cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seed Predation by Monkeys and Macaws in Eastern Venezuela : Preliminary Findings

Feeding data collected concurrently on bearded sakis (Chiropotes satanas) and red and green macaws (Ara chloroptera) on a large island in Guri, Venezuela provides preliminary evidence that these two seed predators have similar diets. Individuals of both species were equally capable of opening very hard, protected fruits. Of the seven fruit species used by macaws during the study period, four species were also ingested by sakis at the same stage of ripeness, two species were ingested at different stages of ripeness (macaws earlier than sakis), and one species was never observed to have been eaten by sakis. The second finding, that macaws ingest young seeds of the Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae families and the bearded sakis ingest only the ripe mesocarp of these species suggests that the most distinguishable difference in their diets might be a tolerance of toxins by the macaws that act as feeding deterrents for the monkeys. Although we did not document the location of local clay licks in eastern Venezuela, the use of clay licks by macaws in Peru (Munn, 1992) suggests that this activity (that is not practiced by the sakis) may be helpful in detoxifying or ameliorating the effects of ingesting chemically protected fruit.
Web literacy: Challenges and opportunities for research in a new medium

Abstract Student researchers are turning in increasing numbers to the World Wide Web as a resource, though not necessarily with an understanding of how to assess the reliability or value of the information they find there. At all stages of the research process, but especially at the assessment stage, the Web poses challenges that writing teachers should address explicitly in guiding students to become skillful and discerning readers of Web sites. The Web literacy student need involves an ability to manage the diverse and largely unfiltered content of the Web and an attentiveness to the information conveyed in a site's nontextual features, most notably its images, links, and inter-activity. Teaching students this literacy means supplementing the evaluative criteria traditionally applied to print sources with new strategies for making sense of diverse kinds of texts presented in hypertextual and multimedia format. Assessing the value of information offered at Web sites can enhance students' research and writing skills and is also an important step in educating students to be critical users of the Web and the Internet.
Nuclear gas turbine plant (GT-MHR) performance potential.

With the current hiatus in the U.S. nuclear industry it is projected that by the year 2010 combustion gas turbines will be generating more electrical power than light water reactors. These units, operating at high firing temperature, and with advanced thermodynamic cycles, will have efficiencies of over 60%. In this era these gas turbines will operate with fossil-fuels (i.e., natural gas and gasified coal), but as environmental concerns intensisy there will be a quest for “greener technologies,” and this is where the gas turbine modular helium reactor (GT-MHR) will play a major role.Utilizing a high temperature gas-cooled reactor and a closed helium Brayton cycle, a plant efficiency of 47% is projected based on the use of proven technology, and the initial unit could be in utility service by the year 2005. Following penetration of the market place, efforts will be expended to exploit the performance potential of the GT-MHR. In this paper the potential for efficiency advancement to 60% or higher is discussed, together with the technologies necessary for this to be realized, perhaps two decades after the operation of the pioneer plant. Such a power plant, that is compatible with the environment, and operating with an indigenous fuel source (i.e., uranium) could be in service through the first century of the next millennium.Copyright © 1994 by ASME
The electronic spectrum of cinnoline vapor

Abstract The lowest energy π → π ∗ transition of cinnoline has its origin at 31 542 cm−1 and has similar vibronic band separations to the analogous B2a ← Ag transition of naphthalene. Predissociation occurs preventing detailed study of the transition. The transition is assigned as an A′ ← A′ transition with the transition moment in the plane of the molecule. The sharp n → π ∗ transition has its origin at 22711 cm−1. The assignments of the temperature independent bands are reported. The n → π ∗ transition consists of a strong, prominent progression of 516-cm−1 intervals. Superimposed on the 516-cm−1 progression are several singly excited vibrations. A detailed assignment of the vibronic bands is reported.
Functional Decline in Alzheimer's Disease: A Longitudinal Study

Objective: To assess the reliability of activities of daily living (ADL) measures and determine the rate and pattern of longitudinal ADL change in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Design: Longitudinal study with evaluations every 6 months. Setting: Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Clinics at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York. Patients: 104 patients meeting NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable AD were followed an average of 31 months. Measurements: Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADLS) of Lawton and Brody and the Blessed Test of Information, Memory, and Concentration. Results: For men there was inconsistency over time in the decision about whether or not some IADLS items such as “Laundry” were appropriate for a given patient. Test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities were high for all PSMS items and for IADLS items that were judged to be appropriate. IADLS scores changed an average of 2.06 (±3.27) points annually, and change scores were smaller for patients with severe dementia. PSMS scores changed an average of 2.44 (±3.87) points annually with virtually all change occurring in severely demented patients. There was a marked ceiling effect for the IADLS and a curvilinear relationship of PSMS annual change with PSMS baseline. Conclusions: Both PSMS and IADLS measures can be reliable in AD patients, but better IADLS items for males need to be developed. IADLS scores are sensitive to change in mild and moderately demented AD patients, while PSMS scores are sensitive to change in more severely demented patients.
Primary hepatic sarcomas in children--a single-center experience over 19 years.

Abstract Background/ Purpose Primary hepatic sarcomas are rare and account for about 13% of primary hepatic neoplasms. There are few reported series of pediatric hepatic sarcomas, and the aim was to review our experience. Methods A retrospective analysis of cases managed from 1988 to 2007 by the pediatric liver unit in Birmingham, UK, was conducted. Results Nineteen children were identified. These presented with sudden abdominal pain (n = 6), obstructive jaundice (n = 3), incidental mass (n = 3), and chronic pain/distension (n = 3). Vascular involvement was identified in 3, and 6 had pulmonary metastases. Three patients had primary resection, and 3 only a biopsy. Thirteen had a biopsy followed by chemotherapy and resection. Surgery included extended hepatectomy (n = 11), hepatectomy (n = 3), and nonanatomical resections (n = 2). There was 1 major intraoperative complication. Median inpatient stay was 7 days. One biliary leak developed 4 weeks postoperatively. Five of the 16 patients who underwent resection of the primary tumor died. Eleven were alive at a median follow-up of 3 years. Conclusion This is a challenging group of patients. Local control remains pivotal to successful treatment. Good results can be achieved in a specialist center with multidisciplinary approach.
Palynological Evidence for Folding, Faulting, and Erosional Contacts in Subsurface: ABSTRACT

Palynological studies, conducted on exposed rocks illustrating various degrees of folding, faulting, and other expressions, have been used to interpret conditions observed in subsurface samples. Palynological evidence of rock folding or faulting is shown by degrees of spore and pollen preservation and progressive color changes from yellow to black. Folded structures generally can be distinguished from fault structures by more uniform and widespread occurrence of specific palynological physical changes. Regions containing igneous intrusions show similar palynological changes, but differ in proportion to type and distribution of igneous bodies. Unconformities are detected by marked palynological assemblage changes and in many instances by recycled fossils above an erosional surface. Recognition of palynological physical aspects can be useful in the identification of paleogeographic features, direction and approximate location of stratigraphic traps, paleotemperature conditions within an area, and probable oil or gas potentials. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1564------------
Is an antihistamine-decongestant combination effective in temporarily relieving symptoms of the common cold in preschool children?

Abstract Objective: To determine whether an antihistamine-decongestant combination (ADC) is superior to placebo in temporarily relieving symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection (URI) in preschool children. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Four pediatric offices in the Seattle, Wash., area. Participants: Children 6 months through 5 years of age with a URI of less than 7 days' duration. Methods: Children were randomly assigned to receive an ADC (brompheniramine maleate–phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride) or placebo as needed for URI symptoms. Two hours after each dose of study medication, changes in the child"s runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, and sleep status were assessed by means of a standardized questionnaire. Results: A total of 175 responses were recorded for 59 patients. There were no statistically significant differences in symptom improvement between the ADC and the placebo group (runny nose, p = 0.48; nasal congestion, p = 0.94; cough, p = 0.66). However, the proportion of children asleep 2 hours after receiving the ADC was significantly higher than the proportion receiving placebo (46.6% vs 26.5%; p = 0.01). Results were unchanged after control for the correlated nature of repeated responses, age, symptom duration, use of acetaminophen, time that the medication was given, and parental desire for medication. Conclusions: The ADC was equivalent to placebo in providing temporary relief of URI symptoms in preschool children. However, the ADC did have significantly greater sedative effects than did placebo. (J Pediatr 1997;130:463-6)
Multidimensional radiative transfer: a single integral representation of anisotropic scattering kernels

Abstract A complicated kernel arising in the study of anisotropic scattering in a multidimensional media is investigated. The scattering phase function is represented by a series of Legendre polynomials. The kernel is transformed with a symbolic manipulator to a single integral form suitable for use in Ambarzumian's method. The results for a five term phase function are obtained. Single integral representations of the generalized exponential integral and its derivatives are also developed.
Treatment Failure with Use of a Third-Generation Cephalosporin for Penicillin-Resistant Pneumococcal Meningitis: Case Report and Review

Recent reports have documented the increasing number of pneumococcal isolates that are relatively or completely resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics. This report documents a case in which third-generation cephalosporin failed in the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis and reviews the clinical and microbiological features of the seven similar cases reported to date. In all eight cases, the pneumococci were penicillin resistant. Taken together, these cases suggest that (1) children with intermediately penicillin-resistant pneumococcal meningitis (MIC, 0.1-1.0 micrograms/mL) who are treated with cefotaxime or ceftriaxone should be observed carefully for treatment failure and (2) children with highly penicillin-resistant pneumococcal meningitis (MIC, > or = 2.0 micrograms/mL) are best treated with vancomycin and rifampin until the MICs of cefotaxime and ceftriaxone for the pneumococcus are known.
The influence of different diluents on the flammability limits of ethylene at high temperatures and pressures

Abstract For the safe design and operation of many chemical processes, it is necessary to know certain flammability limits at high temperatures and pressures. Despite the great importance of such safety problems, few data are available in the literature, and those available are unreliable. This is due to the experimental difficulties involved. In this paper the different methods proposed for such measurements are critically discussed: the double-filling system appears to be the most suitable for avoiding the slow oxidation reactions before ignition. Flammability data up to 250°C amd 20 atm for ethylene-oxygen mixtures with different diluents (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane) are presented.
Isolation of genomic clones homologous to transcribed sequences from human X chromosome

Several X chromosome DNA clones homologous to transcribed sequences were isolated from a human X chromosome library. The clones were selected for their ability to hybridize either with32P -labeled human cDNA in the presence of an excess of unlabeled human repetitive DNA or with mouse fibroblast cDNA. The X chromosome specificity of these sequences was demonstrated by two criteria: A dosage effect was seen when the clones were hybridized to Southern blots of DNA from 1X and 5X cells, and they hybridized to DNA from mouse-human hybrid cells containing only the human X chromosome. The presence of transcribed sequences in these X clones was detected by hybridization with mouse cDNA or with human cDNA in the presence of unlabeled human repetitive sequences, by identifying restriction fragments which hybridize with cDNA but not with human repetitive DNA, and by hybridization with poly A+ RNA on Northern blots. These clones were mapped on the human X chromosomes using a panel of mouse-human somatic cell hybrids carrying various translocated human X chromosomes.
Automated disk drive characterization (poster session)

DIXtrac is a program that automatically characterizes the performance of modern disk drives. This extended abstract overviews the contents of [3], which describes and validates DIXtrac's algorithms for extracting accurate values for over 100 performance-critical parameters in 2-6 minutes without human intervention or special hardware support. The extracted data includes detailed layout and geometry information, mechanical timings, cache management policies, and command processing overheads. DIXtrac is validated by configuring a detailed disk simulator with its extracted parameters; in most cases, the resulting accuracies match those of the most accurate disk simulators reported in the literature. To date, DIXtrac has been successfully used on ten different models from four different manufacturers. A growing database of validated disk characteristics is available in DiskSim [1] format at http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~ganger/disksim/diskspecs.html.
A novel environment-sensitive biodegradable polydisulfide with protonatable pendants for nucleic acid delivery

Clinical application of nucleic acid-based therapies is limited by the lack of safe and efficient delivery systems. The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate novel biodegradable polymeric carriers sensitive to environmental changes for efficient delivery of nucleic acids, including plasmid DNA and siRNA. A novel polydisulfide with protonatable pendants was synthesized by the oxidative polymerization of a dithiol monomer, which was readily prepared by solid phase chemistry. The polydisulfide exhibited good buffering capacity and low cytotoxicity. It formed stable complexes with both plasmid DNA and siRNA. The particle sizes of the complexes decreased with the increase of the N/P ratios in the range of 100 to 750 nm. The complexes were stable in the presence of salt and heparin under normal physiological conditions, but dissociated to release nucleic acids in a reductive environment similar to cytoplasm. The polydisulfide demonstrated N/P ratio dependent transfection efficiency for plasmid DNA and gene silencing efficiency for siRNA. The presence of an endosomal disrupting agent, chloroquine, did not affect the DNA transfection efficiency of the polydisulfide. The transfection or gene silencing efficiency of the polydisulfide/DNA or siRNA complexes was comparable to or slightly lower than that of corresponding PEI complexes. Moreover, the polydisulfide showed better serum-friendly feature than PEI when delivering either DNA or siRNA in the presence of 10% FBS. This novel polydisulfide is a promising lead for further design and development of safe and efficient delivery systems for nucleic acids.
Interactive relations of central versus total obesity and blood pressure to cognitive function.

To examine the potential interactive relations of central versus total obesity and blood pressure (BP) to cognitive function. In all, 90 healthy, stroke, and dementia-free middle-aged and older adults (ages 54–81 years; 63% male; 93% White) underwent biomedical and neuropsychological assessment. Relations of central obesity (assessed by waist circumference (WC)) and systolic or diastolic BP to cognitive function were examined in multiple regression models. Next, body mass index (BMI) was substituted for WC in the models. After statistical adjustment for age, education, gender, and other potential confounders including components of the metabolic syndrome (depending on the model), significant interactions of WC and systolic (or diastolic) BP were noted for the Grooved Pegboard – Dominant Hand and Stroop Interference scores, with marginally significant results for Grooved Pegboard – Nondominant Hand. In general, individuals with greater WC and higher BP performed most poorly on these measures. Similar results were obtained for BMI. Independent of other confounders including facets of the metabolic syndrome, the combination of greater WC (or BMI) and higher (systolic or diastolic) BP was associated with diminished performance on tests of motor speed and manual dexterity, and executive function (i.e. response inhibition) accounting for 3–13% of the variance in these measures. In healthy older adults, there are similar, negative relations of central and total obesity to cognitive function that are potentiated by higher BP levels.
Synthesis and characterization of anionic transition metal isothiocyanate complexes prepared from metal powders and thiourea

Abstract Three new isothiocyanate-4-methylpyridine anionic compounds were prepared by refluxing metal powders (Mn, Fe, and Cu) with thiourea in 4-methylpyridine (γ-picoline). The isothiocyanate ligand is believed to be generated in situ by the isomerization of thiourea to NH4 +SCN− at reflux temperatures. The complexes (Hpic)2[Mn(NCS)4(pic)2]·2pic (1), (Hpic)2[Fe(NCS)4(pic)2]·2pic (2), and (Hpic)[Cu(NCS)3(pic)2]·pic (3) (where pic=γ-picoline) were characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural with four equatorially bound isothiocyanate ligands and two axially bound γ-picoline molecules. Compound 3 is a five-coordinate Cu(II) molecule with a distorted square pyramidal geometry. Coordinated picoline and two isothiocyanates form the basal plane and the remaining isothiocyanate is bound at the apex. The structural data for compounds 1, 2, and 3 are presented.
Uniformitarianism in cosmology: Background and philosophical implications of the steady-state theory

Abstract Philosophical considerations have been essentially involved in the origin and development of the steady-state cosmological theory (SST). These considerations include an explicit uniformitarian methodology and implicit metaphysical views concerning the status of natural laws in a changing universe. I shall examine the foundations of SST by reconstructing its early history. Whereas the strong uniformitarian methodology of SST found no support in the subsequent development of cosmology, the idea of a possible influence the global structure of the universe may have on the laws of physics operative in it has been assimilated by the standard big bang theory as it made its remarkable progress in recent decades.
Hermeneutics in science and medicine: a thesis understated.

Drew Leder's “Clinical Interpretation: The Hermeneutics of Medicine” [1] is an essay which understates its case and thereby opens itself to misinterpretation. This response to Leder argues for a more thorough-going hermeneutic for both medicine and science. At the conceptual as well as the practical level, modern medicine and its scientific foundations are hermeneutic enterprises. The purpose of this essay is to argue that we should not back away from this more radical thesis. Embracing it will result in less alienation of physicians from patients, and of physicians from the tasks of medicine.
The organization of the Caulobacter crescentus flagellar filament

Abstract The structural organization of the flagellar filament of Caulobacter crescentus , as revealed by immunoelectron microscopy, shows five antigenically distinct regions within the hook-filament complex. The first region is the hook. The second region is adjacent to the hook and is approximately 10 nm in length. On the basis of its location in the hook-filament complex, this region may contain hook-associated proteins. Next to this is the third region, which is approximately 60 nm in length. Antibody decoration experiments using mutant strains with deletions of the structural gene for the 29 × 10 3 M r flagellin ( flgJ ) showed that the presence of this region is correlated with the expression of the 29 × 10 3 M r flagellin gene. The next region (region IV), of length ~1 to 2 μm, appears to contain the 27·5 × 10 3 M r flagellin, but at its distal end includes, in gradually increasing amounts, the 25 × 10 3 M r , flagellin. The rest of the filament (region V) is made up predominantly, if not completely, of the 25 × 10 3 M r flagellin. Except for the hook, there are no morphological features that would otherwise distinguish these regions. A functional flagellum, having the wild-type length and morphology, is assembled by mutant strains deficient in the 29 × 10 3 M r flagellin and 27·5 × 10 3 M r flagellin.
Regularity theory for pluriclosed flow

Abstract In Streets and Tian (2010) [6] the authors introduced a parabolic flow of pluriclosed metrics. New advancements in the study of this flow are given, including improved regularity results, a gradient property and expanding entropy functional, and a conjectural picture of optimal existence results and their topological consequences. Finally we introduce a family of geometric evolutions in almost Hermitian geometry which provides a general framework for this flow.
Rigidity of Einstein 4-manifolds with positive curvature

An Einstein metric with positive scalar curvature on a 4-manifold is said to be normalized if Ric=1. A basic problem in Riemannian geometry is to classify Einstein 4-manifolds with positive sectional curvature in the category of either topology, diffeomorphism, or isometry. It is shown in this paper that if the sectional curvature K of a normalized Einstein 4-manifold M satisfies the lower bound K≥e0, e0≡( -23)/120≈0.102843, or condition (b) of Theorem 1.1, then it is isometric to either S 4, RP 4 with constant sectional curvature K=1/3, or CP 2 with the normalized Fubini-Study metric. As a consequence, both the normalized moduli spaces of Einstein metrics which satisfy either one of the above two conditions on S 4 and CP 2 contain only a single point. In particular, if M is a smooth 4-manifold which is homeomorphic to either S 4, RP 4, or CP 2 but not diffeomorphic to any of the three manifolds, then it can not support any normalized Einstein metric which satisfies either one of the conditions.
Carbon nanotubes vacuum field emission differential amplifier integrated circuits

A novel vacuum field emission differential amplifier integrated circuit (VFE diff-amp IC) utilising carbon nanotube (CNT) emitters is presented. A dual-mask microfabrication process is employed to achieve the VFE diff-amp IC by integrating identical CNT VFE transistors with built-in split gates and anodes. The pair of integrated amplifiers shows low gate turn-on voltage, large DC gain, a reasonable transconductance, and a good common-mode rejection ratio. The approach demonstrates a new way for development of temperature- and radiation-tolerant VFE integrated microelectronics.
Anti-inflammatory drugs in experimental atherosclerosis. Part 6. Combination therapy with steroid and non-steroid agents.

Abstract The pathological changes which accompany enhanced cholesterol deposition in atherosclerosis include inflammatory reponses mediated by the prostaglandin cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase-leukotriene metabolite of the arachidonic acid cascade. Cortisone suppresses arachidonic acid release, whereas non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit principally the cyclooxygenase enzyme. Groups of New Zealand white rabbits were fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 12 weeks. Diets of selected groups were further supplemented daily with the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs phenylbutazone (100 mg), oxyphenylbutazone (240 mg), flufenamic acid (100 mg), either singly or in combination with cortisone acetate (10 mg or 5 mg), or 9-α-fluorohydrocortisone (30 μg or 200 μg). Serum lipid levels were measured at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks, and atherosclerotic plaque intensity in thoracic aorta was measured at 12 weeks using a planimetric technique: serum cholesterol levels in control groups increased from 38 ± 5 to 1190 ± 139 mg/100 ml. Neither the rate of increase nor the final lipid values attained were significantly changed by the non-steroid drugs. The non-steroid drugs reduced plaque coverage by about one third (phenylbutazone 34 ± 10%, flufenamic acid 36 ± 11 %) compared to controls. In combination therapy, addition of cortisone acetate resulted in further plaque suppression. Cortisone 10 mg + phenylbutazone gave 100% suppression; cortisone 5 mg + phenylbutazone gave 82 ± 18%, and cortisone 5 mg + flufenamic acid gave 84 ± 3%. However, when a suboptimal dose of steroid was administered there was no additive effect between the steroid and the non-steroid drugs (F-cort. 30 μg alone gave 56 ± 7% protection and + phenylbutazone gave 44 ± 16%). In general, combination of a steroid with a non-steroid did not provide greater protection than that afforded by the optimum dose of steroid alone. Thus both classes of drugs can suppress plaques when administered singly, but the non-steroids do not enhance the level of protection provided by a steroid alone. The result confirm that anti-inflammatory drugs can mitigate the effects of hypercholesterolemia in rabbits without affecting the degree of hypercholesterolemia per se and indicate that both classes of drugs may act in a similar fashion, probably by suppressing eicosanoid-mediated inflammatory responses of vascular tissues to the hypercholesterolemic insult.
Methods and Concepts in Detecting Abnormal Reproductive Outcomes of Paternal Origin

The rapid global expansion in population indicates that human reproduction functions very well. In the course of human reproduction, however, there are many infertile couples, fetal losses, malformed embryos and babies, genetically defective children, and other kinds of abnormal reproductive outcomes U.S. Congress, 1986; Committee on Life Sciences, 1989). In the U.S.A. it is estimated that more than two million couples who wish to have children are infertile. About 1.9 million conceptions are lost before the 20th week of gestation, and ∼30,000 are dead at birth (assuming 4.2 million births each year in the U.S., as for 1990 [U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992]). About 7% of live births have low birth weight, and 3 to 7% have some birth defect. The causes of most of the ∼250,000 defective babies are unknown. Chromosomal abnormalities explain some but not all spontaneous abortions, neonatal deaths, and birth defects. The frequency of chromosomal abnormalities among newborns is about 0.6%, including aneuploidies and structural aberrations. Chromosomal abnormalities in offspring are thought to be primarily de novo events that arose in the germ cells of one of the parents or early after conception. In addition, about 1% of newborns carry a gene for autosomal mutation for a genetic disease with only ∼20% of these arising anew early in development or in the reproductive cells of one of the parents. The social and medical costs of these abnormal reproductive outcomes are formidable, and there is a critical need to identify the underlying risk factors and to identify the responsible parent.
A Handbook for Analytical Writing: Keys to Strategic Thinking

This handbook accelerates the development of analytical writing skills for high school students, students in higher education, and working professionals in a broad range of careers. This handbook builds on the idea that writing clarifies thought, and that through analytical writing comes improved insight and understanding for making decisions about innovation necessary for socioeconomic development. This short handbook is a simple, comprehensive guide that shows differences between descriptive writing and analytical writing, and how students and teachers work together during the process of discovery-based learning. This handbook provides nuts and bolts ideas for team projects, organizing writing, the process of writing, constructing tables, presenting figures, documenting reference lists, avoiding the barriers to clear writing, and outlines the importance of ethical issues and bias for writers. Finally, there are ideas for evaluating writing, and examples of classroom exercises for students and teachers.
Lacto-N-fucopentaose III, a pentasaccharide, prolongs heart transplant survival.

Background. Lacto-N-fucopentaose III (LNFPIII) is a pentasaccharide containing the Lewis x trisaccharide that is found on schistosome eggs and in breast milk. LNFPIII conjugates suppress host immune responses and have therapeutic efficacy in mouse models of psoriasis and type 1 diabetes. Methods. We used nonvascularized neonatal ear-heart transplantation and heterotopic vascularized heart transplantation models to evaluate immunosuppressive effects of LNFPIII and subsequently analyzed the mechanism. Results. We found that administration of LNFPIII conjugates prolonged median graft survival by 80% when 1-day-old DBA/2 hearts were transplanted into ears of B6 mice. A similar graft prolongation was observed in a fully vascularized heterotopic heart transplantation model (DBA/2 into B6), No prolongation was observed with carrier protein (human serum albumin [HSA] or dextran) alone. We found increased programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on F4/80 + macrophages, CD4 + T cells, and CD11b + CD11c + (myeloid) dendritic cells, and increased arginase1 and Ym1 expression, typical of alternatively activated macrophages, in the draining (cervical) lymph node cells. We found accumulation of Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the lymph nodes draining donor hearts, suggesting a possible role of Treg induction in graft prolongation. Anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment abrogated LNFPIII-mediated the graft survival benefit and Treg accumulation. LNFPIII-treated macrophages had increased PD-L expression and significantly prolonged DBA/2 allograft survival when injected intraperitoneally into B6 recipient mice. Conclusions. LNFPIII prolongs fully allogeneic graft survival in both vascularized and nonvascularized allograft transplantation models. The mechanism of graft prolongation seems to involve both alternatively activated PDL-1 + macrophages and recruitment of Foxp3 + Treg cells.
Purification and properties of an antigen cross-reacting with escherichia coli β-galactosidase

Abstract Crude extracts of a number of species of Enterobacteriaciae contain an antigen cross-reacting with all anti-β-galactosidase antisera available. Disc gel electrophoresis separates the antigen from β-galactosidase and its subunits. Antisera prepared against polyacrylaminde-disc-gel slices which contain β-galactosidase cross-react with the antigen. The antigen was purified by a combination of molecular sieve chromatography and by a column containing specific antibody attached to an insoluble support. Antisera prepared against the purified antigen cross-reacted with preparations of purified β-galactosidase. The antigen is a ribonucleoprotein with an amino acid composition and molecular weight distinct from those of β-galactosidase.
Undergraduate Student Competitions

This study explored student competitions for undergraduate engineering and engineering technology students to determine which institutions consistently win and what factors support their winning, and to obtain some insights into the benefits for students. Forty-four student competitions for engineering and technology students were identified, and the first, second, and third place institutions from 2001 to 2003 were tabulated. Although one institution would often win a particular competition, no institution was a consistent winner for all competitions. Advisers of winning institutions reported that their institutions won consistently because of a dedicated faculty advisor and/or the close alignment of the competition with the institution's curriculum. Also important are a tradition of winning, the quality of the students, and (for hands-on competitions) the availability of resources. Additional research is needed to determine if student competitions increase student learning.
The vapor-liquid equilibrium of the hydrogen—n-butane system at elevated pressures

The vapor-liquid equilibrium of the hydrogen–n–butane system was studied at temperatures between 54° and 121°C and at pressures up to 167 atm. The fugacity of hydrogen in the vapor phase was measured directly by using a palladium-silver semipermeable membrane, whereas p-T-x-y data were obtained in a conventional manner. Henry's constants for hydrogen in n-butane were obtained from the experimental fugacity data without making any assumptions about the vapor phase. Constant-pressure, liquid-phase activity coefficients for both hydrogen and n-butane were calculated and correlated by using a modified van Laar equation.
Management's Role on the Application of Human Factors in the Aerospace Industry

There is a crucial need for high quality leaders wh o have knowledge and understanding of the application of human factors during all phas es of the life cycle of a product. We will explain the analysis from a systems perspective, wh ere humans are the nucleus of the system needed to accomplish a goal, rather than isolated p arts looking to complete a single task. Specific examples of the design and manufacturing of a space mission will be provided to better explain how management can help to improve human safety throughout the product life cycle. According to aerospace companies repor ts, human errors tend to occur on the manufacturing operations phase. We will show how the source of these errors originates from the lack of preparation in early stages. If h uman factor requirements are taken into account, costly errors at the manufacturing stage c an be minimized when small errors are found early in the program. I. Statement of the Issue
Long-term retention of first-list associations in the A-B, A-C paradigm

This study investigated the long-term retention of first-list associations which had been subjected to experimental extinction. Experimental groups (E) learned two lists conforming to the A-B, A-C paradigm and control groups (C) learned only the A-B list. Retention of A-B was tested by MMFR at the end of interpolated learning, 1 or 7 days later. Retention of the first list was better in C than in E on the first retention test (unlearning or extinction), and there was a significant decline in the difference between C and E over time. The per cent loss over 7 days was also significantly smaller in Group E than in Group C. The observed differences in rate of forgetting are consistent with the assumption that unlearned associations recover over time. However, it was suggested that the results might also be accounted for in terms of differences between C and E in the mean strength of items recalled at the first retention point.
Is alexithymia the emotional equivalent of blindsight

A fundamental tenet of psychosomatic medicine is that interference with the experience and expression of emotions can have an adverse affect on health (Taylor 1987). Early in this century it was observed that the onset and course of certain physical diseases were adversely affected by the repression of certain conflictual ideas and their accompanying affects (Alexander 1950). A later alternative view was that a deficit or developmental arrest in the capacity for symbolic mental representation of emotion was the core problem in patients with psychosomatic disorders, typified by a diminished ability to identify and describe feelings (Ruesch 1948). This latter view has evolved into the concept of alexithymia, a term coined by Sifneos in 1972 meaning “absence of words for emotion” (Sifneos 1972). Sifneos and Nemiah posited that the deficit in the capacity for symbolization of emotion (in verbal behavior, fantasy, and dreams) resulted in a variety of manifestations, including abnormal physiology resulting in disease, a propensity for impulsive behavior, discomfort with and avoidance of social relationships, and an impaired capacity for self-care and self-regulation (Nemiah and Sifneos 1970). Subsequent research has revealed that alexithymia is associated with a variety of other psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse and dependence, somatization, eating disorders, and panic disorder (Taylor et al 1991; Jimerson et al 1994; Parker et al 1993). It is not known whether the manifestations of alexithymia are similar or different in these various clinical contexts. Recent research has also demonstrated that alexithymia is associated with deficits in the recognition of both verbal and nonverbal emotional stimuli (Lane et al, in press). To obtain a current consensus about the essential features of alexithymia, Haviland and Reise (1996) recently generated a prototypical description of alexithymic individuals derived from 13 experts using the Q-sort method. The results of this survey are presented in Table 1. Alexithymic individuals manifest bland or flattened affect, tend to be somatically preoccupied, express themselves through action and nonverbal behavior, are interpersonally distant, become disorganized under stress, lack imagination and insight, and tend to be socially conforming. Early descriptions of alexithymic individuals included diminished facial expressions, which have been confirmed in recent empirical work (McDonald and Prkachin 1990), but also noted occasional brief, intense, dramatic outbursts of emotion such as tearfulness that end as abruptly as they From the Department of Psychiatry (RDL, GLA, GES, AWK) and Department of Neurology (GLA, GES, AWK), University of Arizona College of Medicine, and Department of Psychology, University of Arizona (RDL, GLA, GES, AWK), Tucson, Arizona. Address reprint request to Richard D. Lane, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Arizona Health Sciences Center, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724. Received January 18, 1996.
Modeling the brittle–ductile transition in ferritic steels: dislocation simulations

We present a model for the brittle-ductile transition in ferritic steels based on two dimensional discrete dislocation simulations of crack-tip plastic- ity. The sum of elastic fields of the crack and the emitted dislocations defines an elasto-plastic crack field. Effects of crack-tip blunting of the macrocrack are included in the simulations. The plastic zone characteristics are found to be in agreement with continuum models, with the added advantage that the hardening behavior comes out naturally in our model. The present model is composed of a macrocrack with microcracks ahead of it in its crack-plane. These microcracks represent potential fracture sites at internal inhomogeneities, such as brittle precipitates. Dislocations that are emitted from the crack-tip account for plasticity. When the tensile stress along the crack plane attains a critical value rF over a distance fracture is assumed to take place. The brittle-ductile transition curve is obtained by deter- mining the fracture toughness at various temperatures. Factors that contribute to the sharp upturn in fracture toughness with increasing temper- ature are found to be: the increase in dislocations mobility, and the decrease in tensile stress ahead of the macrocrack tip due to increase in blunting, and the slight increase in fracture stress of microcracks due to increase in plasticity at the microcrack. The model not only predicts the sharp increase in fracture toughness near the brittle-ductile transition temper- ature but also predicts the limiting temperature above which valid fracture toughness values cannot be estimated; which should correspond to the ductile regime. The obtained results are in reasonable agreement when compared with the existing exper- imental data.
Evaluating the performance of unmanned ground vehicle water detection

Water detection is a critical perception requirement for unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) autonomous navigation over cross-country terrain. Under the Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliances (RCTA) program, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) developed a set of water detection algorithms that are used to detect, localize, and avoid water bodies large enough to be a hazard to a UGV. The JPL water detection software performs the detection and localization stages using a forward-looking stereo pair of color cameras. The 3D coordinates of water body surface points are then output to a UGV's autonomous mobility system, which is responsible for planning and executing safe paths. There are three primary methods for evaluating the performance of the water detection software. Evaluations can be performed in image space on the intermediate detection product, in map space on the final localized product, or during autonomous navigation to characterize the avoidance of a variety of water bodies. This paper describes a methodology for performing the first two types of water detection performance evaluations.
The Effect of Intercropping Annual Ryegrass with Pinto Beans in Mitigating Iron Deficiency in Calcareous Soils

Dry beans are grown extensively throughout the western Great Plains. The high-pH soils prevalent in this region limit the availability of many micronutrients, especially iron. In 2002 a Goshen County, Wyoming farmer observed that pinto beans intercropped with annual ryegrass did not exhibit iron-deficiency chlorosis and produced higher yields than beans grown without the ryegrass. Field studies were conducted on the same farm in 2006 to determine if a ryegrass intercrop results in increased iron concentration in pinto beans. Treatments included bean–ryegrass intercrop, beans planted in ryegrass residue incorporated in the soil, and beans planted alone. Soil iron concentration increased for all treatments (p<0.10) over the first 76 days of the experiment. There was also significantly more soil organic matter and significantly lower soil pH (p<0.10) in plots with ryegrass compared to beans alone. Iron concentration declined, though not significantly, in bean leaves over the study period with a steep decline...
Cross-Cultural Themes in Developmental Psychology An Examination of Texts, Handbooks, and Reviews

Developmental psychology has been concerned with the role of culture since the beginnings of the discipline, and current views reflect universalistic, context-specific, and cultural practices conceptions of culture. Given the value of cross-cultural research for theories of development, an extensive content analysis of cross-cultural themes and research in selected developmental textbooks, handbooks, and reviews is reported in the present study. Cross-cultural entries have increased across the almost 40 years represented by these books and have shifted from more anthropological presentations to more comparative examinations. Although textbook discussions have lagged behind the professional literature, they have increased substantially in the early 1990s. By including more cross-cultural themes and research in texts, a more complete understanding of development is fostered.
Direct Methane Fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Model with Detailed Reforming Reactions

Both the H2–H2O and CO–CO2 electrochemical reaction processes as well as the detailed reforming reactions are coherently integrated into the multi-physics transport processes in a direct methane fueled SOFC. The model is verified using experimental polarization curves under the temperatures of 600 C, 650 C and 700 C respectively. Simulation results show that the anode reaction processes are slower than the cathode oxygen reduction process in direct methane fueled SOFCs. The CO–CO2 oxidation process plays an important role, which not only directly influences the cell performance but also affects the internal methane reforming process. The results also show that H2O is able to improve the cell performance through intensifying the methane reforming reactions, while CO and CO2 have relatively small effects. Increasing the inlet methane flow rate is able to improve the cell performance and generate more steam. The generated steam in turn enhances the methane reforming process. Published by Elsevier B.V.
CFTR: development of high- affinity antibodies and localization in sweat gland.

Rabbit antisera were raised to six synthetic peptides corresponding to amino acid sequences contained in the protein product of the cystic fibrosis gene, CFTR. For two peptides, [Lys102]CFTR(102–116) and CFTR(1468–1480), antibody-peptide binding was of high affinity in that half-maximal binding occurred at peptide concentrations below 10 nM. Monospecific antibodies were prepared using these peptides, and these antibodies were used to stain human skin. Specific staining was detected in the cells lining the reabsorptive duct of the sweat gland. Within these lumenal cells, staining was most prominent at the apical domain but was also detected near the basolateral surface. This finding agrees well with predictions based on the effects of cystic fibrosis on sweat gland function, and suggests that these antibodies will be useful for studying CFTR in other human tissues.