cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acceleration by montmorillonite of nitrification in soil.

A soil naturally containing montmorillonite (M) was amended with 10% M and sequentially perfused with glycine, with fresh glycine being added every 16–17 d after nitrification of the previously added glycine-nitrogen had reached a plateau. In some systems, the old perfusates were replaced each time with a fresh glycine solution; in others, the initial perfusate was not replaced but only adjusted each time to the original 200 ml volume and a comparable glycine concentration (140 μg NH2-N/ml). The incorporation of M enhanced the rates of heterotrophic degradation of glycine and subsequent autotrophic nitrification, but these stimulatory effects decreased with each successive perfusion. The reasons for these decreases are not known, but they did not appear to be related to inorganic nutrition, as perfusion with a mixed cation solution after five perfusion cycles did not significantly enhance nitrification in either the check or M-amended soils during three subsequent perfusions with glycine. The enhancement of nitrification by M appeared to be a result, in part, of the greater buffering capacity of the M-amended soil, as indicated by lesser reductions in the pH of perfusates from the M-amended soil, by titration curves of the soils, and by the greater and longer stimulation of nitrification in the cheek soil amended with 1% CaCO3, which had a greater buffering capacity than did M. The stimulation by CaCO3 may also have been partially the result of providing CO2 for the autotrophic nitrifyers. Significant concentrations of nitrite accumulated only in perfusates from soil amended with CaCO3. Air-drying and remoistening the soils enhanced nitrification of subsequently added glycine, especially in the check soil. The importance of pH-mediation, of the production of inhibitors, and/or of feed-back inhibition was indicated by the lower rate and extent of nitrification in systems wherein the perfusates were not replaced between successive additions of glycine. Although the results of these studies confirmed previous observations that M enhances the rate of nitrification in soil, the mechanisms responsible for this stimulation are still not known.
Improving the rate of convergence of Newton methods on Banach spaces with a convergence structure and applications

Abstract In this note, we use inexact Newton-like methods to find solutions of nonlinear operator equations on Banach spaces with a convergence structure. Our technique involves the introduction of a generalized norm as an operator from a linear space into a partially ordered Banach space. In this way, the metric properties of the examined problem can be analyzed more precisely. Moreover, this approach allows us to derive from the same theorem, on the one hand, semilocal results of Kantorovich-type, and on the other hand, global results based on monotonicity considerations. By imposing very general Lipschitz-like conditions on the operators involved, on the one hand, we cover a wider range of problems, and on the other hand, by choosing our operators appropriately, we can find sharper error bounds on the distances involved than before. Furthermore, we show that special cases of our results reduce to the corresponding ones already in the literature. Finally, several examples are being provided where our results compare favorably with earlier ones.
Error measurement and analysis for a 3D face surface matching system

Purpose – To report on the evaluation of error of a face matching system consisting of a 3D sensor for obtaining the surface of the face, and a two‐stage matching algorithm that matches the sensed surface to a model surface.Design/methodology/approach – Rigid mannikin face that was, otherwise, fairly realistic was obtained, and several sensing and matching experiments were performed. Pose position, lighting and face color were controlled.Findings – The combined sensor‐matching system typically reported correct face surface matches with trimmed RMS error of 0.5 mm or less for a generous volume of parameters, including roll, pitch, yaw, position, lighting, and facecolor. Error accelerated beyond this “approximately frontal” set of parameters. Mannikin results are compared to results with thousands of cases of real faces. The sensor accuracy is not a limiting component of the system, but supports the application well.Practical implications – The sensor supports the application well (except for the current co...
Characterization of fabrication damage in SrTiO3 by internal and external measurements

Abstract When strontium titinate (SrTiO 3 ) is fabricated and polished into prisms and hemicylinders, a surface transition layer is formed. Its average refractive index, determined by ellipsometer measurements, is lower than that of the bulk region and depends on the type of polishing material which also affects how far it extends into the bulk. Surface-related effects were also found which made the SrTiO 3 hemicylinders unsuitable for internal reflection ellipsometer measurements. However, such measurements can be made using prisms if the optical faces are closely symmetrical.
Patterns and processes in communities of heirninth parasites

What processes account for the structure and dynamics of helminth parasite assemblages within vertebrate and invertebrate hosts? Attempts to answer this question form the basis for the emerging subdiscipline of parasite community ecology. Negative interspecific interactions strongly affect the distribution and abundance of parasites in some systems, but only intermittently, if ever, in others. Empirical results provide only mixed support for recent theories that attempt to explain this variation.
Using computer simulations of negotiation for educational and research purposes in business schools

Computer-based experimental simulations are discussed as a specific type of simulation. Educational and research advantages of simulations are discussed in general terms, and two negotiation studies using a computer-based simulation are discussed in detail. The advantages and shortcomings of the negotiation simulation are discussed. The argument is made that these simulations not only provide a valuable educational experience for students, but (properly designed) can assist researchers in their attempts to understand the dynamics of negotiation.
Runtime detection and description of deadness errors in Ada tasking

Abstract : A runtime monitoring system for detecting and describing tasking errors in Ada programs is presented. Basic concepts for classifying tasking errors, called deadness errors, are defined. These concepts indicate which aspects of an Ada computation must be monitored in order to detect deadness errors resulting from attempts to rendezvous or terminate. They also provide a basis for the definition and proof of correct detection. Descriptions of deadness errors are given in terms of the basic concepts. The monitoring system has two parts: (1) a separately compiled runtime monitor that is added to any Ada source text to be monitored, and (2) a pre-processor that transforms the Ada source text so that necessary descriptive data is communicated to the monitor at runtime. Some basic preprocessing transformations and an abstract monitoring for a limited class of errors were previously presented.
A multi-mode sensing system for corrosion detection using piezoelectric wafer active sensors

ABSTRACT As an emerging technology for in-situ damage detection and nondestructive evaluation, structural health monitoring with active sensors (active SHM) plays as a promising candidate for the pipeline inspection and diagnosis. Piezoelectric wafer active sensor (PWAS), as an active sensing device, can be permanently attached to the structure to interrogate it at will and can operate in propagating wave mode or electromechanical impedance mode. Its small size and low cost (about ~ $10 each) make itself a potentia l and unique technology for in-situ SHM application. The objective of the research in this paper is to develop a permanently installed in-situ multi-mode sensing system for the corrosion monitoring and prediction of critical pipeline systems. Such a system is used during in-service period, recording and monitoring the changes of the pipelines over time, such as corrosion, wall thickness, etc. Having the real-time data available, maintenance strategies based on these data can then be developed to ensure a safe and le ss expensive operation of the pipeline systems. After a detailed review of PWAS SHM methods, including ultrasonic, impedance, and thickness measurement, we introduce the concept of PWAS-based multi-mode sensing approach for corrosion detection in pipelines. Particularly, we investigate the potential for using PWAS waves for in thickness mode experimentally. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify the corrosion detection ability of the PWAS network in both metallic plate and pipe in a laboratory setting. Results show successful corrosion localization in both tests. Keywords : corrosion detection, thickness, in-situ monitoring, piezoelectric wafer active sensor, PWAS, Lamb waves
Extraordinary 13C enrichment of diether lipids at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field indicates a carbon-limited ecosystem

Abstract Active and inactive carbonate chimneys from the Lost City Hydrothermal Field contain up to 0.6% organic carbon with diverse lipid assemblages. The δ 13 C values of total organic carbon range from −21.5‰ vs. VPDB at an extinct carbonate chimney to −2.8‰ at a 70 °C, actively venting carbonate chimney. Samples collected at locations with total organic carbon with δ 13 C > −15‰ also contained high abundances of isoprenoidal and nonisoprenoidal diether lipids. Samples with TOC more depleted in 13 C lacked or contained lower amounts of these diethers. Isoprenoidal diethers, including sn -2 hydroxyarchaeol, sn -3 hydroxyarchaeol, and putative dihydroxyarchaeol, are likely to derive from methanogenic archaea. These compounds have δ 13 C values ranging from −2.9 to +6.7‰ vs. VPDB. Nonisoprenoidal diethers and monoethers are presumably derived from bacteria, and have structures similar to those produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria in culture and at cold seeps. In samples that also contained abundant hydroxyarchaeols, these diethers have δ 13 C values between −11.8 and +3.6‰. In samples without abundant hydroxyarchaeols, the nonisoprenoidal diethers were typically more depleted in 13 C, with δ 13 C as low as −28.7‰ in chimneys and −45‰ in fissures. The diethers at Lost City are probably derived from hydrogen-consuming methanogens and bacteria. High hydrogen concentrations favor methanogenesis over methanotrophy and allow the concurrent growth of methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. The unusual enrichment of 13 C in lipids can be attributed to nearly complete consumption of bioavailable carbon in vent fluids. Under carbon-limited conditions, the isotope effects that usually lead to 13 C-depletion in organic material cannot be expressed. Consequently, metabolic products such as lipids and methane have δ 13 C values typical of abiotic carbon.
A Parameterized Study of the Detection of Infall in Protostellar Systems

We report new radiative transfer calculations of submillimeter and millimeter molecular line emission from fully three-dimensional models of protostars. The radiative transfer calculations are performed using the parameterized, semianalytic, rotating collapse solutions of Terebey, Shu, & Cassen. These results are compared with the class of "self-consistent," nonspherical, hydrodynamic, rotating collapse solutions (Boss; Walker, Narayanan, & Boss). We explore the sensitivity of the "blue-bulge" infall signature to rotational rate, infall time, sound speed, and abundance gradients in the molecular tracer of choice. At high angular resolutions, models with moderate to high rotational rates exhibit the "polar blue bulge"—a centroid velocity signature of underlying Keplerian rotation in an embedded cloud core. Submillimeter transitions of HCO+ and CS are found to be better than millimeter transitions in detecting infall, especially at early collapse times.
STEM High School Administrators', Teachers', and Students' Perceptions of Curricular and Instructional Strategies and Practices.

The present qualitative study was conducted in response to federal initiatives aimed at increasing the number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools in the United State...
Improving Judicial Controls over the Pretrial Development of Civil Actions: Model Rules for Case Management and Sanctions

This article follows two earlier pieces in which the author reported the findings of a pilot empirical exploration of how well the discovery system in civil litigation is functioning. Brazil begins by focusing on the principal problems his field studies exposed and by suggesting a theory of discovery reform which responds to the nature and sources of those problems. His principal thesis is that too often neither judges nor attorneys assume sufficient responsibility for the discovery system as a system. Most of this article is devoted to two major proposals that are designed to promote in the judiciary and in counsel a sense of responsibility for the pretrial system and to equip the judiciary to convert that sense into action. Brazil proposes a comprehensive model rule that courts could use to manage the pretrial development of civil actions. He then uses his model as a background for suggesting modifications to and extensions of the proposed revision of Rule 16 that the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules has circulated for comment. He also offers a critique of current provisions for sanctions and advances an alternative sanctions rule that acknowledges a right to compensation for damages caused by an opponent's breach of pretrial obligations and that reduces the scope of judicial discretion to refuse to impose compensatory awards.
COMMUTATION RELATIONS AND CONSERVATION LAWS

The response of a physical system to external electromagnetic and gravitational fields, as embodied in the electric current and stress tensor conservation laws, is used to derive the equal-time commutation relations for charge density and energy density.
Rings and Satellites of Uranus: Colorful and Not So Dark☆☆☆

Abstract Photometric properties of nine uranian satellites and four rings, based on six Hubble Space Telescope images taken in 1995, are presented. Derived albedos are consistent with previous data taken at the same phase angle of 1°, but inconsistent with most Voyager-based estimates extrapolated from observations at phase angles above 15°. The shape of phase functions in the range 1–90° is similar to that of asteroids. Darker surfaces have steeper phase functions than brighter ones, except for the four brightest satellites, which have the same phase function. Puck's geometric albedo in the visible is 0.11 ± 0.015, much larger than the Voyager-based value of 0.074 ± 0.008. The satellites smaller than Puck may be 10% larger than Voyager-based estimates. Ring particles have a geometric albedo of 0.061 ± 0.006, much larger than the Voyager-based value of 0.032 ± 0.003. The longitudinal variation of brightness of the ϵ ring indicates that the mean separation of particles in the ring is four to five times their diameter. While the uranian rings and satellites seemed to be all gray heretofore, the wide wavelength range of this study, 340–910 nm, detected their subtle, distinct colors. Rings and the minor satellites are brown, Miranda is blue, Umbriel is red, and Ariel, Titania, and Oberon are yellow. Rings and minor satellites belong spectrally to M-type asteroids.
Fe-57 and Sn-119 Mossbauer study of La2CuO4−y, YBa2Cu3O7−y and SmBa2Cu3O7−y

Moessbauer studies reveal antiferromagnetic order in doped La2CuO(4-7): at 77 K, H = 476 kOe at Fe-57 and H is less that 10 kOe at Sn-119. Split-source and conventional absorber experiments on RBa2Cu3O(7-y) (R = Y, Sm) are consistent with occupation of 3 sites by Fe-57, the relative population depending on sample preparation and Fe concentration.
A quantitative evaluation of gross versus histologic neuroma formation in a rabbit forelimb amputation model: potential implications for the operative treatment and study of neuromas

Surgical treatment of neuromas involves excision of neuromas proximally to the level of grossly "normal" fascicles; however, proximal changes at the axonal level may have both functional and therapeutic implications with regard to amputated nerves. In order to better understand the retrograde "zone of injury" that occurs after nerve transection, we investigated the gross and histologic changes in transected nerves using a rabbit forelimb amputation model. Four New Zealand White rabbits underwent a forelimb amputation with transection and preservation of the median, radial, and ulnar nerves. After 8 weeks, serial sections of the amputated nerves were then obtained in a distal-to-proximal direction toward the brachial plexus. Quantitative histomorphometric analysis was performed on all nerve specimens. All nerves demonstrated statistically significant increases in nerve cross-sectional area between treatment and control limbs at the distal nerve end, but these differences were not observed 10 mm more proximal to the neuroma bulb. At the axonal level, an increased number of myelinated fibers were seen at the distal end of all amputated nerves. The number of myelinated fibers progressively decreased in proximal sections, normalizing at 15 mm proximally, or the level of the brachial plexus. The cross-sectional area of myelinated fibers was significantly decreased in all sections of the treatment nerves, indicating that atrophic axonal changes proceed proximally at least to the level of the brachial plexus. Morphologic changes at the axonal level extend beyond the region of gross neuroma formation in a distal-to-proximal fashion after nerve transection. This discrepancy between gross and histologic neuromas signifies the need for improved standardization among neuroma models, while also providing a fresh perspective on how we should view neuromas during peripheral nerve surgery.
The Pasteur Institute

IN the article in NATURE under the above title the writer says (p. 74):—“The probability of rabies following the bite of a rabid dog is now definitely ascertained to be from 15 to 16 per cent, of those attacked.” It would greatly assist all who desire to form an impartial estimate of the value of Pasteur's researches on rabies as far as they are deducible from a comparison of statistics, if the writer would state the facts and figures on which the above computation of 15 to 16 per cent. rests. The statement is repeatedly made, but the proof is never given along with it. It is obvious that, unless this percentage is proved beyond dispute, the statistical argument will be lacking in cogency and force, and leaves a loophole for attack by those who are ever ready to depreciate and oppose the brilliant investigations of M. Pasteur.
A comparison of killer and nonkiller rats

Two experiments were performed on Long-Evans rats. The first study was designed to evaluate possible differences in muricidal behavior between killer and nonkiller rats following OB lesions. No significant differences in muricidal behavior were found after OB damage in either group. Experiment 2 examined the behavior of killer and nonkiller rats on reactivity to handling, open-field activity divided into the number of squares traversed and rearing, learning of a visual discrimination task, and learning of an olfactory discrimination task. Killers were found to be less reactive to handling, while exhibiting greater horizontal activity in the open-field test. No other differences were found.
Circadian morphometric variation in gastric parietal cell populations of the rat.

Gastric parietal cells of rats maintained under standardized conditions and fed ad libitum were examined by electron microscopy at 6 time points of the 24-h day. Morphometric determinations were made on 4 cell characteristics. The volume density of secretory canaliculi was maximal at the mid-dark sampling point and decreased during the light phase; a secondary peak was seen 1 h before the onset of darkness. The surface density of microvesicles and RER fluctuated inversely with the pattern displayed by secretory canaliculi. The number of multivesicular bodies per cytoplasmic area exhibited a single peak, 1 h after the onset of darkness. It was further noted that parietal cells in the necks and bases of glands differed morphologically and that their organelle populations varied at individual circadian rates.
Describing shape dynamics in transformed cells through latent factors.

Previous studies attributed the characteristic shape changes found in cancer cells, in part, to aberrant vesicle traffic. Typically, transformed cells also rounded up. These phenomena were further investigated by measuring the shape features of cells from established lines, which represented both normal and oncogenic stages of transformation. Although conventional pattern recognition methods, applied to a combined data set from these lines, failed to reveal any new, recognizable features beyond those already known, factors did describe such features. Factors are hypothetical variables that contribute to the variance of two or more measurable variables. One factor for the cell edge, 5, was known from previous studies on correlations among the variables. Several other factors at the same level identified crucial features. Factor 4 reflected the frequency of microspikes; another factor described a knob-like structure (7). A third, factor 16, indexed the variability in projection size. Factors of the upper cell, 1 micrometer or more above the substratum, namely, 1, 2, 8, 11, 13, and 19, also described transformation-related changes. Comparing lines that modeled the development of bronchogenic carcinoma, we found a tendency for 2 (surface smoothing), 4, and 12 (rounding-up) to be changed irreversibly. Thus, factors overcame the problem of relating mathematical shape phenotypes, previously obtained based on single variables, to cell features.
Multiple hits in atom-surface diffraction☆

Abstract The Kirchhoff approximation and the primitive semiclassical theory are compared for the case of scattering from a corrugated hard-wall potential. The Kirchhoff formula reduces, up to a sign, to the primitive semiclassical result when the latter applies and when only single-hit classical trajectories are important. Contributions from multiple-hit trajectories are calculated by an iterative Kirchhoff procedure. These multiple-hit contributions are shown to be largely responsible for the azimuthal dependence in the specular beam when He is scattered from LiF(001).
Hormone-cytoplasmic interactions controlling sperm nuclear decondensation and male pronuclear development in starfish oocytes

Numerous highly condensed sperm nuclei were present in the cytoplasm of starfish oocytes fertilized at the germinal vesicle stage. Decondensation of sperm nuclei and formation of male pronuclei and asters followed treatment of such fertilized oocytes with meiosis-inducing hormone 1-methyladenine (1-MA). Transformation of sperm nuclei was asynchronous, occurred only after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), and was associated with characteristic clearing of the adjacent cytoplasmic organelles. GVBD and sperm nuclear changes were both inhibited when dinitrophenol was added to previously fertilized GV-intact oocytes. Results demonstrate that polyspermy occurs readily in immature oocytes and that 1-MA plays a key role in establishing the block to polyspermy. Furthermore, the factors necessary for sperm nuclear decondensation and pronuclear development do not exist in the cytoplasm of immature oocytes but arise following dispersal of germinal vesicle contents into the cytoplasm. Thus, absence of embryonic development in fertilized GV-intact oocytes is linked to a lack of both oocyte and sperm nuclear differentiation rather than to a lack of sperm entry into the cytoplasm.
Combining the soilwater balance and water-level fluctuation methods to estimate natural groundwater recharge: Practical aspects

Abstract A relatively simple and practical approach for calculating groundwater recharge in semiarid plain environments with a relatively shallow water table, such as the Kansas Prairies, is outlined. Major uncertainties in the Darcian, water balance, and groundwater fluctuation analysis approaches are outlined, and a combination methodology for reducing some of the uncertainties is proposed. By combining a storm-based soilwater balance (lasting several days) with the resulting water table rise, effective storativity values of the region near the water table are obtained. This combination method is termed the ‘hybrid water-fluctuation method’. Using a simple average of several such estimates results in a site-calibrated effective storativity value that can be used to translate each major water-table rise tied to a specific storm period into a corresponding amount of groundwater recharge. Examples of soilwater balance and water-level fluctuation analyses based on field-measured data from Kansas show that the proposed methodology gives better and more reliable results than either of the two well-established approaches used singly.
The Meaning(s) of Teacher Leadership in an Urban High School Reform

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning of teacher leadership from teachers’ perspectives. The authors examine teachers’ practice of and talk about legitimate sources of power and influence in the context of an urban high school reform. Design: This is an interpretive study of teacher leadership situated in one small high school within a large urban high school (comprised of six small school communities) in a Midwestern city. The school was engaged in a technology-driven, project-based reform requiring team teaching and high levels of teacher involvement in curricular, pedagogical, and other organizational decision making. Researchers conducted monthly observations and two to three in depth-interviews with each participant and collected and analyzed relevant documents during the 2007-08 school year. Participants included all seven teachers in the focus school, the small school administrator, and a district-level administrator. Findings: Data revealed a cultural logic that afforded som...
Acquiring basic word order: evidence for data-driven learning of syntactic structure

Recent studies indicate that young English-speaking children do not have a general understanding of the significance of SVO order in reversible sentences; that is, they seem to rely on verb-specific formulas (e.g. NP pusher – form of the verb PUSH – NP pushee ) to interpret such sentences (Akhtar & Tomasello, 1997). This finding raises the possibility that young children may be open to learning non-SVO structures with novel transitive verbs. To test this hypothesis, 12 children in each of three age groups (two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and four-year-olds) were taught novel verbs, one in each of three sentence positions: medial (SVO), final (SOV), and initial (VSO). The younger age groups were equally likely to use the novel (non-English) orders spontaneously as to correct them to SVO order, whereas the oldest children consistently corrected these structures to SVO order. These results suggest that English-speaking children's acquisition of a truly general understanding of SVO order may be a gradual process involving generalization (learning) from examples. The findings are discussed in terms of recent data-driven learning accounts of grammar acquisition.
Collisional vibrational relaxation in the A 2Π state of CN

Abstract Collisional vibrational relaxation of several vibrational levels of the A 2 Π state of CN has been investigated. A given excited level is prepared by cw dye laser excitation in the A 2 Π-X 2 Σ + band system in a discharge-flow apparatus. The resulting fluorescence from the initially prepared and collisionally populated vibrational levels is observed as a function of rare gas pressure (Ar or He, 1–7 Torr). CollisionaI transfer rates for Δυ = −1 transitions are extracted with the aid of a steady-state kinetic model. Emission from lower vibrational levels was also observed but could be explained by cascade processes, rather than direct Δυ > 1 collisional transitions.
Urban sensing systems: opportunistic or participatory?

The development of sensing systems for urban deployments is still in its infancy. An interesting unresolved issue is the precise role assumed by people within such systems. This issue has significant implications as to where the complexity and the main challenges in building urban sensing systems will reside. This issue will also impact the scale and diversity of applications that are able to be supported. We contrast two end-points of the spectrum of conscious human involvement, namely participatory sensing, and opportunistic sensing. We develop an evaluation model and argue that opportunistic sensing more easily supports larger scale applications and broader diversity within such applications. In this paper, we provide preliminary analysis which supports this conjecture, and outline techniques we are developing in support of opportunistic sensing systems.
A high-dimensional test for the equality of the smallest eigenvalues of a covariance matrix

For the test of sphericity, Ledoit and Wolf [Ann. Statist. 30 (2002) 1081-1102] proposed a statistic which is robust against high dimensionality. In this paper, we consider a natural generalization of their statistic for the test that the smallest eigenvalues of a covariance matrix are equal. Some inequalities are obtained for sums of eigenvalues and sums of squared eigenvalues. These bounds permit us to obtain the asymptotic null distribution of our statistic, as the dimensionality and sample size go to infinity together, by using distributional results obtained by Ledoit and Wolf [Ann. Statist. 30 (2002) 1081-1102]. Some empirical results comparing our test with the likelihood ratio test are also given.
Reduced virus load in rhesus macaques immunized with recombinant gp160 and challenged with simian immunodeficiency virus.

As a safe alternative to inactivated and live-attenuated whole-virus SIV vaccines, we have evaluated the potential of SIVmac239 gp160 expressed by recombinant vaccinia virus (vSIVgp160) and baculovirus (bSIVgp160) to protectively immunize rhesus macaques against intravenous (iv) infection with pathogenic SIVmac isolates. Macaques were immunized with live vSIVgp160 and/or bSIVgp160 protein partially purified from insect cells. The challenge viruses, propagated in rhesus peripheral blood mononuclear cells, consisted of the molecular clone SIVmac239 and another genetically similar, uncloned isolate, SIVmac251. Although antibodies that bind gp130 were induced in all animals following immunization with SIVgp160, neutralizing antibodies were undetectable 1 week prior to virus challenge. These results differ from those for macaques vaccinated with inactivated, whole SIV. All animals became infected after iv inoculation with 1–10 AID50 of either challenge virus. For animals challenged with SIVmac251, but not thos...
Networks Do Matter: The Socially Motivated Design of a 3D Race Controller Using Cultural Algorithms

This article describes a socially motivated evolutionary algorithm, Cultural Algorithms, to design a controller for a 3D racing game for use in a competitive event held at the 2008 IEEE World Congress. The controller was modeled as a state machine and a set of utility functions were associated with actions performed in each state. Cultural Algorithms are used to optimize these functions. Cultural Algorithms consist of a Population Space, a collection of knowledge sources in the Belief Space, and a communication protocol connecting the components together. The knowledge sources in the belief space vie to control individuals in the population through the social fabric influence function. Here the population is a network of chromosomes connected by the LBest topology. This LBest configuration was employed to train the system on an example oval track prior to the contest, but it did not generalize to other tracks. The authors investigated how other topologies performed when learning on each of the contest tracks. The square network a type of small world network worked best at distributing the influence of the knowledge sources, and reduced the likelihood of premature convergence for complex tracks.
Recruitment of a rural, southern, predominantly African-American population into a diabetes self-management trial.

Abstract We are conducting a community-based cluster-randomized trial in rural Alabama, testing a peer-support intervention designed to improve diabetes self-care behaviors. We describe recruitment and data collection approaches used, focusing on strategies that created community partnerships and facilitated recruitment in underserved, rural, largely minority communities. Key recruitment and data collection strategies included early community engagement; pilot testing of procedures; inclusion of community members as study team members, recruiters, and data collectors; data collection at community venues to minimize participant travel requirements; and provision of a multi-disciplinary diabetes education program to both intervention and control participants. A total of 424 participants were recruited and enrolled (400 targeted). Of the 759 referrals received, 78.9% ( n = 599) successfully completed telephone screening. Of these, 78.8% ( n = 472) were eligible and scheduled for a local enrollment day, and 81.4% ( n = 384) attended and enrolled in the study. In addition, community members who walked in and expressed interest were screened, and 40 eligible and willing individuals were consented and enrolled. We exceeded recruitment goals in underserved, rural communities in Alabama. This success was due in large part to community partnerships that facilitated community involvement on several levels: engaging the community early in study proposal and design; hiring community members to fill various capacities as research team members, recruiters, and data collectors; conducting data collection within communities; and collecting additional contact information to maintain communication. Providing diabetes education to all participants, including intervention and control, helped ensure that everyone stood to benefit and likely enhanced overall participation.
Modelling bivariate count distributions with finite mixture models: application to health care demand of married couples

Count measures of health care utilization are often correlated with other measures of utilization. In addition, utilization measures display a high proportion of zero observations. This article attempts to accommodate both data features in one model, with an application to medical care usage of husbands and wives. A bivariate count representation is used to model dependence between husbands’ and wives’ utilizations, and a finite mixture specification accommodates the problem of excess zeros. Results show that married couples are characterized by two distinct subpopulations according to the intensity of utilization of the wife.
Trapping-Free Rotors for High-Sealing Lobe Pumps

In this paper a method for the design of new rotor profiles for high-sealing lobe pump is presented. The objective of this research is to improve the sealing property of lobe pumps by designing chamber profile conforming rotors. The deviation function method is adopted for the design. The resultant rotors are trapping-free and have C 1 continuity. A design procedure for rotor generation is also developed. A sealing index is defined to evaluate the sealing property of lobe pumps. Our results show that it is possible to design many new rotor profiles that have better sealing property than conventional involute rotors.
Point–Counterpoint: The Importance of “Open Access” to Psychotropics for our Patients

The opposing arguments regarding so-called "open access" to psychotropic medicines for all physicians are outlined, with references. The reader is left to draw conclusions from the discussion or to utilize the points in presentations to politicians, the media, pharmacy and therapeutics committees, state Medicaid agencies, etc.
A New Way to Assess Pain in Laboring Women : Replacing the Rating Scale With a Coping Algorithm

In 2001, the Joint Commission introduced a compliance guideline designed to improve pain care for all patients. In response, most hospitals created a pain policy that was intended to be implemented for all hospital patients. This article describes how nurses in a busy labor and delivery unit created a pain management policy that met the Joint Commission's goals and also supported their desire to assist laboring women in the most appropriate way possible.
Erratum to: ‘Serotonin uptake inhibitors modulate intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in platelets’ Eur. j. pharmacol. — Mol. pharmacol. sect. 288 (1995) 373–477

Abstract The serotonin uptake inhibitors sertraline, paroxetine and fluoxetine were compared with imipramine and the calmodulin antagonists N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalene-sulfonamide (W-7) and calmidazolium, for their effects on intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in human platelets. All serotonin uptake inhibitors and calmodulin antagonists augmented thrombin-mediated increases in intracellular Ca2+. Sertraline, calmidazolium and W-7 also caused large dose-dependent increases in baseline levels of intracellular Ca2+. There was a rough correlation between the ability to elevate intracellular Ca2+ and potencies for inhibition of calmodulin. Neomycin, an inhibitor of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) generation, significantly inhibited the effects of sertaline. This is consistent with a role of IP3 and calmodulin in the effects of these drugs.
A STATISTICAL STUDY OF APPARENT HORIZONTAL IONOSPHERIC MOVEMENTS USING 300 KC/S RADIO WAVES

Abstract : An investigation of the apparent horizontal ionospheric movements in the lower E-region of the ionosphere is desribed. For the investigation, nighttime observations were made over a period of one year, using the spaced-receiver method, at a frequency of 300 kc on the campus of the Penns lvania State University. The data obtained from the observations were analyzed using correlation techniques in order to observe the effects of random variations and anisotropy of the diffraction patterns. Experimental results are presented under the two main subjects of the apparent ionospheric movements and the spatial properties of diffraction patterns. The former includes the drift and random velocities; the latter, the axial ratio, tilt angle and structure size of diffraction patterns. The determination of solar semi-diurnal components of the drift velocity is given in detail. (Author)
Biochemical characterization of phosphoglucose isomerase and genetic variants from mouse and Drosophila melanogaster

A simple and unique procedure was developed to purify phosphoglucose isomerase variants from the whole mouse body extracts and Drosophila homogenate. It involved the use of an 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino-ATP-Sepharose column followed by a preparative isoelectric focusing. In each case, the enzyme in the homogenate was adsorbed by ionic interaction on the ATP-Sepharose column. Substantial purification was achieved by the affinity elution with the substrate-glucose-6-phosphate. Mouse and Drosophila phosphoglucose isomerase as well as the corresponding variants were shown to be dimers of similar molecular weight and to exhibit similar kinetic properties. The isoelectric points for the variants from DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice were determined to be 8.4 and 8.7 respectively, while they were 6.8 and 6.3 respectively for Drosophila and 4/4 variants. Differential thermal stability was observed for the two mouse variants but not for the Drosophila ones. Amino acid composition analysis was performed for both mouse and Drosophila enzymes. Rabbit antisera for mouse (DBA/2J) and Drosophila (2/2) enzymes were raised. Within each species, complete immunological identity was observed between the variants. The antisera were used to characterize the null mutants of phosphoglucose isomerase identified in the mouse and Drosophila populations. By rocket immunoelectrophoresis, the null allele of the naturally occurring heterozygous null variant of Drosophila was shown to express no cross-reacting materials (CRM).
A numerical procedure for multiple circular holes and elastic inclusions in a finite domain with a circular boundary

This paper describes a numerical procedure for solving two-dimensional elastostatics problems with multiple circular holes and elastic inclusions in a finite domain with a circular boundary. The inclusions may have arbitrary elastic properties, different from those of the matrix, and the holes may be traction free or loaded with uniform normal pressure. The loading can be applied on all or part of the finite external boundary. Complex potentials are expressed in the form of integrals of the tractions and displacements on the boundaries. The unknown boundary tractions and displacements are approximated by truncated complex Fourier series. A linear algebraic system is obtained by using Taylor series expansion without boundary discretization. The matrix of the linear system has diagonal submatrices on its diagonal, which allows the system to be effectively solved by using a block Gauss-Seidel iterative algorithm.
Cord factor (trehalose-6-6'-dimycolate) of in vivo-derived Mycobacterium lepraemurium.

Abstract Harvests of Mycobacterium lepraemurium obtained from livers of moribund infected mice yielded M. lepraemurium cell walls that were extracted with solvent to provide crude M. lepraemurium cell wall lipids. By solvent fractionation and chromatography on DEAE cellulose and cellulose, a cord factor-like glycolipid contaminated with mycoside C was obtained. Additional solvent treatment provided the purified glycolipid, which was identified as 6,6'-trehalose dimycolate, by infrared and Chromatographic comparison with authentic samples from M. tuberculosis , by identification of trehalose and specific mycolates of M. lepraemurium , and by permethylation analysis. This constitutes the first unequivocal identification of cord factor as a product of in vivo-derived mycobacteria.
Comparing Hours per Job in the CPS and the ATUS

The number of hours that people work is a key economic and social indicator. Thus, it is important to know whether household surveys measure hours worked correctly. In earlier studies (Frazis and Stewart 2004, 2007, 2008), we examined how hours worked in the Federal government's main economic household survey, the Current Population Survey (CPS), compare with time-diary data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). Most of our previous work concentrated on comparing hours worked per person per week for employed persons (Frazis and Stewart 2004, 2007). In Frazis and Stewart (2008), we compared hours worked per job for a particular class of jobs in an attempt to replicate the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) establishment survey, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. In this article, we compare weekly hours worked per job for all jobs in the ATUS and the CPS. Hours worked per job are of interest for a variety of reasons. Studies of hourly wages are usually restricted to main jobs because many surveys do not collect earnings data for second jobs. Official productivity measures mainly use data from the CES (which are per-job estimates), but for jobs not covered by the CES?supervisors, nonproduction workers, and the self employed?productivity measures use data from the CPS.
Conductivity in PEO-based Zn(II) polymer electrolytes

Abstract PEO-based electrolytes consisting of zinc halides dissolved in poly(ethylene oxide) PEO and poly(ethylene) glycol dimethyl ether [PEGM] were prepared by solution casting. Electrolytes with only PEO as the polymer appear to be principally conductors of anions. PEGM significantly increases electrolyte conductivity, particularly at room temperature, as well as the mobility of Zn(II) species.
Thermo-mechanical behavior of nano aluminum particles with oxide layers

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed using micro canonical (NVE) ensembles to analyze the thermo-mechanical behavior of nano-sized aluminum particles with oxide layers. The Streitz-Mintmire potential is selected for the present study because of its ability to capture the size dependence of thermodynamic properties and to simulate the interactions between aluminum and oxygen atoms. The simulation commences with a spherical aluminum particle in an FCC crystal structure covered with a shell of oxide layer. The whole system is first equilibrated and then heated continuously. A combination of structural and thermodynamic parameters, including the potential energy, Lindemann index, translationalorder parameter, and radial-distribution functions, are used to characterize the melting process. Molecular dynamics simulations provide exclusive insight into the atomistic mechanisms involved for smaller nanoparticles which can’t be explained by continuum laws. Nano-sized aluminum particles, along with the diffusion of aluminum cations through the oxide layer, exhibit thermo-mechanical characteristics distinct from their micron-sized counterparts. The melting temperature of the oxide layer is considerably lower than its counterpart for bulk alumina. The oxide thickness exerts a weak influence on the particle melting temperature for the size range (up to 8 nm) considered in the present work. The ensuing phase changes in the core and shell, as well as diffusion of aluminum cations in the oxide layer, are explored in depth. The study is an important milestone towards the development of a multi-scale theory for the ignition and combustion of particulate aluminum.
Sensitivity to envelope-based interaural delays at high frequencies: Center frequency affects the envelope rate-limitation

Sensitivity to ongoing interaural temporal disparities (ITDs) was measured using bandpass-filtered pulse trains centered at 4600, 6500, or 9200 Hz. Save for minor differences in the exact center frequencies, those target stimuli were those employed by Majdak and Laback [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 125, 3903–3913 (2009)]. At each center frequency, threshold ITD was measured for pulse repetition rates ranging from 64 to 609 Hz. The results and quantitative predictions by a cross-correlation-based model indicated that (1) at most pulse repetition rates, threshold ITD increased with center frequency, (2) the cutoff frequency of the putative envelope low-pass filter that determines sensitivity to ITD at high envelope rates appears to be inversely related to center frequency, and (3) both outcomes were accounted for by assuming that, independent of the center frequency, the listeners' decision variable was a constant criterion change in interaural correlation of the stimuli as processed internally. The finding of an inverse relation between center frequency and the envelope rate limitation, while consistent with much prior literature, runs counter to the conclusion reached by Majdak and Laback.