cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eloise Milam Melody Maids Rose Room Museum

There is a fascinating backstory to the discovery of this little-known resource of musical knowledge about women in America's music history. One thing has always impressed me, and that is that tiny...
Theory and practice: Utilizing Dewey׳s experiential learning theory to implement a 5k road race

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to utilize Dewey׳s Experiential Learning Theory to emphasize the value of experiential learning in the planning, organizing, leading, and implementing a road race. More specifically, the paper focuses on the teaching methodology of Dewey׳s Experiential Learning Theory and the integration of the four aspects of education including the social environment, knowledge and content of organization, the teacher׳s role, learner readiness, and the experience and learning outcomes into a sport event management class. There are multiple benefits to utilizing Dewey׳s Experiential Learning Theory in the classroom that can be expanded to other areas within sport management pedagogy as well as related fields. The integration of Dewey׳s Experiential Learning Theory was successfully implemented, according to the learning across the four aspects of education as a pedagogy for implementing a road race with students enrolled in a sport event management course.
Amino acid sequence homology in 30 S ribosomal protein S19 from Bacillus stearothermophilus and Escherichia coli

The amino therminal sequence of 30 S ribosomal protein S19 from Bacillus stearothermophilus has been determined. Comparison with the corresponding ribosomal protein from Escherichia coli reveals substantial sequence homology in the first thirty residues and provides further evidence for conservation of genetic information which specifies the primary structure of ribosomal proteins in these taxonomically dissimilar organisms.
Utilization of recombinant activated factor VII for intracranial hematoma evacuation in coagulopathic nonhemophilic neurosurgical patients with normal international normalized ratios

Background Recombinant activated Factor VII (rFVIIa) has recently gained popularity for rapid reversal of coagulopathy during operative neurosurgery. Patients undergoing chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) or epidural hematoma (EDH) evacuation often have their coagulation status judged by preoperative international normalized ratio (INR). We present our experience in two patients with significant clinical coagulopathy who were successfully reversed with rFVIIa in the setting of normal INR.
The Boston Normal School of Gymnastics: An Unheralded Legacy

In the late nineteenth century, issues such as professionalization, the advancement of women, and the appropriate training of teachers faced our field. The Boston Normal School of Gymnastics (BNSG) was instrumental in addressing these issues, and perhaps addressed most thoroughly, the training of teachers. This paper examines the legacy of the BNSG on today's physical education teacher preparation (PETE) programs. Many have documented the infloence of the BNSG as one of the first successful physical education teacher training institutions. However, what has not been examined are the particular philosophies of the administrators and teachers at the BNSG that still persevere in colleges and universities today. The BNSG was instrumental in the professionalization of the field and in the advancement of women in physical education. The argument is made that perhaps the BNSG's greatest contribution was in the development of many philosophies and basic pedagogical concepts such as combining theory and practice, ...
Prerequisites: shaping the computing curriculum

A computing program is usually more than a collection of disjoint courses. Rather, students typically move from an introductory level to intermediate level to advanced, and each level usually builds upon background and experience obtained at earlier levels. Prerequisites often provide the structure for a curriculum, so prerequisites shape the way students progress through these courses. This column examines possible rationales for prerequisites and some consequences of prerequisite chains. The column then examines more carefully the prerequisites for two specific areas of the computing curriculum: mathematics and introductory courses.
Scheduling flights at hub airports

Abstract In a typical hub airport, incoming flights from many origins feed outgoing flights to equally many destinations. If an incoming flight is late, outgoing flights that are fed by it may also be delayed. Alternatively, aircraft may leave before some feeding flights arrive, thereby incurring high misconnection penalties. By optimizing the scheduled ground time of each plane, we can minimize the expected sum of costs and penalties. In this paper we develop generalized newsboy models for this purpose. In particular, we investigate in detail a pure-waiting model in which no misconnections are allowed and discuss a no-waiting model in which aircraft that are ready to leave never wait for late-feeding flights. The models show that to maximize the system level of service at a given cost, the level of service of individual flights should be allowed to vary. The models can also be applied to similar problems such as express parcel deliveries and ground transportation hubs. The problems we address are nonlinear and highly combinatorial, so for life-size problems it is not practical to solve them to optimality. Therefore, an important part of the paper is devoted to heuristic solutions and the promising numerical experience achieved with them.
Voxel-based analysis of Alzheimer's disease PET imaging using a triplet of radiotracers: PIB, FDDNP, and FDG

Beta amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and impaired glucose metabolism are among the most prevalent pathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, separate visualization of these three AD-related pathologies in living humans has not been conducted. Here, we show that positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the three radiotracers (11)C-Pittsburgh compound B (PIB), 2-(1-{6-[(2-(18)F-fluoroethyl)(methyl)amino]-2-naphthyl}ethylidene) malononitrile (FDDNP), and 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG), in the same subjects, with and without AD, can provide valuable information on the pathological patterns of the distribution of tracers for amyloid plaque, neurofibrillary tangle, and glucose hypometabolism in AD. Voxel-based analysis of PIB-PET in patients with AD compared with normal control subjects showed that patients with AD have highly significant PIB retention in brain regions known to have high amyloid plaque deposition (e.g., frontal, parietal, temporal, and posterior cingulate/precuneus cortices). In contrast, voxel-based analysis of FDDNP-PET showed significantly high FDDNP binding in some brain regions known to have high tangle accumulation in patients with AD compared with age-matched normal subjects (e.g., entorhinal cortex, inferior temporal gyrus, and secondary visual cortex). In addition, because FDDNP binds both plaques and tangles but PIB binds plaques specifically, we examined subtracted PET data (FDDNP minus PIB) acquired from the same patients with AD using an SPM analysis. We found that the hippocampal formation was the most significant brain region in the voxel mapping of FDDNP minus PIB in the same patients with AD. Voxel-based analysis of FDG-PET in the same subjects revealed that brain regions with glucose hypometabolism in patients with AD overlap with regions of high PIB binding. In conclusion, PET imaging using these three radiotracers in the same subjects may contribute toward developing and testing disease-modifying drugs targeting amyloid pathology, tau pathology, and/or energy metabolism.
The Metabolism and Biological Activity of a 9-Substituted Cytokinin

In order to test the metabolic stability of 9-substituted cytokinins, 6-benzylamino-9-methyl purine has been synthesized and labeled with (14)C in the 9-methyl carbon or doubly labeled with (14)C in the 9-methyl carbon and (3)H in the methylene moiety of the side chain. Although the 6-benzylamino-9-methylpurine is chemically stable, cytokinin-requiring tissues begin removing the 9-substituent in as little as 10 minutes. Among the various metabolic products is free benzylaminopurine. Thus, the biological activity of 9-substituted cytokinins could be accounted for by their conversion to the free base.
Formation of free radicals in photoirradiated cellulose. VIII. Mechanisms

Photoinduced free radicals in cellulose were studies by means of ESR spectroscopy. Plausible mechanisms have been suggested for each type of intermediate radical to account for the ESR spectra observed and for the product balances. Based on the principles of photochemistry of cellulose, coupled with the findings of the ESR spectra, it becomes evident that localization of the energy absorbed in the cellulose molecule leads to formation of free radicals in terms of chain scission, dehydrogenation, dehydroxylation, and dehydroxymethylation. Emphasis has been placed on the correlation of the mechanisms of photodegradation and the mechanisms of photoinduced graft copolymerization.
DNA Aptamers Bind Specifically and Selectively to (1→3)-β-D- glucans

(1-->3)-Beta-D-Glucans are structural cell wall components of fungi, plants, and some bacteria and have been linked with human respiratory symptoms following aerosol exposure. A clear interpretation of the health impact of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans is limited by the high cost and uncertainties associated with current glucan quantitation methods. The objective of this research is to develop DNA aptamers for the measurement of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans. Aptamers are synthetic DNA functional binding molecules that fold into unique conformations, allowing them to bind specifically to their target. Through the in vitro selection process SELEX, we have produced aptamers that are able to bind with sub-micromolar affinity to curdlan, a linear unbranched form of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans. These aptamers display high selectivity to curdlan and do not bind to non-(1-->3)-beta-D-polysaccharides, suggesting specificity for the beta-(1-->3)-glycosidic linkage. The aptamers produced here will enable the production of more cost-effective, less ambiguous assays for the environmental measurement of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans.
Geochemical constraints on the origin of calcite veins and associated limestone alteration, Ordovician Viola Group, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

Abstract Isotopic and elemental analyses constrain the origins of two types of calcite veins and associated limestone alteration in the Ordovician Viola Group, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma, U.S.A. Calcite from small, millimeter-wide veins has similar 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios (0.70781–0.70792) and δ 13C-values (−1.4 to +1.6‰, PDB) to host Viola limestone ( 87 Sr 86 Sr : 0.70779–0.70794; δ 13C: −2.2 to +1.7‰, PDB), indicating that the fluids from which the vein calcite precipitated were chemically buffered by the host limestone. The low δ 18O-values (−8.2 to −5.5‰, PDB) of the vein calcite, relative to the host limestone (−5.0 to −3.1‰, PDB), suggest that the vein calcite probably precipitated from 18O-depleted meteoric water. Calcite from large veins (5–50 cm wide) is characterized by radiogenic 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios (0.70887–0.70915) and low δ 13C-values (−8.0 to −2.5‰, PDB), relative to host Viola limestone. Such isotopic compositions demonstrate that the fluids responsible for the formation of the large veins were enriched in 87Sr and depleted in 13C, relative to the host limestone. The δ 18O-values (−4.8 to −3.7‰, PDB), of calcite from the large veins, coupled with the presence of hot (50–90°C) and saline fluid inclusions, constrain the formation of the vein calcite to 18O-enriched ( δ 18 O > +2‰ , SMOW) fluids. On this basis, calcite from the large veins is believed to have precipitated from basin-derived fluids. Adjacent to the large veins, alteration zones up to 0.5 m wide have developed in host limestone. Relative to other limestones, the altered limestones display radiogenic 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios (0.70792–0.70880), low δ 13C-values (−8.2 to −2.0‰, PDB), and low Sr concentrations. The similar isotopic compositions of the altered limestone to those of the large veins suggest that alteration of limestones was also caused by basinal fluids.
Optical microscope study of liquid transport in carbon nanotubes

Taking advantage of the transparency to visible light of CNTs with 15 nm thick walls, we studied experimentally capillary filling, condensation, and evaporation of glycerin, ethylene glycol, and distilled water inside CNTs at room conditions. All liquids readily filled the CNTs by the action of capillary forces. The experimental observations of capillary filling and rates of evaporation and condensation were compared and agreed favorably with simple theoretical predictions. This is the first report on optical studies of liquid transport inside carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
Lateral Shifts in Near-Field Thermal Radiation with Surface Phonon Polaritons

It is well known that radiative heat transfer in the near field regime can be greatly enhanced because of photon tunneling, during which the classical radiation theory fails to predict the energy propagation direction. In the present article, we investigate the lateral shifts of energy pathways in near-field thermal radiation between two SiC plates separated by a vacuum gap. The energy streamline (ESL) method can be combined with fluctuational electrodynamics to trace the Poynting vector at a fixed parallel wavevector component β. The spectral energy flux exhibits nearly monochromatic enhancement with the excitation of surface phonon polaritons. In the spectral region important for radiative energy transfer, there exist considerable lateral shifts depending on the values of β. The range of β dominantly contributing to the spectral energy flux is identified for different wavelengths by examining the Poynting vector equation. With the use of ESLs, the effect of coupled surface polaritons on the lateral shif...
Diastolic transmitral valve pressure gradients in patients with severe calcific aortic stenosis.

Background: During hemodynamic assessment prior to antegrade balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV), unanticipated transmitral valve pressure gradients (MVG) were noted frequently. Aim: To determine the prevalence and significance of a significant MVG in patients with aortic stenosis and no previously diagnosed mitral valve stenosis. Method: Retrospective chart review of patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent antegrade BAV. During antegrade BAV, direct transseptal left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) pressure measurements were obtained allowing for accurate assessment of MVG. Significant MVG is defined as a LA–LV gradient of ≥5 mm Hg. Results: Eighty-two BAV patients were reviewed (mean age 84 ± 8.9 years, mean additive Euroscore 10.5 ± 2.2). The mean MVG was 5.0 ± 3.5 mm Hg (range 0–14 mm Hg). A significant MVG was seen in 54.9% and, compared with no significant MVG, was associated at with significantly higher LA mean pressure (26.0 ± 6.0 mm Hg vs. 16.8 ± 6.6 mm Hg, P < 0.001), higher pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (59.3 ± 14.7 mm Hg vs. 43.1 ± 16.5 mm Hg, P < 0.001), and higher pulmonary mean systolic pressure (37.7 ± 10.4 mm Hg vs. 28.0 ± 11.4 mm Hg, P < 0.001). Statistically significant correlations were seen between MVG and LA mean pressure (r = 0.65, P < 0.001), pulmonary arterial systolic (r = 0.49, P < 0.001) and pulmonary arterial mean pressures (r = 0.41, P < 0.001). There was no association with cardiovascular risk factors, with presence or severity of mitral annular calcification (visually assessed on cine-fluoroscopy) or with the presence of mitral regurgitation. Conclusions: A significant MVG is commonly seen in patients with severe calcific aortic stenosis and is associated with higher pulmonary arterial and left atrial pressures. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Surgical competence of Obstetrics and Gynecology residents performing microsurgical tubal anastamoses

Objective: To assess tubal patency rates after microsurgical tubal anastamosis in a residency program. Study design: Retrospective cohort analysis. Primary outcome measurement was tubal patency rates. Results: Twenty-seven of the forty-nine patients (55.1%) had bilateral tubal patency and twenty-one of the forty-nine (42.9%) had only one tube open after surgery. No statistical difference in tubal patency rate was noted between the REI staff (85.7%) and the resident (71.4%) (p=0.09). No statistical difference was noted when comparing the patency rate of the residents’ first procedure (68.6%) to subsequent procedures (72.8%) (p=0.99). Conclusions: These data suggest that with appropriate guidance, residents without prior experience are able to perform microsurgical procedures under direct supervision. Residents completed the procedure with patency rates similar to the REI staff. Additionally, tubal patency rates were not significant different in comparing the residents’ first or subsequent procedures.
Rapid growth and changing economic structure: The expenditure side story and its implications for China

Abstract The purpose of this essay has not been to provide China with a detailed list of all of the things that the country must do to maintain a high growth rate. The purpose of this essay instead has been to analyze some of the most basic choices that China must make going forward, choices that are not yet fully understood either by government or private analysts. China has a very unusual economic structure at least on the aggregate demand side and that creates special challenges that other countries have not had to face to the same degree. How well China handles these challenges will determine whether it will continue to progress rapidly to middle income status and beyond.
Study of charmless B meson semileptonic decays in an inclusive model

Abstract A precision measurement of Vub will be achieved only when the hadronic matrix element needed to describe the b → u semileptonic decays is modeled in a reliable fashion. In this letter predictions for kinematical variables which are very sensitive to the underlying hadronic dynamics are developed in an inclusive parton model. Particular emphasis will be given to the end-point of the lepton spectrum, which is of crucial importance for the interpretation of present experimental data. It will be shown that this approach gives a value of |Vub/Vcb|2 which can be up to 35% higher than the one quoted in recent reports and in better agreement with previous measurements of excess leptons from charmless B meson semileptonic decays.
Domain decomposition algorithms for solving hamilton-jacobi-bellman equations

We focus on numerically solving a typical type of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations (HJB) arising from a class of optimal controls with diffusion models and from a similar one with finite Markov chain models. For computational purpose both cases eventually deduce to a discrete (HJB) of this form max{(I – Q k )u – c k 1 ≤ k ≤ m} = 0 (DHJB) The Bellman's curse of dimensionality seems to be the main obstacle to the applicability of most numerical algorithms for solving (DHJB). In duffusion models we decompose the state domain into a finite number of subregions of manageable sizes. In the finite Markov chain case, the state space is partitioned into a finite number of groups of desirable sizes. Consequently, we are led to alternatively solving a number of subproblems similar to (DHJB). We will present some convergence results, as well as experimental ones.
Domains in Supported Bilayers: from Winemaking to Protein Nanopatterning

Applications of phase-separated domains in supported bilayers will be discussed including: measuring line tension, domain growth kinetics, anomalous diffusion, ternary phase diagrams, and curvature patterning of lipids and proteins. Supported bilayers were used in these studies because they are amenable to high resolution imaging and patterning techniques such as atomic force microscopy, single molecule tracking, electron beam lithography, and layered deposition techniques (e.g. spin coating). We were able to record time-dependent and metastable behavior of phase-separated/separating systems using these techniques to determine parameters, and explore dynamic and kinetic regimes. These measurements and analysis may have potential interest in the study of membrane rafts, cell membranes of wine yeasts, crowded cell membranes, curvature variant membranes of cellular organelles, and the engineering application of supported bilayers.
The Use of Event-Related Potentials in the Study of Brain Asymmetries

The utility of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in the study of hemispheric specialization is discussed in the context of three experimental cases: the application of motor potentials to the “continuous flow” model of human information processing, investigations of the role of early experience in cerebral organization, and hemispheric asymmetries in phonemic recoding during reading. The importance of the electrical reference in ERP records is stressed.
Madden–Julian Oscillation: Bridging Weather and Climate

The Madden–Julian oscillation exerts broad influences on global weather and climate as its center of convection moves from the tropical Indian Ocean into the Pacific. Weather events under the influence of the MJO include precipitation, surface temperature, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, flood, wildfire, and lightning, among others. Several climate phenomena are also affected by the MJO. They are the monsoons, El Nino–Southern Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Pacific and North American pattern, the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations or northern and southern annual modes, the Indian Ocean dipole, the Wyrtki jets, and the Indonesian Through-flow. This article provides a brief summary of the connections between the MJO and these weather and climate phenomena. These connections demonstrate the critical role of the MJO in the weather–climate continuum and its prediction.
Nanotechnology: From “Wow” to “Yuck”?

Nanotechnology is science and engineering resulting from the manipulation of matter’s most basic building blocks: atoms and molecules. As such, nanotechnology promises unprecedented control over bo...
Uniqueness of the steady state solutions for chemical reactor occurring in a catalyst particle or in a tubular reaction with axial diffusion

Abstract When chemical reactions occur within a catalyst particle, multiple steady states may occur. Sufficient conditions for the existence of a unique steady state for catalyst particles of arbitrary shape are obtained from an eigenvalue problem. However, general criteria for uniqueness can be obtained without solving for the eigenvalues or performing other computations. Under certain conditions, a unique steady state exists for catalyst particles of arbitrary geometry. A proof is given that for any reaction mixture the possibility of multiple steady states can usually be eliminated by use of small catalyst particles, or a dilute mixture. A simple criterion to estimate the particle size below which only one steady state is possible is derived for the case of a single reaction. Comparison between the approximated bound and eight examples in the literature shows that the agreement is satisfactory. The same technique can be applied to the case of a chemical reaction occuring in a tubular reactor with axial diffusion. It is shown that in this case one can usually guarantee a unique steady state by use of a dilute mixture or a short reactor.
Application of a Dynamic Constitutive Law to Multilayer Metallic Sandwich Panels Subject to Impulsive Loads

The present paper describes an investigation that implements and assesses a dynamic continuum constitutive law for all-metallic sandwich panels. It also demonstrates its application to multilayer panels subject to water blast. Finite element calculations of unit cells are used to calibrate the model, especially the hardening curves at different strain rates. Once calibrated, the law is assessed by comparison with two sets of experiments. The dynamic response of panels impacted by Al foam projectiles at impulses comparable to those expected in water blast. The response of a multilayer core to an impulse caused by an explosion occurring in a cylindrical water column. The comparisons reveal that the overall deformation, average core strain, peak transmitted pressure, and velocities of the front and back faces are adequately predicted, inclusive of fluid/structure interactions. The inherent limitations of the approach are the underprediction of the plastic strains in the faces and incomplete assessment of stress oscillations beyond the peak. The former deficiency would pertain for any continuum representation for the core and would lead to problems in the prediction of face tearing. The latter may adversely affect the predictions of the impulse.
Toxicity of acetaminophen overdose

Symptoms of toxicity following overdose of acetaminophen (APAP), now a common household medication, occur 24 to 48 hours following ingestion. Toxicity is mainly to the liver but, while data has implicated a minor metabolite, the precise mechanism is not known. Toxicity is likely to occur after a minimum ingestion of 140 mg/kg, but the toxic dose may vary as a function of individual glutathione levels. Since the early clinical picture is not diagnostic, APAP plasma levels must be measured. Supportive care alone has resulted in a 5% to 10% mortality with a high incidence of hepatic toxicity. Treatment within 10 to 12 hours following ingestion with any therapeutic agent reduced mortality to zero and diminished liver toxicity. N-acetylcysteine is an investigational new drug for treating APAP toxicity and can ethically be used if the patient is first enrolled in the current nationwide evaluation. Recommended treatment steps in a suspected APAP poisoning are 1) emesis or lavage; 2) plasma APAP determination; 3) obtain treatment protocol from the Rocky Mountain Poison Center; 4) history of use of other pharmacologic agents, and 5) diuresis, alkalinization or hemodialysis, as in aspirin poisoning, are contraindicated.
U.S. Regulatory Oversight of Agricultural and Food-Related Biotechnology

Genetic engineering has both risks and the potential to provide significant benefits. The Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology relies on existing federal laws and agencies to assure that genetically engineered products are safe. The goal is to balance the need for safety with the need to avoid impeding the biotech industry. This article reviews U.S. laws of greatest significance to agricultural and food-related biotechnology, and the regulatory roles of the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. It concludes that consumers, farmers, and the environment are well protected by that system. However, because of the rapid development of biotechnology the regulatory system should be improved, and its underlying strengths better communicated to the public.
Finite buffers for fast multicast

When many or all of the recipients of a multicast message respond to the multicast's sender, their responses may overflow the sender's available buffer space. Buffer overflow is a serious, known problem of broadcast-based protocols, and can be troublesome when as few as three or four recipients respond. We develop analytical models that calculate the expected number of buffer overflows that can be used to estimate the number of buffers necessary for an application. The common cure for buffer overflow requires that recipients delay their responses by some random amount of time in order to increase the minimum spacing between response messages, eliminate collisions on the network, and decrease the peak processing demand at the sender. In our table driven algorithm, the sender tries to minimize the multicast's latency, the elapsed time between its initial transmission of the multicast and its reception of the final response, given the number of times (rounds) it is willing to retransmit the multicast. It includes in the multicast the time interval over which it anticipates receiving the response, the round timeout. We demonstrate that the latency of single round multicasts exceeds the latency of multiple round multicasts. We show how recipients minimize the sender's buffer overflows by independently choosing their response times as a function of the round's timeout, sender's buffer size, and the number of other recipients.
Superconductivity and phase stability of Nb3Ge

The A-15 phase of chemically vapor-deposited Nb3Ge has been investigated by annealing techniques in the temperature range 700–1450°C and by irradiation with high-energy neutrons (E>1 MeV). By x-ray diffraction analysis the samples were found to contain about 55 wt % of the A-15 phase, 35 wt % of tetragonal Nb5Ge3, and minor amounts of NbO2, NbO, and hexagonal Nb5Ge3. The superconducting transition temperatureTc and lattice parametera0 of the A-15 phase have been measured as a function of annealing temperature and neutron irradiation.Tc for the unirradiated sample remained above 19 K for long-term anneals in the temperature range 700–1000°C but decreased rapidly above 1000°C, reaching a limiting value of about 6 K at 1250°C, compared to the as-deposited value of about 20 K. The decrease inTc was accompanied by an increase ina0 and an increase in the amount of tetragonal Nb5Ge3 to about 50 wt %. The observed decrease inTc was irreversible in that subsequent annealing at 1100°C did not result in any increase inTc or decrease ina0. Large depressions inTc were also observed in a sample irradiated with high-energy neutrons. The sample having aTc of about 21 K was found to exhibit no superconductivity to 1.5 K after exposure to a fluence of ∼5×1019 n/cm2. An increase ina0 was also found as a function of neutron irradiation. However, in this case the effects were reversible in thatTc anda0 of the irradiated sample could be restored to close to their original values by annealing in the 800–900°C range. The results are discussed in terms of stability of the A-15 phase and the effect of site-exchange disorder and composition on the superconducting properties and lattice parameters. It is concluded that the stoichiometric composition is metastable and upon annealing transforms to a stable, Nb-rich A-15 phase containing about 83 at % Nb with aTc of ∼6 K accompanied by precipitation of tetragonal Nb5Ge3.
Mechanics of neck formation in the cold drawing of elastic films

A discussion is given of the unidirectional, but nonuniform stretch of long, wide strips of film. It is observed that each of the material functions, τ, β, γ, in a recently proposed unidimensional theory of neck formation and cold drawing for bars of small but not zero thickness is determined, in the case of a strip of film, by the strain-dependent shear modulus μ of the three-dimensional material of which the bar is composed. The dependence of the shear modulus μ on shear strain and of τ, β,and γ on axial stretch is evaluated for a model of an elastic material susceptible to cold drawing, and the calculated values of τ, β,and γ, are used to draw film profiles for various stages of neck formation.
A Miniature Endomicroscope with Optical Zoom Capability

We report a dual-modality miniature endomicroscope that combines large field-of-view (1.15 mm) scattering and high-resolution (~0.5 μm) multiphoton fluorescence imaging. We acquired in vivo and ex vivo images of unstained rodent tissues using both modalities.
On the mechanism of storage of anhydro-araC

Abstract Anhydro-araC, a precursor of araC, exhibits an unusual tissue distribution and unexpected toxicities which require an interpretation. In order to provide an explanation of these phenomena, we studied the nature of binding of anhydro-araC to some proteins and acid mucopolysaccharides in vitro using equilibrium dialysis and potentiometric titration. The results indicate significant electro-static binding of the cationic anhydro-araC to all polyanionic compounds. The physiological significance of these findings was established in mice with the help of 14 C-labeled drug. A portion of the radioactivity (15–30 per cent) could not be extracted with water but with CaCl 2 . An analysis of this fraction showed predominantly unchanged anhydro-araC and ionic metabolites. Both storage and toxicity of anhydro-araC seem to be a result of interference with the different cation exchanger biopolymers found in the mast cells and the “ground substance.”
Orientation of palmitoylated CaVβ2a relative to CaV2.2 is critical for slow pathway modulation of N-type Ca2+ current by tachykinin receptor activation

The G(q)-coupled tachykinin receptor (neurokinin-1 receptor [NK-1R]) modulates N-type Ca(2+) channel (Ca(V)2.2 or N channel) activity at two distinct sites by a pathway involving a lipid metabolite, most likely arachidonic acid (AA). In another study published in this issue (Heneghan et al. 2009. J. Gen Physiol. doi:10.1085/jgp.200910203), we found that the form of modulation observed depends on which Ca(V)beta is coexpressed with Ca(V)2.2. When palmitoylated Ca(V)beta2a is coexpressed, activation of NK-1Rs by substance P (SP) enhances N current. In contrast, when Ca(V)beta3 is coexpressed, SP inhibits N current. However, exogenously applied palmitic acid minimizes this inhibition. These findings suggested that the palmitoyl groups of Ca(V)beta2a may occupy an inhibitory site on Ca(V)2.2 or prevent AA from interacting with that site, thereby minimizing inhibition. If so, changing the orientation of Ca(V)beta2a relative to Ca(V)2.2 may displace the palmitoyl groups and prevent them from antagonizing AA's actions, thereby allowing inhibition even in the presence of Ca(V)beta2a. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by deleting one (Bdel1) or two (Bdel2) amino acids proximal to the alpha interacting domain (AID) of Ca(V)2.2's I-II linker. Ca(V)betas bind tightly to the AID, whereas the rigid region proximal to the AID is thought to couple Ca(V)beta's movements to Ca(V)2.2 gating. Although Bdel1/beta2a currents exhibited more variable enhancement by SP, Bdel2/beta2a current enhancement was lost at all voltages. Instead, inhibition was observed that matched the profile of N-current inhibition from Ca(V)2.2 coexpressed with Ca(V)beta3. Moreover, adding back exogenous palmitic acid minimized inhibition of Bdel2/beta2a currents, suggesting that when palmitoylated Ca(V)beta2a is sufficiently displaced, endogenously released AA can bind to the inhibitory site. These findings support our previous hypothesis that Ca(V)beta2a's palmitoyl groups directly interact with an inhibitory site on Ca(V)2.2 to block N-current inhibition by SP.
Enhancing geoscience education in public schools

Positive experiences are crucial to student learning as well as in deciding what career to pursue [Jacobs et al., 1998]. U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) studies have shown that by the time students enter high school, 80% are not interested in pursuing science, mathematics, or engineering [NSF, 2002]. Moreover, students without a sufficient background in mathematics and science by the sixth grade will be unable to take advantage of necessary high school classes for college preparation in technological areas [NSF, 2002]. If students have positive experiences earlier, these experiences will be of greater benefit to them in learning and in making important life decisions. The Cabeza de Vaca Earthmobile program enhances geoscience learning among middle school students while fostering a supportive learning environment.
Primary Children's Perspectives on the World of Work: A Cross‐Cultural Comparison

Abstract Are children's perspectives of work a product of their experience? This exploratory study investigates the nature of the perspectives of work held by a sample of primary aged children in the UK and in Germany. It attempts to locate those perspectives within a social and cultural context defined by nationally, class and gender and to draw comparisons between the perspectives of UK and German children. The paper describes the background to the research project, the data collection methodologies employed and draws some preliminary conclusions before suggesting areas of further research.
Ru(phen)2dppz2+ Luminescence: Dependence on DNA Sequences and Groove-Binding Agents

Emission of Δ-Ru(phen)_2dppz^(2+) bound to nucleic acid polymers of different sequence has been investigated by time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy and the effect of major and minor groove DNA binding agents on the luminescence profile of the complex evaluated. In the presence of a 1:1 mixture of poly d(AT) and poly d(GC), the excited-state decay of Δ-Ru(phen)_2dppz^(2+) can be described by a linear combination of the decay profiles in the presence of poly d(AT) and poly d(GC) independently. This analysis indicates that ∼85% of the complexes are bound to poly d(AT) and that the metallointercalator preferentially occupies AT sites in mixed-sequence polymers such as calf thymus or T4 DNA. When rac-Ru(phen)_2dppz^(2+) bound to [d(5‘-GAGTGCACTC-3‘)_2] is titrated with the major groove intercalator Δ-α-[Rh[(R,R)-Me_2trien]phi]^(3+), the ruthenium emission yield decreases while the absorbance of the π−π^* transition centered on the dppz ligand increases, until saturation behavior is observed at a 1:1 Rh/duplex ratio. These titrations indicate that Ru(phen)_2dppz^(2+) is displaced from the major groove by the rhodium complex. In contrast, for rac-Ru(phen)_2dppz^(2+) bound to poly d(AT), addition of the minor groove binding agent distamycin produces an increase in ruthenium emission which saturates at ∼1 distamycin/5 bp, consistent with the double helix being able to accommodate major and minor groove binders simultaneously. Distamycin has no effect on the emission of Ru(phen)_2dppz^(2+) emission bound to poly d(GC). These photophysical studies establish a sequence preference in binding to DNA by Ru(phen)_2dppz^(2+) as well as providing support for the original assignment by NMR of ruthenium intercalation from the major groove side of the DNA helix.
Social freedom: Definition, measurability, valuation

After defining social freedom and unfreedom in descriptive terms, I shall explore the possibility of measuring specific social freedoms and unfreedoms in terms of their various parameters, and show why these magnitudes cannot be aggregated into a measure of overall social freedom. Finally, I shall deal with value attitudes toward social freedom of agents generally and of proponents of liberalism in particular. ’Social freedom’ is the concept philosophers, political scientists, and also economists are often concerned with - often without realizing it - when dealing with the subject of liberty. I shall define ‘social freedom’ in descriptive terms, to enable individuals and groups with divergent political and moral views to agree on what it is they disagree about on the normative level. For the same reason, I shall propose descriptive criteria for the measurement of specific social freedoms and unfreedoms. Finally I shall ask under what conditions agents value their own social freedoms and what kinds of social freedoms are valuable to liberals.
Applying a Social-Ecological System Framework to the Study of the Taos Valley Irrigation System

This paper applies a social-ecological system (SES) framework to the analysis of a SES in the Taos valley of northern New Mexico. The SES analyzed is a set of interconnected irrigation communities known as acequias. These have persisted in the area for several hundred years. In this paper I combine concepts from multi-level governance, social network analysis, and interconnected action situations to diagnose the factors that have enabled the acequias to maintain the levels of cooperation needed to persist as farming communities in a high desert environment. To conduct this research, interview data were collected on-site to complement existing court testimonies and other relevant primary and secondary data. These data were analyzed via a step-wise diagnostic process that is inspired by the SES framework and used to illustrate how the acequias form a multilevel governance system via key network attributes, and how this governance structure maps onto the resource system while not overburdening the participants and providing sufficient benefits to motivate continued cooperation over time.
Youth, Information Quality, and Fitness Information within Social Media: A Brief Look at a Dissertation in Progress

This paper summarizes a dissertation in progress that explores youth and information quality. The qualitative, interview-driven study employs an Intersectionality approach and is guided by Gasser et al.'s [3] youth-oriented information quality framework. This research is situated within a larger context of IS research examining the ways in which multiple identity characteristics intersect and relate to the ways individuals interact with ICTs.
Bromine activation in the troposphere by the dark reaction of O3 with seawater ice

There is increasing evidence that bromine atoms play a role in tropospheric chemistry in the marine boundary layer. In addition, they are believed to lead to rapid depletion of surface level ozone in the Arctic at polar sunrise. While mechanisms have been proposed for recycling bromine atoms from sea salt particles, the initial reaction(s) leading to the formation of bromine atom precursors is not known. We report here the formation of gaseous Br2 from the reaction of seawater ice with O3 in the dark. These observations suggest that this reaction is a potential source of tropospheric photolyzable bromine in high latitude coastal regions in winter. In addition, it may be the source of the photolyzable bromine gas measured recently in the Arctic by Impey et al. (1997), which is believed to be responsible for the ozone destruction at polar sunrise.
Optimization of flat-panel detector characteristics and processing using quantitative image quality techniques

Although physical measurements such as detective quantum efficiency (DQE) and modulation transfer function (MTF) provide insights, quantitative optimization of x-ray flat panel detectors requires consideration of image quality as perceived by humans. Using experiments and human observer models, we quantified image quality as the ability to detect targets such as stents and guidewires used in interventional angiography. We realistically simulated direct and indirect flat panel detectors over a range of exposures to create realistic fluoroscopy sequences. We performed objective, m-alternative adaptive forced choice experiments and applied models of human detection to fit almost all experiments and predict results for similar tasks and processing. With regard to pixel size, the best size at low fluoroscopic exposures for detecting a 400 μm guide wire with a realistic, indirect detector was at about 200 μm and depended upon such device parameters as electronic noise. For both indirect and direct detectors at higher exposures, noise was not limiting, and a small pixel was desirable. With regard to binning, we determined that binning is desirable at low exposures even for detection of small objects such as a guide wire. A new alternate binning method was found to have superior image quality by utilizing the ability of humans to temporally fuse alternating images binned at different orientations. Comparing to magnification of analog image intensifiers, we determined that flat panel images can be digitally magnified without loss of image quality at a decreased average exposure.
Acid-catalyzed isomerization and dehydration of dl-glyceraldehyde and 1,3-dihydroxy-2-propanone

Abstract The interconversion of 2,3-dihydroxypropanal (1) and 1,3-dihydroxy-2-propanone (3) and their dehydration to pyruvaldehyde (5) has been studied in 0.5 m sulfuric acid at 100°. The conversion of 1 and 3 into 5 under these conditions, in tritiated water, was monitored by isolation of 5 and determination of the distribution of carbon-bound tritium (namely, that at the aldehyde and methyl groups). This was accomplished by conversion of 5 into the phenylosazone and counting, and by conversion of 5 into pyruvic acid (isolated as the p-nitrophenylhydrazone), counting, and a difference calculation. In all cases negligible activity (about 0.8 % the activity of the solvent) was found at the aldehyde carbon of 5, derived from either 1 or 3, and parallel chromatographic studies indicated only a small extent of interconversion. As 5 incorporated tritium under conditions of its formation, plots of incorporation versus time were made and the curves extrapolated to zero time, in order to determine initial activity at the methyl group of 5, derived from either 1 or 3. This method showed that the 5 derived from 3 contained 10 % of the activity of the solvent at the methyl group as it was produced, whereas the 1-derived 5 contained no activity. In another experiment, [2-3H]1 was prepared and converted into 5. The resulting 5 was found to be labeled at C-3, indicating at C-2 → C-3 intramolecular, hydrogentransfer reaction during the conversion of 1 into 5.
17. Probiotic Lactobacillus abrogates stressor-induced increases in colonic inflammation and shifts to commensal microbe abundance during pathogen challenge

Exposure to psychological stressors can aggravate gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders and enteric infections. Previous work by our lab has shown that mice exposed to a social disruption (SDR) stressor during oral challenge with the colonic pathogen Citrobacter rodentium exhibited increases in colitic pathology, as well as TNF-α and iNOS mRNA levels. Daily treatment with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri ameliorated the heightened inflammation, but the mechanisms by which this occurred are not known. This proposal tested the hypothesis that L. reuteri exerts its beneficial effects by restoring community structure to the commensal gut microbiota. In the first study, germfree mice were colonized with L. reuteri prior to oral challenge with C. rodentium . This monoassociation did not prevent pathogen-induced colitis. Because these mice do not contain commensal microbiota, this indicated that the microbiota are necessary for the protective effects of probiotics to manifest. Thus, a second study was conducted in which the impact of probiotic L. reuteri administration on the commensal gut microbiota was assessed. SDR-exposed mice challenged with C. rodentium had a reduction in commensal genus Lactobacillus . This was abolished in pathogen-challenged mice treated with probiotic Lactobacillus during stressor exposure. Thus, our data indicate that the stressor-induced increases in colitic inflammation during pathogen challenge are associated with shifts to microbiota population abundances and probiotic bacteria ameliorate the inflammatory increases by preventing changes to the gut microbiota.
Left ventricular performance improves late after aortic valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis and reduced ejection fraction

EF in patients with aortic stenosis and reduced EF who underwent aortic valve replacement did not improve by 1 week postoperatively despite rectification of afterload mismatch. By 6 months, however, EF significantly improved without any further change in ventricular loading conditions. This implies that the benefit from aortic valve replacement (when measured by LV ejection performance) may not be evident until late postoperatively.