cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Faecal recovery and diurnal variation in excretion of dietary chromium by mature swine

Diurnal variation in faecal excretion of dietary chromium (Cr) was studied in this experiment in mature swine. Five gestating sows weighing between 225 and 250 kg were fed a corn/soya bean meal diet containing 14% crude protein, NRC recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals with a Ca: P ratio of 1.3:1. Chromic oxide was added (0.1% w/w) to the test diet, and ferric oxide was added (0.5% w/w) to the pre-test and post-test diets as dietary markers. Sows received 0.9 kg of the diet twice daily for 8 days. Total faeces from the test diet were collected and a sample of approximately 150 g of morning samples for days 6 to 9 of the experiment was separated. Faecal recovery of dietary Cr was calculated from the total collection and the samples of the 4-day period. It was found that faecal concentration of the Cr varied between days (P < 0.05) and between times of the day (P < 0.05); true equilibrium of Cr excretion was never reached. Diurnal variation in faecal excretion of dietary Cr was shown to exist; Cr concentration was higher in the late morning samples than in the morning samples (P < 0.05). Total faecal recovery of dietary Cr was 93.27%, whereas a greater (P < 0.05) value was obtained by morning sampling (118.76%). A portion of the dietary Cr (6.73%) was retained in the gastrointestinal tract even after 2 days of Cr withdrawal from the diet.
Modeling of heat transfer in thermoplastic composite tape lay-up manufacturing

Abstract The process of thermoplastic composite tape lay-up has been modeled in terms of heat transfer. The main objective is to investigate the effects of process parameters on the quality of thermoplastic composite laminates fabricated by the tape placement process. Computer codes were written to generate the temperature distribution. The numerical analysis has been carried out using finite difference method. The numerical model was verified with available experimental results. The numerical results compare favorably with those published in the literature. This analysis leads to the prediction of the temperature distribution along the length and through the thickness of the composite. The prediction of the temperature distribution enables proper selection of process variables, which affects the production rate and quality of the parts
Botulinum neurotoxins in the treatment of refractory pain

The management of pain that is refractory to conventional treatments represents a considerable challenge for clinicians. Botulinum toxin has recently emerged as a potential novel approach to the control of refractory pain, and in this article Bahman Jabbari weighs up the available evidence for the efficacy of botulinum toxin therapy in various pain syndromes, including cervical dystonia, headache, neuropathic pain and postoperative pain. The proper management of pain is a critical issue in the practice of medicine. Despite the availability of a large number of analgesic medications, management of pain that is refractory to conventional treatments remains a challenge for both clinicians and surgeons. Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) has recently emerged as a potential novel approach to control pain. Animal studies have revealed a number of mechanisms by which BoNTs can influence and alleviate chronic pain, including inhibition of pain peptide release from nerve terminals and sensory ganglia, anti-inflammatory and antiglutaminergic effects, reduction of sympathetic neural discharge, and inhibition of muscle spindle discharge. In humans, prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies have also provided evidence for effectiveness of BoNT therapy in a number of painful disorders. These include cervical dystonia, pelvic pain, low back pain, plantar fasciitis, postsurgical painful spasms, myofascial pain syndromes, migraine, and chronic daily headaches. Long-term studies on cervical dystonia and low back pain have demonstrated safety and sustained efficacy after repeated injections. This Review focuses on the analgesic effects of BoNT and the mechanisms of its pain control as revealed by animal models, and provides evidence-based data on the efficacy of BoNT therapy in various pain syndromes in humans.
A comparison of the mouse versus human aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor complex: effects of proteolysis.

The differences in the molecular properties of the nuclear aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor from human Hep G2 and mouse Hepa 1c1c7 cells were investigated by time-dependent partial proteolysis with chymotrypsin or trypsin followed by column chromatographic and velocity sedimentation analysis. The sedimentation coefficients, Stokes radii and apparent molecular weights of the untreated human and mouse Ah receptor complexes were similar. Treatment of the nuclear Ah receptor complexes from both cell lines with chymotrypsin for 10 or 60 min gave lower molecular weight proteolytic products which also exhibited comparable molecular properties and salt gradient elution profiles from Sepharose columns linked to DNA. Treatment of the human and mouse nuclear Ah receptor complexes with trypsin (5 μg/mg protein) for 10 or 60 min gave a minor low molecular weight (29.7- or 25.7-kDa) proteolysis product which was detected only with the mouse Hepa 1c1c7 Ah receptor complex. The time- and concentration-dependent proteolytic digest maps of the human and mouse Ah receptor were determined using receptor preparations which were photoaffinity labeled with [125I]7-iodo-2, 3-dibromodibenzo-p-dioxin. The human Ah receptor was significantly more resistant to proteolysis by trypsin or chymotrypsin than the mouse Ah receptor. At a low concentration of chymotrypsin (1 μg/mg protein) the Hepa 1c1c7 receptor was degraded to two lower molecular weight fragments with apparent Mr values at 71- and 48-kDa whereas the Hep G2 Ah receptor was relatively stable under these conditions. Although the human Ah receptor was more slowly hydrolyzed than the mouse receptor by trypsin, the major photolabeled breakdown products for the Ah receptor from both cell lines were observed at Mr 48- and 45-kDa. The results of this study demonstrate that there were subtle but significant differences in the human and mouse Ah receptor complex; however, the proteolysis studies suggest that there are common structural features in their ligand binding sites.
Liberal States, International Order, and Legitimacy: An Appeal for Persuasion over Prescription

Claims by liberal states to be furthering democratic values and material prosperity are being contested due to the manner in which liberal states are attempting to provide for their own security, to the way in which democracy is being more forcefully projected onto the international order, and to the dislocations and inequality associated with global capitalism. The appeal of liberalism as a form of political and economic organization has declined even as its tenets have come to be taken for granted by virtue of their grounding in scientific reasoning. A sustainable resolution to the crisis of legitimacy of the liberal state requires the internal regeneration of the liberal state itself, a renewed commitment to dialogue in multilateral institutions, and a persuasive revitalization of the claims liberal states make that render their example attractive to others.
RANGE EXTENSIONS AND NEW HOST RECORDS OF EUMEDONID CRABS OF THE GENUS HARROVIA ADAMS & WHITE, 1848 (DECAPODA, BRACHYURA, EUMEDONIDAE)

[Des donnees nouvelles sur la localisation geographique et sur les hotes sont fournies pour deux especes d'Harrovia Adams & White, 1848, crabe Eumedonidae vivant en symbiose avec des Crinoides. H. elegans de Man, 1887 est signale de l'ouest de l'ocean Indien et d'un nouvel hote, et H. purpurea Gordon, 1934 de Guam et de Palau, Pacifique occidental, et de deux nouveaux hotes., Des donnees nouvelles sur la localisation geographique et sur les hotes sont fournies pour deux especes d'Harrovia Adams & White, 1848, crabe Eumedonidae vivant en symbiose avec des Crinoides. H. elegans de Man, 1887 est signale de l'ouest de l'ocean Indien et d'un nouvel hote, et H. purpurea Gordon, 1934 de Guam et de Palau, Pacifique occidental, et de deux nouveaux hotes.]
Selective action of morphine on reflex expression to nociceptive stimulation in the rat: a contribution to the assessment of analgesia.

Abstract In two experiments startle reflexes to both loud noises and electric shocks were elicited in rats. The two stimuli were paired so that the inhibitory effect of each stimulus on the response to the other could be assessed. In the first study it was shown that morphine (0–16 mg/kg) had a selective and dose related depressive effect on the response to shock. The response to a leading tone and inhibition produced by the shock on the response to a following tone were minimally affected. In the second study, morphine (10 mg/kg) again depressed the reaction to shock but not to tone, and its effect was antagonized by naloxone (10 mg/kg). The selective effect on responses to shock, leaving responses to tone relatively unaffected, reveals that reflex depression should not be attributed to a loss in motor functions. Further, that morphine had little effect on reflex inhibition produced by the shock suggests that the nociceptive properties of shock were affected rather than simple sensory processes. It is proposed that the method described here is useful for assessing changes in nociception in laboratory animals, and for discriminating between nociceptive, afferent, and efferent processes.
Social Networks and College Drinking: Probing Processes of Social Influence and Selection:

This study used a three-wave panel design (N = 119 complete cases for all waves) to test for social influence and selection in the relation of college students' heavy drinking and that of their social networks. Evidence emerged for both social influence and selection, leading the authors to probe more specialized issues related to each. Results regarding social influence revealed, further, that greater presence in the network of individuals that the focal respondent considered "drinking buddies" was predictive of one's own later drinking, controlling for potential confounds. Network demographic characteristics associated with a "risky" (i.e., heavy-drinking) network also were documented. An additional finding, important for selection, was that wave-to-wave change in average network drinking appeared to result primarily from network members with different drinking levels being added to and dropped from the network. Findings are discussed in the context of the recent renaissance in social-network research.
The bid-ask spread for dollars in Kuwait: a brief note

This paper uses the Demsetz-Bagehot theory of dealer services and bid-ask spreads to analyse the determinants of the bid and ask spread in the Kuwaiti foreign exchange market for dollars. The explanatory variables predicted by the theory are found to be significant. Idiosyncrasies arising from the country and period under analysis are highlighted.
Mechanical and Electrical Activity in the Indirect Flight Muscles of the Honey Bee

1. Recordings were made from single elements in the indirect flight muscles of the honey bee with the usual insulated metal electrodes uninsulated at the tip. With the “indifferent” electrode in the head few neighboring elements showed up. All recorded elements had random phase differences. 2. In the dorsoventral (DV) muscles about 80% of the spikes are not followed by striking junctional components, 20% are. Practically all spikes from the dorsolongitudinal (DL) muscles have a junctional component following. 3. The DV-muscles in the intact animal shorten linearily with increasing action potential frequency (Fig. 6). The DL-muscles are stretched slightly. 4. Approximately 50 to 100 msec before the onset of oscillations the action potential frequency in both groups of muscles (DV and DL) increases to 30–60 Hz for 2 to 4 action potentials. The DV-muscles shorten (evidently isotonically) about 20 to 40 μ and start oscillations with a lengthening. An experiment performed by Boettiger (p. 438) might explain the events that start the oscillations. The oscillations end about 180 to 200 msec after the ending of the action potentials. The DV-muscles return to their resting length in the next 200 to 1,000 msec. 5. The duration of the action potentials depends strongly on the temperature (Fig. 4). 6. The wingbeat frequency increases with the action potential frequency (Fig. 10).
Scenario number one: Hepatopulmonary Syndrome. Dscussants—Fallon and Abrams

HPS is an increasingly recognized clinical entity resulting from intrapulmonary vasodilatation in patients with liver disease and/or portal hypertension. The pathogenesis of alterations in the pulmonary vascular bed in affected patients is poorly understood and the subject of ongoing investigation. The differential diagnosis of pulmonary symptoms and gas-exchange abnormalities in patients with liver disease being evaluated for transplantation is broad and should be focused on differentiating pulmonary causes that significantly increase the risk for transplantation from HPS where transplantation has emerged as a useful treatment. Specific contraindications to transplantation in patients with HPS have not been identified, though unique postoperative complications have been observed and may be treatable during the frequently prolonged resolution of intrapulmonary vasodilatation. The development of a database of information on patients with HPS undergoing transplantation will provide insight into potential contraindications, prognostic features, and postoperative complications unique to these patients.
Examination of ERα Signaling Pathways in Bone of Mutant Mouse Models Reveals the Importance of ERE-Dependent Signaling

The mechanisms of estrogen receptor (ER)-α activity can be categorized into those involving direct (classical) or indirect (nonclassical) DNA binding. Although various mouse models have demonstrated the importance of ERα in bone, the specific gene expression patterns affected by these modes of ERα action are unknown. In this report, the gene expression patterns of ERα-deficient (ERKO) mice and nonclassical ER knock-in (NERKI) mice, which can function only by nonclassical means, were analyzed. Three-month-old mice were ovariectomized and implanted with estrogen pellets for 1 month to normalize estrogen levels. Microarray analysis of flushed cortical bone revealed 28% (210 of 763) of the genes differentially expressed in ERKO mice were altered in NERKI mice, suggesting estrogen response element-dependent regulation of these genes in bone. Pathway analysis revealed alterations in genes involved in focal adhesion and extracellular matrix interactions. However, the majority of genes regulated in ERKO mice (72%) were unique (i.e. not altered in NERKI mice), suggesting these are regulated by nonclassical mechanisms. To further explore the pathways affected in ERKO mice, we performed focused quantitative PCR arrays for genes involved in various aspects of bone physiology. Genes involved in bone formation, senescence, apoptosis, and autophagy were significantly regulated. Overall, the majority of the genes regulated by ERα in bone are via nonclassical pathways. However, because NERKI mice display an osteoporotic phenotype, it can be deduced that the minority of the estrogen response element-dependent genes/pathways play critical roles in the regulation of bone physiology. These data demonstrate the importance of classical ERα signaling in regulating bone metabolism.
Finite-element analysis of nonlinear conduction problems subject to moving fields

Through the use of a space-time warp, specialized moving finite elements are developed that can be employed to generate a nonlinear heat conduction model for situations involving traveling boundary and heat generation fields superposed on an initial state. To facilitate the solution of the resulting nonlinear finite-element formulation, a multilevel heuristic iterative solution strategy is developed. In order to demonstrate the versatility and accuracy of the moving elements and their associated nonlinear solution strategy, the results of several numerical experiments are presented.
P16 gene deletions and point mutations in patients with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (AMM)

Abstract Studies of p16 alterations with homozygous deletions and mutation analysis were done in 32 patients with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (AMM) including six patients in leukemic phase. No homozygous deletions were found and, one patient was found to have a shift band in exon 2C fragment by PCR-SSCP analysis. Further sequence analysis demonstrated that the mutated band was a point mutation of G to A in exon 2 codon 140 (GCG→ACG) causing an amino acid substitution of alanine to threonine demonstrating this patient either carried an mutated gene in one allele as a polymorphism (heterozygous carrier of a mutant p16 gene) or carried a mutant p16 gene clone. This study demonstrates that p16 alterations with homozygous deletions and mutations were very rare in patients with AMM. A single patient found to have a shifted band by PCR-SSCP may be represented as a coincidence or as a polymorphism with a heterozygous carrier of mutated p16 gene, predisposable to AMM or as a mutant p16 gene which can be infrequently observed in this disease.
Large-scale gravity sliding in the Miocene Shadow Valley Supradetachment Basin, Eastern Mojave Desert, California

Abstract The Miocene Shadow Valley basin in the eastern Mojave Desert of California developed above the active west-dipping Kingston Range-Halloran Hills extensional detachment fault system between 13.5 and ca. 7 mybp. Although mass-wasting processes are common phenomena in supradetachment basins, the Shadow Valley basin is an exceptional locale for the study of such processes, especially rock-avalanches and gravity sliding. A score of megabreccias, interpreted as rock-avalanche deposits, and half that number of very large (> 1 km 2 , up to 200 m thick), internally intact gravity-driven slide sheets are interbedded with various sedimentary facies. The slide sheets, variably composed of Proterozoic crystalline rocks and Proterozoic, Paleozoic, and Tertiary sedimentary strata, moved across both depositional and erosional surfaces in the basin. Although the majority consist of Paleozoic carbonate rocks, the largest slide sheet, the Eastern Star crystalline allochthon, contains Proterozoic gneisses and their sedimentary cover and is now preserved as klippen atop Miocene lacustrine and alluvial fan deposits over an area > 40 km 2 . Estimates of slide sheet runouts into the basin from higher eastern and northern source terranes range from approximately a few km to > 10 km; in most cases the exact provenances of the slide blocks are not known. The basal contacts of Shadow Valley slide sheets are characteristically knife sharp, show few signs of lithologic mixing of upper- and lower-plate rocks, and locally exhibit slickensided and striated, planar fault-like bases. Pronounced folding of overridden Miocene lacustrine and fan deposits beneath the Eastern Star allochthon extends to depths up to 40 m at widely scattered localities. We conclude that this slow moving slide sheet encountered isolated topographic asperities (hills) and that stress transfer across the basal slide surface produced folding of footwall strata. Synkinematic gypsum veins in footwall playa sediments, with fibers up to 12 cm long, have trends and shear senses compatible with the direction and sense of displacement of the overriding crystalline allochthon. The undisturbed veins, which closely parallel the base of the slide sheet, attest to high fluid presence and pressure in the playa sediments—factors facilitating allochthon movement across them. The long length of the fibers, indicative of a protracted dilational process, is incompatible with a catastrophic rate of emplacement. We believe that the only explanation for slow displacement of this allochthon and other gravity driven slide sheets across the landscape is that they formed as slumps on high, steep bedrock slopes and that their elevated heads drove their toes across lower fan and playa deposits. Initial detachments from bedrock sources were facilitated by pre-existing structural and stratigraphic anisotropies. Detachment of the Eastern Star allochthon from the bedrock of Shadow Mountain likely occurred by inversion along the playa-ward dip of a preexisting Mesozoic thrust fault within Proterozoic rock units.
Quantitative, analytical separation of adenine nucleotides by column chromatography on polyethyleneimine-coated cellulose.

Abstract Although excellent separations of nucleotides (1) may be achieved by chromatography on thin layers of polyethyleneimine-coated cellulose (PEI-cellulose) 1 , column chromatography (2,3) of nucleotides on PEI-cellulose appears to be less widely used. In this communication, we report a quantitative procedure for the analytical separation of adenine nucleotides, including 3′:5′-cyclic-AMP, 5′-AMP, ADP, and ATP. This procedure has advantages over other ion-exchange column separations of nucleotides (see, for example, Refs. 2–4) in that the nucleotides elute in a small volume and that LiCl, which is used to elute the nucleotides, does not interfere with the determination of radioactivity by liquid scintillation counting.
Fracture of a bipartite medial cuneiform synchondrosis.

We report the occurrence of a bipartition and occult growth plate fracture in the medial cuneiform of a 5-year, 11-month-old traumatic amputee. Initial radiographs of the foot taken in an oblique p...
The Aerobic Growth of Propionibacterium acnes in Primary Cultures from Skin

Although Propionibacterium acnes ordinarily grows as an anaerobe, this organism was commonly seen on aerobic primary cultures (directly from skin) of the forehead, axilla, deltoid area, and antecubital fossa. On subculture, strains from aerobic primary cultures showed their normal anaerobic state. On repeated tests of the foreheads of 7 subjects over periods of 1 to 4 yr, 24% of all cultures were positive for propionibacteria (P. acnes) on aerobic culture. This phenomenon was equally common in cultures from those with relatively sparse or dense populations of P. acnes on the skin surface. Several different patterns of aerobic growth were observed: satellitism, profuse growth at one dilution and none on the next higher dilution, and proportionate growth in successive dilutions. These different growth patterns indicate that more than one mechanism is operative in stimulating the aerobic growth of propionibacteria. Whether one or more of these mechanisms is operative in vivo, we do not know, but it appears that they do not account for the great individual differences in population density of P. acnes on such sites as the forehead.
An open-framework bimetallic chalcogenide structure K3Rb3Zn4Sn3Se13 built on a unique [Zn4Sn3Se16]12− cluster: synthesis, crystal structure, ion exchange and optical properties

Abstract Single crystals of K3Rb3Zn4Sn3Se13 were synthesized by solvothermal method. The building block in this structure is a [Zn4Sn3Se16]12− cluster which consists of four ZnSe4 and three SnSe4 tetrahedra connected through corner-sharing of Se atoms. The 3D network contains intersecting channels running parallel to the crystallographic [2 1 1], [1-1-1] and [12-1] directions. The disordered K+ and Rb+ cations reside in these channels. Ion exchange of Cs+ with disordered Rb+/K+ ions in the structure showed a partial replacement of 15.8%. Optical diffuse reflectance experiments were carried out and gave a sharp absorption edge at 2.6 eV.
A unified Petrov-Galerkin spectral method for fractional PDEs

Existing numerical methods for fractional PDEs suffer from low accuracy and inefficiency in dealing with three-dimensional problems or with long-time integrations. We develop a unified and spectrally accurate Petrov–Galerkin (PG) spectral method for a weak formulation of the general linear Fractional Partial Differential Equations (FPDEs) of the form 0Dt2τu+∑j=1dcj[ajDxj2μju]+γu=f, where 2τ2τ, μj∈(0,1)μj∈(0,1), in a (1+d1+d)-dimensional space–time domain subject to Dirichlet initial and boundary conditions. We perform the stability analysis (in 1-D) and the corresponding convergence study of the scheme (in multi-D). The unified PG spectral method applies to the entire family of linear hyperbolichyperbolic-, parabolicparabolic- and ellipticelliptic-like equations. We develop the PG method based on a new spectral theory for fractional Sturm–Liouville problems (FSLPs), recently introduced in Zayernouri and Karniadakis (2013). Specifically, we employ the eigenfunctions of the FSLP of first kind (FSLP-I), called Jacobi poly-fractonomials, as temporal/spatial bases. Next, we construct a different space for test functions from poly-fractonomial eigenfunctions of the FSLP of second kind (FSLP-II). Besides the high-order spatial accuracy of the PG method, we demonstrate its efficiency and spectral accuracy in time-integration schemes for solving time-dependent FPDEs as well, rather than employing algebraically accurate traditional methods, especially when 2τ=12τ=1. Finally, we formulate a general fast linear solver based on the eigenpairs of the corresponding temporal and spatial mass matrices with respect to the stiffness matrices, which reduces the computational cost drastically. We demonstrate that this framework can reduce to hyperbolic FPDEs such as time- and space-fractional advection (TSFA), parabolic FPDEs such as time- and space-fractional diffusion (TSFD) model, and elliptic FPDEs such as fractional Helmholtz/Poisson equations with the same ease and cost. Several numerical tests confirm the efficiency and spectral convergence of the unified PG spectral method for the aforementioned families of FPDEs. Moreover, we demonstrate the computational efficiency of the new approach in higher-dimensions e.g., (1+3), (1+5) and (1+9)-dimensional problems.
Negative transfer effects in learning disabled children: Evidence for cognitive rigidity?☆

Abstract Verbal paired-associate tasks were used to determine whether learning disabled are more susceptible to interference from prior, related verbal learning experiences than nondisabled children. The results were consistent with available research by demonstrating that learning disabled children had greater difficulty than nondisabled children in learning verbal paired associates. In addition, learning disabled children experienced greater amounts of negative transfer. Results were offered as additional evidence for Ceci's (1983, Developmental Psychology, 19, 427–439; 1984, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 38, 352–371) hypothesis that learning disabled children are deficient in the use of purposive forms of semantic processing. The observed differences were related to possible difficulties in the area of semantic production.
Is immigrant status relevant in school violence research? An analysis with Latino students.

BACKGROUND: The role of race and ethnicity is consistently found to be linked to the likelihood of students experiencing school violence-related outcomes; however, the findings are not always consistent. The variation of likelihood, as well as the type, of student-related school violence outcome among the Latino student population may be attributed to immigrant status. METHODS: Drawing from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, this research investigates if the role of immigrant status and English proficiency are pertinent for 1457 nationally representative public school Latino students' experiences with school violence-related outcomes. RESULTS: Third-generation immigrant students were more likely than first- and second-generation students to be victimized while at school, as well as receive a formal disciplinary school sanction. On the other hand, first-generation immigrant children were less likely to be a victim of crime while at school and receive a formal disciplinary sanction in comparison to second- and third-generation immigrants. However, first-generation immigrant students were the most likely to feel unsafe at school. Additionally, nonnative English-speaking students were more likely to report being a victim of school violence in comparison to native English speakers. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that immigrant status-related variables should be included in school violence research. Furthering the investigation of school and local community characteristics of immigration and assimilation and their impact upon children's lives and their exposure to violence is essential for a growing immigrant population.
A multilevel analysis of key forms of community- and individual-level social capital as predictors of self-rated health in the United States

Communities may be rich or poor in a variety of stocks of social capital. Studies that have investigated relations among these forms and their simultaneous and combined health effects are sparse. Using data on a sample of 24,835 adults (more than half of whom resided in core urban areas) nested within 40 U.S. communities from the Social Capital Benchmark Survey, correlational and factor analyses were applied to determine appropriate groupings among eight key social capital indicators (social trust, informal social interactions, formal group involvement, religious group involvement, giving and volunteering, diversity of friendship networks, electoral political participation, and non-electoral political participation) at each of the community and individual levels. Multilevel logistic regression models were estimated to analyze the associations between the grouped social capital forms and individual self-rated health. Adjusting the three identified community-level social capital groupings/scales for one another and community- and individual-level sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, each of the odds ratios of fair/poor health associated with living in a community one standard deviation higher in the respective social capital form was modestly below one. Being high on all three (vs. none of the) scales was significantly associated with 18% lower odds of fair/poor health (odds ratio = 0.82, 95% confidence interval = 0.69–0.98). Adding individual-level social capital variables to the model attenuated two of the three community-level social capital associations, with a few of the former characteristics appearing to be moderately significantly protective of health. We further observed several significant interactions between community-level social capital and one's proximity to core urban areas, individual-level race/ethnicity, gender, and social capital. Overall, our results suggest primarily beneficial yet modest health effects of key summary forms of community social capital, and heterogeneity in some of these effects by urban context and population subgroup.
A Community Ice Sheet Model for Sea Level Prediction: Building a Next‐Generation Community Ice Sheet Model; Los Alamos, New Mexico, 18–20 August 2008

Recent observations show that ice sheets can respond to climate change on annual to decadal timescales and that the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass at an increasing rate. The current generation of ice sheet models cannot provide credible predictions of ice sheet retreat, as underscored by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Fourth Assessment Report (2007). The IPCC provided neither a best estimate nor an upper bound for 21st-century sea level rise because of uncertainties in the dynamic response of ice sheets. In response to this need, a workshop was held at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The workshop was sponsored by the LANL Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, with additional support from the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation. The workshop's goal was to create a detailed plan (including commitments from individual researchers) for developing, testing, and implementing a Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM) to aid in predicting sea level rise. This model will be freely available to the glaciology and climate modeling communities and will be the ice sheet component of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM), a major contributor to IPCC assessments.
Eulerian Circuits with No Monochromatic Transitions in Edge-colored Digraphs

Let $G$ be an Eulerian digraph with a fixed edge coloring (not necessarily a proper edge coloring). A compatible circuit of $G$ is an Eulerian circuit such that every two consecutive edges in the circuit have different colors. We characterize the existence of compatible circuits for directed graphs avoiding certain vertices of outdegree three. Our result is analogous to a result of Kotzig for compatible circuits in edge-colored Eulerian undirected graphs. From our characterization for digraphs we develop a polynomial time algorithm that determines the existence of a compatible circuit in an edge-colored Eulerian digraph and produces a compatible circuit if one exists. Our results use the fact that rainbow spanning trees have been characterized in edge-colored undirected multigraphs. We provide another graph-theoretical proof of this fact.
Comparison of TNO multienergy and Baker–Strehlow–Tang models

Vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) cause considerable problems in the chemical and petrochemical industries. They generate damaging levels of overpressure and the possibility of human injury/death, and building/equipment damage. Predicting the possible consequences of VCEs is important to ensure the safe design of existing and new structures. Prediction of the overpressures resulting from a VCE is typically done using simplified (empirical) models, phenomenological models, and computational fluid dynamics models. The focus of this article is on two of the most frequently used simplified prediction methods: TNO multienergy and Baker–Strehlow–Tang models. These models are compared in terms of structural response and vulnerability of damage caused by an explosion. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2011
Structure of IRF-3 Bound to the PRDIII-I Regulatory Element of the Human Interferon-β Enhancer

Summary Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) is a key transcription factor in the assembly of the mammalian interferon-β (IFN-β) enhanceosome. We present here the structure of IRF-3 DNA binding domain in complex with the complete PRDIII-I regulatory element of the human IFN-β enhancer. We show that four IRF-3 molecules bind in tandem to, variably spaced, consensus and nonconsensus IRF sites on the composite element. The ability of IRF-3 to bind these variable sites derives in part from two nonconserved arginines (Arg78 and Arg86) that partake in alternate protein-DNA contacts. We also show that the protein-DNA contacts are highly overlapped and that all four IRF sites are required for gene activation in vivo. In addition, we show that changing the nonconsensus IRF sites to consensus sites creates a more efficient enhancer in vivo. Together, the structure and accompanying biological data provide insights into the assembly of the IFN-β enhanceosome in mammals.
Myelin basic protein-primed T cells induce nitric oxide synthase in microglial cells. Implications for multiple sclerosis.

The presence of autoreactive T cells recognizing self myelin antigens is necessary for the development of central nervous system autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of myelin basic protein (MBP)-primed T cells in the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in microglial cells. MBP-primed T cells alone markedly induced the production of NO and the expression of iNOS protein and mRNA in mouse BV-2 microglial cells. Similarly, MBP-primed T cells also induced the production of NO in mouse primary microglia. This induction of NO production was primarily dependent on the contact between MBP-primed T cells and microglia. The expression of very late antigen-4 (VLA-4) on the surface of MBP-primed T cells and inhibition of MBP-primed T cell-induced microglial NO production by functional blocking of antibodies to the α4 chain of VLA-4 (CD49d) suggest that VLA-4 integrin on MBP-primed T cells plays an important role in contact-mediated induction of iNOS. Since IFN-β has been used to treat MS patients, we examined the effect of IFN-β on MBP-primed T cell-induced the production of NO. Surprisingly, IFN-β alone induced the production of NO in microglial cells. However, the pretreatment of MBP-primed T cells with IFN-β inhibited the expression of VLA-4 integrin on the surface of MBP-primed T cells and thereby inhibited the ability of those T cells to induce the production of NO in microglial cells. This study illustrates a novel role of neuroantigen-primed T cells in inducing contact-mediated expression of iNOS in microglial cells that may participate in the pathogenesis of MS.
Design and performance of a polysilicon surface micromachined microengine realized with arrays of asymmetrical electrothermal microactuators

Several microactuator technologies have recently been investigated for positioning individual elements in large-scale microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Electrostatic, magnetostatic, piezoelectric and thermal expansion are the most common modes of microactuator operation. This research focuses on the design and experimental characterization of two types of asymmetrical MEMS electrothermal microactuators. The motivation is to present a unified description of the behavior of the electrothermal microactuator so that it can be adapted to a variety of MEMS applications. Both MEMS polysilicon electrothermal microactuator design variants use resistive (Joule) heating to generate thermal expansion and movement. In a conventional electrothermal microactuator, the hot arm is positioned parallel to a cold arm, but because the hot arm is narrower than the cold arm, the electrical resistance of the hot arm is higher. When an electric current passes through the microactuator (through the series connected electrical resistance of the hot and cold arms), the hot arm is heated to a higher temperature than the cold arm. This temperature increase causes the hot arm to expand along its length, thus forcing the tip of the device to rotate about a mechanical flexure element. The new thermal microactuator design eliminates the parasitic electrical resistance of the cold arm by incorporating an additional hot arm. The second hot arm results in an improvement in electrical efficiency by providing an active return current path. Additionally, the rotating cold arm can have a narrower flexure than the flexure in a conventional single- hot arm device because it does not have to pass an electric current. The narrower flexure element results in an improvement in mechanical efficiency. Deflection and force measurements for both microactuators as a function of applied electrical power are presented, An operational microengine synthesized from arrays of electrothermal microactuators is discussed.
Erratum: ``Selective and low temperature synthesis of polycrystalline diamond'' [J. Mater. Res. 6, 1278 [1991]

After this article was published in the June issue of Journal of Materials Research, one of the authors noticed that the ordinates in Figs. 9(a) through 9(g) and Fig. 11 were labeled incorrectly. In each of these figures, the ordinate should be Raman Intensity, counts/sec × 103 instead of Raman Intensity, counts/sec.
Radial growth responses of four oak species to climate in eastern and central North America

This study characterized associations between climate variables and radial growth of four oak species at sites distributed across central and eastern North America. Tree-ring data were obtained fro...
Learning in feedforward Boolean networks.

We investigate, in detail, the learning process in a feedforward Boolean network. Such a network transforms a set of n binary inputs into a binary output, i.e., it implements an n-variable Boolean function. If the network is constructed at random, the various possible Boolean functions are implemented with widely different probabilities. This probability (or entropy) landscape does not change very much, once a minimal size of the network is reached. Moreover, it has a hierarchical structure with the number of Boolean function scaling as an inverse power law of their probability (Zipf's law). This indicates the existence of an underlying fractal structure. An amazing property of these networks is their ability to generalize, i.e., to learn some of the Boolean functions on the basis of a restricted number of teaching examples. We suggest that the fractal and hierarchical nature of the entropy landscape is the key to this ability. We identify the Boolean functions, which undergo such a learning transition, as those corresponding to a local entropic maximum in the Hamming distance space. We give evidence for the fact that the learning transition shifts to lower fractions of teaching, and becomes sharper, suggesting the existence of a genuine phase transition, as more complex problems are considered. The results on the entropy landscape are obtained by Monte Carlo simulations, while the effect of teaching is discussed using mean-field analysis, by an exact enumeration of the Monte Carlo data, and by actually training the network with a simulated annealing type of learning process.
Ionic osmolytes and intracellular calcium regulate tissue production in chondrocytes cultured in a 3D charged hydrogel

The goal of this study was to investigate the role of fixed negative charges in regulating cartilage-like tissue production by chondrocytes under static and dynamic three-dimensional culture, and to determine whether intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)]i) is involved in mediating this response. Initial experiments using the 3D neutral hydrogel were conducted in static isotonic culture with ionic and non-ionic osmolytes added to the culture medium. Tissue production by bovine chondrocytes with non-ionic osmolytes was 1.9-fold greater than with ionic osmolytes, suggesting that the ionic nature of the osmolyte is an important regulator of tissue production. To investigate fixed negative charges, a 3D culture system containing encapsulated chondrocytes was employed based on a synthetic and neutral hydrogel platform within which negatively charged chondroitin sulfate was incorporated in a controlled manner. Incorporation of negative charges did not affect the mechanical properties of the hydrogel; however, intracellular ion concentration was elevated from the culture medium (330 mOsm) and estimated to be similar to that in ~400 mOsm culture medium. With dynamic loading, GAG synthesis decreased by 26% in neutral hydrogels cultured in 400mOsm medium, and increased by 26% in charged gels cultured in 330 mOsm. Treatment of chondrocyte-seeded hydrogels with the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA-AM decreased GAG synthesis by 32-46% and was similar among all conditions, suggesting multiple roles for Ca(2+) mediated tissue production including with ionic osmolytes. In conclusion, findings from this study suggest that a dynamic ionic environment regulates tissue synthesis and points to [Ca(2+)]i signaling as a potential mediator.
Chaos in the segmented disc dynamo

Abstract It is shown that the equations describing the segmented disc dynamo in the presence of friction are identical to the Lorenz equations.
The Relation of Glucose Absorption to Respiration in Potato Slices

When plant tissue displays an indifference to one or another respiratory inhibitor, it is difficult to decide whether the respiration is truly resistant or whether the repression of an inhibitor-susceptible pathway elicits compensatory activity of a new or altered kind. Since resistance is in effect defined by the unimpaired utilization of 02 in the presence of the inhibitor, indirect means must be invoked to compare the respiratory behavior in the presence and absence of inhibitor in order to resolve the question. One way to estimate and characterize respiratory activity is to observe the utilization and disposition of radioactive substrate provided exogenously at levels sufficiently low so that hopefully the metabolite provided serves to label the endogenous metabolic pool without significantly altering the latter. It was early noted that when fresh and aged potato slices were compared with respect to the utilization of C14-labeled glucose, the evolution of C1402 differed very much more markedly than did gross glucose absorption (10, 19). Since a pronounced enhancement of salt absorbing capacity is known to accompany the respiratory rise which attends aging (12, 13), the question arose as to whether apparent differences in glucose utilization reflected distinctions related to glucose absorption. Consequently some attention was given the problem of glucose absorption per se. Absorption studies in turn served to answer in part the basic question regarding the meaning of inhibitor resistance. Potato slices, markedly cyanide-sensitive when freshly prepared, may become virtually cyanide-resistant in a day (7,14). By contrast, malonate-resistant fresh potato disks normally become increasingly malonate-sensitive with time (10, 19). However, when storage organ slices are aged in bicarbonate under 5 to 10 % CO2 in air, the respiration rises as normally but remains malonate-resistant (11). Thus a means is at hand to obtain metabolically active malonateresistant tissue. The experiments which follow examine the influence of malonate on both respiration and glucose absorption in malonate-sensitive and malonate-resistant potato slices, respectively. In addition, the effect of cyanide on the 2 processes is examined in cyanide-resistant tissue.
Structural damage detection using bi-temporal optical satellite images

Multi-temporal satellite imagery is now available at sub-metre accuracy and has been found to be very useful for performing rapid damage assessment on human settlement areas affected by large-scale disasters. In this article, a method of formulating structural damage detection measures based on pre- and post-disaster satellite images is proposed. To validate the proposed damage measures, building-based structural damage assessment is conducted. First, their effectiveness in representing multilevel structural damage is demonstrated using synthetic patterns of building damage. Second, the damage classification accuracy is evaluated by means of a pattern classification approach applied to a pair of bi-temporal satellite images, wherein earthquake damage to hundreds of buildings is assessed. The article concludes that the proposed damage detection measures, which are conceptually simple and computationally efficient, outperform traditional measures, such as linear correlation coefficients.
Building Web applications with Ruby on Rails and DB2

Ruby is a powerful language inspired by, among others, Perl, Smalltalk and Lisp. Over the past few years it has become one of the most used programming languages for Web application development. While a remarkable programming language in its own right, most of its success can be tied to the release, in 2004, of the Web framework, Ruby on Rails. Rails (as it is commonly referred to) has revolutionized Web development and quickly established itself as one of the leading frameworks; it strongly influences other frameworks and the way Web applications are being developed today.
Evidence from photoemission of strongly hybridized states at the Fermi level of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

The nature of the states at the Fermi level of the high temperature superconductors is of crucial importance since it is these states which form Cooper pairs below T c which are responsible for the superconductivity. In particular it is important to discern whether these states are derived from the Cu 3d or O 2p orbitals. Recent resonant photoemission experiments claim that there is no Cu 3d character at the Fermi edge of the Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 materials. While we observe similar resonant effects in these materials, an investigation over a wide range of photon energies, hv = 15 to 100 eV, has led us to reevaluate these results and to conclude that there is comparable O 2p and Cu 3d character at the Fermi edge. Our findings give support to strongly hybridized one band or two band descriptions of these materials.