cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elevation, substrate, and the potential for climate-induced tree migration in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA

Abstract We assessed the potential for climate-induced migration of tree species along elevation gradients in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. To do so, we determined the extent to which tree species abundances were associated with elevation, site, and substrate-related variables over a range of elevations (530–880 m) that included the transition from northern hardwoods to spruce-fir forest in the White Mountain National Forest (USA). One-hundred and ten, 400 m 2 plots were established along three elevational transects; transects were separated from each other by at least 9 km. In each plot, site and substrate characteristics were measured and all stems ≥2.5 cm dbh were tallied. Species importance values were calculated and those of the five most abundant tree species – balsam fir, red spruce, sugar maple, American beech, and yellow birch – were regressed on elevation and site–substrate characteristics. Plots were ordinated using detrended correspondence analysis and their first and second axis scores were regressed on elevation and site–substrate characteristics. Both elevation and site–substrate characteristics – parent material type in particular – were important predictors of importance value. Balsam fir and red spruce abundance increased with elevation and, at all elevations, reached greatest abundance on shallow-to-rock parent materials. Fir showed greater abundance on north-facing than on south-facing slopes. Sugar maple and American beech declined with elevation and both, but especially sugar maple, were associated with fine and compact tills. Yellow birch, which did not show any association with substrate characteristics, increased to about 770 m, then declined. The frequency of different parent material types changed with elevation, with deep, fine and compact tills becoming less frequent – and shallow soils (rock within 50 cm of soil surface) becoming more frequent – with elevation. If the tree species–substrate associations described here are causal, then the elevational patterns of species abundance observed today are a consequence of both edaphic and climatic factors. As a consequence, vegetation response to climatic warming may be complex. While warming may result in upward migration of yellow birch and American beech, sugar maple, confronted with reduced availability of suitable substrate at high elevations, will likely show little upward response. Red spruce and balsam fir may persist on thin soils at lower elevations unless displaced by eastern hemlock. Thus, climatic warming will likely alter traditionally recognized tree assemblages in this region.
Stimulus animal characteristics do not modulate the expression of partner preference by female rats

The stimulus animals used in tests of partner preference in female rats vary. To test the hypothesis that the alternative stimulus animal modulates the preference for an intact male, gonadectomized (GDX) female rats received estradiol benzoate plus progesterone or the oil vehicle and were tested for partner preference with either an intact male paired with a GDX hormone-primed female or an intact male paired with a GDX male. Rats were tested under conditions that limited physical contact (No Contact) or allowed sexual interaction (Contact). Stimulus animal condition was not a primary determinant of partner preference. In contrast, contact condition and hormone treatment modulated preference, as well as activity levels and the display of proceptive behaviors. Our findings demonstrate that the characteristics of the alternative stimulus animals tested here do not play a significant role in modulating partner preference in female rats.
Butorphanol for the relief of shivering associated with extradural anesthesia in parturients.

Abstract Study Objective: To assess the efficacy of butorphanol for the relief of shivering following the epidural administration of 2% lidocaine. Design: Randomized, double-blind study. Setting: Labor and delivery department of a university-affiliated hospital inpatient facility. Patients: Sixty-one healthy labor patients. Interventions: Patients who had sustained shivering associated with lidocaine epidural anesthesia were given normal saline or butorphanol 1 mg. Patients were observed for 20 minutes following the administration of a study solution. Measurements and Main Results: Shivering ceased within a mean time of 12.9 ± 3.8 minutes in approximately 81 % of the patients who received epidural butorphanol ( p 〈 0.01), while 3% of the patients in the placebo group had no shivering following the administration of epidural saline. No sedation or changes in fetal heart rate were associated with epidural butorphanol. Conclusions: Epidural butorphanol is effective in the treatment of postepidural shivering associated with epidural lidocaine. Epidural agonist opioids have been reported to be efficacious in the management of postepidural shivering. This study demonstrated that a partial agonist opioid also is effective in the treatment of postepidural shivering.
Blood brain barrier breakdown in brain edema following cold injury is mediated by microvascular polyamines

A focal freeze injury to rat cerebral cortex induces an early (less than 5 min) increase in brain ornithine decarboxylase activity and an accumulation of polyamines involving cerebral microvessels. This polyamine synthesis correlates with the abnormal increase in microvascular permeability, monitored by uptake of Evans Blue and sod. fluorescein. The ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine suppressed the injury-induced increment in spermidine and spermine and microvascular permeability. Putrescine nullified alpha-difluoromethylornithine inhibition and restored microvessel spermidine and spermine and the pathological increase in microvascular permeability. These results indicate that polyamine synthesis is obligatory for blood-brain barrier breakdown. alpha-Difluoromethylornithine may be useful in the treatment of vasogenic brain edema.
Grassland patch dynamics and herbivore grazing preference following urine deposition

Field experiments were performed over two growing seasons to investigate the response of Schizachyrium scoparium (C4 photosynthetic pathway) and Poa pratensis (C3) to natural and simulated bison urine deposition in a northern, mixed prairie in South Dakota. We also assessed potential feedbacks of urine deposition on herbivore grazing by monitoring grass response to defoliation and herbivore grazing preference for vegetation occupying urine patches. Total aboveground biomass and root mass were higher and root:shoot ratios were lower on urine patches than in the surrounding plant community. Higher total aboveground biomass on urine patches resulted primarily from increased aboveground P. pratensis production. Urine deposition in May had little effect on aboveground production of S. scoparium except during July when S. scoparium was most active. Urine deposition date and plant phenology appear important in determining changes in species composition. Following urine deposition, aboveground N concentrations of P. pratensis and S. scoparium were higher on patches relative to conspecifics off patches. This increase in N concentration following urine deposition was greater in P. pratensis. We suggest the large increase in P. pratensis biomass following urine deposition is related to its relatively large response to increased soil N availability and its rhizomatous habit. Root N concentrations were higher on urine patches. Poa pratensis on urine patches initiated growth earlier in the season and postponed senescence relative to plants off patches. Aboveground production following clipping was greater on urine patches and N concentrations in regrowth of both species were higher than concentrations in plants not previously clipped. Aboveground herbivore utilization was greater on urine patches than on adjacent vege- tation. Although urine patches covered only 2% of the study site, they provided 7% of the biomass and 14% of the N consumed by aboveground herbivores from June through August. Urine patches probably provided an even greater source of forage and N for herbivores earlier and later in the growing season when surrounding vegetation was mostly quiescent.
Eating Figs and Pomegranates: Taboos and Language in the Thousand and One Nights

AbstractThis article explores the link between taboo and language in the Thousand and One Nights, focusing on the two central taboo realms of sex and the sacred. The various approaches to the tabooed found in the Nights, qua folk literature adapted by literate editors, are addressed. The fact that this work was not part of the literary canon and not bound by its conventions is shown to set it apart from canonical works, when it comes to certain taboos. The influence of Arabic written culture on the expression of the tabooed in the Nights is demonstrated as well. Because of the circumstances and history of its composition, the Nights has a polyphonic and heteroglot nature. It, therefore, displays diversity and inconsistency when taboo concepts find expression in language as euphemisms, orthophemisms, dysphemisms, and dysphemistic euphemisms. As a result, it is wrong to classify the Nights as an essentially obscene work, as have nineteenth century Orientalists and contemporary Islamic “fundamentalists.” This gross classification has had significant practical consequences beyond the realm of literary debate. It is unwarranted, furthermore, in view of the fact that sexually implicit and explicit speech are both attested in this work, which represents a variety of world views and attitudes towards the tabooed.
Cardiopulmonary Function at Maximum Tolerable Constant Work Rate Exercise Following Human Heart-Lung Transplantation

Studies were performed measuring parameters of respiratory and circulatory function at rest and during maximum tolerable constant work rate treadmill exercise in 16 clinically well patients who had undergone heart-lung transplantation for end stage pulmonary hypertension. Ten patients were studied before and within eight weeks following transplantation. Long-term function with exercise was further evaluated with follow up studies at one year (n = 10) and two years (n = 6), posttransplantation. Posttransplant gas exchange and ventilation during exercise are essentially normal with neither being limiting to maximal exercise. Exercise capacity is significantly improved posttransplant, primarily as a result of improvement in the circulation over that found pretransplant in uncorrected pulmonary hypertension. Although improved, circulatory limitations of maximal exercise may still persist. Cardiorespiratory function at maximum tolerable exercise is well maintained following heart-lung transplantation for at least two years, providing no complications occur. This suggests that denervation of the heart and lungs, disruption of the bronchial circulation and pulmonary lymphatics, and the graft ischemia encountered at the time of transplantation impose no serious limitations on long-term cardiopulmonary function. The overall functional capacities of the transplanted heart and lungs are more than adequate for meeting the activities of normal life.
Dramatic change in local climate patterns in the Amboseli basin, Kenya

The Amboseli basin, a semi-arid, open savannah area of southern Kenya, has experienced extensive changes in habitat since the early 1960's. The present report documents patterns of air temperature and rainfall in Amboseli for the 25-year period beginning 1976. Daily temperatures increased dramatically throughout this time period, at a rate almost an order of magnitude greater than that attributed to global warming. Mean daily maximum temperature increased more than did daily minimum (0.275 vs. 0.071°C per annum). Although increases in mean daily maxima were documented for all months of the year, they were greatest during the hottest months, February and March. Annual rainfall varied more than four-fold (x = 346.5 mm, SD = 120.0, range 132.0–553.4 mm), yet did not exhibit any directional or other regular pattern of variability among years over this same 25-year period. Empirical as well as theoretical investigation of relations between such changes in climatic conditions and habitat characteristics are needed at local and regional as well as global scales. Resume Le Bassin d'Amboseli, une zone de savane ouverte, semi aride, du sud du Kenya, a subi des changements importants de son habitat depuis le debut des annees 1960. Le present rapport documente les schemas de la temperature de l'air et des chutes de pluies a Amboseli pour la periode de vingt-cinq annees qui commence en 1976. Les temperatures diurnes ont augmente de facon spectaculaire pendant cette periode, a un rythme presque plus rapide que celui qui est attribue au rechauffement global. La temperature quotidienne maximale moyenne a plus augmente que la temperature minimale moyenne (0.275°C vs 0.071°C par an). Bien qu'on ait releve des augmentations des maxima quotidiens moyens chaque mois de l'annee, elles etaient plus importantes pendant les mois les plus chauds, fevrier et mars. Les chutes de pluies ont varie d'un ordre de plus de 1 a 4 (x = 346.5 mm, DS = 120.0, ecart 132.0–553.4 mm).
Serum homocysteine levels and mortality in outpatients with or without coronary artery disease: an observational study

Observational studies have shown that homocysteine is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events—fatal and nonfatal coronary artery disease—in several populations (1– 8). The results of prospective studies have not been uniform, however. Whereas eight studies (2,5–7,9 –12) reported that homocysteine was a predictor of cardiovascular disease, five (13–17) failed to show this association. Most of the studies consisted of large, primarily healthy populations (3– 6) or patients whose homocysteine levels were measured at the time of coronary angiography (9,12) and who were followed for cardiovascular events. Few studies have examined total mortality as the primary endpoint (5–7,9,10,12). In the present study, we sought to determine whether homocysteine is independently associated with total mortality in a clinical setting that included patients with and without known cardiovascular disease.
Theory and application of specular path perturbation

In this paper we apply perturbation methods to the problem of computing specular reflections in curved surfaces. The key idea is to generate families of closely related optical paths by expanding a given path into a high-dimensional Taylor series. Our path perturbation method is based on closed-form expressions for linear and higher-order approximations of ray paths, which are derived using Fermat's Variation Principle and the Implicit Function Theorem (IFT). The perturbation formula presented here holds for general multiple-bounce reflection paths and provides a mathematical foundation for exploiting path coherence in ray tracing acceleration techniques and incremental rendering. To illustrate its use, we describe an algorithm for fast approximation of specular reflections on curved surfaces; the resulting images are highly accurate and nearly indistinguishable from ray traced images.
The conversion of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehyrogenase to an acylphosphatase by trinitroglycerin and inactivation of this activity by azide and ascorbate

Trinitroglycerin oxidizes the essential sulfhydryl group, Cys-149, of pig muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate : NAD+ oxidoreductase(phosphorylating) EC 1.2.1.12) TO A SLUFENIC ACID, NOT TO A DISULFIDE. This conclusion is based on the observation that the inactivation of the dehydrogenase activity of the enzyme by the organic nitrate induces the acylphosphatase activity which is catalyzed by the sulfenic acid form of the enzyme. Inorganic nitrite is released during this process which is stoichiometric with the degree of inactivation of the dehydrogenase. The acylphosphatase activity induced by trinitroglycerin, unlike the dehydrogenase activity, is sensitive to CN-. Treatment of the enzyme oxidized with trinitroglycerin with 14-CN- leads to the incorporation of protein-bound 14-CN-, which is stoichiometric with the degree of inactivation of the dehydrogenase. Treatment of the sulfenic acid form of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase at pH 5.3 with a 10-fold molar excess of azide over the concentration of enzyme subunit completely inactivates the acylphosphatase reaction catalyzed by the oxidized enzyme. Concomitantly, the dehydrogenase activity catalyzed by the sulfhydryl form of the enzyme reappears which indicates that excess azide reduces the sulfenic acid which is required for the acylphosphatase. Treatment of the oxidized enzyme with a stoichiometric amount of azide at pH 5.3 stimulates the acylphosphatase activity and does not lead to the reappearance of dehydrogenase activity. When the sulfenic acid form of the enzyme is incubated with 20 mM L-ascorbate at pH 5.3, the acylphosphatase activity is completely inactivated and the dehydrogenase activity catalyzed by the reduced form of the enzyme is recovered. Thus, L-ascorbate also reduces the protein sulfenic acid which is required for the acylphosphatase activity.
Pigmentation associated with oogenesis in the biting fly Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae): determination of parity.

The accuracy for parity determinations in Culicoides variipennis , based on differences in abdominal pigmentation, was assessed for colony and field-collected specimens. An increase in abdominal pigmentation indicated parity. Parity for 44 of 48 colony-reared females was judged correctly (92% of 143 determinations) by 3 observers who examined flies at 650x for increased abdominal pigmentation. Fifty adult females that originated from field-collected pupae had increased abdominal pigmentation following a blood meal. Also, increased abdominal pigmentation proved to be an accurate indicator of parity in field-collected C. variipennis ; of 259 females with increased abdominal pigmentation, 248 were judged parous by examination of ovarian tracheal patterns (96%). Flies that had taken 2 or 3 blood meals had prominent abdominal pigmentation, but the number of blood meals that had been taken could not be determined by the degree of pigmentation.
Do firms with larger patent portfolios create more new plant varieties in the US agricultural biotechnology industry

This article is an empirical analysis of the relationship between patent ownership and variety innovation for US agricultural biotechnology firms in the years 1976–1999. Counts of new varieties include corn, soybean, or wheat varieties protected by either patents or plant variety protection certificates, while patent portfolio size is defined as the count of a firm's gene and method patents. Negative binomial regression results indicate that firms with larger patent portfolios did not exhibit scale economies in variety creation nor did firms with wider technological diversity in their patent portfolios create significantly greater numbers of new varieties. However, firms experienced positive spillover effects from rival firms’ patent ownership, and patent ownership increases this effect. Sample firms that have merged in the past do not produce significantly greater numbers of new varieties after considering an increase in portfolio size and did not experience greater economies of scale in creating new var...
Delivering oxytetracycline to first-feeding zebrafish, Danio rerio (Hamilton), and goby, Asterropteryx semipunctata Rüppell, larvae using lipid spray beads

Lipid spray beads (LSB) were evaluated for delivery of the low-molecular weight, water-soluble antibiotic, oxytetracycline.HCl (OTC) to fish larvae. Various OTC core-to-lipid ratios and OTC core concentrations were evaluated to maximize OTC delivery efficiency by LSB. Acceptability and digestion of LSB containing OTC and riboflavin by larval zebrafish, Danio rerio (Hamilton), and larval gobies, Asterropteryx semipunctata Ruppell, were also evaluated. Increasing LSB core-to-lipid ratios from 1:3 to 1:1 v/v resulted in an increase in encapsulation efficiency (EE) from 2.33 to 3.68% w/w. Increasing OTC concentrations of core solutions from 0.1 to 0.5 g OTC mL(-1) increased EE from 3.95 to 18.77% w/w, respectively. Although retention efficiency (RE) was unaffected by this increase, delivery efficiency was increased to 7.9 +/- 0.7% w/w, after correcting for leakage losses because of the suspension of beads in water for 60 min. Consumption of LSB containing OTC by first-feeding zebrafish and goby larvae was confirmed by analysis of feeding incidence and gut fullness. Visual observations of larvae fed on LSB containing riboflavin indicated that larvae of both species digested LSB. Zebrafish larvae fed on OTC LSB contained 39.3 +/- 2.5 ng OTC after purging LSB from their guts. Use of LSB provides an effective means of delivering therapeutics to fish larvae and could greatly reduce required doses compared with current methods of immersing larvae in solutions of therapeutic agents.
Research and Design of Electric Vehicle Operation Management System

Obtained requirements by analysis of the business functions of the electric vehicle operations management to form four types of applications, and then design the physical architecture and logical architecture of electric vehicle operations management system(EVOMS), adopted the three level management system, fully construct operation monitoring system of support electric vehicle smart charging and battery swapping service network.
Quantitative electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels of 2–40%

Abstract The concentration of acrylamide, the concentration of the crosslinking agent bisacrylamide, and the polymerization conditions affect the structure of polyacrylamide gels and their suitability as molecular filters. Evidence is presented that a change in acrylamide concentration tends to affect the average “pore” size of the gel while changes in bisacrylamide concentration tends to affect the maximum “pore” size. Evidence is presented that bisacrylamide can act as a chain termination agent. Instructions are provided for preparing excellent molecular filters from 2% acrylamide to 40% acrylamide gels.
Review of expert systems technology

An overview of expert systems technology is provided from a development point of view. The intent is to provide assistance in the practical aspects of constructing expert systems. Emphasis is placed on the benefits and limitations of expert systems, the various phases of the development processes, and the software tools used to expedite the development. Special attention is given to the interface with engineering management. >
Evidence for enhanced basement membrane synthesis and lysine hydroxylation in renal glomerulus in experimental diabetes

Abstract Isolated glomeruli prepared from the renal cortex of normal and pancreatectomized diabetic rats were incubated in the presence of radioactive lysine, and the appearance of labeled lysine and hydroxylysine in non-dialyzable protein of cellular fractions was determined. Lysine incorporation and percent hydroxylysine content were higher than normal in the membrane fraction and lower than normal in the cytosol fraction in diabetes. The results are consistent with enhanced glomerular basement membrane secretion and increased hydroxylation of lysine residues in released collagen peptides in diabetes.
Filial Therapy with Monolingual Spanish-Speaking Mothers: A Phenomenological Study.

This article describes a phenomenological study of filial therapy with monolingual, Spanish-speaking mothers living in the United States. Four mothers participated in a 5-week training in filial th...
The sociopolitical status of U.S. naturopathy at the dawn of the 21st century.

Naturopathic medicine in the United States had its inception around the turn of the 20th century. Subsequently, it underwent a process of relatively rapid growth until around the 1930s, followed by a period of gradual decline almost to the point of extinction due to biomedical opposition and the advent of "miracle drugs." Because its therapeutic eclecticism had preadapted it to fit into the holistic health movement that emerged in the 1970s, it was able to undergo a process of organizational rejuvenation during the last two decades of the century. Nevertheless, U.S. naturopathy as a professionalized heterodox medical system faces several dilemmas as it enters the new millennium. These include (1) the fact that it has succeeded in obtaining licensure in only two sections of the country, namely, the Far West and New England; (2) increasing competition from partially professionalized and lay naturopaths, many of whom are graduates of correspondence schools; and (3) the danger of cooptation as many biomedical practitioners adopt natural therapies, [naturopathy, alternative medicine, medical pluralism]
Mechanical properties of tropomyosin and implications for muscle regulation

Tropomyosin is a protein that controls the interactions of actin and myosin as a part of the regulation of muscle contraction. The 420 A long α-helical coiled-coil molecules form long filaments, both in muscle and in crystals. The x-ray diffraction data from tropomyosin crystals have indicated large scale motions of the filaments that can be related to the inherent mechanical properties of the molecule, and by extension, to the role of tropomyosin in the cooperative activation of the thin filaments of muscle. Diffuse scattering analysis has provided information about the amplitudes of the motions that has been used to calculate the intrinsic flexibility of the molecule. It can then be shown that each tropomyosin molecule by itself can only mediate interactions of the nearest-neighboring tropomyosin molecules along the filament. The repeating nature of the thin filament, however, allows the entire filament to activate cooperatively. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Interosseous membrane of the forearm

Abstract The interosseous membrane of the forearm is a complex anatomic structure responsible for load sharing and stability of the forearm and distal radioulnar joint. The interosseous membrane consists of 2 components: a thin, flexible membranous component located proximal and distal to a stiff, relatively thick central band. The central band is responsible for significant load transfer from the distal radius to the proximal ulna when there is no contact at the radiocapitellar joint. In the Essex-Lopresti injury, the central band is disrupted, along with a displaced radial head fracture and a tear of the triangular fibrocartilage complex. This injury must be recognized early to optimize surgical results. Early treatment includes open reduction with internal fixation of radial head or radial head replacement (allograft or metal), repair of triangular fibrocartilage complex, pinning of distal radioulnar joint, and possibly repair of the central band. Chronic Essex-Lopresti injuries have unpredictable results and may end up being salvaged with a 1-bone forearm. Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
The Managed Violences of the Borderlands: Treacherous Geographies, Policeability, and the Politics of Race

Shifts in border and migration governance since the 1990s evident in the intensification of militarized policing in the Mexico–US borderlands and crystallized in the funneling of a large percentage of migrants into the treacherous geography of the “killing deserts” constitute managed forms of violence that are inextricably linked to the racialization processes of American empire. Such managed violences generated another treacherous geography, the critical and “contaminating” socio-spatial formation of Barrio Libre, a transnational 'hood incarnated by a severely marginalized population of young people and instantiated in a sewer system that ran under the border. I advance the concept of policeability to capture the daily instantiations of the managed violences of the borderlands, evident in dramatic displays of state power and in the informal managements of everyday life.
Molecular complexes that direct rhodopsin transport to primary cilia

Rhodopsin is a key molecular constituent of photoreceptor cells, yet understanding of how it regulates photoreceptor membrane trafficking and biogenesis of light-sensing organelles, the rod outer segments (ROS) is only beginning to emerge. Recently identified sequence of well-orchestrated molecular interactions of rhodopsin with the functional networks of Arf and Rab GTPases at multiple stages of intracellular targeting fits well into the complex framework of the biogenesis and maintenance of primary cilia, of which the ROS is one example. This review will discuss the latest progress in dissecting the molecular complexes that coordinate rhodopsin incorporation into ciliary-targeted carriers with the recruitment and activation of membrane tethering complexes and regulators of fusion with the periciliary plasma membrane. In addition to revealing the fundamental principals of ciliary membrane renewal, recent advances also provide molecular insight into the ways by which disruptions of the exquisitely orchestrated interactions lead to cilia dysfunction and result in human retinal dystrophies and syndromic diseases that affect multiple organs, including the eyes.
Distance-Dependent Fluorescence Quenching of p-Bis[2-(5-phenyloxazolyl)]benzene by Various Quenchers

We report results of frequency-domain and steady-state measurements of the fluorescence quenching of p-bis[2-(5-phenyloxazolyl)]benzene (POPOP) when quenched by bromoform (CHBr3), methyl iodide (CH3I), potassium iodide (KI), 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene (TMB), or N,N-diethylaniline (DEA). The quenching efficiency of these compounds decreased in the order DEA, TMB, KI, CH3I, CHBr3. In the case of DEA and TMB the measurements clearly confirm the applicability of the exponential distance-dependent quenching (DDQ) model, in which the bimolecular quenching rate k(r) depends exponentially on the fluorophore−quencher separation r, k(r) = ka exp[−(r − a)/re], where a is the distance of closest approach. Simultaneous analysis of the frequency-domain and steady-state data significantly improved resolution of the recovered molecular parameters ka and re. The data for DEA and TMB cannot be satisfactorily fit using either the Smoluchowski or Collins−Kimball radiation boundary condition (RBC) model. The quenching behavior o...
Chemical Ionization of TNT and RDX with Trimethylsilyl Cation

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has been used to examine the reactions of Si(CH_3)_3+ with nitrobenzene, TNT, and RDX. With nitrobenzene, the only reaction observed is adduct formation which generates the C_6H_5NO_2Si(CH_3)_3+ ion. The bimolecular rate constant for the reaction of Si(CH_3)_3+ with nitrobenzene is measured to be 1.8 × 10^(-9) cm^3 s^(-1)molecule^(-1). With TNT, fragmentation and adduct formation were observed. The bimolecular rate constant for the reaction of Si(CH_3)_3+ with TNT is measured to be 0.85 × 10^(-9) cm^3 s^(-1) molecule^(-1). With RDX, the dominant reaction observed is adduct formation, but some fragmentation is seen as a minor reaction pathway. The bimolecular rate constant for the reaction of Si(CH_3)_3+ with RDX is estimated to be similar to that observed with TNT (∼0.7 × 10^(-9) cm^3 s^(-1) molecule^(-1)). Collision-induced dissociation experiments performed on both the TNT−Si(CH_3)_3+ and the RDX−Si(CH_3)_3+ adducts using off-resonance collisional activation show the same fragmentation pattern that is observed during adduct formation. This fragmentation pattern appears to be a “fingerprint” for both adducts. These reactions appear to be driven by the high affinity of Si for oxygen and the attraction of the Si(CH_3)_3+ ion to the formal negative charge of oxygen in a nitro group. A reaction coordinate diagram for reactions of RDX with Si(CH_3)_3+ is derived (from known thermochemistry and ab initio calculations on the reactive intermediates) and its implications are discussed. Reactions of this type could be useful as a detection scheme for common explosives.
Are race and sex differences in lung function explained by frame size? The CARDIA Study.

Using the CARDIA cohort of 20- to 32-yr-old black and white men and women, FVC and FEV1 were standardized for standing height, sitting height, leg height, elbow breadth, and biacromial diameter in such a way that the standardized lung function showed minimal statistical dependence on these measures of frame size. Race and sex differences in lung function have been reported even after adjustment for height; however, these differences might depend on aspects of frame size other than height. We found that within this age group height2 provided robust standardization for FVC and FEV1 for all race and sex strata of the population. Height explained approximately 40% of the variance of FVC and FEV1 in whites, 30% in black women, and 20% in black men. In black men only, standardization for the combination of sitting height, leg height, elbow breadth, and biacromial diameter improved explained variance to nearly 40% for FVC and nearly 30% for FEV1. After standardization for height, FVC and FEV1 were found to be 14...
The RNA helicase DDX1 is involved in restricted HIV-1 Rev function in human astrocytes

Productive infection by human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) in the central nervous system (CNS) involves mainly macrophages and microglial cells. A frequency of less than 10% of human astrocytes is estimated to be infectable with HIV-1. Nonetheless, this relatively low percentage of infected astrocytes, but associated with a large total number of astrocytic cells in the CNS, makes human astrocytes a critical part in the analyses of potential HIV-1 reservoirs in vivo. Investigations in astrocytic cell lines and primary human fetal astrocytes revealed that limited HIV-1 replication in these cells resulted from low-level viral entry, transcription, viral protein processing, and virion maturation. Of note, a low ratio of unspliced versus spliced HIV-1-specific RNA was also investigated, as Rev appeared to act aberrantly in astrocytes, via loss of nuclear and/or nucleolar localization and diminished Rev-mediated function. Host cellular machinery enabling Rev function has become critical for elucidation of diminished Rev activity, especially for those factors leading to RNA metabolism. We have recently identified a DEAD-box protein, DDX1, as a Rev cellular co-factor and now have explored its potential importance in astrocytes. Cells were infected with HIV-1 pseudotyped with envelope glycoproteins of amphotropic murine leukemia viruses (MLV). Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) for unspliced, singly-spliced, and multiply-spliced RNA clearly showed a lower ratio of unspliced/singly-spliced over multiply-spliced HIV-1-specific RNA in human astrocytes as compared to Rev-permissive, non-glial control cells. As well, the cellular localization of Rev in astrocytes was cytoplasmically dominant as compared to that of Rev-permissive, non-glial controls. This endogenous level of DDX1 expression in astrocytes was demonstrated directly to lead to a shift of Rev sub-cellular distribution dominance from nuclear and/or nucleolar to cytoplasmic, as input of exogenous DDX1 significantly altered both Rev sub-cellular localization from cytoplasmic to nuclear predominance and concomitantly increased HIV-1 viral production in these human astrocytes. We conclude that altered DDX1 expression in human astrocytes is, at least in part, responsible for the unfavorable cellular microenvironment for Rev function in these CNS-based cells. Thus, these data suggest a molecular mechanism(s) for restricted replication in astrocytes as a potential low-level site of residual HIV-1 in vivo.
Preflight characterization of the SAGE III instrument

The SAGE III instrument design, and sampling modes are presented. The central focus will be on the instrument test data useful for characterization and their relevance to processing algorithms. The following effects will be discussed: spectrometer stray light and 'line spread;' CCD substrate scattering into the readout registers; dark current; charge transfer efficiency; wavelength calibration; and etaloning. Test data from Sun/Moon-Look testing from all three instruments will be presented.
Conceptual Design of a Mach 0.95 Cruise N+1 Commercial Transport

�This paper presents the conceptual design of high-speed passenger jet comparable in size to a Boeing 737-900ER or Airbus A321, specifically, a 14 CFR §25 certified aircraft that can seat 218 passengers in a single-class economy layout and 194 passengers in a two-class layout. The final design can fly at a cruise speed of Mach 0.95 for 3240 nM unrefueled with a 200 nM alternate, during which it burns 40,300 lbm. of fuel, which is significantly less fuel than that claimed by the upcoming B737-9MAX. The optimal design for the aircraft was developed using a collection of legacy and custom tools, calibrated to existing aircraft performance specifications, which were used to perform a comprehensive statistical design. Phoenix Integration’s ModelCenter was then used to coordinate these trade studies. The optimal minimum fuel-burn design that is generally conventionally configured, but incorporates a relatively highly swept wing sweep and high thrust loading.
Single Custodial Fathers' Involvement and Parenting: Implications for Outcomes in Emerging Adulthood

Using a sample of 3,977 youths from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97), this study examines the unique characteristics of single-custodial-father families with adolescents and the effects of single fathers' involvement and parenting on outcomes in emerging adulthood. Findings suggest that single-custodial-father families are distinct from single-mother and 2-biological-parent families in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, parenting styles, and involvement. Parenting styles and involvement mediate the differences between single-father families and 2-parent families in terms of high school completion and disconnectedness and partially mediate differences for single-custodial-father families with a partner. Family and sociodemographic characteristics are also associated with being disconnected for adolescents residing with a cohabiting custodial father.
The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: Implications for Grammatical Accuracy in the Classroom?

This paper discusses current literature dealing with the pedagogical implications of the ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines. In Higgs and Clifford (1982) and Omaggio (1984), for example, it is argued that grammatical accuracy needs to be stressed from the beginning of instruction. In this paper those arguments are reviewed in the light of second language acquisition research, and it is suggested that such emphasis on grammatical correctness is unwarranted.
Spatiotemporal Variation in Cross-Shelf Exchange across the Inner Shelf of Monterey Bay, California

AbstractCross-shelf exchange resulting from wind- and wave-driven flows across the inner shelf has been the focus of a considerable body of work. This contribution extends recent analyses to the central California coastline using 5-yr of moored current observations. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data from stations across the Monterey Bay (two in the northern bay and one in the southern bay), in water depths of ~20 m, showed net offshore transport throughout the year. For the northern bay sites, cross-shelf exchange was dominated by Ekman transport driven by along-shelf diurnal sea breezes during the upwelling season. Intense stratification in the northern bay leads to very shallow observed Ekman layers (~5–8 m), and consequently no overlap between bottom and surface Ekman layers within a few hundred meters of the coast. The total transport is less than predicted by theory consistent with models of shallow-water Ekman transport. The observed transport (~42% of full Ekman transport) is shown to b...
Radial Structure in the TW Hya Circumstellar Disk

We present new near-infrared interferometric data from the CHARA array and the Keck Interferometer on the circumstellar disk of the young star, TW Hya, a proposed "transition disk." We use these data, as well as previously published, spatially resolved data at 10 μm and 7 mm, to constrain disk models based on a standard flared disk structure. We find that we can match the interferometry data sets and the overall spectral energy distribution with a three-component model, which combines elements at spatial scales proposed by previous studies: optically thin, emission nearest the star, an inner optically thick ring of emission at roughly 0.5 AU followed by an opacity gap and, finally, an outer optically thick disk starting at ~4 AU. The model demonstrates that the constraints imposed by the spatially resolved data can be met with a physically plausible disk but this requires a disk containing not only an inner gap in the optically thick disk as previously suggested, but also a gap between the inner and outer optically thick disks. Our model is consistent with the suggestion by Calvet et al. of a planet with an orbital radius of a few AU. We discuss the implications of an opacity gap within the optically thick disk.
Development of microsatellite markers in Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY We developed and characterized microsatellite markers for Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae), a widely distributed neotropical fruit tree. METHODS AND RESULTS Eight polymorphic and two monomorphic microsatellite loci were identified and screened in 60 samples from four geographically disparate populations (Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, and Panama). Each locus exhibited between two and 11 alleles. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0 to 0.839. All loci amplify in the congeners B. variabilis and B. basiloba, four amplify in B. bucidaefolia, and seven amplify in B. variabilis, although levels of polymorphism have not been assessed. CONCLUSIONS These loci will provide novel tools for comparing genetic diversity present in cultivated and noncultivated populations of B. crassifolia throughout its range, and may prove valuable in related species.
AIM: a comprehensive Arabidopsis interactome module database and related interologs in plants.

Systems biology analysis of protein modules is important for understanding the functional relationships between proteins in the interactome. Here, we present a comprehensive database named AIM for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) interactome modules. The database contains almost 250 000 modules that were generated using multiple analysis methods and integration of microarray expression data. All the modules in AIM are well annotated using multiple gene function knowledge databases. AIM provides a userfriendly interface for different types of searches and offers a powerful graphical viewer for displaying module networks linked to the enrichment annotation terms. Both interactive Venn diagram and power graph viewer are integrated into the database for easy comparison of modules. In addition, predicted interologs from other plant species (homologous proteins from different species that share a conserved interaction module) are available for each Arabidopsis module. AIM is a powerful systems biology platform for obtaining valuable insights into the function of proteins in Arabidopsis and other plants using the modules of the Arabidopsis interactome. Database URL: http://probes.pw.usda.gov/AIM
Logarithmic singularities in two-body, bound-state integral equations

Abstract A logarithmic singularity is typically present in the kernels of two-body, bound-state integral equations after the two angular variables associated with threedimensional spherical coordinates are separated. The singularity occurs in the separated Schrodinger equation, the separated Bethe–Salpeter equation in the instantaneous approximation, and the partially separated Bethe–Salpeter equation. Problems integrating over the singularity have restricted the types of basis functions that have been used to obtain numerical solutions, making it particularly difficult to obtain bound-state solutions that decrease rapidly at both small and large momenta. Here integrals are evaluated analytically in the neighborhood of the singularity by expanding the integrands, excluding the singular kernels, either analytically or numerically in a Taylor series or a Maclaurin series. This technique makes possible the use of nonpolynomial basis functions that satisfy the boundary conditions, allowing the efficient calculation of all solutions.
Validating the Level of Service Inventory—Revised and the Level of Service Inventory: Screening Version With a Sample of Probationers:

Level of risk is proving to be an important characteristic in effectively serving offender populations. A major limitation to the use of risk assessments is agency resources. There are several screening instruments available that could significantly decrease the amount of resources that are needed to assess for risk. This article assesses the effectiveness of the Level of Service Inventory: Screening Version on 483 probationers in a western state resulting in a 2% false-positive rate. Policy implications are explored and suggestions for future research offered.
Factors associated with stages of cigarette smoking among Turkish youth.

Background: This study examines prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking among Turkish youth and transition among smoking stages. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) obtained from 15 197 youth were used to study factors associated with various stages of cigarette smoking among Turkish youth. Results: Males and high-school students have higher odds of being susceptible to smoking compared with other non-smokers and higher odds of becoming established smokers. Exposure to parent, teacher, and peer smoking, anti-tobacco curricula, cigarette promotions, and perceived ease of access to cigarettes are all significant predictors of being susceptible to smoking and established smoking. Turkish youth who attribute positive traits to smokers are more likely to be susceptible to smoking and to become established smokers. Parental advice and media exposure to anti-tobacco messages were not significantly associated with becoming an established smoker. Conclusion: The results reveal the importance of early prevention programmes, which should begin before high school, and targeting efforts towards male students and all students who are not yet smokers but susceptible to smoking. Findings also suggest that prevention policies that challenge the cultural perceptions of smokers among Turkish youth are needed.
Fatal gunshot wounds to the head: a critical appraisal of organ donation rates

Abstract Background Patients sustaining fatal gunshot wounds to the head are often young, without associated comorbidities, and are potentially ideal transplantation candidates. Methods A 5-year review of a level I trauma center's prospective database was performed for all patients sustaining fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Demographic, physiologic, anatomic, and laboratory variables were collected. Results Sixty-eight patients were identified, of whom 10 (14.7%) were organ donors. Of 25 admitted to the intensive care unit who eventually did not become donors, 15 (60%) were due to lack of consent. Conclusions Despite frequent intensive care unit admissions, organ donation is infrequent following fatal gunshot wounds to the head, primarily because of lack of consent. Improved communication with next of kin could improve organ recovery and reduce futile care in this group.