cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Litter microarthropod responses to canopy herbivory, season and decomposition in litterbags in a regenerating conifer ecosystem in Western Oregon

The microarthropod community response to season, change in foliage litter quality during decomposition, and manipulated canopy herbivory by insects was measured in litterbags under 10-year-old Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, in western Oregon. Collembola accounted for 35% of the total fauna, oribatid mites for 29%, and fungivorous actinedids for 22%. The community structure was affected by responses to canopy defoliation, season, and changes in litter quality. Of 33 taxa, three were significantly more abundant under trees subject to lepidopteran defoliation (≤20% foliage removal), compared to other treatments, indicating responses to defoliator-induced changes in litter environment. Most taxa (23) showed seasonal fluctuations in abundance related to the seasonal pattern of temperature and precipitation and to the pattern of N and Ca mobilization from litterbags. Five taxa showed significant longterm trends in abundance, indicating responses to changes in litter quality, perhaps a loss of P and K. These data indicate that microarthropod communities respond qualitatively to environmental changes, including canopy defoliation. The qualitative changes can affeet decomposition processes.
Synthesis of Lumped Parameter Precision Delay Line

In the design of delay lines one can break down the problem into two parts, namely: 1) to provide the required time delay and bandwidth with a least complicated network and 2) to have a good time response. This paper presents such a design technique for precision time domain applications. The network obtained is a tandem connection of a low-pass ladder which provides the shape of time response and an all-pass bridge structure which gives the desired time delay. The approximation to the ideal delay function is based on the potential analog method in both cases. A method of estimating the time domain error from the frequency domain error is used to determine the maximum permissible phase distortion of the all-pass network.
Alpha-adrenergic receptors mediate the hypertriglyceridemia induced by endotoxin, but not tumor necrosis factor, in rats

We assessed the role of catecholamines in mediating the hypertriglyceridemia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) in rats by employing specific adrenoreceptor antagonists. Pretreatment with phentolamine, an alpha-antagonist, but not propranolol, a beta-antagonist, suppressed the hypertriglyceridemia induced by either low dose LPS (100 ng/100 g BW) or high dose LPS (50 micrograms/100 g BW). Prazosin, an alpha 1-selective antagonist, significantly suppressed the low dose LPS-induced hypertriglyceridemia by inhibiting hepatic triglyceride secretion, but did not affect the increase in lipolysis. In contrast, yohimbine, an alpha 2-selective antagonist, partially suppressed the high dose LPS-induced hypertriglyceridemia by inhibiting the decrease in postheparin lipoprotein lipase activity. Treatment with phentolamine and propranolol did not affect the hypertriglyceridemia induced by TNF alpha. In summary, these findings suggest that catecholamines via alpha-adrenergic, but not beta-adrenergic, receptors are mediators of the hypertriglyceridemia induced by either low or high dose LPS in rats. alpha 1-Adrenergic receptors are involved in mediating the increased hepatic triglyceride secretion induced by low dose LPS, whereas alpha 2-adrenergic receptors are involved in mediating the decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity induced by high dose LPS. The hypertriglyceridemia induced by either low or high dose LPS may be regulated by a mechanism unrelated to TNF alpha in rats.
Automating the transformation of XML documents

The advent of web services that use XML-based message exchanges has spurred many efforts that address issues related to inter-enterprise service electronic commerce interactions. Currently emerging standards and technologies enable enterprises to describe and advertise their own Web Services and to discover and determine how to interact with services fronted by other businesses. However, these technologies do not address the problem of how to reconcile structural differences between similar types of documents supported by different enterprises. Transformations between such documents must thus be created manually on a case-by-case basis. In this paper, we explore the problem of how to automate the transformation of XML E-business documents. We develop an integrated solution that automates as much as possible all steps of the document transformation process. One, we propose a set of schema transformation operations that establish semantic relationships between two XML document schemas. Two, we define a model that allows us to compare the cost of performing these operations. Three, we introduce an algorithm that discovers an efficient sequence of operations for transforming a source document schema into a target document schema based on our cost model. The operation sequence then is used to generate an equivalent XSLT transformation script. Experimental results indicate that our algorithm can satisfactorily discover acceptable transformations.
Metallic optical filters with low sheet resistance

A photonic band gap structure is periodic lattice of high and low refractive index materials that form pass bands and stop bands (band gaps) in analogy with electronic band gaps. Since metals are highly reflective, it was thought that a photonic band gap crystal containing alternating layers of metal and dielectric would not exhibit a photonic band structure. It was expected that all electromagnetic radiation would be reflected or absorbed and none would be transmitted. However, resonant tunneling through multiple metal films can enhance the transmission by several orders of magnitude. The periodic nature of the metal/dielectric lattice causes the light to propagate through the metal layers with extremely low loss. Perhaps the most unique feature of the metallic optical filter is the ability to have a single pass band and block all other radiation from static fields to soft X-rays. This remarkable property is a result of the highly dispersive nature of metals. We have grown silver/magnesium fluoride samples containing a total of 10 optical skin depths of metal with >50% transmittance. The width of the pass band depends on the thickness of the metal layers. The thinner the metal, the broader the pass band. Pass bands spanning the entire visible spectrum with 70% transmittance can be achieved by having each metal layer approximately one skin depth thick (12nm). The measured sheet resistivities of the samples are <1ohm/sq. These metallic optical filters have applications as transparent conductors, antennas embedded in car windshields, sensor protection devices, and heat reflecting windows.
Leaf thickness and carbon isotope composition in the Crassulaceae.

Measurements of leaf thickness and δ13C value were obtained for twenty species and three intergeneric hybrids of the Crassulaceae. The data include plants growing in their native habitats and also in greenhouse cultivation. There is a strong relationship between leaf thickness and leaf δ13C values. The plants with the thickest leaves of ca. 7 to 11 mm had δ13C values ranging from -11.5‰ to -13.8‰. Plants with leaves that were thinner than 2.0 mm all had δ13C values that were more negative than -23‰. Plants having intermediate leaf thickness possessed intermediate δ13C values. The leaf tissue of four genotypes spanning the range of leaf thicknesses all exhibited a two-fold or greater nocturnal increase in titratable acidity. It appears that the differences in leaf thickness and δ13C values among the tested species are genetically determined.
Advancing Methods for Reliably Assessing Motivational Interviewing Fidelity using the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code

The current paper presents novel methods for collecting MISC data and accurately assessing reliability of behavior codes at the level of the utterance. The MISC 2.1 was used to rate MI interviews from five randomized trials targeting alcohol and drug use. Sessions were coded at the utterance-level. Utterance-based coding reliability was estimated using three methods and compared to traditional reliability estimates of session tallies. Session-level reliability was generally higher compared to reliability using utterance-based codes, suggesting that typical methods for MISC reliability may be biased. These novel methods in MI fidelity data collection and reliability assessment provided rich data for therapist feedback and further analyses. Beyond implications for fidelity coding, utterance-level coding schemes may elucidate important elements in the counselor-client interaction that could inform theories of change and the practice of MI.
Louisiana wetland loss: A regional water management approach to the problem

Loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands has reached catastrophic proportions. The loss rate is approximately 150 km2/yr (100 acres/day) and is increasing exponentially. Total wetland loss since the turn of the century has been almost 0.5 million ha (1.1 million acres) and represents an area larger than Rhode Island. The physical cause of the problem lies in man's attempts to control the Mississippi River's flooding, while enhancing navigation and extracting minerals. Levee systems and control structures confine sediments that once nourished the wetlands to the river channel. As a consequence, the ultimate sediment deposition is in deep Gulf waters off the Louisiana coast. The lack of sediment input to the interdistributary wetlands results in an accretion deficit. Natural and human-induced subsidence exceeds accretion so that the wetlands sink below sea level and convert to water. The solution is to provide a thin veneer of sediment (approximately 0.6 cm/yr; an average of 1450 g m−2 yr−1) over the coastal marshes and swamps and thus prevent the submergence of vegetation. The sediment source is the Mississippi River system. Calculations show that 9.2% of the river's annual suspended sediment load would be required to sustain the deltaic plain wetlands. It should be distributed during the six high-water months (December–June) through as disaggregated a network as possible. The problem is one of distribution: how can the maximum acres of marsh be nourished with the least cost? At present, the river is managed through federal policy for the benefit of navigation and flood control. A new policy structure, recognizing the new role for the river-sediment distribution, is recommended.
Effect of Small Doses of Heparin in Increasing the Translucence of Plasma during Alimentary Lipemia

Heparin administered intravenously increases the translucence of plasma during alimentary lipemia. This apparently is solely a physical change. This article reports observations concerning this phenomenon in normal persons and atherosclerotic patients. For purposes of maximal sensitivity, exceedingly small amounts of heparin are used, and distinct differences between the normal and the atherosclerotic individuals are noted, with the atherosclerotic failing to clear well on the same empiric dose of heparin as the normal persons. An unexpected observation was that the normal men developed a significantly greater degree of lipemia than did normal women after ingestion of the same fat meal.
Effect of short-term inhalation exposure to 1,3-butadiene on murine immune functions.

Abstract Interest in 1,3-butadiene (BD) as a potential immunomodulator was prompted by reports of an increased incidence of neoplasia in humans exposed to BD during the manufacture of styrene-butadiene synthetic rubber, and by a recent study which demonstrated a high incidence of thymic lymphomas in B6C3F1 mice. B6C3F1 mice were exposed to 1250 ppm BD by inhalation 6 hr per day, 5 days per week, for 6 or 12 weeks. Immune function assays were selected to evaluate specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity and spontaneous cytotoxicity; lymphoid organ histopathology was also evaluated. A slight decrease in antibody plaque-forming cells (PFC) per spleen was observed in exposed mice, although PFC per 106 splenic lymphocytes was normal. Significant extramedullary hematopoiesis and erythroid hyperplasia was observed in spleens from exposed mice, and correlated with a twofold increase in thymidine incorporation in spontaneously proliferating splenocytes. No differences in proliferation to alloantigens were demonstrable between control and BD-exposed splenocytes. Mitogenesis by phytohemagglutinin, Concanavalin A, and lipo polysaccharide was suppressed in splenocytes from exposed mice, but may have been due to the cellular dilution effect of hematopoietic activity. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte generation was suppressed after a 6-week exposure to BD, but was comparable to controls after 12 weeks of exposure. No differences in spontaneous cytotoxicity were observed between control and exposed mice. Overall, no persistent immunological defects were detectable after inhalation exposure to this tumorigenic agent.
Utility Functionals Associated With Available Congestion Control Algorithms

This paper is concerned with understanding the connection between the existing Internet congestion control algorithms and the optimal control theory. The available resource allocation controllers are mainly devised to derive the state of the system to a desired equilibrium point and, therefore, they are oblivious to the transient behavior of the closed-loop system. To take into account the real-time performance of the system, rather than merely its steady-state performance, the congestion control problem should be solved by maximizing a proper utility functional as opposed to a utility function. For this reason, this work aims to investigate what utility functionals the existing congestion control algorithms maximize. In particular, it is shown that there exist meaningful utility functionals whose maximization leads to the celebrated primal, dual and primal/dual algorithms. An implication of this result is that a real network problem may be solved by regarding it as an optimal control problem on which some practical constraints, such as a real-time link capacity constraint, are imposed.
On k-edge-ordered graphs

Abstract A graph is k - ordered if, for any sequence of k vertices, there is a cycle containing these vertices in the given order. A graph is k - edge-ordered if, for any sequence of k edges, there is a tour containing these edges in the given order. Finally, a graph is strongly k - edge-ordered if for any sequence of k oriented edges, there is a tour containing these edges in the given order and in the given orientations. In this paper, we prove that every 2 k -ordered (resp. (2 k +1)-ordered) graph is k -edge-ordered (resp. strongly k -edge-ordered). We also examine degree conditions and connectivity for k -edge-ordered graphs, and state results on k -edge-ordered Eulerian graphs.
On-line desalting of physiologically derived fluids in conjunction with capillary isoelectric focusing-mass spectrometry

Capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) coupled to mass spectrometry (cIEF-MS) offers a potentially very powerful analytical tool for the investigation of physiological samples. The high resolving capabilities of cIEF in combination with the high sensitivity and enhanced structural information provided by MS is highly desirable for the analysis of complex samples. However a major limitation of the technique has always been the requirement to desalt samples prior to cIEF analysis. Such desalting normally occurs off-line and therefore adds complexity and the possibility of sample loss or contamination. In this study we demonstrate the use of a modified cIEF protocol which enables samples containing physiological levels of salts to be desalted on-line, within the cIEF capillary. This new technique is very fast and efficient, allowing the direct analysis of a physiologically derived fluid that contains a complex mix of proteins, such as human cerebrospinal fluid by cIEF-MS in a single step experiment.
Human and mouse hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase: dimers and tetramers

Human and mouse hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase subunits combine to form an active heteropolymer. Dimers form the basic subunit structure of the enzymes, yet the dimers can readily associate to form tetramers. The equilibrium between dimers and tetramers is significantly influenced by the ionic strength of the enzyme solvent.
ABILITY OF VENOMS TO RENDER SQUID AXONS SENSITIVE TO CURARE AND ACETYLCHOLINE.

Abstract 1. 1. Cottonmouth-moccasin venom is more potent than copperhead moccasin, fer-de-lance or Western diamondback rattlesnake venom in rendering (+)-tubocurarine (curare) capable of affecting conduction of the squid giant axon. 2. 2. Bee venom is more potent than the snake venoms. It irreversibly blocks axonal conduction in a concentration of 10 μg/ml. However, in lower concentrations (1–2 μg/ml) it does not render curare effective. 3. 3. Following exposure to cottonmouth venom, 8.8·10−4 M acetylcholine markedly decreased axonal electrical activity. 4. 4. Physostigmine was antagonistic to the action of acetylcholine. An explanation for this apparently surprising effect is offered. 5. 5. Cottonmouth venom also rendered the following compounds active: decamethonium, 2-pyridine aldoxime methiodide and 2-benzoylpyridine oxime. The potency of atropine and ethanol was increased by cottonmouth venom. 6. 6. Carbamylcholine in 2.8·10−2 M did not significantly affect conduction after pretreatment with cottonmouth venom while 1·10−2 M nicotine had a weak effect.
The spawning cycle, fry appearance and mass collection techniques for fry of Siganus rivulatus in the Red Sea

Abstract Data on the G.S.I. of adults and appearance of fry indicated a regular lunar spawning cycle of S. rivulatus within a seasonal breeding period. A mass collection technique yielding 5000–7000 fry per day was developed.
Do Big Females Have Big Pelves

Previous studies have shown that maternal stature is a correlate of both pelvic size and reproductive efficiency. This study addresses the issue of body size and obstetric advantage. The relationship between pelvic size and three nonpelvic measures of body size is determined for females and males. The skeletal sample consists of blacks, whites, and Native Americans. The variables include 28 measures of the pelvis, length and head diameter of the femur, and clavicular length. The coefficient of multiple determination (CMD) is computed for each pelvic measure using multiple regression, with the three nonpelvic measures serving as the independent variables. Partial correlation coefficients are also calculated between each pelvic and nonpelvic variable, while controlling for the other two nonpelvic variables. The results show that all CMDs in females and all but one CMD in males are “low,” i.e., below 33%. The sexes are nonsignificantly different in their CMDs for 22 of the 28 pelvic variables; of the six variables that are significantly different, five are of the midplane. The sexes are also broadly comparable in their partial correlations. The results are explained as follows. First, the concordance between the sexes in the relationship between pelvic size and nonpelvic measures of body size is due to their genetic similarity for homologous structures. Second, as pelvic size is at the minimum at the midplane, the sexual differences in CMDs are the result of selection with respect to obstetrics. Third, four explanations for the low CMDs are discussed: 1) lack of populationally or racially specific analysis; 2) nonlinear relationship between pelvic size and nonpelvic measures of body size; 3) combination of negative allometric selection between newborn body weight and maternal stature and weight with positive selection for maternal pelvic size; and 4) hormonally induced increase in pelvic capacity during parturition. Am J Phys Anthropol 112:377–393, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
DRIFT SCANNING USING INFRARED ARRAYS: A POWERFUL METHOD FOR BACKGROUND LIMITED IMAGING

We present the first results using infrared arrays, devices which do not employ charge coupling, in a new "drift scanning" mode to significantly increase the area of the sky which can be surveyed, especially in the high background 3-5 \mm bands. Even with fast electronics, wide field imaging in the thermal IR is difficult due to the high backgrounds. Often, only a sub-array of the frame can be readout before saturation. Drift scanning allows this sub-array to be a long narrow strip which is stepped perpendicular to the long side, by allowing the telescope to track at non-sidereal rates, and then a mosaic is constructed in the computer memory in real time. The method has been implemented with the UCLA Twin-Channel Infrared Camera system which employs two different classes of arrays. One is the NICMOS 3 HgCdTe array and the other is an SBRC InSb array; both detectors have 256\xx256 pixels. Using a drift rate of 1 arcminute/minute on the Shane 3-m telescope at Lick Observatory, we are able to survey about 180 square arcminutes per hour at two wavelengths simultaneously (e.g. J,K or H,L). Limiting magnitudes are typically J=15, L= 12. Data reduction methods are described and observations of the globular cluster M3, the star forming region M17, and the Moon are used as illustration.
Search task difficulty: the expected vs. the reflected

We report findings on how the user's perception of task difficulty changes before and after searching for information to solve tasks. We found that while in one type of task, the dependent task, this did not change, in another, the parallel task, it did. The findings have implications on designing systems that can provide assistance to users with their search and task solving strategies.
DRUNK DRIVING AND THE ECOLOGICAL FALLACY. COMMENTS ON A PAPER BY PHILLIPS, RAY AND VOTEY

Abstract Phillips, Ray, and Votey (1984a) used a model of traffic casualties incorporating three independent variables—miles driven, rainfall, and alcohol consumption. They applied it to British data to attempt to determine (1) whether the British Road Safety Act of 1967 had an impact on road casualties and (2) the relative contribution of the three variables to road casualties. They accomplished the first objective using interrupted time series analysis, but fell victim to the ecological fallacy in their interpretation of the second.
Effects of molecular weight on poly(ω-pentadecalactone) mechanical and thermal properties

A series of poly({omega}-pentadecalactone) (PPDL) samples, synthesized by lipase catalysis, were prepared by systematic variation of reaction time and water content. These samples possessed weight-average molecular weights (M{sub w}), determined by multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS), from 2.5 x 10{sup 4} to 48.1 x 10{sup 4}. Cold-drawing tensile tests at room temperature of PPDL samples with M{sub W} between 4.5 x 10{sup 4} and 8.1 x 10{sup 4} showed a brittle-to-ductile transition. For PPDL with M{sub W} of 8.1 x 10{sup 4}, inter-fibrillar slippage dominates during deformation until fracture. Increasing M{sub W} above 18.9 x 10{sup 4} resulted in enhanced entanglement network strength and strain-hardening. The high M{sub W} samples also exhibited tough properties with elongation at break about 650% and tensile strength about 60.8 MPa, comparable to linear high density polyethylene (HDPE). Relationships among molecular weight, Young's modulus, stress, strain at yield, melting and crystallization enthalpy (by differential scanning calorimetry, DSC) and crystallinity (from wide-angle X-ray diffraction, WAXD) were correlated for PPDL samples. Similarities and differences of linear HDPE and PPDL molecular weight dependence on their mechanical and thermal properties were also compared.
The time and frequency response of tracer experiments

Abstract Two distinctly different approaches to the interpretation of advective and dispersive transport characteristics of an intermediate scale (0–6 m) tracer experiment are examined and compared. The first, or time domain method, is based on a direct analysis of the tracer breakthrough via the widely used moment method. The second, or frequency domain method, is based on a comparison of the Fourier transform of the tracer breakthrough and its theoretical counterpart the frequency response function. Both methods provide satisfactory estimates of the mean advective transport component of the experiment for both conservative and nonconservative tracers. For the sampling ports closest to the source (0–2 m), the moment method produces much larger estimates of the dispersivity than the frequency response method. This difference is attributed to a buildup of errors in the estimation of higher moments, resulting from local variations in the tracer and fluid migration rates within this zone. In the lower part of the caisson (> 2m), the tracer breakthrough is smoother, and both methods provide similar and smaller dispersivity estimates. Overall the frequency domain approach is less sensitive to random variations in the breakthrough response. This idea is illustrated with an example from optimal filtering theory.
Surface Effects on Particle Self-Energies

The self-energy of a particle has a nearly singular behavior at a free surface of a Fermi liquid, as a result of the coupling to surface excitations. The imaginary part has a linear dependence on energy near the Fermi energy, whereas the effective mass shows a logarithmic divergence. The self-energy is calculated in semi-infinite nuclear matter with use of interactions constrained by self-consistency; the predictions are in qualitative agreement with experiment and more elaborate calculations for finite nuclei.
Human-Computer Interaction and Global Development

International development is concerned with making life better for the least privileged people of the world. Since the 1990s, HCI has engaged increasingly with development through an interdisciplinary field known as "information and communication technologies for development," or ICT4D. This article overviews the historical relationship between HCI and international development, compares their disciplinary approaches, and suggests that both sides would gain from ongoing interaction. International development could benefit from HCI's broad methodological tools, which include qualitative and quantitative research methods, design through iterative prototyping, and reflective inquiry. HCI could benefit from international development's exposure to a broader base of cultures, sectors, and concerns. These issues are discussed with specific examples from published papers and several well-known projects that apply HCI to development. Finally, future directions for an ongoing collaboration between HCI and development are also indicated.
Spatial distribution of pulmonary sound transmission

Sonic noise transmission from the mouth to the posterior chest wall was measured in 11 healthy subjects. The ratios of transmitted intensities R to analogous sites over the right (R) and left (L) lung fields were estimated over 3 frequency bands: 100–600, 600–1100, and 1100–1600 Hz. A significant R to L dominance in R was observed at the upper site at low frequencies and conversely, a significant L to R dominance was observed at the lateral site at high frequencies. A theoretical model of sound transmission that includes the asymmetrical anatomy of the mediastinal structures is in agreement with the observations at low frequencies. These findings suggest that the pathways of sound transmission to the chest wall change significantly over the measured frequency range.
Effectiveness of a surface-bound antimicrobial peptide as a function of tether length

Increasing bacterial resistance due to the overuse of antibiotics has led to an alarming rate of nosocomial infections and a desperate need for novel antimicrobial methods. Infections associated with medical implantation are not only troublesome costing over $250 million per year to treat, but also painful for patients who are forced to suffer lengthy and painful treatments, long-term hospital stays, and even multiple surgeries. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short, positively-charged peptides found in the innate immune system of many species, and show a wide range of antibacterial activity, including against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recently, functionalizing surfaces with ligands such as AMPs has emerged as a technology for combating the spread of infection, particularly during medical implantation. However, few AMPs have reached clinical trial due to a poor understanding of their mechanisms and potential mammalian cell cytotoxicity. We have covalently linked the AMP chrysophsin-1 to a silicon dioxide surface using a flexible spacer molecule to allow lateral mobility for maintaining activity. Using the Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D), we can monitor the binding of chrysophsin-1 in terms of mass deposition and film rigidity changes on a surface. Determining the effect of linker length on antimicrobial activity will provide a fundamental structure-activity relationship, thus allowing for more rational designs of antibacterial surfaces as well as improving patient outcomes.
Association Between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Stiffness of the Common Carotid Artery

Background and Purpose—Individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who use highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may have an increased risk for cardiovascular-related events, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that carotid arterial stiffness was higher among persons using HAART compared to HAART-naive and HIV-uninfected persons. Methods—Between 2004 and 2006, we performed high-resolution B-mode ultrasound on 2789 HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected participants of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (1865 women) and the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (924 men) and determined carotid arterial distensibility, which is a direct measure of carotid arterial stiffness. We used generalized estimating equations to evaluate the association between distensibility and HIV infection, CD4+ cell count, and exposure to HAART adjusted for demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics. Results—In multivariable analysis, distensibility was 4.3% lower (95% confidence...
The location and allocation of products and product families on retail shelves

In this paper, we model a shelf-management problem in which individual products are categorized as part of a product family. It is well known that a product’s shelf location has a significant impact on sales for many retail items. We develop a continuous as well as a discrete model with postprocessing to optimize product placement with consideration given to maintaining the grouping of product families. Computational results are reported on test problems as well as real-world beverage placement problems.
Storage of carbon dioxide in offshore sediments.

The battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the most dangerous consequences of climate change will be waged across multiple fronts, including efforts to increase energy efficiency; efforts to deploy nonfossil fuel sources, including renewable and nuclear energy; and investment in adaptation to reduce the impacts of the climate change that will occur regardless of the actions we take. But with more than 80% of the world’s energy coming from fossil fuel, winning the battle also requires capturing CO2 from large stationary sources and storing that CO2 in geologic repositories. Offshore geological repositories have received relatively little attention as potential CO2 storage sites, despite their having a number of important advantages over onshore sites, and should be considered more closely.
Precocene is not a specific antigonadotropic agent in adult female Aedes aegypti

. In the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, other workers have shown that prior to blood-feeding a pre-vitellogenic period ensues manifested by the growth and differentiation of ovarian follicles. This results in resting stage follicles which will then complete ovarian development after the blood-meal. Allatectomy of newly emerged females prevents follicles from reaching their resting stage and such follicles do not undergo subsequent vitellogenesis after blood-feeding. Precocene II, a plant substance which effectively prevents ovarian development in Oncopeltus fasciatus by causing the irreversible degeneration of the corpus allatum, was applied to newly emerged mosquitoes, and at various times after blood-feeding. Sublethal doses of precocene applied 1 h after adult emergence had no effect on pre-vitellogenic follicular development and did not prevent yolk deposition after the blood-meal. Precocene applied after blood-feeding had two major effects. When administered early, it inhibited trypsin synthesis and retarded ovarian maturation. Animals exposed to it later, exhibited abnormal oviposition. It is proposed that precocene II does not act as an antigonadotropic agent in adult Aedes aegypti, but that it does induce a general toxic state in treated animals.
Evaluation of a TEST-yolk sperm capacitation system for use in bovine in vitro fertilization

Bovine sperm acquire the ability to penetrate zona-free hamster oocytes (capacitation) after incubation in TEST-yolk buffer. Our objective was to determine whether such sperm could penetrate zona-intact bovine oocytes in vitro. Bovine cumulus enclosed oocytes from 2- to 5-mm follicles were incubated in maturation medium for 24 h at 37 degrees C. Ejaculated bovine semen was diluted 1: 10 in TEST-yolk buffer, cooled to 4 degrees C, and stored for 8 h to induce capacitation. Sperm were then washed thrice in pH 7.6, .15 M NaCl containing .1% bovine serum albumin V (37 degrees C) and diluted to 2 x 10(6) sperm/ml in fertilization medium. Droplets of fertilization medium containing capacitated sperm, killed sperm, or no sperm were made under paraffin oil. Oocytes (matured 24 h) were added and cocultured with sperm for 8 h and then transferred to fresh fertilization medium for 40 h. After 24 h, 53% of the oocytes had matured (metaphase II). The fertilization rate of the metaphase II oocytes (203) with TEST-yolk capacitated sperm was 87%, whereas the parthenogenetic controls were 2 and 0%, respectively. Therefore, TEST-yolk buffer can be used to capacitate bull sperm for in vitro fertilization.
Rheology of Concentrated Suspensions of Spheres. I. Effect of the Liquid-Solid Interface

Abstract Coaxial cylinder viscometers were used to measure the rheological behavior of concentrated suspensions of glass spheres in a nonpolar liquid (liquid polybutadiene), a polar liquid (glycerol), and a liquid of medium polarity. The glass beads had untreated surfaces, surfaces with adsorbed octylamine, or hydrophobic surfaces prepared by treating the surfaces with dimethyldichlorosilane. All the suspensions were Newtonian fluids up to volume concentration of 40% except for the suspension of silane treated beads in glycerol, which was pseudoplastic. Contract angle and sedimentation measurements indicated that the glycerol—silane treated beads system contained beads in an agglomerated state. The viscosities of the suspensions obey a Mooney type equation. In the Newtonian systems, all the suspensions containing treated glass surfaces had lower relative viscosities than the analogous systems with untreated surfaces. For suspensions with volume concentrations ranging from 50 to 60% the flow behavior was pseudoplastic in some cases but rigid pastes were observed in other cases. The nature of the particle surface affected the flow behavior in the same manner as at lower concentrations. At still higher concentrations (>60 v/o), a yield stress was found for all systems. Slipping occurred in the viscometer and this phenomenon sets an upper limit for the study of concentrated suspensions.
Discovery and optimization of rapid manganese catalysts for the epoxidation of terminal olefins

Abstract Twenty-two Mn II complexes were screened for the catalytic epoxidation of terminal olefins using peracetic acid as the oxidant. A limited number of these complexes are efficient catalysts using peracetic acid solutions generated with H 2 SO 4 (PAA C ), but most complexes are effective at 1 mol% catalyst loading using peracetic acid generated with strongly acidic resins (PAA R ). Under the less acidic conditions of PAA R , [Mn II (phen) 2 (CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 ] has the highest activity of the catalysts screened, and epoxides terminal olefins using as little as 0.02 mol% catalyst within 5 min. The dimeric species [Mn III,IV 2 (phen) 4 (O) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 3 is also a viable epoxidation catalyst with PAA R , but the dimeric species is reduced by the residual H 2 O 2 to monomeric Mn II species under the reaction conditions. By comparison, a similar dimeric complex [Mn III,IV 2 ( R , R- mcp) 2 (O) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 3 , is not reduced by H 2 O 2 under the reaction conditions and is not catalytically active, supportive of the notion that the catalytically relevant species is monomeric.
Fission gas release during power bumping at high burnup

Abstract Research to define the behavior of Zircaloy-clad light-water reactor fuel irradiated to high burnup levels was conducted by the High Burnup Effects Program (HBEP). One activity conducted by the HBEP was to “bump” the power level of irradiated, commercial light-water reactor fuel rods to design limit linear heat generation rates at end-of-life. These bumping irradiations simulated end-of-life design limit linear heat generation rates and provided data on the effects of short-term, high power irradiations at high burnup applicable to the design and operating constraints imposed by maximum allowable fuel rod internal gas pressure limits. Based on net fission gas release during the bumping irradiations, it was observed that higher burnup rods had greater rod-average fractional fission gas release than lower burnup rods at equal bumping powers. It was also observed that a hold period of 48 hours at the peak power was insufficient to achieve equilibrium fission gas release. Finally, differences in the prebump location of fission gas, i.e., within the UO2 matrix or at grain boundaries, affected the fission gas release during the bumping irradiations.
Preliminary data on the association among the serotonin transporter polymorphism, subjective alcohol experiences, and drinking behavior.

Objective: Individual differences in subjective responses to alcohol are believed to have a genetic basis and have been associated with increased risk of alcohol-related problems. There are, however, conflicting results from past studies, perhaps owing to differences in subjective alcohol effects by limb of the blood alcohol curve and the passage of time. The current pilot study evaluated relations among serotonin transporter (SERT) genotype, subjective alcohol responses, and drinking behavior across both the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. Method: Participants (N=222; 68% male) were administered alcohol (target blood alcohol concentration of .06%) with a subsample (n=86) providing genetic data. Following a social stressor, participants were provided the opportunity to engage in ad libitum alcohol consumption. Results: SERT transporter was not significantly associated with ad lib drinking or subjective alcohol effects at individual time points, although a trend toward a SERT by ...
Psychoanalysis is on the Couch: France Celebrates Freud in 2000:

This article assesses the public response in France in 2000 to the centenary celebration of the publication of Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams. It argues that the discussions that took place d...
On the method of constructing irreducible finite index subfactors of Popa.

Let US(Q) be the universal Jones algebra associated to a finite von Neumann algebra Q and Rs c R be the Jones subfactors, s € {4cos2 \\n > 3} U [4, oo). We consider for any von Neumann subalgebra Qo C Q the algebra US(Q, Qo) defined as the quotient of US(Q) through its ideal generated by [Q o, R] and we construct a Markov trace on US(Q, Qo). If Z(Q) Π Z(Q*) = C and Q contains n > s + I unitaries U\ = 1, Uι, ... , un, with EQo(u*Uj) = δijl , 1 < /, j' < n, then we get a family of irreducible inclusions of type Hi factors Ns c Ms, with [Ms : Ns] = 5 and minimal higher relative commutant. Although these subfactors are nonhyperfinite, they have the Haagerup approximation property whether Qo C Q is a Haagerup inclusion and if either Qo is finite dimensional or Qo C
MRI patterns of atrophy and hypoperfusion associations across brain regions in frontotemporal dementia

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides various imaging modes to study the brain. We tested the benefits of a joint analysis of multimodality MRI data in combination with a large-scale analysis that involved simultaneously all image voxels using joint independent components analysis (jICA) and compared the outcome to results using conventional voxel-by-voxel unimodality tests. Specifically, we designed a jICA to decompose multimodality MRI data into independent components that explain joint variations between the image modalities as well as variations across brain regions. We tested the jICA design on structural and perfusion-weighted MRI data from 12 patients diagnosed with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and 12 cognitively normal elderly individuals. While unimodality analyses showed widespread brain atrophy and hypoperfusion in the patients, jICA further revealed two significant joint components of variations between atrophy and hypoperfusion across brain regions. The 1st joint component revealed associated brain atrophy and hypoperfusion predominantly in the right brain hemisphere in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, and the 2nd joint component revealed greater atrophy relative to hypoperfusion affecting predominantly the left hemisphere in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. The patterns are consistent with the clinical symptoms of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia that relate to asymmetric compromises of the left and right brain hemispheres. The joint components also revealed that that structural alterations can be associated with physiological alterations in spatially separated but potentially connected brain regions. Finally, jICA outperformed voxel-by-voxel unimodal tests significantly in terms of an effect size, separating the behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia patients from the controls. Taken together, the results demonstrate the benefit of multimodality MRI in conjunction with jICA for mapping neurodegeneration, which may lead ultimately to an improved diagnosis of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and other forms of neurodegenerative diseases.
c-Myc oncoprotein function

Genetic alterations of the c-myc locus in various malignancies and the ability of c-myc to transform cultured cells and induce tumors in transgenic animals attest to its central role in many neoplasms. By dissecting the c-Myc protein, a number of critical functional domains of c-Myc have been identified and characterized; these findings suggest a model for c-Myc function and intracellular activity (Fig. 4). c-Myc is synthesized in the cytoplasm and undergoes oligomerization another protein such as Max. Its nuclear localization signal allows c-Myc to be targeted to and retained in the nucleus, where the protein seeks out and binds to specific DNA sites, perhaps facilitated by c-Myc's ability to bind non-specifically to DNA. Once bound to specific DNA sequences, c-Myc then activates or inhibits transcription of a number of target genes, with consequent alterations in cell growth and differentiation. Continued studies of c-Myc and its partner Max should further elucidate the mechanisms by which c-Myc can contribute both to the regulation of normal cell growth and the alteration in that regulation in neoplasia.
The Effect of Disk Roughness on the Wear of Contact Recording Heads

In conventional disk files, the slider is supported by an air-bearing when the disk is rotating at its designed speed. With the continued reduction of magnetic spacing in order to increase the areal density, a natural extension of the traditional recording system is contact recording. We investigate the wear of the contact recording head designed for such a class of rigid magnetic disk files where the read/write element carrying slider is intended to remain in continuous contact during every phase of the disk drive operation. In particular, we study the effect of disk roughness and load on the wear rate of the recording head. It is observed that the wear rate is proportional to initial interfacial load, however the observation cannot be extrapolated beyond the loads studied in the paper. The experimental observations agree well with expectations for a system where an abrasive wear model applies. We also show that the wear rate is predominantly governed by the existence of isolated asperities that lie well outside of three standard deviations of the disk surface roughness.
Identification of a prodromal period in Crohn's disease but not ulcerative colitis.

OBJECTIVES: Irritable bowel syndrome, a common gastrointestinal diagnosis, has not been clearly studied in inflammatory bowel disease. Some of the residual symptoms in subjects treated with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are thought to be related to irritable bowel syndrome. The aims of this study were 1) to describe the duration and nature of complaints before the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (prodromal period), and 2) to determine the role of IBS in this prodromal period. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with confirmed inflammatory bowel disease were enrolled in the study. The subjects received a questionnaire to ascertain the nature and duration of symptoms preceding the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, including features described under the Rome criteria for irritable bowel syndrome. RESULTS: Of the 66 subjects analyzed, 45 had Crohn’s disease and 21 had ulcerative colitis. The prodromal period was 7.7 ± 10.7 yr for Crohn’s disease and 1.2 ± 1.8 yr for ulcerative colitis (p < 0.05). Once patients meeting the Rome criteria for irritable bowel syndrome during the prodrome were excluded, the duration of the prodromal period (non-IBS) for ulcerative colitis dropped to 0.8 ± 1.3 yr compared to 6.9 ± 9.8 yr in the Crohn’s disease group (p < 0.05). The symptoms of the non-IBS prodrome in subjects with Crohn’s disease were bloating, diarrhea, stomach pain, heartburn, fever, weight loss, and fatigue. Further analysis demonstrated that subjects whose Crohn’s disease initially began as colonic disease had a longer prodrome than with small bowel. In the non-IBS Crohn’s group, there was also a correlation between the age at the time of diagnosis and the duration of prodrome (r = 0.67, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant prodromal period before the time of diagnosis of Crohn’s disease that is not found in ulcerative colitis even after exclusion of subjects with IBS.