cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Dysgenesis in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: Factors Affecting Chromosomal Contamination in the P-M System.

The two interacting components of the P-M system of hybrid dysgenesis are chromosomally associated elements called P factors and a susceptible cytoplasmic state referred to as M cytotype. Previous experiments have indicated that P factors are a family of multiple-copy transposable genetic elements dispersed throughout the genome of P strains but absent in long-established M strains.—Evidence is presented that the sterility and male recombination-inducing potential of P elements may be acquired by X chromosomes, derived from M strains, through nonhomologous association with P strain autosomes, a process referred to as "chromosomal contamination." The frequencies of chromosomal contamination of X chromosomes by P strain autosomes were highly variable and depended on a number of factors. M cytotype (as opposed to P cytotype) was essential for high frequencies of P factor contamination. There were large differences in contamination potential among individual female families, and a weak negative correlation existed between family size and contamination frequency. Chromosomal contamination in the P-M system was shown to be independent of that in the I-R system.—Frequency distributions suggested that the relationship between sterility production and P factor insertion is complex. The majority of P element transpositions, identified by in situ hybridization in one X chromosome, were not associated with gonadal sterility. However, high sterility potential was found to be associated with the presence of at least one P element inserted into the X chromosome. This potential was lost at a rate of about one-sixth per generation in M cytotype but was stabilized in P cytotype. Various hypotheses concerning the relationship between transposition and chromosomal contamination are discussed.
Sub‐seasonal variance of surface meteorological parameters in buoy observations and reanalyses

[1] Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO)/Triangle Trans-Ocean Buoy Network (TRITON) and Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate (EPIC) moorings across the equatorial Pacific are used to evaluate the mean climate and sub-seasonal variance in surface meteorological variables in the NCEP/NCAR, NCEP/DOE, and ERA40 reanalyses. This study focuses on the June–November time period when tropical storms are most frequent in the region. For the mean fields, the reanalysis surface products compare better with the moorings than the 1000 hPa products. In contrast, the variance in the 1000 hPa ERA40 state variables is in best agreement with the mooring variance. As long as these disparities exist, air-sea interaction studies and our ability to drive ocean models with observed fluxes will be limited.
MEASUREMENTS BY DNA RENATURATION OF THE GENETIC BASIS OF PARASITIC REDUCTION.

It has been suggested that parasitic organisms have a simpler genome than their free-living counterparts. Measurements by reciprocal DNA hybridizations in vitro have shown that the parasitic plant Cuscuta californica has a smaller genome than several closely related autotrophic plants (Searcy, 1970). These studies have the shortcoming of detecting only the hybridization of the highly repetitive sequences of DNA; the non-repetitive sequences react too slowly to hybridize significantly under the conditions used (Melli and Bishop, 1969; Britten and Kohne, 1968). The size of the genome may also be determined by DNA renaturation. Denatured DNA fragments can be made to renature in vitro, forming a specifically base-paired structure as in native DNA (Marmur and Doty, 1961). As predicted theoretically, and as confirmed empirically, the rate of renaturation is inversely related to the molecular weight of the entire DNA molecule of phages and bacteria (Marmur and Doty, 1961; Bolton et al., 1965; Britten and Kohne, 1968; Wetmur and Davidson, 1968). The DNA of higher organisms renatures faster than would be predicted from the haploid complement of DNA because of the presence of highly repetitive DNA sequences (Waring and Britten, 1966; Britten and Kohne, 1968). However, the rate of renaturation of the slowest reacting components can be used to measure the "kinetic complexity" of an organism, which is a measure of the total number of different sequences in the DNA of an organism (Wetmur and Davidson, 1968).
Paramagnetic Resonance Study of a Deep Donor in Silicon

The impurity sulfur acts as a double donor in silicon. Assuming the ion to be substitutional, ${\mathrm{S}}^{+}$ is analogous to neutral phosphorus, except that the binding energy of the donor electron is much greater. Here we report paramagnetic resonance absorption of ${\mathrm{S}}^{+}$, including a detailed study, made using electron-nuclear-double-resonance techniques, of the hyperfine interaction with neighboring ${\mathrm{Si}}^{29}$ nuclei. We find hyperfine interaction constants which are inconsistent with the Kohn-Luttinger wave function (derived from the effectivemass approximation and intended for shallow donors) as applied to ${\mathrm{S}}^{+}$. This result indicates that contributions to the ${\mathrm{S}}^{+}$ donor wave function from parts of the silicon energy band structure (notably ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{{2}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$) other than the ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}$ conduction-band minima are important. Resonant absorption also is reported for other centers including a sulfur pair and several iron-sulfur pairs.
Hyperamylasemia in cardiac surgical patients receiving hydroxyethyl starch

Abstract Use of hydroxyethyl starch or hetastarch (HES) is increasing on cardiac surgical services, as it is a safe and cost-effective intravascular volume expander. This study shows that HES utilization in cardiac surgical patients is associated with marked hyperamylasemia without clinical consequences. Lack of awareness of hyperamylasemia from HES administration may result in unnecessary clinical treatment of patients for presumed pancreatitis.
Rules for trajectory updating in decision based design

Optimization is an indispensable tool in decision based design (DBD). There is an emerging consensus in DBD that the only correct objective to maximize is the decision maker's utility from a design. However, a utility function assessed a priori may not capture the preferences of the decision maker over the entire design space. As a result, when the optimizer searches for the optimal design, it may traverse (or end up) in regions in the design space where the preference order among different solutions is different from that used to build the utility function. For a highly non-convex design space, this can lead to convergence to a grossly suboptimal design depending on where we start the solution search. In this article, we propose two approaches to address this issue. First, we track the trajectory of the solution as generated by the optimizer and generate ranking questions that are presented to the designer to verify the correctness of the utility function, and second we propose backtracking rules if a local utility function is very different from the initially assessed function. We demonstrate our methodology using a mathematical example and a welded-beam design problem.
Risk and opportunity for humans coexisting with large carnivores

Models of Plio-Pleistocene hominid behavioral ecology often emphasize competition with large carnivores. This paper describes competition between modern humans and large carnivores in rural Uganda, including active, confrontational scavenging of carnivore kills by humans and carnivore attacks on humans. Information gathered from Ugandan Game Department archives (1923-1994) reveals that twentieth-century agropastoralists regularly tried to scavenge from leopard (Panthera pardus) and lion (Panthera leo) kills, and that these large carnivores have preyed on hundreds of humans in Uganda over the past several decades. Men were most often targets of carnivore attack, particularly while engaged in hunting-related activities. However attacks on men were less often lethal than attacks on women and children. Analyses show that lion attacks were more dangerous than leopard attacks. These data support recent contentions that hominids armed with even simple weapons can succeed in active, confrontational scavenging by chasing carnivores from kills. Hominids sharing East African habitats with large carnivores may have been regularly subject to attack.
C++/CLI: evolving C++ within the .NET platform

C++ is 20 years old in 2005 as a supported language. It has proved enormously successful - it drives the major operating systems of our computers, it supports cutting-edge military radar, operation software for space missions, much of the computer animation in film, the telephone switches, and so on. It represents a marriage of the low-level C language with higher-level abstractions such as Object-Oriented and Generic programming. Its object model is optimized for minimal space and time overhead. It permits the programmer to suppress any and each high-level abstraction facility in order to squeeze maximum performance. The canonical extreme C++ program is the offset and indirect access of data through a type-less pointer into raw memory.The Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) represents a radical departure from the C/C++ Object Model. It provides a software abstraction layer between the executing program and the underlying operating system. And within this software layer, much of the logistics of loading and executing a program has been shifted, and this is why the CLI program environment is often referred to as a managed environment. Garbage collection is part of this multi-tiers software architecture, so that it is a facility offered to all languages. Security and verifiability of the executing program are high priorities. A Common Intermediate Language (CIL) provides a shared repository of all languages; this is augmented with a standardized metadata description, both of which are managed by the CLI runtime. In addition, the CLI provides a Common Type System (CTS) to which all CLI languages must support. This type system is not compatible with the C++ Object Model.This provides a number of interesting problems. (a) There are we believe hundreds of millions of lines of C++ code running under Windows that we would like to see moved to run under the CLI. How do you do that without requiring people to rewrite the existing code. That is a poor return on inventory, if you will. So, we need a language that is both compatible with C++ and yet fully supports the CLI. We don't have a choice in terms of our user base. We have to somehow bridge the two worlds. (b) How do you integrate two type systems and two object models that are fundamentally incompatible into a language that is both familiar and yet clearly separates the two models? What sort of language design principles make sense?Finally, how can we understand this work? Have we made C++ a better language by extending it to work with the CLI? Why is this movement so controversial - Gosling, for example, the creator of Java, has claimed that our work is a colossal blunder by Microsoft. That's a pretty serious charge. We didn't think that was what we were doing. I have found it easiest to understand what was necessary for positioning C++ within the CLI runtime environment by viewing it in a Darwinian context in which languages compete for finite resources - program budgets and the hearts and minds of the programmer community.
Magnetic aspect sensitivity of high‐latitude E region irregularities measured by the RAX‐2 CubeSat

The second Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX-2) satellite has completed more than 30 conjunction experiments with the Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar chain of incoherent scatter radars in Alaska and Resolute Bay, Canada. Coherent radar echoing occurred during four of the passes: three when E region electron drifts exceeded the ion acoustic speed threshold and one during HF heating of the ionosphere by the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program heater. In this paper, we present the results for the first three passes associated with backscatter from natural irregularities. We analyze, in detail, the largest drift case because the plasma turbulence was the most intense and because the corresponding ground-to-space bistatic scattering geometry was the most favorable for magnetic aspect sensitivity analysis. A set of data analysis procedures including interference removal, autocorrelation analysis, and the application of a radar beam deconvolution algorithm mapped the distribution of E region backscatter with 3 km resolution in altitude and ∼0.1° in magnetic aspect angle. To our knowledge, these are the highest resolution altitude-resolved magnetic aspect sensitivity measurements made at UHF frequencies in the auroral region. In this paper, we show that despite the large electron drift speed of ∼1500 m/s, the magnetic aspect sensitivity of submeter scale irregularities is much higher than previously reported. The root-mean-square of the aspect angle distribution varied monotonically between 0.5° and 0.1° for the altitude range 100–110 km. Findings from this single but compelling event suggest that submeter scale waves propagating at larger angles from the main E×B flow direction (secondary waves) have parallel electric fields that are too small to contribute to E region electron heating. It is possible that anomalous electron heating in the auroral electrojet can be explained by (a) the dynamics of those submeter scale waves propagating in the E×B direction (primary waves) or (b) the dynamics of longer wavelengths.
Identifying Differential Performance in General Chemistry: Differential Item Functioning Analysis of ACS General Chemistry Trial Tests

The development of high-quality assessments can be an intensive process. At the American Chemical Society Examinations Institute (ACS-EI), this follows a general process of test design and content mapping, item construction, trial testing, item analysis, and final test setting. The item analysis portion of this procedure is an important step in using field-testing results to select the best items. This selection is based on validity analysis by experts, both field-test users and test writers, and by students in field testing. The traditional item analysis of the ACS-EI now includes a differential item functioning analysis with subgroups by gender when a sufficient data set is available. The results of this analysis from six trial tests were further evaluated by both content and format. Trends of specific content areas and by format of items reveal that classes of items favored one subgroup over another in at least four instances.
Comparative locomotor ecology of gibbons and macaques: Selection of canopy elements for crossing gaps

To examine functional questions of arboreal locomotor ecology, the selection of canopy elements by Bornean agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis) and long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) was contrasted, and related to locomotor behaviors. The two species, and in some cases, the macaque sexes, varied in their use of most structural elements. Although both species traveled most frequently in the main canopy layer (macaques: 56%, gibbons: 48%), the gibbons strongly preferred the emergent canopy layer and traveled higher than the macaques (31 vs. 23 m above ground) in larger trees (48 vs. 26 cm dbh). Macaques preferred to cross narrower gaps (50% were in the class 0.1–0.5 m wide) than gibbons (42% were 1.6–3.0 m wide), consistent with the maximum gap width each crossed (3.5 m for macaques, 9 m for gibbons). Macaques could cross only 12% of the gaps encountered in the main canopy, and < 5% of the gaps in each of the other four layers. In contrast, all layers appear relatively continuous for gibbons. Specialized locomotor modes were used disproportionately at the beginning and end of travel segments, further indicating that behavior was organized around gap crossings. A model is defined, the Perceived Continuity Index (PCI), which predicts the relative use of canopy strata for each species, based on the percentage of gaps a species can cross, the frequency of gaps, and median length of continuous canopy structure in each canopy layer. The results support the hypothesis that locomotor behaviors, and strategies of selecting canopy strata for travel, are strongly constrained by wide gaps between trees and are ultimately based on selection for efficient direct line travel between distant points. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Role of Inflammasomes in Salmonella Infection

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play a crucial role in both the detection of pathogens and the activation of the innate immune system. NLR family members are cytosolic PRRs that sense bacterial products or endogenous danger signals. Recent evidence suggests that NLRs contribute to the detection of Salmonella through the activation of inflammasomes, molecular platforms that promotes the maturation of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL-18. During enteric Salmonella infection the activation of caspase-1 and the production of IL-1 and IL-18 result in a protective host response. In macrophages, the activation of caspase-1 induced by Salmonella is mainly mediated by the NLR family member Nlrc4 that senses cytosolic flagellin. Recent data suggest that an effective innate immune response against Salmonella requires the engagement of multiple inflammasomes in both hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cell lineages. Further understanding of the innate immune response mediated by inflammasomes should provide new insights into the mechanisms of host defense and the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases.
Does NDVI reflect variation in the structural attributes associated with increasing shrub dominance in arctic tundra

This study explores relationships between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and structural characteristics associated with deciduous shrub dominance in arctic tundra. Our structural measures of shrub dominance are stature, branch abundance, aerial per cent woody stem cover (deciduous and evergreen species), and per cent deciduous shrub canopy cover. All measurements were taken across a suite of transects that together represent a gradient of deciduous shrub height. The transects include tussock tundra shrub and riparian shrub tundra communities located in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, in northern Alaska. Plot-level NDVI measurements were made in 2010 during the snow-free period prior to deciduous shrub leaf-out (early June, NDVIpre − leaf), at the point in the growing season when canopy NDVI has reached half of its maximum growing season value (mid-June, NDVIdemi − leaf) and during the period of maximum leaf-out (late July, NDVIpeak − leaf). We found that: (1) NDVIpre − leaf is best suited to capturing variation in the per cent woody stem cover, maximum shrub height, and branch abundance, particularly between 10 and 50 cm height in the canopy; (2) NDVIpeak − leaf is best suited to capturing variation in deciduous canopy cover; and (3) NDVIdemi − leaf does not capture variability in any of our measures of shrub dominance. These findings suggest that in situ NDVI measurements made prior to deciduous canopy leaf-out could be used to identify small differences in maximum shrub height, woody stem cover, and branch abundance (particularly between 10 and 50 cm height in the canopy). Because shrubs are increasing in size and regional extent in several regions of the Arctic, investigation into spectrally based tools for monitoring these changes are worthwhile as they provide a first step towards development of remotely sensed techniques for quantifying associated changes in regional carbon cycling, albedo, radiative energy balance, and wildlife habitat.
Interim noise correlation for some OTW configurations using external jet-flow deflectors

Jet flap interaction acoustic data obtained statically from a model-scale study of STOL-OTW configurations with a conical nozzle mounted above the wing and using various external deflectors to provide jet-flow attachment are correlated. The acoustic data are correlated in terms that consider the jet/flap interaction noise contributions associated primarily with fluctuating lift, trailing edge, and configuration wake noise sources. Variables considered include deflector geometry, flap setting and wing size. Finally, the configuration overall noise levels are related to static lift and thrust measurements in order to provide insight into possible acoustic/aerodynamic performance trade-off benefits.
BASELINE BURDEN OF HEART FAILURE LIMITS DURATION OF BENEFIT OF ICD FOR MEDICARE RECIPIENTS

Survival after primary ICD implantation may differ between trial evidence and Medicare patients, for whom we determined survival after primary ICD in relation to the baseline heart failure (HF) burden. Linking data from the CMS ICD registry and Medicare files (2005-2008), we identified 66,974 (73&
Formation of the 110-K superconducting phase via the amorphous state in the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system

The thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of both the 85 and 110-K superconducting phases during the crystallization annealing process have been observed and analyzed using x-ray diffraction, magnetic shielding, and resistivity measurements in crystallized Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O glasses with nominal compositions Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/ (2:2:2:3), Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 3/Cu/sub 4/O/sub x/ (2:2:3:4), and Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 4/Cu/sub 5/O/sub x/ (2:2:4:5). A single superconducting transition near 110 K has been observed in both resistive and magnetization shielding experiments for crystallized samples with 2:2:3:4 and 2:2:4:5 nominal compositions. Eutectic crystallization occurs during annealing of rapidly solidified glass samples. Both the 85-K and Ca/sub 2/CuO/sub 3/ phases cooperatively nucleate and grow from the amorphous matrix. The 110-K phase subsequently forms at the interfaces between the eutectic products, controlled by calcium and copper diffusion. A phase-change cycling has been observed, during which the 110-K phase increases in volume percent with increasing annealing time at 870 /sup 0/C in calcium- and copper-rich samples. It then vanishes as annealing is prolonged at the same temperature. This behavior also occurs with different time periods depending on the initial calcium and copper composition of the samples. Microstructural changes associated with such cycling have also been observed. Also discussedmore » are crystallization mechanisms, diffusion phenomena, and related superconducting properties.« less
A Sox10 enhancer element common to the otic placode and neural crest is activated by tissue-specific paralogs

The otic placode, a specialized region of ectoderm, gives rise to components of the inner ear and shares many characteristics with the neural crest, including expression of the key transcription factor Sox10. Here, we show that in avian embryos, a highly conserved cranial neural crest enhancer, Sox10E2, also controls the onset of Sox10 expression in the otic placode. Interestingly, we show that different combinations of paralogous transcription factors (Sox8, Pea3 and cMyb versus Sox9, Ets1 and cMyb) are required to mediate Sox10E2 activity in the ear and neural crest, respectively. Mutating their binding motifs within Sox10E2 greatly reduces enhancer activity in the ear. Moreover, simultaneous knockdown of Sox8, Pea3 and cMyb eliminates not only the enhancer-driven reporter expression, but also the onset of endogenous Sox10 expression in the ear. Rescue experiments confirm that the specific combination of Myb together with Sox8 and Pea3 is responsible for the onset of Sox10 expression in the otic placode, as opposed to Myb plus Sox9 and Ets1 for neural crest Sox10 expression. Whereas SUMOylation of Sox8 is not required for the initial onset of Sox10 expression, it is necessary for later otic vesicle formation. This new role of Sox8, Pea3 and cMyb in controlling Sox10 expression via a common otic/neural crest enhancer suggests an evolutionarily conserved function for the combination of paralogous transcription factors in these tissues of distinct embryological origin.
The Worst of Enemies, The Best of Allies

Dangerous Alliances: Proponents of Peace, Weapons of War. By Patricia A. Weitsman. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2004. 264 pp., $49.50 (ISBN: 0-8047-4866-7). Patricia Weitsman's Dangerous Alliances begins with an oft-neglected insight about the nature of alliances. Alliances are often not just, and sometimes even not primarily, a means of aggregating power to balance the members' common foreign threats. They may be designed in the first place as devices to manage conflict among the members: to control an adversary by enmeshing it in an institution that is mutually constraining. An alliance motivated by this “tethering” imperative, to use Weitsman's term, is oriented more internally than externally. Not surprisingly, such alliances are not terribly cohesive because the internal threat often exceeds the external threat. Dangerous Alliances identifies several motivations for alliance formation and elucidates the consequences of each for alliance cohesion. But the book's distinctive contribution lies in its discussion, not of balancing or bandwagoning (terms that have long been part of the international relations lexicon), but of “tethering.” Dangerous Alliances serves as an important corrective to the conventional realist wisdom about alliances. Whether alliances are conceived as tools to balance power (Waltz 1979) or threat (Walt 1987), structural realists have agreed that they are primarily motivated by forces external to the alliance. Thus realists do not assume that allies share a wide range of interests beyond the specific casus foederis . Casting alliances as marriages of convenience, they in fact presume that the alliance “halo” is quite limited (Snyder 1997). Nonetheless, they do assume that allies share a common interest at least in balancing a rising foreign power that is perceived as a threat. As Weitsman's study of alliances among Europe's great powers between 1873 and 1918 makes abundantly clear, however, that assumption is not warranted on historical grounds. Weitsman portrays her theoretical approach as drawing in equal parts on realist and …
The USC AFV-I: a behavior-based entry in the 1994 International Aerial Robotics Competition

The International Aerial Robotics Competition requires flying robots to locate and manipulate objects and transport them from one location to another. The robots must perform these tasks under hazardous conditions, without human guidance, and within a fixed time limit. A first place finisher illustrates the advantages of hierarchical, behavior based control, with low level behaviors ensuring craft survival and high level behaviors performing tasks such as navigation and object location. >
Extraction of manufacturing details from geometric models

Abstract The potentials of geometric models as source representations for the generation of manufacturing details in discrete production processes have not been fully exploited. The objective of this paper is to utilize the geometric data base in the CAD system in production and manufacturing applications such as group technology, process planning, etc. The workpiece is represented as a syntactic pattern made up of geometric primitives. The applications presented in this paper are: (1) shape classification for group technology and process selection and (2) procedure for representation and machining of excess material. The procedures described offer a direct link between geometric models and computer-aided manufacturing.
Reduction mammaplasty with the "owl" incision and no undermining.

Reduction mammaplasty has traditionally been done using the Wise pattern of incision. Because of the box-like effect in breast shape, the lack of projection, and the long scars associated with the inverted T incision, two techniques have emerged as alternatives: the vertical reduction of Lassus/Lejo
Molecular imprinting of small molecules with organic silanes: Fluorescence detection

Abstract Small molecules, peptides, and proteins can be imprinted using mixtures of organic silanes. Molecular imprints may serve as artificial receptors, i.e., biosensor sensing elements for detection of chemical and biological toxins, drugs, and environmental hazards. One method for detection of imprint-bound molecules is fluorescence. Molecular imprints to N-acetyltryptophanamide (NATA) and fluorescein were prepared, and their respective binding constants determined using steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. Stern-Volmer fluorescence quenching plots of imprint-bound molecules using potassium iodide (KI) and acrylamide indicate bound molecules are shielded from the solvent environment. Scatchard plot analysis revealed two binding affinities, i.e., aKd = 0.13 and 2.5 μM for NATA binding to NATA imprints. Interestingly, NATA exhibited higher affinity, i.e., Kd = 1.3 and 35 nM, for the fluorescein imprint. These data support the usefulness of fluorescence techniques in molecular imprint-based detection ...
Attitudes toward Familial Obligation in the United States and in Japan

With the global changes in industrial structure and demographic composition, families across the globe are facing increasing economic constraints reconciling their responsibility for the welfare of their children with the needs of older family members. Utilizing data from the Generations Survey, this article documents, and examines the sociodemographic determinants of and attitudes toward familial obligation in the United States and in Japan. The data show that Americans strongly believe in parental obligation for the provision of education for children. Although age differences in attitudes are more visible in Japan, the data from both countries indicate a strong familial cross-generational obligation between the young and the old. However, in both the United States and Japan, the "middle generation" is less likely to express attitudes supporting intergenerational transfers of private property. Multivariate analysis reveals that demographic and socio-economic attributes explain only part of the age differentials in attitudes. Furthermore, in both countries, the receipt of an inheritance and the expectation of receiving an inheritance in the future have positive effects on attitudes toward familial responsibility. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for current and future patterns of family support systems and the transmission of economic advantage.
Confinement effects of solvation on a molecule physisorbed on a polarizable continuum particle

Abstract We investigate the effects of solvation on the static properties of a molecule physisorbed on a spherical polarizable continuum particle, with a static dielectric constant. The effective polarizability of the physisorbed molecule is enhanced by a factor of 105 in vacuo and by only 102 when solvated. The electrostatic interaction between molecules and the polarizable continuum particle (PCP) results in a magnified reflected electric field with a magnitude that depends on the PCP-molecule separation. A similar and greater magnification effect in reflected field also results from the PCP-field (external electric field) interaction. The variation of the polarizability of the molecules with respect to the changes in their environment illustrates the importance of electrostatic interaction in the enhancement of the effective polarizability. In the course of the investigation, the solute and the continuous body are represented with the same adaptive multi-wavelet basis functions, thereby, within the user specified precision, eliminating basis set error.
In vivo oxidation of glucose-C14 to C14O2 in biotin deficiency.

Abstract The effect of biotin deficiency on the in vivo oxidation of glucose-C 14 labeled in various positions has been studied in the rat. In all cases there is more C 14 O 2 output by the biotin-deficient animal as compared with controls. Incorporation of glucose-C 14 into liver glycogen is also reduced markedly in biotin deficiency. These findings are in agreement with the role of biotin in CO 2 fixation reactions.
Influence of Hole Angle and Shaping on Leading Edge Showerhead Film Cooling

Detailed film cooling measurements are presented on a turbine blade leading edge model with three rows of showerhead holes. Experiments are run at a mainstream Reynolds number of 19,500 based on cylindrical leading edge diameter. One row of holes is located on the stagnation line and the other two rows are located at ±15° on either side of the stagnation line. The three rows have compound angle holes angled 90° in the flow direction, 30° along the spanwise direction, and the two holes on either side of the stagnation row have and additional angle of 0°, 30°, and 45° in the transverse direction. The effect of hole shaping of the 30° and 45° holes is also considered. Detailed heat transfer coefficient and film effectiveness measurements are obtained using a transient infrared thermography technique. The results are compared to determine the advantages of shaping the compound angle for rows of holes off stagnation row. Results show that, the additional compound angle in the transverse direction for the two rows adjacent to the stagnation row provide significantly higher film effectiveness than the typical leading edge holes with only two angles. Results also show that, the shaping of showerhead holes provides higher film effectiveness than just adding an additional compound angle in the transverse direction and significantly higher effectiveness than the baseline typical leading edge geometry. Heat transfer coefficients are higher as the spanwise angle for this study is larger than typical leading edge geometries with an angle of 30° compared to 20° for other studies.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A perturbation solution for the flexible rotating disk: non-linear equilibrium and stability under transverse loading

Abstract A singular perturbation solution is developed for the transversely loaded, flexible rotating disk using the von Karman large deflection theory of thin plates. No solution exists for these equations in the limit of vanishing dimensionless bending stiffness, ϵ. This fact, along with the desire to have the terms describing non-linear membrane stretching appear in the leading order equations, motivates a perturbation expansion for displacement of the form ω ≈ ϵ −1/2 ω 0 + ω 1 + …. The dimensionless transverse loading term is retained in the leading order equations only if it is rescaled by ϵ 1/2 . This rescaling of transverse load magnitude constitutes a similitude prediction for unifying the equilibrium and stability measurements of different flexible, rotating disks. Experimental measurements of the stability of flexible rotating disks under transverse point loading support this prediction. In addition, the numerically computed stability of the perturbation solution agrees quantitatively with the experimental measurements.
The Changing Distribution of Pension Coverage The Changing Distributionof Pension Coverage

Data from the Current Population Surveys reveal that between 1979 and 1993 the gap in pension coverage between workers with less than 12 years of education and those with more than 16 years of education nearly tripled among men and more than quadrupled among women. The empirical analysis reveals that differences in labor market characteristics related to gender and education have grown over time and can account for virtually all the changing distribution of coverage. There is mixed evidence on the extent to which the growth of the 401(k) plan has contributed to the changing distribution of coverage.
Force Transduction In Smooth Muscle Cells

Mechanical forces directly affect the form and function of tissues. Transmission of force from outside the cell through focal and junctional adhesions controls the maturation or disassembly of these adhesion sites and initiates intracellular signaling cascades that alter cellular behavior. To understand the mechanism by which living cells sense mechanical forces, and how they respond and adapt to their environment, a critical first step is to develop a new technology able to investigate cellular behavior at sub-cellular level that integrates an atomic force microscope (AFM) with total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and fast-spinning disk (FSD) confocal microscopy, providing high spatial and temporal resolution. The integrated system is broadly applicable across a wide range of molecular dynamic studies in any adherent live cells, allowing direct optical imaging of cell responses to mechanical stimulation in real-time.Thus, we are able to: (i) image with high spatial resolution or stimulate the apical cell surface using AFM, and (ii) quantitatively time-lapse image the cell-coverslip interface using TIRF, or FSD confocal image to study molecular dynamics and protein translocation between different sub-cellular structures. Significant rearrangement of the actin filaments and focal adhesions was shown due to local mechanical smooth muscle cell stimulation at the apical cell membrane that induced changes into the cellular structure throughout the cell body.By exploring innovative approaches like those used in these investigations, new information for understanding live cell restructuring and dynamics in response to mechanical force can be provided. Understanding how live cells adapt to mechanical force and how they are able to recognize and respond to mechanical stimuli represents an important biophysical problem.
Factors affecting Campsis radicans seed germination and seedling emergence

Abstract The effects of environmental factors on germination and emergence of Campsis radicans seeds were examined in laboratory and greenhouse experiments. Campsis radicans pods produced numerous, papery, and small seeds (696 seeds/pod; 4 mg/seed). Seeds exhibited dormancy that was relieved (74% germination) after 2 wk of prechilling. Fluctuating temperatures and a 12-h photoperiod were required for maximum germination. Optimum conditions for C. radicans seed germination (74%) were 35/25 C (day/night, 12/12 h) with a 12-h photoperiod. Temperatures below 25/15 C or above 40/30 C were unfavorable for germination. Germination in constant temperatures or in continuous darkness was less than 15%. More than 59% of C. radicans seeds germinated at pH 5 to 9, but at pH 4 or 10 seed germination was totally inhibited. Germination was totally inhibited at osmotic stress higher than −0.2 MPa. Germination was 60% at 40 mM NaCl and 20% at 160 mM NaCl. Emergence was maximum (68%) for seeds that were placed on the soil s...
Normative issues in cost effectiveness analysis

Cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost-utility analysis are increasingly used to compare competing uses for limited health care resources, informing policy decisions at governmental, payer, and clinical levels of the health system. The authors discuss various methodologic choices in CEA and the normative (value) assumptions and implications of those choices. The treatment of adult onset diabetes is used as a simplified case example to illustrate the choice of perspective, cost inclusion and exclusion, benefit measurement and aggregation, and how these and other aspects of CEA can implicitly influence policy decisions with consequences for individuals and groups. CEA can be a valuable source of information, but it is a poor "technologic fix" for the thorny problem of allocating limited health care resources.
Comparison of gracilis and rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap neovaginal reconstruction performed during radical pelvic surgery: flap-specific morbidity

To compare flap-specific complications of gracilis myocutaneous (GM) and rectus abdominis myocutaneous (RAM) flap neovaginal reconstructions after radical pelvic surgery. The study was a single-institution retrospective review of patients undergoing concurrent radical pelvic surgery with GM or RAM neovaginal reconstructions performed on a gynecological oncology service, 1978-2003. Flap-specific complications were compared between the techniques. Forty-four GM and 32 RAM neovaginal reconstructions were analyzed: plastic surgeons developed 12 (27%) GM and 4 (13%) RAM flaps, with all other flaps performed by gynecological oncologists. Primary procedures included 54 (71%) total pelvic exenterations, with partial exenterations or radical vulvovaginectomies in 16 (21%) and 6 (8%) patients, respectively. Forty (53%) patients had received radiation and 28 (36%) received chemoradiation before radical surgery. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics, other than more frequent use of continent urinary conduits (P < 0.001) and a trend for more frequent sidewall radiation (P < 0.1) in the RAM group, reflecting use in more recent patients (P < 0.001). Median follow-up is 28 months (range: 2 weeks to 216 months), with 5% acute operative mortality. Flap-specific complications were significantly increased in GM patients (P < 0.03). Overall flap loss was significantly increased in GM patients (P < 0.02). Thirty (59%) of 51 patients surviving for more than 12 months reported coitus, with no significant difference between the groups. Because of lower overall incidence of flap-specific complications and significantly lower incidence of flap loss compared with GM flap, RAM flap has become our technique of choice for neovaginal reconstruction concurrent with radical pelvic surgery.
Endoneurial oxygen tension and radial topography in nerve edema.

Abstract Endoneurial edema occurs in numerous human and experimental neuropathies. We tested the hypothesis that the resultant increase in intercapillary distance (ICD) may result in endoneurial hypoxia. Experimental galactose neuropathy (EGN) was chosen since in this model, edema is due to the accumulation of galactitol, which does not directly damage nerve fibers, so that it was possible to study the role of endoneurial edema alone. We measured endoneurial oxygen tensions (PnO2) using oxygen-sensitive microelectrodes and related PnO2 radial topography to ICD. We also determined local oxygen consumption (VLO2) and critical PnO2 (PcritO2). and age-matched controls were studied at 4 months. (1) Caudal nerve conduction velocity was reduced in EGN. (2) The PnO2 values were reduced in EGN and the PnO2 histogram was shifted into the hypoxic range. These changes were parallel by a significant increase in ICD in EGN. (3) The radial topography of PnO2 in EGN differed from the relatively uniform distribution in control nerves. In EGN the subperineurial PnO2 was significantly lower than the PnO2 at the center of the fascicle. These changes were paralleled by a significantly greater increase in ICD in the periphery. (4) That the PnO2 reduction in EGN was significant is suggested by the marked reduction in ·VLO2 and the large percentage (> 75%) of intrafascicular regions that fell below PcritO2 in EGN.
Automatically generating descriptions for resources by tag modeling

We have been witnessing an increasing number of social tagging systems on the web. Tags help users understand a resource readily and accurately. In a social tagging system, however, there are typically a fairly large number of resources each associated with a long list of tags. When browsing resources, users are reluctant to read these tags one by one. Instead, users prefer a shorter list of tags as a compact description of a resource. Such a tag description facilitates users to understand the resource accurately and effortlessly. This calls for a generator for a tag description, which selects a set of high-quality tags for a given resource. The tag description condenses the original tag list by retaining the most important tags of the long list.We propose that a good generator should go beyond pure tag popularity and towards diversifying a tag description. In this paper, we present a general framework of selecting a set of k tags as the description for a given resource. In addition, a generative model BTM is proposed to model users' tagging process. The experimental results on real-world tagging data confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach in social tagging systems, showing significant improvement over the other baselines.
Diapause specific proteins expressed by the brain during the pupal diapause of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis.

Abstract Proteins synthesized by pupal brains of Sarcophaga crassipalpis were examined during diapause and nondiapause conditions using pulse labelling and 2-dimensional electrophoresis. In vitro cultured brains from diapausing pupae synthesized fewer proteins than brains from nondiapausing pupae or pharate adults. Brains from older diapausing pupae (60 days) synthesized slightly more proteins than brains from pupae in early diapause (14 days). A cluster of about 15 brain proteins appears to be specific to diapausing pupae. In contrast, no differences could be detected in the brain proteins of the photosensitive first-instar larvae exposed to long (nondiapause) or short (diapause) daylengths.
Modelling Rural Residential Settlement Patterns with Cellular Automata

Abstract A cellular automaton-based model was developed to predict patterns in the spread of rural residential development in 80 km 2 of the rural countryside near Toronto, Canada. The model was executed on a computer-based geographic information system (GIS), utilizing a cell size of one 1 ha and a grid of 80 by 100 cells. The rules of the model were derived from literature concerning planning policies, and from the environmental and social conditions in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario. Operating within the time period 1955-1983, the model was run in two scenarios: (1) a static set of rules based on conditions in 1955; and (2) rules that changed as conditions or policies within the township changed. Both scenarios were compared with measured data. Scenario 1 reproduced the tendency for houses to be developed in high and medium density clustering, but these clusters did not follow the same spatial patterning of the measured data. Scenario 2 resulted in somewhat less clustering of houses, but the spatial patterns of those clusters were similar to measured data. The model demonstrated some replicative and predictive validity, and possesses strong structural validity. It has the potential to be run "into the future" to predict the outcome of policy decisions.
Response speed for easy- and hard-to-pronounce trigrams

Two experiments compared the time to spell aloud easy-to-pronounce (EP) and hard-to-pronounce (HP) trigrams. In Exp. I, 6 EP or HP trigrams were exposed at one time, and S read them aloud as fast as he could. In Exp. II, each trigram was presented alone. In each experiment EP trigrams took less time to spell than HP trigrams. The difference is probably not large enough to account for the effects of response-term pronunciability on performance during paired-associate training.
Prenatal care and black-white fetal death disparity in the United States: heterogeneity by high-risk conditions.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of prenatal care in the United States on the fetal death rate in the presence and absence of obstetric and medical high-risk conditions, and to explore the role of these high risk conditions in contributing to the black-white disparity. METHODS: This is a population-based, retrospective cohort study using the national perinatal mortality data for 1995–1997 assembled by the National Center for Health Statistics. Fetal death rate (per 1000 births) and adjusted relative risks were derived from multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of 10,560,077 singleton births, 29,469 (2.8 per 1000) resulted in fetal death. Fetal death rates were higher for blacks than whites in the presence (4.2 versus 2.4 per 1000) and absence (17.2 versus 2.5 per 1000) of prenatal care. Lack of prenatal care increased the (adjusted) relative risk for fetal death 2.9-fold in blacks and 3.4-fold in whites. Blacks were 3.3 times more likely to have no prenatal care compared with whites. Over 20% of all fetal deaths were associated with growth restriction and placental abruption, both in the presence and absence of prenatal care. Lack of prenatal care was associated with increased fetal death rates for both blacks and whites in the presence and absence of high-risk conditions. CONCLUSION: In the Unites States, strategies to increase prenatal care participation, especially among blacks, are expected to decrease fetal death rates.