cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Left-Libertarian Parties: Explaining Innovation in Competitive Party Systems

Since the 1960s, new left-socialist or ecology parties have appeared in approximately half of the advanced Western democracies. These parties have a common set of egalitarian and libertarian tenets and appeal to younger, educated voters. The author uses macropolitical and economic data to explain the electoral success of these left-libertarian parties. While high levels of economic development are favorable preconditions for their emergence, they are best explained in terms of domestic political opportunity structures. There is little evidence that these parties are a reaction to economic and social crises in advanced democracies. The findings suggest that the rise of left-libertarian parties is the result of a new cleavage mobilized in democratic party systems rather than of transient protest.
Accordion waves in Myxococcus xanthus

Myxococcus xanthus are Gram-negative bacteria that glide on solid surfaces, periodically reversing their direction of movement. When starved, M. xanthus cells organize their movements into waves of cell density that sweep over the colony surface. These waves are unique: Although they appear to interpenetrate, they actually reflect off one another when they collide, so that each wave crest oscillates back and forth with no net displacement. Because the waves reflect the coordinated back and forth oscillations of the individual bacteria, we call them “accordion” waves. The spatial oscillations of individuals are a manifestation of an internal biochemical oscillator, probably involving the Frz chemosensory system. These internal “clocks,” each of which is quite variable, are synchronized by collisions between individual cells using a contact-mediated signal-transduction system. The result of collision signaling is that the collective spatial behavior is much less variable than the individual oscillators. In this work, we present experimental observations in which individual cells marked with GFP can be followed in groups of unlabeled cells in monolayer cultures. These data, together with an agent-based computational model demonstrate that the only properties required to explain the ripple patterns are an asymmetric biochemical limit cycle that controls direction reversals and asymmetric contact-induced signaling between cells: Head-to-head signaling is stronger than head-to-tail signaling. Together, the experimental and computational data provide new insights into how populations of interacting oscillators can synchronize and organize spatially to produce morphogenetic patterns that may have parallels in higher organisms.
Irradiation-induced reduction of microcracking in zirconolite

/sup 238/Pu-substituted zirconolite (CaPuTi/sub 2/O/sub 7/) was stored near ambient temperature for 231 days, equivalent to an alpha decay dose of 3.1x10/sup 25/ ..cap alpha../m/sup 3/ or 3x10/sup 5/ years of storage time for SYNROC ceramic nuclear waste. Periodic indentation testing showed that hardness was decreased by alpha decay-induced conversion to the metamict state, while fracture toughness and resistance to cracking were increased, apparently as a consequence of the formation of a heterogeneous microstructure. These results imply improved stability of this nuclear waste phase as a result of self-irradiation damage. 21 references, 4 figures.
The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals

The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals, Stephen F. Dale, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010, ISBN 0-521-69142-7, 362 pp. Between 1453 and 1526 AD, the Ottomans, the Safa...
The Morality of Mental Illness: Thomas Szasz's Critique of Psychiatry

"Mental illness" is not truly a medical diagnosis, argues Thomas Szasz. Instead, it is a moral judgment that society passes on its deviant members. "Mental illness" relieves a person of responsibility for his or her actions, but in so doing it also justifies appropriating that person's freedom of choice, the necessary prerequisite of responsible action. Psychiatry is a social tool for accomplishing these goals, the results of which are involuntary commitment and the insanity defense. For Szasz, "persons" are characterizable above all else by their autonomy. An autonomous person makes uncoerced choices and accepts responsibility for those choices. Psychiatry undermines both characteristics of autonomy. Involuntary commitment allows psychiatrists to appropriate patients' freedom of choice. The insanity defense allows persons to escape the responsibility for their actions. Both procedures turn patients into nonpersons. Szasz wishes to replace the hidden moral judgment operative in psychiatric diagnoses with ...
Analysis of a Passive Tubular Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

In this work, it is shown that a novel tubular-shaped, passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) can produce up to 2 times the instantaneous volumetric power density of a planar DMFC. First a numerical model was developed to determine the benefits of a tubular geometry and design characteristics for a passive tubular-shaped DMFC. Secondly, a tubular-shaped DMFC frame was designed, built, and tested to improve upon existing tubular DMFC literature and compare against an identical planar-shaped DMFC. From the numerical model, it was determined that increasing the ambient temperature from 20 to 40 °C increases the peak power density produced by the fuel cell during operation with 1 and 2 M methanol solutions. During operation with 3 M methanol the increased methanol crossover and oxygen depletion along the Cathode Transport Layer (CTL) reduce the power from the tubular DMFC. It was also determined that the thickness of the CTL must be greater than 1 mm for 1 M operation, greater than 5 mm for 2 M operation, and greater than 10 mm for 3 M methanol operation to prevent oxygen limitations along the CTL. From the experimental work, a tubular-shaped DMFC was built that presented an 870% improvement in power density from the previous best, passive, tubular-shaped DMFC found in the literature. The tubular DMFC produced 24.9 mW cm−2 while the planar DMFC produced 23.0 mW cm−2 with a Nafion® 115 membrane and 3 M methanol. The tubular DMFC experienced slightly higher methanol crossover than the planar DMFC, potentially due to a higher static fluid pressure in the Anode Fuel Reservoir (AFR), which is caused by the vertical orientation of the tubular fuel reservoir.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Engineering and characterization of a NADPH-utilizing cytochrome b5 reductase

Microsomal cytochrome b 5 reductase (EC 1.6.2.2) catalyzes the reduction of ferricytochrome b 5 using NADH as the physiological electron donor. Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to engineer the soluble rat cytochrome b 5 reductase diaphorase domain to utilize NADPH as the preferred electron donor. Single and double mutations at residues D239 and F251 were made in a recombinant expression system that corresponded to D239E, S and T, F251R, and Y, D239S/F251R, D239S/F251Y, and D239T/ F251R, respectively. Steady-state turnover measurements indicated that D2395/F251Y was bispecific while D239T, D239S/F251R, and D239T/F251R were each NADPH-specific. Wild-type (WT) cytochrome b5 reductase showed a 3700-fold preference for NADH whereas the mutant with the highest NADPH efficiency, D239T, showed an 11-fold preference for NADPH, a 39200-fold increase. Wild-type cytochrome b5 reductase only formed a stable charge-transfer complex with NADH while D239T formed complexes with both NADH and NADPH. The rates of hydride ion transfer, determined by stopped-flow kinetics, were k N A D H - W T = 130 s - 1 , k N A D P H - W T = 5 s - 1 , k N A D H - D 2 3 9 T = 180 s - 1 and k N A D P H - D 2 3 9 T = 73 s - 1 . K s determinations by differential spectroscopy demonstrated that D239T could bind nonreducing pyridine nucleotides with a phosphate or a hydroxyl substituent at the 2' position, whereas wild-type cytochrome b 5 reductase would only bind 2' hydroxylated molecules. Oxidation-reduction potentials (E°', n = 2) for the flavin cofactor were WT = -268 mV, D239T = -272 mV, WT+NAD + = -190 mV, D239T+NAD + = -206 mV, WT+NADP + = -253 mV, and D239T+NADP + = -215 mV, which demonstrated the thermodynamic contribution of NADP + binding to D239T. The crystal structures of D239T and D239T in complex with NAD + indicated that the loss of the negative electrostatic surface that precluded 2' phosphate binding in the wild-type enzyme was primarily responsible for the observed improvement in the use of NADPH by the D239T mutant.
The pigment-scent connection: Do mutations in regulatory vs. structural anthocyanin genes differentially alter floral scent production in Ipomoea purpurea?

Many recent studies attempting to assess the biochemical connections between anthocyanin biosynthesis and floral scent production have yielded limited insights due in part to a focus on either field phenotypes of unknown genetic background or artificial genetic manipulation. In this study, we seek to more precisely explore the mechanistic connections between floral scent and color in Ipomoea purpurea by comparing inbred lines of wild-type purple flowered plants to lines of two naturally occurring color mutants: albino individuals created by a chalcone synthase (A locus) loss-of-function mutation and rayed individuals that result from a non-functional transcription factor (W locus). We found that I. purpurea floral scent is dominated by the two sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, (E)-β-caryophyllene and germacrene D, with small amounts of several other sesquiterpenoid compounds. These 15 carbon volatiles are derived from the mevalonic acid biosynthetic pathway, which has no structural precursor relationship with anthocyanin pigments. Thus, there is no direct pleiotropic relationship and, accordingly, we found no differences in overall scent production between purple-flowered and albino individuals. In contrast, rayed plants showed greater emission of several compounds when compared to their wild-type counterparts, suggesting that the specific mutant regulatory region in this phenotype could have an indirect effect on volatile production either through changes to overall metabolic flux or alteration of sesquiterpene synthase gene expression or enzyme activity. Future research should explore these possible roles for transcription factors across multiple biochemical pathways. There were no differences in floral scent composition or emission rate between the offspring of parents from the same line, suggesting that scent phenotype was conserved within each inbred line. However, there were differences in floral scent between inbred lines, suggesting that a number of genetic elements must contribute to overall scent production in this species. © 2010 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
NUTRIENT EFFECTS ON STAND STRUCTURE, RESORPTION EFFICIENCY, AND SECONDARY COMPOUNDS IN EVERGLADES SAWGRASS

Long-term studies along a 30-yr nutrient-enrichment gradient in the northern part of the subtropical Everglades fen allowed us to assess the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions on plant community structure and chemical qualities of wetland plants. Areas in the highest P-enriched zones (>1000 mgP/kg), once dominated by open-water sloughs and surrounding monocultures of sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense, a stress-tolerant low-nutrient-status species), are now dominated by cattail (Typha domingensis, a competitive, high-nutrient-status species). Areas of moderate (750–500 mg/kg) and low (<500 mg/kg) P soil concentrations have maintained their original plant composition. Analysis of nutrient-use efficiency indicates that sawgrass is highly efficient in nutrient resorption and nutrient proficiency, but this efficiency decreases at high soil P concentrations. Both indices indicate that suboptimal concentrations of P, which limit growth and optimize retention of P within the plant, exist in the Everg...
Changes in the nuclear acidic proteins and chromatin structure in starved and refed Tetrahymena

Abstract The amount of phenol-soluble nuclear acidic proteins and morphological changes in the nuclear chromatin of the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis GL-C were studied following synchronization of the organism by starvation and refeeding. Electron microscopy of starved cells revealed spherical chromatin bodies with rather distinct boundaries. Shortly after refeeding, granular material appeared around the periphery of the chromatin bodies while there was a three-fold increase in the nuclear acidic proteins and a 50% decrease in cellular and nuclear volume. Following this, the chromatin bodies became smaller, more irregular in shape and appeared to radiate more fibrillar material. Additionally, after the initial decrease the nuclear and cellular volumes increased. The changes in nuclear volume and morphology as well as content of nuclear acidic proteins are correlated with previously described changes in the cellular events that lead to genomic activation, DNA synthesis and cell division in this and other eukaryotic cells.
Secondary ion yield matrix effects in SIMS depth profiles of Si/Ge multilayers

Thin multilayer samples of Si/Ge, with individual layer thicknesses of 4–33 nm, have been analyzed by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) using Ar+, O2+ and Cs+ primary ion beams. Bombardment with both Ar+ and O2+ produced positive secondary ion depth profiles in which pronounced distortions were observed. Similar effects were found in negative secondary ion depth profiles with Cs+ bombardment. In each case, the SIMS depth profiles were characterized by abrupt interfacial secondary ion signal variations and a shift in the secondary ion signal maxima indicating that the layers were superposed, a condition that was not consistent with sample preparation, as verified by Auger electron spectroscopy. Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling was also used to quantify the level of oxygen in the films. From these data it was concluded that the distortions in the positive secondary ion depth profiles under Ar+ bombardment were the result of secondary ion yield variations induced by enhanced incorporation of ambient oxygen, during sample preparation, into the stronger oxide-forming silicon layers. Under O2+ and Cs+ bombardment, the profile distortions were introduced by differential incorporation of the implanted primary species into the lower-sputter-yield silicon layers.
Comparison of two methods for oblique propagation in helicoidal bianisotropic mediums

Two methods for oblique propagation in two dielectric examples of helicoidal bianisotropic mediums – chiral sculptured thin films and chiral smectic liquid crystals – are compared: (i) the series solution method, and (ii) the piecewise homogeneity approximation method. Both have to be numerically implemented, although only the former relies on an exact analytic solution of the frequency-domain Maxwell postulates. Convergence in the series solution method is investigated via calculations for a variety of planewave-illumination parameters and constitutive properties. Likewise, the maximum slice thickness for convergent results from the piecewise homogeneity approximation method is also studied. The computational efficiencies of both methods are compared.
Effect of glucose phosphorylation on the activation by insulin of skeletal muscle glycogen synthase

The effect of insulin injection on skeletal muscle glycogen synthase activation was studied in anesthetized, normal, fed rats. Insulin stimulated the conversion of glycogen synthase to the active I form, increased the concentration of glucose 6-phosphate, and activated glycogen synthase phosphatase. A close correlation between glucose 6-phosphate concentrations, per cent glycogen synthase in the active I form, and phosphatase activity was found. When boiled extracts of muscle from control and insulin-injected animals were added to glycogen pellets containing phosphatase 1G, the difference in phosphatase activity between muscle extracts from insulin-injected and control rats was restored, indicating that the phosphatase was activated by heat-stable factors. Deproteinized muscle extracts from control and insulin-injected rats, at concentrations equivalent to those present in muscle, were tested for the activation of glycogen synthase by purified protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. The activation with the insulin extracts was four-fold larger than with the control extracts. When the extracts from insulin-injected rats were treated with glucose 6-phosphatase, the difference in activation with the control rat extracts was canceled. It would appear that, as in other insulin sensitive tissues, in skeletal muscle the increase in glucose 6-phosphate subsequent to the activation of glucose transport by insulin contributes to the activation of glycogen synthase.
Clinical glycopeptide-intermediate staphylococci tested against arbekacin, daptomycin, and tigecycline.

Abstract We examined the activity of arbekacin, daptomycin, tigecycline, and vancomycin against various Staphylococci isolates with glycopeptide-intermediate (n = 25) and heterogeneous susceptibilities (n = 22) (GISS and hGISS). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of each antimicrobial was evaluated in time-kill experiments by using 4 randomly selected GISS isolates tested at 2 and 4 times their respective MIC. The MIC 90 μg/mL ranges for arbekacin, daptomycin, tigecycline, and vancomycin were 2 (0.25–4), 1 (0.0625–2), 0.5 (0.0625–2), and 8 (4–8), respectively. Time kill at 2 times the MIC demonstrated a mean log 10 colony forming units (CFU)/mL change of −2.98 ± 0.708, −3.6 ± 0.509, −2.48 ± 0.647, and +1.14 ± 0.1 arbekacin, daptomycin, tigecycline, and vancomycin, respectively. At 4 times the MIC, significant activity for all compounds was noted with a log 10 CFU/mL decrease range from 3.68 to 2.74 ± 0.66. Overall, all the antimicrobials tested (with the exception of vancomycin) exhibited significant in vitro activity against GISS. These compounds may offer therapeutic options for the treatment of GISS.
A Conceptual Design of a Polymer-Derived Ceramic Hot-Wire Anemometer for Gas Turbine Environment

This paper attempts to prove the feasibility of high temperature hot-wire anemometer for gas turbine environment. No such sensor exists at present. Based on the latest improvement in a new type of Polymer-Derived Ceramic (PDC) material, the authors present a conceptual design of a hot-wire anemometer (HWA) based on PDC material, and show that such a sensor is indeed feasible. This HWA is microfabricated by using three types of PDC materials such as SiAlCN, SiCN (lightly doped) and SiCN (heavily doped) for sensing element (hot-wire), support prongs and connecting leads respectively. The PDC-SiAlCN is selected as a sensing element, because of its high temperature coefficient of resistance (4000 ppm/°C) and resistivity. Direct measurements and characterization of the relevant material properties are presented, to show that the proposed design can lead to a viable constant temperature anemometer. In our current design, the hot wire is 200μm in length and 20 μm × 20 μm side. Analysis of the sensor performance is used to predict sensor response behavior, and the systematic analysis of this new device, especially the steady state characteristics, frequency response and directional dependence are discussed. This novel hot wire anemometer is found to perform quite satisfactorily as compared to a conventional HWA in which the hot wire is made of Pt/W/Pt-Ir. Sensor output is predicted to be in the range of 10 to 50 V (without additional signal conditioning) for velocities in the range of 10 to 100 m/s. The sensitivity of the sensor is found to be better than a conventional sensor: 0.157 V/(m/s) (for sensor length of 0.2 mm) vs 0.014 V/(m/s) respectively at 50 m/s. However, L/d ratio may need to be limited to about 10 so that output voltage is not excessive, thus requiring careful consideration of support conduction during calibration. This type of PDC-HWA can be used in harsh environment due to its high temperature resistance, tensile strength and resistance to oxidation. This paper also discusses micro-stereolithography as a novel microfabrication technique to manufacture the proposed PDC-HWA.© 2005 ASME
Real-Time Intermodal Substitution: Strategy for Airline Recovery from Schedule Perturbation and for Mitigation of Airport Congestion

A strategy for airline recovery from schedule perturbation caused by adverse weather or other temporary events is proposed. Capacity reduction at a hub airport caused by these temporary events is reflected as reduced slots (or later controlled time of arrivals) for airlines from ground delay programs. It is suggested that under severe circumstances legacy airlines with hub-and-spoke networks implement ground transportation into their network to substitute for flights. This strategy is called real-time intermodal substitution (RTIMS). RTIMS is different from air-rail cooperation practiced in Europe in that it is triggered only by a severe demand and supply imbalance at major hub airports and it performs operational integration of airside and ground transportation. Mathematical programming is presented to help airlines make decisions about if and how to delay, canceling flights, or substituting flights with buses. An approximation algorithm is proposed to obtain solutions, avoiding substantial computation t...
The Sebaceous Glands: Twenty-Five Years Of Progress

During the last twenty-five years, research on the sebaceous glands has made significant advances. Many of the new findings are related to electron microscopy, quantitative lipid composition studies, and the hormonal and nonhormonal control of sebaceous gland secretion.
Attractiveness of Harlequin Bug, Murgantia histrionica, Aggregation Pheromone: Field Response to Isomers, Ratios, and Dose

A two-component pheromone, (3S,6S,7R,10S)- and (3S,6S,7R,10R)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol (murgantiol), present in emissions from adult male harlequin bugs, Murgantia histrionica, is most attractive in field bioassays to adults and nymphs in the naturally occurring ratio of ca. 1.4:1. Each of the two individual synthetic stereoisomers is highly attractive to male and female adults and nymphs, but is more attractive in combination and when deployed with a harlequin bug host plant. Blends of 8 stereoisomers also are highly attractive, suggesting that isomers not found in the natural pheromone are not repellent. Deployment of an inexpensive non-stereospecific synthetic pheromone holds promise for efficient trapping and/or use in trap-crops for this important pest in North America.
Ab Initio Calculations of Band Gaps and Absolute Band Positions of Polymorphs of RbPbI3 and CsPbI3: Implications for Main-Group Halide Perovskite Photovoltaics

Lead halide perovskites have attracted great interest because of rapid improvements in the efficiency of photovoltaics based on these materials. To predict new related functional materials, a good understanding of the correlations between crystal chemistry, electronic structure, and optoelectronic properties is required. Describing the electronic structure of these materials using density functional theory provides a choice of exchange-correlation functionals, including hybrid functionals, and inclusion of spin-orbit coupling, which is critical for the correct description of band gap and absolute band positions (ionization energy). Here, various computational schemes that employ different choices of exchange-correlation and hybrid functionals, and include or exclude spin-orbit coupling were implemented to examine these effects. Using PbI2 as an initial structural model, it is found that standard exchange correlation functionals (PBE) in conjunction with spin-orbit coupling suffice to locate ionization ene...
Metabolism of Cl36-Dichloromethotrexate by Transplantable Liver Tumors:

SummarySeveral types of transplantable hepatomas were assayed for their ability to metabolize Cl36-DCM in vitro. The Novikoff tumor lacked the ability to metabolize DCM. The tumor 3683 had a slight amount of enzyme activity. Other tumors assayed, i.e., 5123, 7800, 5123 TC and Reuber hepatomas had activity similar to normal liver. Possible therapeutic implications of these findings were discussed.
A formal framework for capturing knowledge to transform structural models into analysis models

During the systems design process, there are a multitude of analyses and computer simulations that are performed to evaluate a particular design or architecture. This paper focuses on automating this process by defining a formal framework for capturing and applying the knowledge needed to automatically generate system-level analysis models from system-level descriptive models. The framework builds on the similarities that exist between analytical and descriptive models when considered from a systems perspective, namely, as consisting of sub-systems or components and the interactions between them. The relationships between analytical and descriptive models are captured at the component level in multi-aspect component models (MAsCoMs). The information in MAsCoMs is represented formally in the Object Management Group's Systems Modeling Language and can then be applied automatically through the use of generic model transformations. The transformations apply to all models in a certain domain, such as dynamic simulation modelling. In this paper, the approach is demonstrated for a hydraulic system by generating a system-level dynamic simulation from a descriptive model of the hydraulic circuit.
Precipitation Probability Forecasts Problems Seen via a Comprehensive Verification

Abstract A number of problems that arise in making probability of precipitation (PoP) forecasts are noted and discussed, and solutions are given where known. This effort is based on a long-standing extensive verification of PoP's issued by 66 offices of the National Weather Service's Central Region. Verification results were sent monthly to each office and each forecaster for the past 13 years. Some additional problems and solutions dealing in general with verification and evaluation of PoP'S are discussed. These include modifications of scores generally used, plus factors to consider when trying to compare scores of offices having different climatological conditions.
Dynamic thermal response of plastic-jacketed optical fibers

Several recent publications have considered the effect of temperature variations on the phase of coherent guided light in an optical fiber. These studies have been directed toward the development of fiber-optic thermal1-3 and air-acoustic4 sensors. Some applications of fiber optics, however, may require the desensitization, rather than the enhancement, of the fiber's thermal response. The design of fibers with a specific response to temperature variations requires a systematic study of the thermal transport process within the fiber. Analytic and experimental results for aluminum- jacketed fiber have been published previously.1 The results for plastic-jacketed fibers are of interest because of the widespread use of such fibers.
Cancer Nursing: Past, Present, and Future

This article explores the context and nursing care that was provided to people facing the challenges imposed by cancer diagnoses throughout history and issues that influence cancer nursing as it continues to evolve in the twenty-first century. Considerations and potential strategies for the nursing profession to address these issues are offered.
An evaluation of alternative continuous media replication techniques in wireless peer-to-peer networks

This study investigates a novel streaming architecture consisting of home-to-home online (H2O) devices that collaborate to provide on-demand access to a large selection of audio and video clips. An H2O device consists of a high bandwidth wireless communication component, a powerful processor, and gigabytes of storage. This study investigates three families of replication strategies for a H2O cloud. We evaluate these using analytical models. The obtained results demonstrate the superiority of one strategy that determines the number of replicas for a clip i based on (a) the bandwidth required to display clip i> proportional to the bandwidth required by the other clips in the database, and (b) the square root of the frequency of access to the clips.
A discharge-flow/chemiluminescence study of the reaction O+Si2H6 at room temperature

Abstract Discharge-flow kinetic studies using NO 2 chemiluminescence detection of O yielded a rate constant for O+Si 2 H 6 of (6.0±1.0) × 10 −12 cm 3 s −1 at 295 K, where the 95% confidence interval includes both precision and accuracy. Insertion and abstraction mechanisms are discussed, and on the assumption that H-atom abstraction dominates, a likely activation energy is about 8 kJ mol −1 . This is an upper limit if insertion into the SiSi bond is significant.
Direct assessment of normal mechanical mitral valve orifice area by real-time 3D echocardiography.

A reliable method for the assessment of the mitral valve (MV) area is essential for the management of patients with a prosthetic MV. In this study, we assess the feasibility of 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography to directly measure the mechanical MV orifice area in both an in vitro study of
DIFFERENTIATION IN VITRO OF EMBRYONIC CARTILAGE AND BONE IN A CHEMICALLY-DEFINED MEDIUM.

Summary and conclusions1. Fell first reported osteogenesis in chick embryo limb buds cultured in vitro in a plasma clot in 1928. Since that time several attempts to repeat her work using a completely-defined chemical medium have failed. Except in one instance, success was achieved only when biologic supplements, e.g., embryo extract or bovine serum albumin, were added to the medium. 2. This communication reports differentiation of embryonic cartilage and bone of the mouse in vitro using a new, completely-defined chemical medium (MAB87/3) which is the simplest thus far reported. Biologic supplements were not necessary. 3. The 14-day embryo limb rudiment develops a rim of perichondrial bone after 5 days of culture in this medium. A further increase in amount of new bone was visible after 12 days of culture.
Differences between flicker and non-flicker persistence tasks: the effects of luminance and the number of cycles in a grating target.

Abstract Two experiments are reported which examine the recent claim that visual persistence increases with increasing spatial frequency of a target grating. The first experiment demonstrates that estimates of visual persistence obtained on the quasi-flicker task of Meyer and Maguire (1977) increase with increasing spatial frequency but decrease as target luminance is increased. Furthermore, this spatial frequency effect is shown to be due to the changing number of visible cycles in the target as spatial frequency is varied. The second experiment examines persistence estimates for the same type of stimuli on another form of persistence task in which the target is presented in a single brief flash. Consistent with a retinal interpretation for the locus of the visual persistence, the estimates of persistence are positively related to target luminance but inversely related to spatial frequency.
High Performance Dense Linear System Solver with Soft Error Resilience

As the scale of modern high end computing systems continues to grow rapidly, system failure has become an issue that requires a better solution than the commonly used scheme of checkpoint and restart (C/R). While hard errors have been studied extensively over the years, soft errors are still under-studied especially for modern HPC systems, and in some scientific applications C/R is not applicable for soft error at all due to error propagation and lack of error awareness. In this work, we propose an algorithm based fault tolerance (ABFT) for high performance dense linear system solver with soft error resilience. By adapting a mathematical model that treats soft error during LU factorization as rank-one perturbation, the solution of Ax=b can be recovered with the Sherman-Morrison formula. Our contribution includes extending error model from Gaussian elimination and pair wise pivoting to LU with partial pivoting, and we provide a practical numerical bound for error detection and a scalable check pointing algorithm to protect the left factor that is needed for recovering x from soft error. Experimental results on cluster systems with ScaLAPACK show that the fault tolerance functionality adds little overhead to the linear system solving and scales well on such systems.
Glycosylasparaginase inhibition studies: competitive inhibitors, transition state mimics, noncompetitive inhibitors.

Glycosylasparaginase catalyzes the hydrolysis of the N-glycosylic bond between asparagine and N-acetylglucosamine in the catabolism of N-linked glycoproteins. Previously only three competitive inhibitors, one noncompetitive inhibitor, and one irreversible inhibitor of glycosylasparaginase activity had been reported. Using human glycosylasparaginase from human amniotic fluid, L-aspartic acid and four of its analogues, where the a-amino group was substituted with a chloro, bromo, methyl or hydrogen, were competitive inhibitors having K, values between 0.6–7.7 mM. These results provide supporting evidence for a proposed intramolecular autoproteolytic activation reaction. A proposed phosphono transition state mimic and a sulfo transition state mimic were competitive inhibitors with Ki values 0.9 mM and 1.4 mM, respectively. These results support a mechanism for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction involving formation of a tetra-hedral high-energy intermediate. Three analogues of the natural substrate were noncompeti...
Does Anxiety Improve Voters' Decision Making?

Affective Intelligence (AI) theory proposes to answer a fundamental question about democracy: how it succeeds even though most citizens pay little attention to politics. AI contends that, when circumstances generate sufficient anxiety, citizens make informed and thoughtful political decisions. In Ladd and Lenz (2008), we showed that two simpler depictions of anxiety's role can explain the vote interactions that apparently support AI. Here, we again replicate Marcus, Neuman and MacKuen's (2000)'s voting model, which they contend supports AI, and again show that it is vulnerable to these alternative explanations, regardless of how candidate choice is measured. We also briefly review the broader literature and discuss Brader's (2005, 2006) important experimental results. Although the literature undoubtedly supports other aspects of AI, few studies directly test AI's voting claims, which were the focus of our reassessment. In our view, the only study that does so while ruling out the two alternatives is our analysis of the 1980 ANES Major Panel (Ladd & Lenz, 2008), which finds no support for AI, but ample support for the alternatives. None of the responses to Ladd and Lenz (2008) addresses these findings. Overall, evidence that anxiety helps solve the problem of voter competence remains sparse and vulnerable to alternative explanations.
Conformal MnO2 electrodeposition onto defect-free graphitic carbons

article i nfo Article history: Uniform, conformal coating of MnO2 onto single walled carbon nanotubes is achieved with precise thickness control and without the introduction or utilization of defect sites. The resulting composite electrodes enable electrochemical testing of novel carbon-metal oxide composites in which rate-enhancing, fast-electron- transfer defect sites are completely absent. Such sites are ubiquitous and believed to be enormously consequential to the electron transfer properties of graphitic carbon systems, and the techniques described here provide an experimental route to quantitatively study such effects. For example, we immediately discern the enhanced interfacial resistance that occurs in the defect-free system.
Positivism and patriotic militancy: The influence of covert ideologies on students' reactions to September 11, 2001

This study examined the relationship between personal epistemology, as measured by the Attitudes about Reality Scale, attitudes about the September 11 World Trade Center disaster, and patterns of blame assigned to various individuals and circumstances associated with the crisis. Data were collected within 1 month of the disaster and 6 months later from undergraduate students at a university from which people could see the destruction of the World Trade Center and from another university 200 miles from the site. A significant relationship was found between positivist attitudes about reality and support for militant government policies at both universities and at both time periods. This relationship was not different for the two universities and was significantly stronger at both institutions 6 months after the attacks. Students near the disaster site were more supportive of a strong response. However, differences between the two universities in the way that demographic and other markers related to covert a...
Distribution of the extracellular space of the amphibian lens.

Abstract The extracellular space of the amphibian lens, measured with [14C]inulin, was equivalent to 7% of the tissue water. In decapsulated lenses it was only 1·2% so that about 80% of the total extracellular space is located peripherally. The total [14C]mannitol space was larger (12%) though the capsular part was the same as that found using inulin. Mannitol has greater access to the non-capsular parts of the lens than inulin, probably reflecting its smaller molecular size. Neither inulin nor mannitol can cross the lens in significant amounts and when placed in the bathing solutions on either side are confined in the anterior and posterior spaces in the ratio 1:3. This seems to reflect the presence of a barrier which is impermeant to such molecules and may correspond to the anterior lens epithelium. Osmotic cataracts, induced with hyperosmotic mannitol, resulted in an increase of 80% in the inulin and mannitol spaces in the non-capsular regions of the lens and this change may contribute to the opacity. The Cl-space measured with 36Cl was 6% and 12·5%, 23% of the lens water after 3, 18 and 24 hr incubation respectively. This is less than estimates based on total Cl content from chemical analysis (30%-24 hr), probably reflecting a slow exchange process. The Na-space measured with 22Na was 31% of the lens water compared to 34% from chemical determinations (24 hr). The extracellular space thus contains only about 25% of the total Na and Cl in the lens, but this is probably the principal contributor to the translenticular transport of the chloride.
Respiratory Pigments of Crithidia fasciculata

Mitochondria were isolated from the heme-requiring insect trypanosomatid, Crithidia fasciculata, which had respiratory activity, showed a P/O ratio with succinate of 0.5 to 1.0, and contained 40 to 50% of the heme a and heme c found in the intact cells. Cytochromes b, c555, possibly c1, cytochrome oxidase, a carbon monoxide-binding pigment, and flavoproteins were detectable in the spectra of both intact cells and mitochondria. Cytochrome c555 is a basic protein that was extracted from cells and mitochondria with salt solutions. The molar ratio of heme c to heme a was approximately 2:1 in both cells and mitochondria. This organism could possibly serve as a model for studies of the respiratory activity of the pathogenic trypanosomes.
Visualizing sparse matrix computations

A description is given of ideas and tools that help with the visualization of sparse matrix computations. The Sparse Matrix Manipulation System, an environment for handling sparse matrices of all types in a flexible manner via ASCII file interfaces, is used. Two commands in this environment are ShowMatrix and ShowTree. The first illustrates the pattern of nonzeroes of a sparse matrix. The second illustrates dependencies among matrix elements. Other tools in the package are described, including tools for ordering, factoring and multiplying sparse matrices. This software environment is then used to study the effect of several recent ordering and partitioning algorithms for working with the sparse inverses of L and U. These new algorithms have been proposed as a means of enhancing the parallelism of sparse matrix computations. The effect of these algorithms on parallelism and fill-in is illustrated in a graphic manner. >
Design and evaluation of a feedback based phased array system for ultrasound surgery

A driving system has been designed for phased array ultrasound applicators. The system is designed to-operate in the bandwidth 1.2 to 1.8 MHz, with independent channel power control up to 60 W (8 bit resolution) for each array element. To reduce power variation between elements, the system utilizes switching regulators in a feedback loop to automatically adjust the DC supply of a class D/E power converter. This feedback reduces the RF electrical power variation from 20% to 1% into a 16 element array. DC-to-RF efficiencies close to 70% for all power levels eliminates the need for large heat sinks. In addition to power control, each channel may be phase shifted 360/spl deg/ with a minimum of 8 bit resolution. To ensure proper operation while driving ultrasound arrays with varying element sizes, each RF driving channel implements phase feedback such that proper phase of the driving signal is produced either at the amplifier output before the matching circuitry or after the matching circuitry at the transducer face. This feedback has been experimentally shown to increase the focal intensities by 20 to 25% of two tested phased arrays without array calibration using a hydrophone.
Web-Punching of Day-Old Ducklings as a Means of Identification

Abstract Three identification systems were used to mark day-old Pekin ducklings: wingbanding, legbanding, and web-punching. Web-punching was the most efficient and permanent identification system for these young waterfowl.
A Study of Reputational Community Leaders Using The Concepts of Exchange and Coordinative Positions

The general purposes of this study were to investigate the group and organizational affiliates of reputed community leaders in a rural community. The specific hypotheses were that the higher one is ranked as a reputational leader, (1) the more exchange influence he will likely have accumulated through occupying economic, kinship, occupational, ownership, and political-governmental positions which are reputedly influential in the community, (2) the more likely he is to be an active participant in formal and/or informal coordinative interstitial groups in the community, and (3) the more likely he is to be an active participant in those formal coordinative groups which are reputed to be influential over community affairs. The hypotheses were tested by comparing the sets of rankings of twenty-eight reputational leaders with (1) their rankings in terms of exchange positions scores, (2) their rankings in terms of social participation scores, and (3) their rankings in terms of weighted social participation scores. The results of the study tended to support the hypotheses, as stated, for the community involved.
Asymptotic deployment gain: A new approach to characterize coverage probability

In cellular network models, the base stations are usually assumed to form a lattice or a Poisson point process (PPP). In reality, however, they are deployed neither fully regularly nor completely randomly. Accordingly, in this paper, we consider the very general class of motion-invariant models and analyze the behavior of the coverage probability (the probability that the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) exceeds a threshold) as the threshold goes to zero. We show that, surprisingly, the slope of the outage probability (complementary to the coverage probability, in dB) as a function of the threshold (also in dB) is the same for essentially all motion-invariant point processes. The slope merely depends on the fading statistics. Using this result, we introduce the notion of the asymptotic deployment gain (ADG), which characterizes the horizontal gap between the coverage probability of the PPP and another point process in the high-reliability regime (where the coverage probability is near 1). To demonstrate the usefulness of the ADG for the characterization of coverage probabilities, we investigate the coverage properties and the ADGs for different point processes and fading statistics by simulations.
A Novel Cell-Based Assay for G-Protein-Coupled Receptor-Mediated Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Response Element Binding Protein Phosphorylation:

Currently, the most popular means of assessing functional activity of Gs/olf-coupled receptors is via the measurement of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation. An additional readout is the downstream phosphorylation of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), which gives an indication of gene transcription, the ultimate response of many G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signals. Current methods of quantifying CREB phosphorylation are low throughput, and so we have designed a novel higher throughput method using the Odyssey infrared imaging system. Functional potencies of both agonists and antagonists correlate well with radioligand binding affinities determined using examples of both an endogenous (adenosine(2A) receptor in PC-12 cells) and a heterologous (human melanocortin 4 receptor in HEK-293 cells) expression system. For example, the antagonist ZM241385 demonstrates 0.23+/-0.03 nM affinity for the A(2A) receptor and has a functional potency of 0.26+/-0.04 nM determined using cAMP and 0.15+/-0.06 nM using CREB phosphorylation. These data demonstrate that this novel approach for the measurement of CREB phosphorylation is a useful tool for the assessment of GPCR activity in whole cells and is more amenable to the throughput required for the purposes of drug discovery.
Assessment of a course redesign: introductory computer programming using online modules

We assess the effectiveness of an extensive redesign of the first Computer Programming course offered to computer science and computer engineering majors. Our goals were to improve student learning while reducing costs by making use of substantial Web-based course material and course management tools, including multi-level online modules that individualize instruction and enable students to self-schedule learning each week. DFW rates and costs were significantly reduced by the redesign.
The loyalty process of residents and tourists in the festival context

Few attempts have been made to find out if the loyalty process for residents and tourists in the context of cultural festivals is the same. This study investigated the influence of involvement on satisfaction as factors contributing to the likelihood of returning to an annual festival for residents and tourists. A sample of 412 attendees of a cultural and historic festival in the Midwest region of the USA was surveyed. The results showed that both residents and tourists who were more involved with the festival had higher satisfaction levels. However, only residents who were highly satisfied with the festival were more likely to attend again, whereas tourists' satisfaction level did not significantly influence their likelihood of returning. For tourists, it is likely that their quest for novelty is influential in shaping their future intentions. Implications of this result for the sustainability of cultural festivals are discussed.
Putting a Price-Tag on Humanity: Development-Forced Displaced Communities’ Fight for More than Just Compensation

The impoverishment commonly associated with development-induced displacement often occurs because of government and development agencies' reliance on compensation as a remedy for resettlement. This study focuses on the inadequacy of compensation use in development-induced forced displacement and resettlement by analyzing 50 recent development projects that involved forced displacement. The aim is for increased understanding leading to action to lessen the impoverishing effects of development-induced displacement.