cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inherited Human Caspase 10 Mutations Underlie Defective Lymphocyte and Dendritic Cell Apoptosis in Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome Type II

Abstract Caspases are cysteine proteases that mediate programmed cell death in phylogenetically diverse multicellular organisms. We report here two kindreds with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) type II, characterized by abnormal lymphocyte and dendritic cell homeostasis and immune regulatory defects, that harbor independent missense mutations in Caspase 10 . These encode amino acid substitutions that decrease caspase activity and interfere with death receptor–induced apoptosis, particularly that stimulated by Fas ligand and TRAIL. These results provide evidence that inherited nonlethal caspase abnormalities cause pleiotropic apoptosis defects underlying autoimmunity in ALPS type II.
Citrate clearance in children receiving continuous venovenous renal replacement therapy.

Anticoagulation is usually indicated in patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) to prevent clotting of the extra-corporeal circuit. While heparin is the most frequently used anticoagulant, regional citrate anticoagulation is becoming the preferred choice in those patients at high risk for bleeding. However, it has been widely claimed that to avoid citrate toxicity, CRRT with citrate anticoagulation should utilize diffusive clearance (e.g., continuous venovenous hemodialysis). We studied citrate clearance in five children who received citrate anticoagulation during CRRT with a COBE PRISMA machine and an M-60 (AN-69) filter. The blood flow rate ranged from 50 to 150 ml/min (2.1–8.0 ml/kg per min). Citrate was infused in the circuit circulation as an acid citrate dextrose (ACD) solution at a rate of 1.6–3.7% of the blood flow rate to maintain the circuit ionized calcium (iCa) <0.5 mmol/l. Calcium-free replacement fluid with reduced alkali (NaHCO3 20 mEq/l) was infused in pre-filter mode at a rate of 1,800–2,000 ml/h per 1.73 m2. In a separate central line, CaCl2 (0.8%) was infused (rate 25–50% of ACD infusion) to maintain systemic iCa between 1.0 and 1.3 mmol/l. Citrate concentration was measured using an enzymatic assay. Total CRRT duration was 1,224 h. Twenty-four filters were changed due to clotting, with a mean filter life of 51 h. Mean (range) citrate levels (mmol/l) were (1) before initiating CRRT (n=2): patient baseline 0.13 (0.1–0.15), (2) during CRRT (n=7): circuit 4.54 (3.95–6.25), effluent 4.31 (3.95–5.46), and patient 0.69 (0.30–1.13). Sieving coefficients for urea and citrate were 0.88–0.97 and 0.88–1.0, respectively. Citrate clearance (31–38 ml/min per 1.73 m2) was similar to that of urea (31–38 ml/min per 1.73 m2), and when evaluated in two patients, remained unchanged after substituting half of the convective clearance [continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH)] by diffusive clearance [continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF)]. The post-filter citrate load (mean±SD) delivered to the five patients during CRRT was 1.06±0.62 mmol/kg per hour. With the exception of alkalosis in one patient, no other complications were observed. Renal function recovered in all patients. We conclude that citrate anticoagulation in children is feasible, effective, and safe. Sufficient citrate clearance to prevent its toxic accumulation is achieved by convective clearance (CVVH) alone and diffusive clearance (CVVHDF) does not appear to be mandatory when utilizing citrate anticoagulation during CRRT.
Interpretation of CO2 Solubility and Selectivity in Nitrile-Functionalized Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids Using a Group Contribution Approach

In this work, tuning the solubility parameter of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) with appended functional groups was explored using a combination of experiment and theory. By predictably altering the solubility parameters of several RTIL solvents, their gas solubility and separation performance were tailored. This concept was demonstrated by synthesizing and characterizing imidazolium-based RTILs that incorporate nitrile and alkyne functional substituents. The ideal solubility and selectivity values of CO2, N2, and CH4 at near ambient temperature and pressure were measured for these RTILs. These functionalized RTIL solvents exhibited lower CO2, N2, and CH4 solubility values but improved CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 solubility selectivity when compared to analogous nonfunctionalized, n-alkyl-substituted RTILs. A group contribution method was used to predict the solubility parameters of the functionalized RTILs, and these values were used with regular solution theory to predict the solubility and selectivity o...
VEGETATION - SITE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE HARVARD FOREST*

Forty-four sites in the Harvard Forest were assessed with respect to overall physiognomy of the vegetation, coverabundance estimates of the woody species and several environmental variables. The data were subjected to cluster analysis and ordination. In the latter, principal component analysis produced more acceptable and clear-cut results than a Bray-Curtis ordination. The major gradient of vegetational variation is due to disturbance, followed by a moisture gradient and what appears to be a soil texture and soil depth gradient. The high proportion of variance which is not associated with common trends in the vegetation suggests that random variation is an important factor in the composition of the forest. The data obtained from the rapid estimates of physiognomy and species composition, and the methods used for analysing them, are considered to be satisfactory. The success of the approach lies in how well the number of sites used represents the study area as a whole.
Digital system for convergence of three-beam high-resolution color data displays

This paper describes a new method of generating and adjusting convergence wavefroms required by a delta-gun cathode-ray tube for digital color data display applications to ensure that the primary color images produced by three guns are correctly registered with respect to each other. The display is divided into 480 zones, and a number of correction values are associated with each zone. Digital values are converted into convergence currents using special smoothing techniques to ensure that quantizing effects do not cause unacceptable image distortion. A microprogram is described which enables the total of 2016 digital correction values to be adjusted rapidly from the keyboard by a simple procedure using a crosshair adjustment pattern which is displayed sequentially at 13 positions on the screen. Special attention is paid to rounding errors which can occur during adjustment. Also accounted for in the waveform generation is the effect of phase delay between convergence coil current and its effect on the electron beams. Improvements necessary to the design of the radial and lateral convergence coil assemblies, normally found in the television industry, to reduce spot distortion and to improve sensitivity and temperature stability, are also presented. The design is realized in the IBM 3279 Color Display Station.
A Tentative “Short-Title” Check-List of the Works of Col. John Trumbull

IN preparing a monograph on John Trumbull, I found it necessary to have at hand a convenient “short-title” check-list of the artist's work, as my ponderous catalogue, filling thirty odd large loose-leaf note books, was entirely too clumsy for ready reference and was practically untransportable. I hope that this large catalogue raisonne with its history of the individual pictures accompanied by all the heavy baggage of biography and bibliography may some day be published, but in the meantime, a short list may prove of some service to scholars and collectors.
Denitrification kinetics and denitrifier abundances in sediments of lakes receiving atmospheric nitrogen deposition (Colorado, USA)

The transport and deposition of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) to downwind ecosystems is significant and can be a dominant source of new N to many watersheds. Bacterially mediated denitrification in lake sediments may ameliorate the effects of N loading by permanently removing such inputs. We measured denitrification in sediments collected from lakes in the Colorado Rocky Mountains (USA) receiving elevated (5–8 kg N ha−1 y−1) or low (<2 kg N ha−1 y−1) inputs of atmospheric N deposition. The nitrate (NO3 −) concentration was significantly greater in high-deposition lakes (11.3 μmol l−1) compared to low-deposition lakes (3.3 μmol l−1). Background denitrification was positively related to NO3 − concentrations and we estimate that the sampled lakes are capable of removing a significant portion of N inputs via sediment denitrification. We also conducted a dose–response experiment to determine whether chronic N loading has altered sediment denitrification capacity. Under Michaelis–Menten kinetics, the maximum denitrification rate and half-saturation NO3 − concentration did not differ between deposition regions and were 765 μmol N m−2 h−1 and 293 μmol l−1 NO3 −, respectively, for all lakes. We enumerated the abundances of nitrate- and nitrite-reducing bacteria and found no difference between high- and low-deposition lakes. The abundance of these bacteria was related to available light and bulk sediment resources. Our findings support a growing body of evidence that lakes play an important role in N removal and, furthermore, suggest that current levels of N deposition have not altered the abundance of denitrifying bacteria or saturated the capacity for sediment denitrification.
Effects of stimulus frequency and age on bidirectional synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus of freely moving rats

We investigated the frequency-dependent transition from homosynaptic long-term depression (LTD) to long-term potentiation (LTP) at the lateral perforant pathway/dentate gyrus synapse in adult (90 days of age) and immature (15 days of age) awake, freely moving rats. Dentate-evoked field potentials were recorded and analyzed using the population spike amplitude and the field EPSP slope measures following sustained stimulation (900 pulses) of the lateral perforant pathway at various frequencies (1, 3, 7, 30, 50, or 200 Hz). Our results indicate that both the strength and the direction (LTP or LTD) of synaptic plasticity vary as a function of activation frequency: sustained low-frequency stimulation ranging from 1 to 7 Hz results in depression of activated synapses, whereas high-frequency stimulation (30-200 Hz) produces potentiation. In addition, a significant (P < 0.01) ontogenetic shift in the frequency of transition from LTD to LTP was observed; the transition frequency in immature animals was significantly lower than that obtained in adult animals. These observations agree strongly with the prediction of the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro theory of synapse modification, indicating perhaps a neurophysiological basis for this theoretical model of learning in the dentate gyrus of awake behaving rats.
The multiple-ligament injured knee: Evaluation, treatment, and results

The multiple-ligament injured knee is a complex problem in orthopaedic surgery. Most dislocated knees involve tears of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL/PCL) and at least 1 collateral ligament complex. Careful assessment of the extremity vascular status is essential because of the possibility of arterial and/or venous compromise. These complex injuries require a systematic approach to evaluation and treatment. Physical examination and imaging studies enable the surgeon to make a correct diagnosis and to formulate a treatment plan. Arthroscopically assisted combined ACL/PCL reconstruction is a reproducible procedure. Knee stability is improved postoperatively when evaluated using knee ligament rating scales, arthrometer testing, and stress radiographic analysis. Acute medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears, when combined with ACL/PCL tears, may in certain cases be treated with bracing. Posterolateral corner injuries combined with ACL/PCL tears are best treated with primary repair as indicated, combined with reconstruction using a post of strong autograft (split biceps tendon, biceps tendon, semitendinosus) or allograft (Achilles tendon, bone-patellar tendon-bone) tissue. Surgical timing depends on the ligaments injured, the vascular status of the extremity, reduction stability, and the overall health of the patient. We prefer to use allograft tissue for reconstruction in these cases because of the strength of these large grafts and the absence of donor site morbidity.
Fracture of the coronoid process of the ulna requiring reduction in extension

A case of avulsion fracture of the coronoid process of the proximal ulna is presented to highlight certain features—namely, the rarity of this fracture as an isolated injury and the achievement of reduction in full extension of the elbow, contrary to the accepted method of treatment.
Obituary: I. Bernard Cohen [Biographies]

I. Bernard Cohen was born on 1 March 1914 and died 20 June 2003 in his home in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. He played a central role in the establishment of the history of computing as a topic of serious academic study. Even so, his contributions to the history of the physical sciences were so broad and fundamental that his obituary in the New York Times made no reference to computing. Cohen is best known as the author of classic works on Isaac Newton and Ben Franklin; as a rigorous yet readable popularizer of the history of science in The Birth of a New Physics (1960) and Revolution in Science (1985); as a lifelong teacher who brought his gifts to continuing education classes, cruise-ship passengers, and undergraduates; and as a mentor to generations of now eminent historians. He wrote more than 20 books, and 150 articles. He spent his adult life at Harvard, entering in 1933 as a freshman, staying for his graduate education and teaching there long after his official retirement. His life and works are reviewed.
Measures and forking

Abstract Shelah's theory of forking (or stability theory) is generalized in a way which deals with measures instead of complete types. This allows us to extend the method of forking from the class of stable theories to the larger class of theories which do not have the independence property. When restricted to the special case of stable theories, this paper reduces to a reformulation of the classical approach. However, it goes beyond the classical approach in the case of unstable theories. Methods from ordinary forking theory and the Loeb measure construction from nonstandard analysis are used.
Local system identification analyses of the dynamic response of soil systems

Abstract The seismic behavior of massive geotechnical systems exhibits complex response patterns and mechanisms under severe loading conditions. Some of these mechanisms are localized in space, but nevertheless impact significantly the entire system response and ultimately its stability. A thorough monitoring and identification of the whole response of a distributed soil system commonly constitutes a significant challenge, and would generally be prohibitively expensive. This study presents a point-wise identification technique of soil-systems using the acceleration records provided by local instrument arrays. The newly developed identification algorithm consists of: (1) evaluation of strain tensor time histories using the motions recorded by a cluster of instruments (arranged in an appropriate multi-dimensional configuration), (2) estimation of the stress tensors corresponding to the evaluated strains utilizing a pre-selected class of constitutive models of soil response, (3) computation of accelerations associated with estimated stresses using the equations of motion, and (4) calibration and evaluation of an optimal model of soil response by minimizing discrepancies between recorded and computed accelerations. Computer simulations and analysis of centrifuge tests of a soil–quay wall system showed that the proposed technique provides an effective tool to identify local soil characteristics and properties.
The sphere packing problem in quasicrystals

The higher-dimensional viewpoint is used to analyze the problem of finding quasicrystals that pack spheres well, and this implies a search for ‘maximal’ acceptance domains. The basic constraints are symmetry and non-intersection under certain perpendicular-space translations and the maximal convex domains are just the polyhedral Voronoi domains. When disconnected pieces are allowed, significant improvement in packing fraction is possible, and inflation rules for a dodecagonal triangle-square tiling produce beautifully intricate disconnected acceptance domains. A numerical approach to acceptance domain maximization produces similar structures, and also provides a lower bound for the ‘deterministic entropy’ associated with the many different allowed maximal domains.
Stereospecificity at carbon 6 of formyltetrahydrofolate as a competitive inhibitor of transport and cytotoxicity of methotrexate in vitro

Abstract The unnatural diastereoisomer of l -5-formyltetrahydrofolate was 20-fold less effective as a competitive inhibitor of [ 3 H] methotrexate influx than the natural diastereoisomer during carrier-mediated membrane transport in L1210, S180 and Ehrlich cells. Values derived for K i , were 1.84 to 2.29 μM for the natural derivative and 35.2 to 53.8 μM for the unnatural derivative. Values for K i derived with a chemically synthesized mixture containing equal amounts of both natural and unnatural diastereoisomers were 2-fold greater than values obtained for the natural diastereoisomer. The unnatural diastereoisomer was 100-fold less effective and the chemically synthesized mixture was 2-fold less effective than the natural diastereoisomer in preventing inhibition by methotrexate of L1210 cell growth in culture. These results indicate that the unnatural diastereoisomer competes relatively ineffectively with the natural diastereoisomer or methotrexate for transport in these murine tumor cells.
Five-day infusional fluorodeoxyuridine with oral leucovorin and escalating doses of interferon alpha-2b: a phase I study.

In a previous phase I study we identified the maximally tolerated dose (MTD) of a continuous intravenous infusion of fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) to be 0.3 mg/kg daily for 5 days when combined with oral leucovorin (LV) given at 100 mg q4h. In an attempt to modulate FUdR further, we added escalating doses of interferon alpha-2b (IFN) to FUdR/LV in a phase I cohort study. A total of 36 patients with refractory solid tumors were treated at two dose levels of FUdR and five dose levels of IFN. Although the initial patient cohort was treated with a dose of FUdR lower than that previously identified as the MTD [FUdR at 0.2 mg/kg daily with LV at 100 mg q4h and IFN at 2 million units (MU)/m2 daily], three of six patients developed grade 3 mucositis, indicating that the toxicity of FUdR/LV was increased in the presence of low doses of IFN. After decreasing the FUdR dose to 0.1 mg/kg daily, we could increase the dose of IFN from 2 to 30 MU/m2 daily in five additional cohorts of patients. With increasing IFN doses, no increase in mucositis or dermatitis was observed, indicating no further potentiation of FUdR/LV toxicity with higher IFN doses. However, known toxicities of IFN, including transient myelosuppression and hepatic transaminase elevation, were observed more frequently at IFN doses of 15 and 30 MU/m2 daily, where they became dose-limiting. We conclude that IFN modulates FUdR/LV at low doses, resulting in increased FUdR toxicity. When the dose of IFN is increased, this FUdR/LV toxicity does not appear to be potentiated further and IFN-related toxicities become dose-limiting.
Incomplete cross tolerance and multiple mu opioid peptide receptors

Clinicians have long known about incomplete cross tolerance and other pharmacological differences among analgesics that act at the mu opioid peptide (MOP) receptor (previously termed MOR). How might drugs that act through the same receptor differ so markedly? One explanation could be the presence of multiple MOP receptor subtypes, as implied from animal models over the past 20 years. More recently, at least seven different MOP receptor splice variants have been isolated. Each variant selectively binds morphine and other drugs that act at the MOP receptor with high affinity. Both antisense and knockout paradigms indicate that MOP-receptor-mediated analgesia involves more than one MOP receptor splice variant. Thus, incomplete cross tolerance among MOP receptor ligands might reflect their differing selectivities for these MOP receptor subtypes.
SO2 absorption into aqueous solutions

The absorption rate of SO2 from a gas mixture of SO2 and N2 into pure water, HCl, and NaCl solutions has been measured at 25°C in a continuous stirred vessel with an unbroken gas-liquid interface. The rates of the liquid-phase mass transfer are accurately modeled by the theory of surface renewal with the instantaneous, reversible hydrolysis of dissolved SO2. The theory and results are applicable to SO2 absorption from waste gases.
Electrochemistry and safety of Li4Ti5O12 and graphite anodes paired with LiMn2O4 for hybrid electric vehicle Li-ion battery applications

Abstract A promising anode material for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO). LTO intercalates lithium at a voltage of ∼1.5 V relative to lithium metal, and thus this material has a lower energy compared to a graphite anode for a given cathode material. However, LTO has promising safety and cycle life characteristics relative to graphite anodes. Herein, we describe electrochemical and safety characterizations of LTO and graphite anodes paired with LiMn 2 O 4 cathodes in pouch cells. The LTO anode outperformed graphite with regards to capacity retention on extended cycling, pulsing impedance, and calendar life and was found to be more stable to thermal abuse from analysis of gases generated at elevated temperatures and calorimetric data. The safety, calendar life, and pulsing performance of LTO make it an attractive alternative to graphite for high power automotive applications, in particular when paired with LiMn 2 O 4 cathode materials.
Galactogen synthesis-stimulating factor in the slug, Limax maximus: cellular localization and partial purification.

Galactogen synthesis in the albumen gland of the slug Limax maximus is under direct endocrine control [J. van Minnen, J. Wijdenes, and P. G. Sokolove (1983) Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 49, 307–314]. The present results show that dorsal body cells (DBC) present throughout the connective tissue around the circumesophageal brain are the major cellular source of a galactogen synthesis-stimulating factor (GAL-SF). The amount of GAL-SF varies during sexual maturation of L. maximus (a protandrous hermaphrodite): it is low when animals are immature and reaches a peak in the late female phase when the animals prepare to lay eggs. The morphology of DBC also changes during maturation. DBC are small and release little secretory product in immature and early male-phase animals; release is higher and DBC are larger in late female-phase animals. Gel filtration of homogenates of cerebral ganglia on Sephadex G75 yields one peak of GAL-SF activity with an estimated Mr of 4000–7000 Da. Subsequent anion exchange chromatography showed that GAL-SF could be eluted with a linear NaCl gradient; GAL-SF was found in fractions with a NaCl concentration between 0.04 and 0.07 M.
Abnormal autonomic mechanisms in asthma

Excessircb irritability of the airways is thr hallmark of asthma. It is conspicuous in patients with asthma of allergic origin as well as in patients in whom allergic causes cannot bc found. ?tI,v purpose is to review the mechanism of this excessive irritability, focusing cspc~c’ially up011 t,hc autonomic nervous system control of the airways. This paper is not int,cnclcd as an rxhaustivtl review of the sub.ject, but rathctr a summary oi’ present informut,ion and an indication of possible directions oE futurrb advances. Evidence has been accumulated that t.his mechanism could bc an ;~bnol*malit~ in each of thr major branches ot’ the autonomic nervous system, or, pcrhal)s more likclg, in the intcgratioii of 1111, control of bronchial smooth musc&lc, blood \-csscls, mu(aous glands, and othm target cells by cholinergic and adrcncqic neurons.
Measuring emergence in the dynamics of new venture creation

Abstract Modeling the dynamics of nascent entrepreneurship provides insight into how organizations are created. In order to study this complex phenomenon we develop a longitudinal case study and analyze it with respect to three modes of organizing: vision, strategic organizing, and tactical organizing. Multiple sources of data are used to identify changes within and across these three modes. Using longitudinal content analysis and other complexity science methods, we found a nearly simultaneous shift in all three modes, indicating a punctuation event. We define this punctuation as an “emergence event,” and provide a process model of organizational emergence showing that a shift in tactical organizing generated a shift in strategic organizing, which resulted in a shift in the vision (identity) of the firm. We conclude with some theoretical implications of our analysis.
Coalitions in the Senates of the 96th and 97th Congresses

This study identifies voting patterns in the Senates of the 96th and 97th Congresses using a content-free scheme which avoids any prior classification of Senators according to policy or ideological dimensions. The characteristics of the patterns that emerge are then examined to ascertain whether they are essentially the same in the Senates preceding and following the election of President Reagan and of a Republican majority in the Senate. Four similarly composed ideological coalitions emerged in each Senate when all highly contested votes were analyzed together. In terms of voting, they are generally arrayed along the "liberal-conservative" spectrum observed by Schneider. However, when their treatment of a case issue, student aid for higher education, was examined in the Senate of the 97th Congress, policy determinative lines of cleavage running counter to Schneider's spectrum were observed.
Commentary 2: Why Ads Stayed at the Bottom of the Page

As a young intern on the copy desk of the St. Paul Pioneer Press in the mid-1970s, I was curious why the advertising scheduler took great pains to write the content of some ads on the dummies. They...
Criteria for making uniform films by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract The mechanisms which determine the stability of films made by chemical vapor deposition, CVD, are fundamentally different from those which govern physical vapor deposition, PVD, or solidification. Therefore different criteria govern the growth of uniform films when one uses these processes. We analyze CVD with a first order decomposition reaction at the surface. The competition among the mechanisms of gas phase diffusion, adsorption, capillarity, chemical reaction and heat transfer determine the stability of the film. Consequently this is a conjugated boundary value problem which involves gas phase, interfacial and solid phase processes that occur simultaneously. The diffusion of a reactant from the gas phase to a protuberance, or peak of the perturbation, occurs at a faster rate than to the plane portion of the film because the diffusion path is smaller. Therefore the concentration gradient in the gas phase enhances the growth of the perturbation. On the other hand if heating is from below the film the protuberance is at a lower temperature and as a result undergoes a lower rate of reaction and growth than the plane surface. Thus, heating the substrate, from below, tends to stabilize the film. Furthermore, when the wavelength of the perturbation is small, capillarity reduces the extent of adsorption at the peak of the perturbation and inhibits its growth. Surface diffusion also favors stable growth by reducing the concentration gradients on the surface. A linear stability analysis of this conjugated boundary value problem yields a criterion for stable growth. It is shown that lower reactor pressure, low temperature of the substrate, high activation energy, and heating from below the film with a large temperature gradient from the bottom to the top of the substrate favor morphological stability and therefore uniform films.
A new thermodynamic model for the hard-core fluid with a Yukawa tail

A new and analytical thermodynamic model for simple fluids with an intermolecular pair potential consisting of a hard‐sphere core and an attractive Yukawa tail is presented. The model yields simple analytic expressions for all thermodynamic properties of the fluid system. The self‐consistent numerical results of the present model for the compressibility factor, internal energy, and Helmholtz free energy are in excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo ‘‘experiments’’ for the whole range of temperatures and densities in which experimental data are available.
Aqueous sample preparation for bioassay using supercritical fluid extraction

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has become a valuable tool in the preparation of environmental samples for analysis. Most applications to date have been to extract compounds from solid matrices for later analysis by gas chromatographic or high-performance liquid chromatographic methods. The objective of this research was to extend SFE applications to aqueous samples extracted on EmporeTM (C18) solid-phase extraction disks. This technique, which essentially eliminated the use of conventional solvents in preparing the filtered samples, yielded extracts that were compatible with bioassay. The method included aqueous sample extraction onto C18 Empore disks and subsequent elution with supercritical CO2 to isolate and concentrate analytes of interest, using glass beads as an off-line trapping matrix. Analytes were then redissolved in reconstituted water and evaluated for toxicity using the larval medaka, Oryzias latipes, 96-h static toxicity bioassay. Tests with water spikes of molinate, thiobencarb, methyl parathion, and malathion extracted on disks and eluted by SFE gave quantitative recoveries (>90%). Samples of a mixture of these compounds prepared using SFE produced an LC50 of 2.88 mg/L, compared with an LC50 of 2.60 mg/L produced by a water sample directly spiked with equivalent concentrations. Extracts of rice-field water prepared for bioassay and gas chromatographic analysis using the SFE method gave good recoveries without loss of biological activity.
Insulin Receptor-mediated Dissociation of Grb2 from Sos Involves Phosphorylation of Sos by Kinase(s) Other than Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase

The Ras signaling pathway is rapidly activated and then down-regulated following stimulation of multiple cell-surface receptors including the insulin receptor (IR). Much recent attention has focused on elucidating the mechanism of Ras inactivation following IR engagement. Previous data suggest that IR-mediated serine/threonine phosphorylation of the Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sos correlates with its decreased affinity for the adapter protein Grb2. This phosphorylation-induced disassembly of the Grb2.Sos complex is thought to be responsible, at least in part, for diminishing Ras activity in Chinese hamster ovary cells. In this report, we confirm the causal relationship between Sos phosphorylation and Grb2/Sos dissociation. We then examine several putative phosphorylation sites of Sos that could potentially regulate this event. Since a number of reports suggest that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylates Sos, we generated a Sos mutant lacking all seven canonical phosphorylation sites for ERK. This mutant is a poor substrate of activated ERK in vitro and fails to undergo a change in its electrophoretic mobility following IR stimulation. It is, however, phosphorylated after IR stimulation when expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Interestingly, the mutant protein still dissociates from Grb2 following insulin stimulation, suggesting that ERK is not the kinase responsible for regulating the stability of the Grb2.Sos complex.
Social–ecological hotspots mapping : A spatial approach for identifying coupled social–ecological space

Abstract This paper advances the concept of a coupled social–ecological system (SES), where human and biophysical systems are closely linked, to examine and explain variations in landscape values perceived by people in their region. In this paper, we describe an approach that allows the mapping of SES by linking survey research with geographic information systems (GIS) to provide spatial representations of social and ecological system convergence. Using survey data that measured landscape values from multiple communities on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, we identify geographical areas where both human-perceived and physically measured ecological values overlap and are referred to as social–ecological “hotspots”. Community landscape values, collected as point data, were used to generate point density maps to produce hotspot surfaces for each value. These value surfaces were spatially cross-correlated with other communities’ value surfaces and with an ecological map layer (net primary productivity) to demonstrate social–ecological mapping. Moderate spatial cross-correlation coefficients were found between most landscape values by community with 18 hotspot surfaces pairings exhibiting strong positive spatial cross correlations. Moderately significant, positive linear relationships were found between perceived biological values and net primary productivity for three of six communities. The exploratory spatial analysis presented in this paper is a first step in identifying and describing the presence of SES in a regional context. We conclude the paper by discussing the potential managerial and ecological implications of coupled social–ecological systems including system resilience and vulnerability, and the limitations of the approach that need to be considered.
Rare-gas-rich separates from carbonaceous chondrites

This paper describes an analysis of carbon-rich separates prepared by demineralization of colloidal fractions after disaggregation of bulk samples of the type C2 meteorites Murray, Murchison, and Cold Bokkeveld, as well as a methanol colloid extracted from acid-resistant residues of the Allende meteorite (type C3V) obtained by dissolution of most of the minerals in HCl and HF acids. The carbonaceous separates, or lAlates (a coined word designating colloids prepared sometimes before and sometimes after acid treatment), are characterized incompletely and with difficulty. A stepwise heating experiment on a Murray lAlate is discussed which revealed bimodal release of all noble gases, with similar patterns for Ar, Kr, and Xe. Chemical reactions are suggested as the likely mechanism for gas release. The results are shown to support the concept of a carbonaceous gas carrier uniformly present in meteorites of various types.
In)completeness in specifications

Abstract Completeness is usually listed as a desirable attribute of specifications; incompleteness, as a reason for the failure of software to satisfy its intended requirements. Unfortunately, these terms are rarely given anything but intuitive definitions, making it unclear how to achieve the former, or alternatively, avoid the latter. This article examines the notion of (in)completeness in specifications from a number of perspectives, and then introduces a pragmatic definition of incompleteness: a classification based on its potential sources. From this, it observes that completeness, though needed to properly reason about, and capture the behaviour of, the system, is undesirable in some cases.
Transient absorption from the relaxed excited state of the F center in KF

Abstract The infrared absorption spectrum from the relaxed excited state of the F center reported for KF is found to be qualitatively similar to that for the other potassium halides and lies at energies which suggest a 2s-2p transition, as predicted by Ham and Grevsmuhl.
Temperature regulation and the effects of water restriction on Merriams's chipmunk, Eutamias merriami☆

Abstract 1. 1. Oxygen consumption, body temperature, heart rate and evaporative water loss (EWL) were measured at various TA comparing chipmunks with ad lib. water and on chronic water restriction. 2. 2. Body temperature was maintained at 37°C from TA of 5–30°C and rose with higher TA, but the responses were unaffected by water restriction. 3. 3. Oxygen consumption was not affected (or rose slightly at some TA) by chronic water restriction and was at a minimum of 1·05 cc O2/g per hr at ca. 30°C. 4. 4. Chipmunks drink water equal to 12 per cent of their body weigth/day but can reduce this to 1·5 per cent when placed on water restriction. 5. 5. On chronic water restriction the chipmunks had a 46 per cent reduced EWL at 37·5°C and evaporative heat loss decreased at all fA's measured. 6. 6. The minimal thermal conductance between 15 and 25°C (0·55 cal/g per hr per °C) is in agreement with that predicted on the basis of body weight; however, at 5°C thermal conductance is reduced 20 per cent. The thermal conductance minus the EWL component is increased during chronic water restriction.
Programming biological models in Python using PySB

Mathematical equations are fundamental to modeling biological networks, but as networks get large and revisions frequent, it becomes difficult to manage equations directly or to combine previously developed models. Multiple simultaneous efforts to create graphical standards, rulebased languages, and integrated software workbenches aim to simplify biological modeling but none fully meets the need for transparent, extensible, and reusable models. In this paper we describe PySB, an approach in which models are not only created using programs, they are programs. PySB draws on programmatic modeling concepts from little b and ProMot, the rule-based languages BioNetGen and Kappa and the growing library of Python numerical tools. Central to PySB is a library of macros encoding familiar biochemical actions such as binding, catalysis, and polymerization, making it possible to use a high-level, action-oriented vocabulary to construct detailed models. As Python programs, PySB models leverage tools and practices from the opensource software community, substantially advancing our ability to distribute and manage the work of testing biochemical hypotheses. We illustrate these ideas using new and previously published models of apoptosis.
Realization of a vision-a software system for materials management and compliance

The CHEMS (Chemical Health and Safety Environmental Management System) project is described. The project involved the development and validation of an integrated process and logical data model that describes the functions and information needs for managing the chemical, environmental, health, and safety areas of the business. The CHEMS modeling effort was started in January 1992. The teams consisted of expert users in their respective fields. The model was completed in May 1992 and includes the impact and integration of CHEMS processes with other key business processes such as production, plant operations, purchasing, and personnel. The business process was defined and included the creation of entity relationships and data flow diagrams. The modeling scope covered the life cycle management of a material from initial request for use to final disposition. The result of this activity was the defining of the following seven key CHEMS business processes and modules: perform chemical information management, perform chemical administration, perform environmental impact assessment, manage environmental data, manage health and safety, manage compliance, and manage CHEMS effectiveness. >
Structural search for RTL with predicate learning

The authors presented an efficient search strategy for satisfiability checking on circuits represented at the register-transfer-level (RTL). The authors used the RTL circuit structure by extending concepts from classic automatic test-pattern generation (ATPG) algorithms and interval-arithmetic to guide the search process. The idea of Boolean recursive learning was extended on predicate logic in the RTL using Boolean and interval constraint propagation in the control and data-path of the circuit. This is used as a pre-processing step to derive relations between predicate logic signals that are used to augment the search. It is demonstrated experimentally that these methods provide significant improvement over current techniques on sample benchmarks.
Genetic Diversity and Structure of the Fisher (Martes pennanti) in a Peninsular and Peripheral Metapopulation

Evolutionary processes can be strongly affected by landscape features. In vagile carnivores that disperse widely, however, genetic structure has been found to be minimal. Using microsatellite DNA primers developed for other mustelids, we found that populations of a vagile forest carnivore, the fisher (Martes pennanti), exhibit high genetic structure (FST ¼ 0.45, SE ¼ 0.07) and limited gene flow (Nm , 1) within a .1,600-km narrow strip of forested habitat; that genetic diversity decreases from core to periphery; and that populations do not show an equilibrium pattern of isolation-by-distance. Genetic structure was greater at the periphery than at the core of the distribution and our data fit a 1-dimensional model of stepping-stone range expansion. Multiple lines of paleontological and genetic evidence suggest that the fisher recently (,5,000 years ago) expanded into the mountain forests of the Pacific coast. The reduced dimensionality of the distribution of the fisher in western coastal forests appears to have contributed to the high levels of structure and decreasing diversity from north to south. These effects were likely exacerbated by human-caused changes to the environment. The low genetic diversity and high genetic structure of populations in the southern Sierra Nevada suggest that populations in this part of the geographic range are vulnerable to extinction.
Severe flooding likely in Northwest

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that there is a risk of severe flooding from four rivers in the Northwest that are clogged by mudflow from the Mount St. Helens eruption. In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, James P. Walsh, deputy administrator of NOAA, said that the volcanic activity also impaired the National Weather Service's (NWS) ability to forecast flood conditions. He said that a system of automatic stream gages that the NWS uses to measure river and rainfall activity were lost after the eruption. The NWS, Walsh said, is now giving top priority to replacing the system. He also noted that the new system will allow the NWS to double the warning time it can give to heavily populated areas of flooding that is due to lava flow or rainfall.
A Conceptual Model of Organizations as Learning-Performance Systems: Integrative Review of Lean Implementation Literature

This article identifies factors that influence Lean implementation that has as its outcome a conceptual model based on an integrative review of literature. The conceptual model uncovers the complex...
Terrain and Landform Influence on Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere (Eastern Hemlock) Distribution in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

We examined the relationships between hemlock distribution and abundance and terrain attributes for the Coweeta Basin in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Field measurements were combined with GIS mapping methods to develop predictive models of abundance and distribution of Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere (eastern hemlock) and evaluate the co-occurrence of Rhododendron maximum L. (rosebay) and Kalmia latifolia L. (mountain laurel). Terrain variables were derived from USGS DEM 30-meter digital maps. Elevation, slope, aspect, terrain shape index, landform, and distance from stream were calculated from field measurements and the digital data. Terrain attributes such as elevation (r 2 5 0.97, p , 0.0001), distance to stream (r 2 5 0.94, p , 0.0001), and terrain shape index (r 2 5 0.61, p 5 0.0015) were good predictors of T. canadensis abundance. Terrain shape index explained 56% of the variation in R. maximum percent aerial cover (r 2 5 0.56, p 5 0.005). In the Coweeta Basin, T. canadensis was distributed as few, large trees mostly concentrated in near-stream locations, and it was closely associated with R. maximum. Tsuga canadensis mortality due to Adelges tsugae Annand (hemlock wooly adelgid) will result in a minor decrease in basin-wide basal area, but will substantially reduce near-stream basal area, and will also remove the largest trees in near- stream environments. In similar landscapes across the southern Appalachians, where T. canadensis co-occurs with R. maximum, riparian shading will likely remain unchanged.
Virtual Shaping of a Two-dimensional NACA 0015 Airfoil Using Synthetic Jet Actuator

The Aircraft Morphing Program at NASA Langley envisions an aircraft without conventional control surfaces. Instead of moving control surfaces, the vehicle control systems may be implemented with a combination of propulsive forces, micro surface effectors, and fluidic devices dynamically operated by an intelligent flight control system to provide aircraft maneuverability over each mission segment. As a part of this program, a two-dimensional NACA 0015 airfoil model was designed to test mild maneuvering capability of synthetic jets in a subsonic wind tunnel. The objective of the experiments is to assess the applicability of using unsteady suction and blowing to alter the aerodynamic shape of an airfoil with a purpose to enhance lift and/or to reduce drag. Synthetic jet actuation at different chordwise locations, different forcing frequencies and amplitudes, under different freestream velocities are investigated. The effect of virtual shape change is indicated by a localized increase of surface pressure in the neighborhood of synthetic jet actuation. That causes a negative lift to the airfoil with an upper surface actuation. When actuation is applied near the airfoil leading edge, it appears that the stagnation line is shifted inducing an effect similar to that caused by a small angle of attack to produce an overall lift change.
Reflection analysis for java

Reflection has always been a thorn in the side of Java static analysis tools. Without a full treatment of reflection, static analysis tools are both incomplete because some parts of the program may not be included in the application call graph, and unsound because the static analysis does not take into account reflective features of Java that allow writes to object fields and method invocations. However, accurately analyzing reflection has always been difficult, leading to most static analysis tools treating reflection in an unsound manner or just ignoring it entirely. This is unsatisfactory as many modern Java applications make significant use of reflection. In this paper we propose a static analysis algorithm that uses points-to information to approximate the targets of reflective calls as part of call graph construction. Because reflective calls may rely on input to the application, in addition to performing reflection resolution, our algorithm also discovers all places in the program where user-provided specifications are necessary to fully resolve reflective targets. As an alternative to user-provided specifications, we also propose a reflection resolution approach based on type cast information that reduces the need for user input, but typically results in a less precise call graph. We have implemented the reflection resolution algorithms described in this paper and applied them to a set of six large, widely-used benchmark applications consisting of more than 600,000 lines of code combined. Experiments show that our technique is effective for resolving most reflective calls without any user input. Certain reflective calls, however, cannot be resolved at compile time precisely. Relying on a user-provided specification to obtain a conservative call graph results in graphs that contain 1.43 to 6.58 times more methods that the original. In one case, a conservative call graph has 7,047 more methods than a call graph that does not interpret reflective calls. In contrast, ignoring reflection leads to missing substantial portions of the application call graph.