fishing community off Canada's east coast, as it confronts the challenges of a rapidly growing aquaculture industry. It examines the significance for the community of changing property regimes, directly related to a government policy, proclaimed in October 2000, that is transforming ownership patterns in the industry, and creating new property regimes through the allocation of aquaculture sites. It argues that this policy reflects a fundamentally different ideology that is taking away community control over resources and threatening livelihoods dependent upon the wild fishery.
Inclusion of radiation effects in plasma-neutral codes

Experiments on Alcator C-Mod have demonstrated edge plasma conditions with optically thick hydrogenic Lyman lines [1, 2]. In these high opacity plasma regions, the total neutral particle density and excited-state populations depend on the radiation field. Current edge plasma-neutral fluid codes ignore this dependence in their atomic physics models. For instance, collisional-radiative models are commonly used to define effective ionization, recombination and energy loss rates exclusively as functions of the local electron density and electron temperature [3]. To include radiation effects in plasma-neutral codes, we are working towards two goals: (1) extending the local atomic physics model to account for a spatially varying radiation field; and (2) driving the extended model with results from a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium atomic kinetics and radiation transfer code.
Detection of organic matter in thin-sections of carbonate rocks using a white card

Abstract Organic matter is revealed in exquisite detail when a white card is slipped beneath the thin-section and observation is made by oblique reflected light. The method is superior to fluorescence microscopy for highly matured organic matter. Examples are given from the Triassic Portoro limestone of Italy, revealing organic-rich crosses within dolomite crystals, selective bacterial diagenesis of pellet-rich limestones, and hydrocarbon migration along veins.
THE ACQUISITION OF ROUTE AND SURVEY KNOWLEDGE FROM COMPUTER MODELS

Two experiments were conducted investigating a series of issues concerning the nature of the spatial knowledge obtained from a computer model of a campus environment. The issues investigated were: the relative acquisition of route and survey knowledge, the construction of survey knowledge over repeated exposures, the orientation-specific nature of the cognitive representation, and practical wayfinding abilities. A series of tests were administered to assess the route and survey knowledge of subjects who learned a campus environment from a map, computer model, or direct experience. The results indicated that computer experience leads to the acquisition of some elements of both route and survey knowledge. There was also evidence of orientation specificity and functional wayfinding knowledge.
Selection and mutation at an X-linked locus.

SUMMARY The most general mutation-selection model with discrete non-overlapping generations is formulated for a multiallelic X-linked locus, The difference equations for the gene frequencies, though dependent on the female genotypic proportions, are shown to have a simple form. If mating is random and the rates at which various unions produce females may be expressed as products of factors depending on the male and female parental genotypes, then the female zygotic frequencies are proved to be generalized Hardy-Weinberg proportions with respect to the male and female gametic frequencies. As the main application of the formalism, assuming only that mutation is much weaker than selection, the total frequencies of mutant alleles in males and females at equilibrium are related to the mutation rates and mean selection coefficients in the two sexes.
A Gel Probe Equilibrium Sampler for Measuring Arsenic Porewater Profiles and Sorption Gradients in Sediments: II. Field Application to Haiwee Reservoir Sediment

Arsenic (As) geochemistry and sorption behavior were measured in As- and iron (Fe)-rich sediments of Haiwee Reservoir by deploying undoped (clear) polyacrylamide gels and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO)-doped gels in a gel probe equilibrium sampler, which is a novel technique for directly measuring the effects of porewater composition on As adsorption to Fe oxides phases in situ. Arsenic is deposited at the sediment surface as As(V) and is reduced to As(III) in the upper layers of the sediment (0–8 cm), but the reduction of As(V) does not cause mobilization into the porewater. Dissolved As and Fe concentrations increased at depth in the sediment column driven by the reductive dissolution of amorphous Fe(III) oxyhydroxides and conversion to a mixed Fe(II, III) green rust-type phase. Adsorption of As and phosphorous (P) onto HFO-doped gels was inhibited at intermediate depths (10–20 cm), possibly due to dissolved organic or inorganic carbon, indicating that dissolved As concentrations were at least partially controlled by porewater composition rather than surface site availability. In sediments that had been recently exposed to air, the region of sorption inhibition was not observed, suggesting that prior exposure to air affected the extent of reductive dissolution, porewater chemistry, and As adsorption behavior. Arsenic adsorption onto the HFO-doped gels increased at depths >20 cm, and the extent of adsorption was most likely controlled by the competitive effects of dissolved phosphate. Sediment As adsorption capacity appeared to be controlled by changes in porewater composition and competitive effects at shallower depths, and by reductive dissolution and availability of sorption sites at greater burial depths.
SCIMITAR: Scalable Stream-Processing for Sensor Information Brokering

Current sensor collection capabilities produce an incredible amount of data that needs to be processed, analyzed, and distributed in a timely and efficient manner. Information Management (IM) services supporting a publish-subscribe and query paradigm can be a powerful general purpose approach to enabling this information exchange between decoupled and dynamic information producers and consumers. These IM services will only be of value, however, if they can support operations in a manner that is responsive to the sheer quantity and frequency of data produced by surveillance platforms. Cloud computing is the technology of choice for providing the resources and services needed to enable and mange large-scale distributed computation. To date, there has been little work to develop highly scalable, dynamic IM processing and dissemination services in a cloud computing environment. In this paper we discuss our design, implementation and evaluation of a prototype cloud-based information broker which is a critical component of a highly scalable, distributed IM System. The brokering prototype is designed using a distributed stream processing framework and is shown to scale nearly linearly with the number of computing nodes as information load and subscription quantity increases.
Temporal evolution of 36Cl abundances in the Great Lakes

Abstract The observed 36Cl isotopic abundance in Great Lakes water decreases from west to east, with the highest 36Cl/Cl ratio of 1332 × 10−15 in Lake Superior and the lowest 36Cl/Cl ratio of 151 × 10−15 in Lake Erie, whereas the 36Cl concentration (36Cl atoms/L) is lowest in Lake Superior and higher in the other Great Lakes. The 36Cl concentration in Lake Superior is much higher than expected from normal atmospheric deposition over the basin, consistent with deposition of nuclear bomb-produced 36Cl during 1952–1964. A conservative mass-balance model constrained by hydrological parameters and available 36Cl fluence measurements predicts the 36Cl abundances in the Great Lakes from 1945 to 2015, in excellent agreement with available data for Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron, but the model underestimates 36Cl abundances for Lakes Erie and Ontario. However, assuming that 36Cl demonstrates non-conservative behavior and is significantly retained in the drainage basins, a model incorporating a delayed input parameter successfully predicts observed 36Cl concentrations in all of the Great Lakes.
Heavy Quark Results at DØ

Recent results on heavy quark physics from the DO experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider are reported. Topics included are top quark production and mass determination, bottom production and correlations, and charmonium production.
Improving the academic success of disadvantaged children: An examination of success for all

The Success For All (SFA) program, developed at Johns Hopkins University was founded on the basis of the philosophy that, given appropriate resources and support early in their lives, all children can succeed academically. Since its inception, extensive cross-site and longitudinal evaluations of SFA's effects on student achievement have shown consistent positive outcomes. In addition, recent results regarding issues of program implementation quality, teacher attitudes, and program impacts on minority students have provided additional insights regarding program benefits. 1997 © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Drilling of submarine fans in the Indian Ocean

The collision and penetration of India into mainland Asia offers an outstanding laboratory for understanding continental collisions in general. In addition, the region also provides the most dramatic example of solid Earth-atmospheric coupling in the recent geologic past. Mountain-building profoundly affects global circulation in the northern hemisphere, and the resulting climate changes in South Asia have caused rates of continental erosion to change through time, affecting the chemistry of the atmosphere and oceans, and in turn, the global climate. Erosion of the Himalayas and adjacent terrain has formed the world's two largest submarine sediment masses, the Indus and Bengal submarine fans, which together contain records of both the tectonic development of the collision zone and environmental changes resulting from it.
Partisan profiles in presidential policies: A reply to a partisan proponent

Abstract Zaleski's (1992) estimates of presidential preference for inflation versus unemployment reject the party cleavage model. Utilizing a different technique, Siebrand and Swank (1994) provide estimates similar, for the most part, to Zaleski's. Siebrand and Swank, however, support the party cleavage model. After offering a rationale for rejecting the party cleavage model, this reply points out the similarities of the two competing results.
The Synthesis of 18F-FDS and Its Potential Application in Molecular Imaging

2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) is the most commonly used positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for oncological and neurological imaging, but it has limitations on detecting tumor or inflammation in brain gray matter. In this study, we describe the development of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluorosorbitol (18F-FDS) and its possible application in lesion detection around brain area. 18F-FDS was obtained by reduction of FDG using NaBH4 (81 ± 4% yield in 30 min). Cell uptake/efflux experiments in cell culture and small animal PET imaging on tumor and inflammation models were performed. Despite the low accumulation in cell culture, 18F-FDS had good tumor uptake and contrast in the subcutaneous U87MG tumor model (4.54%ID/g at 30 min post-injection). Minimal uptake in the normal mouse brain facilitated good tumor contrast in both U87MG and GL-26 orthotopic tumor models. 18F-FDS also had increased uptake in the inflamed foci of the TPA-induced acute inflammation model. Because of the ease of synthesis and favorable in vivo kinetics, 18F-FDS may have potential applications in certain cases where FDG is inadequate (e.g., brain tumor).
Changes in Ovarian 3α-Androstanediol Response to Human Chorionic Gonadotropin during Puberty in the Rat: Modulatory Role of Prolactin

To determine the capacity of the rat ovary to produce 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (α-diol) in response to gonadotropins during the time of puberty, the ovaries of animals at different phases of puberty were incubated in vitro in the presence of hCG, and the 3α-diol released into the medium was measured by RIA. Basal 3α-diol release, i.e. in the absence of hCG, did not change appreciably throughout puberty. In contrast, the 3α-diol release in response to hCG was elevated in late juvenile rats (32 days of age, anestrous phase of puberty) and during early puberty (early proestrous phase), but declined markedly on the morning of the first proestrous day (late proestrous phase). The response reached minimal values on the day of first estrus and remained low on the first diestrus. Since the 3α-diol release in response to hCG declined before the first preovulatory surge of gonadotropins, at a time in which serum gonadotropin levels are low but the serum levels of PRL are increasing, the effect of hyper- and hypopr...
Interprocedural register allocation for RISC machines

Efficient register allocation can significantly impact the performance of a program. Most register allocation investigations deal with intraprocedural register allocation. This paper presents two interprocedural register allocation approaches along with empirical data to judge the value of each approach on a variety of benchmark programs. The GNU C compiler is used on a Data General Aviion computer as the investigation environment.
Metal ions and the stereochemistry of ribozyme reactions.

Abstract Inversion of configuration at phosphorus during ribozyme-catalyzed cleavage of RNA is usually considered unequivocal proof of in-line attack, but the relevant pseudorotation diagram for formation of the 2 ′ ,3 ′ -cyclic phosphate shows that inversion is not inconsistent with adjacent attack as long as breakdown of the trigonal bipyramid is in-line. For the reaction to occur by adjacent attack, a normally unstable apical oxyanion in the trigonal bipyramidal intermediate would have to be stabilized. Density-functional calculations show that a metal ion such as magnesium could perform this stabilization. We conclude that the possibility of adjacent attack should not be too hastily dismissed in cases where the setup is closer to adjacent than to in-line geometry.
DNA sequence of Crithidia fasciculata kinetoplast minicircles.

Kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) networks of the insect trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata strain CF-C1 contain a nearly homogeneous population of kDNA minicircles as judged by restriction enzyme cleavage analysis. We have determined the entire nucleotide sequence of the major class of minicircles by analyzing M13 phage clones carrying half-length segments of the kDNA minicircle molecules. The 12 nucleotide sequence d(G-G-G-G-T-T-G-G-T-G-T-A) is the longest sequence common to kDNA minicircles from several trypanosome species examined to date. Two copies of this universal minicircle sequence were identified 180° apart as direct repeats within the C. fasciculata kDNA minicircles. In addition, these universal minicircle sequences are contained within direct repeats with nearly identical sequences of 173 and 177 base pairs (bp) in length. These sequences are also conserved in the same arrangement in minor sequence classes of minicircles from this strain. Site-specific discontinuities on both strands of the minicircle, identified previously in minicircle replication intermediates, were localized within the 173 and 177 bp conserved sequences. These sequences were also found to have extensive homology with similar conserved sequences in kDNA minicircles from Leishmania tarentolae. We suggest that the two conserved sequences, each containing a single copy of the universal minicircle sequence, represent replication origins in the Crithidia minicircles.
Premyofibrils in spreading adult cardiomyocytes in tissue culture: evidence for reexpression of the embryonic program for myofibrillogenesis in adult cells.

Do adult cardiomyocytes use the same pathways hypothesized for the formation of myofibrils in embryonic cardiomyocytes in tissue culture. [Rhee, et al., Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 28:1-24, 1994]? Premyofibrils in embryonic cardiomyocytes are composed of short sarcomeric units of alpha-actinin (Z-bodies) and actin filaments held together by short nonmuscle myosin IIB filaments. Premyofibrils are believed to be transformed into nascent myofibrils by their capture of muscle-specific myosin II filaments aligned in aperiodic arrays. Nascent myofibrils are thought to transform into mature myofibrils by the loss of nonmuscle myosin IIB, the fusion of the Z-bodies into Z-bands, and the periodic alignment of muscle myosin II filaments into A-bands. Freshly isolated cat and rat adult cardiomyocytes placed in tissue culture lack premyofibrils and nascent myofibrils. Adult cardiomyocytes spreading in culture reinitiate the synthesis of nonmuscle myosin IIB. Moreover, patterns similar to the proposed embryonic myofibrillar program first detected in spreading chick embryonic hearts were also detected in these spreading adult mammalian cardiomyocytes. The isolated adult cardiomyocytes begin to spread after 1 day in culture by sending out lamellipodia. When these cells are injected with fluorescently labeled alpha-actinin, linear arrays of short spacings of beaded alpha-actinin bodies are detected in the spreading edges of the adult cardiomyocytes. These dense bodies (Z-bodies) stain positively for the same sarcomeric-specific isoform of alpha-actinin that is in the Z-bands of mature sarcomeres. These linear arrays of alpha-actinin-containing Z-bodies have other characteristics of premyofibrils and are detected only in the spreading regions of the cells. Thus, these premyofibrils at the edges of the spreading adult cardiomyocytes stain positively for nonmuscle myosin IIB but negatively for muscle-specific myosin II. Initially, no vinculin is associated with any parts of the premyofibrils in the spreading regions of the early spreading cardiomyocytes. However, later, vinculin is found to be associated with the ends of the premyofibrils. Fibers that stain solidly for muscle-specific myosin II (i.e., nascent myofibrils) are localized between the peripheral premyofibrils and the centrally positioned, mature myofibrils. It is suggested that the puzzling ability of cardiomyocytes in hypertrophic hearts to reinitiate the synthesis of fetal sarcomeric proteins may be related to the reinitiation of the embryonic premyofibril program for myofibrillogenesis.
Near Infrared Light-Triggered Drug Generation and Release from Gold Nanoparticle Carriers for Photodynamic Therapy

A photoprecursor Pc 227 is covalently bound onto gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to produce the known photodynamic therapy (PDT) drug Pc 4 upon 660 nm photoirradiation. The photochemical formation of the photoproduct Pc 4 is identified by spectroscopy, chromatography, and mass spectrometry and its PDT efficacy is equal to Pc 4 when administered non-covalently by Au NPs, with the added benefit of improved covalent delivery and targeted NIR-triggered release from the covalent Pc 227-Au NP conjugate, while during transport the attached Pc 227 is quenched by the Au NP and PDT inactivated.
Tensile Properties of Alumina Fibers Using Hot-Grips

Tensile testing of single-crystal Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] fibers was conducted using a hot-grip method developing during this study. Fracture strength was measured between 25 and 1,500 C and was found to decrease with increasing temperature. However, a strength minimum, observed by others between 400 and 900 C, appeared to be absent. The experimental results are in good agreement with calculated fracture strength values based on the fracture toughness of cleavage planes up to 1,200 C. Strain rate experiments carried out at 1,300 C indicate that strength is strongly time dependent. Fracture originates from both surface flaws and internal pores in the fibers.
A Genetical Genomics Approach to Genome Scans Increases Power for QTL Mapping

We describe a method for integrating gene expression information into genome scans and show that this can substantially increase the statistical power of QTL mapping. The method has three stages. First, standard clustering methods identify small (size 5–20) groups of genes with similar expression patterns. Second, each gene group is tested for a causative genetic locus shared with the clinical trait of interest. This is done using an EM algorithm approach that treats genotype at the putative causative locus as an unobserved variable and combines expression information from all of the genes in the group to infer genotype information at the locus. Finally, expression QTL (eQTL) are mapped for each gene group that shares a causative locus with the clinical trait. Such eQTL are candidates for the causative locus. Simulation results show that this method has far superior power to standard QTL mapping techniques in many circumstances. We applied this method to existing data on mouse obesity. Our method identified 27 putative body weight QTL, whereas standard QTL mapping produced only one. Furthermore, most gene groups with body weight QTL included cis genes, so candidate genes could be immediately identified. Eleven body weight QTL produced 16 candidate genes that have been previously associated with body weight or body weight-related traits, thus validating our method. In addition, 15 of the 16 other loci produced 32 candidate genes that have not been associated with body weight. Thus, this method shows great promise for finding new causative loci for complex traits.
Thick target neutron yields for the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction near threshold

Abstract Transportable accelerator sources of epithermal neutrons are crucial for the development of hospital-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) as a treatment modality for brain cancers. One method for producing such epithermal neutrons is near-threshold (p,n) reactions as studied by our group, as well as several other investigators. As part of this effort, we have developed accurate methods for computing the angular distributions and energy spectra of neutrons from thick targets using the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction near threshold. Neutron yields are calculated for lithium metal as well as several lithium compounds of low molecular weight. The calculational method is discussed, with emphasis on the improvements over previously published methods. Neutron energy spectra, angular distributions, and total yields for proton beam energies up to 120 keV above threshold are presented. A method is also demonstrated for calculating neutron yields for targets that are not sufficiently thick to slow protons past the reaction threshold.
Plasma Etching of Silicon Dioxide and Silicon Nitride with Non-Perfluorocompound Chemistries: Trifluoroacetic Anhydride and Iodofluorocarbons

Presently, the semiconductor industry relies almost exclusively on perfluorocompounds (e.g., tetrafluoromethane, hexafluoroethane, nitrogen trifluoride. sulfur hexafluoride, and. more recently, octafluoropropane) for the etching of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride films in wafer patterning and PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) chamber cleaning applications. The use of perfluorocompounds (PFCs) by the industry is considered problematic because of the high global warming potentials (GWPs) associated with these substances. Potential replacements for perfluorocompounds are presently being evaluated at MIT. In an initial stage of the study, intended to screen potential candidates on the basis of etch performance, a large number of compounds is being tested in a commercially available magnetically enhanced reactive ion etch tool. The potential alternatives discussed in this work are trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) and three members of the iodofluorocarbon (IFC) family–iodotrifluoromethane, iodopentafluorocthane, and 2-iodoheptafluoropropane. This paper will present the results of etch rate comparisons between TFAA and octafluoropropane, a perfluorinated dielectric etchant. Designed experiment (DOE) methodology, combined with neural network software, was used to study a broad parameter space of reactor conditions. The effects of pressure, magnetic field, and gas flow rates were studied. Additionally, more limited tests were carried out with the three iodofluorocarbon gases. Etch rate data, as well as Auger electron spectroscopy data from substrates exposed to IFC plasmas will be presented. All gases were evaluated using both silicon dioxide as well as silicon nitride substrates. Results indicate that these compounds may be potentially viable in plasma etching applications.
SHAPE INDICES: USEFUL MEASURES OR RED HERRINGS?

Considerable attention has been devoted to shape analysis in geography with few fruitful results. We ask whether or not shape analysis is worth pursuing, referring to papers by Griffith and Lo. The methodology utilizes a two-step procedure. First, Lo's analysis is reconstructed to include indices reported in Griffith. Second, findings from the investigations are compared. Similar results are obtained from both studies, but the failure to extract any one-to-one correspondence between a shape and its associated index value(s) continues to cast doubt on the utility for subsequent studies.
Promoting native vegetation and diversity in exotic annual grass infestations.

Exotic plant invasions are especially problematic because reestablishment of native perennial vegetation is rarely successful. It may be more appropriate to treat exotic plant infestations that still have some remaining native vegetation. We evaluated this restoration strategy by measuring the effects of spring burning, fall burning, fall applied imazapic, spring burning with fall applied imazapic, and fall burning with fall applied imazapic on the exotic annual grass, medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski), and native vegetation at six sites in Oregon for 2 years post-treatment. Medusahead infestations included in this study had some residual native perennial bunchgrasses and forbs. Burning followed by imazapic application provided the best control of medusahead and resulted in the greatest increases in native perennial vegetation. However, imazapic application decreased native annual forb cover the first year post-treatment and density the first and second year post-treatment. The spring burn followed by imazapic application produced an almost 2-fold increase in plant species diversity compared to the control. The fall burn followed by imazapic application also increased diversity compared to the control. Results of this study indicate that native plants can be promoted in medusahead invasions; however, responses vary by plant functional group and treatment. Our results compared to previous research suggest that restoration of plant communities invaded by exotic annual grass may be more successful if efforts focus on areas with some residual native perennial vegetation. Thus, invasive plant infestations with some native vegetation remaining should receive priority for restoration efforts over near monocultures of invasive plant species.
Characterization of multiple [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine binding sites in rat spinal cord tissue.

: High-affinity [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine ([3H]5-HT) binding in the rat spinal cord is similar to that demonstrated in the frontal cortex. [3H]5-HT binds with nearly the same affinity to sites in both tissues. Furthermore, similar patterns of displacement of [3H]5–HT were seen in both tissues, with either spiperone or LSD as the unlabeled ligand. This high-affinity binding appears to be to multiple sites, since displacement studies using 2 nM [3H]5–HT result in Hill coefficients less than unity for spiperone, LSD, and quipazine [Hill coefficients (nH): 0.44, 0.39, 0.40, respectively]. These sites apparently have an equal affinity for [3H]5-HT, since unlabeled 5-HT did not discriminate between them. Thus, the high-affinity [3H]5-HT binding in the spinal cord may be analogous to that observed in the frontal cortex, where two populations of sites have previously been described (5-HTIA, 5-HTIB). In addition to the multiple high-affinity spinal cord binding sites, a low-affinity [3H]5-HT binding component was also identified. A curvilinear Scatchard plot results from saturation studies using [3H]5-HT (0.5–100 nM) in the spinal cord. The plot can be resolved into sites having apparent dissociation constants of 1.4 nM and 57.8 nM for the high-and low-affinity components, respectively. Additional support for a change in affinity characteristics at higher radioligand concentrations comes from the displacement of 30 nM [3H]5-HT by the unlabeled ligand. A nonparallel shift in the dissociation curve was seen, resulting in a Hill coefficient less than unity (0.32). None of the specifically bound [3H]5-HT in the spinal cord is associated with the 5-HT uptake carrier, since fluoxetine, an inhibitor of 5-HT uptake, does not alter binding characteristics. In addition, a 5-HT binding site analogous to the site designated 5-HT, was not apparent in the spinal cord. Ketanse-rin and cyproheptadine, drugs that are highly selective for 5-HT, sites, did not displace [3H]5-HT from spinal tissue, and [3H]spiperone, a radioligand that binds with high affinity to 5-HT2 sites, did not exhibit saturable binding in the tissue. Thus, the 5-HT2 binding site reported in other regions of the central nervous system, and the serotonin uptake carrier do not appear to contribute to the multiple binding sites demonstrated in the spinal cord.
Characterization of irvR, a Novel Regulator of the irvA-Dependent Pathway Required for Genetic Competence and Dextran-Dependent Aggregation in Streptococcus mutans

Previous studies identified irvA as a normally repressed but highly inducible transcription regulator capable of repressing mutacin I gene expression in Streptococcus mutans. In this study, we aimed to identify and characterize the regulator(s) responsible for repressing the expression of irvA. An uncharacterized open reading frame (SMU.1398) located immediately adjacent to irvA and annotated as a putative transcription repressor was identified as a likely candidate. The results of mutation studies confirmed that the expression of irvA was greatly increased in the SMU.1398 background. Mutation of SMU.1398 ("irvR") abolished genetic competence and reduced the expression of the late competence genes/operons comEA, comY, and dprA without affecting the expression of the known competence regulators comC, comED, or comX. In addition, irvR was found to be a potent negative regulator of dextran-dependent aggregation (DDAG) and gbpC expression. Each of these irvR mutant phenotypes could be rescued with a double mutation of irvA or complemented by introducing a wild-type copy of irvR on a shuttle vector. These data indicate that the repression of irvA is critically dependent upon irvR and that irvA repression is essential for the development of genetic competence and the proper control of DDAG in S. mutans.
Sustainability Education's Gift Learning Patterns and Relationships

The crisis of sustainability can be linked to the traditional forms of schooling driven by mechanistic and technocratic worldviews. Progressing to a more sustainable world requires a fundamental sh...
Long Fiber Reinforced Sol-Gel Derived Al2O3 Composites

A simple casting technique was used to fabricate composites comprised of long fibers in an alumina matrix. Random fiber preforms were placed in trays and subsequently a liquid alumina sol was added and gelled. Dried sheets approximately 6 cm in diameter and 0.2 cm thick were prepared without cracking. The addition of glycerol to the sol improved drying properties, made the dry gel flexible, and permitted the lamination (plying) of several sheets.
Developmental changes in the fetal pig transcriptome.

Growth and development of pig fetuses is dependent on the coordinated expression of multiple genes. Between 21 and 45 days of gestation, fetuses experience increasing growth rates that can result i...
Literature and adoptive children with disabilities

Books can be an effective tool for helping adopted children with disabilities cope with changes in their lives. The paper offers strategies for using books to help special needs children adjust to the adoption experience. Recommended books for helping children with disabilities cope with the adoption experience are presented. A version of this paper was presented at the 1993 Southern Region Training Conference, Bridges to the Future for Today's Children, sponsored by Child Welfare League of America and the Arkansas Action for Foster Children, Little Rock, AR, May 24, 1993.
Identification of a Divalent Metal Cation Binding Site in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) ICP8 Required for HSV Replication

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) ICP8 is a single-stranded DNA-binding protein that is necessary for viral DNA replication and exhibits recombinase activity in vitro. Alignment of the HSV-1 ICP8 amino acid sequence with ICP8 homologs from other herpesviruses revealed conserved aspartic acid (D) and glutamic acid (E) residues. Amino acid residue D1087 was conserved in every ICP8 homolog analyzed, indicating that it is likely critical for ICP8 function. We took a genetic approach to investigate the functions of the conserved ICP8 D and E residues in HSV-1 replication. The E1086A D1087A mutant form of ICP8 failed to support the replication of an ICP8 mutant virus in a complementation assay. E1086A D1087A mutant ICP8 bound DNA, albeit with reduced affinity, demonstrating that the protein is not globally misfolded. This mutant form of ICP8 was also recognized by a conformation-specific antibody, further indicating that its overall structure was intact. A recombinant virus expressing E1086A D1087A mutant ICP8 was defective in viral replication, viral DNA synthesis, and late gene expression in Vero cells. A class of enzymes called DDE recombinases utilize conserved D and E residues to coordinate divalent metal cations in their active sites. We investigated whether the conserved D and E residues in ICP8 were also required for binding metal cations and found that the E1086A D1087A mutant form of ICP8 exhibited altered divalent metal binding in an in vitro iron-induced cleavage assay. These results identify a novel divalent metal cation-binding site in ICP8 that is required for ICP8 functions during viral replication.
Primary care physicians' familiarity, beliefs, and perceived barriers to practice guidelines in non-diabetic CKD: a survey study.

Most non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are cared for by their primary care physicians (PCPs). Studies suggest many CKD patients receive suboptimal care. Recently, CKD clinical practice guidelines were updated with additional emphasis on albuminuria. We performed an internet-based, cross-sectional survey of active PCPs in the United States using the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. We explored CKD guideline familiarity, self-reported practice behaviors, and attitudinal and external barriers to implementing guideline recommendations, including albuminuria testing. Of 12,034 PCPs targeted, 848 opened a study email, 165 (19.5%) responded. Most respondents (88%) spent ≥50% of their time in clinical care. Respondents were generally in private practice (46%). Most PCPs (96%) felt that eGFR values were helpful. Approximately, 75% and 91% of PCPs reported testing for albuminuria in non-diabetic hypertensive patients with an eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively. Barriers to albuminuria testing included a lack of effect on management, limited time, and the perceived absence of guidelines recommending testing. While PCPs expressed high levels of agreement with the definition of CKD, 30% were concerned with overdiagnosis in older adults with an eGFR in the CKD stage 3a range. Most PCPs felt that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)/ angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) improved outcomes in CKD, though agreement was lower with severe vs. moderate albuminuria (78% vs. 85%, respectively, p = 0.03). Many PCPs (51%) reported being unfamiliar with CKD guidelines, but were receptive to systematic interventions to improve their CKD care. PCPs generally agree with CKD clinical practice guidelines regarding CKD definition and albuminuria testing. However, future interventions are necessary to improve PCPs’ familiarity with CKD guidelines, overcome barriers to albuminuria testing and, assist PCPs in targeting ACEi/ARBs to the patients most likely to benefit.
Comprehensive 2D measurements of radiative divertor plasmas in DIII-D

Abstract This paper presents a comparison of the total radiated power profile and impurity line emission distributions in the SOL and divertor of DIII-D. This is done for ELMing H-mode plasmas with heavy deuterium injection (partially detached divertor operation, PDD) and those without deuterium puffing. Results are described from a series of dedicated experiments performed on DIII-D to systematically measure the 2D ( R, Z ) structure of the divertor plasma. The discharges were designed to optimize measurements with new divertor diagnostics including a divertor Thomson scattering system. Discharge sequences were designed to produce optimized data sets against which SOL and divertor theories and simulation codes could be benchmarked. During PDD operation the regions of significant radiated power shift from the inner divertor leg and SOL to the outer leg and X-point regions. D α emission shifts from the inner strikepoint to the outer strikepoint. Carbon emissions (visible CII and CIII) shift from the inner SOL near the X-point to a distributed region from the X-point to partially down the outer leg during moderate D 2 puffing. In heavy puffing discharges the carbon emission coalesces on the outer separatrix near the X-point and for very heavy puffing it appears inside the last closed flux surface above the X-point. Calibrated spectroscopic measurements indicate that hydrogenic and carbon radiation can account for all of the radiated power. L α and CIV radiation are comparable and when combined account for as much as 90% of the total radiated power along chords viewing the significant radiating regions of the outer leg.