cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biogeochemical controls on reaction of sedimentary organic matter and aqueous sulfides in holocene sediments of Mud Lake, Florida

Abstract The distribution and quantity of organic sulfur and iron sulfur species were determined in the Holocene sediments from Mud Lake, Florida. The sediments of this shallow, sinkhole lake are characterized by high sulfur and organic carbon contents as well as active sulfate reduction. They record a shift from a basal peat (below 2 m) comprised of water lily-dominated organic matter to the present cyanobacterial/algal-dominated lake deposit (upper 1 m). This shift in depositional environment and subsequent organic matter source was accompanied by variation in the amount of reactive iron delivered to the sediments, which in turn influenced the type and extent of organic matter sulfurization. Extractable intramolecular organic sulfur is principally found as C25 highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) thiolanes. Extractable polysulfide-linked lipids, determined by selective chemical cleavage with MeLi/MeI and analyzed as methylthioethers (MTE), are dominated by n-alkanes with sulfur attachments at position 1 and 2, as well as lower amounts of C25 HBI-MTE. The δ13C values and carbon-chain length distribution of both series of n-alkylMTE indicate that they are derived from distinct biological precursors. Among the n-alkylMTE with sulfur attachment at position 1 there are three homologous series: one saturated and two with both cis and trans enethiol isomers. The identification of the enethiol in the sulfur-linked macromolecules indicates that n-alkylaldehydes are precursors lipids. The intervals of high concentration of bulk organic sulfur and sulfurized lipids coincide with the intervals of high mineral sulfur content (acid volatile sulfide and chromium reducible sulfur). We suggest that the main control on the enhanced addition of sulfur to the organic matter in Mud Lake was the increased formation of polysulfides during the reduction of iron hydroxides and the subsequent reaction of those polysulfides with mildly oxidized sedimentary organic matter.
Far infrared and raman spectra and structure of ruthenium halogenoammine complexes

Abstract The halogenoammine complexes, [Ru2Cl3(NH3)6]Cl2·2H2O, [Ru2Cl3(NH3)6][ZnBr4], [Ru2Cl3(ND3)6]Cl2 · 2D2O and [Ru2Br3(NH3)6]Br2 · 2H2O, [RuCl3(NH3)3], [RuBr3(NH3)3] and [RuCl3(ND3)3], were prepared and the IR spectra of these compounds were measured in the region 4000-70 cm−1. The Raman spectrum of the monomeric complex was also observed from 4000-0 cm−1. Normal coordinate calculations for the [Ru2Cl3(NH3)6]2+ ion and cis-[RuCl3(NH3)3] were made on the basis of the D3h and C3v symmetries, respectively. The vibrational assignments of the [RuX3(NH3)3] complexes, on the basis of the experimental results and the calculated normal modes, showed that these complexes are the cis isomers. These data and the fact that the far-IR spectra of the [Ru2X3(NH3)6]X2 - 2H2O could be interpreted on the basis of D3h symmetry suggests that these complex ions have the trihalo-bridged dimeric structures, [(NH3)3RuX3 Ru(NH3)3]2+.
Carbon and oxygen 1s ionization energies of the carbonyl group of ketones

Abstract Carbon and oxygen 1s ionization energies for the carbonyl group have been measured in the gas phase for 18 ketones. The shifts in these measured ionization energies, together with similar data for aldehydes from the literature, are compared with the predictions of electronic structure calculations based on the equivalent-cores model. It is found that the ab initio results using the 6-31G * basis set correlate linearly with the experimental results, but the slopes of the correlations are not 1. For oxygen the predicted shifts are 0.9 times the observed values and for carbon they are 1.3 times those observed. Oxygen 1s ionization energy shifts calculated using the semi-empirical AM1 method also correlate well with the experimental values, but with a slope of only 0.54. For the carbon 1s energies, the predictions of the semi-empirical calculations correlate only with the data for the ketones (slope of 0.63) and fail noticeably for the aldehydes.
Multidisciplinary top management teamwork: Effects on local health department performance.

Local health departments often use multidisciplinary top management teams (TMTs) to organize the work of the agency. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of TMTs in North Carolina local health departments and how TMTs use affected agency performance. TMT diversity and TMT performance positively affected the local health departments' (LHDs) performance. As well, the TMTs' agenda affected LHD performance. The more that TMTs discussed community health assessment and political changes in the community, the better the LHD performance on the core functions. Implications for public health practice and leadership in local health departments are discussed.
Sex differences in response to coalitional threat

Intergroup conflict poses a different kind of threat for men and women — a difference that can be expected to have implications for cognitive as well as behavioral processes. Participants were primed with a threat from a rival coalition vs. a control condition. Reaction times were measured on a lexical-decision task in response to ideation consistent with coalitions or with friendship/protective care. When primed for coalitional threat, men showed fast access to positive coalitional ideation (suggesting facilitation). In contrast, women showed exceptionally fast access to positive friendship/protective care ideation. Findings were interpreted as reflecting sexually dimorphic responses to coalitional threat that are consistent with differential advertising of their assets to others.
Sequence and evolution of cattle MHC class I cDNAs: concerted evolution has not taken place in cattle

To explore genetic mechanisms responsible for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I evolution in the artiodactyls, we cloned and sequenced MHC class I cDNAs from a Bos taurus bull heterozygous for cattle MHC (BoLA) class I serological specificities w2 and w30. Four unique cDNAs were found, indicating the presence of at least two MHC class I loci. Analysis of these four cDNAs and all previously published BoLA cDNA sequences suggested that there may be three cattle MHC class I loci. Additionally, comparison of all of the BoLA class I cDNAs to MHC class I cDNAs of other artiodactyls showed that some of the BoLA class I cDNAs were more similar to certain sheep cDNAs than they were to other cattle cDNAs. These data indicate that each BoLA class I locus has evolved independently after an ancestral gene duplication event and that inter-locus segmental exchange o or concerted evolution has not occurred rapidly enough to cause extensive divergence between the orthologous MHC class I loci of sheep and cattle.
The home advantage in individual sports: An augmented review

Abstract Objectives Is the home advantage in individual sports comparable in magnitude and consistency to that in team sports? If not, is it nevertheless a major factor? The present paper reviews the literature to date with respect to these questions and augments it with original analyses where appropriate. Design The review is framed and dominated by a design consideration, namely, that all major team sports play balanced home-and-away schedules, whereas individual sports rarely, if ever, do. As a result, it is necessary to take player quality into account in assessing home advantage in an individual sport. Method/approach The paper begins with three individual sports (tennis, golf, and boxing) in which home advantage has been studied using available controls for player quality. It moves on to individual and team sports in the Olympics, where home advantage has also been studied with credible controls on player (country) quality. Studies are then reviewed in which player quality has not been controlled. Finally, data are presented for two individual efforts embedded in team sports (free throws in basketball and shootouts in ice hockey). Results Subjectively evaluated sports such as diving, gymnastics, or figure skating usually show sizable and significant home advantages. Otherwise, occasional findings have been reported but they are not consistent within a sport, are generally weak, and often statistically unreliable. Conclusions Except for subjectively evaluated sports, home advantage is not a major factor in individual sports, much less does it play a role in individual sports comparable to its role in team sports.
Process Rationality as Legal Governance: A Comparative Perspective

This article offers a comparative sociological perspective on the transformation of law and legal rationality in the US and continental Europe during the 20th century. It takes off from Max Weber's categories of formal and substantive legal rationality and proposes to examine post-Weberian developments in common and civil law from a new perspective, namely the rise of negotiated process rationality and its variants as emergent modes of legal governance. Process rationality is embedded in social networks as structures-in-process. In contrast to conventional forms of institutional government, governance is a series of informal, flexible and expedient strategies of problem-solving and crisis management based on bargaining and negotiation. The incipient privatization, commercialization and denationalization of law are understood as consequences of the postwar transnational expansion of American common law in the wake of globalization and the growth of US economic and political influence. The theoretical and p...
The relative merits of surface layer and bulk similarity formulations for surface shear stress

Application of the bulk similarity formulation to the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) requires the adoption of an external wind velocity and temperature scale. Recent versions of this approach have made use of the average wind speed and average temperature over the outer region or mixed layer of the ABL. The method is applied herein with wind profile data measured over the Landes forest in southwestern France to estimate the regional surface shear stress under unstable conditions. It is found that these estimates can be as reliable as those obtainable with Monin-Obukhov similarity of the atmospheric surface layer.
Differential Extraction of Eleostearic Acid-Rich Lipid-Protein Complexes in Tung Seeds

Lipid-protein complexes were identified in the 104,000×g supernatant fraction of developing tung seeds. Incubation of this fraction with linoleoyl-CoA promoted an increase of chloroform-extractable lipids in a time-dependent manner. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis indicated that the extracted lipids were similar to mature tung oil triglycerides. Differential extraction using chloroform or chloroform/methanol indicated that linoleoyl-CoA promoted extraction of pre-existing lipids rather than de novo synthesis. An increase in extractable lipids was also observed after incubation with proteinase K. Isolation of lipid-protein complexes by sucrose density centrifugation and analysis of proteins by gel electrophoresis revealed several proteins specifically associated with this lipid fraction.
Cancer pharmacotherapy: 21st century ‘magic bullets’ and changing paradigms

In this month's issue of the Journal we focus on cancer pharmacotherapy. The articles provide insights into the current scientific basis of recently available and potential anti-cancer drugs, and discuss the current and future challenges in using classical cytotoxica and molecularly targeted anti-cancer drugs. Over the past decade the explosion in new and potential anti-cancer drugs has had its foundation in an increased scientific understanding of the biology of cancer [1]. The current oncology drug pipeline of the pharmaceutical industry contains nearly 400 small molecules and biological modifiers undergoing clinical development [2]. Optimal anti-cancer drug treatment, whether it involves the use of classical cytotoxic agents or novel molecularly targeted anti-cancer drugs, will require oncologists to incorporate into their therapeutic decisions up-to-date knowledge of the factors that contribute to the variability in human drug response [3–6]. The therapeutic armamentarium of 21st century oncologists when compared with that of the earliest physicians, or for that matter with that available in the mid 20th century, has a greater number of drugs, is more complex, uses many multi-drug combinations and continues to expand.
Evaluation of a method for measuring the sustainable rate of sebaceous wax ester secretion.

Sebaceous was ester secretion rates were measured in six subjects on six occasions each, using absorption into bentonite clay and analysis of the collected lipid by quantitative thin-layer chromatography. On each occasion eight samples were collected, four from the left and four from the right side of the forehead in four successive intervals. The first two intervals, which totaled 14 h, were intended to deplete the follicular reservoir of sebum so that a constant rate of absorption could be obtained during the third and fourth intervals, which were 3 h each. Thin-layer analysis of each sample was done in triplicate. The data were examined using analysis of variance techniques to determine the reproducibility of the measurement method and to identify possible sources of variability. The intraclass correlation coefficient (r 1) for all 432 post-depletion determinations was 0.80. The reproducibility was considerably better for three of the subjects (r 1=0.93) than for the other three (r 1=0.75). Variability within the latter three subjects did not seem to be attributable to lack of reproducibility in the thinlayer analysis. Real biological variability also seems unlikely considering the holocrine mechanisms of sebum secretion. Therefore, the variability probably arises from non-representative collection of sebum into the bentonite absorbent.
Danger in your pill bottle

ABSTRACT. This commentary refutes published assertions that opioid use is inherently dangerous and to be discouraged. A reasoned case for risk-to-benefit considerations is presented. Data from federal reporting systems are placed in perspective. The importance of using opioids rationally in pain management is supported.
The 1906 Earthquake on California's North Coast

Humboldt County on California’s north coast was the furthest region from the 1906 epicenter to suffer significant damage in the 1906 earthquake. This study reassesses the impacts described in the state earthquake investigation commission report (Lawson, 1908) and subsequent intensity studies by examining reports from local newspapers, weather service logs, and the large collection of photographs, journals, and letters collected by local historical societies and museums. The highest intensity (modified Mercalli [MMI] IX) occurred in the Petrolia and upper Mattole Valley. The entire coastal region from Shelter Cove to the Eel River Valley experienced intensities of at least VIII. The most detailed damage descriptions come from Ferndale, where newspaper reports detail the damage to over 40 structures in the downtown area. Fewer than 2% of chimneys survived, both brick buildings were severely damaged, and about 25% of the commercial wood buildings were twisted by the ground shaking. Liquefaction was observed in the Mattole Valley throughout the Eel River Valley and as far north as Fields Landing on Humboldt Bay, which exceeded the aerial extent and scale of any other historic event, including the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake ( M w 7.2). In contrast to the isoseismal map published in the Lawson Report, damage in Eureka and the Humboldt Bay region was less than in Ferndale. Based on the severity of damage and scale of liquefaction, the 1906 earthquake was Humboldt County’s strongest historic event. Peak intensities likely exceeded the Cape Mendocino earthquake, the intensity VII or larger isoseismal was about twice as large, and peak ground velocity values likely exceeded 50 cm/sec in much of southern Humboldt County. The strong shaking in Humboldt County supports models showing significant slip along the northern segment of the 1906 rupture zone.
Exact energy-dispersion relations for N-well superlattice configurations.

Exact energy-dispersion relations for N coupled quantum wells are obtained where N\ensuremath{\ge}1. Each such relation is a composite function of transcendental forms which in turn determine the eigenenergies of the system. This relation is explicitly given for the cases of N=2,3,4 for an even potential with arbitrary barrier and well widths. For the more-standard case of constant barrier and well widths, a band structure emerges with the number of bound states in the outermost band varying from 1 to N. For arbitrary N, results reduce to that of a well of width a or Na in the limits of infinite and zero barrier widths, respectively, where a is the fundamental well width. With variation in well parameters, the number of states at a given value of N varies from a total of one state to a band structure with N states per band. The manner in which the ground state of the configuration varies with N is found. Plots of the dispersion relations for arbitrary N reveal the manner in which these curves merge to the single-well result with increase in barrier width. All dispersion relations are found to be asymptotic, in the limit of large decay wave number, to the same asymptotes as for the single finite well, independent of f, where f represents the ratio of barrier to well widths. Zeros of the dispersion relation merge to zeros of a single well of width a, for large f, and to a well of width Na for small f.
Nitrogen Oxide Chemistry in Earth’s Atmosphere: Perspectives Based on Optical Spectroscopy from Satellites

Space based UV-Vis measurements are used to understand NOx in Earth's atmosphere. We describe new insights into emissions and the dependence of NOx removal rates on temperature, humidity and wind speed.
Interpretation of Reversible Addition−Fragmentation Chain-Transfer Polymerization Mechanism by MALDI-TOF-MS

Several polystyrene polymers were prepared by reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene, using two different RAFT agent−initiator systems, and then further characterized by NMR and SEC as well as MALDI-TOF-MS techniques. The data indicate that most of the polymer chains are terminated by the active groups (Ph−C(S)−S−) derived from RAFT agents, and few of the polymer chains bear initiator fragments at one end. Most importantly, the structures arising from the intermediate RAFT radicals and their cross-termination adducts were detected. Also, the MALDI-TOF-MS analysis shows that the combination termination between two macromolecular radicals is minor, and the amount of dead chains is quite low. Thus, narrow molecular weight distribution is obtained. This analysis confirms the operation of the Rizzardo mechanism including the Monteiro intermediate radical termination model for the RAFT polymerization.
Single transcriptional and translational preQ1 riboswitches adopt similar pre-folded ensembles that follow distinct folding pathways into the same ligand-bound structure

Riboswitches are structural elements in the 5′ untranslated regions of many bacterial messenger RNAs that regulate gene expression in response to changing metabolite concentrations by inhibition of either transcription or translation initiation. The preQ1 (7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine) riboswitch family comprises some of the smallest metabolite sensing RNAs found in nature. Once ligand-bound, the transcriptional Bacillus subtilis and translational Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis preQ1 riboswitch aptamers are structurally similar RNA pseudoknots; yet, prior structural studies have characterized their ligand-free conformations as largely unfolded and folded, respectively. In contrast, through single molecule observation, we now show that, at near-physiological Mg2+ concentration and pH, both ligand-free aptamers adopt similar pre-folded state ensembles that differ in their ligand-mediated folding. Structure-based Gō-model simulations of the two aptamers suggest that the ligand binds late (Bacillus subtilis) and early (Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis) relative to pseudoknot folding, leading to the proposal that the principal distinction between the two riboswitches lies in their relative tendencies to fold via mechanisms of conformational selection and induced fit, respectively. These mechanistic insights are put to the test by rationally designing a single nucleotide swap distal from the ligand binding pocket that we find to predictably control the aptamers′ pre-folded states and their ligand binding affinities.
The age and emplacement of obducted oceanic crust in the Urals from SmNd and RbSr systematics

The Urals contain a 2000 km belt of mafic-ultramafic bodies. The Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr systematics of two of these bodies, the Kempersai Massif in the South Ural Mountains and the Voykar-Syninsky Ophiolite Complex in the Polar Ural Mountains have been examined. These data confirm the hypothesis that these bodies represent fragments of pre-collision oceanic crust and establish constraints on the nature and timing of events in the Uralian Orogeny. Two Kempersai gabbros define Sm-Nd internal isochrons of 397 ± 20 My and 396 ± 33 My with e_(Nd)(T) = + 8.7 ∓ 0.6 and + 8.4 ∓ 1.3, respectively. Whole rock samples of pillow basalt, diabase, gabbros, troctolite, and a metasediment give Sm-Nd values which lie on this isochron indicating that these rocks are genetically related and have an igneous crystallization age of 397 My. Whole rock samples of Voykar-Syninsky diabase, gabbros, and clinopyroxenite give Sm-Nd values which lie on or within∼ 1 e-unit of this isochron indicating an age and e_(Nd)(T) virtually identical to those of Kempersai. e_(Nd)(T) for the Kempersai and Voykar-Syninsky mafic samples range from +7.3 to + 9.0 with an average value of + 8.4. This indicates that the Urals ophiolites are derived from an ancient depleted mantle source and are most plausibly pieces of the oceanic crust and lithosphere. The fact that a metasediment has the same e_(Nd)(397 My) as the other samples indicates derivation from an oceanic source with negligible continental input. e_(Nd)(T) for the massifs is∼ 1.5 e-units lower than the average for modern MORBs. This may be due to the differential evolution of the MORB source over the past 397 My and in conjunction with data for other ophiolites and Mesozoic MORB suggests that over the past 750 My the source for MORB has evolved at a rate less than or equal to its rate of evolution averaged over the age of the earth. Initial ^(87)Sr^(86)Sr ratios are highly variable ranging from e_(Sr)(T) = −25.2 for a gabbro to +70.3 for a highly serpentinized harzburgite. This reflects the effects of seawater alteration which is particularly strong on ultrabasic rocks. We conclude that the long belt of mafic-ultramafic rocks in the Urals, which includes the Kempersai and Voykar-Syninsky Massifs, represents segments of Siluro-Devonian oceanic crust. Our igneous age for Kempersai in conjunction with other age constraints suggest that these segments of oceanic crust formed at least 80 My before the collision that produced the Urals.
On Being a Legal Expert

### Who is the Patient's Best Advocate? During the preliminary stages of our medical careers, we are imbued with the collected knowledge of scientists, clinicians, and philosophers. These facts, principles, and pathways provide the basis upon which our clinical careers in medicine are founded. Despite the considerable knowledge accumulated, our ability to predict the course of a disease, in any given individual, remains an educated guess. Unfortunately, our patients and society require more of us. Due to the economic impact of lost productivity and health care expenditures on business interests, and the loss of personal income for the patient, physicians are expected to foster a recommendation regarding the victim's injuries. Lost function, inability to return to …
Gender as a mediator in the perception of speech rate

The perception of speech rate was examined as a function of the gender of the speakers and listeners and the speech rate of the listeners. In the first experiment, the stimuli were moderately paced speech samples from women, with males and females as listeners. The results indicated that although the speech rates of the female listeners were positively related to perceived speech rate, the rates of the male listeners were negatively related. In the second experiment, the stimuli were comparably paced samples of male and female speech, again with men and women as the listeners. The results indicated that the women judged the speech rates of all the speakers to be faster than did the men, and that all the listeners believed that the men talked faster than the women. The results of both studies suggest that gender plays an influential role in the perception of speech rate.
Movement of the Na+ Channel Inactivation Gate during Inactivation

Phenylalanine 1489 in the inactivation gate of the rat brain IIA sodium channel α subunit is required for stable inactivation. It is proposed to move into the intracellular mouth of the pore and occlude it during inactivation, but direct evidence for movement of this residue during inactivation has not been presented. We used the substituted cysteine accessibility method to test the availability of a cysteine residue substituted at position 1489 to modification by methanethiosulfonate reagents applied from the cytoplasmic side. Mutation of Phe-1489 to Cys results in a small (8%) fraction of noninactivating current. Ag+ and methanethiosulfonate reagents irreversibly slowed the inactivation rate and increased the fraction of noninactivating current of F1489C but not wild-type channels. Single channel analysis showed that modification slowed inactivation from both closed and open states and destabilized the inactivated state. Depolarization prevented rapid modification of Cys-1489 by these reagents, and the voltage dependence of their reaction rate correlated closely with steady-state inactivation. Modification was not detectably voltage-dependent at voltages more negative than channel gating. Our results show that, upon inactivation, Phe-1489 in the inactivation gate moves from an exposed and modifiable position outside the membrane electric field to a buried and inaccessible position, perhaps in or near the intracellular mouth of the channel pore.
Oxytocin Links Mothering Received, Mothering Bestowed and Adult Stress Responses

We review recent discoveries that implicate oxytocin in the intergenerational transmission of similar levels of maternal behavior and acute stress responses in female rats. First, ICV-infused oxytocin antagonist decreased the display by nursing dams of pup-licking (PL) and arched-back nursing (ABN), but not other components of maternal behavior, and increased maternal self-grooming suggesting that oxytocin may shift the balance of oral grooming by dams away from themselves and toward pups. Second, oxytocin receptor concentrations in areas of the adult brain where oxytocin stimulates maternal behavior or diminishes anxiety and adrenal axis responses to acute stress were positively related to PL-ABN received during infancy. Third, oxytocin and oxytocin antagonist treatments of pups on postnatal days 2-10, respectively increased and decreased PL by the treated rats when adult and themselves nursing dams. This indicates that oxytocin activity in female pups, which may be regulated by PL-ABN received from thei...
Regulation of stress granules in virus systems

Virus infection initiates a number of cellular stress responses that modulate gene regulation and compartmentalization of RNA. Viruses must control host gene expression and the localization of viral RNAs to be successful parasites. RNA granules such as stress granules and processing bodies (PBs) contain translationally silenced messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) and serve as extensions of translation regulation in cells, storing transiently repressed mRNAs. New reports show a growing number of virus families modulate RNA granule function to maximize replication efficiency. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the relationship between viruses and mRNA stress granules in animal cells and will discuss important questions that remain in this emerging field.
Racial Attitudes and the “New South”

An abundance of survey research conducted over the past two decades has portrayed a "new South" in which the region's white residents now resemble the remainder of the country in their racial attitudes No longer is the South the bastion of racial prejudice. Using a new and relatively unobtrusive measure of racial attitudes designed to overcome possible social desirability effects, our study finds racial prejudice to be still high in the South and markedly higher in the South than the non-South. Preliminary evidence also indicates that this prejudice is concentrated among white southern men Comparison of these results with responses to traditional survey questions suggests that social desirability contaminates the latter. This finding helps to explain why the "new South" thesis has gained currency.
Impulsivity and methamphetamine use

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between methamphetamine (meth) use and impulsivity in a sample of 385 HIV-negative heterosexually identified meth users. Participants who scored highest on a self-report measure of impulsivity were compared with those who scored lower in terms of background characteristics, meth use patterns, use of alcohol and other illicit drugs, sexual risk behavior, and psychiatric health variables. Methamphetamine users in the high impulsivity group were younger, less educated, used larger quantities of meth, were more likely to be binge users, had a larger number of sexual partners, engaged in more unprotected vaginal and oral sex, and scored higher on the Beck Depression Inventory as compared with those in the low impulsivity group. In a logistic regression analysis, Beck depression was the factor that best distinguished between meth users who scored high and those who scored low on impulsivity. Neurophysiological pathways that may underlie the relationship between impulsivity and meth use are discussed.
Modeling geothermal brine process chemistry

Abstract Problems associated with the manipulation of highly concentrated brines at high temperatures have severely hindered the development of important geothermal energy resources in the Imperial Valley of Southern California and in other locations. One of the most serious of these problems is the precipitation of various mineral phases when the working fluid becomes supersaturated due to changes in external pressure or temperature. Scaling in well bores can significantly diminish flow rates and eventually seal the well. Precipitation of minerals in the energy production plant can cause costly downtimes in order to remove scales from the operating equipment. Similar chemical problems arise when spent geothermal brines are injected into an incompatible mineral formation. In this report we describe a chemical model which accurately predicts the properties of geothermal brines.
Monitoring photo-polymerization of thin films using SH acoustic plate mode sensors

Abstract The use of shear-horizontal (SH) acoustic plate mode (APM) devices to monitor the cross-linking of polymer films in real time has been demonstrated. The SH-APM, which is excited and detected in a thinned quartz plate by interdigital transducers patterned on the surface, has displacement in the plane of the surface and normal to the direction of mode propagation. Because APM propagation velocity is affected by the shear stiffness (but not the bulk modulus) of a thin film in contact with the device surface, the APM acts as a sensitive probe of this film property. Using an APM sensor, the changes in shear modulus which accompany the photocross-linking of a negative photoresist polymer film were monitored as a function of time and of the wavelength of the cross-linking radiation.
Enhancement of the water solubility of aromatic molecules via the Heck reaction. A comparison of ethano-ammonium, -carboxylate and -phosphonate functional groups

Abstract The solubility of aromatic compounds in aqueous solution is difficult to predict due to the lack of systematic solubility data and the inherent difficulties associated with theoretical predictions. Synthetic methodology is introduced for incorporating an ethano-phosphonate solubilizing group into aromatics, which has been used previously to introduce ethano-carboxyl and ethano-amino groups into aromatics. The aqueous solubility of these derivatized aromatics were carefully evaluated at 25°C so that others may use this data to further develop prediction algorithms and make simple predictions regarding solubility.
Hypoglycemic response of blood to live Escherichia coli organisms and endotoxin

Abstract Progressively developing lethal hypoglycemia in dogs and baboons subjected to endotoxin or live E. coli shock has recently been reported by this laboratory. The purpose of the present study was to explore the possibility that accelerated glycolysis in blood might contribute to the hypoglycemia of shock. Experiments were carried out on canine heparinized blood drawn from nonfasted unanesthetized animals and maintained in vitro under controlled temperature conditions. Plasma glucose was determined with a Beckman glucose analyzer. LD100 to LD0 doses of E. coli endotoxin or live E. coli organisms, as estimated from parallel in vivo studies, were incubated with blood during a 6- to 7-hr period. Glucose blood concentrations, cumulative glucose utilization, and dose-response studies with endotoxin and live organisms were carried out. Paired control blood samples received equal volumes of saline in place of endotoxin or organisms. All studies were conducted on the blood from a colony of seven adult mongrel donor animals. Results demonstrated consistent accelerated glucose disappearance at all doses of endotoxin and organisms, in comparison to the controls with saline only added. LD100 experiments resulted in significantly greater disappearance rates of glucose as compared to LD0 studies, during the first 2 hr. Minimal threshold responses for accelerated glucose utilization were observed at levels above 104 organisms/ml of blood, while those for endotoxin were less than 10−6 mg/ml, both concentrations being sublethal when applied to the whole animal. At glucose concentrations less than 20 mg%, control and experimental curves tended to converge with the achievement of minimal values of about 10 mg%. Positive correlations were seen between rates of glucose disappearance, pH, and pCO2, suggesting accelerated metabolic activities by certain formed elements of the blood during the process of phagocytosis. Findings in in vitro studies were compared to those in eviscerated, nephrectomized dogs in which all sources for new glucose were eliminated, and similar accelerated rates of cumulative glucose utilization were observed between the animal and test tube experiments. Findings suggest that the excessive demand for glucose by certain blood components may explain in part the development of lethal hypoglycemia and acidemia in animals subjected to endotoxin- or live bacterial organism-induced shock.
A Pulsed Submillimeter Interferometer for Transient Plasma Diagnostics

The application of a far-infrared interferometer to transient plasma diagnostics is described. The experimental performance of the interferometer under varying plasma conditions is presented. Detailed discussion is devoted to such important system parameters as observable density range, spatial resolution, time response, calibration techniques, and gamma radiation effects.
Thermal effects in doped fibers

A theoretical analysis of the pump-induced temperature change and associated thermal phase shift occurring in a pumped doped fiber is presented. Although the primary devices targeted are all-optical switches based on doped fibers, where such effects can be detrimental, this analysis is also applicable to lasers, amplifiers, and other doped fiber devices. The effects of a single pump pulse, multiple pulses and continuous wave (CW) pumping are investigated, both in the dynamic and steady-state regimes. Simple expressions are derived for the thermal relaxation time constant of a fiber, and for its steady-state temperature rise and thermal phase shift under CW pumping. This study predicts that in all-optical fiber switches utilizing a reasonably good dopant the thermal effect due to a single short pulse is negligible in all interferometers, while the steady-state effect can be sizable in a standard fiber Mach-Zehnder but is negligible in a twin-core fiber, a two-mode fiber, and a specially designed Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
Process Approximation and Metrics

The goodness or badness of approximation of one process for another can be quantified using various metrics (or distances) or distortion measures (or cost functions). Two of the most useful such notions of approximation are introduced and studied in this chapter — the distributional distance and the \(\bar{d}_p\) distortion. The former leads to a useful metric space of probability measures. The second combines ideas from the Monge/Kantorovich optimal transportation cost and Ornstein’s \(\bar{d}\) (dbar) distance on random variables, vectors, and processes and is useful for quantifying the different time-average behavior of frequency-typical or frequency-typical sequences produced by distinct random processes.
Behavior of geladas and other endemic wildlife during a desert locust outbreak at Guassa, Ethiopia: ecological and conservation implications.

Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) outbreaks have occurred repeatedly throughout recorded history in the Horn of Africa region, devastating crops and contributing to famines. In June 2009, a desert locust swarm invaded the Guassa Plateau, Ethiopia, a large and unusually intact Afroalpine tall-grass ecosystem, home to important populations of geladas (Theropithecus gelada), Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis), thick-billed ravens (Corvus crassirostris), and other Ethiopian or Horn of Africa endemics. During the outbreak and its aftermath, we observed many animals, including geladas, ravens, and a wolf, feeding on locusts in large quantities. These observations suggest surprising flexibility in the normally highly specialized diets of geladas and wolves, including the potential for temporary but intensive insectivory during locust outbreaks. To our knowledge, Guassa is the highest elevation site (3,200–3,600 m) at which desert locusts, which require temperatures >20°C for sustained flight, have been reported. Continued monitoring will be necessary to determine whether the June 2009 outbreak was an isolated incident or part of an emerging pattern in the Ethiopian Highlands linked to global warming. The intensive consumption of desert locusts by geladas, wolves, and ravens during the outbreak at Guassa raises concerns about pesticide-based locust control strategies and potential unintended adverse effects on endemic and endangered wildlife.
Effects of Direct Ocean CO 2 Injection on Deep-Sea Meiofauna

Purposeful deep-sea carbon dioxide sequestration by direct injection of liquid CO2 into the deep waters of the ocean has the potential to mitigate the rapid rise in atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases. One issue of concern for this carbon sequestration option is the impact of changes in seawater chemistry caused by CO2 injection on deep-sea ecosystems. The effects of deep-sea carbon dioxide injection on infaunal deep-sea organisms were evaluated during a field experiment in 3600 m depth off California, in which liquid CO2 was released on the seafloor. Exposure to the dissolution plume emanating from the liquid CO2 resulted in high rates of mortality for flagellates, amoebae, and nematodes inhabiting sediments in close proximity to sites of CO2 release. Results from this study indicate that large changes in seawater chemistry (i.e. pH reductions of ∼0.5–1.0 pH units) near CO2 release sites will cause high mortality rates for nearby infaunal deep-sea communities.
Clinical Use of Digitalis Materials

Digitalis is a drug widely used in modern medicine for the control of ventricular response in atrial fibrillation and the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF). Recently, the use of digitalis for the treatment of CHF in patients in sinus rhythm has become quite controversial. The findings of several clinical studies suggest a small but definite hemodynamic or clinical improvement in patients treated with digitalis. These effects are limited by the onset of toxicity, which is at least partially mediated via the central nervous system. If the inotropic effect of the drug could be separated from the central nervous system effect, much higher doses of digitalis could be tolerated and presumably a greater therapeutic effect could be obtained.
A modeling framework for life history-based conservation planning

Reserve site selection models can be enhanced by including habitat conditions that populations need for food, shelter, and reproduction. We present a new population protection function that determines whether minimum areas of land with desired habitat features are present within the desired spatial conditions in the protected sites. Embedding the protection function as a constraint in reserve site selection models provides a way to select sets of sites that satisfy these habitat requirements. We illustrate the mechanics and the flexibility of the protection function by embedding it in two linear-integer programming models for reserve site selection and applying the models to a case study of Myotis bat conservation on Lopez Island, United States. The models capture high-resolution, species-specific habitat requirements that are critical for Myotis persistence. The models help quantify the increasing marginal costs of protecting Myotis habitat and show that optimal site selection strategies are sensitive to the relative importance of habitat requirements.
The Kongolese Saint Anthony: Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita and the Antonian Movement, 1684‐1706

The Kongolese Saint Anthony: Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita and the Antonian Movement, 1684-1706. John K. Thornton. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998. viii +228 pp., six illustrations and two maps. (Cloth USS49.95, Paper US$15.95)
Food-reinforced visual discrimination in rats with anterior or posterior amygdaloid lesions

Albino rats were trained on a visual discrimination task for which leverpressing in the presence of a cuelight was continuously reinforced with food. Upon attainment of criterion, the rats received bilateral electrolytic lesions in either the anterior or the posterior amygdala, or were subjected to a corresponding control operation. For both placement sites, the discriminative behavior of the lesioned animals, as well as their activity in an open field, was comparable to that of the corresponding controls. The results are discussed in terms of possible excitatory and inhibitory amygdaloid influences on appetitively motivated instrumental behavior and are interpreted in relation to previous research. It is proposed that the middle portion of the amygdala as a whole may exert an excitatory influence on appetitive arousal.
Training the clinical eye and mind: using the arts to develop medical students' observational and pattern recognition skills.

INTRODUCTION Observation, including identification of key pieces of data, pattern recognition, and interpretation of significance and meaning, is a key element in medical decision making. Clinical observation is taught primarily through preceptor modelling during the all-important clinical years. No single method exists for communicating these skills, and medical educators have periodically experimented with using arts-based training to hone observational acuity. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the similarities and differences between arts-based and clinical teaching approaches to convey observation and pattern recognition skills. METHOD A total of 38 Year 3 students participated in either small group training with clinical photographs and paper cases (group 1), or small group training using art plus dance (group 2), both consisting of 3 2-hour sessions over a 6-month period. FINDINGS Students in both conditions found value in the training they received and, by both self- and instructor-report, appeared to hone observation skills and improve pattern recognition. The clinically based condition appeared to have been particularly successful in conveying pattern recognition concepts to students, probably because patterns presented in this condition had specific correspondence with actual clinical situations, whereas patterns in art could not be generalised so easily to patients. In the arts-based conditions, students also developed skills in emotional recognition, cultivation of empathy, identification of story and narrative, and awareness of multiple perspectives. CONCLUSION The interventions studied were naturally complementary and, taken together, can bring greater texture to the process of teaching clinical medicine by helping us see a more complete 'picture' of the patient.
Hybrid Least-Squares Algorithms for Approximate Policy Evaluation

The goal of approximate policy evaluation is to "best" represent a target value function according to a specific criterion. Different algorithms offer different choices of the optimization criterion. Two popular least-squares algorithms for performing this task are the Bellman residual method, which minimizes the Bellman residual, and the fixed point method, which minimizes the projection of the Bellman residual. When used within policy iteration, the fixed point algorithm tends to ultimately find better performing policies whereas the Bellman residual algorithm exhibits more stable behavior between rounds of policy iteration. We propose two hybrid least-squares algorithms to try to combine the advantages of these algorithms. We provide an analytical and geometric interpretation of hybrid algorithms and demonstrate their utility on a simple problem. Experimental results on both small and large domains suggest hybrid algorithms may find solutions that lead to better policies when performing policy iteration.
Magnetic field dependence of indirect transitions in ferromagnetic semiconductors

The optical absorption coefficient for magnetic semiconductors has been calculated for indirect transitions in which the intraband scattering arises from an s-d or s-f exchange interaction instead of the usual phonon mechanism. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the resulting absorption coefficient are discussed.
On the Accuracy of the Taylor Approximation for Structure Resizing

P2 ~ P2 + Pi 2 are the probabilities of occurrence of x^t) or x 1(t)H-x2(f) and x2(r) or xl(t)+x2(t\ respectively. Further development of this case is left to the interested reader. It is important to note, however, that setting p1>2 = 0 implies that xl (t) and x2(f) are mutually exclusive 100% of the time, and setting p1 2 = 1 implies x^t) and x2(t) act concurrently 100% of the time. The former case illustrates how to resolve x(t) into mutually exclusive components, and the latter case leads to the principle of linear superposition. Finally, it should be noted that the p and p values are discrete and can also be determined by counting occurrences.