cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of propylthiouracil on D-galactosamine hepatotoxicity in the rat: evidence for a non-thyroidal effect

The cytoprotective effects of propylthiouracil (PTU) were studied in rats treated with the hepatotoxin D-galactosamine (D-GNH2). Five days of PTU pretreatment prior to D-GNH2 caused hypothyroidism and a significant reduction in liver injury as assessed by serum transaminase levels. When PTU was administered as a single dose with D-GNH2, significant decreases in transaminase also occurred at times when thyroid function was unchanged. Furthermore, aminopyrine oxidation showed significant impairment after D-GNH2 and was normalized by one dose of PTU. Further studies were carried out in thyroidectomized rats. PTU caused significant reductions in transaminase levels when given for 5 days pretreatment or as a single dose. Animals receiving pretreatment with PTU plus thyroxine (T4) also had significant decreases in serum transaminase. The antithyroid drug methimazole also had a hepatoprotective effect, while two other potent antithyroid compounds (2-thiouracil and 2-thiobarbituric acid) did not. These data suggest that PTU can protect against liver injury induced by D-GNH2, that the effect is independent of thyroid function, and that this effect is not common to all thiol-containing antithyroid drugs.
Programmed temperature gas chromatographic data from isothermal retention indices

Temperature programmed indices are calculated from isothermal indices. The slope b of the n-alkane log plot is used to avoid the need for retention times of the n-alkanes. Retention temperatures are obtained similarly.
Soft, Porous Poly(d,l‐lactide‐co‐glycotide) Microcarriers Designed for Ex Vivo Studies and for Transplantation of Adherent Cell Types Including Progenitors

Our laboratory is undertaking tissue engineering of liver using enriched liver progenitor cells. We report here our ongoing study to design biodegradable and biocompatible three-dimensional substratum supports of both natural and synthetic polymeric materials suitable to the adhesion, growth, and differentiation of adult and progenitor liver cells for their transplantation, and for the development of a bioartificial liver assist device. Porous biocompatible and biodegradable microcarriers of diameter 20-40 microm and 100-300 microm were prepared from (alpha-hydroxy) acid family of polymers. Human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and adult rodent liver cells were found to attach to collagen-coated surface of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycotide) microcarriers. HepG2 cells attached to the degradable microcarriers remained viable and underwent growth expansion, forming three-dimensional cell-degradable microcarrier colonies in culture. These cell-degradable microcarrier colonies may undergo further growth expansion, thus providing a viable approach for three-dimensional organogenesis of tissue.
Nucleotide sequence of the cloned gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase.

Abstract The coding sequence of the gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase has been cloned into the Pst I site of plasmid pBR322. This cloned DNA extends from T7 nucleotide (Dunn & Studier, 1981) 3127 to 5821 or T7 coordinate 7.82 to 14.55. The nucleotide sequence is given, as well as the predicted amino acid sequence of T7 RNA polymerase. This peptide sequence is comprised of 883 amino acid residues with a total molecular weight of 98,092.
Modeling scale-dependent landscape pattern, dispersal, and connectivity from the perspective of the organism

Understanding the impacts of habitat fragmentation on dispersal is an important issue in landscape and conservation ecology. Here I examine the effects of fine- to broad-scale patterns in landscape structure on dispersal success of organisms with differing life-history traits. An individual-based model was used to simulate dispersal of amphibian-like species whose movements were driven by land cover and moisture conditions. To systematically control spatial pattern, a landscape model was created by merging simulated land cover maps with synthetic topographic surfaces. Landscapes varied in topographic roughness and spatial contagion in agriculture and urban land cover. Simulations included three different species types that varied in their maximum potential dispersal distances by 1-, 2-, or 4-fold. Two sets of simulations addressed effects of varying aspects of landscape structure on dispersal success. In the first set of simulations, which incorporated variable distances between breeding patches, dispersal success was lowest for all species types when anthropogenic cover was patchily distributed. In the second set, with interpatch distances held constant as landscape composition varied, dispersal success decreased as anthropogenic cover became spatially contagious. Both sets revealed strong main effects of species characteristics, interpatch distances and landscape composition on dispersal success; furthermore, scale-dependent patterns in land cover and moisture gradients had a stronger effect on longer- than shorter-ranging species types. Taken together, these simulations suggest that heuristic conservation strategies could potentially be developed based on important but limited life history information.
Preliminary Study of a Mycobacterium Leprae Bacterin Vaccine in a Human Volunteer Population in a Nonendemic Area

: Seventeen volunteers who had never resided in. areas with significant transmission of leprosy (Hansen's disease) were inoculated intradermally with 1.5 × 108 killed, purified armadillo-derived Mycobacterium leprae in a standardized preparation being tested for possible vaccine use. The peak of local skin responses, consisting of induration with or without ulceration similar to the post-lepromin Mitsuda reaction, occurred between the 21st and 28th days after injection. The maximum mean induration diameter was 17.2 mm, the minimum, 6.1 mm. Sera tested with the ELISA technique revealed no humoral response to either the sonicated bacilli, M. leprae-specific phenolic glycolipid I antigen, or three semi-synthetic analogues reactive with lepramatous patients’ sera. The dose of M. leprae inoculated appeared to be safe and without unacceptable reactions at the injection site. One volunteer developed a generalized skin rash parallel to the local reaction, but the relationship of the former to the inoculation was unclear.
A pipeline for digital restoration of deteriorating photographic negatives

Extending work presented at the second International Workshop on Historical Document Imaging and Processing, we demonstrate a digitization pipeline to capture and restore negatives in low-dynamic range file formats. The majority of early photographs were captured on acetate-based film. However, it has been determined that these negatives will deteriorate beyond repair even with proper conservation and no suitable restoration method is available without physically altering each negative. In this paper, we present an automatic method to remove various non-linear illumination distortions caused by deteriorating photographic support material. First, using a high-dynamic range structured-light scanning method, a 2D Gaussian model for light transmission is estimated for each pixel of the negative image. Estimated amplitude at each pixel provides an accurate model of light transmission, but also includes regions of lower transmission caused by damaged areas. Principal component analysis is then used to estimate the photometric error and effectively restore the original illumination information of the negative. A novel tone mapping approach is then used to produce the final restored image. Using both the shift in the Gaussian light stripes between pixels and their variations in standard deviation, a 3D surface estimate is calculated. Experiments of real historical negatives show promising results for widespread implementation in memory institutions.
Studies on the structure of actin gels using time correlation spectroscopy of fluorescent beads.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has been used to measure the diffusion of fluorescently labeled beads in solutions of polymerized actin or buffer. The results, obtained at actin concentrations of 1 mg/ml, show that small beads (0.09 micron in diameter) diffuse nearly as rapidly in the actin gel as in buffer, whereas the largest beads tested (0.5 micron in diameter) are immobilized. Measured autocorrelation times for motions of beads with intermediate sizes show that the diffusion is retarded (relative to buffer) and that the time behavior cannot be represented as a single diffusive process. In addition to the retarded diffusion observed over distances > 1 micron, 0.23-micron beads also show a faster motion over smaller distances. Based on the measured rate of this faster motion, we estimate that the beads may be constrained within a cage approximately 0.67 micron on a side, equal to a filament length of approximately 250 subunits. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements made in the same small spot (radius of 1.4 microns) of the gel vary over time. From the variations of both the autocorrelation functions and the mean fluorescence, we conclude that, corresponding to a spatial scale of 1.4 microns, the actin gel is a dynamic structure with slow rearrangement of the gel occurring over periods of 20–50 s at 21–22 degrees C. This rearrangement may result from local reorganization of the actin matrix. Data for the retardation of beads by the actin gel are consistent with a detailed theory of the diffusion of particles through solutions of rigid rods that have longitudinal diffusion coefficients much less than that of the particles (Ogston, A. G., B. N. Preston, and J. D. Wells. 1973. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A. 333:297–316).
Nuclear import strategies of high-risk HPV18 L2 minor capsid protein.

Abstract We have investigated the nuclear import strategies of high-risk HPV18 L2 minor capsid protein. HPV18 L2 interacts with Kap α 2 adapter, and Kap β 2 and Kap β 3 nuclear import receptors. Moreover, binding of RanGTP to either Kap β 2 or Kap β 3 inhibits their interaction with L2, suggesting that these Kap β/L2 complexes are import competent. Mapping studies show that HPV18 L2 contains two NLSs: in the N-terminus (nNLS) and in the C-terminus (cNLS), both of which can independently mediate nuclear import. Both nNLS and cNLS form a complex with Kap α 2 β 1 heterodimer and mediate nuclear import via a classical pathway. The nNLS is also essential for the interaction of HPV18 L2 with Kap β 2 and Kap β 3 . Interestingly, both nNLS and cNLS interact with the viral DNA and this DNA binding occurs without nucleotide sequence specificity. Together, the data suggest that HPV18 L2 can interact via its NLSs with several Kaps and the viral DNA and may enter the nucleus via multiple import pathways mediated by Kap α 2 β 1 heterodimers, Kap β 2 and Kap β 3 .
DETERMINATION OF SPHINGOLIPIDS IN NUTS AND SEEDS BY A SINGLE QUADRUPOLE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY–MASS SPECTROMETRY METHOD

Studies with experimental animals have shown that dietary sphingolipids significantly reduce the early stages of colon carcinogenesis and tumor formation, but knowledge about the amount and structure of sphingolipids in foods, especially foods of plant origin, is sparse because of lack of effective identification and quantification methods. Also, it is critical to know the structure of sphingolipids in plants in order to understand the potential link between diet and cancer. In this study, we developed a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization positive ion mode to separate, identify and quantify ceramide and cerebroside species simultaneously in 10 plant samples. The ceramides found in the samples contained mainly trihydroxy bases, especially 4-hydroxy-8-sphingenine (t18:1). Both nonhydroxy fatty acids and hydroxy fatty acids were found, and these were mostly very long chain fatty acids (C > 20). Cerebrosides of the plant samples had both dihydroxy and trihydroxy bases, with dihydroxy base 4,8-sphingadienine (d18:2) dominating. The fatty acids were composed mainly of α-hydroxy fatty acids. Using an external calibration method, the major cerebroside found in the plants examined was quantified. This is the first report of sphingolipid content in most of the species studied.
Mindfulness as a moderator of the effect of implicit motivational self-concept on day-to-day behavioral motivation

Drawing from theories regarding the role of awareness in behavioral self-regulation, this research was designed to examine the role of mindfulness as a moderator between implicit motivation and the motivation for day-to-day behavior. We hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness (Brown and Ryan, J Pers Soc Psychol, 84, 822–848, 2003) would act to modify the expression of implicit autonomy orientation in daily behavioral motivation. Using the Implicit Association Test (Greenwald et al. J Pers Soc Psychol, 74, 1464–1480, 1998), Study 1 provided evidence for the reliability and validity of a new measure of implicit autonomy orientation. Using an experience-sampling strategy, Study 2 showed the hypothesized moderating effect, such that implicit autonomy orientation predicted day-to-day motivation only for those lower in dispositional mindfulness. Those higher in mindfulness showed more autonomously motivated behavior regardless of implicit orientation toward autonomy or heteronomy. It also showed that this moderating effect of awareness was specific to mindfulness and was primarily manifest in spontaneous behavior. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for dual process theory and research.
Polyprenylphosphate-pentoses in Mycobacteria Are Synthesized from 5-Phosphoribose Pyrophosphate

Polyprenylphosphate-arabinose (in which the polyprenyl unit is found both as decaprenyl and octahydroheptaprenyl) is a donor of mycobacterial cell wall arabinosyl residues. Because of this important role, its biosynthetic pathway, and that of the related lipid, polyprenylphosphate-D-ribose, was investigated. Surprisingly, phosphoribose pyrophosphate was shown to be a key intermediate on the pathway to both polyprenylphosphate-D-pentoses. Thus, incubation of 5-phospho-D-[14C]ribose pyrophosphate with membranes prepared from Mycobacterium smegmatis resulted in the presence of organic-soluble radioactivity that was shown to be, in part, polyprenylphosphate-[14C]arabinose and polyprenylphosphate-[14C]ribose. Two additional intermediates, polyprenylphosphate-5-phospho[14C]ribose and polyprenylphosphate-5-phospho[14C]arabinose, were identified. Further experiments showed that the mature polyprenylphosphate-ribose is formed from phosphoribose pyrophosphate via a two-step pathway involving a transferase to form polyprenylphosphate-5-phosphoribose and then a phosphatase to form the final polyprenylphosphateribose. Polyprenylphosphate-arabinose is formed by a similar pathway with an additional step being the epimerization at C-2 of the ribosyl residue. This epimerization occurs at either the level of phosphoribose pyrophosphate or at the level of polyprenylphosphate-5-phosphoribose.
Excuse Me, Sir?! Gender Queer Pedagogy in Our Schools

(2007). Excuse Me, Sir?! Gender Queer Pedagogy in Our Schools. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 83-89.
The social rank index as a measure of social status and its association with egg production in White Leghorn pullets

A social rank index (X), defined as X = 12(D − S + N + 1), where D = number dominated, S = number dominating, and N = group size, was devised to measure social status of individuals in groups. Social rank indexes for eight flocks of 24 White Leghorn pullets tended to be normally distributed. Pecking triangles (which were common) and about 35% of undetermined pair relationships caused social rank indexes to have reduced variances from those expected with linear hierarchies and a tendency for aggregation of values near the mean. Social tension index, defined as the number of aggressive acts minus number of submissive acts, was highly correlated (r = 0.93, P < 0.001) with social rank index. There was a tendency for positive kurtosis (excessive peakedness) in the distribution of social tension indexes. A significant curvilinear relationship was found between social rank index and frequency of agonistic interactions of individuals within flocks. Pullets with either high or low social status had higher frequencies of agonistic acts than did those of intermediate status. Using social rank index as the independent variable, the linear and three curvilinear regression equations were found to be significantly associated with age at sexual maturity, survivor's egg production, and survivor's egg mass in four of the eight flocks. The relationships tended to be measured more accurately by curvilinear than linear models. The curvilinear models used were chosen on the basis of McBride's (1960) hypothesis; i.e. that low social status is disproportionately important in depressing performance of those individuals ranking near the bottom of the social hierarchy.
Estimating aboveground forest biomass carbon and fire consumption in the U.S. Utah High Plateaus using data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Landsat, and LANDFIRE

Abstract The concentrations of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been increasing and greatly affecting global climate and socio-economic systems. Actively growing forests are generally considered to be a major carbon sink, but forest wildfires lead to large releases of biomass carbon into the atmosphere. Aboveground forest biomass carbon (AFBC), an important ecological indicator, and fire-induced carbon emissions at regional scales are highly relevant to forest sustainable management and climate change. It is challenging to accurately estimate the spatial distribution of AFBC across large areas because of the spatial heterogeneity of forest cover types and canopy structure. In this study, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, Landsat, and Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Project (LANDFIRE) data were integrated in a regression tree model for estimating AFBC at a 30-m resolution in the Utah High Plateaus. AFBC were calculated from 225 FIA field plots and used as the dependent variable in the model. Of these plots, 10% were held out for model evaluation with stratified random sampling, and the other 90% were used as training data to develop the regression tree model. Independent variable layers included Landsat imagery and the derived spectral indicators, digital elevation model (DEM) data and derivatives, biophysical gradient data, existing vegetation cover type and vegetation structure. The cross-validation correlation coefficient ( r value) was 0.81 for the training model. Independent validation using withheld plot data was similar with r value of 0.82. This validated regression tree model was applied to map AFBC in the Utah High Plateaus and then combined with burn severity information to estimate loss of AFBC in the Longston fire of Zion National Park in 2001. The final dataset represented 24 forest cover types for a 4 million ha forested area. We estimated a total of 353 Tg AFBC with an average of 87 MgC/ha in the Utah High Plateaus. We also estimated that 8054 Mg AFBC were released from 2.24 km 2 burned forest area in the Longston fire. These results demonstrate that an AFBC spatial map and estimated biomass carbon consumption can readily be generated using existing database. The methodology provides a consistent, practical, and inexpensive way for estimating AFBC at 30-m resolution over large areas throughout the United States.
Photodissociation as a quantum transition: Photofragment vibrational distributions of C2N2(C̃ 1Πu) predissociation

Polyatomic indirect photodissociation is treated as a quantum transition between quasidiscrete and dissociative (photofragment) states. Our adiabatic method is followed to describe the nuclear dynamics of the dissociative state. Ab initio MCHF excited electronic potential energy surfaces are constructed and used to determine heavy‐particle dynamics. The theory is applied to single‐photon predissociation of C2N2(C 1Πu) at 164, 158.7, and 153.6 nm to form CN(X 2Σ+)+CN(A 2Π). Theoretical predictions are found to be in good agreement with recent experimental product vibrational energy distributions.
Stochastic Optimal Bounded Control for a System With the Boltz Cost Function

A single-degree-of-freedom mass-spring system is considered under white-noise excitation. To reduce expected response energy of the system, a bounded control force can be applied and optimal control law is sought for. An exact explicit analytical solution, for the Lagrange cost function, is derived for the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation within a certain "outer" domain. This solution provides boundary conditions for numerical simulation of the HJB equation within the remaining "inner" domain. Comparison of optimal control law, with a previously obtained one for the Mayer cost function, is made. The analytical solution to the HJB equation for the "combined" Boltz cost function is derived for the outer domain as a linear combination of the solutions for the Mayer and Lagrange cost functions. Sensitivity of the Bellman functional to the above optimal control laws is analyzed.
Two-Year Impacts of a Universal School-Based Social-Emotional and Literacy Intervention: An Experiment in Translational Developmental Research

This study contributes to ongoing scholarship at the nexus of translational research, education reform, and the developmental and prevention sciences. It reports 2-year experimental impacts of a universal, integrated school-based intervention in social-emotional learning and literacy development on children’s socialemotional, behavioral, and academic functioning. The study employed a school-randomized, experimental design with 1,184 children in 18 elementary schools. Children in the intervention schools showed improvements across several domains: self-reports of hostile attributional bias, aggressive interpersonal negotiation strategies, and depression, and teacher reports of attention skills, and aggressive and socially competent behavior. In addition, there were effects of the intervention on children’s math and reading achievement for those identified by teachers at baseline at highest behavioral risk. These findings are interpreted in light of developmental cascades theory and lend support to the value of universal, integrated interventions in the elementary school period for promoting children’s social-emotional and academic skills.
Optimal realizable MMSE linear and decision feedback equalizers: time domain results

Motivated by the fact that the Kalman filter is the optimal linear estimator, we apply Kalman filter theory to the study of realizable minimum mean square error (MMSE) linear and decision feedback equalizers. We establish state-space realizations of linear equalizers (LEs) and decision feedback equalizers (DFEs), based on which the Kalman filter can be directly applied to find the optimal estimates of the transmitted symbols. This state space approach yields optimal realizable LE and DFE. More importantly, it provides insights into the properties of the LE and DFE that are not clearly seen otherwise. We show that, for both LE and DFE, increasing the detection delay results in smaller estimation error at the expense of higher complexity. It is shown that the Kalman filter based LE is equivalent to an MMSE LE of infinite filter length. However, to our surprise, the Kalman filter based DFE is shown to be equivalent to a finite length MMSE DFE of orders bounded by the detection delay and the channel length. All the derivations are carried out in the time domain. Thus, the results obtained are applicable to time-invariant channels and to time-varying channels, which are commonly encountered in mobile communications.
Effects of Sorbed Water on the Crystallization of Indomethacin from the Amorphous State

The water sorption isotherm and the crystallization rates for amorphous indomethacin were determined at 30 °C as a function of relative humidity (RH), along with the effects of water content on the glass transition temperature (Tg). Below 43% RH, only the stable γ crystal form appears, whereas at higher RH, only the metastable R crystal form appears. The tendency for the α crystals to form at higher RH is consistent with the Ostwald step rule. The crystallization rate of the α form continuously increased with increasing RH due to increasing molecular mobility. The crystallization mechanism of the γ form changed from surface-initiated to bulk-initiated crystallization at 21% RH, and although crystallization rates of the γ form increased with increasing RH in both cases, they were higher when crystallization was surface-initiated. The complex crystallization behavior of the γ form is explained by the higher water content and molecular mobility of the surface relative to the bulk and the general effect of water on α or γ crystal form selection as described by the Ostwald step rule.
Multi-granular Stream Optical Burst Switching

This paper presents a novel architecture of multi-granular stream optical burst switching (MGS-OBS), which enables an all-optical network to support sub-wavelength streaming traffic of diverse bandwidth granularities with guaranteed end-to-end delay and data loss rate. It shapes a sub-wavelength stream into a periodic burst train; and allows variable bit rate (VBR) streaming traffic with same source and destination to share the reserved bandwidth through statistical multiplexing. By adopting periodic advanced scheduling of burst trains, MGS-OBS substantially decreases recursive signaling processing in supporting sub-wavelength streaming traffic. MGS-OBS employs burst train reservation blocking recovery by time-shifting a blocked burst train. Performance of MGS-OBS is analyzed in terms of wavelength utilization and data loss rate, and the stream transmission failure rate. It is found that the performance of the MGS-OBS is compared favorably with other OBS schemes that target for efficient support of bursty traffic.
Restricting ultrasound thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy by nodule size: which tumors are we missing? A population-based study

Clinicians use nodule size to determine which thyroid nodules should receive cytological evaluation. The American Thyroid Association (ATA) has recommended against cytological evaluation for nodules <1 cm. It is unknown, however, if nodule size can accurately discriminate lesions that will represent tumors with favorable versus unfavorable prognosis. Also, the characteristics of thyroid cancers that would not be diagnosed if a strict 1 cm size cut off is used as the threshold for biopsy of intrathyroidal nodules are not well established. Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a population-based cohort, we identified all thyroid nodules in Olmsted County residents from 2003-2006. To assess the presence of favorable or unfavorable features for each nodule size cutoff, each patient found to have thyroid cancer was risk-stratified using the ATA risk score, which predicts risk of recurrence and persistent disease. Thyroid cancer cases in which a biopsy was done for factors other than thyroid nodule size or suspicious ultrasound features were excluded. We identified 485 thyroid nodules, 46 (9.5%) harbored thyroid cancer. Of the 46 thyroid cancers, 37 (7.6%) had ATA low risk; 8 (1.6%) had intermediate, and only 1 (0.2%) had an ATA high risk scores. The frequency of thyroid cancer and the distribution of ATA risk scores were similar across tumor sizes. In thyroid nodules of <1 cm, 92 (87%) were benign, while 13 (13%) were malignant (11% ATA low risk, 2% ATA intermediate risk) without extrathyroid extension, aggressive histology, or distant metastasis. For all thyroid cancer patients, no cases of persistent disease were found after a median follow-up of 7 years. In this population-based study, we showed that high risk thyroid cancers are rare; indeed, in this highly selected cohort of patients, the ATA's recommendation to avoid cytologic evaluation in thyroid nodules less than 1 cm would not miss any thyroid cancer with high risk features. However, thyroid nodule size at presentation did not accurately discriminate between tumors with favorable versus unfavorable clinicopathologic features. Thus, if further discrimination is desired, for example, to avoid overdiagnosis, features other than size at presentation need to be evaluated.
How rugged individualists enable one another to find food and shelter: field experiments with tropical hermit crabs

Animals from invertebrates to humans benefit from information conspecifics make available, including information produced inadvertently. While inadvertent social information may frequently be exploited in nature, experiments have rarely been conducted in the wild to examine how such information helps animals in their natural ecology. Here I report a series of field experiments on free-living terrestrial hermit crabs (Coenobita compressus), showing how these asocial invertebrates learn the locations of their most essential resources, food and shelter, using inadvertent cues from conspecific competitors. Crabs have limited abilities to locate resources individually, but as they coalesce on a resource, their aggregation can be noticed by passing foragers, tipping them off about the discovery. Foragers were strongly attracted to experimentally simulated aggregations in which crabs were tethered to the same spot and in which the resources normally found beneath aggregations were excluded. Simulated aggregations of crabs whose shells were removed were likewise attractive, more than even these sought-after-shelters themselves. Experiments that simulated the chemical and visual cues of aggregations independently revealed that foragers oriented to aggregations primarily by sight, cueing in on the jostling competitive activity of the aggregation. Although crabs have not been selected to recruit others to newly discovered resources, their natural ecology has provided a setting where competitors regularly help one another by means of inadvertent social information.
Study of PZT Film Stress in Multilayer Structures for MEMS Devices

Residual stress in the multilayer Si/Dielectric/Pt/PZT/Pt stack was measured as a function of annealing conditions, sol-gel derived PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate -52/48) thickness, SiO2 and/or Si3N4 dielectric films thickness. Residual stress in the Si3N4 layer varied from -201 to +1275 MPa and from -430 to + 511 MPa in the Si02 layer. Furnace annealing of the bottom Pt film reduced the stress over rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Stress due to PZT films was the controlling factor for the final stress of the stack. Upon increasing PZT thickness, stress became less tensile for Si3N4 dielectric and more tensile for Si02. The deposition of the top Pt on PZT followed by RTA at 300°C in nitrogen had a minimal effect on the final stress of the stack. The average tensile stress for the Si/Si02 /Pt/PZT/Pt and Si/Si3N4/Pt/PZT/Pt stacks was 140 ± 25 and 476±235 MPa respectively.
Nitric oxide: a modulator, but not a mediator, of neurovascular coupling in rat somatosensory cortex.

We investigated the role of nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP in the coupling of neuronal activation to regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in α-chloralose-anesthetized rats. Whisker deflection (60 s) increas...
Hazard in administering nitrous oxide analgesia: report of case.

A life-threatening situation occurred during routine administration of nitrous oxide analgesia. A patient was given 100% nitrous oxide in place of oxygen when a nitrous oxide tank was accidentally connected to the oxygen line. The pin index system was no longer functional. Anesthetic gas cylinders should be double-checked before use to avoid a catastrophe.
A structural model of the transition to agriculture

I develop a model of the transition to agriculture that can be estimated using cross-cultural data on the incidence of agriculture. The model allows for endogenous growth effects in which population density and technological sophistication are symbiotically related, and also allows for technological spillovers from centers of civilization. The model describes conditions under which population density and technological sophistication are likely to cause a switch to agriculture. Results suggest that endogenous growth affects are absent among hunter gatherers, but that technological spillovers are important in generating a switch to agriculture, and in generating technological change. Technology appears to diffuse more slowly along the north-south axis than along the east-west axis. Among agricultural peoples, endogenous growth effects appear to be present and important—a society that is 10% more technologically sophisticated has a population density about 5% larger, and a society with a 10% higher population density is on average 5% more technologically sophisticated. Hunter-gatherer population density appears to be independent of technology, but elastic with respect to environmental factors such as rainfall and habitat diversity.
Peripheral Circadian Clock Rhythmicity Is Retained in the Absence of Adrenergic Signaling

Objective— The incidence of heart attack and stroke undergo diurnal variation. Molecular clocks have been described in the heart and the vasculature; however it is largely unknown how the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) entrains these peripheral oscillators. Methods and Results— Norepinephrine and epinephrine, added to aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) in vitro, altered Per1, E4bp4, and dbp expression and altered the observed oscillations in clock gene expression. However, oscillations of Per1, E4bp4, dbp, and Per2 were preserved ex vivo in the aorta, heart, and liver harvested from dopamine β-hydroxylase knockout mice (Dbh−/−) that cannot synthesize either norepinephrine or epinephrine. Furthermore, clock gene oscillations in heart, liver, and white adipose tissue phase shifted identically in Dbh−/− mice and in Dbh+/− controls in response to daytime restriction of feeding. Oscillation of clock genes was similarly preserved ex vivo in tissues from Dbh+/− and Dbh−/− chronically treated with both propranolol...
“Color Coding” and Support for Social Policy Spending: Assessing the Parameters among Whites

This study uses data from the 1996 through 2002 General Social Survey to examine whether one variant of modern racial prejudice—“color coding”—explains support for several ostensibly nonracial government spending policies regarding crime, urban problems, and drug addiction (welfare and race spending are used as baseline measures). Findings indicate that color coding does not extend appreciably beyond its established focus of welfare and race and operates along a continuum with welfare and race at one end (heavily influenced by prejudice), addiction spending and urban spending at the other end (not influenced by prejudice), and crime spending situated in the middle (moderately influenced by prejudice). Possible causes of the continuum, as well as emerging aspects of the color coding phenomenon— specifically, its possible bidirectional effects and its subordination to political party affiliation in explanatory value—are discussed. Directions for future research that would shed additional light on the color ...
A new algorithm for division in hardware

This paper presents a new algorithm for fast hardware division, where two or three dividend bits are retired per iteration. The advantage that this algorithm has over radix-4 SRT is that it is much simpler requiring no lookup table and requiring the comparison of only one two-bit operand pair per iteration. Due to its simplicity, the new algorithm is much easier to implement and verify than radix-4 SRT and is quite likely to be faster as well.
A consistent and accurate procedure for obtaining difference equations from differential equations

A general, consistent and accurate procedure for obtaining difference equations from differential equations is presented and illustrated by several examples. The procedure is an extension of the integral method and incorporates what is known of the solution to the differential equation in the formation of the corresponding difference equation. For the same accuracy, large increases in grid size over that obtained by standard Taylor's series approximations are possible. Both boundary-value and initial-value problems are treated.
Interfacial fracture toughness for delamination growth prediction in a novel peripheral array package

The objective of this study is to predict interfacial delamination propagation that may inhibit the performance of a novel surface mountable, high input/output (I/O) electronic package. Incorporation of such predictions in the design phase of the package can lead to judicial selection of materials and geometric parameters such that the interfacial delamination based failures can be avoided. This, in turn, leads to significant cost savings and shorter time-to-market due to the shortening of the prototyping and qualification testing phases. The focus of the present study is the prediction of potential delaminations at the encapsulant-backplate interface in a very small peripheral array (VSPA) package during manufacturing. The delamination growth prediction is based on the comparison of interfacial fracture parameters obtained from the numerical simulations to appropriate critical values determined experimentally using controlled fracture toughness tests. In this paper, the fracture toughness of the encapsulant/backplate interface is characterized using a fracture toughness test that requires simple test specimen, fixture and loading geometries. The critical interfacial fracture toughness and the fracture mode mixity are determined using closed-form and finite element analyses of the test specimen geometries, taking into consideration the effects of thermo-mechanical residual stresses resulting from the test specimen fabrication process. Furthermore, an experimental characterization of the encapsulant material is also conducted in order to assess the effects of its time- and temperature-dependent thermomechanical response on the fracture toughness of the encapsulant-backplate interface.
An SVD-based grayscale image quality measure for local and global assessment

The important criteria used in subjective evaluation of distorted images include the amount of distortion, the type of distortion, and the distribution of error. An ideal image quality measure should, therefore, be able to mimic the human observer. We present a new grayscale image quality measure that can be used as a graphical or a scalar measure to predict the distortion introduced by a wide range of noise sources. Based on singular value decomposition, it reliably measures the distortion not only within a distortion type at different distortion levels, but also across different distortion types. The measure was applied to five test images (airplane, boat, Goldhill, Lena, and peppers) using six types of distortion (JPEG, JPEG 2000, Gaussian blur, Gaussian noise, sharpening, and DC-shifting), each with five distortion levels. Its performance is compared with PSNR and two recent measures.
Melt‐Infiltration Processing and Fracture Toughness of Alumina‐Glass Dental Composites

Alumina-glass composites were prepared by a melt-infiltration process that is similar to a fabrication method for dental crowns and bridges. Cylindrical alumina samples with green densities ranging from 62% to 72% of theoretical were formed by slip casting followed by sintering at 1100°C for 2 h. A borosilicate glass was infiltrated at 1200°C, resulting in a composite microstructure consisting of fused alumina particles and glass-filled pores. Fracture toughness of the composites, measured by a chevron-notch method with a short rod sample, was ∼3.8 MPa·m1/2 and was relatively insensitive to the volume fraction of alumina in the range of 0.62 to 0.72.
Fatty acid composition of the phospholipids and other lipids in milk.

Summary Milk lipids were separated by silicic acid chromatography and identified by infrared spectrometry and paper chromatography. In agreement with our previous results, the major phospholipids were phosphatidyl cholines (PC), phosphatidyl ethanolamines (PE), and sphingomyelins, but cerebrosides, phosphatidyl serines (PS), and phosphatidyl inositols were also present. The various lipids showed marked differences in fatty acid composition as determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Mole percentages of saturated fatty acids were higher from the cerebrosides and sphingomyelins (86 and 87) than from the triglycerides (72), the PC (43), PS (32), and PE (24). Triglycerides contained less of the higher-molecular-weight even and odd C 20 to C 24 acids. No appreciable amounts of acids below C 10 were found in the phospholipids, but traces were present in the cerebrosides. The principal saturated acid was stearic in PE and PS, and palmitic in the other lipids. Since the unsaturated fatty acids of PE, PS, and PC amounted to over 50% of the total acids, they must occur at both the α - and β -positions of the glycerol moiety of these phospholipids.
Approaches and requirements for tactical SATCOM ATM integration

Military procurement philosophy is currently evolving toward the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products to reduce cost to the taxpayer and to provide military users with advanced technology. Meanwhile, commercial asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) products are being developed and implemented in commercial communications networks. This commercial technology is rapidly progressing toward international standardization. Furthermore, with promises to offer multimedia services and potential interoperation among different communications networks by multiplexing all offered traffic statistically, ATM could provide a significant enhancement to tactical communications services and improve satellite resource utilization efficiency. This paper develops and compares several approaches for integrating ATM technology into the tactical SATCOM networks. The paper also identifies requirements including forward error correction, automatic repeat requests (ARQ) and congestion controls for the integrated tactical SATCOM ATM (TSA) network.
A role for ecology in the evolution of colour variation and sexual dimorphism in Hawaiian damselflies

Variation in traits that are sexually dimorphic is usually attributed to sexual selection, in part because the influence of ecological differences between sexes can be difficult to identify. Sex-limited dimorphisms, however, provide an opportunity to test ecological selection disentangled from reproductive differences between the sexes. Here, we test the hypothesis that ecological differences play a role in the evolution of body colour variation within and between sexes in a radiation of endemic Hawaiian damselflies. We analysed 17 Megalagrion damselflies species in a phylogenetic linear regression, including three newly discovered cases of species with female-limited dimorphism. We find that rapid colour evolution during the radiation has resulted in no phylogenetic signal for most colour and habitat traits. However, a single ecological variable, exposure to solar radiation (as measured by canopy cover) significantly predicts body colour variation within sexes (female-limited dimorphism), between sexes (sexual dimorphism), and among populations and species. Surprisingly, the degree of sexual dimorphism in body colour is also positively correlated with the degree of habitat differences between sexes. Specifically, redder colouration is associated with more exposure to solar radiation, both within and between species. We discuss potential functions of the pigmentation, including antioxidant properties that would explain the association with light (specifically UV) exposure, and consider alternative mechanisms that may drive these patterns of sexual dimorphism and colour variation.
Chapter 4 – Mucus

This chapter discusses some of the physical and chemical properties of mucus that help protect epithelial surfaces. Mucus secretions sustain complex, thriving, and local ecosystems. Mucus gels, formed by secreted mucins, are loaded with cells, bacteria, nutrients, protective factors, and wastes. Many of the constituents—including the secreted mucins—are specific to the particular mucosal surface. Most epithelial surfaces are covered by a continuous blanket of mucus despite the vigorous stirring actions of blinking eyelids, coughing, chewing, and swallowing. The shear dependent viscosity of mucus helps maintain an unstirred layer of gel through which particles must diffuse before they can contact epithelial cells. Even the mucus that wraps particles of chyme forms an unstirred layer around the particle. These unstirred layers of mucus form a diffusional barrier that helps create much of the selective permeability of the mucus blanket. To function well—the thickness of the unstirred layer, like the viscoelasticity of mucus—must be regulated to achieve a balance.
Tax Warrants in New York

This article examines tax liens under New York law, to the extent they arise from tax warrants. The article describes the procedures that the Department of Taxation and Finance must follow to obtain a tax lien (at all times comparing state procedure by that applicable to federal tax liens). It describes the extent to which tax warrants are entitled to Full Faith and Credit in other states. It also examines the curious incorporation by reference of the New York law of money judgments (itself hopelessly confusing). The article concludes by examining the New York tax lien in priority contests with other creditors (secured and unsecured).
Experimental determination of siderite stability and application to Martian Meteorite ALH84001

The pressure-temperature equilibrium curve of the reaction siderite + hematite = magnetite + CO 2 was determined in the range 5–12 kbar and 480–650°C by piston-cylinder experiments, with NaCl as a pressure medium. Silver oxalate was used as a CO 2 source and samples were buffered at hematite-magnetite oxygen fugacity. Reaction progress was monitored by extent of CO 2 gas loss and by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The data define a univariant curve, which is described by P = −14.599 + 0.025 T + 0.000027 T 2 with P in kbar and T in°C. Calculations based on these data give Δ H f 0 (298K) siderite = −760.6 ± 0.9 kJ (kilojoules) from the oxides. The formation of siderite requires a specific range of ambient oxygen and carbon dioxide fugacities, dependent upon temperature and pressure. The stable assemblage of siderite and magnetite, at a given temperature and pressure, implies more restrictive ranges of oxygen and carbon dioxide fugacities, defined by reactions among siderite, magnetite, graphite, and hematite. Experimental and thermodynamic investigation of the Fe-C-O system indicates that the formation of magnetite along with Ca-Fe-Mg carbonate globules by inorganic processes is possible and may be relevant to Martian meteorite ALH84001. Decarbonation of the siderite component of the carbonate, either by a transient heating event or by a change in oxygen fugacity of a coexisting fluid, may have formed the observed grains, although this study does not address the size or morphology of magnetite grains formed by this mechanism.
Training Student Therapists in Prolonged Exposure Therapy A Case Study Demonstrating Teaching, Supervising, and Learning a Trauma Focused Treatment

Few studies describe the training of student therapists in prolonged exposure (PE), an evidence-based psychotherapeutic approach to the treatment of trauma. Using a case study, this article describes training and supervision of a master-level graduate student in the implementation of PE with a research participant who had depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to traumatic stress exposure. The participant's symptom severity of depression and PTSD decreased from pretreatment to posttreatment, and symptom gains were maintained at the 3-month follow-up assessment. Implications for the training and supervision of students in the mental health professions are discussed. Language: en
Exploring the Role of Non-HLA Antibodies in Primary Graft Dysfunction After Cardiac Transplantation

s S303 undetermined, the ability of OCT to differentiate CAD from CAV may have therapeutic implications.