cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental evidence for an optical interference model for vibrational sum frequency generation on multilayer organic thin film systems. I. Electric dipole approximation.

In the field of vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (VSFG) applied to organic thin film systems, a significant challenge to data analysis is in the accurate description of optical interference effects. Herein, we provide experimental evidence that a model recently developed in our lab provides an accurate description of this phenomenon. We studied the organic small molecule N,N′-dioctyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide vapor deposited as a thickness gradient on silicon wafer substrates with two oxide thicknesses and two surface preps. VSFG data were obtained using the ssp and the sps polarization combinations in the imide carbonyl stretching region as a function of organic thickness. In this first of two reports, the data are modeled and interpreted within the ubiquitous electric dipole approximation for VSFG. The intrinsic sample responses are parameterized during the fitting routines while optical interference effects are simply calculated from the model using known refractive indices, thin film thicknesses, and beam angles. The results indicate that the thin film model provides a good description of optical interferences, indicating that interfacial terms are significant. Inconsistencies between the fitting results within the bounds of the electric dipole response motivate deliberation for additional effects to be considered in the second report.
In Vitro Culture of the Obligate Parasite Spongospora subterranea (Cercozoa; Plasmodiophorida) Associated with Root‐Inducing Transferred‐DNA Transformed Potato Hairy Roots

Spongospora subterranea is a soil-borne, obligate parasitic protist that causes powdery scab of potatoes. In this study, an in vitro culture system was developed for the maintenance and proliferation of the protist in potato hairy roots. The hairy roots of potato were induced in vitro with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Cystosori of S. subterranea from potato scab lesions were surface disinfested and used to inoculate potato hairy roots. Plasmodia, zoosporangia, and cystosori were observed microscopically in the hairy roots within 6 wk after inoculation, indicating the completion of the life cycle of S. subterranea in vitro. This is the first in vitro culture system for S. subterranea, and will be a valuable tool to study fundamental and practical aspects of the biology of the parasite.
965-52 Relationship Between Heart Chymase and ACE Activity in Dogs with Volume Overload Hypertrophy and Increased Cardiac Angiotensin Peptide Levels

We have previously reported increased intracardiac angiotensin II (ANG II) levels in a dog model of volume overload hypertrophy produced by percutaneous chordal rupture of the mitral valve. Whether the increase in ANG II is mediated by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and/or heart chymase is unknown. Magnetic resonance imaging and high-fidelity pressure monitoring were performed on 8 adult mongrel dogs before and 5 months after causing mitral regurgitation (MR). Left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume increased from 58 ± 13 [SD] to 102 ± 35 ml (p l 0.001), as did end-systolic volume (33 ± 10 to 47 ± 18 ml, p l 0.001). LV mass increased in all dogs from 82 ± 22 to 112 ± 25 grams (p l 0.001) and the LV mass/end-diastolic volume ratio decreased significantly from 1.63 ± 0.20 to 1.17 ± 0.23 gm/ml (p l 0.001). ANG II levels were significantly higher in the midwall of the left ventricle in mitral regurgitation hearts than in normal controls (85 ± 39 vs. 27 ± 16 pg/gm, p l 0.01) and ANG II correlated with LV end-diastolic wall stress (r = 0.75, P l 0.05). ACE activity increased in MR hearts compared to controls (1.22 ± 0.46 vs. 3.55 ± 1.39 mUnits/gm, p l 0.05) and chymase activity was also in MR hearts compared to controls (9.42 ± 4.6 vs. 19.81 ± 8.93 nmol/gm/min, p l 0.05). These results demonstrate significant elevation of intracardiac ANG II levels associated with increasing diastolic stress and increasing intracardiac ACE and chymase activity. The parallel responses of ACE and chymase activity in response to volume overload of the dog heart suggest that the increased ANG II levels in this model are generated by ACE and chymase. Further studies using selective inhibitors of these enzymes are needed to establish an etiologic relationship between increased ACE activity and left ventricular remodeling in this model.
Wavelet image enhancement applied to holographic data storage

There are three modes of operation in a holographic data-storage system: recording, reconstruction and detection. Storage capacity is limited by diffraction, optical systems, interpage cross-talk, storage density and material quality. Wavelet image processing has the potential for reducing noise from optical scattering, lens aberration and crosstalk, as well as being potentially 3D. Wavelet image processing will be applied to holographic data storage to enhance 2D image resolution and potentially increase 3D storage capacity. This effort will apply wavelet image processing to holographic data storage at two levels (a) beam interaction in the photorefractive crystal; and (b) wavelet analysis and synthesis applied to holographic recording, reconstruction and detection.
Necessary but insufficient

Although many genes have been linked to inherited retinal disorders, it is difficult to explain how specific mutations can cause such a wide variety of phenotypes.
Nanocomposite microstructures with tunable mechanical and chemical properties

We report a two-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for fabrication of hierarchical polymer-coated carbon nanotube (CNT) microstructures having tunable mechanical properties and accessible chemical functionality. Diverse geometries of vertically aligned CNTs were grown from lithographically patterned catalyst films, and the CNT microstructures were chemically functionalized via poly[4-trifluoroacetyl-p-xylylene-co-p-xylylene] made by chemical vapor deposition polymerization. The polymer coating conformally coated the individual CNTs and CNT bundles within the CNT “forest”. The chemical structure of the polymer films was verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Simple control of the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite structures can be achieved by adjusting the deposition times during CVD polymerization. Increasing the polymer film thickness from 10 nm to 27 nm resulted in a change of the Young's modulus from 65 to 80 MPa. These values are substantially higher than the 36 MPa measured for the as-grown CNTs without polymer coating. The effect of the polymer coating in reinforcing the connectivity among CNTs within the structures has been understood using an analytical model. Finally, chemical functionality of the CNT composite structures after CVD polymerization was verified by a 4-fold fluorescence enhancement after binding of a dye to the coated CNT microstructures. This technique can be adapted to a wide variety of reactive coatings and facilitates attachment of chemical groups and functional nanostructures on the surfaces of the CNTs; therefore, this material could serve as a tunable platform for coupling mechanical and chemical responses in materials for environmental and biological sensing.
Examining How Self-Regulation Determines Choice-Processing Strategies and Motivations Underlying Attraction Effect

Attraction effect is observed when consumers, who are indifferent regarding two brands, disproportionately choose one alternative (the "target") over the other (the "competitor") when a decoy brand, uniformly inferior to the target but not the competitor, is introduced into the choice set. While this effect is widely known and replicated, there is less clarity as to the mechanisms underlying the attraction effect. In this paper, we explore both the motivation (i.e., why people process choice information the way they do) and the choice-processing strategy (i.e., how people process choice information) underpinning the phenomenon of attraction effect. Our results indicate that in the case of promotion-focused individuals, the desire for a choice that can be easily justified (ease of justification) influences the attraction effect, whereas for prevention-focused individuals, the desire for a choice that maximizes overall utility (overall attractiveness) influences the same effect. Furthermore, promotion-focus...
Oxamyl as a pretransplant drench treatment for control of the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on tomato.

A liquid formulation of oxamyl (Vydate 2L) was used in a pretransplant drench treatment to control Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), on tomato. Insecticide rates of 0, 473, 946, or 1,892 rol (AI)/378.5 liters of water were applied to greenhouse flats of tomatoes at 0 (day of transplant), 7 or 14 days before transplant. Significantly fewer CPB larvae were recorded in 1982 in plots treated with all rates of Vydate on day of transplant; in 1982 and 1983 significantly less defoliation was observed in plots treated with all rates of Vydate on day of transplant. Phytotoxicity was recorded in 1982 on plots receiving the 473 and 946 ml rate of Vydate on day of transplant or 7 days before transplant. Tomato growers could adapt this procedure to drenching tomato plants in the field to control CPB as they transplant.
Understanding privacy knowledge and skill in mobile communication

This study aims to examine mobile-based privacy literacy among young adults across characteristics of mobile use, basic mobile familiarity, and socio-demographic factors. We investigate privacy knowledge and skill among the African American young adults, adopting a mixed design of quantitative and qualitative inquiries. The results showed that less than half of the interviewed users possessed (1) basic information and locational privacy knowledge, (2) privacy skills, and (3) awareness of risk associated with commercial mobile environments. Interestingly, a high level of mobile familiarity did not translate into knowledge as the frequent daily mobile use was not associated with privacy knowledge and skill. In-depth interviews also indicated that functional confusion and misguided confidence confounded the low mobile knowledge and skills. These findings have implications for consumer policy and hint on the need that the FTC in its broader digital literacy initiative incorporates the information need of young adult users among underserved communities.
Graph Theory Analysis of Cortical-Subcortical Networks in Late-Life Depression

Objectives Late-life major depression (LLD) is characterized by distinct epidemiologic and psychosocial factors, as well as medical comorbidities that are associated with specific neuroanatomical differences. The purpose of this study was to use interregional correlations of cortical and subcortical volumes to examine cortical-subcortical structural network properties in subjects with LLD compared with healthy comparison subjects. Methods This was a cross-sectional neuroimaging study conducted in the general community. We recruited 73 healthy elderly comparison subjects and 53 subjects with LLD who volunteered in response to advertisements. Brain network connectivity measures were generated by correlating regional volumes after controlling for age, gender, and intracranial volume by using the Brain Connectivity Toolbox. Results Results for overall network strength revealed that LLD networks showed a greater magnitude of associations for both positive and negative correlation weights compared with healthy elderly networks. LLD networks also demonstrated alterations in brain network structure compared with healthy comparison subjects. LLD networks were also more vulnerable to targeted attacks compared with healthy elderly comparison subjects, and this vulnerability was attenuated when controlling for white matter alterations. Conclusions Overall, this study demonstrates that cortical-subcortical network properties are altered in LLD and may reflect the underlying neuroanatomical vulnerabilities of the disorder.
When Our West Moved North

THE theory of the passing of the frontier in I890, like other broad generalizations, does not stand the test of close examination. For nearly three decades after I890 a physical frontier east of the Rocky Mountains still beckoned, and the mass movement of Americans in search of free land continued. This last frontier was the Canadian West-an extension of the Great Plains that lay like the open palm of a hand with fingers reaching far into the north along the valleys of the Athabaska and Peace rivers. Though by I890 free land of good quality was rapidly disappearing south of the forty-ninth parallel, to the north there lay a vast and fertile region still to be claimed and put under the plow. This prairie land attracted thousands of restless Americans who were reluctant to abandon their traditional migratory and impermanent agricultural habits for stability and intensive farming. Farmers, traders, land speculators, lumbermen, and all the other familiar figures of an agricultural frontier poured into this last West, not only from the United States-from which a million and a quarter migrated-but also from eastern Canada and Europe. Until recently the importance to America of this northward migration has been neglected.1 The fact that this last frontier lay beyond an international boundary has concealed its importance and has led historians to treat it solely as a chapter in Canadian history. But the year I890 loses much of its focal character in western history when a truly regional view is adopted. The widely accepted conclusion that the "frontier had lost the power and opportunity to perpetuate itself"2 has little meaning when we follow the frontier as it slipped across the international boundary with the disappearance of free land in the republic. Frederick Jackson Turner interpreted the frontier as a past phenomenon, but, even as he wrote, thousands of his fellow countrymen were seeking in Canada the economic and social opportunities he described a characteristic of a frontier society. If he and his early disciples had examined
Seismic Halos around Active Regions: A Magnetohydrodynamic Theory

Comprehending the manner in which magnetic fields affect propagating waves is a first step toward constructing accurate helioseismic models of active region subsurface structure and dynamics. Here we present a numerical method for computing the linear interaction of waves with magnetic fields embedded in a solar-like stratified background. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations are solved in a three-dimensional box that straddles the solar surface, extending from 35 Mm below the photosphere to 1.2 Mm into the atmosphere. One of the challenges in performing these simulations involves generating a magnetohydrostatic (MHS) state wherein the stratification assumes horizontal inhomogeneity in addition to the strong vertical stratification associated with the near-surface layers. Keeping in mind that the aim of this effort is to understand and characterize linear MHD interactions, we discuss a means of computing statically consistent background states. Power maps computed from simulations of waves interacting with thick flux tubes that have peak photospheric field strengths of 600 and 3000 G are presented. Strong modal power reduction in the "umbral" regions of the flux tube enveloped by a halo of increased wave power is seen in the simulations with the thick flux tubes. These enhancements are also seen in Doppler velocity power maps of active regions observed in the Sun, which leads us to propose that the halo has MHD underpinnings.
Radiation from a nongray scattering, emitting, and absorbing solid rocket motor plume

An engineering model of plume particulate radiation is extended to include nongray particles and gases. Optical constants of alumina with impurities are used to fix spectral variations of the alumina particulates. Soot particulate is similarly modeled. Parametric calculations are reported to show the influence of nongray behavior, gas-soot radiation, nozzle wall radiation, afterburning, small-particle and large-particle loadings, and particle heat transfer and optical property temperature variations. Gas and soot radiation are shown to have little influence upon solid rocket motor (SRM) plume radiation. Nozzle wall radiation is significant near the SRM exit if the nozzle wall temperature exceeds 1200 K. Afterburning has a large effect maintaining high-particle temperatures and highplume intensity downstream of the exit. When the scattering optical depth due to small particles is large, directional variations in the plume boundary intensity are small, but not when the scattering optical depth is small. Particle cooling calculations indicate lower values of plume radiosity than are often observed, thus continuing the need for an engineering model based upon radiometic measurements. Suggestions are made for improving pbenomenological models of SRM plume radiation.
Production of semiconducting gold–DNA nanowires by application of DC bias

There is considerable interest in using DNA nanowires or nanotubes in a wide variety of bioelectronic applications and microcircuitry. Various methods have been developed to construct DNA nanostructures. Here, we report a novel method to construct semiconducting DNA nanowires by applying a suitable DC bias to a gold plating solution containing double-stranded DNA. The self-assembled nanowires fabricated by this method contain attached gold nanoparticles. Further, we report that the dimensions of the nanowires can be easily manipulated by altering the applied DC bias. We also confirmed the semiconducting nature of the DNA nanowires by studying their resistance–temperature behavior from 25 to 65 °C in a microelectrode system. These studies describe a simple process by which gold-decorated, semiconducting DNA nanowires could be created and may lead to a breakthrough in the field of self-assembly of nanometer-scale circuits. The self-assembled structures do have some similarity with tube-like structures but in the present work we are using the term 'DNA nanowires' to define the structures.
Optical matrix–vector implementation of the content-addressable network

The content-addressable network (CAN) is an efficient, intrinsically discrete training algorithm for binary-valued classification networks. The binary nature of the CAN network permits accelerated learning and significantly reduced hardware-implementation requirements. A multilayer optoelectronic CAN network employing matrix–vector multiplication was constructed. The network learned and correctly classified trained patterns, gaining a measure of fault tolerance by learning associative solutions to optical hardware imperfections. Operation of this system is possible owing to the reduced hardware accuracy requirements of the CAN learning algorithm.
Hydrogenation and Hydrodeoxygenation of 2-methyl-2-pentenal on supported metal catalysts

Abstract Platinum, palladium, and copper catalysts supported on precipitated silica have been studied for the hydrodeoxygenation and hydrogenation of 2-methyl-2-pentenal in the 200–400 °C temperature range. The activity follows the order Pt > Pd > Cu. It has been found that at low temperatures, Pt and Pd are primarily active for the hydrogenation of the C C bond to make 2-methyl-pentanal, with some decarbonylation, yielding n -pentane and CO as products. Decarbonylation increases at higher temperatures. Cu catalyzes hydrogenation of both C C and C O bonds. In both cases, the initial products are further hydrogenated to form 2-methyl-pentanol at higher space times. At higher temperatures on Cu, the hydrogenolysis of 2-methyl-pentanol takes place, giving 2-methyl-pentane (and H 2 O) as the dominant product while no decarbonylation is observed.
Relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia of brachial plexus after marrow transplant.

We present a detailed description of brachial plexus infiltration by acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in the setting of a remission bone marrow biopsy, without evidence of leukemia by flow cytometric analysis. This case illustrates the possibility of dormant leukemic cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in a patient in apparent clinical remission. In patients with an unexplained brachial plexopathy and a history of AML, leukemic infiltrate of the PNS must be considered. Muscle Nerve, 2012
Consumer-Driven Healthcare: Information, Incentives, Enrollment, and Implications for National Health Expenditures

We highlight the importance of information for consumerdriven healthcare (CDHC), describe barriers, display data on adoption rates and product features, and use a new health modeling approach to investigate the potential impact on national healthcare expenditures. We conclude with an assessment of the prospects for CDHC as a revolution of information, competition, and market orientation; and we discuss potential pitfalls, including concern regarding vulnerable populations. While the jury is out on the ultimate effects, enrollment in CDHC programs—while still small—is growing rapidly; utilization and costs for subscribers appear to be moderating; and creative benefit structures emphasize health promotion alongside previously unseen cost consciousness.
Non-contact photoacoustic tomography and ultrasonography for brain imaging

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) and ultrasonography (US) of biological tissues usually rely on transducer arrays for the detection of ultrasound. Obtaining the best sensitivity requires a physical contact with the tissue using an intermediate coupling fluid (water or gel). This type of contact is a major drawback for several applications such as neurosurgery. Laser-ultrasonics is an established optical technique for the non-contact generation and detection of ultrasound in industrial materials. In this paper, the non-contact detection scheme used in laser-ultrasonics is adapted to allow probing of ultrasound in biological tissues while remaining below laser exposure safety limits. Both non-contact PAT (NCPAT) and non-contact US (NCUS) are demonstrated experimentally using a single-frequency detection laser emitting suitably shaped pulses and a confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer. It is shown that an acceptable sensitivity is obtained while remaining below the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of biological tissues. Results obtained ex vivo with a calf brain specimen show that sub-mm endogenous and exogenous inclusions can be detected at depths exceeding 1 cm. When fully developed, the technique could be a unique diagnostic tool in neurosurgery providing deep imaging of blood vessels, blood clots and blood oxygenation.
Neural network forecasting of short, noisy time series

Abstract The use of neural networks to forecast short, noisy time series was investigated by comparing neural networks used as function approximators for individual time series with neural networks used to optimally combine traditional forecasting methods based on training across a group of series. Neural network forecast performance on 384 economic and demographic time series was compared to two traditional alternatives: linear regression and the even average of six exponential smoothing methods. On these kinds of partially stochastic series, the use of neural networks as function approximators was found to generally give significantly less accurate forecasts than linear regression. The use of pre-processing to remove seasonal variation improved the forecast accuracy of neural networks, but an even average of exponential smoothing methods was still more accurate. In contrast, the use of neural networks to combine traditional forecasts gave small but significant performance improvements over conventional forecasting methods. Neural network combining of forecasts limits overfitting and, furthermore, can extract general rules of forecasting based on examples across many different time series, making it a potential alternative to rule-based systems.
EDXRF Studies of the Nanking Cargo with Principal Component Analysis of Trace Elements

The energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence technique was applied to the study of 30 pieces of Chinese porcelains from the Nanking Cargo and 4 pieces of modern fakes. Analysis showed that the Nanking Chinese porcelains were made in Jingdezhen, the porcelain city of China. Principal component analysis was applied to the measured concentrations of 10 elements (Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, and Nb). It was found that such analysis could discriminate between the various elements as being useful and not useful variables. It was also found that the glaze used for the base regions was rather different from the glaze used for other regions, a practice which existed during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) but is not carried out nowadays.
Uncertainty Propagation Using Possibility Theory and Function Approximations

Abstract Based on the nature and extent of uncertainty existing in an engineering system, different approaches can be used for uncertainty propagation. If the uncertainty of the system is due to imprecise information, and lack of statistical data, the Possibilistic theory can be used. During preliminary design, uncertainties need to be accounted for and due to lack of sufficient information, assigning a probability distribution may not be possible. Moreover, the flight conditions (loads, control surface settings, etc.) during a mission could take values within certain bounds, which do not follow any pattern. The uncertain information in these cases is available as intervals with lower and upper limits. In this case, the fuzzy-arithmetic-based method is suitable to estimate the possibility of failure. The use of surrogate models to improve the efficiency of prediction is presented in this article. Various numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method to practical problems.
Comparative analysis of a wood: adhesive bondline

The wood–adhesive interface was analyzed using five methods with the objective of quantitatively assessing penetration of adhesive into the porous wood network. Methods included fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, backscatter electron imaging, wavelength dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray microtomography (XMT). Each method provided a visual inspection, and all of the analysis methods were applied to the same field of view. XMT was the primary technique of interest. Rubidium hydroxide was used in place of sodium hydroxide in the formulation of phenol–formaldehyde adhesive. Rubidium was found to increase the X-ray attenuation of the adhesive. However, rubidium migrated beyond the adhesive interphase during specimen preparation, thus reducing its effectiveness for image contrast enhancement. The wood species studied included red oak (Quercus rubra), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides × Populus trichocarpa). All techniques used for this study were useful, but each presented some limitations for bondline analysis. Despite the problem with rubidium migration, XMT for this application was promising.
“E 10 CH' AL FINE DI TUTT' I DISII APPROPINQUAVA”: UN' INTERPRETAZIONE TEOLOGICA DEL DESIDERIUM NEL XXXIII CANTO DEL PARADISO:

Alla fine del suo itinerarium mentis in Deum, Dante-pellegrino giunge “al fine di tutt'i disii” nel XXXIII canto del Paradiso. Il saggio identifica il desiderium del pellegrino come desiderium Dei, anzitutto prendendo in considerazione le dichiarazioni di insufficienza. La teologia di Dio incomprehensibilis ed il ricorso al pensiero di Otto e Rahner circa l'esperienza religiosa conducono alla tesi del saggio: Dante-poeta ha compreso la necessita teologica del primato della Rivelazione e l'ha espressa attraverso la luce che colpisce il pellegrino, forma di un Dio che, piu che essere trovato, si fa trovare. Il saggio indaga inoltre il tema dell'ineffabilita e la dialettica parola-silenzio, citando come precedenti il raptus paolino e l'estasi agostiniana di Ostia (Confessiones IX). Il saggio raggiunge due conclusioni. La prima e che le dichiarazioni di insufficienza hanno il carattere della praeparatio psicologica alla visio Dei e contengono un aspetto dossologico. La seconda riguarda il desiderium Dei che u...
Grenadadiene and Grenadamide, Cyclopropyl-Containing Fatty Acid Metabolites from the Marine Cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula

Grenadadiene (1), debromogrenadiene (2), and grenadamide (3), three structurally unique cyclopropyl-containing metabolites, were isolated from the organic extract of a Grenada collection of the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula. The structures and the relative stereochemistries of these compounds were determined using spectroscopic methods. These are the first reported cyclopropyl-containing fatty acid derivatives from a Lyngbya sp. Grenadadiene (1) has an interesting profile of cytotoxicity in the NCI 60 cell line assay, while grenadamide (2) exhibited modest brine shrimp toxicity (LD50 = 5 microg/mL) and cannabinoid receptor binding activity (Ki = 4.7 microM).
The Kids are ‘Alwrite’

Criticizing students' writing ability is nothing new. However, Mr. Gold suggests, it might be more productive to teach them instead. EACH FALL, the nation's newspapers are filled with laments over the decline in the writing skills of college students. What makes this trend especially depressing is that a good many of the complaints are leveled by those who should know better -- writing teachers. Today's students, we are told, "don't know how to -- or even care to -- express their views," churn out "illiterate or semiliterate scribbling" when they do, and have grammar so "atrocious" that their writing fails to meet the standards "once required of third-graders." Not one of these charges would receive a passing grade in my freshman English class. Indeed, when I share them with my students, they have no trouble pointing out their flaws: decontextualized claims, lack of supporting evidence, ad hominem attacks, strawman arguments, thoughtless cliches, and overblown generalizations. My students might not have William Safire's vocabulary or mastery of prescriptive grammar (nor, I suspect, did he at their age), but they consistently manage to distill the strategies they study into reasonable, even stylish, written arguments. Meanwhile, their critics, despite their professed reverence for the past, ignore 2,000 years of good writing advice, from Aristotle to E. B. White. Worse, they demonstrate a woeful ignorance of their own profession. Since English was introduced as a university subject, each generation has produced its Chicken Littles claiming the sky is falling and setting off another round of national hand-wringing over another imagined crisis. In 1987, E. D. Hirsch warned that our nation was on the brink of cultural illiteracy. Some 30 years ago, Newsweek proclaimed that Johnny couldn't write. Fifty years ago, Rudolf Flesch insisted that Johnny couldn't read. Over a hundred years ago, professors at Harvard sounded the alarm at declining standards. Reading admissions essays in 1888, Le Baron Russell Briggs complained, "More than all, I am discouraged by wooden unintelligence. . . . Dullness is the substance of scores of themes, and inaccurate dullness at that. . . . The average theme seems the work of a rather vulgar youth with his light gone out." An expert committee formed to look into the problem laid the blame -- surprise -- on high schools, which apparently no longer insisted upon rigorous instruction in English. That turn-of-the-century college students couldn't write would not have surprised those students' grandparents, of course, who would probably have faulted not declining standards of English instruction but the introduction of English instruction, which many faculty members believed could never match the character-building discipline of memorizing Latin and Greek grammar. …
Income effects on living arrangements: Differences between male and female householders

Abstract This study analyzes the effects of income on the decision to marry, live alone, or share housing with unrelated individuals. It was found that the effects of income on household formation differed for male and female householders. A positive relation between the income of male householders and the probability of marriage was found. This positive relation was visible for the female householders only for the youngest group. It was also observed that householders tend to choose housemates with incomes similar to their own.
Tectonic fabric of the Atlantic and Indian oceans and continental drift

The floor of the Indian Ocean is dominated by (1) the seismically active Mid-Oceanic Ridge, (2) scattered linear micro-continents (mostly meridional), and (3) fracture zones (some displace the axis of the Mid-Oceanic Ridge and others parallel the micro-continents). The pattern suggests that movement along the Diamantina Fracture Zone has displaced Australia to the east relative to Broken Ridge. In the Arabian Sea north-northeast trending fracture zones have displaced the axis of the Carlsberg Ridge. The complex tectonic fabric of the Indian Ocean is difficult to explain in terms of a simple pattern of convection currents. The location and origin of the Mid-Oceanic Ridge, of oceanic rises, aseismic ridges and transcurrent fault systems must be accounted for in any hypothesis of continental displacement despite unique or exotic assumptions as to strength, viscosity or composition of the oceanic crust and mantle.
Direct regulation of striated muscle myosins by nitric oxide and endogenous nitrosothiols.

Background Nitric oxide (NO) has long been recognized to affect muscle contraction [1], both through activation of guanylyl cyclase and through modification of cysteines in proteins to yield S-nitrosothiols. While NO affects the contractile apparatus directly, the identities of the target myofibrillar proteins remain unknown. Here we report that nitrogen oxides directly regulate striated muscle myosins. Principal Findings Exposure of skeletal and cardiac myosins to physiological concentrations of nitrogen oxides, including the endogenous nitrosothiol S-nitroso-L-cysteine, reduced the velocity of actin filaments over myosin in a dose-dependent and oxygen-dependent manner, caused a doubling of force as measured in a laser trap transducer, and caused S-nitrosylation of cysteines in the myosin heavy chain. These biomechanical effects were not observed in response to S-nitroso-D-cysteine, demonstrating specificity for the naturally occurring isomer. Both myosin heavy chain isoforms in rats and cardiac myosin heavy chain from human were S-nitrosylated in vivo. Significance These data show that nitrosylation signaling acts as a molecular “gear shift” for myosin—an altogether novel mechanism by which striated muscle and cellular biomechanics may be regulated.
Improving the poison resistance of supported catalysts

Abstract This paper discusses the poison resistance of supported catalysts, in which the poison reacts both with the active component and the catalyst support. For such catalysts, the net rate of the poisoning reaction can be selectively manipulated with respect to the net rate of the main reaction in such a manner that a catalyst with improved poison resistance is obtained. The above statements are illustrated by diffusion-limited lead and phosphorus poisoning experiments using alumina-supported noble metal catalysts. By modifying the pore structure, support surface area, and noble metal impregnation depth of these catalysts, improvements in activity and poison resistance have been attained for automobile exhaust emission-control applications.
Map of Passive Turbulence Control to Flow-Induced Motions for a Circular Cylinder at 30,000<Re<120,000: Sensitivity to Zone Covering

Passive turbulence control (PTC) in the form of two straight roughness strips with variable width, and thickness about equal to the boundary layer thickness, is used to modify the flow-induced motions (FIM) of a rigid circular cylinder. The cylinder is supported by two end-springs and the flow is in the TrSL3, high-lift, regime. The PTC-to-FIM Map, developed in previous work, revealed zones of weak suppression, strong suppression, hard galloping, and soft galloping. In this paper the sensitivity of the PTC-to-FIM Map to: (a) the width of PTC covering, (b) PTC covering a single or multiple zones, (c) PTC being straight or staggered is studied experimentally. Experiments are conducted in the Low Turbulence Free Surface Water Channel of the University of Michigan. Fixed parameters are: cylinder diameter D = 8.89cm, m* = 1.725, spring stiffness K = 763N/m, aspect ratio l/D = 10.29, and damping ratio ζ = 0.019. Variable parameters are: circumferential PTC location αPTC ∈ [0°−180°], Reynolds number Re ∈ [30,000–120,000], flow velocity U ∈ [0.36m/s–1.45m/s]. Measured quantities are: amplitude ratio A/D, frequency ratio fosc/fn,w, and synchronization range. As long as the roughness distribution is limited to remain within a zone, the width of the strips does not affect the FIM response. When multiple zones are covered, the strong suppression zone dominates the FIM.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The Effects of Manufacturing Tolerances on Gas Turbine Cooling

This study presents a summary of the effects of manufacturing methods and processing steps upon the resulting thermal boundary conditions for typical highly cooled turbine airfoils. Specific emphasis is placed on the conservatism that must be “designed into” the component for survival due to realistic manufacturing tolerances. Using the features of a typical blade design, the main geometric factors that can influence the blade heat transfer capability through manufacturing variability are enumerated. The tolerances on those geometric factors are provided and the approximate quantitative impact on thermal boundary conditions is summarized. A simple example of airfoil cooling for a representative wall section is used to tabulate the variations with the resulting changes in the most affected thermal boundary conditions. Each of the main geometric factors is then evaluated in terms of its possible effect on maximum metal temperature. Paretos of the effects of manufacturing factors exhibit which factors are key and where tighter tolerances may help. Monte Carlo analysis results show the probability distributions associated with overall cooling changes tied to the tolerances.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Toward closure of upwelling radiance in coastal waters

We present three methods for deriving water-leaving radiance Lw(λ) and remote-sensing reflectance using a hyperspectral tethered spectral radiometer buoy (HyperTSRB), profiled spectroradiometers, and Hydrolight simulations. Average agreement for 53 comparisons between HyperTSRB and spectroradiometric determinations of Lw(λ) was 26%, 13%, and 17% at blue, green, and red wavelengths, respectively. Comparisons of HyperTSRB (and spectroradiometric) Lw(λ) with Hydrolight simulations yielded percent differences of 17% (18%), 17% (18%), and 13% (20%) for blue, green, and red wavelengths, respectively. The differences can be accounted for by uncertainties in model assumptions and model input data (chlorophyll fluorescence quantum efficiency and the spectral chlorophyll-specific absorption coefficient for the red wavelengths, and scattering corrections for input ac-9 absorption data and volume scattering function measurements for blue wavelengths) as well as radiance measurement inaccuracies [largely differences in the depth of the Lu(λ, z) sensor on the HyperTSRB].
Extended liver-specific functions of porcine hepatocyte spheroids entrapped in collagen gel

The potential use of porcine hepatocytes in a bioartificial liver device requires large quantities of viable and highly active cells. To facilitate the scaling up of the system, liver specific activities of hepatocytes should be maximized. One way of enhancing the specific activities is to cultivate hepatocytes as multicellular spheroids. Freshly isolated porcine hepatocytes form spheroids when cultivated in suspended cultures. These spheroids exhibit higher activities for a number of liver specific functions compared to hepatocytes cultivated as monolayers. However, these activities decreased in a few days in culture. Entrappment of spheroids in collagen gel sustained their metabolic activities at a stable level over 21 days. Production of albumin and urea by spheroid hepatocytes entrapped in collagen gels were 2 to 3 times higher than those by freshly isolated single cells. P-450 activity was demonstrated by metabolism of lidocaine to its main metabolite, monoethylglycinexylidide. Phase II drug metabolism was demonstrated by glucuronidation of 4-methylumbelliferone. This work shows that porcine hepatocyte spheroids entrapped in collagen maintain differentiated functions for an extended time period. Such hepatocyte spheroid entrappment system may facilitate the development of a bioartificial liver support device.
Investigating Two Approaches to Fostering Children's Comprehension of Literature

This instructional study investigated the effects of two approaches to fostering elementary students' comprehension of literature. Participants were 54 third-grade students in 2 classrooms in a linguistic and culturally diverse, urban elementary school. Students read two folktales, receiving a Scaffolded Reading Experience (SRE) unit with one folktale and a unit we termed a Response-Oriented approach with the other folktale in a counterbalanced fashion. Classes were observed throughout both units and students completed multiple-choice and short-answer tests after reading each story and receiving the unit instruction. Teachers were interviewed after presenting both units. Results on the multiple-choice tests showed that students scored significantly higher when receiving the SRE units and that teachers preferred the SRE unit lessons. However, there were no differences between the two approaches on the short-answer tests, and teachers noted that some of the activities in the Response-Oriented units were ver...
Keyboarding as General Education: Post-School Employment and Earnings Effects.

Abstract This study reports on the post-school attainment effects of offering courses in typing and keyboarding as part of general education. The analysis was designed to develop models to analyse the effects of keyboarding on employment, earnings, further educational attainment and related distributional and cost-effectiveness issues. We assess these models empirically using national survey data from the federal government's High School and Beyond data set. Results indicate significant positive ramifications on all aspects cited above.
Introduction to the chemistry of fractionally charged atoms: Electronegativity

The behavior of massive fractionally charged particles in matter is governed by the laws of chemistry if electromagnetic interactions dominate at atomic distances. Chemical properties of such "quark atoms" can be predicted by interpolating isoelectronic sequences. The properties of quark atoms lie between those of a neutral atom and an ion. Electronegativity helps in the qualitative understanding of quark chemistry. Electronegativities, together with ionization potentials and electron affinities, are computed for the quark elements. The concepts of chemical analogy and isomorphism are introduced. Analogies based on shell structure and electronegativity are established. Many quark elements cannot be compared to a single ordinary element. They are chemical chimeras. An understanding of quark chemistry is essential for the design and interpretation of quark-search experiments. The impact of chemical reactions on quark impurities in matter can be monitored by observing the behavior of more abundant isomorphic control elements. Contrary to common belief, the chemical differences between a quark element and its ordinary counterpart are substantial.
Ultrastructure of nerves and associated cells in bronchiolar epithelium of the mouse lung

The nerves and their associated cells in the bronchiolar epithelium of the mouse lung were studied with the electron microscope. Single unmyelinated axons, some of which are enlarged and contain many small mitochondria, are closely associated with groups of specialized epithelial cells. These cells are identified by having numerous dense-cored granules in the basal cytoplasm. Portions of the apical surfaces of these cells are exposed to the bronchiolar lumen. The perinuclear cytoplasm contains bundles of branching microfilaments. Many of these cells bear a single cilium on their lateral surfaces adjacent to the bronchiolar lumen. These nerve-epithelial cell complexes probably function as sensory receptor units in the bronchioles.
Different roles of ryanodine receptors and inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors in adrenergically stimulated contractions of small arteries.

The functions of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors [Ins(1,4,5)P3Rs] in adrenergically activated contractions of pressurized rat mesenteric small arteries were ...
Erratum to “Mima-type mounds in southwest Missouri: Expressions of point-centered and locally thickened biomantles” [Geomorphology 77 (2006) 308–319]

The publisher regrets that in the second paragraph of Section 5, Discussion and interpretations, page 315, a few errors appeared in the text: Small gravels (b6.5 cm long axis diameter) should read: Large gravels (N6.5 cm long axis diameter). Line 1 of the right column should read 6–9 cm instead of 6–7 cm. Aword Geomys in line 52 of the left column and in lines 4, 11, 31 and 36 of the right column should read: gophers. The whole paragraph is rewritten correctly below: Sizes and distributions of gravel support a biological genesis of the mounds in Diamond Grove Prairie. As indicated, the distribution of large gravels (N6.5 cm long axis diameter) increases dramatically in size and weight at the base of the mound in the Btg horizon. This strongly developed lower stone-layer horizon is interpreted as a product of bioturbation by burrowing fauna, we believe mainly by the pocket gopher G. bursarius (the sole genus in Missouri) (Johnson, 1989, 1990; Horwath, 2002; Horwath et al., 2002; Johnson et al., 2002). All species of pocket gophers mix soil by moving it through burrows. Diameters of burrows vary by species, with those of adult gophers averaging about 6–9 cm (Jackson, 1961; Schwartz and Schwartz, 1981; Johnson, 1989). Hence, all soil par-
Estrogen Receptor β Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Expression in the Forebrain of Proestrous, Pregnant, and Lactating Female Rats

Estrogen receptor (ER)β is present in hypothalamic and limbic neurons of female rat brains, but little is known about its regulation under physiological conditions. To determine whether ERβ expression varies during physiological conditions in which sex steroid hormone profiles are significantly different, we used in situ hybridization to assess ERβ mRNA expression in the periventricular preoptic area, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, and the posterodorsal medial amygdala of female rats on proestrus, on d 22 of pregnancy, or on d 10 of lactation (L10). In the periventricular preoptic area, d-22 pregnant females had fewer ERβ-mRNA-expressing cells than did females at proestrus, but the level of ERβ mRNA expression per cell in pregnant females was higher than in the two other groups. In the paraventricular nucleus, no changes in ERβ mRNA expression were observed; whereas in the supraoptic nucleus, proestrous females had fewer ERβ-mRNA-expressing cells than L10 fem...