cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flexible TPS Surface Catalysis Testing in a 30 kW ICP Torch Facility

Ground-facility testing of a silicon carbide (SiC) fabric for flexible based thermal protection systems is underway using the 30 kW Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Torch located at the University of Vermont Plasma Test and Diagnostics Laboratory (PTDL). The fabric is exposed to high enthalpy nitrogen and air plasma flows to quantify surfacecatalyzed recombination reactions relevant to earth atmosphere re-entry. The catalytic behaviour is characterized using multiple surface and gas-phase measurements including infrared pyrometry, cold-wall heat flux, and laser induced florescence (LIF). The flexible material catalytic recombination efficiency is assessed by comparing the atomic species gradients for the flexible material with those of a solid surface with the same elemental composition and with reference materials of varying catalytic efficiency. This paper presents an overview of the motivation for the investigation, a description of the experimental configureation, and comparative results on nitrogen recombination for rigid SiC, the flexible material, and the bare coupon holder.
Diffusion in Minerals and Melts: Introduction

Because diffusion plays a critical role in numerous geological processes, petrologists and geochemists (as well as other geologists and geophysicists) often apply diffusion data and models in a range of problems, including interpretation of the age of rocks and thermal histories, conditions for formation and retention of chemical compositional and isotopic zoning in minerals, controls on bubble sizes in volcanic rocks, and processes influencing volcanic eruptions. A major challenge in the many applications of diffusion data is for researchers to find relevant and reliable data. For example, diffusivities determined in different labs may differ by orders of magnitude. Sometimes the differences are a result of limitations not recognized in certain diffusion studies due to the materials or methodologies used. For example, diffusivities determined through bulk analyses are often orders of magnitude greater than those obtained from directly measured diffusion profiles; the former are often affected by cracks, extended defects and/or other additional diffusion paths whose influence may not be recognized without direct profiling. Differences in depth resolution of analytical techniques may also contribute to discrepancies among measured diffusivities, as can the occurrence of non-diffusional processes (e.g., convection, crystal dissolution or surface reaction) that may compromise or complicate diffusion experiments and interpretations of results. Sometimes the discrepancies among datasets may be due to subtle variations in experimental conditions (such as differing oxygen fugacities, pressures, or variations in H2O content of minerals and melts used in respective experimental studies). Experts in the field may be able to understand and evaluate these differences, but those unfamiliar with the field, and even some experimental practitioners and experienced users of diffusion data, may have difficulty discerning and interpreting dissagreements among diffusion findings. For those who want to investigate diffusion through experiments, it is critical to understand the advantages and limitations of various experimental …
A Versatile Vector Mean Value Theorem

(1972). A Versatile Vector Mean Value Theorem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 79, No. 4, pp. 381-383.
Influence of Ion-Implantation on Characteristics of Picosecond Photoconductive Switches

Ion-implantation induced amorphization has been used to modify the linearity of response of ultrafast photoconductive switches fabricated on SOS. The extent of amorphization was determined using various materials characterization techniques. TRIM-86 Monte Carlo calculations were used to model the defect densities produced by ion implantation. Linearity of response is critically dependent upon the nature of the semiconductor region under metallic contacts and the character of the response is opposite to that expected from reports in the literature.
Techniques of seed seedling in ldesia polycarpa Maxim in Shanghai Area

In order to select the optimal seed seedling techniques in ldesia polycarpa Maxim in Shanghai Area,effects of various methods of seed treatment and seedling patterns on the seed germination and seedling growth of l.polycarpa Maxim were studied.The results show that the highest germination rate can be gain by using seeds stored with peels in sand before sowing.Compared with open field,the seeds sowed and cultured in greenhouse have higher germination percentage,shorter and regular germinating time.But the seedlings sowed in open field show an advantage at seedling growth period.
Villous adenoma of the small bowel: an unusual lesion.

This paper describes a large circumferential benign tumor of the jejunum indistinguishable from villous adenoma of the colon. The lesion was recognized and resected 21/2 years after the onset of symptoms. The clinical course of the patient was characterized by intermittent bowel obstruction and preoperatively by hemorrhage and intussusception, all common clinical features of jejunal tumors. The lesion is considered to represent a previously undescribed villous adenoma of the small bowel.
Data Analysis Using Regression and Multilevel/Hierarchical Models: Multilevel linear models: the basics

Multilevel modeling can be thought of in two equivalent ways: We can think of a generalization of linear regression, where intercepts, and possibly slopes, are allowed to vary by group. For example, starting with a regression model with one predictor, y i = α + β x i + ∈ i , we can generalize to the varyingintercept model, y i = α j[i] + β x i + ∈ i , and the varying-intercept, varying-slope model, y i = α j[i] + β j[i] x i + ∈ i (see Figure 11.1 on page 238). Equivalently, we can think of multilevel modeling as a regression that includes a categorical input variable representing group membership. From this perspective, the group index is a factor with J levels, corresponding to J predictors in the regression model (or 2 J if they are interacted with a predictor x in a varying-intercept, varying-slope model; or 3 J if they are interacted with two predictors X (1) , X (2) ; and so forth). In either case, J −1 linear predictors are added to the model (or, to put it another way, the constant term in the regression is replaced by J separate intercept terms). The crucial multilevel modeling step is that these J coefficients are then themselves given a model (most simply, a common distribution for the J parameters α j or, more generally, a regression model for the α j 's given group-level predictors). The group-level model is estimated simultaneously with the data-level regression of y .
An investigation into B cells in peripheral blood and gut associated lymphoid tissues in the red eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta

23 Background 23 Materials and Methods 27 Trapping and blood collection 27 Phagocytic B cell assay 29 Flow Cytometry 30
Short Distance Wireless and Its Opportunities

Short distance wireless presents a huge window of opportunity. It needs clear metrics to allow for classification of different approaches in terms of energy and size efficiency. Power and size are dominated by need for precision time and frequency references and can be overcome through innovative system solutions. Short distance wireless may ultimately lead to novel computation and communication models.
Anti-intellectualism and Faculty: Representations of the Prime-Time Professoriate

Using Rigney’s typology of anti-intellectualism, this chapter explores the portrait of televisual faculty in 12 prime-time series (93 episodes) that aired from 1996 to 2014. Faculty represent anti-elitist, anti-rational, and unreflective instrumental views throughout the selected series. They are depicted as cold and critical of students and colleagues and lacking a moral core. When they actually do conduct research, it has no practical application and is presented as frivolous and unnecessary. Yet tenure protects them from censure or removal regardless of their behavior.
Introduction to the IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques (JMMCT)

Presents an introductory editorial on the launching of the new publication, IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques (JMMCT).
The Effects of Plate Presentation on Calorie Estimates and Consumption Decisions—An Abstract

The way that food is presented on a plate (i.e., plate presentation) can influence consumers’ judgments and decisions. Not surprisingly, some restaurants have started to use plate presentation strategically. This research investigates unintended consequences of plate presentation in terms of influencing consumers’ portion size perceptions and consumption. We ask: would presenting a portion of food vertically (i.e., stacked up on a plate) versus horizontally (i.e., spread out on the plate) influence consumers’ portion size perceptions? And how might vertical (vs. horizontal) plate presentation influence consumers’ consumption volume?
Abstract IA11: Signatures of mutational processes in human cancer

All cancers are caused by somatic mutations. These mutations may be the consequence of the intrinsic slight infidelity of the DNA replication machinery, exogenous or endogenous mutagen exposures, enzymatic modification of DNA, or defective DNA repair. In some cancer types, a substantial proportion of somatic mutations are known to be generated by exogenous arcinogens, for example, tobacco smoking in lung cancers and ultraviolet light in skin cancers, or by abnormalities of DNA maintenance, for example, defective DNA mismatch repair in some colorectal cancers. Each biological process causing mutations leaves a characteristic imprint on the genome of a cancer cell, termed, mutational signature. In this talk, I will present mutational signatures analyses encompassing 12,023 cancer genomes across 40 distinct types of human cancer revealing more than 30 different signatures of mutational processes. Some signatures are present in many cancer types, notably a signature attributed to the APOBEC family of cytidine deaminases, whereas others are confined to a single cancer class. Certain signatures are associated with age of the patient at cancer diagnosis, known mutagenic exposures or defects in DNA maintenance, but many are of cryptic origin. The results reveal the diversity of mutational processes underlying the development of cancer, with potential implications for understanding of cancer etiology, prevention and therapy. Citation Format: Ludmil B. Alexandrov. Signatures of mutational processes in human cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on DNA Repair: Tumor Development and Therapeutic Response; 2016 Nov 2-5; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2017;15(4_Suppl):Abstract nr IA11.
EMNCs Path to Competitive Advantage from Emerging Markets to Developed Nations

One of the emerging phenomena of global competition is the increasing number of business innovations originating from emerging economies and dispersing to developed nations. This phenomenon also kn...
Venous thromboembolism in patients with glioblastoma: Risk factors and prognostic importance.

e13027 Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication of glioblastoma (GBM). Impact of VTE on mortality and risk factors for VTE in GBM are incompletely understood. Methods: We c...
High-speed dedicated channels and experimental results with Hurricane protocol

Networks are currently being deployed to provide dedicated channels to support large data transfers and stable control flow needed in large-scale scientific applications. We present experimental results on application-level throughputs achievable on such channels using a range of hosts and dedicated connections. These results high-light the throughput limitations in several cases due to host issues, including disk and file system speeds, processor scheduling and loads, and complexity of internal data paths. We characterize such effects using the notion of host-bandwidth, which must be considered together with the connection-bandwidth in designing and optimizing transport protocols for dedicated channels. We propose a new transport protocol implementation, named Hurricane, to achieve high utilization of dedicated channels. While the overall protocol is quite similar to existing UDP-based protocols, new parameters, such as group size of NACKS, are identified and carefully optimized to achieve high channel utilization. Our end hosts consist of workstations, a cluster and Cray X1 supercomputer. Between two workstations, we consider: (A) 1 Gbps layer 3 connection of several hundred miles, and (B) 10 Gbps layer 2 connection of several thousand miles. Between Cray X1 and the cluster, we consider: (C) 450 Mbps layer 3 channel provisioned by policy, and (D) 1 Gbps layer 2 connection provisioned over an mpls tunnel.
Systemic Error in Radiology.

OBJECTIVE. Interpretive errors in diagnostic imaging result in significant patient morbidity and mortality, but the importance of errors and process failures in the imaging cycle other than during ...
Maternal Age and Trajectories of Risky Alcohol Use: A Prospective Study.

Background No prospective study of maternal alcohol use has focused on age at transition to motherhood as a predictor of trajectories of risky drinking. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of maternal age at first birth on trajectories of alcohol use beyond recommended levels over a 17-year span. Methods Pregnant women (N = 456) were recruited at an urban prenatal clinic. The women (13 to 42 years old; 64% African American, 36% White) were interviewed about alcohol use during pregnancy and at 6, 10, 14, and 16 years postpartum. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) was used to identify trajectories of risky drinking. Maternal age at first birth was then regressed onto trajectory class membership. Results The GMM on maternal alcohol use identified 3 groups of mothers as a function of alcohol use before, during, and after the pregnancy. The majority of mothers (66%) were identified as having low-risk trajectories of alcohol use over the 17-year span. However, 2 groups were in the higher-risk categories, with 23% identified as being in a long-term high-risk trajectory, and 11% in a short-term high-risk trajectory group. Maternal age at first birth predicted membership in a high-risk group: Younger mothers were more likely to be classified into a long-term high-risk alcohol use group. Conclusions Younger mothers were more likely to engage in risky drinking early in pregnancy, continuing 6 to 14 years postpartum. These results can help physicians target mothers who are likely to exceed current NIAAA guidelines of abstinence during pregnancy, and no more than 7 drinks per week in the postpartum.
Do Differences in High School Principal and Assistant Principal Perceptions Predict Student Achievement Outcomes

The assistant principal plays a key role in school success but research suggests there are differences between principals and assistant principals in their perceptions of their roles. The 2011 Teac...
Involvement of the dorsal hippocampus in expression and extinction of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference.

A key aspect of substance abuse is that drug taking often occurs in a specific context. As a consequence, exposure to drug-associated contexts can trigger cravings and relapse, even after long periods of abstinence. Although many studies have demonstrated that the hippocampus is critical for developing and retrieving contextual and spatial memories, comparatively little is known about the role of the hippocampus in acquiring and inhibiting memories involving contexts and drugs of abuse. We examined the effects of hippocampal inactivation on expression of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) after initial acquisition or extinction of CPP in C57BL/6 mice. During acquisition of CPP, distinct tactile cues were paired with cocaine (20 mg kg-1 , intraperitoneal, CS+) and different tactile cues were paired with saline (CS-) on alternate days. Groups differed in whether the CS+ and CS- cues were presented in the same large space (one-compartment procedure) or distinct small spaces (two-compartment procedure), as previous findings demonstrate that a two-compartment configuration facilitates acquisition and attenuates extinction of a cocaine-induced CPP. Microinjection of the GABAA agonist, muscimol, into the dorsal hippocampus impaired (1) retrieval of a place preference after acquisition, (2) extinction of a place preference, and (3) retrieval of extinction. These effects differed depending on the spatial configuration during acquisition or extinction, suggesting that the dorsal hippocampus may differentially modulate drug seeking during retrieval and extinction of CPP.
Fluid Boundaries in The Awntyrs off Arthure and Sir Isumbras

Encounters with water shape the Middle English romances of The Awntyrs off Arthure and Sir Isumbras. In the latter, rivers and the ‘Greek Sea’ serve to distinguish separate sections of the narrative: the river marks the point at which the titular hero’s family unit begins to break down, while the beach of the sea marks the lowest point of his social power. Yet his later traversal of the Greek Sea itself allows him to reassemble his family and reclaim his aristocratic power. In Awntyrs, the Tarn Wathelene (or Wadling) ties the actions of the romance’s first episode onto a specific spot in the real-world English landscape, while connecting the text to a number of other Arthurian romances that also mention or take place near the tarn. This article, then, argues that the waterscapes in these two texts illustrate a late-medieval understanding of tarns, rivers, and seas as explicitly alien, yet intimately physical embodiments of divine power in the natural world. Taken together, these poems—one a metrical romance, the other alliterative—show how interests in waterscapes crossed boundaries within the muddy genre of romance itself, and reveal that water upsets such human categories as family and property. Tarns, rivers, and seas turn human bodies, instead, into their possessions; the disturbing experience of that dehumanizing process should, these texts imply, wear the world, its history, and its bonds away, until even the greatest knights or ladies are left alone with watery forms beyond the pale of human understanding.
Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries (MINOCA): It's Time to Face Reality!

Although the occurrence of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was initially reported almost 80 years ago,[1][1] the term MINOCA (myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries) has been used only recently to describe these patients.[2
Brain–Computer Interfaces for the Operation of Robotic and Prosthetic Devices

Abstract A brain–computer interface (BCI) uses signals recorded from the brain to convey the user's intent. BCIs can be used for communication or can provide control signals for robotic and prosthetic devices. In studies to date, both invasive and noninvasive recording methods have proved effective and have reached comparable levels of performance. The major challenge for both invasive and noninvasive BCI-based robotic control is to achieve the speed, accuracy, and reliability necessary for real-world applications. These requirements vary with the specific application and with the control strategy employed.
Accuracy of sonographically estimated fetal weight with and without oligohydramnios. A case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of sonographically estimated fetal weight among women with and without oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index [AFI] ≤5.0 cm) and to ascertain the ability to detect fetal growth restriction (FGR) (estimated birth weight 5.0 cm.
Neprilysin inhibition in mouse islets enhances insulin secretion in a GLP-1 receptor dependent manner.

Neprilysin, a widely expressed peptidase upregulated in type 2 diabetes, is capable of cleaving and inactivating the insulinotropic glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Like dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP...
Scatterometer Backscatter Imaging Using Backus–Gilbert Inversion

Wind scatterometer measurements are collected over an irregular grid, and processing is required to generate backscatter images on an Earth-centered grid. The most common algorithms used for this are “drop in the bucket” (DIB) and variations of the scatterometer image reconstruction (SIR) algorithm. These algorithms are also used for radiometer brightness temperature imaging. The Backus–Gilbert (BG) algorithm has been used for radiometer imaging but has not been applied to scatterometer backscatter imaging. In this paper, the application of BG to scatterometer backscatter imaging is explored and its performance is compared to DIB and SIR. Like SIR, optimally tuned BG is capable of producing higher resolution images than DIB, though its noise performance is slightly inferior to SIR’s. While BG and SIR produce similar results for radiometer data, the higher relative noise level of scatterometer data increases the differences between the SIR and BG algorithm performance, and limits the performance of BG relative to SIR in scatterometer imaging. Comparison of the SIR and BG algorithms in scatterometer imaging offers important insights into the inversion/reconstruction problem.
A Macroeconomic Model of Price Swings in the Housing Market

This paper shows that a macro model with segmented financial markets can generate sizable movements in housing prices in response to changes in credit conditions. We establish theoretically that reductions in mortgage rates always have a positive effect on prices, whereas the relaxation of loan-to-value constraints has ambiguous effects. A quantitative version of the model under perfect foresight accounts for about one-half of the observed price increase in the United States in the 2000s. When we include shocks to expectations about housing finance conditions, the model's ability to match house values improves significantly. The framework reconciles the observed disconnect between house prices and rents since, in general equilibrium, financial shocks can decrease rents and increase prices.
Current state of leadless pacemakers: state of the art review

Introduction: Leadless pacemakers (LPs) are the latest advancement in the field of pacing. Experience from pivotal trials and post-marketing studies has proven the feasibility and safety of these devices. The LPs obviate the need of pulse generator pocket and leads, which translates into lower incidence of lead related complications and pocket related infections. This review will summarize the existing literature on the LPs, specifically indications; implant procedure, unique situations and long- term follow up.Areas covered: This review will summarize the results of published pivotal trials. Several multicenter studies where LP was used in the unique situations such as during concomitant AV node ablation and across bioprosthetic valve will also be discussed. An extensive search using PUBMED was performed to identify the relevant articles.Expert commentary: The use of LPs is expanding and the published results a preferential use of such devices for patients who need single ventricle pacing. Additionally, the use of these devices in several unique situations such as patients with inferior vena cava filters, bioprosthetic tricuspid valves and concomitant atrio-ventricular nodal (AV) ablation has also been shown to be safe.
Rootstock influences the metabolic response to Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in grafted sweet orange trees

In a grafted citrus tree, the leaf and root metabolic composition and the response to the phloem-limited pathogenic bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus are influenced by the rootstock. Eleven different citrus rootstock varieties were investigated for their influence on the grafted tree response to Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the pathogen associated with Huanglongbing (HLB). Rootstocks included mandarin and sweet orange cultivars, sour orange, and hybrids of citrus and trifoliate orange. Leaves and roots of healthy and CLas-infected greenhouse-grown plants were collected 6 months after graft inoculation and metabolite profiles were assessed by untargeted gas chromatography–time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC–TOF-MS). The genetic origin of the rootstock determined their metabolic profiles in the healthy state and influenced the root metabolic response to CLas. In the leaves, metabolic differences were determined by the tree response to CLas and to a lesser extent by the rootstock cultivar on which the plants were grafted. Among the leaf metabolites that responded most consistently to infection were citrulline, ornithine, and quinic acid, which were upregulated in infected plants. The reverse was found for cerotinic acid, cyanoalanine, hexadecane, and raffinose. In both leaves and roots, several metabolites associated with plant stress and disease tolerance such as benzoic acid and proline responded differently in plants on the mandarin × trifoliate hybrid rootstocks compared with the other rootstocks. This corresponds with the different HLB field tolerance of grafted trees on different rootstocks, which is generally higher in combination with some mandarin × trifoliate hybrids. Our results demonstrate the influence of rootstock on the grafted tree response to CLas and underscore the importance of rootstocks for disease management in an HLB-endemic environment.
Frameworks for Engineering Ethics

This chapter contains sections titled: The Public Health, Safety, and Welfare: An Analysis of the Social Responsibilities of Engineers Would Helping Ethical Professionals Get Professional Societies into Trouble? Technological Hazards and the Engineer The Role of the Law in Protecting Scientific and Technical Dissent
Quantifying the Error of Secondary vs. Distant Primary Calibrations in a Simulated Environment

Using calibrations to obtain absolute divergence times is standard practice in molecular clock studies. While the use of primary (e.g., fossil) calibrations is preferred, this approach can be limiting because of their rarity in fast-growing datasets. Thus, alternatives need to be explored, such as the use of secondary (molecularly-derived) calibrations that can anchor a timetree in a larger number of nodes. However, the use of secondary calibrations has been discouraged in the past because of concerns in the error rates of the node estimates they produce with an apparent high precision. Here, we quantify the amount of errors in estimates produced by the use of secondary calibrations relative to true times and primary calibrations placed on distant nodes. We find that, overall, the inaccuracies in estimates based on secondary calibrations are predictable and mirror errors associated with primary calibrations and their confidence intervals. Additionally, we find comparable error rates in estimated times from secondary calibrations and distant primary calibrations, although the precision of estimates derived from distant primary calibrations is roughly twice as good as that of estimates derived from secondary calibrations. This suggests that increasing dataset size to include primary calibrations may produce divergence times that are about as accurate as those from secondary calibrations, albeit with a higher precision. Overall, our results suggest that secondary calibrations may be useful to explore the parameter space of plausible evolutionary scenarios when compared to time estimates obtained with distant primary calibrations.
Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications

New, non-invasive methods for detecting and monitoring species presence are being developed to aid in fisheries and wildlife conservation management. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) samples for detecting macrobiota is one such group of methods that is rapidly becoming popular and being implemented in national management programs. Here we focus on the development of species-specific targeted assays for probe-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) applications. Using probe-based qPCR offers greater specificity than is possible with primers alone. Furthermore, the ability to quantify the amount of DNA in a sample can be useful in our understanding of the ecology of eDNA and the interpretation of eDNA detection patterns in the field. Careful consideration is needed in the development and testing of these assays to ensure the sensitivity and specificity of detecting the target species from an environmental sample. In this protocol we will delineate the steps needed to design and test probe-based assays for the detection of a target species; including creation of sequence databases, assay design, assay selection and optimization, testing assay performance, and field validation. Following these steps will help achieve an efficient, sensitive, and specific assay that can be used with confidence. We demonstrate this process with our assay designed for populations of the mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina), a freshwater mussel species found in the Clinch River, USA.
The moment of tooth: rate, fate and pattern of Pacific lingcod dentition revealed by pulse-chase.

Tooth replacement rates of polyphyodont cartilaginous and bony fishes are hard to determine because of a lack of obvious patterning and maintaining specimens long enough to observe replacement. Pul...
Lavoisier’s “Reflections on phlogiston” II: on the nature of heat

Having refuted the phlogiston theory, Lavoisier uses this second portion of his essay to expound his new theory of combustion, based on the oxygen principle. He gives a mechanistic account of thermodynamic phenomena in terms of a subtle fluid (not yet named “caloric”) and its ability to penetrate porous bodies. He uses this hypothetical fluid to explain volume changes, heat capacity and latent heat. Beyond the three types of combustion that he distinguishes and defines, Lavoisier also explains other chemical sources of heat, such as the heat of solution.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy of bacterial sulfur globules.

Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a powerful in situ probe of sulfur biochemistry in intact cells and tissues. Under favorable circumstances the technique can provide quantitative information on the chemical identify of the sulfur species that are present in a sample. Prange et al. have recently reported an X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of bacterial sulfur storage globules. Unfortunately there are substantial problems with the experimental technique employed that, they contend, lead to completely erroneous conclusions. In the more recent of their two papers Prange et al. employed a curve-fitting method similar to that used by us (for more than 10 years). In essence, the method employs simply fitting a linear combination of the spectra of standard compounds to that of the unknown, in this case cultures of bacterial cells. This type of analysis can provide quantitative estimates of the individual sulfur types in the sample, but is critically dependent upon the choice of reference spectra. Prange et al. deduce substantial differences between the chemical forms of sulfur stored in the globules of different organisms; they conclude that the globules of Beggiatoa alba and Thiomargarita namibiensis contain cyclo-octasulfur (S{sub 8}), while those of other organisms contain polythionates (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) andmore » polymeric sulfur (e.g. Allochromatium vinosum). This is in contradiction with an earlier study, in which they found that sulfur in all globule species examined resembled that expected for various sized spherical particles of S{sub 8}. The discrepancy is due to an experimental artefact in the work of Prange et al. arising from their choice of transmittance detection, which is also discussed.« less
CATERPILLAR'S NEW SLEEVE METERING FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

Caterpillar's new Sleeve Metering Fuel Injection System comprises a family of lightweight, high speed injection pumps. The paper discusses the design, development, and test program, and some of the results obtained. Modern manufacturing methods and computerized testing were an integral part of the total system development. /GMRL/
Regulation of neurotransmitter release by a complex of actin with relaxing protein isolated from rat brain synaptosomes.

Abstract An actin-relaxing protein complex was isolated from rat brain synaptosomal membranes by attachment to muscle myosin bound by the surface of polystyrene (Lytron) particles. These particles acquired Mg2+ATPase activity. The brain actin-relaxing protein complex, dissociated from muscle myosin-Lytron complex by ATP, reacted with synaptic vesicles "preloaded" with [14C]glutamate mediating the release of labeled glutamate and activation of Mg2+ATPase. Both release of 14C and ATPase activity were inhibited by ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and stimulated by addition of 0.4 mm Ca2+. Isolated brain actin-relaxing protein complex conferred Ca2+ sensitivity to muscle myosin in the presence of EGTA. Stimulation of Mg2+ATPase activity and [14C]glutamate release from synaptic vesicles was also generated by a complex of muscle Factin-relaxing protein. The data suggest that contractile proteins are important in mediation of the release of neurotransmitters in brain tissue.
Deep arid system hydrodynamics 2. Application to paleohydrologic reconstruction using vadose zone profiles from the northern Mojave Desert

[1] Site-specific numerical modeling of four sites in two arid alluvial basins within the Nevada Test Site employs a conceptual model of deep arid system hydrodynamics that includes vapor transport, the role of xeric vegetation, and long-term surface boundary transients. Surface boundary sequences, spanning 110 kyr, that best reproduce measured chloride concentration and matric potential profiles from four deep (230–460 m) boreholes concur with independent paleohydrologic and paleoecological records from the region. Simulations constrain a pluvial period associated with infiltration of 2–5 mm yr−1 at 14–13 ka and denote a shift linked to the establishment of desert vegetation at 13–9.5 ka. Retrodicted moisture flux histories inferred from modeling results differ significantly from those determined using the conventional chloride mass balance approach that assumes only downward advection. The modeling approach developed here represents a significant advance in the use of deep vadose zone profile data from arid regions to recover detailed paleohydrologic and current hydrologic information.
Present status of radiation damage effects in plastic scintillators and fibers

Summary form only given. Studies of plastic scintillators have shown that high dose rate exposures almost always underestimate the radiation-induced damage at low dose rates. The degree of excess damage depends in a complex manner on the dose rate, temperature, and oxygen partial pressure. Excess damage is confined to a few-millimeter-thick surface zone, a finding of especial importance for the use of scintillating or wave-shifting fibers. An important consequence of these investigations is that it is not known how to carry out accelerated aging tests. It has also been shown that the thermal and atmospheric history of a particular piece of scintillator is relevant to the amount of damage incurred by radiation. A scintillator which has been heated or kept in inert gas for several days prior to irradiation is more easily damaged. Because the chemical mechanisms which are responsible for radiation-induced color centers in the common bases polystyrene and polyvinyltoluene remain to be clarified, the best chance for near-term progress in the creation of more radiation-tolerant scintillators may be in finding new fluors which emit at longer wavelengths thus circumventing the color centers. >
Mass spectrometry of 7-methylpurine nucleosides: studies of a characteristic oxygen incorporation reaction that occurs during trimethylsilylation.

Abstract Trimethylsilylation of 7-methylpurine nucleosides on a microgram scale results in the characteristic formation of the corresponding 7-methyl-8-oxo compounds. Their structures have been confirmed by high-and low-resolution mass spectrometry, and by the spectrum of authentic trimethylsilylated 7-methyl-8-oxoguanosine. Tracer experiments using 18 O 2 show the source of oxygen which is incorporated to be dissolved molecular oxygen. The most effective reagents in terms of reaction yield (>25%) are N,O -bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide and trimethylchlorosilane (80:1), which were shown to require the presence of dissolved oxygen. Since the products are amenable to gas chromatography and exhibit structurally diagnostic mass spectra, the reaction is potentially useful for the characterization of 7-methylpurine nucleosides.
“Just Like Home”: Richard Wright, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and the New Deal

This essay reads Richard Wright's Native Son (1940) against Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), the New Deal, and the intervening history of white women's sentimental activism. It argues that Native Son is a work of domestic fiction that self-consciously engages the history of sentimental and domestic discourse in the United States and the pivotal role that discourse played in the formation of a two-track US welfare state. Attentive to the racist effects of the New Deal's long-term provisions for African Americans, Wright's novel gives us the story of a marginal man absorbed into a new, federally configured social order that promises but ultimately fails to deliver security. When Bigger kills Mary Dalton in her bed and then uses her dead body to heat her parents' home, he makes a mockery of the very idea of domestic security. Through his recourse to physical violence, Bigger also opposes and illuminates an otherwise invisible order of violence instituted by the welfare state. Wright associates this second order of violence with a disembodiment of white racial power, which he traces to the historical figure of the good white sentimental woman whose activism mediates between nineteenth-century domestic ideologies and twentieth-century social welfare policy. When his crimes draw the entire city into the search for a suspect, Bigger embarks on his own mission of detection, gathering and assembling clues about the nature of the invisible adversary he faces. Before he dies, he offers the reader a comprehensive understanding of a new structure of racial domination in the United States that he is the first to perceive-the one governing both the fact and the terms of his original domestic entrapment.
Adding self-explanation prompts to an educational computer game

Proponents envision a role for computer games in improving student learning of academic material, including mathematics and science. Asking learners to engage in self-explanations during learning has been found to be an effective instructional method. In the present experiment, we examined the effects of adding a self-explanation prompt-asking players to answer one of three questions after completing each level of the game-within a children's math game on addition of fractions. Middle-school participants played either a base version of the game (n=57) or the base version with a self-explanation instructional feature (n=57). Participants' learning was measured by a fractions posttest and their learning processes measured via in-game measures of game progress and errors. When we separated the self-explanation condition into participants who used a focused self-explanation strategy versus those who did not, the focused participants had significantly fewer game level deaths, game level resets, and progressed significantly farther in the game, compared to the control group, than participants not using a focused self-explanation strategy. The major new contribution of this study is that self-explanation can help the process of playing educational games in some situations and hurt in others. In particular, the most effective self-explanation prompts were aimed at helping learners make connections between game terminology and mathematics terminology, whereas the least effective self-explanation prompts asked very simple or very abstract questions.
Education Research: Set a High Bar

In their report “Improved learning in a large-enrollment physics class” (13 May, p. [862][1]), L. Deslauriers et al. explored the effects of different instruction techniques on student learning in a college-level physics class. In one group, an experienced teacher taught the lesson using a
Evaluation of alternative vegetable proteins as wood adhesives.

Abstract Adhesives industry is increasingly interested in products coming from natural and renewable resources, because of the limited reserve of oil, its prices variability and its negative impact on both environment and human health. However, soy crops are mainly concentrated in the Americas, and are not so widespread in Europe. Thus, it is interesting to evaluate if other vegetable proteins more common in Europe are compatible for their use as wood adhesives. In this study, zein, a protein component of maize ( Zea mays L.), the pea ( Pisum sativum L.) protein, and two products based on soy ( Glycine max L.) proteins, one treated with alkali and the other not, were compared in order to verify their utilisation as wood adhesives for indoor applications. Dissolution tests in both water and ethanol/water mixture at different pH values, and FT-IR analysis in the same conditions were carried out. Also the effect of the addition of denaturing agents such us urea and guanidine hydrochloride was evaluated. Solubility results showed that, as expected, water soluble fraction of these proteins increased significantly by increasing pH: both the 2 soy proteins and the pea protein evidenced soluble fraction higher than 80% at pH 10, while for zein, this parameter was always lower than 30%. Moreover, water seemed to be a better solvent than the ethanol/water mixture. In fact, in one case a solubility decrease was observed when ethanol was added to water. Standard bonding tests on wood-to-wood joints were carried out according to EN 205, both in dry and in wet conditions, this latter after 4 days of immersion in water. Shear strength values were above the minimum threshold limit of 10 MPa required by the standard for both the 2 soy and the pea proteins. In contrast, all proteins were not suitable for wet conditions. Pea protein seemed to be a valid alternative to soy proteins, which is realistic considering that the amino acid profiles of pea and soy proteins are similar. However, like for the soy protein, it is essential to improve the water resistance with an additive. In contrast, zein did not seem suitable as wood adhesive, because of its low solubility in all the considered conditions.
Do vocalizations of the male rat elicit calling from the female

Female rats emit calls during copulation that appear to be associated with their own proceptive behavior. In an earlier study, we had determined that females emit calls when presented with odor cues from a sexually competent adult male. Two experiments were undertaken to determine whether females would vocalize when presented with tape recorded male ultrasonic vocalizations. In the first females were presented with no calls, male mating calls or male preejaculatory calls. They received one test in each sound condition with a devocalized male in the immediate vicinity and one test with no male present. Females tested alone called at a lower level than those tested in the presence of a devocalized male. The presence of male calls did not significantly increase the frequency of calling in females tested in the presence of a male. When females were tested alone, however, calling did increase significantly when male mating calls were presented, but not when preejaculatory calls were presented. In a second experiment, it was confirmed that male mating vocalizations elicited more calls from the female. Thus, male mating calls may elicit vocalizations from the female, but are less effective than male odor cues.
A tool to identify pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) × Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) hybrids in the St. Marys River, Michigan–Ontario

Abstract The first putative hybrid between pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ) and Chinook salmon ( O . tshawytscha ) in the Laurentian Great Lakes was reported in 1992. Since that time, many St. Marys River anglers have reported catching hybrid ‘pinook’ salmon, but their true identity was often undetermined. Although Great Lakes populations of pink and Chinook salmon exhibit similar life history strategies to their Pacific coast counterparts, temporal and spatial overlap of spawning activities in the St. Marys River has made hybridization between these species common. We examined meristic and morphometric data from pink, Chinook and hybrid salmon captured in the St. Marys River during spawning migrations from 1999 to 2002. In addition, we determined spawning migration timing, size structure, age-at-maturity, and sex ratios for pink salmon, Chinook salmon and their hybrids. Spawning migrations of hybrid salmon were composed primarily (93%) of male fish. Peak migration for hybrids (20–30 September) was intermediate to peak migrations for the parent species (pink salmon: 10–19 September, Chinook salmon: 01–10 October). Hybrid salmon were intermediate for most meristic and morphometric characters examined. Using meristic and morphometric data, multivariate models were built and tested to determine the utility of using these data to aid in the identification of hybrids and the parent species. The result was an easy-to-use identification tool that requires counts of only four characters (lateral line scales, gill rakers, branchiostegal rays, and mandibular teeth) to identify pink salmon, Chinook salmon, and their hybrids.
AMR on the CM-2

We describe the development of a structured adaptive mesh algorithm (AMR) for the Connection Machine-2 (CM-2). We develop a data layout scheme that preserves locality even for communication between fine and coarse grids. On 8K of a 32K machine we achieve performance slightly less than 1 CPU of the Cray Y-MP. We apply our algorithm to an inviscid compressible flow problem.
Structure elucidation with lanthanide-induced shifts. 11. Analysis of alkyl-substituted benzonitriles

Abstract The 1H NMR spectra for a series of alkyl-substituted benzonitriles were investigated in the presence of Eu(fod)3. The experimental lanthanide-induced shifts (LIS) were determined for the 1:1 complexes, and the structures of the complexes were evaluated by comparison of the experimental LIS with values predicted with the pseudocontact equation. The contribution to the observed LIS from contact shifts and complex formation shifts is shown to be small, and excellent structure fits are obtained. The correct structure of a compound can be reliably selected from several possibilities, even if only one of the structural alternatives is available for experimental study.