cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computing and displaying model performance statistics

Abstract This paper makes the case for computing model performance statistics that can be used explicitly in characterizing the uncertainty in model estimates. Using a framework that relates model estimates to corresponding observations, we show that the relevant statistics are the geometric mean, m g , and the geometric standard deviation, s g , of the ratio of the observed to the model estimates of the variable of interest. The second part of the paper describes a graphical representation of the relationship between model estimate and observation that is used to derive model performance statistics. This diagram builds upon that proposed by Taylor [A., 2001. Summarizing multiple aspects of model performance in a single diagram. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106, 7183–7192] but represents the error in terms of two components: one that is correlated to the model estimate and can be thus reduced in principle through model improvement, and a component that can be reduced only by expanding the model input set.
Pathogen roid rage: cholesterol utilization by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The ability of science and medicine to control the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) requires an understanding of the complex host environment within which it resides. Pathological and biol...
Introduction to a Supplement on Responsive Feeding: Promoting Healthy Growth and Development for Infants and Toddlers

Deviations in infant/toddler growth patterns can lead to both under- and overweight and are global public health concerns that can have long-lasting impacts on children’s growth, health, and development (1, 2). Although access to food plays a central role in children’s postnatal growth, variability in the feeding context also influences children’s eating behavior and growth (3). The epidemiology of under- and overweight highlights the importance of incorporating parental feeding practices into nutritional recommendations early in life. In some low- and middle-income countries, stunting begins before or shortly after birth (4) and approaches 45% among children under 5 y of age (2). Many stunted children retain their shortened stature throughout life (5) and are at risk for poor cognition and academic performance during childhood and low productivity and human capital during adulthood (6). Recommendations are to initiate programs to prevent stunting early in life (5). In high-income countries, childhood overweight/obesity is a serious public health problem that is increasing in prevalence, particularly among minority and/or low-income children (7). Data from the 2007–2008 NHANES-IV show that the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents has reached 17.7%, a 3-fold increase over the past 3 decades (7). Not only does childhood obesity track to adult obesity, but it can lead to long-lasting negative health and developmental consequences (8), emphasizing the need to intervene early in life. The goal of this supplement is to examine the association between parental feeding practices and children’s growth from a global perspective. Responsive feeding is embedded in anthropological and psychological constructs that require multidisciplinary investigation and intervention. A diverse group of authors representing psychology, nutrition, anthropology, and child development present issues related to responsive feeding among infants and toddlers from multiple countries. The first paper reviews the theoretical foundation linking responsive parenting to children’s psychosocial, cognitive, and language competence, thereby laying the theoretical foundation for applying responsive parenting to the feeding context as responsive feeding (9). The second paper reviews studies that have applied responsive and nonresponsive feeding to issues of overweight/obesity in high-income countries (10). The third paper reviews the application of responsive and nonresponsive feeding to children’s growth in low- and middle-income countries, focusing on prevention of underweight (11). The final paper examines the programmatic and policy implications of responsive feeding from a global perspective (12).
Effects of cerebellar stimulation on cobalt-induced epilepsy in the cat.

Abstract The occurrence of clinical and electrographic focal seizures following cobalt lesions in the contralateral sensori-motor cerebral cortex in the cat has been confirmed. Cerebellar cortical stimulation in the cat was not as effective in influencing these seizures as was cerebellar stimulation in the rat. If an influence was to be seen, it was most apt to be in initiating a seizure. This could occur either during or at the termination of stimulation. If cerebellar cortical stimulation was applied during a seizure, the latter was usually prolonged (but only seen when the stimulus rate was less than 10/sec). Midline cerebellar stimulation sites were more effective than were those located in the hemispheres. Of all areas studied, the pyramis (VIII A) was the stimulus site with the greatest probability of activating a cortical seizure focus. Stimulation of lobulus simplex (VI) seemed most apt to prolong the seizure activity. What evidence is available at this time suggests that the influence of the cerebellum on cobalt experimental epilepsy is more likely to be mediated by way of the reticular activating system rather than via the dentate thalamic projection system.
Needle-type dissolved oxygen microelectrode array sensors for in situ measurements

Abstract Dissolved oxygen is a critical indicator in a variety of biomedical and environmental processes. This work describes the development of a new needle-type microelectrode array (MEA) sensor for in situ measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO) using microfabrication technologies. A dynamic etching technique was used to fabricate 10 mm long sensor probes and sharpen them to micrometer dimensions. The sensors utilized a gold sensing electrode inside a recess fabricated at the tip of each microelectrode. Electrochemical performance of these DO MEA sensors was fully characterized by measuring the oxygen concentration of saline solutions with a Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The DO MEA exhibited a rapid 15 s linear response in the 0–9 mg/L (0–21% O 2 ) range. The DO microelectrode array sensor was successfully applied to evaluation of DO microprofiles in a multi-species aerobic bacterial film. The developed new sensors are able to penetrate samples in order to perform DO measurements, and will enable in situ analysis in many biological applications.
Signaling thresholds and interclonal competition in preimmune B‐cell selection

Summary: The need to eliminate autoreactive B cells must be checked against the need for a diverse B-cell repertoire. Protein tyrosine phosphatases SHPI and CD45 act antagonistically within B cells to set the threshold level of antigen-receptor engagement required for B-cell elimination. The fate of B cells binding weak autoantigens is also regulated by interclonal competition. In the presence of a normal diverse repertoire of competitor B cells, the autoantigen-binding cells are excluded from follicles in spleen and lymph nodes and undergo rapid cell death. IN the absence of interclonal competition, the autoreactive cells enter the follicular microenvironment and survive. A model m which B cells compete for access to limiting follicular niches in order to survive is discussed.
Using Decision Support System and Graphical User Interface to Choose Appropriate Lane Configurations at Toll Facilities

This study shows that tools can be devised to assist engineers and operators make decisions concerning a network of toll roads. A decision support system (DSS) was connected to a database containing highway network hourly geometric and traffic information for one typical day. The DSS provided operators with online tools that could assist with their hour-to-hour decisions concerning toll plaza lane configurations. This pilot study could be extended, and the DSS could be connected to a real-time database to assist operators with their day-to-day decisions. Operators could plan for special scheduled events in which traffic volumes are known to surge. Engineers could design lane configurations at toll facilities that could meet traffic requirements. Engineers could also design new interchange locations and predict the effect on toll plaza segments. They could also predict the effect of adding additional lanes to busy highway segments. Highway operators could determine the effects of an incident or other unscheduled lane closing at any particular hour of the day. Furthermore, they could schedule maintenance and lane closings for construction at hours of the day in which bottlenecks are at a minimum.
On Factors Affecting Localization and Void Growth in Ductile Metals: A Parametric Study

A large number of factors besides void volume fraction are known to play significant roles in influencing void growth and strain localization. In spite of this, macroscale constitutive models curre...
Timing, mode, and predictors of death after direct angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.

The timing and mechanisms of early (30 day) mortality in 330 consecutive patients treated with direct angioplasty less than 12 hr after onset of myocardial infarction without antecedent thrombolysis were studied. There were 38 deaths (11.5% of pts), with a majority being due to cardiogenic shock (76%). Other causes included acute closure (11 %), death after emergency bypass surgery (5%), ventricular arrhythmias (5%), and respiratory failure (3%). No deaths from stroke or cardiac rupture were seen, in contrast to trials of thrombolytic agents. Most deaths were seen early, with 47% occurring within 1 day, 35% from days 2–7, and 18% from days 8–30. Death from cardiogenic shock was the most common cause of death throughout this period: 83% of deaths in days 0–3, 88% of deaths in days 4–6, and 43% of deaths in days 8–30. Significant predictors of early death included older age (P <.0001), multi-vessel disease (P <.05), direct angioplasty failure (P <.05), reduced ejection fraction (P <.0001), and anterior myocardial infarction (P <.0005). Gender, prior myocardial infarction, and prior bypass surgery did not affect mortality. Cardiogenic shock is the most common cause of early death after direct angioplasty for myocardial infarction. Patients with one or more risk factors for early death may benefit from additional myocardial salvage or revascularization efforts in the early postinfarct period. Certain causes of death after direct angioplasty (cardiac, rupture, stroke) appear to be less common than data reported for lytic therapy for myocardial infarction. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
THE ADSORPTION OF FOUR HERBICIDES BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIC MATTER AND A BENTONITE CLAY

Summary. A bioassay was used to study, adsorption of prometryne, simazine, linuron and pyrazon by fibrous peat, sphagnum moss, muck soil and bentonite as 1 % mixtures with quartz sand. Of these bentonite caused least reduction in bioactivity, and sphagnum moss reduced it only slightly more. Fibrous peat and muck soil were the most adsorptive. Prometryne, simazine and pyrazon were more highly adsorbed by fibrous peat than by muck soil, while for linuron the opposite occurred. Fibrous peat was approximately three, seven, thirteen and three times more adsorptive than bentonite for pyrazon, linuron, prometryne and simazine, respectively, while for muck soil the corresponding values were two, fourteen, seven and two. Studies with prometryne and five different soils indicated that percentage organic matter, cation-exchange capacity and specific surface area were all highly correlated with adsorption. Resume. Un essai biologique a ete realise pour etudier l'adsorption de la prometryne, de la simazine, du linuron et de la pyrazone par de la tourbe fibreuse, du sphagnum, un sol contenant du fumier, et de la bentonite, en melange a 1% avec du sable quartzeux. La bentonite provoqua la plus faible reduction d'activite biologique et le sphagnum une reduction legerement plus forte. La tourbe fibreuse et le sol contenant du fumier furent les materiaux les plus adsorbants. La prometryne, la simazine et la pyrazone furent adsorbees plus intensement par la tourbe fibreuse que par le sol contenant du fumier, tandis que le linuron se comporta de facon inverse. La tourbe fibreuse fut approximativement trois, sept, treize et trois fois plus adsorbante que la bentonite pour la pyrazone, le linuron, la prometryne et la simazine respectivement, alors que pour le sol contenant du fumier, les valeurs correspondantes furent deux, quatorze, sept et deux. Des etudes avec la prometryne et cinq sols differents montrerent que le pourcentage de matiere organique, la capacitye d'echange de cations et l'etendue de la surface specifique etaient en correlation etroite avec l'adsorption. Zusammenfassung. Mit Hilfe eines Biotests wurde die Adsorption von Prometryn, Simazin, Linuron und Pyrazon durch faserigen Torf, Sphagnum-Moos, Moorboden und Bentonit in 1%igen Mischungen mit Quarzsand untersucht. Bentonit verminderte die Bioaktivitat der Herbizide am wenigsten und bei Sphagnum-Moos war die Reduktion nur wenigstarker. Diestarkste Adsorption war bei faserigem Torf und Moorboden festzustellen. Prometryn, Simazin und Pyrazon wurden durch faserigen Torf starker adsorbiert als durch Moorboden, wahrend es bei Linuron umgekehrt war. Faseriger Torf war bei Pyrazon ungefahr 3 mal, bei Linuron 7 mal, bei Prometryn 13 mal und bei Simazin 3 mal so hoch wie bei Bentonit. Die entsprechenden Werte fur Moorboden waren 2, 14, 7 und 2. Untersuchungen mit Prometryn und funf verschiedenen Boden zeigten, dass der Anteil an organischer Substanz, die Kationenaustauschkapazitat und die spezifische Oberflache mit der Adsorption stark korreliert sind.
All Patients With Hemodynamically Tolerated Postinfarction Ventricular Tachycardia Do Not Require an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

Several randomized clinical trials have been published in the last decade to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for secondary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest.1–4 However, none of those trials included patients with hemodynamically tolerated ventricular tachycardia (VT). In the largest of these trials, the Antiarrhythmics Versus Implantable Defibrillators (AVID) trial, patients with VT were included only if the VT produced syncope or if the “ejection fraction was 0.40 or less and symptoms suggesting severe hemodynamic compromise” were present.1 The Canadian Implantable Defibrillator Study (CIDS) trial included patients with VT if it produced syncope or caused presyncope or angina.2 The other 2 trials included only cardiac arrest survivors.3,4 Thus, no information is available from randomized clinical trials about outcome in patients with hemodynamically tolerated VT. Response by Callans p 1212 Despite decades of active research focused on post–myocardial infarction (MI) VT, information on the clinical outcome of sustained monomorphic VT patients is limited. Several reasons account for the limited information. First, because post-MI VT has always been considered a life-threatening condition, it has been considered unethical to leave these patients without specific antiarrhythmic therapy for group comparisons. Second, VT recurrences during follow-up have been considered in some studies together with sudden cardiac death (SCD)5 despite the fact that both events are distinctly different; the recurrence of a well-tolerated VT may require medical attention, but in most instances, the patient leaves the hospital alive and without any sequelae. Third, because ICD and catheter ablation therapy have been used increasingly in recent years, outcome information is likely to be more homogeneous in relatively old studies. Fourth, several outcome studies have included patients with a variety of sustained ventricular arrhythmias, but the prognosis of patients with ventricular fibrillation (VF) may not be the same as …
Minimal Trauma Fractures in Older Nursing Home Residents: The Interaction of Functional Status, Trauma, and Site of Fracture

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the incidence of long bone fractures in institutionalized older persons and to describe preceding traumatic events and the functional status of individuals sustaining fractures. DESIGN: A 1-year, prospective, cumulative incidence survey. SETTING: Eleven skilled nursing care facilities in the state of Wisconsin. PATIENTS: All residents of the 11 facilities. MEASUREMENTS: All incident reports of long bone fractures, description of events preceding the fractures, and functional status of the fracture cases. In addition, demographic and medical information was collected on fracture cases and the general nursing home population. MAIN RESULTS: Overall long bone fracture incidence was 3.52 per 100 subjects per year. Minimal trauma fracture incidence was 0.84 per 100 subjects per year. Fracture location was significantly related to type of trauma. Functional status was significantly related to fracture location and to the type of trauma preceding the fracture. Minimal trauma fractures occurred in individuals who were less mobile and more likely to be bed-bound, and the location was more likely to be the lower extremity below the hip. CONCLUSION: This is the first prospective survey of long bone and spontaneous fracture incidence rates in multiple nursing home facilities. Minimal trauma fractures are common in the nursing home, and most have no clear precipitating factors other than severely impaired mobility.
The fluorescent probe BCECF has a heterogenous distribution in sea urchin eggs

Sea urchin eggs were loaded with the pH-sensitive fluorescent probe BCECF. Homogenization of these eggs, followed by centrifugation, resulted in 25% of the total homogenate fluorescence remaining with the pellet. Fluorescence microscopy revealed brightly fluorescing punctate organelles whose fluorescence was not quenched by acidification. The excitation spectrum of intracellular BCECF was markedly red-shifted compared to probe calibrated in buffer. Model excitation spectra based on a two compartment model mimicked the intracellular BCECF spectrum, therefore, supporting the possibility that organelles in sea urchin eggs accumulate large amounts of BCECF in a relatively pH-insensitive form.
SEDIDAT: a BASIC program for the collection and staXtistical analysis of partice settling velocity data

Abstract SEDIDAT is a series of compiled IBM-BASIC (version 2.0) programs that direct the collection, statistical calculation, and graphic presentation of particle settling velocity and equivalent spherical diameter for samples analyzed using the settling tube technique. The programs follow a menu-driven format that is understood easily by students and scientists with little previous computer experience. Settling velocity is measured directly (cm,sec) and also converted into Chi units. Equivalent spherical diameter (reported in Phi units) is calculated using a modified Gibbs equation for different particle densities. Input parameters, such as water temperature, settling distance, particle density, run time, and Phi;Chi interval are changed easily at operator discretion. Optional output to a dot-matrix printer includes a summary of moment and graphic statistical parameters, a tabulation of individual and cumulative weight percents, a listing of major distribution modes, and cumulative and histogram plots of a raw time, settling velocity. Chi and Phi data.
Neutron and gamma transport effects by heterogeneous core designs. [LMFBR]

The use of diffusion theory for the prediction of power production near a reactor core-blanket interface and the assumption that gammas are absorbed in situ can lead to substantial errors. This is primarily due to the breakdown of Fick's law for neutron diffusion near the core-blanket boundary, and the gamma leakage from the core into the blanket. These considerations are more pronounced in a situation where a large number of internal blanket assemblies are present, such as in the large heterogeneous core designs. The power distribution is studied for both fission and gamma heating in a large heterogeneous LMFBR with 3 core zones separated by 2 internal blanket zones. Comparisons are made between diffusion and transport theory for neutronics calculations, and between in-situ absorption and rigorous transport theory calculation for gamma heating.
First-principles study of vacancy-assisted impurity diffusion in ZnO

Group-III elements act as donors in ZnO when incorporated on the Zn site. Their incorporation and behavior upon annealing is governed by diffusion, which proceeds mainly through a vacancy-assisted process. We report first-principles calculations for the migration of Al, Ga, and In donors in ZnO, based on density functional theory using a hybrid functional. From the calculated migration barriers and formation energies, we determine diffusion activation energies and estimate annealing temperatures. Impurity-vacancy binding energies and migration barriers decrease from Al to In. Activation energies for vacancy-assisted diffusion are lowest for In and highest for Al.
The development of new techniques in agriculture: The case of the mechanization of irrigation in the Saga Plain area of Japan

Abstract This paper describes the process whereby a new technique was developed within the Japanese agricultural sector. It is argued that this process produced a successful innovation because: (1) it was based on many years of close contact between farmers and extension officials, which made researchers responsive to local conditions; and (2) attention was concentrated on the selection of technical characteristics which would make the new technique compatible with the prevailing economic conditions and easily adopted by the majority of local farmers.
Model-Based Fault Diagnosis Approach for Rotor System with Unidentified Supporting Parameters

The model based diagnosis method can detect both the fault location and the fault extent of the rotating machinery at the same time as it can combine the dynamics and fault diagnosis method together. However, the modal test of the supporting part is necessary when using the existing model based method, and the precision of the modal test results make a strong impact on the diagnosis results. In order to improve this case, an improved model based diagnosis method is presented herein by combining the fixed-interface modal synthesis method with the traditional model based diagnosis method. The DOF of the unidentified parameter due to the supporting parts are partitioned to interface DOF, and the displacement information of the supporting parts can be measured by the mounted sensors. Therefore, the model based diagnosis method can be carried out by only using the parameters of the rotor without considering the effects from the supporting, which can greatly improve the diagnosis precision and efficiency. This method is fit for the rotor systems with unidentified supporting parameter, and the rotor systems with unknown nonlinear supporting parameter. Both the numerical simulation results and the experiment results in the example proved the efficiency of this method.
On the nonautomaticity of "automatic" activation: evidence of selective seeing.

Early perceptual selection refers to a sequence of perceptual processing in which attentional selection of stimuli occurs before perceptual processing is complete. By contrast, late perceptual selection refers to a sequence in which all stimuli receive complete perceptual processing before selection takes place. An attempt was made to determine if early selection is possible. Three experiments were conducted in which subjects were presented with arrays containing a variable number of red items and a variable number of black items; all array items were randomly positioned around the circumference of an imaginary circle. The subjects task was to report the number of red items. Response time increased with the number of red items, but was essentially independent of the number of black items. The nature of the red and black items was also varied. When the to-be-attended red items were given “Stroop-like” quality (the symbols that were used were directly inconsistent with the correct response for that trial), mean reaction time was increased compared to a baseline condition; when the to-be-ignored black items were given “Stroop-like” quality, mean reaction time was unaffected. These results imply that the relevant (red) and irrelevant (black) items were processed differentially. We conclude that early selection is possible; late-selection models are not supported.
How curricular content and pedagogical strategies affect moral reasoning development in college students

College instructors use a variety of approaches to teach students to reason more effectively about issues with a moral dimension and achieve mixed results. This pre‐post study of 423 undergraduate students examined the effects of morally explicit and implicit curricular content and of selected pedagogical strategies on moral reasoning development. Using causal modelling to control for a range of student background variables as well as Time 1 scores, 52% of the variance in moral reasoning scores was explained; we found that these scores were affected by type of curricular content and by three pedagogical strategies (active learning, reflection and faculty‐student interaction). Students who experienced more negative interactions with diverse peers were the least likely to show positive change in moral reasoning as a result of participating in any course. Implications for the design of intervention studies are discussed, including the need to attend to selection and attenuation effects.
Effects of varying interfacial oxide and high-k layer thicknesses for HfO 2 metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor

A metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitor and field effect transistor with a hafnium oxide (HfO2) dielectric have been fabricated. Various thicknesses of interfacial oxide and HfO2 film have been used. The results show that the flatband voltage changed due to the change in the physical thickness of the HfO2 film, and not that of the interfacial oxide layer. In addition, the effective channel electron mobility depends on both the amount of fixed charges and the distance from the fixed charges to the Si surface. The results also suggest that the fixed charges are rather uniformly distributed throughout the bulk of high-k layer.
The Progression of Knowledge in Nursing: A Search for Meaning

This paper explores the process of knowledge acquisition in nursing and discusses the ways the process is reflected in the development and use of nursing theory and the conduct of nursing research. The authors' argument is that multiple theories are necessary for the scholarly development of the profession and for individual nurses practicing in clinical settings. The use of all types of knowledge in nursing will promote creative, scholarly endeavors, and the ultimate meaning of clinical situations will be realized.
Cyclic AMP and the heat shock response in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Heat shock leads to transient increases in cAMP levels in HA-1-CHO cells. Such pulses are correlated temporally with the induction of heat resistance (thermotolerance) and with heat shock protein synthesis. Although the kinetics of cAMP increase after heating suggest a role in thermotolerance induction, raising cAMP levels directly using dBcAMP did not produce full thermotolerance. The resistance induced by dBcAMP may thus be either a component of or different to heat-shock triggered resistance. Cells which had been made thermotolerant by heat shock did not produce a pulse in cAMP level on heating. The cAMP producing system thus seemed desensitized to heat in thermotolerant cells.
Human arsenic exposure in relation to a copper smelter

Abstract Children living near a copper smelter in Tacoma, Washington, were shown to have increased levels of arsenic in hair and urine. The urinary arsenic level decreased with distance of residence from the smelter stack. House vacuum-cleaner dust showed a similar distance relationship. Urine arsenic levels in children varied synchronously over a 5-wk period, indicating that inhalation was the most likely exposure route. In children urinary arsenic level showed an inverse relationship to age with younger children showing consistently higher urine arsenic levels. A death-record analysis indicated an increased respiratory cancer incidence in men working at this smelter. Since published urinary arsenic levels for men working at this smelter were similar to those seen in people residing near the smelter, it was felt that the community surrounding the smelter might be exposed to an increased respiratory cancer risk. Accordingly, action was taken to reduce arsenic emissions from the smelter.
Truth, Thinking, Testimony and Trust: Alvin Goldman on Epistemology and Education

In his recent work in social epistemology, Alvin Goldman argues that truth is the fundamental epistemic end of education, and that critical thinking is of merely instrumental value with respect to that fundamental end. He also argues that there is a central place for testimony and trust in the classroom, and an educational danger in over-emphasizing the fostering of students’ critical thinking. In this paper I take issue with these claims, and argue that (1) critical thinking is a fundamental end of education, independently of its instrumental tie to truth, and (2) it is critical thinking, rather than testimony and trust, that is educationally basic.
Snapshots by the way: individuality and convention in tourists' photographs from the United States, 1880-1940.

Abstract This essay compares amateur and professional tourist photography in albums and published books from 1880-1940, paying special attention to similarities and differences between these two categories of images in terms of appearance, subject matter, and modes of circulation and use. Although the influence of commercial travel photography on amateurs is undeniable, this essay also reveals that tourists taking their own snapshots attempted to individualize them through a variety of means. A comparison of the books and albums discussed in the first part of the essay with new modes of sharing travel photography online will uncover significant differences. However, it will also reveal historical continuity in the public’s desire to use photography as an impetus for social interaction.
Synthesis and solid state 13C‐NMR studies of some cellulose derivatives

Several cellulose derivatives were synthesized and characterized by IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The positions of substitution in these derivatives were confirmed using solid state 13C-NMR spectroscopy techniques.
Direct observation of energy transfer in a photosynthetic membrane: chlorophyll b to chlorophyll a transfer in LHC

Subpicosecond fluorescence upconversion has been used to measure the rate of chlorophyll b to chlorophyll a electronic energy transfer in situ within the LHC pigment proteins of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant C2. The time scale of energy transfer is 0.5 {plus minus} 0.2 ps as determined from the rise time of chlorophyll a fluorescence following chlorophyll b excitation. Estimates of the energy-transfer rate based on Foerster weak coupling theory are discussed.
A comparison of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungus tolerance to creosote in vitro

Abstract Twenty-six isolates (18 species) of mycorrhizal fungi and 13 isolates (13 species) of saprotrophic decay fungi were grown on agar amended with 25, 50 and 100 ppm creosote. All saprotrophic fungi exhibited some tolerance to creosote; 11 of 13 saprotrophic fungal isolates (85%) had intermediate, high or complete tolerance to creosote. However, only 12 of 26 mycorrhizal fungal isolates (46%) had comparable tolerance to creosote. Of the saprotrophic fungi, Irpex lacteus , Neolentinus lepideus , Ouedemansiella radicata , Phanaerochaete chrysosporium , Postia placenta and Trametes versicolor exhibited the greatest tolerance to creosote. Of the mycorrhizal fungi, Cenococcum geophilum , Laccaria bicolor (one isolate), Laccaria laccata (one isolate) and Suillus granulatus exhibited the highest tolerance to creosote. Mycorrhizal fungi with either very low or no tolerance (killed) by creosote were Amanita flavoconia , Astraeus hygrometricus , Lactarius rufus , Pisolithus tinctorius , and Scleroderma citrinum .
Relationship between aerial concentration of Venturia inaequalis ascospores and development of apple scab

The relationship between the aerial concentration of pathogenic spores and amount of disease produced on susceptible plants is fundamental to developing models for predicting the spread of airborne diseases. This relationship was examined for apple scab, a disease important in many parts of the world. Potted McIntosh apple trees were exposed in the field to Venturia inaequalis ascospores naturally discharged during rain. Ascospore concentration in the air, (C) (spores m−1), was monitored using spore samplers. Following exposure, trees were incubated under controlled conditions for infection and lesion development. In a separate experiment, individual leaves on potted McIntosh trees were quantitatively inoculated with V. inaequalis ascospore suspensions in the laboratory to determine the lesion-causing efficiency, (E), of ascospores. E varied with leaf age and was about 0.2 lesions per spore for the most susceptible leaves (approximately 3–5 days after unfurling). The number of lesions per shoot, NS, was recorded for trees exposed in the field. A significant positive correlation (r2 = 0.54, P < 0.00001, d.f. = 293) was found between NS and exposure to ascospore concentration (C × exposure time). A physical model was used to estimate deposition, D (spores m−2), of ascospores onto leaves for a given exposure to C. These calculated values of D were combined with experimentally determined values of E and the area of exposed leaves to estimate values of NS. Values of NS estimated using the model were well correlated (r = 0.83, P < 0.01) with field observations.
Kaon electroweak form factors in the light-front quark model

We investigate the form factors and decay rates for the semileptonic decays of the kaon(K{sub l3}) using the light-front quark model. The form factors f{sub {plus_minus}}(q{sup 2}) are calculated in the q{sup +}=0 frame and analytically continued to the timelike region, q{sup 2}{gt}0. Our numerical results for the physical observables f{sub {minus}}/f{sub +}{vert_bar}{sub q{sup 2}=m{sub l}{sup 2}}={minus}0.38, {lambda}{sub +}=0.025 (the slope of f{sub +} at q{sup 2}=m{sub l}{sup 2}), {Gamma}(K{sub e3}{sup 0})=(7.30{plus_minus}0.12){times}10{sup 6}thinsps{sup {minus}1}, and {Gamma}(K{sub {mu}3}{sup 0})=(4.57{plus_minus}0.07){times}10{sup 6}thinsps{sup {minus}1} are quite comparable with the experimental data and other theoretical model calculations. The nonvalence contributions from the q{sup +}{ne}0 frame are also estimated. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Effect of processing parameters on the kinetics of decomposition of magnesium sulphate

Abstract Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study the kinetics of decomposition of MgSO 4 between 920°C and 1080°C as a function of sample mass and processing pressure. The kinetics of decomposition of MgSO 4 can be represented either by the contracting sphere (phase boundary controlled) rate equation or by a nuclei growth equation with ( m ) equal to 1.10. The contracting sphere model gives a slightly better mathematical representation. The experimental activation energy of 74.5 ± 3 kcal/mole is close to the heat of decomposition. The measured kinetics are influenced by the reversible nature of the reaction. Pelletization, or increasing the sample mass, retards the reaction by increasing the partial pressure of SO 3 developed within the powder compact.
Weld Metal Toughness: Sources of Variation

Many material properties are statistical in nature. If one measures the same property of the same material repeatedly, ideally the result is a normally distributed “bell” curve about a mean value. This ideal case does not necessarily hold true for all mechanical properties of interest in steel weld metals. Tensile strength measurements tend to exhibit normal behavior for a given weld metal chemical composition deposited using a reasonable consistent welding procedure, Figure 1a. However, toughness measurements are not nearly as well-behaved or predictable. In a tensile test, assuming a defect free weld, the strength measurement is based on the bulk response of the material throughout the gage length. In a Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact test, again assuming a defect free weld, the toughness measurements are controlled largely by the very local response of the material at the point of highest stress where fracture initiates just below the notch. This paper presents a detailed assessment of a C-Mn weld metal and explains how CVN toughness can vary from less than 20 ft-lbf to over 200 ft-lbf in the same weld, often with test specimens located adjacent to one another in the test weld, Figure 1b. The much localized microstructure features that give rise to this degree of variation are a combined result of chemical composition, welding procedure, pass sequence, and individual welder technique. The evidence suggests that retained austenite in coarse grained regions of the as-deposited weld metal transform to martensite at the CVN test temperature, effectively creating local brittle zones in the weld metal. This example provides basis for examination of a broader range of microstructural discontinuities in steel weld metals and their potential influence on toughness measurement.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Radiation-grafted polymers for biomaterial applications. I. 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate: ethyl methacrylate grafting onto low density polyethylene films

Studies were conducted on the radiation grafting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and ethyl methacrylate (EMA) by the mutual irradation technique onto low density polyethylene. Four different solution concentrations were used, and radiation doses ranged from 0.03 to 0.50 Mrad. Four copolymer compositions having different HEMA:EMA ratios were also studied using two total monomer concentrations. The kinetics of the grafting process demonstrated by the two monomers were basically different. While EMA showed a typical diffusion-controlled kinetic pattern, HEMA exhibited a more complex behavior, the main features of which were an induction period, a slight autoacceleration and a significant drop in graft level after a maximum is reached. The difference in behavior was interpreted in terms of partitioning of monomers into the polyethlene substrate. The surface topography of the grafted films was studied by means of scanning electron microscopy. A mechanism based on osmotic cell formation was suggested for the HEMA graft system. The copolymer systems investigated showed that the graft reaction is faster in the initial stages for higher percentages of EMA in the monomer mixtures; as grafting proceeds the trend is reversed. 24 references, 16 figures, 2 tables.
Finite element formulation for transport equations in a mixed co‐ordinate system: An application to determine temperature effects on the single‐well chemical tracer test

Heterogeneous equation systems in a pair of coupled co-ordinate systems are solved by a finite element method. The specific physical application studied is the effect of temperature on single-well chemical tracer (SWCT) tests to measure residual oil saturation (volume fraction of immobile oil phase) remaining after waterflooding of an oil reservoir. Since temperature effects are caused by injecting cooler surface fluid down a well into a warm reservoir, the vertical temperature profile in the wellbore as well as the temperature distribution in the porous oil-bearing layer must be considered. The entire system is modelled to account for the different transport mechanisms. However, it is expedient to divide the connected geometrical region into two model domains. The equations for each submodel are expressed in an appropriate set of co-ordinates. The variational formulation of each model is then discussed. A significant temperature effect on the estimation of residual oil saturation occurs when the radial temperature and concentration wave propagation speeds in the porous formation are about the same. In this case the temperature gradient is located across the chemical tracer bank, causing the chemical reaction rate to vary radially. The temperature effects are demonstrated for two actual field tests in complex reservoirs.
Use of adaptive models in watermark identification

Many transform domain techniques have been developed for watermarking. Most of these techniques have been proven more robust than spatial domain methods after common image processing operations are applied to the watermarked images. In this research, adaptive models are used to help identify watermarks in the discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain. The adaptive models can be used to enhance the watermark detected after an attack. The watermark can thus be semi-blindly identified or estimated further allowing the estimation of the original image. In this paper, the susceptibility of the proposed DCT-based adaptive models to attacks is demonstrated on multiple digital images. The LMS correlation based detection is shown to be more robust than a simple correlation based detection.
Chemical state of the nitrogen in rocks

Abstract A considerable amount of the nitrogen in igneous and sedimentary rocks exists as ammonium ions held within the lattice structures of silicate minerals. In sedimentary rocks, the ammonium is held by secondary silicate minerals; in igneous rocks, the ammonium is contained largely within potassium-bearing primary minerals. Analyses indicated that most of the nitrogen in igneous rocks, and from one-tenth to two-thirds of that in sedimentary rocks (shales) occurred as fixed ammonium. The low C N ratios reported previously for sedimentary rocks were found to be due to fixed ammonium, a conclusion that emphasizes the fact that the ratio should not be considered a characteristic of indigenous organic matter. Sedimentary rocks analysed in this study had C N ratios which ranged from 9.4 to 37.2; the C organic N ratios ranged from 34.8 to 43.4.
β1 integrins are required for normal CNS myelination and promote AKT-dependent myelin outgrowth

Oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) produce myelin sheaths that insulate axons to ensure fast propagation of action potentials. β1 integrins regulate the myelination of peripheral nerves, but their function during the myelination of axonal tracts in the CNS is unclear. Here we show that genetically modified mice lacking β1 integrins in the CNS present a deficit in myelination but no defects in the development of the oligodendroglial lineage. Instead, in vitro data show that β1 integrins regulate the outgrowth of myelin sheaths. Oligodendrocytes derived from mutant mice are unable to efficiently extend myelin sheets and fail to activate AKT (also known as AKT1), a kinase that is crucial for axonal ensheathment. The inhibition of PTEN, a negative regulator of AKT, or the expression of a constitutively active form of AKT restores myelin outgrowth in cultured β1-deficient oligodendrocytes. Our data suggest that β1 integrins play an instructive role in CNS myelination by promoting myelin wrapping in a process that depends on AKT.
Role of Interferon Alpha in Endothelial Dysfunction: Insights Into Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase–Related Mechanisms

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by the production of autoantibodies against nuclear antigens such as double-stranded DNA. Lupus predominantly affects women (ratio, 9:1). Moreover, premenopausal women with SLE are 50 times more likely to have a myocardial infarction. Although specific risk factors for advanced cardiovascular complications have not been identified in this patient population, endothelial dysfunction is highly prevalent. Recent studies show that the type I interferon signature gene expression coincides with impaired brachial artery flow-mediated dilation and diminished endothelial progenitor cell circulation, both markers of impaired endothelial function. Although many factors promote the development of vascular endothelial dysfunction, all pathways converge on the diminished activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and loss of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Studies examining the effects of type I interferons on eNOS and NO in SLE are missing. This literature review examines the current literature regarding the role of type I interferons in cardiovascular disease and its known effects on regulators of eNOS and NO bioavailability that are important for proper endothelial cell function.
Possible relationship of gastroesophagopharyngeal acid reflux with pathogenesis of chronic sinusitis.

Gastroesophagopharyngeal reflux (GEPR) has been suggested as a cause of pediatric sinusitis. However, its contribution to the pathogenesis of chronic sinusitis in adults has not been systematically...
Regional structural and viscoelastic properties of fibrocartilage upon dynamic nanoindentation of the articular condyle.

Fibrocartilage,a tissue with macromaterial properties between dense fibrous tissue and hyaline cartilage, is not well understood in its ultrastructure and regional viscoelastic properties. Here nanoindentation with atomic force microscopy was performed on fresh fibrocartilage samples of rabbit jaw joint condyles. Each sample was divided into anteromedial, anterolateral, posteromedial, and posterolateral regions for probing and topographic imaging in 2 x 2 microm and 10 x 10 microm scan sizes. Young's moduli differed significantly among these regions in a descending gradient from the anteromedial (2.34 +/- 0.26 MPa) to the posterolateral (0.95 +/- 0.06 MPa). The Poisson ratio, defined as lateral strain over axial strain, had the same gradient distribution: highest for the anteromedial region (0.46 +/- 0.05) and lowest for the posterolateral region (0.31 +/- 0.05). The same four regions showed a descending gradient of surface roughness: highest for the anteromedial (321.6 +/- 13.8 nm) and lowest for the posterolateral (155.6 +/- 12.6 nm). Thus, the regional ultrastructural and viscoelastic properties of fibrocartilage appear to be coregulated. Based on these region-specific gradient distributions, fibrocartilage is constructed to withstand tissue-borne shear stresses, which likely propagate across its different regions. A model of shear gradient and concentric gradient is proposed to describe the region-specific capacity of fibrocartilage to sustain shear stresses in tendons, ligaments, joints, and the healing bone across species.
Relationship of two tests of creativity to freshman English grades, school activities, and number of absences for black college students.

Torrance's Creative Motivation Inventory and What Kind of Person Are You were administered to 133 black freshman English students (17 to 19 yr.). Creativity scores were weakly correlated with grades in freshman English (≤ .30).
Mold and Yeast Counts and their Relation to the Composition of Butter

Summary 1.Data are presented for 2700 samples of market butter, setting forth the mold and yeast counts and the composition. 2.The mold and yeast counts are compared with the concentrations of moisture, salt and "salt in brine." 3.Apparently, the moisture content of the butter had no particular relationship to the counts. 4.The mold and yeast counts appeared to be effected to a marked degree by the salt content of the butter. 5.The percentage of "salt in brine" seemed to show an effect upon the mold and yeast counts. 6.The influence of higher concentrations of salt and "salt in brine," appeared more marked for mold than for yeast counts.