cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient algorithms for the d-dimensional rigidity matroid of sparse graphs

Let R"d(G) be the d-dimensional rigidity matroid for a graph G=(V,E). Combinatorial characterization of generically rigid graphs is known only for the plane d=2 [W. Whiteley, Rigidity and scene analysis, in: J.E. Goodman, J. O'Rourke (Eds.), Handbook of Discrete and Computational Geometry, CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL, 2004, pp. 1327-1354, Chapter 60]. Recently Jackson and Jordan [B. Jackson, T. Jordan, The d-dimensional rigidity matroid of sparse graphs, Journal of Computational Theory (B) 95 (2005) 118-133] derived a min-max formula which determines the rank function in R"d(G) when G is sparse, i.e. has maximum degree at most d+2 and minimum degree at most d+1. We present efficient algorithms for sparse graphs G in higher dimensions d>=3 that (i)detect if E is independent in the rigidity matroid for G, and (ii)construct G using vertex insertions preserving if G is isostatic, and (iii)compute the rank of R"d(G). The algorithms have linear running time assuming that the dimension d>=3 is fixed.
Mucous membrane and lower respiratory building related symptoms in relation to indoor carbon dioxide concentrations in the 100-building BASE dataset.

Indoor air pollutants are a potential cause of building related symp- toms and can be reduced by increasing ventilation rates. Indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is an approximate surrogate for concentrations of occu- pant-generated pollutants and for ventilation rate per occupant. Using the US EPA 100 office-building BASE Study dataset, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses to quantify the relationship between indoor CO2 concen- trations (dCO2) and mucous membrane (MM) and lower respiratory system (LResp) building related symptoms, adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, presence of carpet in workspace, thermal exposure, relative humidity, and a marker for entrained automobile exhaust. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that certain environmentally mediated health conditions (e.g., allergies and asthma) confer increased susceptibility to building related symptoms. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for statistically significant, dose-dependent associations ( P< 0.05) for combined mucous membrane, dry eyes, sore throat, nose/sinus congestion, sneeze, and wheeze symptoms with 100 p.p.m. increases in dCO2 ranged from 1.1 to 1.2. Building occupants with certain environmentally medi- ated health conditions were more likely to report that they experience building related symptoms than those without these conditions (statistically significant ORs ranged from 1.5 to 11.1, P < 0.05).
Distributionally regulated functions

We study the class of distributions in one variable that have distributional lateral limits at every point, but which have no Dirac delta functions or derivatives at any point, the "distributionally regulated functions." We also consider the related class where Dirac delta functions are allowed. We prove several results on the boundary behavior of functions of two variables F(x, y), x epsilon R, y > 0, with F(x, 0(+)) = f(x) distributionally, both near points where the distributional point value exists and points where the lateral distributional limits exist. We give very general formulas for the jumps, in terms of F and related functions. We prove that the set of singular points of a distributionally regulated function is always countable at the most. We also characterize the Fourier transforms of tempered distributionally regulated functions in two ways.
Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity invivo is not accompanied by oxidant stress

Hepatotoxic doses of acetaminophen in Fischer 344 rats did not increase biliary efflux of oxidized glutathione. Pretreatment of the animals with bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea inhibited hepatic glutathione reductase by 73 percent but did not potentiate the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen and did not produce an increase in biliary efflux of oxidized glutathione in response to acetaminophen. Hepatic protein thiol content was not depleted by acetaminophen. A proposed role for oxidant stress mechanisms mediated either by reactive oxygen species or by the direct oxidant action of a reactive metabolite in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity is unsubstantiated and unlikely.
Neuronal porosome – The secretory portal at the nerve terminal: Its structure–function, composition, and reconstitution

Cup-shaped secretory portals at the cell plasma membrane called porosomes mediate secretion from cells. Membrane bound secretory vesicles transiently dock and fuse at the cytosolic compartment of the porosome base to expel intravesicular contents to the outside during cell secretion. In the past decade, the structure, isolation, composition, and functional reconstitution of the neuronal porosome complex has been accomplished providing a molecular understanding of its structure-function. Neuronal porosomes are 15 nm cup-shaped lipoprotein structures composed of nearly 40 proteins. Being a membrane-associated supramolecular complex has precluded determination of the atomic structure of the porosome. However recent studies using small-angle X-ray solution scattering (SAXS), provide at sub-nanometer resolution, the native 3D structure of the neuronal porosome complex associated with docked synaptic vesicle at the nerve terminal. Additionally, results from the SAXS study and earlier studies using atomic force microscopy, provide the possible molecular mechanism involved in porosome-mediated neurotransmitter release at the nerve terminal.
The role of amino acid composition in the charge inversion of deprotonated peptides via gas-phase ion/ion reactions

Ion/ion charge inversion via multiple proton transfer reactions occurs via a long-lived intermediate. The intermediate can be observed if its lifetime is long relative to mechanisms for removal of excess energy (i.e., emission and collisional stabilization). The likelihood for formation of a stabilized intermediate is a function of characteristics of the reagent and analyte ions. This work is focused on the role acidic and basic sites of a deprotonated peptide play in the formation of a stabilized intermediate upon charge inversion with multiply protonated polypropyleniminediaminobutane dendrimers. A group of model peptides based on leucine enkephalin was used, which included YGGFL, YGGFLF, YGGFLK, YGGFLR and YGGFLH as well as methyl esterified and acetylated versions. Results showed that peptides containing basic amino acid residues charge inverted primarily by proton transfer from the DAB dendrimer to the peptide, whereas peptides without basic amino acids charge inverted primarily by complex formation with the DAB dendrimer. The modified versions of the peptides highlighted the importance of the presence of the C-terminus as well as the basicity of the peptide in the observation of a stabilized intermediate. These results provide new insights into the nature of the interactions that occur in the charge inversion of polypeptide anions via ion/ion reactions.
High-Frequency Planetary Waves in the Polar Middle Atmosphere as Seen in a Data Assimilation System

This study examines the winter southern hemisphere vortex of 1998 using four times daily output from a data assimilation system to focus on the polar 2-day, wave number 2 component of the 4-day wave. The data assimilation system products are from a test version of the finite volume data assimilation system (fvDAS) being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and include an ozone assimilation system. Results show that the polar 2-day wave dominates during July 1998 at 70 degrees. The period of the quasi 2-day wave is somewhat shorter than 2 days (about 1.7 days) during July 1998 with an average perturbation temperature amplitude for the month of over 2.5 K. The 2-day wave propagates more slowly than the zonal mean zonal wind, consistent with Rossby wave theory, and has EP flux divergence regions associated with regions of negative horizontal potential vorticity gradients, as expected from linear instability theory. Results for the assimilation-produced ozone mixing ratio show that the 2-day wave represents a major source of ozone variation in this region. The ozone wave in the assimilation system is in good agreement with the wave seen in the POAM (Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement) ozone observations for the same time period. Some differences with linear instability theory are noted as well as spectral peaks in the ozone field, not seen in the temperature field, that may be a consequence of advection.
Color Perception: An Ongoing Convergence of Reductionism and Phenomenology

Scientific explanation rests on two major approaches. The more familiar is the reductionist or mechanistic explanation in which complex processes or things are analyzed into components and these in turn are reassembled into a working facsimile or restoration of the original object or process. A good example of this is the work done with viruses which can be dissociated into their components (a nucleic acid and one or more proteins) and then reassembled in test-tube conditions without the need for a living host to provide support. At a cellular level such tour de force cases are rare. For the reductionist scientist this is mostly a matter of the cell’s complexity. The second method is sometimes called historical explanation. This is used to interpret time-bound processes. Much of embryology would use this method to explain how an organ forms from its rudiments or from a few initiating cells at some earlier stage of development. A good example of this is a human pseudohermaphrodite with 46, XX karyotype (usually a normal female) who has a penis and a split scrotum leading to a vaginal passageway and internal uterus, oviducts, and ovaries. As one follows the fate of embryonic sexual rudiments and the influence of hormones at particularly sensitive stages one can recreate how such a contradiction to expectation arises. It can be duplicated experimentally in mammals which have a similar sex-determining mechanism. Time also plays an important role in the evolution of species or the divergence of related members of a species. Thus one can study sequences of nucleotides on the Y chromosome or sequences of nucleotides in mitochondria to work out the ancestry of human tribes, ethnic groups, and racial groups. Their origins can then be traced to a common ancestor out of Africa. One can limit the search to the common ancestor from Asia of all native tribes in North and South America. The underlying assumptions for this historical explanation involve mutation frequency and the spread of populations carrying adaptive or neutral mutant changes. Although one cannot do experimental evolution as readily as one can do experimental embryology, studies of Darwin’s finches at the molecular level corroborate field studies that speciation is an on-going process of Darwinian small variations undergoing constant natural selection.
INDEPENDENT GEOMETRICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ARRAYS OF NANOMETER-SCALE ELECTRODES

Arrays of nanometer-scale electrodes were prepared by cyanide-etching of hexadecanethiol monolayers confined to Cu-underpotential deposition (UPD)-modified Au(111). This process results in fabrication of arrays having average electrode radii ranging from 6 to 80 nm. The arrays were independently characterized by cyclic voltammetry and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A recessed disk model was used to calculate an expected limiting current based on the STM-derived geometrical data, and this was correlated with the electrochemically determined value. General agreement was found between these values, but nonidealities in the distribution of electrodes within the arrays led to substantial scatter in the data. We conclude that improved array characterization will result in a reliable means to test for predicted deviation from standard microelectrode theory at nanoscale electrodes. Electrochemical responses were measured for the arrays in the presence of both Ru(NH3)63+ and benzoquinone, redox probes having...
Mapping quantitative trait loci in F2 incorporating phenotypes of F3 progeny.

In plants and laboratory animals, QTL mapping is commonly performed using F 2 or BC individuals derived from the cross of two inbred lines. Typical QTL mapping statistics assume that each F 2 individual is genotyped for the markers and phenotyped for the trait. For plant traits with low heritability, it has been suggested to use the average phenotypic values of F 3 progeny derived from selfing F 2 plants in place of the F 2 phenotype itself. All F 3 progeny derived from the same F 2 plant belong to the same F 2:3 family, denoted by F 2:3 . If the size of each F 2:3 family (the number of F 3 progeny) is sufficiently large, the average value of the family will represent the genotypic value of the F 2 plant, and thus the power of QTL mapping may be significantly increased. The strategy of using F 2 marker genotypes and F 3 average phenotypes for QTL mapping in plants is quite similar to the daughter design of QTL mapping in dairy cattle. We study the fundamental principle of the plant version of the daughter design and develop a new statistical method to map QTL under this F 2:3 strategy. We also propose to combine both the F 2 phenotypes and the F 2:3 average phenotypes to further increase the power of QTL mapping. The statistical method developed in this study differs from published ones in that the new method fully takes advantage of the mixture distribution for F 2:3 families of heterozygous F 2 plants. Incorporation of this new information has significantly increased the statistical power of QTL detection relative to the classical F 2 design, even if only a single F 3 progeny is collected from each F 2:3 family. The mixture model is developed on the basis of a single-QTL model and implemented via the EM algorithm. Substantial computer simulation was conducted to demonstrate the improved efficiency of the mixture model. Extension of the mixture model to multiple QTL analysis is developed using a Bayesian approach. The computer program performing the Bayesian analysis of the simulated data is available to users for real data analysis.
On Use of 802.4 Token Bus in Distributed Control Systems

IEEE 802.4 broadband channel access scheme has been widely accepted as the standard for factory Local-Area Networks. The priority option of the 802.4 standard supports multiple classes of traffic by using a set of timers to control information exchange. A timer assignment technique is presented for factory LANs using the 802.4 priority option. The timers are set to satisfy the worst case access delay requirements of real-time control applications. Other applications that are not time constrained can be supported simultaneously. In fact, under certain conditions, such applications can also be guaranteed a minimum bandwidth allocation. The results given here can be used during network design stage to ensure that the network can support the requirements of the devices connected to the network. Simulation results are used to evaluate the timer assignment scheme.
Dynamic Compaction of Al2O3-ZrO2 Compositions

Shock compaction of Al2O3-ZrO3 binary and ternary powder compositions resulted in dense, one-piece samples without visible cracks for pressures ≤12.6 GPa. Dynamic pressures were achieved by using a 6.5-m-long two-stage gas gun. It is believed that plastic deformation by dislocation slip of α-Al2O3 partially accommodates the tensile stresses created during the release of shock pressures. A fine and narrow particle size distribution is necessary to achieve high bulk densities, but the bulk structural integrity was not strongly related to the distribution. A high-pressure phase of ZrO2, which was formed from the monoclinic polymorph, was found at and above shock pressure of 6.3 GPa. No evidence of the orthorhombic cotunnite structure was observed. Compaction of glassy and submicrocrystalline rapidly solidified starting materials showed good structural integrity, although the bulk density was relatively low. It is not clear what the densificationhonding mechanism is in these materials, although it appears not to be plastic deformation. Microstructural analysis showed that fine and uniform microstructures are retained after compaction at appropriate dynamic pressures for all compositions, with some interparticle cohesion present.
Analyzing human high-fives to create an effective high-fiving robot

Creating a robot that can teach humans simple interactive tasks such as high-fiving requires research at the intersection of physical human-robot interaction (PHRI) and socially assistive robotics. This paper shows how observation of natural human-human interaction can improve the design of requirements for social-physical robots and form a framework for autonomous execution of interactive physical tasks. Eleven pairs of human subjects were recruited to perform a set of high-fiving games; a magnetic motion tracker and an accelerometer were mounted to each person's hand for the duration of the experiment, and each subject completed several questionnaires about the experience. The results reveal valuable clues about the generally positive feelings of the participants and the movement of their hands during play. We discuss how we plan to use these results to create a robot that can teach humans similar high-fiving games.
A Methodology for the Study of Organizational Behavior at the Interpersonal Level of Analysis

A specific communication methodology for the study of organizational behavior at the level of the interpersonal relationship it presented. The model for analysis uses the transaction, patterned as probabilistic recurring sequences, as the basic unit of analysis and analyzes these stochastic processes using a Markovian framework. Exemplary applications of the methodology are presented, with discussion of methods to identify differences in interaction patterns both within a group and across groups.
Main Source of Microwave Loss in Transition‐Metal‐Doped Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3 and Ba(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 at Cryogenic Temperatures

Microwave resonator measurements were performed on high-performance microwave ceramics Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3 (BZT) and Ba(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BZN) containing additives commonly used by commercial manufacturers (i.e., Co, Mn, and Ni). We find that the loss tangent, even in ambient magnetic fields, is dominated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) absorption by exchange-coupled 3d electrons in transition metal clusters at cryogenic temperatures. The large orbital angular momentum in Co2+ and Ni2+ ions of L = 3 causes strong anisotropic-broadened dipolar interactions that extend EPR losses to zero applied field. This effect is greatest in BZN with Co concentrations greater than 0.5 mol%, dominating the losses at liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) and below. In samples containing Mn2+ ions with L = 0, the dipolar interactions and associated EPR losses in ambient fields are smaller. We show the magnetic-field-dependent changes in the EPR losses (i.e., tan δ) and magnetic reactive response (i.e., μr) are from the same mechanism, as they follow the Kramers–Kronig relation. Finally, we note that these materials can make ultra-high Q passive microwave devices with externally controlled transfer functions, as the quality factor (Q) of the composition Ba(Co1/15Zn4/15Nb2/3)O3 at 77 K can be tuned from 1 100 to 12 000 at 10 GHz by applying practical magnetic fields.
Caspase-dependent cytochrome c release and cell death in chick cardiomyocytes after simulated ischemia-reperfusion.

We recently demonstrated that reperfusion rapidly induces the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in chick cardiomyocytes after 1 h of simulated ischemia. Here we tested whether ischemia-reperfusion...
Multi band sigma delta analog to digital conversion

A multi band approach to oversampled noise shaping analog to digital conversion is described. The multi band A/D converter breaks the signal band into several smaller bands and uses a different band reject noise shaping transfer function for each band. A FIR filter bank attenuates the out-of-band noise for each band and reconstructs the signal. This approach allows performance improvements over conventional noise shaping A/D converters which convert the entire signal band using one noise shaping transfer function. A design example and simulation results where a signal with 512 kHz bandwidth is converted to about 16 bits of resolution is presented. >
Beginnings: the first hardware digital filters

The article narrates the beginnings of the first digital hardware filters based from the author's historical perspective. It all began when the author was assigned to design and build an all-digital touch-tone receiver (TTR). In the course of analysis and experimentation, a new and exciting area of digital filtering that is largely based on earlier results from the field of sampled-data control system was discovered.
Crystal structure of a type II dihydrofolate reductase catalytic ternary complex.

Type II dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a plasmid-encoded enzyme that confers resistance to bacterial DHFR-targeted antifolate drugs. It forms a symmetric homotetramer with a central pore which functions as the active site. Its unusual structure, which results in a promiscuous binding surface that accommodates either the dihydrofolate (DHF) substrate or the NADPH cofactor, has constituted a significant limitation to efforts to understand its substrate specificity and reaction mechanism. We describe here the first structure of a ternary R67 DHFR·DHF·NADP+ catalytic complex, resolved to 1.26 A. This structure provides the first clear picture of how this enzyme, which lacks the active site carboxyl residue that is ubiquitous in Type I DHFRs, is able to function. In the catalytic complex, the polar backbone atoms of two symmetry-related I68 residues provide recognition motifs that interact with the carboxamide on the nicotinamide ring, and the N3−O4 amide function on the pteridine ring. This set of interact...
Functional Hemichannels in Astrocytes: A Novel Mechanism of Glutamate Release

Little is known about the expression and possible functions of unopposed gap junction hemichannels in the brain. Emerging evidence suggests that gap junction hemichannels can act as stand-alone functional channels in astrocytes. With immunocytochemistry, dye uptake, and HPLC measurements, we show that astrocytes in vitro express functional hemichannels that can mediate robust efflux of glutamate and aspartate. Functional hemichannels were confirmed by passage of extracellular lucifer yellow (LY) into astrocytes in nominal divalent cation-free solution (DCFS) and the ability to block this passage with gap junction blocking agents. Glutamate/aspartate release (or LY loading) in DCFS was blocked by multivalent cations (Ca2+, Ba2+, Sr2+, Mg2+, and La3+) and by gap junction blocking agents (carbenoxolone, octanol, heptanol, flufenamic acid, and 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid) with affinities close to those reported for blockade of gap junction intercellular communication. Glutamate efflux via hemichannels was also accompanied by greatly reduced glutamate uptake. Glutamate release in DCFS, however, was not significantly mediated by reversal of the glutamate transporter: release did not saturate and was not blocked by glutamate transporter blockers. Control experiments in DCFS precluded glutamate release by volume-sensitive anion channels, P2X7 purinergic receptor pores, or general purinergic receptor activation. Blocking intracellular Ca2+ mobilization by BAPTA-AM or thapsigargin did not inhibit glutamate release in DCFS. Divalent cation removal also induced glutamate release from intact CNS white matter (acutely isolated optic nerve) that was blocked by carbenoxolone, suggesting the existence of functional hemichannels in situ. Our results indicated that astrocyte hemichannels could influence CNS levels of extracellular glutamate with implications for normal and pathological brain function.
Enabling software management for multicore caches with a lightweight hardware support

The management of shared caches in multicore processors is a critical and challenging task. Many hardware and OS-based methods have been proposed. However, they may be hardly adopted in practice due to their non-trivial overheads, high complexities, and/or limited abilities to handle increasingly complicated scenarios of cache contention caused by many-cores.In order to turn cache partitioning methods into reality in the management of multicore processors, we propose to provide an affordable and lightweight hardware support to coordinate with OS-based cache management policies. The proposed methods are scalable to many-cores, and perform comparably with other proposed hardware solutions, but have much lower overheads, therefore can be easily adopted in commodity processors. Having conducted extensive experiments with 37 multi-programming workloads, we show the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed methods. For example on 8-core systems, one of our proposed policies improves performance over LRU-based hardware cache management by 14.5% on average.
Increased Axonal Mitochondrial Mobility Does Not Slow Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)-like Disease in Mutant SOD1 Mice

Reduced axonal mitochondrial transport has been observed in major neurodegenerative diseases, including fALS patients and SOD1G93A mice. However, it is unclear whether this defect plays a critical role in axonal degeneration or simply reflects sequelae of general transport alteration. Using genetic mouse models combined with time-lapse imaging of live neurons, we previously discovered that axon-targeted syntaphilin (SNPH) acts as a docking receptor specific for axonal mitochondria. Deletion of the snph gene in mice results in a substantially higher proportion of axonal mitochondria in the mobile state without any effect on the transport of other axonal organelles. Here we address whether increased (rescued) axonal mitochondrial mobility changes the disease course by crossing fALS-linked transgenic SOD1G93A and snph−/− knock-out mice. We found that a 2-fold increase in axonal mitochondrial mobility in SOD1G93A/snph−/− mice did not affect the onset of ALS-like symptoms. Both SOD1G93A and SOD1G93A/snph−/− mice exhibit similar weight loss, deterioration in motor function and motor neuron loss, significant gliosis, and a lifespan of 152–154 days. Thus, for the first time, our study provides genetic and pathological evidence that the impairment of mitochondrial transport seen in SOD1G93A mice plays a minimal role in the rapid-onset of fALS-linked pathology.
The Interaction of Syntactic Competence and Vocabulary During Reading by Deaf Students

This research studied whether deaf students' component reading processes may interact with other in a competitive manner. Vocabulary and syntax, two processes known to directly and adversely affect the comprehension of many deaf readers, were studied to determine if they may influence each other, affecting the contribution that each one makes separately to reading comprehension. Multiple regression analyses were conducted on predictor variables that included measures of vocabulary and syntactic competence, as well as a variable summarizing the interaction of vocabulary and syntax. The criterion variable was a composite of comprehension performance on a cloze procedure and on a more traditional reading test. Results were cross-validated by separate regressions on data samples from three populations of profoundly deaf readers: 100 adolescents from oral school programs, 113 adolescents from total communication programs, and 211 students entering a postsecondary institution that used total communication. In each regression, the Vocabulary × Syntax interaction variable emerged as the most critical of the three predictors. Further analyses of the interaction revealed that among subjects in the highest quartile of syntactic competence, the correlation between vocabulary competence and reading was significantly greater than it was in the lower three syntax quartiles. In contrast, the relationship between syntax and comprehension remained stable across all four quartiles of vocabulary competence. This suggests that unless deaf readers have achieved a reasonable level of syntactic competence it may be difficult for them to capitalize fully on their vocabulary knowledge. The finding that limitations in one reading process can interfere with the application of another is consistent with the theory of Capacity Constrained Comprehension of M. Just and P. Carpenter (1992). Because syntax can exert both a direct and an indirect influence on comprehension, it should be an important focus in instructional programs.
Ecological Problem-Based Learning: An Environmental Consulting Task

Eroblem-based learning is touted as an effective way to promote active learning and encourage students to develop life-long learning skills (Groh et al., 1997; Uyeda et al., 2002). In science courses, problem-based learning is becoming a popular and effective approach (Arambula-Greenfield, 1996; Eggebrecht et al., 1996; Allen 1997; Woolverton & Liliestedt 1999; Singletary, 2000; Baldwin, 2001; Cruickshank & Olander, 2002, Kalischuk & Thorpe, 2002). Similar to undergraduate research (Mervis, 2001; Gonzalez, 2001; Marchaim, 2001), problem-based learning can expose students to professional activities (Abrahamson et al., 2000) and give them a greater appreciation for the applied aspects of the topics that they study. While some biology majors will enter careers involving laboratory research, many enter occupations related to environmental consulting and other forms of ecological field research. Two problems in particular that are faced by natural ecosystems, and in turn by environmental consultants, are urban sprawl and ecosystem fragmentation (e.g., McMahon & Harned, 1998; Wear et al., 1998; McKinney, 2002). There is ever increasing pressure for localities to use natural areas for development in an effort to perpetuate economic growth and accommodate the expanding human population (McKinney, 2002).
Influence of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation on the monsoon rainfall and carbon balance of the American tropics

[1] We examine the response of the American Tropics to changes in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) strength using a set of water-hosing experiments with an Earth system model that explicitly simulates the global and regional carbon cycle. We find that a moderate weakening (27%) of the AMOC, induced by a 0.1 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) freshwater addition in the northern North Atlantic, drives small but statistically significant drying in the South American monsoon region. By contrast, a complete shutdown of the AMOC, induced by a 1.0 Sv freshwater addition, acts to considerably shift the ITCZ southward, which changes the seasonal cycle of precipitation over Amazonia. Our results indicate that AMOC weakening can have a significant impact on the terrestrial primary productivity and carbon storage of the American Tropics.
Stepwise Assembly of a Glucocorticoid Receptor·hsp90 Heterocomplex Resolves Two Sequential ATP-dependent Events Involving First hsp70 and Then hsp90 in Opening of the Steroid Binding Pocket

Abstract A system of five purified proteins that assembles stable glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-hsp90 heterocomplexes has been reconstituted from reticulocyte lysate. Two proteins, hsp90 and hsp70, are required for the activation of steroid binding activity that occurs with heterocomplex assembly, and three proteins, Hop, hsp40, p23, act as co-chaperones that enhance activation and assembly (Morishima, Y., Kanelakis, K. C., Silverstein, A. M., Dittmar, K. D., Estrada, L., and Pratt, W. B. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 6894–6900). Here we demonstrate that the first step in assembly is the ATP-dependent and hsp40 (YDJ-1)-dependent binding of hsp70 to the GR. After elimination of free hsp70, these preformed GR·hsp70 complexes can be activated to the steroid binding state by the hsp70 free assembly system in a second ATP-dependent step. hsp90 is required for opening of the steroid binding pocket and is converted to its ATP-dependent conformation during this second step. We predict that hsp70 in its ATP-dependent conformation binds initially to the folded receptor and is then converted to the ADP-dependent form with high affinity for hydrophobic substrate. This conversion initiates the opening of the hydrophobic steroid binding pocket such that it can now accept the hydrophobic binding form of hsp90, which in turn must be converted to its ATP-dependent conformation for the pocket to be accessible by steroid.
Models of extended targets and their coherent radar images

The quality of coherent radar images is affected by several factors inherent in the target scattering phenomenon and in the radar system. Certain of these factors, such as resolution, image fluctuation, assumed amplitude cell statistics, noncoherent smoothing, background noise, and the film response, are investigated in detail. Simple statistical models of an extend target are constructed in order to simulate images and to show how these effects are related. It is shown that resolution is the dominant factor that affects image quality. The relative importance of all other factors is highly dependent on resolution.
Subsurface detection of fossil fuel pollutants by photoionization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Abstract This paper describes analysis of environmental pollutants at depth without bringing sample to the surface. It is based on an improved 3-stage Peltier freeze trap, which efficiently pre-concentrates volatile coal tar and petroleum hydrocarbons, and an integrated system for detecting pollutants on-line, in real-time by photoionization detection and quantitation by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) as the probe is advanced into the subsurface. Findings indicate measurement precision and accuracy for volatiles meet EPA criteria for hazardous waste site investigations. When a Teflon membrane inlet is used to detect contaminants in groundwater, its 140 °C temperature limit restricts analyte collection in soil to C 2 -phenanthrenes. Two case studies demonstrate the probe is well-suited to tracking petroleum and coal tar plumes from source to groundwater.
A fast-scanning Fourier transform 2D IR interferometer

Abstract Ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) allows for the characterization of vibrational couplings and chemical dynamics. The fastest method of acquiring a Fourier transform 2D IR data set involves spectrally dispersing the signal field onto an infrared array detector. However, use of this method carries disadvantages, including the high cost of IR arrays and the decrease of signal intensity due to dispersion. As an alternative, we demonstrate a readily implemented full time-domain 2D IR detection method in which data from a pulsed laser source is rapidly acquired by scanning an interferometer delay at constant velocity. The stage's position is determined with high accuracy on a shot-to-shot basis by quadrature detection of HeNe tracer interference fringes.
Adhesive interface interactions between primary aliphatic amine surface conditioners and polyamic acid/polyimide resins

The interface reactions of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane treated surfaces, with the polyamic acid/polyimide resin formed from pyromellitic dianhydride and oxydianiline, were defined in bulk reactant systems and by FTIR analysis on the surface layers of germanium internal reflection plates. Adhesion between these interfacial layers is the result of chemical bonding, which proceeds through initial carboxylate salt formation between the amino function of the silylated surface and the car-boxylic acid present in the polyamic acid. Heating results in dehydration and amide formation, which is followed by preferential incorporation of the alkyl, surface-bound amine (stronger base), over the aromatic polymer amine, in an imide linkage. Aromatic imides formed before or during thermal curing may also be preferentially opened in a modified Ing-Manske reaction and reclosed to the more stable surface-bound alkylimide. Apparently polymer scission at the aromatic amide linkages occurs in this adhesion process, preferentially bonding surface-bound alkyl amines to one end of a shortened polymer chain.
Low-source-temperature diffusion absorption refrigeration. Part I: Modeling and cycle analysis

Abstract The diffusion absorption refrigeration (DAR) cycle offers a potentially fully thermally activated cooling technology. However, most implementations operate with high source temperatures, forced liquid cooling, or elevated evaporator temperatures ( ≳ 5 ° C ). Additionally, few component design resources are available in the literature. In Part I of this investigation, a fully passive DAR design is proposed. Reduced temperature operation is enabled with alternate working fluids (NH3-NaSCN-He), a distributed heated bubble-pump generator (BPG), and an enhanced absorber. Detailed models are formulated for the BPG, condenser, evaporator, absorber, and gas circulation loop. These are integrated to yield an overall system model. System behavior is evaluated over a range of operating conditions. With the necessary and reasonably expected component performances, refrigeration COPs of 0.11–0.26 can be achieved at design conditions (Tamb = 24 °C) with low source temperatures (110–130 °C) and passive air cooling. In the accompanying paper (Part II), this refrigeration system is experimentally demonstrated, and the proposed models are evaluated.
Determining the Δ47 acid fractionation in dolomites

Abstract This paper reports the fractionation of Δ47 during the digestion of dolomite in phosphoric acid between 25 °C and 90 °C using five different samples, including three of Pliocene age from the Bahamas, one from the Jurassic in the Middle East, and one obtained from the National Institute of Standards (NIST 88b). The composition of the dolomites analyzed varied from Ca0.56Mg0.44CO3 to Ca0.50Mg0.50CO3. Fractionation values were also compared between the common acid bath and sealed vessel techniques at various temperatures. No statistically significant differences were observed either between these two methods or as a function of the dolomite’s stoichiometry. These data produce a difference in fractionation of 0.153 ± 0.011‰ for dolomite samples digested at 90 °C compared to those reacted at 25 °C, a value higher and statistically different to previously published values. Utilization of this value in a study of dolomites from a core drilled on the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas yielded temperatures and δ18Ofluid values which agree with previous interpretations on the formation of these dolomites. Application of this value to other published studies produces lower estimates of temperature and δ18Ofluid values for the dolomitization process that are more consistent with the geologic models suggested for these studies.
Negociações comerciais em uma economia fechada: o Brasil e o comércio de serviços na Rodada Uruguai

Por que o Brasil tem tradicionalmente adotado postura defensiva em negociacoes multilaterais sobre o comercio de servicos? Sao tres as principais categorias explicativas comumente usadas para entender os determinantes domesticos da diplomacia economica: interesses, instituicoes e ideias. Neste estudo, avalio o papel dessas variaveis na determinacao da posicao brasileira nas negociacoes de servicos da Rodada Uruguai. O estudo de caso apresentado se vale de fontes primarias e entrevistas para reconstituir a posicao negociadora do pais ao longo da rodada, identificar as preferencias dos atores governamentais e nao governamentais relevantes e apontar os mecanismos e instâncias de interacao entre governo e setor privado.
Effect of exercise intensity on skeletal muscle malonyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA carboxylase

Rasmussen, B. B., and W. W. Winder. Effect of exercise intensity on skeletal muscle malonyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(4): 1104–1109, 1997.—Malonyl-CoA is synthesized by a...
WiFi in Utah: Legal and Social Issues

Unsecured, unfiltered wireless internet connections make online content, including pornography, just a mouse click away for increasing numbers of individuals in Utah. With new technology comes a need to consider the risks and benefits, and ways to optimize safety with measured regulations. A simple requirement that wireless networks in Utah be either password protected (or secured in another way) or reasonably filtered is not burdensome, unconstitutional, or impractical to enforce. Existing Internet pornography laws, nuisance law, the state's interest in protecting minors, parental rights, privacy interests of property owners, and decency regulations on public property all support the proposed regulation of wireless connection to protect children and others from the dangers of pornography online in Utah.
Stationary regime for standing wave central pattern generator

The purpose of this research is to show that the spatio-temporal analysis on surface Electromyographic (sEMG) signals that originally confirmed existence of a standing wave Central Pattern Generator (CPG) along the spine are reproducible under less than ideal conditions and despite evolution of the entrainment technique, different hardware and data collection protocol. This analysis reveals a coherence at a distance between sEMG signals, which because of its large scale reproducibility could become a test for properly functioning Central Nervous System.
Exploring the Kyoto Digital Archives Project: Challenging the Funding Model of Digital Archive Development

Within the Japanese world of digital archives, Kyoto plays a key role. The city became a pioneer in digital archive development by partnering with academics, private organizations with cultural treasures, and private industry. They created the Kyoto Digital Archives Project, an organization that developed a profit-sharing model for digitizing materials and overcoming complex issues of intellectual property. This paper examines how it developed, and also looks at its framework for proposing autonomous regional archives over a homogenized national digital archive.
Factivity and Presuppositions

Factive predicates are generally taken as one of the canonical classes of presupposition triggers (Beaver and Geurts 2011, many others). The goal of this work is to investigate whether it is the factive verbs themselves that trigger presuppositions, or whether the real trigger is some other element which merely tends to co-occur with a verb of the class traditionally thought of as factive. The two possible analyses are illustrated as (1), the more common assumption (von Fintel 1999, etc.), and (2) the one I will argue for (implied by Kiparsky and Kiparsky 1970, Peterson 1997 but not explicitly defended against the alternative until now).
Growth and Characterization of Epitaxial BaF2 on InP

Epitaxial thin films of BaF2 were deposited for the first time onto (100) InP at a substrate temperature of around 450°C to 480°C by RF magnetron sputtering. The structural properties of the BaF2 film were a strong function of the substrate temperature during film deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a pure c-axis orientation perpendicular to the substrate surface. Scanning electron microscopy surface scan indicated a highly textured film with grid growth morphology. Ellipsometry measurement on the films gave a refractive index in the range of 1.4 to 1.6. The capacitance vs voltage analysis on a capacitor with a structure of Au/BaF3/InP demonstrated a dielectric constant of around 7.3 for the BaF2.
The effect of gastric antral stimulation upon the secretion of hepatic bile.

SummarySeven dogs were prepared with completely separated vagally denervated antral pouches, gastrojejunostomy, and cholecystectomy. A duodenal cannula was placed opposite the opening of the common bile duct in each animal. In 3 of these dogs, a Heidenhain pouch was also constructed whereas in the other 4 animals a gastric cannula was placed in the ventral wall of the stomach. Biliary volume and composition were studied by catheterization of the common bile duct during constant i.v. infusion of 2% sodium taurocholate to maintain an intact enterohepatic circulation of bile salts. In the dogs with Heidenhain pouches or when the gastric cannula was closed, perfusion of the antral pouch with buffered 4% choline chloride solution at pH 7.5, caused highly significant increases in biliary volume, HCO3 concentration and output, Cl concentration and output and total outputs of Na, K, bile salts, and bile solids. The concentration of Na and K was unchanged but the concentration of bile salts and solids was decrease...
Effect of Posture on Circulating Blood Volume in a Case of Orthostatic Hypotension and Tachycardia

ConclusionEvidence is presented that abnormally great hemo-concentration occurs in the erect posture in a subject with orthostatic hypotension and tachycardia. The magnitude of the effect is great enough to permit the conclusion that abnormal filtration rates aggravate the circulatory embarrassment in this condition.
Estimates of Additive, Dominance and Epistatic Genetic Variances from a Clonally Replicated Test of Loblolly Pine

Nine full-sib families were generated using a factorial mating design consisting of three female and three male loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) parents. Full-sib seedlings and clones of the same families were planted in two test sites in Alabama and Florida. Additive, dominance, and epistatic genetic variances were estimated for growth traits and for fusiform rust incidence for ages 1 through 6. Epistatic variances did not have a significant role in growth traits, but additive gene actions were the major source of genetic variance in loblolly pine. Dominance variance for height, diameter, and volume was negligible at early ages, but it was considerable at age 6, particularly for volume. Fusiform rust incidence appeared to be partially under additive and epistatic gene actions and genetic differences among the clones within families accounted for 48.6% of the total variance. Within-plot variance for clones was always smaller than that within-plot variance for seedlings of the same full-sib families. Clonally replicated progeny tests may provide special advantages for loblolly pine tree improvement programs, as they would substantially increase the efficiency of testing by reducing the microenvironmental variance and better estimation of genetic parameters. This may provide greater genetic gains, particularly for fusiform rust incidence. Potential effects of the small parental size and violations of the assumptions of the genetic model are discussed. Negative additive and nonadditive genetic correlations between the growth traits and fusiform rust incidence are encouraging for rapid and simultaneous improvement of the traits during the same cycle selection. FOR. SCI. 49(1):77-88.