cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-performance surface channel In-rich In 0.75 Ga 0.25 As MOSFETs with ALD high-k as gate dielectric

High-performance inversion-type enhancement-mode n-channel MOSFETs on In-rich In0.75Ga0.25As using ALD Al2O3 as high-k gate dielectrics are demonstrated. The maximum drain current, peak transconductance, and the effective electron velocity of 1.0 A/mm, 0.43 S/mm and 1.0times107 cm/s at drain voltage of 2.0 V are achieved at 0.75-mum gate length devices. The device performance of In-rich InGaAs NMOSFETs with different indium contents, In0.53Ga0.47As, In0.65Ga0.35As and In0.75Ga0.25As, are systematically studied.
The effect of topping frequency on nutrient content of sweet potato green tips

Abstract Nutrient content of leafy green tips (end 15 cm) from two sweet potato cultivars, ‘Jewel’ and ‘Carver’, was affected by time of harvest and topping frequency. The earlier the harvest (before 60 days), the higher the nutrient content. Likewise, sweet potato greens cut only once contained higher levels of nutrients than those cut two or three times. The interaction of time of harvest and cultivar for β-carotene and zinc content, and of cutting frequency and cultivar for iron content, suggested that different cultivars responded differently to different cutting practices. β-carotene and zinc concentrations decreased with cutting frequency while calcium concentrations increased. The nutrient content varied not only with cutting frequency but also with time of first cut and collection period.
Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another

Creating literature reviews encompasses skills that are central to psychology students' academic and professional lives, yet writing them consistently challenges students. Research shows that instr...
Testing hypotheses of social gatherings of common loons (Gavia immer)

Three hypotheses are tested to explain the function of common loon social gatherings: Cooperative Foraging, Familiarity, and Reconnaissance. From 1993 to 1999, I studied social gatherings through behavioral observations in Michigan, Wisconsin and Maine. There was no or little evidence for the Cooperative Foraging Hypothesis. Partial or indirect evidence for the Familiarity Hypothesis included the following: (1) Social gatherings lasted both longer and occurred more frequently later in the breeding season (2) Approximately 25% of all the social gatherings observed occurred on neutral territories, and (3) Social gatherings consisted of the same individuals on consecutive days. Predictions from the Reconnaissance Hypothesis were also supported in that a large proportion of individuals participating in social gatherings were non-breeders and that the number of social gatherings observed were not equally distributed across loon territories, but instead increased on territories that had recently undergone a divorce. No one hypothesis was adequate to explain social gatherings and more observations on uniquely marked individuals are needed to further substantiate these initial findings.
Quantitative steganalysis using rich models

In this paper, we propose a regression framework for steganalysis of digital images that utilizes the recently proposed rich models – high-dimensional statistical image descriptors that have been shown to substantially improve classical (binary) steganalysis. Our proposed system is based on gradient boosting and utilizes a steganalysis-specific variant of regression trees as base learners. The conducted experiments confirm that the proposed system outperforms prior quantitative steganalysis (both structural and feature-based) across a wide range of steganographic schemes: HUGO, LSB replacement, nsF5, BCHopt, and MME3.
Annual Estimates of California's Poor: 1959 Through 1990

. Smoothed transition estimates of the counts and incidences of poverty from 1959 to 1990 are constructed for various segments of the California resident population. These estimates use the decennial censuses and the Survey of Income and Education as benchmarks lo develop annual linkages. It is presumed that smoothed estimates yield a charting of true time series trends. The segments of the population consist of all residents, whites, blacks, Hispanics, female family beads, and the elderly. The resulting estimates and a description of methodology, assumptions, and limitations are presented.
Optimizing the Unrestricted Placement of Turbines of Differing Rotor Diameters in a Wind Farm for Maximum Power Generation

This paper presents a new method (the Unrestricted Wind Farm Layout Optimization (UWFLO)) of arranging turbines in a wind farm to achieve maximum farm efficiency. The powers generated by individual turbines in a wind farm are dependent on each other, due to velocity deficits created by the wake effect. A standard analytical wake model has been used to account for the mutual influences of the turbines in a wind farm. A variable induction factor, dependent on the approaching wind velocity, estimates the velocity deficit across each turbine. Optimization is performed using a constrained Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The model is validated against experimental data from a wind tunnel experiment on a scaled down wind farm. Reasonable agreement between the model and experimental results is obtained. A preliminary wind farm cost analysis is also performed to explore the effect of using turbines with different rotor diameters on the total power generation. The use of differing rotor diameters is observed to play an important role in improving the overall efficiency of a wind farm.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Privilege and Disaster: Toward a Jewish Feminist Ethics of Climate Silence and Environmental Unknowing

����� ��� Given the unprecedented scope and stakes of contemporary environmental crisis, ethicists have raised critical questions about whether traditional religious texts can speak in a meaningful way to climate change and other environmental risks in the anthropocene. Building on the ethical urgency of the environmental justice movement, this essay offers a feminist reading of Jewish narratives from the Babylonian Talmud that centers attention on issues of power, privilege, and social inequality in the midst of disaster. Talmudic tales of the destruction of Jerusalem critique the moral oblivion of wealthy residents who failed to act in response to crisis. Articulating a Jewish feminist reconstituative ethics, the author uses these tales to trace the ethical costs of epistemologies of ignorance—the complex strategies and social processes through which privileged communities cultivate ignorance of environmental suffering, maintain social distance from environmental risk, and disown moral culpability for environmental injustice.
Prevalence of Chronic Narcotic Use Among Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background & Aims Narcotic analgesics are not recommended for long-term management of pain for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly pediatric patients. We compared chronic use of narcotics among children with IBD and the general population and investigated factors associated with narcotic use in the pediatric IBD population. Methods This cross-sectional study included children (younger than 18 years old) with continuous enrollment in a large administrative claims database from 2010 through 2011 (n = 4,911,286). Children with IBD were identified through diagnosis codes and dispensation of IBD medication (n = 4344); they were matched for age, sex, and region with 5 children without IBD (n = 21,720). Chronic narcotic use was defined as ≥3 dispensements of narcotics. We estimated prevalence odds ratios (PORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing narcotic use on the basis of IBD status and evaluating variables associated with narcotic use by patients with IBD by using conditional and unconditional logistic regression. Results The prevalence of chronic narcotic use was 5.6% among children with IBD vs 2.3% in the general population (POR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.2–3.0). Compared with the general population, POR for chronic narcotic use was significantly higher for pediatric IBD patients with psychological impairment (POR, 6.8; 95% CI, 4.3–10.6) than those without (POR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.9–2.7). Older age, increased healthcare utilization, fracture, and psychological impairment were strongly associated with chronic use of narcotics among children with IBD. Conclusions Chronic narcotic use is common in pediatric IBD patients, particularly among those with anxiety and depression. Increased awareness of psychological comorbidity, screening, and treatment may reduce symptoms that lead to narcotic use and its complications.
Inhibition of aminoacylation and polypeptide synthesis by chloroquine and primaquine in rat liver in vitro.

Abstract The effects of chloroquine and primaquine on aminoacylation and polypeptide synthesis in subcellular rat liver systems were investigated. Both drugs exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition of phenylalanine incorporation into aminoacyltRNA. Under conditions where the phenylalanyl-14C-tRNA concentration remained at a “steady state” level, even in the presence of chloroquine or primaquine, the poly U-dependent polyphenylalanine synthesis exhibited concentration-related inhibition by the drugs. When choroquine or primaquine was added several minutes after addition of poly U, the inhibition was not abolished. The drugs did not bring about premature chain termination. Both chloroquine and primaquine inhibited peptidyl transferase, as measured by transfer of polypeptide to puromycin-3H.
Myogenic influences on the electrical auditory brainstem response (EABR) in humans

Two cases demonstrating the effects of myogenic artifact on the electrical auditory brainstem response (EABR) when using a promontory stimulation site are presented. Intensity-response functions were obtained in the unparalyzed condition, then repeated after infusion of a neuromuscular paralyzing agent. In both cases, the myogenic response was observed at lower stimulus intensities than the EABR components. As intensity increased, the myogenic responses grew at extremely rapid rates and made any subsequent identification of auditory responses virtually impossible. To alleviate the adverse influence of myogenic components, general anesthesia and a paralyzing agent must be incorporated into the test protocol when acquiring the EABR using a promontory site of stimulation.
Ontogenetic variation in the molariform teeth of lizards

ABSTRACT The presence of enlarged molariform teeth in some groups of lizards has been known since the early nineteenth century. Few papers, however, have documented ontogenetic variation in the development of such teeth. This paper discusses and evaluates both new and previously described examples of molariform teeth in fossil and Recent squamates of the families Iguanidae, Teiidae, Lacertidae, Scincidae, Xantusiidae, Anguidae, Varanidae, Mosasauridae, and Amphisbaenidae. New data on ontogenetic change in Iguanidae (Chamaeleolis, Diplolaemus), Teiidae (Ameiva), Scincidae (Tiliqua), and Anguidae (Diploglossus) are given. Most species with enlarged teeth as adults have unmodified teeth in hatchling or young individuals, but in a few species (Dracaena guianensis, Teiidae; Tiliqua scincoides, Scincidae; Amphisbaena ridleyi, Amphisbaenidae) the dental modification is already present in early ontogenetic stages. Lack of information on the diet of lizards in general and young animals in particular prevents formu...
Modeling the statistical lifetime of glass fiber/polymer matrix composites in tension

Abstract In this paper we present a viewpoint on modeling the lifetime of glass fiber/polymer matrix composite structures loaded primarily in tension along the fiber axis. In many applications such components may sustain, over many years and in deleterious environments, stress levels that are a significant fraction of their ultimate tensile strength. Thus the failure phenomenon of concern is creep rupture. Ideally, a comprehensive model should incorporate such features as environmentally driven, statistical degradation mechanisms in the glass fiber (such as stress corrosion cracking), creep and microcracking of the polymer matrix, slip at the fiber/matrix interface near fiber breaks, local residual stresses from processing, including their complex micromechanical interactions. Such a model should yield overall distributions for lifetime in terms of the overall applied stress field, the overall volume of material, and boundary effects. Parameters of the model should reflect subtle scaling relationships among microstructural variables (e.g., fiber packing geometry), parameters of the statistics of fiber strength and degradation, matrix and interface creep exponents, rate factors in the stress–corrosion chemistry, and applied stress level. Particular attention must be paid to the character of the extreme lower tails of the strength and lifetime distributions since these are crucial in establishing load levels that result in the extremely high reliability levels important in life-safety applications. For example, the model should be able to predict the steady load level in a composite specimen with an effective loaded volume that yields a given lifetime (e.g., 25 years) at an extremely low probability of failure (e.g., 10−6). This essentially rules out mean field approaches so prevalent in the mechanics and physics community. A model of this sort would also be useful in the development of strategies for effective accelerated testing and data interpretation using special time–temperature scalings and master curves. Lastly, the model would have value in guiding strategies for quality control, materials processing, and component architecture during manufacture. Of course, such a comprehensive model is well beyond the present state of the art. Nevertheless, a surprising amount of progress has been made in developing the necessary conceptual and computational framework including the micromechanics, chemistry and physics of the fundamental failure mechanisms. In this paper we will review some of the relevant literature and suggest directions that should be fruitful in yielding useful models.
Processing of laser radar data for the extraction of an along-the-levee-crown elevation profile for levee remediation studies

ABSTRACT Using LiDAR data collected on the levees along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico and Texas, an algorithm has been developed to automatically extract longitudinal elevation prof iles. This algorithm consists of a series of filters, interpretation of geophysical properties, and digitized levee centerlines. The series of filters, in order of operation, include an alignment buffer filter, bare-earth filter, sampling filter and a maximum value filter. The result of the filter configuration is a 3-D polyline that models the levee crest. This algorithm allows for efficient identification of portions of levee that are lower than original design specifications. A comparison between the LiDAR levee crown extraction filter and a least-cost-path technique are offered. Keywords: LiDAR, levee profile extraction, least- cost path, Flip7 filter configuration 1. INTRODUCTION This paper is presented to describe a comparison to two methods for extracting an along-the-levee crown profile. The elevation data source is light detection and ranging (LiDAR ) points collected by John Chance Land Surveyors Inc.-Fugro (JCLS) in September of 2002. The targets were the levees along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico which are under the jurisdiction of the International Boundary and Wa ter Commission (IBWC). The project was funded by the IBWC as a part of a larger work intended to perform a levee condition assessment. In processing these LiDAR data for inclusion in a leve e condition assessment model and an enterprise geographic information system (GIS), a need for a physical profile of the levee was required. LiDAR data are used to determine relatively low areas, or swags, in the levee crown implicating potential location for overtopping during a flood event. Topographic depressions can also indicat e surface expressions of voids within th e levee possibly caused by seepage and piping as described by Kohno (1987)
The variability of clinical thermoluminescent dosimetry systems: A multi-institutional study

Thirty‐two radiotherapy centers in the USA and Canada cooperated in a study of the variability of clinical thermoluminescent dosimetry(TLD) systems. The primary purpose of the survey was to ascertain the accuracy of TLD for the determination of i n v i v odose measurements. Each participating institution provided two TLD packets for irradiation on a Clinac 4, at a prearranged time. Two batch irradiations were made. Thirty‐two TLD packets, one from each institution, were uniformly irradiated to a dose of 22.35 cGy (known by us, but not by the participants). A second group of 32 packets were likewise irradiated to a dose of 179.0 cGy. Participants were told only that their TLD’s would be irradiated to doses between 10 and 50 cGy, and 100 to 200 cGy. TLD’s were then returned to the institutions of origin for readout, and the doses reported to us for analysis. Calibration factors, readout and annealing procedures, etc., were all established independently by each participant. Although these procedures varied widely between institutions, the mean values of the reported doses were within 5% and 3% of the expected values for the low and high doses, respectively. Standard deviations in the reported doses were 10% and 5%. Also of interest, however, is the finding that 22% (i.e, 14 out of 64) of the dose reportings were in error by more than 10%. The implications of these findings vis a vis radiotherapy are discussed.
An Unexpected Maximum in a Family of Rectangles

The reader is encouraged to try to solve the problem now, before proceeding. In our solution to this problem we realized that A1 A2 A3A4 need not be a square. This observation led to the study of families of rectangles that satisfy hypotheses like those of Problem 749, and ultimately to this paper. A quick solution to Problem 749 is provided by Theorem 1, which is a special case of Feuerbach's Relation (see [4] or [6]).
First-principles calculations on TiO2 doped by N, Nd, and vacancy

Abstract First-principles density functional theory calculations have been carried out to investigate electronic structures of anatase TiO 2 with substitutional dopants of N, Nd, and vacancy, which replace O, Ti, and O, respectively. The calculation on N-doped TiO 2 with the local density approximation (LDA) demonstrates that N doping introduces some states located at the valence band maximum and thus makes the original band gap of TiO 2 smaller. Examining the effect of the strong correlation of Nd 4f electrons on the electronic structure of Nd-doped TiO 2 , we have obtained the half-metallic ground state with the LDA and the insulating ground state with the LDA+ U (Hubbard coefficient), respectively. In addition, the calculation on vacancy-doped TiO 2 with the LDA shows that a vacancy can induce some states in the band-gap region, which act as shallow donors.
Sesquiterpene lactones from Squamopappus skutchii

Abstract Chemical analysis of Squamopappus skutchii afforded a new eudesmanolide, chapinolin, and two new guaianolides, skutchinolide A and B. Their structures were elucidated by 1H NMR and mass spectral methods.
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND CITIZEN PROTEST IN COMMUNITIES AROUND THREE MILE ISLAND

The rapid growth and development of social movement organizations around Three Mile Island after the 1979 nuclear accident provide data for assessing and refining theories on social movements. This paper summarizes an intense first year of grass roots mobilization and documents the importance of grievances in precipitating and sustaining protest. The resource mobilization perspective regards discontent as a constant rather than a variable, and ignores cases where suddenly imposed major grievances generate organized protest. Grievances, existing structures and the mobilization process itself should all be treated as variables in the search for more inclusive theory, and three hypotheses involving these variables are included in the final section of the paper.
Kinetic analysis of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocyte reactivity against normal and leukaemic target cells.

SUMMARY The kinetics of unrestricted killing of normal and leukaemic lymphocyte target cells by a Qa-lb-specific murine cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone were evaluated in a manner analogous to enzyme kinetic assays in which the effector and target cells corresponded to the enzyme and substrate, respectively. In order to apply the enzyme-substrate analogy to clonal cytolytic reactions, it was first established that the lytic reactions exhibited initial steady-state velocity of lysis at the effector and target cell concentrations used. The lytic reaction maintained linearity for velocity of lysis during the first 90 min of incubation, then plateaued. Vmax (the maximal rate of target cell lysis achieved by a given effector population) and K, (the target cell number resulting in 1/2Vmax) values were determined over a wide range of target and effector cell concentrations. Both parameters were found to be directly proportional to the number of effector cells. At a given concentration of cloned CTL, the lytic parameters of Vmax and K, were not significantly different for normal or leukaemic target cells that express Qa-lb. Additional kinetic parameters for lysis of normal and leukaemic target cells by a cloned CTL were also compared. The lytic efficiency of the CTL clone (i.e. maximal killing rate with an infinite number of targets) and the intrinsic anity between effector and target cells were the same with either normal or leukaemic targets. However, the maximal lysis of target cells at an infinite number of effectors was significantly less for normal compared with leukaemic targets. This suggests that the normal target cells were more heterogeneous in their expression of the target (Qa-1b, antigen. Enzyme-like kinetic analysis of cell-mediated lysis reactions can be useful for comparing the relative affinities of effector and target cells obtained from various sources.
Contribution of food additives to sodium and phosphorus content of diets rich in processed foods.

Objective Phosphorus-based food additives increase the total phosphorus content of processed foods. However, the extent to which these additives augment total phosphorus intake per day is unclear. Design and Methods To examine the contribution of phosphorus-based food additives to the total phosphorus content of processed foods, separate 4-day menus for a low-additive and additive-enhanced diet were developed using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software. The low-additive diet was designed to conform to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for energy and phosphorus intake (∼2,000 kcal/day and 900 mg of phosphorus per day), and it contained minimally processed foods. The additive-enhanced diet contained the same food items as the low-additive diet except that highly processed foods were substituted for minimally processed foods. Food items from both diets were collected, blended, and sent for measurement of energy and nutrient intake. Results The low-additive and additive-enhanced diet provided approximately 2,200 kcal, 700 mg of calcium, and 3,000 mg of potassium per day on average. Measured sodium and phosphorus content standardized per 100 mg of food was higher each day of the additive-enhanced diet as compared with the low-additive diet. When averaged over the 4 menu days, the measured phosphorus and sodium contents of the additive-enhanced diet were 606 ± 125 and 1,329 ± 642 mg higher than the low-additive diet, respectively, representing a 60% increase in total phosphorus and sodium content on average. When comparing the measured values of the additive-enhanced diet to NDSR-estimated values, there were no statistically significant differences in measured versus estimated phosphorus contents. Conclusion Phosphorus and sodium additives in processed foods can substantially augment phosphorus and sodium intake, even in relatively healthy diets. Current dietary software may provide reasonable estimates of the phosphorus content in processed foods.
Association of acanthosis nigricans with hyperinsulinemia compared with other selected risk factors for type 2 diabetes in Cherokee Indians: the Cherokee Diabetes Study.

OBJECTIVE—To report prevalence rates of acanthosis nigricans (AN) and hyperinsulinemia and the association of AN with hyperinsulinemia compared with other known or suspected risk factors for type 2 diabetes in young American Indians. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A random sample of Cherokee Nation members aged 5–40 years was invited to participate in the Cherokee Diabetes Study, a cross-sectional study of type 2 diabetes and its risk factors in a young American Indian population. Data were collected by personal interview, medical history, physical examination (including anthropometric and blood pressure measurements and examination of the neck for AN), and laboratory analyses of blood specimens. Levels of insulin, lipids, and glucose were measured on fasting blood specimens. Diabetes status was determined according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. RESULTS—A total of 2,205 participants were examined. Overall prevalence rates for AN and hyperinsulinemia were 34.2 and 47.2%, respectively. In general, the rates for both increased with age and degree of Indian heritage and were higher in female subjects, overweight/obese individuals, those with type 2 diabetes, and those with a parental history of type 2 diabetes. In addition, both had significantly higher age- and sex-adjusted means for selected known or suspected risk factors for type 2 diabetes. AN remained significantly associated with hyperinsulinemia (P = 0.0001) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS—AN is independently associated with hyperinsulinemia and therefore may be useful as an early indicator of high risk for diabetes.
Predicting anthocyanins' isothermal and non-isothermal degradation with the endpoints method.

Abstract The thermal degradation of anthocyanins in a variety of media and over a large temperature range is known to follow first-order kinetics, and the temperature-dependence of the exponential rate constant a two-parameter model. These parameters can be estimated from the initial and final concentrations of only two isothermal or non-isothermal heat treatments by numerically solving a pair of simultaneous equations of which they are the two unknowns. Once calculated they can be used to reconstruct the entire degradation curves and predict those of other heat treatments in a pertinent temperature range. Commercial mathematical software can do the calculations, as demonstrated with computer simulations and published data on the isothermal and non-isothermal degradation of anthocyanins. The endpoints method’s predictions were confirmed by comparison to the reported experimentally determined final concentrations. Where applicable, the method will eliminate the need to record sets of whole isothermal degradation curves in studies of the kinetics of anthocyanins' degradation.
Subdomain communication to increase scalability in large-scale scientific applications

This paper introduces a general-purpose communication package built on top of MPI which is aimed at improving inter-processor communications for parallel computations characterized by large numbers of messages. The current library provides a utility for such applications based on two key attributes that are: (i) explicit consideration of the neighborhood communication pattern to avoid many-to-many calls and to reduce the number of collective calls and (ii) use of non-blocking MPI functions along with message packing to reduce actual communications in number and time. The introduction of the neighborhood communications leads to substantial reductions in the data exchange cost.
Chemistry and physics of giant vesicles as biomembrane models

Abstract The giant vesicle is becoming an object of intense scrutiny by chemists, biologists, and physicists who are interested in membrane behavior. Recent advances include new models to explain morphological changes, new experimental methods for studying vesicle adhesion, layering and adsorption, and new cataloging of ‘cytomimetic’ processes.
Regional rates of glucose utilization in the cat following concussive head injury.

ABSTRACT Injections of [14C]-deoxyglucose ([14C]DG) were used to study rates of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) in control cats and cats subjected to concussive brain injury produced by a...
UTILITY OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC INDICES FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF AMYLOIDOSIS AND HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE

Cardiac amyloidosis and hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (HLVH) are causes of heart failure with normal ejection fraction with different prognoses and treatments. The conditions are often difficult to distinguish by 2-dimensional echocardiography. Echocardiographic measurements of cardiac
Modelling and predicting hidden solder joint shape using active thermography and parametric numerical analysis

A methodology based on active infrared thermography to study and characterize hidden solder joint shapes on a multi cover PCB assembly was investigated. A numerical model was developed to simulate the active thermography methodology and was proven to determine the grand average cooling rates with maximum errors of 8.85% (one cover) and 13.36% (two covers). A parametric analysis was performed by varying the number of covers, heat flux provided, and the amount of heating time. Grand average cooling rate distances among contiguous solder joint shapes, as well as solder joints discriminability, were determined to be directly proportional to heat flux, and inversely proportional to the number of covers and heating time. Finally, a mathematical model was developed to determine the appropriate total amount of energy needed to discriminate among hidden solder joints with a “good” discriminability for one and two covers, and a “regular” discriminability for up to five covers. The mathematical model was proven to predict the total amount of energy to achieve a “good” discriminability for one cover within a 10% of error with respect to the experimental active thermography model.
Six variants of HLA-B27 identified by isoelectric focusing.

Six variant forms of HLA-1327 were identified among 68 unrelated 1327-positive donors by isoelectric focusing (IEF) gel analysis. Each of the six IEF variants was distinguished by charge heterogeneity of desialated B27 heavy chains immunoprecipitated with specific monoclonal antibody (MAb). Charge differences varied from single to several charge units, indicating that these variants may have substantially different amino acid compositions. Informative family study showed that three B27 variant molecules were genetically determined. The uniqueness of these variant molecules was also demonstrable using a panel of alloantisera and MAbs recognizing 1327-associated epitopes. Six distinct serological reactivity patterns were observed. Five of these serological patterns correlated with four of the IEF-defined variants, two of these patterns being associated with one IEF variant form. The sixth serological pattern was shared by the remaining two IEF variants. Combining the results of the electrophoretic and serological analyses, it is apparent that there are more than six structural variants within the B27 alloantigen family. Some B27 variant forms were found only in individuals of particular racial origin, indicating that unique genetic variations might occur in different racial groups. In a preliminary analysis of patients with ankylosing spondylitis, no apparent correlation was observed between any specific B27 variants and disease susceptibility.
Correlation of Protein Content of Feedstuffs with the Magnitude of Nitrogen Correction in True Metabolizable Energy Determinations

Abstract The relationship between the protein content of feedstuffs and the magnitude of difference between corresponding true metabolizable energy (TME) and nitrogen-corrected TME (TMEn) was investigated. Fifty-two samples of feed ingredients, mixtures of ingredients, and mixed feeds were assayed for TME and TMEn. A positive relationship was observed between the protein content of the feed samples and the magnitude of difference between determined TME and TMEn values. The regression equation describing this relationship is Y = .122X + 3.724, where X equals percent protein and Y the percent difference between TME and TMEn. The corresponding r2 was .60.
Termite mounds can increase the robustness of dryland ecosystems to climatic change

Self-organized spatial vegetation patterning is widespread and has been described using models of scale-dependent feedback between plants and water on homogeneous substrates. As rainfall decreases, these models yield a characteristic sequence of patterns with increasingly sparse vegetation, followed by sudden collapse to desert. Thus, the final, spot-like pattern may provide early warning for such catastrophic shifts. In many arid ecosystems, however, termite nests impart substrate heterogeneity by altering soil properties, thereby enhancing plant growth. We show that termite-induced heterogeneity interacts with scale-dependent feedbacks to produce vegetation patterns at different spatial grains. Although the coarse-grained patterning resembles that created by scale-dependent feedback alone, it does not indicate imminent desertification. Rather, mound-field landscapes are more robust to aridity, suggesting that termites may help stabilize ecosystems under global change.
Top-down influences mediate hand bias in spatial attention

Spatial attention can be biased to locations near the hand. Some studies have found facilitated processing of targets appearing within hand-grasping space. In this study, we investigated how changing top-down task priorities alters hand bias during visual processing. In Experiment 1, we used a covert orienting paradigm with nonpredictive cues and emphasized the location of the hand relative to the target. Hands or visual anchors (boards) were placed next to potential target locations, and responses were made with the contralateral hand. Results indicated a hand-specific processing bias: Hand location, but not board location, speeded responses to targets near the hand. This pattern of results replicated previous studies using covert orienting paradigms with highly predictive cues. In Experiment 2, we used the same basic paradigm but emphasized the location of the response hand. Results now showed speeded responses to targets near response locations. Together these experiments demonstrated that top-down instructional sets (i.e., what is considered to be most relevant to task performance) can change the processing priority of hand location by influencing the strength of top-down, as compared with bottom-up, inputs competing for attention resources.
Entry, Exit and Business Cycles in a General Equilibrium Model

Abstract This paper studies the role of entry and exit in the short run behavior of a general equilibrium model with industry dynamics. For tractability, and to preserve potential asymmetries in the impulse responses, I focus on the transition dynamics of the economy after shocks. Entry and exit are found to be insensitive to productivity shocks of reasonable magnitude. Moreover, the dynamics of GDP are insensitive to fluctuations in entry and exit rates, and any asymmetries are negligible. As an application of the model, the paper also asks whether firing costs may interact with entry and exit to affect transition dynamics after shocks, finding that they do not.
Design method for the flow field and drag of bodies of revolution in incompressible flow

A design method has been developed for determining the flow field, pressure distribution, boundary layer separation point, and drag of bodies of revolution at zero angle of attack in incompressible flow. The approach taken is the classical coupling of potential and boundary solutions to obtain the flow field about the body. The potential solution is obtained by modeling the body with an axial distribution of source/sink elements whose strengths vary linearly along their length. The laminar and turbulent boundary layer solutions are obtained from conventional solutions of the momentum integral equation. An approximate method is used to estimate the boundary layer transition point on the body. An empirical base pressure correlation is used to determine the base drag. Body surface pressure distributions and drag predictions are compared with experimental measurements.
State-Mandated Testing and Teachers' Beliefs and Practice

In this article, I examine the relationship between state-mandated testing and teachers' beliefs and practice. The studies reviewed suggest that while state testing does matter by influencing what teachers say and do, so, too, do other things, such as teachers' knowledge of subject matter, their approaches to teaching, their views of learning, and the amalgam of experience and status they possess in the school organization. As a result, the influence state-mandated testing has (or not) on teachers and teaching would seem to depend on how teachers interpret state testing and use it to guide their actions. Moreover, the influence state testing may or may not have on teachers and teaching expands beyond individual perceptions and actions to include the network of constructed meanings and significance extant within particular educational contexts. Consequently, although a relationship between the state-mandated testing and teachers' beliefs and practice does exist, testing does not appear to be an exclusive or a primary lever of change. There is further suggestion that it might not be a substantive one either. Studies that provide a richer, more in-depth understanding of the relationship between state-mandated testing and teaching in actual school settings, therefore, not only point toward important directions for future research in this area, but are greatly needed.
Protocols for Nationally Coordinated Laboratory and Field Research on Manure Nitrogen Mineralization

Abstract The National Program structure of USDA‐ARS provides an opportunity to coordinate research on problems of national and global significance. A team of USDA‐ARS scientists is conducting nationally coordinated research to develop predictions of manure N availability to protect water quality and improve farm solvency. Experimental design and research protocols were developed and used in common across all participating locations. Laboratory incubations are conducted at each location with a minimum of three soils, three temperatures, two wetting/drying regimes, and two manure treatments. A soil from the central United States (Catlin silt loam, fine‐silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Argiudoll) is used as an internal reference across all locations. Incubation data are compiled across locations to develop generalized predictions of manure nitrogen mineralization (Nmin). Field validation data are then obtained by monitoring nitrogen (N) transformations in manure‐amended soil cores equipped with anio...
Creation of a percutaneous mesocaval shunt to control variceal bleeding in a child

Although transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement is the standard procedure for the treatment of portal hypertension, it is often impossible to perform in patients with extrahepatic portal vein occlusion. In these patients, options for decompressing the liver are few. In this report, we present a novel solution for managing gastro-esophageal hemorrhage in a child with portal hypertension and extrahepatic portal vein occlusion, through the creation of a percutaneous mesocaval shunt.
MICROBIAL COLONIZATION OF THE CLOACAE OF NESTLING TREE SWALLOWS

Microbes have the potential to be important selective forces in many aspects of avian biology. Microbes can affect fitness as a result of either their pathogenic or beneficial effects on host health. Little is known about the chronology of microbial colonization of nestlings or the effects of microbes on fledgling condition. We set out to (1) characterize the time course of microbial colonization of the cloacae of nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), (2) examine the relationship between cloacal microbes and fledgling condition, and (3) determine if nest mates had similar assemblages of cloacal microbes. We repeatedly measured nestlings and sampled their cloacal microbes on nestling days 2, 3, 5, 7, 12, 16, and 19. We detected cloacal microbes in nestlings as early as nestling day 2. Colonization of nestlings by microbes began soon after hatching. Nestlings were colonized by more types of microbes and carried heavier loads of most types of microbes as they got older. Cloacal microbes did not affect fledging success. However, plate scores for gram-negative enteric lactose fermentors, which include E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp., were positively correlated with a greater degree of wing asymmetry. This relationship suggests that microbes affect fledgling survival because wing asymmetry hinders flying ability, a critical survival skill for these aerial insectivores. Patterns in the assemblages of cloacal microbes within broods suggested host-genetic influences on the colonization of nestlings by microbes, but they also may have reflected the facts that nest mates were fed by the same adults and were raised in the same nests.
The basement membrane matrix in malignancy.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death among Americans, although for several age groups it ranks first. Most of these deaths are not due to the primary tumour but rather to tumour cell metastases to distant organs. There are many steps that lead to metastasis, all of which are being studied with the goal of preventing these fatalities. Normally, cells attach to the extracellular matrix to maintain tissue integrity. During cancer progression, cells become more motile and acquire invasive qualities. Tumour cells move along blood and lymph vessels or invade into them to travel to distant sites. Then, the tumour cells must attach to the vessel wall, extravasate from the vessel, invade the new tissue, proliferate, and form a secondary tumour. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is critical to survival of these cells at the new site and is also important for primary tumour growth and spread. Tumour cell metastasis is a complex cascade of sequential steps, each of which is not yet fully understood. Progress has been made in identifying several key activators, one of which is the extracellular matrix. A major tumour promoter is the glycoprotein laminin, which is predominantly found in the extracellular matrix produced by endothelial and epithelial cells. This review will follow the metastatic process with particular attention to the effect of laminin on tumour cells.
Influence of dietary condensed tannins from sericea lespedeza on bacterial loads in gastrointestinal tracts of meat goats

Abstract This research assessed the potential use of a low input forage containing a high amount of condensed tannins (CT) to reduce foodborne pathogens prior to slaughter of meat goats. In a completely randomized design, twenty Kiko × Spanish intact male kids (BW = 19.2 ± 0.74 kg) were fed ground sericea lespedeza [SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum-Cours) G. Don; 2 pens], a high-CT legume, or bermudagrass hay [BG; Cynodon dactyon (L.) Pers.; 2 pens], at 75% of daily intake with a corn-based supplement (25% of intake) for 14 weeks ( n = 10 goats/treatment). At the end of the feeding trial, the animals were slaughtered using standard procedures. Immediately after evisceration, rumen and rectal samples were collected to assess bacterial loads and volatile fatty acids in the rumen. Concentrations of rumen volatile fatty acids were significantly different between dietary treatments. Goats fed SL hay had higher ( P P Escherichia coli (2.33 vs 1.13 log 10 CFU/g) counts of rumen contents were higher ( P E. coli counts in feces were not different ( P > 0.05) between dietary treatments. The high-CT influenced ( P 10 CFU/g, respectively. The results indicated that high CT in the diet might influence rumen volatile fatty acid composition, but might not reduce the bacterial loads in gastrointestinal tracts of meat goats.
Effect of in vitro histone phosphorylation on template activity of rat liver chromatin

Abstract Conditions for maximal phosphorylation of rat liver chromatin and free histones by a cyclic 3′,5′-AMP-dependent protein kinase preparation from calf liver were determined, and template activities of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated chromatin for Escherichia coli RNA polymerase were compared. The phosphorylation of chromatin by the protein kinase preparation is stimulated by cyclic AMP, and both histones and non-histone proteins in chromatin are phosphorylated. The 32 P in histones from phosphorylated chromatin is principally in very lysine-rich histones (F1). In contrast, rat liver histones phosphorylated in the free state contain 54 % of the 32 P in slightly lysine-rich histones (F2b) and 14 and 18 % of the 32 P in F1 histones and glycine-arginine-rich histones (F2a1), respectively. The F1 histones bound to native DNA are poor substrates for the protein kinase preparation in comparison with free histones. However, F1 histones bound to denatured DNA are phosphorylated as effectively as free F1 histones. The inhibition of phosphorylation of F1 histones bound to native DNA increases as the ratio of histones to DNA increases, suggesting that F1 histones are bound to the DNA in compact clusters resulting in mutual interference with the phosphorylation sites. Maximally phosphorylated chromatin and the chromatin reconstituted with maximally phosphorylated histones show the same template activity for E. coli RNA polymerase as corresponding non-phosphorylated chromatin in terms of rate of incorporation of labeled nucleotides into RNA. Contrary to expectation, the chromatin reconstituted with histones from regenerating rat liver exhibits a slightly smaller template activity for E. coli RNA polymerase than the chromatin reconstituted with histones from normal rat liver.
Relevance of animal models of pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis to human disease.

h m m f o t T a p c r p Our understanding of the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis has advanced so greatly in ecent years that it would hardly be an exaggeration to efer to the present time as the Pancreatic Renaissance. nfortunately, the tangible benefits to patients have not een commensurate with the theoretical advances. In eeking to explain this disparity, most investigators view ith suspicion the relevance of the models thus far used. or novel therapies to emerge, it is necessary that the nimal models recapitulate the human disease with preision. This realization has engendered a vigorous search or better models, especially genetically engineered modls. The key to progress lies in a sound understanding of he strengths, weaknesses, and applicability of the models n the investigator’s repertoire.
Interfacial electron transfer in metal cyanide-sensitized TiO2 nanoparticles.

Electroabsorption (Stark) spectroscopy has been used to study the charge-transfer absorption from a transition-metal−cyanide complex to a TiO_2 nanoparticle. Transition-metal cyanide/TiO_2(particle) systems were synthesized using Fe^(II)(CN)_6^(4-), Ru^(II)(CN)_6^(4-), Mo^(IV)(CN)_8^(4-), and W^(IV)(CN)_8^(4-). On formation of the M(CN)_n^(4-)/TiO_2(particle) system, a new metal-to-particle charge-transfer (MPCT) absorption band is observed in the 390−480 nm region. Analysis of the absorption spectra suggests that the TiO_2 level involved in the MPCT transition resides at significantly higher energy than the bottom of the conduction band and that the electronic coupling between the two metal centers is the dominant factor determining the position of the MPCT band maximum. The average charge-transfer distances determined by Stark spectra range from 4.1−4.7 A. The observation of relatively short charge-transfer distances leads to the conclusion that the MPCT absorption is from the transition-metal cyanide center to a level that is localized on the Ti atom bound to a nitrogen end of the [O_2Ti−N−C−M(CN)_x] system. The electronic coupling, H_(ab), calculated for a two state model is similar to values observed in dinuclear metal complexes.