cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An equation for the description of volume and temperature dependences of the dynamics of supercooled liquids and polymer melts

Abstract A recently proposed expression to describe the temperature and volume dependences of the structural (or α-) relaxation time is discussed. This equation satisfies the scaling law for the relaxation times, τ ( T , V ) = I ( TV γ ) , where T is temperature, V the specific volume, and γ a material-dependent constant. The expression for the function I ( TV γ ) is shown to accurately fit experimental data for several glass-forming liquids and polymers over an extended range encompassing the dynamic crossover, providing a description of the dynamics with a minimal number of parameters. The results herein can be reconciled with previously found correlations of the isochoric fragility with both the isobaric fragility at atmospheric pressure and the scaling exponent γ.
Optical forces arising from phase gradients

Optical traps use forces exerted by specially structured beams of light to localize microscopic objects in three dimensions. In the case of single-beam optical traps, such as optical tweezers, trapping is due entirely to gradients in the light's intensity. Gradients in the light field's phase also control optical forces, however, and their quite general influence on trapped particles' dynamics has only recently been explored in detail. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally how phase gradients give rise to forces in optical traps and explore the sometimes surprising influence of phase-gradient forces on trapped objects' motions.
Gaussian ringlet intensity distribution (GRID) features for rotation-invariant object detection in wide area motion imagery

Most detection algorithms are established by using well defined features. Since wide area imagery is low resolution and has features that are not well defined, a local intensity distribution based methodology seems a likely candidate. We propose a new methodology, Gaussian Ringlet Intensity Distribution (GRID), which is a derivative of the ring-partitioned histograms for local intensity distribution based object tracking in low-resolution environments, which deals with the issue of rotation invariance. We observed that the proposed algorithm produces the highest accuracy among other state of the art methodologies and provides robust features for rotationally invariant detection and tracking in wide area motion imagery.
Observation of Birkeland currents with the TRIAD satellite

The intimate connection between geomagnetic storms and the aurora was appreciated by many early scientists including Edmund Halley and Anders Celsius, but the first serious study of this phenomena was made by Kristian Birkeland who, during his polar expeditions of 1902–1903, determined that large-scale ionospheric current were associated with the aurora. Birkeland was also the first to suggest that these currents originated far from the Earth and that they flowed into and away from the polar atmosphere along the geomagnetic field lines. The existence of such field-aligned orBirkeland currents was widely disputed because it was not possible to unambiguously identify current systems that are field-aligned (Alfven, 1939, 1940) and those which are completely contained in the ionosphere (Vestine and Chapman, 1938) only from a study of surface magnetic field measurements. During the last decade, the presence of Birkeland currents has been absolutely confirmed with particle and magnetic field observations acquired from a variety of rocket and satellite instruments. The vector magnetometer on the low-altitude (∼800 km) polar orbiting TRIAD satellite has been used to determine for the first time the flow direction, spatial distribution, and intensities of Birkeland currents in the north and south auroral regions. These observations support the mechanism originally proposed by Alfven (1939, 1940)-later expanded by Shieldet al. (1969)-to drive Birkeland currents in the auroral regions, and they demonstrate the important role that these intense currents (ranging between 106 and 107 amperes) play in the coupling of energy between the magnetosphere and the lower ionosphere and atmosphere.
Evaluation of Fuel-efficient Sun Search Slew Rates for the Cassini Spacecraft in the Cassini Solstice Mission

As NASA’s Cassini spacecraft continues to explore the Saturnian system in the second extended mission named the Solstice mission, the spacecraft operators have increased efforts to minimize hydrazine consumption to ensure the mission’s success through the end of the Solstice mission scheduled in mid-September 2017. In this paper, fuel-efficient slew rates are evaluated for the Cassini Sun search. Ground simulations show that hydrazine consumption could be significant during Sun search in the extreme cases, possibly bringing the Solstice mission to a premature end. A mathematical model for hydrazine consumption during Sun search is derived and the effects of varying slew rates on hydrazine consumption are explored. Slew rate constraints are presented, and an optimal set of slewing rates is chosen that minimizes hydrazine consumption. Simulation results show that fuel-efficient slew rates offer a saving of over 45% in hydrazine consumption compared to the default slew rates.
Efficiency Criteria and Duality Models for Multiobjective Fractional Programming Problems Containing Locall'y Subdifferentiable and ρ-Convex Functions

Both parametric and semiparametric stationary-point- and saddle-point-type efficiency conditions are established for a lass of multiobjective fractional programming problems with subdifferentiable and ρ-convex functions. Subsequently, these efficiency criteria are utilized as a basis for constructing a Lagrangian-type and several Wolfe-type parametric and semiparametric duality models and proving appropriate duality theorems. To illustrate the relevance and applicability of these results, several classes of multiobjective fractional optimization problems which can be viewed as special cases of the main problem are briefly discussed. These include problems with arbitrary norms, square roots of positive semidefinite quadratic forms, support functions, infinitely many constraints, continuous max functions, and discrete max functions.
CLONING AND EXPRESSION OF THE CHICKEN 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D3 24-HYDROXYLASE CDNA

Using a cDNA probe from the rat 24-hydrovitamin D3 24-hydroxylase, the chicken 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 24-hydroxylase cDNA has been isolated from a chicken kidney lambda gt11 library. The high degree of similarity with the mammalian 24-hydroxylase cDNAs strongly supports the belief that it is the chicken 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 24-hydroxylase cDNA. The deduced amino acid sequences are also very well conserved and 325 of them are identical among the four known 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 24-hydroxylases. This cDNA expressed in E. coli produces 24-hydroxylase activity.
The Association Between Obesity and GERD: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence

The current epidemics of obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-related disorders have generated much interest in studying the association between them. Results of multiple studies indicate that obesity satisfies several criteria for a causal association with GERD and some of its complications, including a generally consistent association with GERD symptoms, erosive esophagitis, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. An increase in GERD symptoms has been shown to occur in individuals who gain weight but continue to have a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range, contributing to the epidemiological evidence for a possible dose-response relationship between BMI and increasing GERD. Data are less clear on the relationship between Barrett's esophagus (BE) and obesity. However, when considered separately, abdominal obesity seems to explain a considerable part of the association with GERD, including BE. Overall, epidemiological data show that maintaining a normal BMI may reduce the likelihood of developing GERD and its potential complications.
Characterization of atmospheric turbulence during the NATO RTG-40 land field trials

The NATO RTG-40 Active Imaging Land Field Trials were conducted at the High Energy Laser System Test Facility at White Sands Missile Range, NM, during November of 2005. This experiment intercompared six active imager systems operating in the visible, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared sensing bands. To characterize the atmospheric turbulence structure present during the optical measurements eight scintillometers were arranged along or near the atmospheric path to characterize the vertical and temporal structure of scintillation, and inner and outer scales of turbulence. A met mast, two 32-m met towers, and an 8-m tower complemented the scintillometer data. This report focuses on analysis of data from four 3-D sonic anemometers positioned at midrange on the 8-m tower and on four of the scintillometers arranged along the 2-km propagation path. First and second order statistics from the sonic sensors are illustrated, along with an analysis of the turbulence spectrum measured by the sonic temperature sensors. The analysis of this data should support both estimating turbulence strength using sonic anemometers as well as outer scale. The data acquired throughout the 10-day measurement period and have proved useful in characterization of the overall weather conditions present during testing and in prediction of various surface layer characteristics.
Borel fibrations and G-spaces

Considering discrete groups G only, we present an elementary proof of the familiar equivalence of the category of G-spaces (with “maps” equivariant up to “homotopy”) and the category of Borel fibrations over BG.
Compositional Assurance Testing - A Systems Approach To Chemical Quality

Chemicals and chemical formulations are often extensively tested for purity, activity and conformance. However, in a surprising large number of cases these tests miss the point; in that the material has the wrong composition. Through human, mechanical or computer error the product is mislabeled or mischarged. These wrong compositions may still pass the control tests but will not work for their intended end-uses, i.e. they are 100% pure wrong stuff. In order to "error-proof" our producls, Du Pont has developed our "Compositional Assurance Testing System" (CATS ). If the sample is contaminated, mislabeled or mischarged the differences are immediately apparent because a "goodness of fit" is too large. The lot can then be rejected and the problem investigated. The system employs a Fourier transform spectrometer and special computer program. With it an operator can verify the composition of a raw mterial, intermediate or finished product in less than three minutes.
False consensus and out-group homogeneity: a methodological note on their relationship

Two different lines of research in social psychology ask subjects to generate estimates of the percentage of group members who they think would espouse some position or make some behavioural choice. Research on the false consensus effect has shown that such estimates are influenced by the subject's own choice. Research on out-group homogeneity has shown that such estimates are higher for group stereotypic choices than counterstereotypic ones and that this difference in turn is more pronounced for out-groups than in-groups. In this article we explore the relationship between these two effects, both of which rely on the same dependent measure. We show that out-group homogeneity will be estimated with bias unless the subject's own choice is included as a factor in the analysis, whenever false consensus is present and whenever the two target groups differ in the prevalence of their actual choices. We demonstrate this confounding with both hypothetical and actual data.
Chinese immigration: A comment on cloud and galenson

Abstract In a recent article (1987, Explorations in Economic History 24, 22–42) on Chinese immigration Patricia Cloud and David Galenson seek to document the mechanisms that made the 19th-century Chinese immigration into the United States possible. They claim that most Chinese immigrants came, in effect, as indentured servants, bound to and under the control of the Chinese district or place associations—the so-called six Chinese companies. This paper takes issue with those conclusions.
Evaluating the use of recycled coal combustion products in constructed wetlands: an ecologic-economic modeling approach

Abstract A simulation model was developed to couple the biogeochemistry of phosphorus removal with the potentially economical and environmentally beneficial use of a coal combustion waste product as a liner in constructed wetlands. The model includes hydrology, macrophyte and phosphorus submodels coupled to an economic accounting submodel. Data from two constructed wetlands in central Ohio, USA, the Olentangy River Wetland and the Licking County Wetland (LCW), fed by low and high nutrient loads, respectively, were used to calibrate and validate the ecologic portion of the model. The model was used to provide parameters in design of a pilot-scale treatment wetland under construction to test flue-gas-desulfurization (FGD) by-products as a liner material. Subsequent model simulations of the LCW with a liner for prediction of phosphorus retention efficiency showed enhanced phosphorus retention (≈10% by mass) and economic benefits if the wetland were lined with the FGD by-product relative to clay. Total cost saving (liner cost saving plus phosphorus treatment saving) of recycling FGD by-products predicted by the model is closely related to both wetland size and phosphorus loading. Total savings of using FGD by-products as a liner over clay in the LCW (6.4 ha) was calculated at approximately US $ 23 000 years −1 for 30 years at 8% interest rate assumed.
A comparison of "Train-the-Trainer" and expert training modalities for hearing protection use in construction.

Background Few assessments have been conducted on the impact of a “Train-the-Trainer” (T3) approach for training delivery. The present study compared the effectiveness of a noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) prevention training delivered using “Train-the-Trainer” and expert trainer modalities. Methods Participating construction companies were assigned to the Train-the-Trainer or expert trainer modalities. Workers were recruited from each company and then trained. The effectiveness of the modalities was assessed through the use of surveys. The accuracy of self-reported hearing protection device (HPD) use was also evaluated through on-site observation. Results Post-training scores for hearing conservation knowledge, perceived barriers, and current and intended future use of HPDs improved significantly for both training modalities. Subjects trained by T3 trainers significantly increased their beliefs regarding general susceptibility to NIHL, desire to prevent NIHL, and ability to recognize, and control hazardous noise exposures. The expert-trained groups significantly increased their beliefs regarding the benefits of HPD use and ability to ask for help with HPDs. The only changes that were significantly different between modalities were in general susceptibility to NIHL and effective use of HPDs. However, these beliefs differed significantly between subjects in the two-modality groups prior to training. Self-reported HPD use was poorly correlated with observed use, calling into question the validity of survey-based HPD use measures in this context. Conclusions The training improved beliefs regarding HPD use, increased workers' hearing conservation knowledge, and increased self-reported HPD use. The effectiveness of the training was not found to be dependent on training modality. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:130–137, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Autophagy: the pathogenic agent in muscle damage

Recently autophagy has attracted considerable attention because of its role in a wide variety of diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, myopathies, and lysosomal storage diseases. Autophagy is a “self-eating” process that brings proteins and damaged organelles enclosed in double-membrane autophagosomes to lysosomes for digestion and recycling. Functional lysosomes are essential for the completion of autophagy-initiated degradation and recycling of cellular components. In the fatal lysosomal glycogen storage disorder, Pompe disease, dysfunctional autophagy and massive accumulation of autophagic debris in myofibers greatly contribute to the cellular damage and interfere with the efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Analysis of single muscle fibers from patients with Pompe disease confirmed that the autophagic inclusions are prominent in humans as well. Autophagic buildup persists after years of treatment and may well be the reason for disappointing clinical response. Genetic suppression of autophagy in a mouse model of Pompe disease reduced the lysosomal glycogen load and allowed for fully effective ERT in murine Pompe disease. Our group is currently exploring a new therapeutic approach to Pompe disease; this new approach involves manipulation of transcription factor EB (TFEB), which has been shown to promote lysosomal-autophagosomal fusion and biogenesis. The appeal for Pompe disease is that unlike the current therapy, modulation of TFEB holds promise to rid muscle cells of both excessive glycogen burden and accumulation of autophagic debris.
Biological Sciences: Stability of HeLa Cell mRNA in Actinomycin

SYNTHESIS of proteins from the mRNA in eukaryotic cells differs from prokaryotes in two important ways. In the mammalian cell, the translation of mRNA in the cytoplasm is remote from the transcription in the nucleus, whereas in bacteria these two processes occur almost simultaneously1,2. Bacterial protein synthesis ceases within several minutes of inhibition of RNA transcription with actinomycin3; hence, the mRNA is short-lived. In metazoan eukaryotic cells, a similar experiment indicates that protein synthesis is not immediately affected by inhibition of transcription. Thus the mRNA is much more stable—of the order of several hours4. In a few specialized systems, the lifetime of mRNA can be deduced by observing the decay of protein synthesis after RNA synthesis has ceased. The messenger for haemoglobin in the reticulocyte5 and for silk fibroin in the silkworm6 are examples of stable messenger molecules with a lifetime of several days. The measurement of messenger lifetime in cells with active RNA metabolism is more difficult. In the experimental approach mentioned above, new RNA synthesis was blocked with actinomycin and the subsequent decay of protein synthesis measured. Under these conditions, protein synthesis generally decreased with a 2.5 to 3 h half-life in a wide variety of systems4,7–9. Interpreting the decay of protein synthesis as due to a concomitant degradation of mRNA assumes that the availability of messenger molecules is limiting in protein synthesis. Here, we shall show that mRNA decay is not responsible for protein synthesis decay in actinomycin. Rather, mRNA appears quite stable after the administration of actinomycin. The subsequent decay of protein synthesis appears to be due to a failure in the initiation of translation.
Atomic oxygen diffusion on and desorption from amorphous silicate surfaces

Surface reactions involving atomic oxygen have attracted much attention in astrophysics and astrochemistry, but two of the most fundamental surface processes, desorption and diffusion, are not well understood. We studied diffusion and desorption of atomic oxygen on or from amorphous silicate surfaces under simulated interstellar conditions using a radio-frequency dissociated oxygen beam. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiments were performed to study the formation of ozone from reaction of atomic and molecular oxygen deposited on the surface of a silicate. It is found that atomic oxygen begins to diffuse significantly between 40 K and 50 K. A rate equation model was used to study the surface kinetics involved in ozone formation experiments. The value of atomic oxygen desorption energy has been determined to be 152 ± 20 meV (1764 ± 232 K). The newly found atomic oxygen desorption energy, which is much higher than the well-accepted value, might explain the discrepancy in abundance of molecular oxygen in space between observations and chemical models.
Dietary supplement Standard Reference Materials

A new category of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) based on dietary supplements is under development by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with certified values for organic constituents and selected trace elements. These materials are provided primarily for use in method development and as control materials. The SRMs will assist manufacturers of dietary supplements in characterizing raw materials for potency, authenticity, and contamination or adulteration. In addition, the SRMs will assist in assessment of consistency and quality in finished products. The goal of this ongoing effort is to provide tools to the dietary supplement industry and measurement communities that will lead to improved quality of dietary supplements, and ultimately reduce public health risks that could potentially be associated with these products.
Thermomechanical behavior of thermoset shape memory polymer programmed by cold-compression: Testing and constitutive modeling

Abstract Programming is a key process for thermally activated stress or strain recovery of shape memory polymers (SMPs). Typically, programming requires an initial heating above the glass transition temperature ( T g ), subsequent cooling below T g and removal of the applied load, in order to fix a temporary shape. This work adopted a new approach to program thermoset SMPs directly at temperatures well below T g , which effectively simplified the shape fixing process. 1-D compression programming below T g and free shape recovery of a thermoset SMP were experimentally investigated. Functional stability of the shape fixity under various environmental attacks was also experimentally evaluated. A mechanism-based thermoviscoelastic–thermoviscoplastic constitutive model incorporating structural and stress relaxation was then developed to predict the nonlinear shape memory behavior of the SMP trained below T g . Comparison between the prediction and the experiment showed good agreement. The structure dependence of the thermomechanical behavior of the SMP was further discussed through a parametric study per the validated constitutive model. This study validates that programming by cold-compression is a viable alternative for thermally responsive thermoset SMPs.
STUDIES ON THE VALIDITY OF THE HOOKERFORBES TEST FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PROGESTERONE IN UNTREATED BLOOD

IN 1947, Hooker and Forbes (1) described a bioassay for minute amounts of progesterone. The reaction involved changes in the stromal nuclei of the uterus of the castrated mouse and could detect the presence of 0.0002 μg. of progesterone in 0.0006 ml. of test fluid, i.e., 0.3 μg. per ml. In subsequent reports, Hooker and Forbes (2, 3, 4) indicated that the reaction was highly specific and that the hormone circulated in the blood, primarily in the free state, since less than 10 per cent was protein bound. Forbes (5) reported that frequently no bound progesterone could be detected during pregnancy in women and monkeys. Hence it would appear that, for free progesterone, determinations on untreated blood should suffice. This is in contrast with the estrogens, which are approximately 65 per cent protein bound (6, 7). Recently Salhanick, Olsen and Hisaw (8) reported that estradiol possessed the ability to block the action of progesterone on the stromal nuclei of the uterus of the castrated mouse. This could easi...
Serving the Faculty Union in Fighting Austerity Policies A Case Study of Labor Studies Research on One’s Own Campus

This article reports and analyzes a case of a university labor studies program providing a series of research reports to the faculty union on campus that analyzed the allocation of resources between faculty and administrative overhead. The research helped the union slow down and stop a trend toward ever more resources being diverted from faculty to administration. The decisive role of the research in winning major union victories is detailed, and the case is analyzed with a view to opportunities and dangers involved in such research, what factors make it uniquely effectove or ineffective, and what lessons can be drawn from the experience.
The Transformations of Tibetan Medicine

This article presents a cultural and historical analysis of 20th-century Tibetan medicine. In its expansion into the state bureaucracy, Tibetan medicine has acceded to institutional modernity through transformations in theory, practice, and methods for training physicians. Despite Chinese rule in Tibet, however, Tibetan medicine has not yielded completely to state interests. With the collapsing of the traditionally pluralistic Tibetan health system into the professional sector of Tibetan medicine, contemporary Tibetan medicine has become to the laity a font of ethnic revitalization and resistance to the modernization policies of the Chinese state. These processes are particularly evident in the elaboration of disorders of rlung, a class of sicknesses that, collectively, have come to symbolize the suffering inherent in rapid social, economic, and political change.
Results of extensive integrations with simple NWP models over the tropics during FGGE

In this note, we present a summary of results from a total of some 980 forecast experiments made with two simple high-resolution regional models. The models are based on the principles of conservation of absolute vorticity (a streamfunction barotropic model) and of potential vorticity (the shallow water equations with bottom topography). These regional forecast models are applied to a number of different domains (winter monsoon, central Pacific Ocean during Northern winter, Central America, Eastern Atlantic and South America, West African Monsoon, Indian summer monsoon and summer monsoon over Southeast Asia). The data sets for these experiments are those derived from the First GARP Global experiment (FGGE), the Asian Monsoon experiment (MONEX) and the West African monsoon experiment (WAMEX). Statistical evaluation includes a comparison of the root mean square vector wind error with the corresponding persistence errors. The results of this study show that these models have a varied skill over different domains. The single-level primitive equation model over West Africa, South America and the Atlantic Ocean during northern summer shows a skill beyond the persistance for a range of 4 days of integration. The performance of the single-level primitive model appears quite promising over these regions. These long series of experiments with the single-level primitive equation model were carried out with the choice of the mean free surface height of 2 km with a maximum height of the orography of 1 km. A further effort at the optimization of the single level model was explored. Here, a parameter space consisting of the free surface height and the maximum height of the orography was explored in order to assess the skill of the vector wind error. Marked improvement in skill was noted over a domain centred over China from an optimization of these parameters. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.1987.tb00296.x
Cerebellum and ocular motor control.

An intact cerebellum is a prerequisite for optimal ocular motor performance. The cerebellum fine-tunes each of the subtypes of eye movements so they work together to bring and maintain images of objects of interest on the fovea. Here we review the major aspects of the contribution of the cerebellum to ocular motor control. The approach will be based on structural–functional correlation, combining the effects of lesions and the results from physiologic studies, with the emphasis on the cerebellar regions known to be most closely related to ocular motor function: (1) the flocculus/paraflocculus for high-frequency (brief) vestibular responses, sustained pursuit eye movements, and gaze holding, (2) the nodulus/ventral uvula for low-frequency (sustained) vestibular responses, and (3) the dorsal oculomotor vermis and its target in the posterior portion of the fastigial nucleus (the fastigial oculomotor region) for saccades and pursuit initiation.
Responses of Chlamydomonas reinhardi to Specific Nutritional Limitation in Continuous Culture

SYNOPSIS. Responses of wild type and mutant strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardi were studied in a simple but stable chemostat. No chlorosis was observed under conditions of phosphate, arginine or Na acetate limitation. Competition between wild type and the mutant strain y-2 was studied in continuous culture with phosphate as the limiting nutrient in continuous light, continuous dark and alternating periods of light and darkness. In all cases, the mutant strain y-2 overgrew the wild type.
Distribution of fibroblast growth factor in cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons and Schwann cells. II. Redistribution after neural injury.

The localization of fibroblast growth factor was examined in both immature ( 30 daysin vitro) dorsal root ganglion neuron-glial cell co-cultures as a function of time afterin vitro crash injury of the neurites. In the 20 day cultures, neuritic membrane vesicles were seen adhering to Schwann cells following neurite injury. Fibroblast growth factor was not detected on the surface of these membrane vesicles when they were associated with either the degenerating neurites or the surface of Schwann cells. However, the cytoplasm of the Schwann cells demonstrated fibroblast growth factor immunoreactivity at all times. In contrast, injury to neurites after 30 daysin vitro resulted in demonstrable fibroblast growth factor immunoreactivity on the surfaces of the neuritic membrane vesicles both before and after their association with the Schwann cells. Furthermore, there was a change in the pattern of fibroblast growth factor immunoreactivity on the surface of Schwann cells after injury: initially the staining was patchy but with increasing time it became more uniform and more intense. A similar pattern of staining was noted on the surface of oligodendrocytes co-cultured with dorsal root ganglion neurons. However, astrocytes which were co-cultured with dorsal root ganglion neurons did not show any fibroblast growth factor immunoreactivity. Also, after injury at 30 daysin vitro, the neuronal cell bodies began to express fibroblast growth factor immunoreactivity on their extracellular surfaces and the regenerating neurites exhibited fibroblast growth factor immunoreactive material on the surface of their plasma membranes. This redistribution of fibroblast growth factor via degenerating neuritic membrane vesicles to the plasma membrane of Schwann cells may be involved in neuronal signalling to glial cells after neuronal injury.
Allocation of emergency and recovery centres in Hidalgo, Mexico

Natural disasters affect countries and cities without economic, political or social considerations. National and local governments strive with preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery efforts. State authorities in Hidalgo, Mexico are dealing with stages of disaster management. They are working on a project to allocate emergency/recovery centres throughout the state in such a way that all municipalities are within 55 kilometres of the closest centre. The problem is modelled and solved as a covering problem; during the analysis different features are added including population, state economy participation, physicians' availability and kilometres of roads. The results of this paper may provide opportunities to alleviate governmental concerns and to give relief to natural disaster victims.
Engineering a Human Bone Marrow Model: A Case Study on ex Vivo Erythropoiesis

Bone marrow, with its intricate, three-dimensional tissue structure facilitating cell-cell interactions, provides a microenvironment supporting the production of hundreds of billions of multilineal blood cells everyday. We have developed a three-dimensional bone marrow culture system in which marrow cells are cultured in a reactor packed with porous microspheres. The culture supports a three-dimensional growth configuration and multilineal hemopoiesis mimicking the bone marrow in vivo. We studied ex vivo human erythropoiesis using the three-dimensional culture system. The system sustained extensive erythropoiesis at low erythropoietin concentrations (0.2 U/mL), plus stem cell factor, interleukin-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and insulin-like growth factor-I. Erythroid cell production lasted for more than 5 weeks, and the percentage of erythroid cells in the nonadherent cell population was approximately 60%. Flow cytometric analysis using cell surface markers specific for erythroid cells (CD71 and glycophorin-A) indicated that the culture produced early, intermediate, and late erythroid cells. As the culture progressed, the erythroid cell population shifted gradually toward mature cell types. When compared to the three-dimensional culture, the traditional flask cultures failed to support extensive erythropoiesis under the same conditions. This indicates that the three-dimensional bone marrow culture system provides a microenvironment conducive to erythropoiesis under more physiological conditions and is a better bone marrow model.
Positive Inotropic Effects of Low dATP/ATP Ratios on Mechanics and Kinetics of Porcine Cardiac Muscle

Substitution of 2′-deoxy ATP (dATP) for ATP as substrate for actomyosin results in significant enhancement of in vitro parameters of cardiac contraction. To determine the minimal ratio of dATP/ATP (constant total NTP) that significantly enhances cardiac contractility and obtain greater understanding of how dATP substitution results in contractile enhancement, we varied dATP/ATP ratio in porcine cardiac muscle preparations. At maximum Ca2+ (pCa 4.5), isometric force increased linearly with dATP/ATP ratio, but at submaximal Ca2+ (pCa 5.5) this relationship was nonlinear, with the nonlinearity evident at 2–20% dATP; force increased significantly with only 10% of substrate as dATP. The rate of tension redevelopment (kTR) increased with dATP at all Ca2+ levels. kTR increased linearly with dATP/ATP ratio at pCa 4.5 and 5.5. Unregulated actin-activated Mg-NTPase rates and actin sliding speed linearly increased with the dATP/ATP ratio (p < 0.01 at 10% dATP). Together these data suggest cardiac contractility is enhanced when only 10% of the contractile substrate is dATP. Our results imply that relatively small (but supraphysiological) levels of dATP increase the number of strongly attached, force-producing actomyosin cross-bridges, resulting in an increase in overall contractility through both thin filament activation and kinetic shortening of the actomyosin cross-bridge cycle.
Some genetic traits in Solomon Island populations. V. Assortative mating, with special reference to skin color.

Married couples in four Solomon Islands tribes did not mate assortatively for body size or shape. All four groups had high correlations (0.6 to 0.9) between spouses' age and moderate correlations, 0.3 to 0.5, for age-associated traits like nose height, ear length, and grayness of hair. Three brownskinned groups from Malaita (Kwaio, Lau, and Baegu) showed significant assortative mating for skin color whereas the very dark-skinned Nasioi, from Bougainville, did not. The positive correlations between spouses for skin color, with r's for various bodily regions ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 in the three Malaitan tribes, persisted when age was partialled out. As expected with assortative mating, the Malaitans' skin color was highly variable.
RUBE2D: a web-based customisable 2D modelling and simulation system

Modelling systems tend to involve the use of fixed visual icons for representing entities such as state, event, function and activity. We have developed a web-based modelling and simulation framework that is constructed on top of an open source diagram editor, thus making it possible to build many model types, each with arbitrary visual objects. We can also combine the system being modelled, in conjunction with the model yielding an interactive diagram suitable for web deployment. We provide a dynamic multimodel of four-stroke engine behaviour, and a diagram of the engine, to demonstrate the customisation attributes of RUBE2D. The customisation procedure involves some initial time overhead, but this can minimised with the ability to create model type icon libraries.
Settlement as a major determinant of intertidal oyster and barnacle distributions along a horizontal gradient

Abstract In Galveston Bay, Texas, pier pilings within 10 m of the shore are dominated by the American oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) while the ivory barnacle Balanus eburneus (Gould) predominates on pilings beyond 10 m. This pattern of horizontal zonation reflects differential settlement: barnacles and oysters settle in areas of high and low water motion, respectively. High water motion promotes barnacle growth, but has no effect on oyster growth. The higher settlement of barnacles onto substrata in higher water motion appears to be a combination of arrival rates to these sites and a preference for these areas. Adult-larval interactions further enhance the degree of differential settlement. Differential settlement is a major determinant of the horizontal zonation observed between these two species and may serve as a mechanism for avoiding potentially detrimental post-settlement interactions.
Prediction of cell wall polysaccharide and lignin concentrations of alfalfa stems from detergent fiber analysis

Identification of superior biomass feedstocks for conversion to ethanol requires accurate, rapid, and inexpensive measurement of cell wall polysaccharide and lignin concentrations. A study was undertaken to determine if cell wall characteristics measured with the Uppsala dietary fiber method could be accurately predicted from detergent fiber data. Spring and summer growth alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stems were harvested from two germplasm sources for 2-years. Samples were analyzed for neutral sugars, uronic acids, and Klason lignin using the Uppsala dietary fiber method, and neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin by sequential detergent analysis. Cell wall, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin concentrations derived from these two methods were positively correlated, but detergent estimates of cell wall and lignin concentration were lower and hemicellulose and cellulose concentrations were higher than for the Uppsala method. These patterns were attributed to solubility of pectin in neutral detergent solution and poor lignin recovery in acid detergent lignin. Regression equations for prediction of cell wall characteristics using detergent results were significant and accounted for 35–92% of the variation in the data. Significant deviations between predicted and observed cell wall results were observed when the equations were tested using an independent sample set, although the deviation was very small for cellulose concentration. It does not appear that most cell wall characteristics of alfalfa stems obtained using the Uppsala dietary fiber method can be accurately predicted using detergent fiber results; however, cellulose concentration might be predicted with acceptable accuracy.
Bijugate phyllotaxis in Rhizophoreae (Rhizophoraceae).

Phyllotaxis in the mangrove genera of Rhizophoraceae is shown to be bijugate, the angle between orthostichies always less than 90d and in some species close to one half the Fibonacci angle (68.8d). The same leaf arrangement occurs in both orthotropic shoots with extended internodes and in the crowded terminal rosettes of those branches which develop plagiotropy by apposition growth, and can be interpreted as an adaptive architectural feature in relation to mutual leaf shading.
Structure and genomic organization of VH gene segments in the channel catfish: Members of different VH gene families are interspersed and closely linked

Abstract To determine the structure and organization of germline VH gene segments in the channel catfish, genomic lambda libraries were screened with cDNA probes representing different catfish VH gene families. Thirty-six VH positive genomic clones were isolated and four of these were characterized by restriction mapping and Southern blot analysis with probes specific for each known VH gene family. The four clones, representing about 65 kb of DNA, contained 21 VH segments. The average distance between segments was about 3 kb and gene segments representing different VH gene families were interspersed with each other. Dot-blot hybridization analysis of all 36 genomic clones (average insert size 16–18 kb) indicated that the average clone contained gene segments representing four different VH families. In addition, these analyses indicated that VH segments representing each VH family could be found closely linked to gene segments representing each of the other VH families. Genomic restriction fragments containing a VH segment of each gene family were sequenced. These analyses showed that the general structure of VH segments is conserved in catfish. These structural features include the presence of a leader sequence split by a short intron, an uninterrupted open reading frame encoding readily identified framework and complementarity determining regions, and a downstream recombination signal sequence represented by a consensus heptamer, a22–24 bp spacer, and an A-rich nonamer. Upstream of the VH segments was an octamer sequence. These analyses indicate that the organization and structure of VH segments typically associated with VH loci of higher vertebrates evolved early in phylogeny at the level of the bony fishes.
My friend max

Among the characteristics of great individuals are humility, generosity, loyalty, conviction, enterprise, and curiosity. These are all traits I have observed in the nearly forty years I have known Max Mathews (see Figure 1). I met him in 1970 on the island of Lidingo in Sweden where we both attended a UNESCO-sponsored meeting on music and technology. I was an enthusiastic “young Turk” and thrilled to be at the same conference with Xenakis, Schaeffer, Koenig, and others. It was also the time that I formed life-long friendships with Jean-Claude Risset and Lars-Gunnar Bodin. It was at that conference that Max Mathews said, “The future will add the digital computer to the equipment of today’s electronic studio. In the near future it will control analog sound synthesizers. Together, the digital and analog form a hybrid sound synthesizer. In the far future, analog devices may be swept away by more reliable and accurate digital synthesizers constructed from integrated circuits. The result will be real-time digital synthesizers which can be played with all the nuances of presentday performance and all the precision and range of sound quality achieved by present-day digital synthesis. The future grows from the past, and the past is now long enough to reveal at least the next step forward” (Mathews 1971). Max Mathews was the only distinguished figure at that conference who listened to my ideas. This is something he has done for many, many young composers and scientists who were interested in advancing the cause of computer music. In countless ways he encouraged me throughout my professional and personal life. The one exception was the time I ran for the Vermont Senate in 1990. He thought it was a waste of my time, and he was right. I lost. The day after my loss I flew to Stanford and began composing again. I have little math and science background except that which I learned from my Synclavier colleague Sydney Alonso. This ignorance never deterred Max Mathews from helping me work from what I knew.
Internet Reference Sources for Asian Studies

This essay discusses Internet reference works for Asian Studies. Internet reference works are difficult to delimit, since the new formats and functions of the Internet have created new genres. Subject guides and directories do not qualify as reference sources, but the characterization of other forms of information on the Internet is still vague. The standards for evaluating Internet sources are also still in flux. Nonetheless, using a rule of thumb definition, a select number of Internet resources for Asian Studies are reviewed.
Comments on the importance of diet and nutrition in cancer prevention and the role of the 2nd international science symposium on tea and human health

The American Cancer Society was honored to serve with the American Heart Association and the American Health Foundation, as a cosponsor of The 2nd International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health held September 14—15, 1998, at the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. The American Cancer Society hopes that symposia such as this will identify progress in research that contributes to an understanding of the benefits diet and nutrition can provide in cancer control and prevention. The 2nd International Tea Symposium provided both a timely and informative assessment of current research concerning the beneficial impact of tea consumption on human health. As the articles presented here demonstrate, significant advances have been made in our knowledge of tea. Chief among these advances are studies providing fundamental biochemical information about tea, which supports a further expansion of research into its health benefits. Examples include: 1) the identification of new cell functio...
Endurance and Strength Training in Patients With COPD

Study objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of endurance training only to endurance plus strength (combined) training in a randomized trial of patients with COPD. Methods Twenty-four patients completed the study: 11 patients in the combined training group (FEV 1 45 ± 5% predicted), and 13 patients in the endurance training group (FEV 1 40 ± 4% predicted) [mean ± SE]. Muscle strength, quality of life, exercise performance, and quadriceps fatigability were measured before and after rehabilitation. Results Combined training led to significant improvements in quadriceps (23.6%), hamstring (26.7), pectoralis major (17.5%), and latissimus dorsi (20%) muscle strength. Endurance training alone did not produce significant improvements in muscle strength: quadriceps (1.1% decrease), hamstring (12.2% increase), pectoralis major (7.8% increase), and latissimus dorsi (2.8% decrease). The increase in strength after training was significantly greater in the combined group compared to the endurance group for the quadriceps and latissimus dorsi muscles but not for the hamstring and pectoralis major muscles. Six-minute walk distance, endurance exercise time, and quality of life (as measured by the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire) significantly increased in both groups after rehabilitation with no significant differences in the extent of improvement between groups. The extent of improvement in quadriceps fatigability after training (assessed by quadriceps twitch force before and after exercise) was not significantly different between groups. Conclusion Strength training can lead to significant improvement in muscle strength in elderly patients with COPD. However, this improvement in muscle strength does not translate into additional improvement in quality of life, exercise performance or quadriceps fatigability compared to that achieved by endurance exercise alone.