cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unearthing gender issues

In Almost Like a Whale, geneticist Steve Jones 'updated' Darwin's Origin of Species. Now in Coral: A Pessimist in Paradise, he does the same for Darwin's earlier Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs. With 150 years or so of hindsight, and with coral in the news as a victim of climate change, Jones has plenty of material to play with. Daniel Pauly — who says he'd have bought the book just for the cover — reviews Coral as one of the 'good reads' in this year's Spring Books special. Elsewhere, Kathleen Taylor reviews The Canon by Natalie Angier. This targets the same market as Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything but takes a different tack — and is shorter! Pat Shipman reviews The Invisible Sex, an antidote to male-dominated anthropology.
Testing for the stability of automatic stabilizers.

This paper examines the question of the stability of automatic stabilizers in the United States. Using a test suggested by Brown, Durbin and Evans, the analysis suggests that the magnitude of automatic stabilization of economic activity afforded by personal tax receipts has remained virtually invariant over the period 1939–1985. The automatic stabilization effectiveness of transfer payments, however, has increased, especially since 1964. This is attributed to the implementaton of various Great Society Programs beginning in 1964.
The potentiation of radiation response on murine tumor by fludarabine phosphate.

Abstract Fludarabine phosphate is a synthetic analog of β-arabinofuranosyl adenine (β-ara-A), an anti-viral agent. Since β-ara-A has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of potentially lethal damage (PLD) repair in cell culture system but ineffective in in vivo tumors, we carried out experiments to determine whether fludarabine phosphate which is not inactivated by adenosine deaminase potentiates the radiation effects on in vivo murine tumor. The combined effects of single acute fludarabine phosphate (600 mg/kg) and single dose of X-irradiation (20 Gy) on Meth-A fibrosarcomas in BALB c mice produced more than 90% tumor control, while the radiation alone resulted in less than 10% tumor control. The radiosensitizing effect by fludarabine phosphate was higher when the drug was administered immediately prior to X-irradiation. The dose modifying factor of fludarabine phosphate is estimated to be 1.6 at 400 mg/kg. Experiments with fractionated irradiation and fludarabine phosphate similarly showed a high rate of tumor control. The present study suggests that inhibitors of PLD repair including several antiviral agents may have potential utility in the treatment of some radioresistant human tumors by radiotherapy.
Selective chemical modification of plasma membrane ectoenzymes.

Abstract As part of an investigation of the organization of cell surface macromolecular assemblies, we have treated intact central nervous system cells with chemical probes which react convalently with proteins and aminophospholipids. Selective alterations of the enzymatic activities of ecto-ATPases, ecto-5′-nucleotidases and cholinesterases were obtained under appropriate reaction conditions. The cross-linking reagent, 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, was a potent inactivator of ecto-ATPase of C6 glioblastoma, IMR-32 neuroblastoma and of a primary rat astroblast cell line (RB). Ecto-5′-nucleotidase and acetylcholinesterase were less sensitive to difluorodinitrobenzene. 1-Fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene at concentrations which inactivated ecto-ATPase had little effect on ecto-5′-nucleotidase. Conversely, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid was a potent inactivator of ecto-5′-nucleotidase but had no effect on ecto-ATPase. The difluorodinitrobenzene inactivation of ecto-ATPase and of ecto-5′-nucleotidase as well as the fluorodinitrobenzene inactivation of ecto-ATPase could be prevented by the presence of the appropriate substrates in the reaction medium. In the presence of protecting nucleotide substrates, a decrease in reactivity with proteins and lipids was observed when the isotopic probe fluorodinitro[ 3 H]-benzene was used.
Complex space approach to perfectly matched layers: a review and some new developments

We discuss the interpretation of the perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary condition (ABC) as an analytic continuation of the coordinate space to a complex variables spatial domain (complex space). The generalization of the PML to curvilinear coordinates and to general linear media using this rationale is reviewed and summarized. The analytic continuation is shown to be equivalent to a change on the metric of the space. By using such geometric viewpoint on the PML, we then discuss the various PML formulations in connection with fundamental symmetries of Maxwell's equations. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Auditor Reputation Building

This paper reports the results of an experimental economics study designed to examine reputation building by information verifiers (auditors). The results identify boundary conditions to reputation formation and supply insight into auditors’ incentives to form reputations. Reputations form in all sessions of treatments that supply nearly immediate rewards to participants who adopt reputation equilibrium strategies. In contrast, reputations form in less than half of the sessions of a treatment where participants have to maintain reputation equilibrium strategies for number of periods before the market rewards their effort. The results suggest the immediacy of rewards for adopting reputation strategies is a critical determinant of reputation formation.
Apolipoprotein B Is an Innate Barrier against Invasive Staphylococcus aureus Infection

Staphylococcus aureus is both a colonizer of humans and a cause of severe invasive infections. Although the genetic basis for phenotype switching from colonizing to invasive has received significant study, knowledge of host factors that antagonize the switch is limited. We show that VLDL and LDL lipoproteins interfere with this switch by antagonizing the S. aureus agr quorum-sensing system that upregulates genes required for invasive infection. The mechanism of antagonism entails binding of the major structural protein of these lipoproteins, apolipoprotein B, to an S. aureus autoinducing pheromone, preventing attachment of this pheromone to the bacteria and subsequent signaling through its receptor, AgrC. Mice deficient in plasma apolipoprotein B, either genetically or pharmacologically, are more susceptible to invasive agr+ bacterial infection, but not to infection with an agr deletion mutant. Therefore, apolipoprotein B at homeostatic levels in blood is an essential innate defense effector against invasive S. aureus infection.
Renal Replacement Therapy in Patients Undergoing Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs)

Purpose Acute renal dysfunction in heart failure patients receiving LVADs is common. Outcomes of patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) after LVAD implant are unclear. The objective of this study is to assess the outcomes of patients undergoing emergent RRT after receiving HeartMateII (HMII) LVADs. Methods and Materials A retrospective chart review of 211 patients receiving HMII LVADs was performed. RRT was defined as post-op intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), and/or continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVHHD). Results 19 out of 211 (9%) patients required RRT post-op (15 had HM II, 4 required additional RVAD). Of these, 14 (74%) received temporary CVHHD, while 5 (26%) received IHD following CVVHD (combined RRT). Indications for RRT were ATN (80%), and acidosis/hyperkalemia (20%). Overall in-hospital mortality rate was 53% (9/14 [64%] in CVHHD, and 1/5 [20%] in combined RRT). There were no differences in demographics, comorbidities, and baseline end-organ function between patients requiring RRT and those not requiring RRT, except for reduced baseline GFR in the RRT group ( table 1 ). 15 out of 19 (80%) patients required RRT intervention within 7 days of LVAD implant, and the median number of days on RRT for survivors was 15 days. All survivors returned to baseline renal function at 6 months. Conclusions Majority of patients receiving HMII LVAD do not require RRT. However, the need for RRT in the post implant period is associated with significant post-op mortality. Studies to identify patients at risk for requiring RRT and strategies to optimize renal function in the peri-op period is important to improve clinical outcomes. no RRT RRT p-value Total 192 19 Age 56±15 57.5±7.5 0.4 Male 80% 89% 0.3 Ischemic Etiology 54% 63% 0.5 CHF 89% 89% 0.96 Prior MI 38% 47% 0.4 Prior CVA 7% 5% 0.8 COPD 19% 16% 0.7 Diabetes 37% 42% 0.7 CKD 26% 37% 0.3 Chronic Liver Disease 3% 11% 0.1 Pre-op Creatinine (mg/dL) 1.4±0.6 1.6±0.6 0.08 Pre-op BUN (mg/dL) 32±19 37± 15 0.2 Pre-op GFR (mL/min/1.7m2) 58±21 48.5±21 0.03* Pre-op AST (U/L) 75±304 313±650 0.07
Impact of Surgeon Specialty on Ovarian-Conserving Surgery in Young Females with an Adnexal Mass

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the patterns of surgical care among pediatric and adolescent females undergoing operative intervention for an adnexal mass with particular attention toward factors associated with ovarian-conserving surgery and access to gynecologic care. Methods All female patients aged ≤ 18 years undergoing surgery for an adnexal mass between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 2002 were retrospectively identified and demographic, operative, and pathologic data abstracted. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors independently associated with ovarian-conserving surgery and access to gynecologic care. Results Eighty-two consecutive cases were identified. The median age at surgery was 15 years, and 91.7% of patients were ≥ 12 years of age. A malignant ovarian neoplasm was present in 14.6% of cases. Oophorectomy was performed in 52.4% of cases, while 47.6% of patients underwent ovarian-conserving surgery. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that ovarian-conserving surgery was significantly less likely in the setting of malignancy, torsion, and an ovarian size of ≥ 6 cm. The presence of a gynecologic surgeon, compared to other surgical specialties, was statistically significantly and independently associated with ovarian-conserving surgery (odds ratio [OR] 8.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–41.41, p = .001). Post-menarchal status and age ≥ 16 years were the characteristic most predictive of access to gynecologic surgical care. Conclusions In pediatric and adolescent patients, operative intervention for an adnexal mass is significantly more likely to result in ovarian conservation when performed by a gynecologic surgeon. For such patients, improved access to gynecologic consultation prior to surgical intervention may reduce the number of patients subjected to oophorectomy for benign conditions.
Highly Efficient Spatio-Temporal Coherent Control in Nanoplasmonics on Nanometer-Femtosecond Scale by Time-Reversal

We propose an efficient method to impose coherent control of the spatiotemporal localization of optical excitation energy in nanoplasmonic systems on the nanometer spatial and femtosecond temporal scales. This approach is based on time reversal.
Where did the time go

How do we form arbitrary associations, such as 'stop at red' or 'go at green'? A report in Nature suggests that these associations are first formed in the striatum but that activity changes in the prefrontal cortex are more closely related to improved performance.
Cardiovascular Health Risks Related to Overweight

Abstract Cross-sectional surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States, including in-home interviews and clinical examinations, were employed to examine trends in consumption of energy and fat, prevalence of overweight in the population, the association of overweight with levels of blood pressure and blood cholesterol, and the prevalence of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol among the overweight compared with the nonoverweight. Data from participants 20 years of age and older are reported. Study results suggest that total mean energy intake, although generally accepted to be underreported in dietary surveys, may have increased. Total fat and saturated fat intake as a percent of energy decreased, but remained above recommended levels. Overweight has increased in the population, despite decreases in the prevalence of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels. Increased levels of overweight, reported as body mass index, are associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. These data suggest the need for health care practitioners to emphasize the requirement for energy balance (or weight loss if overweight, ie, not at a "healthy weight"). A focus on fat intake alone without emphasis on energy balance is inadequate for achieving and maintaining recommended weight. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97(suppl):S47-S51 .
Can intra-aggregate pore structures affect the aggregate's effectiveness in protecting carbon?

Abstract Aggregates are known to provide physical protection to soil organic matter shielding it from rapid decomposition. Spatial arrangement and size distribution of intra-aggregate pores play an important role in this process. This study examined relationships between intra-aggregate pores measured using X-ray computed micro-tomography images and concentrations of total C in 4–6 mm macro-aggregates from two contrasting land use and management practices, namely, conventionally tilled and managed row crop agricultural system (CT) and native succession vegetation converted from tilled agricultural land in 1989 (NS). Previous analyses of these aggregates indicated that small ( 100 μm) pores prevail in NS aggregates while medium (30–90 μm) pores are more abundant in CT aggregates ( Kravchenko et al., 2011 ; Wang et al., 2012 ). We hypothesized that these differences in pore size distributions affect the ability of macro-aggregates to protect C. The results of this study supported this hypothesis. Consistent with greater heterogeneity of pore distributions within NS aggregates we observed higher total C and greater intra-aggregate C variability in NS as compared with CT aggregates. Total C concentrations and intra-aggregate C standard deviations were negatively correlated with fractions of medium sized pores, indicating that presence of such pores was associated with lower but more homogeneously distributed total C. While total C was positively correlated with presence of small and large pores. The results suggest that because of their pore structure NS macro-aggregates provide more effective physical protection to C than CT aggregates.
Wisconsin card sorting test and work performance in schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have long been observed to perform poorly on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Although numerous studies have established links between WCST performance and specific and diffuse structural brain abnormalities, little is known about its relationship to occupational functioning. The present study has investigated the relationship between behavior at a vocational work placement and performance on the WCST test for 89 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Multiple regression analyses that examined select WCST raw scores and that covaried out IQ and Digit Symbol Subtest scores found that Task Orientation at work was significantly related to WCST Trials to the First Category and Total Number Correct. Multiple regression analyses that examined standard scores, corrected for age and education, revealed that Task Orientation was related to Percent Conceptual Level and that Social Skills were related to Total Errors and Percent Conceptual Level. Results support the criterion-related validity of the WCST and have implications for understanding impairments in work function.
The variation of tetrahedral bond lengths in sodic plagioclase feldspars

Multiple linear regression analysis has been applied to the geometric and chemical variables in sodic plagioclases in order to determine their relative effects on individual T-O bond lengths in the Al1+xSi3−xO8 tetrahedral framework. Using data from crystal structure analyses of low and high albite, An16 and An28, and assuming that low albite is completely ordered, $$\begin{gathered} {\text{T}} - {\text{O = 1}}{\text{.568}} + {\text{[(0}}{\text{.122) x (Al content of the T site)]}} \hfill \\ {\text{ }} - {\text{[(0}}{\text{.037) x (}}\Delta {\text{{\rm A}l}}_{{\text{br}}} )] + [0.063){\text{ x }}(\Sigma {\text{[}}q{\text{/(Na,Ca}} - {\text{O)}}^{\text{2}} ])] \hfill \\ {\text{ }} + {\text{[(0}}{\text{.029) x (}} - {\text{1/cosT}} - {\text{O}} - {\text{T)]}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ (1) where the Al content of a particular tetrahedral (T) site can be estimated from empirically-derived determinative curves, where Δ Albr is a linkage factor to account for the Al content of adjacent tetrahedral sites, where the formal charge on the (Na1−xCax) atom is q=1+x, and where T-O-T is the inter-tetrahedral angle involving the T-O bond. For sodic plagioclases it is essential to know only the anorthite content and the 2Θ131-2Θ1¯31 spacing (CuKα radiation) in order to determine the independent variables in this equation and thus to evaluate the individual T-O distances.
Geochemical Surveys in the United States in Relation to Health

Geochemical surveys in relation to health may be classified as having one, two or three dimensions. One-dimensional surveys examine relations between concentrations of elements such as Pb in soils and other media and burdens of the same elements in humans, at a given time. The spatial distributions of element concentrations are not investigated. The primary objective of two-dimensional surveys is to map the distributions of element concentrations, commonly according to stratified random sampling designs based on either conceptual landscape units or artificial sampling strata, but systematic sampling intervals have also been used. Political units have defined sample areas that coincide with the units used to accumulate epidemiological data. Element concentrations affected by point sources have also been mapped. Background values, location of natural or technological anomalies and the geographic scale of variation for several elements often are determined. Three-dimensional surveys result when two-dimensional surveys are repeated to detect environmental changes.
Characteristics of travelling waves under various conditions.

In this mapping study the goal was to investigate in 10 subjects the phenomenon of the travelling waves (TW), especially of alpha activity, under conditions of (1) rest, (2) calculations, (3) emotional experience and (4) pain. The TW during wakefulness usually arose from the areas with the highest amplitude of alpha, called major peaks, for both positive (pos.) and negative (neg.) polarities. These areas were Pz (pos. and neg.) at rest, 02 (pos.) and Pz (neg.) during calculation, O1 (pos.) and 02 (neg.) during emotion and T6 (pos.) and O1 (neg.) during pain. When differences were determined between the latter 3 conditions and the resting state, a focal event-related desynchronization (ERD) became evident on T5 during math, on Pz during emotion and on both CP areas during pain. Surrounding the areas of ERD were areas of event-related synchronization (ERS). The TW were related to phase differences between the different electrode locations, seen more frequently with the pos. polarity, and more often with emotion or calculation. The direction of the TW was most often toward the midline during rest, from the right to midline (calculation), from the left to midline (emotion) and from the midline to the left (pain). Changes on one side of the head were often associated with opposite types of changes on the other side. Sleep spindles were also analyzed showing the major peaks on Fz and F4 with pos. polarities often seen anteriorly and neg. polarities posteriorly. TW were also seen with spindles, more often with the positive polarity. The direction was usually from the midline for the positive polarity and toward the midline for the neg. phase. The phenomenon of the TW is discussed, especially its possible neurophysiological significance as a means of transmitting information throughout the brain.
Factors Predicting Hypnotic Analgesia in Clinical Burn Pain

The use of hypnosis for treating pain from severe burn injuries has received strong anecdotal support from case reports. Controlled studies provide less dramatic but empirically sound support for the use of hypnosis with this problem. The mechanisms behind hypnotic analgesia for burn pain are poorly understood with this patient population, as they are with pain in general. It is likely that, whatever the mechanisms are behind hypnotic pain analgesia, patients with burn injuries are more receptive to hypnosis than the general population. This article postulates some variables that may account for this enhanced receptivity, including motivation, hypnotizability, dissociation, and regression.
Electrical Noise in Heterojunction Interband Tunnel FETs

We present an analysis of electrical noise in III-V heterojunction TFET (HTFET). Using numerical simulations, random telegraph noise (RTN) amplitude induced by a single charge trap is investigated with regard to trap location, electron band-to-band-generation rate, bias, and transistor size. It is found that HTFET RTN amplitude does not scale inversely with gate length and is governed by tunneling distance of carriers at source-channel junction. HTFET exhibits 40% less relative RTN amplitude at 0.3 V at gate lengths around 20 nm, over subthreshold Si-FinFET. RTN of HTFET at VGS=0 V is higher for a trap location at source-channel tunnel junction. To analyze flicker, shot, and thermal noise, we created transistor level Verilog-A-based electrical noise models. The results indicate HTFETs competitive noise performance in megahertz frequency range, over Si-FinFET. In the range 10 GHz or more with operating voltages exceeding 0.3 V, HTFET input noise is worse due to the dominance of shot noise. A differential amplifier with active load is used to examine the electrical noise performance at circuit level. We emphasize that high intrinsic gain, drive current, and output resistance of HTFET can be used to achieve superior mixed signal performance metrics in HTFET design over Si-FinFET design, at an improved electrical noise performance.
Chemical syntheses and biological activities of lactam analogues of α-conotoxin SI

Bicyclization represents an effective method for the introduction of conformational constraints into small, biologically important peptides. Several strategies have been developed for the preparation of bicyclic lactam analogues of alpha-conotoxin SI, a 13-residue peptide neurotoxin found in cone snail venom. Four analogues of the natural regioisomer of alpha-conotoxin SI were designed and synthesized, each with one of the two paired cysteines of the parent peptide being replaced by a side-chain lactam bridged glutamic acid/lysine pair. Solid-phase lactamization was studied to determine rates of formation of the two possible loops and to document the extent of dimerization and higher oligomerization. Radioligand binding assays were carried out on all synthesized peptides, including the naturally occurring two-disulfide form, in order to determine their affinities for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Replacement of the Cys(2)-Cys(7) loop of alpha-conotoxin SI with a lactam bridge resulted in complete loss of activity, whereas replacement of the Cys(3)-Cys(13) disulfide loop resulted in a approximately 60-fold reduction in affinity for one orientation and a approximately 70-fold increase in affinity for the other. The two active lactam analogues retain the selectivity exhibited by the naturally occurring peptide for the alpha/delta subunit of nAChRs, as judged by competition experiments with the curariform antagonist metocurine.
Multiphoton microscopic imaging using high-power Cr4+:forsterite laser

We construct a high-energy short-pulse Cr 4+ :forsterite oscillator and apply it for nonlinear optical imaging. We show that the unique wavelength of Cr 4+ :forsterite laser is perfectly suitable for deep subsurface imaging utilizing simultaneously several different imaging techniques. We also demonstrate that longer wavelength is more appropriate for non-invasive imaging of living cells.
Chromosome numbers of C3 and C4 variants within the species Alloteropsis semialata (R.Br.) Hitchc. (Poaceae)

FREAN, M. L. & MARKS, E., 1988. Chromosome numbers of C3 and C4 variants within the species Alloteropais semialata (R.Br.) Hitch. (Poaceae). In a study of mid-lamina leaf sections, different variants of A. semialata were found to have C3 or C4 anatomy. The C4 leaf showed a specialized photosynthetic vascular bundle sheath not present in the C3 form. Chromosome counts made from pollen mother cell squashes showed that the C3 form of A. semialata is a fertile diploid 2n =2x = 18 and the C4 form, a fertile allohexaploid 2n = 6x= 54. The cytological evidence suggests that the two forms should be considered as separate species.
The physical mechanisms of deep moonquakes and intermediate-depth earthquakes: How similar and how different?

Abstract We here review the characteristics of deep moonquakes (DMQ) and conclude that they share many common features with certain categories of intermediate-depth earthquakes, namely, the pressure–temperature conditions where they occur, their occurrence in highly localized nests, their tendency to occur repeatedly at the same or nearly the same location, and their distribution of sizes (b-values). We thus explore various physical mechanisms proposed for earthquakes that might also explain deep moonquakes. These include the possibility that there are partial melts or fluid phases in the lunar mantle that permit DMQ to occur at pressures where ordinary brittle fracture is not possible, the possibility that stress concentration increases tidal stresses at certain locations where moonquakes occur repeatedly, and the possibility that DMQ occur at relatively low stresses because rock strength is lowered by a fatigue process induced by the repetitive application of tidal stresses. The similarities between DMQ and terrestrial earthquakes imply that research focusing on the properties of both phenomena may help us understand the physical origins of both.
Catalytic Hydrolysis of Acylcyanamide Substrates by Carboxypeptidase A Defines the Stereochemistry of Carbonyl Hydration at the Enzyme Active Site

New peptide and ester substrate analogues for carboxypeptidase A have been prepared which differ by the possession of an acylcyanamide residue of comparable acidity in place of the C-terminal carboxylic acid group that is normally required by the enzyme. The surrogates are cleaved respectively 2 × 105 and 104 times more slowly than corresponding regular substrates (kcat/Km). The suggested interpretation is that the carboxylate functionality of normal substrates, in addition to conferring specificity, participates in the enzymic reaction mechanism as a general base, and that this becomes disallowed in the new analogues by specific-binding interactions which induce the cyano substituent to interfere with hydration of the scissile linkage. That reasoning controverts widely accepted ideas regarding the stereochemical course of H2O addition to the enzymic Zn2+-activated peptide linkage as well as the role of carboxypeptidase active site residue Glu 270 in the catalytic mechanism.
Advertising by Accountants: The Industrial User's Perspective

ABSTRACT A number of studies have evaluated the attitudes of both professional accountants and consumers toward accounting advertising; however, very little is known about industrial clients' attitudes. The industrial market for accounting services is clearly significant and represents the focus of this study. This paper integrates the findings of a mail survey of industrial users with the earlier meta-analytic results (Hite and Fraser 1988) of accountants and consumers. Findings indicate that industrial uses differ significantly from both the consumer and accountant populations. They disagree to a greater extent than do accountants that advertising will adversely impact professional image, are more neutral than accountants yet less optimistic than consumers about potential customer benefits from advertising, and disagree significantly more than both consumers and accountants that mass media vehicles are appropriate for accounting advertising. Industrial users' demographic and behavioral factors (firm siz...
Dissolution of zirconium in nitric-hydrofluoric acid mixtures

Abstract There is a linear relationship between the enthalpy of solution of zirconium in nitric-hydrofluoric acid (HNO3-HF) mixtures and the molar HNO3/HF ratio (R) from R = 0 to 0.55. At R = 0.55, the enthalpy attains a maximum value and remains constant up to at least R = 8. There is a corresponding behavior in a reverse order with regard to hydrogen evolution, which is linear with R from a maximum at R = 0 to zero at R ≥ 0.55. Regardless of composition of the mixed acids, the zirconium-containing product is the same. A mechanism was proposed to account for the relationship of solution enthalpy and hydrogen evolution with the acid ratio. The rate of dissolution of zirconium in HF alone displayed a strong dependence on concentration > 0.5 mol/L. It was not sensitive to addition of HNO3, but there was a slowing of the rate for HNO3 concentrations > 0.4 mol/L.
Effective decorrelation and space dimensionality reduction of multiscaling volatility

Abstract We consider an approach for modeling non-stationary and non-Gaussian curves which has a natural impact on financial time series analysis due to the characteristic features of volatility processes. Provided that one can approximate the signal of interest, in this case stock index returns, with a greedy approximation scheme based on wavelet-like functions, an effective space dimensionality reduction of the problem can be found by a decomposition technique which selects the scales according to an energy-based optimization scheme and finds the most informative sources of the underlying multiscaling volatility process.
The Impact of Mortgage-Backed Securities on Capital Requirements of Life Insurers in the Financial Crisis of 2007–2008

In this paper, we explore U.S. life insurers’ exposure to mortgage backed securities (MBS) and its potential impact on capital should the credit ratings of these bonds be lowered. We analyse 2 years: 2003 (well before the realisation of problems with these instruments) and 2006 (immediately prior). We create five potential scenarios of different severity for recategorising MBS credit ratings and compute the theoretical impact on measured insurer asset risk, via a proxy for the C-1 component of life insurers’ risk-based capital. Under all scenarios, we find large increases in assessed asset risk. We then model insurer capital structure as a function of asset risk and other factors to assess whether insurers had prepared their capital structures for the possibility of problems with these instruments. Our findings indicate not only that insurers were unprepared for MBS downgrades, but also that they reduced capital as they accumulated MBS, as though acquiring MBS should raise the overall quality of the investment portfolio. Finally, we analyse possible adjustments to capital to accommodate the now recognised increased risks of MBS. Our models suggest, for example, that an insurer with median residential MBS exposure might be expected to increase its capital by 10 per cent or more to maintain a historical relationship between capital and risk factors, in the event of a moderate recategorisation of MBS risk. Even larger adjustments are indicated should the crisis spread to commercial MBS as well.
pH‐induced reorientation of microperoxidase‐11 in mesoporous molecular sieves

The resonance Raman spectra of microperoxidase-11 loaded into the siliceous materials MCM-41 and SBA-15 demonstrate a pH dependence indicative of a protonation event on the substrate. An unusual change in relative Raman intensities without a shift in wavenumbers is observed upon lowering the system pH. Protonation of the silica surface is suggested to induce a reorientation of the MP-11 fragments within the silica framework. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fatigue hardening in alloys of low stacking-fault energy

Abstract Materials with a wide range of stacking-fault energies were fatigued in bending at constant deflection. It was observed that a hardening parameter, m, decreased with decreasing stacking fault energy. Single crystals and polycrystals showed similar hardening behavior although deformation traces were distinctly different. It is proposed that at “low” strain amplitudes point defects are responsible for fatigue hardening. A mechanism which relates the rate of accumulation of defects and thus the hardening to the conservative motion of jogs is discussed. At higher strain amplitudes dislocation interactions with long range stress fields, such as occur in tension, seem to be controlling and cross slip seems to be a critical event. It is concluded that at “low” amplitudes the dislocation motion responsible for hardening was essentially unrelated to that producing surface slip traces and topography. A further argument shows the possibility of non-hardening plastic strain, or saturation, due to the reversible bowing of free dislocation lengths back and forth under the cyclic stress.
Quantitation of hepatitis C virus RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in HCV‐monoinfection and HIV/HCV‐coinfection

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) represent an extrahepatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) reservoir, the significance of which is unclear due to limited studies and varying test methodologies. In this study, a commercial viral load assay for measuring cell-associated PBMC HCV RNA was evaluated. HCV RNA was extracted from PBMCs, sorted CD14+, and CD19+ cells and corresponding plasma samples using the Abbott m2000 and Real-Time HCV assay. Test performance and influence of HIV seropositivity on plasma and PBMC HCV RNA were studied. Among 51 patients, 67 and 62 unique patient samples had detectable plasma and PBMC HCV viral load, respectively. The median PBMC viral load was 535 IU/1 M cells (range 29–5,190). CD19+ cells had significantly higher viral load than CD14+ cells (median log10 HCV viral load 2.63 vs. 1.50 IU/ml; P< 0.001). Stability of PBMC viral load over time was demonstrated in untreated patients; all patients with an undetectable plasma HCV viral load after HCV treatment also demonstrated undetectable PBMC viral load. Repeated testing in nine samples yielded consistent PBMC viral load, differing by only 1.3-fold (range 1.0–1.7-fold). Among samples with detectable plasma HCV RNA, the correlation between PBMC and plasma viral load was moderate (r = 0.66) and was greater among HCV mono-infected compared to HIV/HCV co-infected subjects (r = 0.80 vs. 0.52). Measurement of cell-associated PBMC HCV RNA using a commercial assay demonstrated promising test characteristics. Differences in PBMC HCV viral load based on HIV-coinfection status and the significance of greater copy number in B-cells requires further study. J. Med. Virol. 84:431–437, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pretreatment oxygenation profiles of human soft tissue sarcomas

Abstract Purpose: Tumor oxygenation is thought to influence the radiocurability of many malignancies. Advances in polarographic electrode technology have facilitated the in situ measurement of human tumor pO 2 . The optimal method of defining a "hypoxic" tumor is not known. Characterization of intra-tumor and intertumor PO 2 heterogeneity could help with this process. This study was performed to evaluate pretreatment tumor oxygenation status and PO 2 heterogeneity in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Methods and Materials: Nine patients with soft tissue sarcomas underwent pretreatment PO 2 measurements with the Eppendorf PO 2 histograph. Two grossly distinct anatomic sites within each tumor were measured in all but one patient; these were localized under computerized tomography guidance to ensure that all measurements were obtained from tumor tissue. Multiple probe tracks were studied at each site. Measurements were performed in resting, awake patients. Results: A total of 1588 PO 2 readings was obtained (mean = 176/patient). Measurement path lengths ranged from 22–36 mm. The average hypoxic fraction (pO 2 2 was positively correlated with mean and median tumor pO 2 . Tumor hypoxic fraction increased with increasing tumor volume. Linear PO 2 profiles and frequency histograms provided similar estimates of the extent of hypoxia in individual tumors. Marked variation in oxygenation existed both within and between individual tumors. The intertumor variation was greater than the intertumor variation. Conclusion: Radiobiologic hypoxia exists in human soft tissue sarcomas. The PO 2 variation within individual tumors is less than the variation between tumors. Further study is necessary to identify the best parameter for defining tumor hypoxia and to discern the relationship between tumor PO 2 and treatment outcome.
Assessment of conduction properties and thermal noise in cell membranes by admittance spectroscopy.

Advances in the speed of signal processing enable application of a Fourier-synthesized function as a small perturbation (1 mV) superposed on voltage clamp steps to rapidly (<1 sec) acquire cell membrane complex driving-point functions (impedance or admittance) in several frequency bands ranging from 1 Hz to 10 kHz. Curve fits of admittance models to these data yield a complete quantitative linear description of membrane conduction systems and their kinetics. Furthermore, the rate constants between microscopic states of an ion channel can be calculated from conductance parameters derived from model curve fits of membrane admittances. Additionally, the power spectrum of membrane thermal noise is obtainable from impedance determinations by use of the Nyquist relation. Consequently, rapid driving-point function determinations provide the most complete macroscopic assessment of membrane conduction properties presently available. Admittance determinations of the potassium conduction system in squid giant axon and the potassium conducting “inward rectifier” in snail neuron are used to illustrate the above points. 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Simplified Method for the Culture of Blatella germanica under Aseptic Conditions

IN developing the work recently begun in this laboratory1 on the sterol metabolism of the German cockroach, Blatella germanica, it has become necessary to use aseptic techniques as an aid in defining the metabolic contribution of the normally occurring microbial inhabitants of the gut of the insect. The technique for the aseptic culture of this insect which has been described2 entails the use of a watering device which is of undesirable complexity, while simpler devices3 which could be adapted for aseptic work involve the renewal of a sterile water-supply at intervals throughout the experiment. Since these feeding experiments frequently last for three months or longer the risk of contamination during opening the culture vessels, especially in a laboratory not fully equipped for aseptic work, becomes quite high. I have therefore devised a simple procedure which has made it possible to rear healthy colonies of German cockroaches aseptically in glass jars without the need of opening them for at least five months and which could well be used for maintaining colonies undisturbed for twice this length of time. The method also provides for the sterility testing of the young nymphs without the necessity of opening the hatching tubes for removal of inoculation samples.
Linear intensification of probabilistic fuzzy partitions

Abstract Fuzziness of fuzzy sets can be reduced by intensification (sharpening) of large membership grades closer to one and small membership grades closer to zero. The relationship between intensification and partial defuzzification of a special type of fuzzy sets, fuzzy clusters, is studied. Some guidelines for assessment of the degree of possible defuzzification of a probabilistic fuzzy partition are suggested. An operator of linear intensification of fuzzy clusters is proposed and illustrated with examples. It is shown how different goals of partial defuzzification can be achieved by modification of this operator.
On designing simulation models for evaluating discriminant analysis routines

Abstract This paper gives certain simulation models that can be used to verify a Bayes' discriminant algorithm and a feature selection routine foi their accuracy. The verification is developed in terms of statistical tests and the evaluation techniques are suggested, assuming the multivariate normal model for underlying classes. The algorithm evaluation procedures are discussed from a practical viewpoint and are easy to perform.
Acoustic quality factor of aluminium and selected aluminium alloys from 50 mK to 300 K

Abstract The amplitude-independent quality factors ( Q s) of polycrystalline aluminium of 99.999 wt% purity, and the commercial aluminium alloys 2024, 6061 and 7075 have been measured in the temperature range 50 mK–300 K. Data were obtained at about 1 kHz from a torsional mode of machined monolithic mechanical resonators. The as-machined alloys exhibited maximum Q s of 1.5 to 9.5 million. The annealed alloys exhibited maximum Q s from 4.3 to 7.4 million. After several weeks at room temperature, substantially higher Q s were observed in all of the annealed materials, as compared to values obtained within a few days subsequent to the thermal treatment. Nevertheless, the maximum Q s were appreciably lower than those which have been measured in aluminium–magnesium alloys. Three loss peaks were observed in the aluminium, and a single peak in two of the alloys, even after annealing. The temperature dependence of the shear moduli was also obtained. This study is part of the continuing effort in this laboratory to evaluate the acoustic loss of high- Q materials at low temperatures, of particular interest for the construction of sensitive detectors of gravitational radiation.
Disrupted action perception in autism: behavioral evidence, neuroendophenotypes, and diagnostic utility.

Disruptions in the visual perception of biological motion are emerging as a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), consistent with the pathognomonic social deficits of this neurodevelopmental disorder. Accumulating evidence suggests an early and marked divergence in ASD from the typical developmental tuning of brain regions to process social information. In this review, we discuss a relatively recent yet substantial literature of behavioral and neuroimaging studies that consistently indicates impairments in biological motion perception in ASD. We then illustrate the fundamental disruption in this form of social perception in autism, drawing connections between a genetic liability to develop autism and disrupted associated brain mechanisms, as we describe neuroendophenotypes of autism derived from an fMRI study of biological motion perception in children with autism and their unaffected siblings. Finally, we demonstrate the diagnostic utility of brain responses to biological motion. With the ability to measure brain function in the first year of life comes the potential to chart the development of disrupted biological motion processing in ASD and to specify the gene–brain–behavior interactions shaping this atypical trajectory. We propose that a comprehensive understanding of the development of impaired responses to biological motion in ASD can inform future diagnosis and treatment approaches.
Coupling of protein motion to electron transfer in a photosynthetic reaction center: investigating the low temperature behavior in the framework of the spin—boson model

Abstract The spin—boson model is applied to describe the coupling between protein motion and electron transfer for the primary electron transfer in the photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodopseudomonas viridis, a coupling which involves a very large number of degrees of freedom of the protein. For this purpose the relationship between the spectral function J(ω) characterizing the protein motion and the fluctuations of the protein contribution to the energy gap is derived. The relationship allows one to determine a suitable J(ω) from classical molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, we provide also an efficient numerical method to determine electron transfer rates in the framework of the spin—boson model. We also derive a high temperature approximation for the transfer rate which connects the spin—boson description with the well-known descriptions by Marcus and Hopfield. We determine then electron transfer rates both as a function of the redox energy difference and of temperature. The results show that for the system considered, the Marcus theory holds well at physiological temperatures. The low temperature behavior of the electron transfer rates is in qualitative agreement with observations in that electron transfer rates can increase with lowering the temperature, and that transfer rates can also slightly decrease with decreasing temperature.
Bacteriophage T2 and T4, dam+ and damh and Eco dam+ methylation: Preference at different sites

We present a method for determining preference for methylation at minor methylation sites. The target DNA sequence is first subjected to computer-assisted analysis to predict which restriction endonuclease(s) will generate fragments that will contain only one or two likely minor methylation site(s). The target DNA is then methylated in vitro with a radioactive methyl-group donor and subjected to digestion by the chosen restriction enzyme(s). The amount of radioactivity in the various fragments is determined, after separating them using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We documented the effect of nearby bases on the methylation preference and the relative preference for methylation at some specific minor methylation sites.
Modeling and analysis of battery hysteresis effects

Battery state estimation is an essential step in providing an optimal management system for the battery. With an accurate relaxation-effect model, the battery's open circuit voltage (VOC) can be obtained from direct measurements of the terminal voltage and load current. The battery's state-of-charge (SOC), thereby, can be accurately estimated if a precise model for the VOC-SOC relationship with hysteresis effect is considered. This paper proposes a novel battery hysteresis effect dynamics model that provides a compact and accurate description of a family of the battery VOC-SOC trajectories over a large operating range and charging/discharging control strategies such as those used in Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). The battery hysteresis loops are modeled as responses to a Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) four-state system with various initial conditions. Experimental validations demonstrate that the proposed model can provide accurate descriptions of the battery hysteresis loops. The proposed hysteresis effect modeling method can be used as the basis for the VOC-based battery SOC estimation.
Longitudinal study of reading and writing rehabilitation using a bigraph–biphone correspondence approach

Background: Treatments for sound‐blending ability in phonological dyslexia that train single grapheme–phoneme correspondences have had mixed success. A more recent approach to re‐establishing sound‐blending abilities is to train correspondences of bigraph–biphone units (CV + VC = CVC) (Berndt, Haendiges, Mitchum & Wayland, 1996; Friedman & Lott, 2002). This approach has proved beneficial thus far, although the reasons for its success are not yet fully understood. Many thanks to MQ for her enthusiasm and diligence during this project. We also thank Lianne DiMarco MA, SLP, Francine Kohen MS, CCC/SLP, James Reilly PhD, CCC/SLP, and Michelene Kalinyak‐Fliszar MS, CCC/SLP for their assistance during this project. This study was supported by Dean's Research Incentive Award, 2003 (College of Health Professions, Temple University) and NIDCD Grant DC01924‐11 awarded to Temple University (PI: Nadine Martin). Aims: The purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to use the bigraph–biphone segment‐blending appro...