cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Room‐temperature electrosynthesis of carbonaceous fibers

Carbonaceous fibers are produced by the room temperature electrochemical reduction of CCl 4 . These fibers are structurally and morphologically similar to carbon fibers produced at high temperatures, and are formed spontaneously at an electrode without the need for a template, during cathodic decomposition of CCl 4 in non-aqueous electrolytes
Displacement controlled fatigue crack growth in inelastic notch fields: Implications for short cracks

Abstract Much has been written documenting the crack growth from notches which suggests that LEFM does not consolidate such data in a manner consistent with those of compact tension and other specimens with long cracks. Such crack growth data are reviewed and causes for the observed “short crack” effect are advanced. Situations where the crack is contained within the inelastic field of a notch are explored at length. A postulate is advanced to characterize crack growth for this case in terms of a pseudoplastic stress intensity factor defined in analogy to LEFM as well as a simple approach to deal with local crack closure. The postulate is shown to be consistent with experimental observations. Predictions of the growth of cracks in the inelastic field are made and shown to confirm observed growth rates and trends.
Hand-assisted laparoscopic renal surgery

The introduction of hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) adds another dimension to standard laparoscopy, and particularly benefits the urologic laparoscopist who performs laparoscopic renal procedures. Hand assistance shortens the initial learning curve for laparoscopic nephrectomy and creates alternatives for more experienced laparoscopists. HALS can be performed on any kidney suitable for intact removal, and is well suited to laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, radical nephroureterectomy, and radical nephrectomy with intact removal. The authors' technique, early experience, and indications for hand assistance are described in detail.
Chemokine and Chemokine Receptor Expression in Kidney Tumors: Molecular Profiling of Histological Subtypes and Association With Metastasis

Purpose: Molecular characterization of renal cell carcinoma may help differentiate benign oncocytoma from malignant renal cell carcinoma subtypes and predict metastasis. Chemokines, eg IL-8 and chemokine receptors such as CXCR4 and 7, promote inflammation and metastasis. SDF-1 is a CXCR4 and 7 ligand with 6 known isoforms. We evaluated the expression of these chemokines and chemokine receptors in kidney specimens.Materials and Methods: Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction we measured mRNA levels of IL-8, CXCR4 and 7, and SDF1 isoforms α, β and γ in a total of 166 specimens from 86 patients, including 86 tumor samples and 80 matched normal kidney samples. Mean ± SD followup was 18.9 ± 12 months (median 19.5). Renal cell carcinoma specimens included the clear cell, papillary and chromophobe subtype in 65, 10 and 5 cases, respectively, and oncocytoma in 6. A total of 17 cases were positive for metastasis.Results: Median CXCR4 and 7, and SFD1-γ levels were increased twofold to tenfold. SDF1-α and β we...
Diverse phosphorylation patterns of B cell receptor-associated signaling in naïve and memory human B cells revealed by phosphoflow, a powerful technique to study signaling at the single cell level

Following interaction with cognate antigens, B cells undergo cell activation, proliferation and differentiation. Ligation of the B cell receptor (BCR) leads to the phosphorylation of BCR-associated signaling proteins within minutes of antigen binding, a process with profound consequences for the fate of the cells and development of effector immunity. Phosphoflow allows a rapid evaluation of various signaling pathways in complex heterogenous cell subsets. This novel technique was used in combination with multi-chromatic flow cytometry and fluorescent-cell barcoding to study phosphorylation of BCR-associated signaling pathways in naive and memory human B cell subsets. Proteins of the initiation (Syk), propagation (Btk, Akt) and integration (p38MAPK and Erk1/2) signaling units were studied. Switched memory (Sm) CD27+ and Sm CD27- phosphorylation patterns were similar when stimulated with anti-IgA or -IgG. In contrast, naive and unswitched memory (Um) cells showed significant differences following IgM stimulation. Enhanced phosphorylation of Syk was observed in Um cells, suggesting a lower activation threshold. This is likely the result of higher amounts of IgM on the cell surface, higher pan-Syk levels and enhanced susceptibility to phosphatase inhibition. All other signaling proteins evaluated also showed some degree of enhanced phosphorylation in Um cells. Furthermore, both the PLC-γ2 and PI3K pathways were activated in Um cells, while only the PI3K pathway was activated on naive cells. Um cells were the only ones that activated signaling pathways when stimulated with fluorescently-labeled S. Typhi and S. pneumoniae. Finally, simultaneous evaluation of signaling proteins at the single cell level (multi-phosphorylated cells) revealed that interaction with gram positive and negative bacteria resulted in complex and diverse signaling patterns. Phosphoflow holds great potential to accelerate vaccine development by identifying signaling profiles in good/poor responders.
Fusion utility in the Knudsen layer

In inertial confinement fusion, the loss of fast ions from the edge of the fusing hot-spot region reduces the reactivity below its Maxwellian value. The loss of fast ions may be pronounced because of the long mean free paths of fast ions, compared with those of thermal ions. We introduce a fusion utility function to demonstrate essential features of this Knudsen layer effect, in both magnetized and unmagnetized cases. The fusion utility concept is also used to evaluate the restoring reactivity in the Knudsen layer by manipulating fast ions in phase space using waves.
The Relationship of Stability Performance and the Physical Growth Characteristics of Preschool Children

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between physical growth and the performance of 3- and 4-year-old children (n = 42) on two stability or balance tests: the elevated beam and the stabilometer. The major hypothesis was that standard anthropometric indicators of physical growth would be good predictors of children's stability performance. The anthropometric dimensions included body size, body composition and somatotype. The relationship of age/sex to stability also was examined. Stepwise multiple regression procedures were used to select the best predictors of stability performance. Seven physical growth measurements accounted for 55% of performance variation on the elevated beam test (p < .05). In contrast, five physical growth measurements accounted for only 28% of performance variation on the stabilometer test. In each analysis, age and sex were of little importance after physical growth was taken into account. Conclusions were that physical growth characteristics are an integral part of t...
Detection of Modulated Tones in Modulated Noise by Non-human Primates

In natural environments, many sounds are amplitude-modulated. Amplitude modulation is thought to be a signal that aids auditory object formation. A previous study of the detection of signals in noise found that when tones or noise were amplitude-modulated, the noise was a less effective masker, and detection thresholds for tones in noise were lowered. These results suggest that the detection of modulated signals in modulated noise would be enhanced. This paper describes the results of experiments investigating how detection is modified when both signal and noise were amplitude-modulated. Two monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained to detect amplitude-modulated tones in continuous, amplitude-modulated broadband noise. When the phase difference of otherwise similarly amplitude-modulated tones and noise were varied, detection thresholds were highest when the modulations were in phase and lowest when the modulations were anti-phase. When the depth of the modulation of tones or noise was varied, detection thresholds decreased if the modulations were anti-phase. When the modulations were in phase, increasing the depth of tone modulation caused an increase in tone detection thresholds, but increasing depth of noise modulations did not affect tone detection thresholds. Changing the modulation frequency of tone or noise caused changes in threshold that saturated at modulation frequencies higher than 20 Hz; thresholds decreased when the tone and noise modulations were in phase and decreased when they were anti-phase. The relationship between reaction times and tone level were not modified by manipulations to the nature of temporal variations in the signal or noise. The changes in behavioral threshold were consistent with a model where the brain subtracted noise from signal. These results suggest that the parameters of the modulation of signals and maskers heavily influence detection in very predictable ways. These results are consistent with some results in humans and avians and form the baseline for neurophysiological studies of mechanisms of detection in noise.
Education and Research at UC Berkeley's School of Information

The School of Information at UC Berkeley (also known as the iSchool) is an interdisciplinary program, and the newest professional program on the UC Berkeley campus. The program has 12 ladder faculty members, some of whom are shared with other departments on campus, and several prominent adjunct faculty. The educational component consists of a professional masters degree and a PhD degree. The masters degree is a 2 year, full-time program. Each class of masters students consists of about 40 students.
Covariant soliton dynamics: Tensor decomposition of vector meson wavefunctions

Abstract We extend our covariant description of hadron states to include a complete tensor decomposition of the wavefunctions of vector mesons. This work generalizes previous results which were limited to a description of s -wave amplitudes only.
Engineers and Management: The Challenge of the Challenger Incident

The Challenger incident was a result of at least four kinds of difficulties: differing perceptions and priorities of the engineers and management at Thiokol and at NASA, a preoccupation with roles and role responsibilities on the part of engineers and managers, contrasting corporate cultures at Thiokol and its parent, Morton, and a failure both by engineers and by managers to exercise individual moral responsibility. I shall argue that in the Challenger case organizational structure, corporate culture, engineering and managerial habits, and role responsibilites precipitated events contributing to the Challenger disaster. At the same time, a number of individuals at Morton Thiokol and NASA were responsible for the launch failure. Differing world views, conflicting priorities of the engineers and managers on this project, and the failure of either engineers or management to take personal moral responsibility for decision-making contributed significantly to the event.
Cardiovascular monkey telemetry: sensitivity to detect QT interval prolongation.

Abstract Introduction: Preclinical evaluation of delayed ventricular repolarization manifests electrocardiographically as QT interval prolongation and is routinely used as an indicator of potential risk for pro-arrhythmia (potential to cause Torsades de Pointes) of novel human pharmaceuticals. In accordance with ICH S7A and S7B guidelines we evaluated the sensitivity and validity of the monkey telemetry model as a preclinical predictor of QT interval prolongation in humans. Methods: Cardiovascular monitoring was conducted for 2 h pre-dose and 24 h post-dosing with Moxifloxacin (MOX), with a toxicokinetic (TK) evaluation in a separate group of monkeys. In both studies, MOX was administered orally by gavage in 0.5% methylcellulose at 0, 10, 30, 100, 175 mg/kg. Each monkey received all 5 doses using a dose-escalation paradigm. Inherent variability of the model was assessed with administration of vehicle alone for 4 days in all 4 monkeys (0.5% methylcellulose in deionized water). Results: MOX had no significant effect on mean arterial pressure, heart rate, PR or QRS intervals. MOX produced significant dose-related increases in QTc at doses of 30 (Cmax = 5.5 ± 0.6 μM), 100 (Cmax = 16.5 ± 1.6 μM), and 175 (Cmax = 17.3 ± 0.7 μM) mg/kg with peak increases of 22 (8%), 27 (10%), and 47 (18%) ms, respectively (p ≤ 0.05; compared to vehicle). Discussion: In conclusion, we have developed a reproducible, sensitive and reliable primate telemetry model in rhesus monkeys, which exhibits low inherent intra-animal variability and high sensitivity to detect small but significant increases in QT/QTc interval (∼ 4%) with MOX in the same range of therapeutic plasma concentrations attained in humans. Therefore, the primate telemetry model should be considered an important preclinical predictor of QT prolongation of novel human pharmaceuticals.
Acculturation process of Colombian immigrants into the American culture in Bergen County, New Jersey

Abstract This research was conducted to analyze the acculturation process of Colombian immigrants in the Hackensack area of Bergen County, New Jersey. The instrument used to measure acculturation was a questionnaire developed by Szapocznik et al. (1978). The subjects were 218 Colombian immigrants placed in age categories from 13 to 68 years, and 70 native American high school students, as the reference group. The study addressed three questions: (1) Is there any relationship between acculturation of the immigrants and the length of time they reside m the new culture? (2) Does age affect the process of acculturation? (3) Is sex a factor in the process of acculturation? The results of the study showed that (1) acculturation appeared to progress as a function of the length of time Colombian immigrants resided in the host culture (2) the degree of acculturation appeared to be a function of the age of the Colombian immigrants, and (3) generally, males appeared to acculturate more than females. Young males appeared to acculturate more than young females on the behavioral scale. However, in the value scale, young Colombian females appeared to move more readily toward the American reference groups than did young Colombian mates.
Stage III breast cancer: is neoadjuvant chemotherapy always necessary?

Optimal management of locally advanced breast cancer is controversial. Claims of superiority for neoadjuvant systemic therapy are based on comparisons with outdated historical control groups who received no chemotherapy. Between 1978 and 1987, 118 patients with locally advanced breast cancer underwent treatment and follow-up at the Medical College of Virginia. Median follow-up was 44 months (range 3-1 19 months). Actuarial 5-year survival for the entire group was 54%. This compares favorably with recent series using neoadjuvant chemotherapy in which 5-year survival rates of 40-65% have been reported. Primary tumor size larger than 9 cm, metastases to more than 50% of regional lymph nodes, and the presence of inflammatory disease were significant prognostic indicators. This series represents a contemporary control group of patients with locally advanced breast cancer in whom conventionally accepted guidelines for local and postoperative systemic adjuvant therapy were used. Until the optimal sequence of therapy is determined by prospective randomized trials, series such as this may serve as more appropriate controls to which the results of new therapies could be compared. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A model of optimal legal restrictions and open market operations

Abstract This paper considers an asset model that generates a monetary equilibrium in which capital, government bonds, and fiat money are held as perfect substitutes. Due to a congestion effect, output per producer is a decreasing function of the aggregate capital stock, and this effect makes a legal restriction on capital accumulation welfare enhancing. The restriction considered is that the money to capital ratio must be at some level greater than that level existing in a monetary equilibrium. In this context an open market purchase of bonds will decrease the nominal interest rate, and inflation, but may increase or decrease the real interest rate. I also show that the optimal policy response to an exogenous increase in total factor productivity is for the monetary authority to undertake an open market purchase. The two changes together result in a decrease in inflation and the nominal interest rate, and an increase in the real interest rate.
Subunit Interactions in the Na,K-ATPase Explored with the Yeast Two-hybrid System

Subunit interactions of the alpha1- and beta1-subunits of the chicken Na,K-ATPase were explored with the yeast two-hybrid system. Gal4-fusion proteins containing domains of the alpha1- and beta1-subunits were designed for examining both intersubunit and intrasubunit protein-protein interactions. Regions of the alpha- and beta-subunits known to be involved in alpha-beta-subunit assembly were positive in two-hybrid assay, supporting the validity of the assays. A library of beta-subunit ectodomains with C-terminal truncations was screened to find the maximal truncation retaining an interaction with the alpha-subunit extracellular H7H8 loop (where H7 refers to the seventh membrane span, and so on). The maximal truncation removed all the cysteines involved in disulfide bridges, leaving only 63 amino acids of the beta-subunit ectodomain. Scanning alanine mutagenesis led to identification of an evolutionarily conserved sequence of four amino acids (SYGQ) in the extracellular H7H8 loop of the alpha-subunit that is crucial to alpha-beta-intersubunit interactions. Oligomerization studies with single domains failed to detect self-association of either of the two large cytosolic loops (H2H3 and H4H5) within the alpha-subunit. However, evidence was found for an interaction between these two cytoplasmic loops.
A program for the underprivileged and overprivileged in the Boston community

In response to the needs of the Boston Community, a new direction has been taken in the Lowell School, a school under the auspices of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which will offer education to the community for no more than the cost of two bushels of wheat. The program focuses mainly on the needs of two sectors of our community.
Defensiveness in psychiatric elderly persons: fact or fiction.

It is popularly believed that as one ages defensiveness increases and becomes a stable aging trait. 44 psychiatric inpatients were divided into younger and older groups. Standard measures of defensiveness from psychological tests were used; Q and K scales of the MMPI, and the F% of the Rorschach. Intelligence was controlled. Results indicate that there are no differences between the younger and older groups. Among psychiatric elderly inpatients defensiveness does not appear characteristic. Implications are discussed.
A framework for robot control with active vision using a neural network based spatial representation

Robots that use an active camera system for visual feedback can achieve greater flexibility, including the ability to operate in a dynamically changing environment. Incorporating active vision into a robot control loop involves some inherent difficulties, including calibration, and the need for redefining the goal as the camera configuration changes. In this paper, we propose a novel self-organizing neural network (SOIM) that learns a calibration-free spatial representation of 3D point targets in a manner that is invariant to changing camera configurations. This representation is used to develop a new framework for robot control with active vision. The salient feature of this framework is that it decouples active camera control from robot control. The feasibility of this approach is explored with the help of computer simulations and experiments with the University of Illinois Active Vision System (UIAVS).
Using Views to Specify a Synchronization Aspect for Object-Oriented Languages

It is widely held that programming language extensions that support separation of concerns and that are also integrative benefit development, maintenance and reuse of software designs and code. Such is the intent of our Synchronization Units Model (Szumo), which unifies new features for expressing synchronization in a multi-threaded program with existing features of an object-oriented language. However, to make effective use of a language extension, a programmer needs an accurate mental model of how new concepts affect and are affected by existing concepts. Moreover, good separation dictates that interactions between these concepts should be understandable at the level of the new concepts. This suggests that the semantics of Szumo should be specifiable as a self-contained partial specification, called a view, and the semantics of its integration with other language features should be specifiable by view composition. To our knowledge, however, view-based approaches have not been applied in specifying the semantics of language extensions. Moreover, devising separable views that serve to simplify comprehensibility of a complex specification is still more of an art than a science. This paper presents a case study in the use of views in structuring a Z specification of Szumo.
Physical Attractiveness and Self-Esteem Attributions for Praise from an Other-Sex Evaluator

Prior research has found that although physically attractive people are consistently viewed and treated more favorably than those who are less attractive, there is a surprisingly weak relationship between physical attractiveness and self-esteem. An attributional explanation for this relationship was tested in the present study. Males and females who were either high or low in self-rated attractiveness wrote an essay on which they received praise from a fictitious other-sex evaluator who had presumably either seen or not seen them prior to giving the praise. As predicted, high attractive individuals discounted the praise when they had been seen by the evaluator, attributing it less to the quality of their work or writing style than when they had not been seen by the evaluator. In contrast, low attractive individuals were more likely to attribute praise to work-related factors when they had been seen than when they had not been seen by the evaluator.
A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study To Evaluate the Role of Salmeterol in the In-Hospital Management of Asthma

Study objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of salmeterol xinafoate as an adjunct to conventional therapy for the in-hospital management of acute asthma. Design: A prospective, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Medical wards of a large university-based hospital. Patients: Forty-three patients admitted for an acute exacerbation of asthma. Interventions: Salmeterol (42 mg) or two puffs of placebo every 12 h in addition to standard therapy (short-acting b-agonists, corticosteroids, and anticholinergic agents). Results: No clinically adverse effects were seen with the addition of salmeterol to conventional therapy. After salmeterol, there was no difference in pulse, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, severity of symptoms, or dyspnea score. Patients receiving salmeterol had greater FEV1 percent improvements than the placebo group at 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. These findings were not statistically significant. By paired Student’s t tests, there were significant improvements in FEV1 (p 5 0.03) and FVC (p 5 0.03) in the salmeterol group after 48 h of treatment with no comparable improvement in the placebo group. In a subgroup analysis of patients with an initial FEV1 < 1.5 L, the absolute FEV1 percent improvement for salmeterol vs placebo was 51% vs 16% at 24 h and 54% vs 40% at 48 h. The relative FEV1 percent improvement for salmeterol vs placebo was 17% vs 8% at 24 h and 18% vs 14% at 48 h. Conclusion: The addition of salmeterol to conventional therapy is safe and may benefit hospitalized patients with asthma. Further studies are needed to clarify its role in the treatment of acute exacerbation of asthma. (CHEST 2000; 118:313‐320)
Experience with an adult alcohol withdrawal syndrome practice guideline in internal medicine patients.

Study Objective. To standardize treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in internal medicine patients using an adult AWS practice guideline with a symptom-triggered management approach. Design. Prospective interventional (pilot group) and retrospective (control group). Setting. University teaching hospital. Patients. Thirty-two internal medicine patients identified as being at risk for AWS and treated according to the AWS practice guideline who were compared with 49 internal medicine patients managed with nonstandardized approaches. Intervention. Patients in the pilot group were assessed using the AWS type indicator. They received lorazepam, clonidine, or haloperidol, based on AWS type indicator assessment and adult AWS practice guideline criteria. Measurements and Main Results. Data collected and analyzed were drugs administered to control AWS symptoms, use of sitters and physical restraints, length of hospital stay, and discharge from hospital receiving tapered drug therapy. Pilot patients received 46.6% less benzodiazepine (p=0.001), 20% more clonidine (p=0.01), and 18.2% more haloperidol (p=0.002) than control patients. No drug therapy was required in 19% of pilot patients compared with 2% of controls (p=0.01). Significantly more control (71.4%) than pilot patients (18.8%) were discharged with tapered benzodiazepine therapy (p≤0.01). No significant differences were found between groups for sitters, restraints, or hospital length of stay. Conclusion. This pilot project suggests that internal medicine patients at risk for AWS can be managed with a standardized, symptom-triggered approach using decreased amounts of benzodiazepine in combination with adjunctive agents to treat adrenergic hyperactivity and delirium. Further data are necessary to determine the impact of the practice guideline on patient outcome measurements.
Organic Memory Device Fabricated Through Solution Processing

Novel organic memory devices including nonvolatile and write-once-read-many-times memory devices are reported. These devices were fabricated through a simple solution processing technique. Programmable electrical bistability was observed on a device made from a polymer film containing metal nanoparticles capped with saturated alkanethiol and small conjugated organic compounds sandwiched between two metal electrodes. The pristine device, which was in a low-conductivity state, exhibited an abrupt increase of current when the device was scanned up to a few volts. The high-conductivity state can be returned to the low-conductivity state by applying a certain voltage in the reverse direction. The device has a good stability in both states, and the transition from the low- to the high-conductivity state takes place in nanoseconds, so that the device can be used as a low-cost, high-density, high-speed, and nonvolatile memory. The electronic transition is attributed to the electric-field-induced charge transfer between the metal nanoparticles and small conjugated organic molecule. The electrical behavior of the device is strongly dependent on the materials in the polymer film. When gold nanoparticles capped with aromatic thiol were used, the device exhibited a transition from low- to high-conductivity state at the first voltage scan, and the device in the high-conductivity state cannot be returned to the low-conductivity state. This device can be used as a write-once-read-many-times memory device.
Black Africans in World War II: The Soldiers’ Stories

This article discusses the often forgotten contributions of black African infantry to the French and British war efforts from Europe to Asia during the Second World War. It traces the relationship between black African soldiers and their imperial rulers as it evolved over the course of two global conflicts from 1914 to 1945. The article points out how racist preconceptions about the “inferior” abilities and intelligence of Africans paralleled white Americans’ prejudices against African-Americans and how the British and French attempted to systematically omit, diminish, or discredit the achievements of African soldiers.
Real-Channel Aspects of an Error-Free Data Transmission System for Toll-Grade Telephone Circuits

A feedback communications system has been designed, constructed and tested for data transmission over toll-grade telephone circuits. The coding technique employed promises an ultra-low data error rate capability; however, it is shown that such reliability can only be assured when considerable attention is also given to the problems associated with bit and block synchronization. This paper describes the decisions which have been made in the design of the system in terms of telephone circuit characteristics. These characteristics were drawn from many thousands of hours of actual on-line testing. The effects of impulse and random noise are outlined, the hazards of long-term circuit dropouts are detailed and some solutions to these problems presented. Test results of a preliminary error-detection system and a discussion of the techniques used in the prototype feedback system conclude the paper.
On lateral viscosity contrast in the mantle and the rheology of low-frequency geodynamics

Mantle-wide heterogeneity is largely controlled by deeply penetrating thermal convective currents. These thermal currents are likely to produce significant lateral variation in rheology, and this can profoundly influence overall material behaviour. How thermally related lateral viscosity variations impact models of glacio-isostatic and tidal deformation is largely unknown. An important step towards model improvement is to quantify, or bound, the actual viscosity variations that characterize the mantle. Simple scaling of viscosity to shear-wave velocity fluctuations yields map-views of long- wavelength viscosity variation. These give a general quantitative description and aid in estimating the depth dependence of rheological heterogeneity throughout the mantle. The upper mantle is probably characterized by two to four orders of magnitude variation (peak-to-peak). Discrepant time-scales for rebounding Holocene shorelines of Hudson Bay and southern Iceland are consistent with this characterization. Results are given in terms of a local average viscosity ratio, (Delta)eta(bar)(sub i), of volumetric concentration, phi(sub i). For the upper mantle deeper than 340 km the following reasonable limits are estimated for (delta)eta(bar) approx. equal 10(exp -2): 0.01 less than or equal to phi less than or equal to 0.15. A spectrum of ratios (Delta)eta(bar)(sub i) less than 0.1 at concentration level eta(sub i) approx. equal 10(exp -6) - 10(exp -1) in the lower mantle implies a spectrum of shorter time-scale deformational response modes for second-degree spherical harmonic deformations of the Earth. Although highly uncertain, this spectrum of spatial variation allows a purely Maxwellian viscoelastic rheology simultaneously to explain all solid tidal dispersion phenomena and long-term rebound-related mantle viscosity. Composite theory of multiphase viscoelastic media is used to demonstrate this effect.
The nucleic acids of T2, T4, and T6 bacteriophages.

The deoxyribonucleic acids of the wild type strains of the T2, T4, and T6 bacteriophages have been shown to contain glucose as an integral part of the molecule; the amount of hexose present in each nucleic acid differs. A study of the acid degradation products of the three nucleic acids has revealed that in each instance glucose is linked to the apurinic acid component. In the case of the T6 nucleic acid it was found that two molecules of glucose are linked to hydroxymethylcytidylic acid. The other mononucleotides contained no glucose. From the results which have been presented here, and from data presented by others, it can be concluded that the three viral nucleic acids differ in that they contain different proportions of free and glucose-substituted hydroxymethylcytidylic acids.
A timing-driven global router for custom chip design

A timing-driven global router is presented for custom chip design, whose objective is maximizing the minimum delay slack. Resistances and capacitances of interconnections, input gate capacitances and output driver resistance are used to approximate the interconnection delays during the routing. The router incrementally updates the delay at each sink pin of the signal obtained from the previous step during the routing. The maximum allowable delay at each sink pin (from a timing analyzer) along with the computed interconnection delays is used to guide the search process for the maximum-delay-slack route. It is shown that when the interconnection resistance is comparable to the output-driver resistance, minimizing the total net length is not always equivalent to minimizing the delay for a multiterminal net. The algorithm presented is experimentally shown to produce global routes achieving the objective. >
Publish-subscribe for high-performance computing

High-performance computing could significantly benefit from publish-subscribe communication, but current systems don't deliver the kind of performance required by applications in that domain. In response, the authors developed Echo, a high-performance event-delivery middleware designed to scale to the data rates typically found in grid environments. This article provides an overview of Echo, the infrastructure on which it's built, and the techniques used to implement it.
Characterization of Dystrophin and Utrophin Diversity in the Mouse

Utrophin is a 400 kDa autosomal homolog of dystrophin and a component of the submembranous cytoskeleton. While multiple dystrophin isoforms have been identified along with alternatively spliced products, to date only two different mRNA species of utrophin have been identified. To determine the degree of evolutionary conservation between dystrophin and utrophin isoforms, we have compared their expression patterns in adult mice. Northern blot analysis of multiple adult tissues confirmed that only two major sizes of transcripts are produced from each gene: 13 and 5.5 kb from utrophin and 14 and 4.8 kb from dystrophin. However, western blot analysis detected several putative short utrophin isoforms that may be homologs of the dystrophin isoforms Dp140, Dp116 and Dp71. We also identified an alternatively spliced utrophin transcript that lacks the equivalent of the alternatively spliced dystrophin exon 71. Finally, we demonstrated that the C-terminal domain of utrophin targeted to neuromuscular junctions in normal mice, but localized to the sarcolemma efficiently only in the absence of dystrophin. Our results provide further evidence for a common evolutionary origin of the utrophin and dystrophin genes.
Vitamin E Supplementation in Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer Prevention: Part 1

OBJECTIVETo review clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of vitamin E supplementation in cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention.DATA SOURCESUsing the MeSH search terms alpha-tocopherol, tocopherols, vitamin E, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, malignancy, and clinical trials, a literature review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles in MEDLINE (1966–July 2005).STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONPublished materials including original research, and previous meta-analyses were included. Only English-language articles and trials on vitamin E alone or in combination with other vitamins or minerals were reviewed. Emphasis was placed on prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.DATA SYNTHESISEight clinical studies demonstrated contradicting results regarding the benefits of vitamin E in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. There is enough evidence from large, well-designed studies to discourage the use of vitamin E in the primary preven...
Forest calcium depletion and biotic retention along a soil nitrogen gradient.

High nitrogen (N) accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems can shift patterns of nutrient limitation and deficiency beyond N toward other nutrients, most notably phosphorus (P) and base cations (calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K)). We examined how naturally high N accumulation from a legacy of symbiotic N fixation shaped P and base cation cycling across a gradient of nine temperate conifer forests in the Oregon Coast Range. We were particularly interested in whether long-term legacies of symbiotic N fixation promoted coupled N and organic P accumulation in soils, and whether biotic demands by non-fixing vegetation could conserve ecosystem base cations as N accumulated. Total soil N (0-100 cm) pools increased nearly threefold across the N gradient, leading to increased nitrate leaching, declines in soil pH from 5.8 to 4.2, 10-fold declines in soil exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K, and increased mobilization of aluminum. These results suggest that long-term N enrichment had acidified soils and depleted much of the readily weatherable base cation pool. Soil organic P increased with both soil N and C across the gradient, but soil inorganic P, biomass P, and P leaching loss did not vary with N, implying that historic symbiotic N fixation promoted soil organic P accumulation and P sufficiency for non-fixers. Even though soil pools of Ca, Mg, and K all declined as soil N increased, only Ca declined in biomass pools, suggesting the emergence of Ca deficiency at high N. Biotic conservation and tight recycling of Ca increased in response to whole-ecosystem Ca depletion, as indicated by preferential accumulation of Ca in biomass and surface soil. Our findings support a hierarchical model of coupled N-Ca cycling under long-term soil N enrichment, whereby ecosystem-level N saturation and nitrate leaching deplete readily available soil Ca, stimulating biotic Ca conservation as overall supply diminishes. We conclude that a legacy of biological N fixation can increase N and P accumulation in soil organic matter to the point that neither nutrient is limiting to subsequent non-fixers, while also resulting in natural N saturation that intensifies base cation depletion and deficiency.
Food exemplar salience. What foods do people think of when you tell them to change their diet

Understanding which specific foods easily come to mind when individuals consider categories of dietary behavior may help explain observed patterns of dietary intake. We examined which specific behavioral exemplars are most easily retrieved from memory when individuals consider broad dietary categories. Participants reported specific foods that come to mind when considering high fat foods, low fat foods, and fruits/vegetables. Salient foods differed from those suggested in dietary guidelines, were distinct from those known to be major diet components, and showed a non-trivial number of incorrect responses. These findings have implications for understanding how individuals respond to dietary guidelines and devising effective intervention strategies.
Plastic Bending of a Work-Hardening Circular Plate With Clamped Edge

The plastic bending of a rigid, work-hardening circular plate with clamped edge and under distributed transverse load is studied in this paper. The plate material is assumed to follow the yield condition of von Mises and to harden isotropically. The incremental stress-strain law is used. The possibility of partial unloading of the plate material during the loading cycle is investigated. The problem is represented as two sets of two simultaneous differential equations corresponding to the loading and unloading portions of the plate material. They are solved by the NCR 304 Digital Computer.
Relationship of avian retrovirus DNA synthesis to integration in vitro.

Abstract An in vitro integration system derived from avian leukosis virus-infected cells supports both intra- and intermolecular integration of the viral DNA. In the absence of polyethylene glycol, intramolecular integration of viral DNA molecules into themselves (autointegration) was preferred. In the presence of polyethylene glycol, integration into an exogenously supplied DNA target was greatly promoted. Analysis of integration intermediates revealed that the strand transfer mechanisms of both reactions were identical to those of retroviruses and some transposons: each 3' end of the donor molecule is joined to a 5' end of the cleaved target DNA. The immediate integration precursor appears to be linear viral DNA with the 3' ends shortened by 2 nucleotides. Finally, in the avian system, most cytoplasmic viral DNA appears to be incomplete and further DNA synthesis is required for integration in vitro.
New findings challenge beliefs about solar‐terrestrial physics

Solar flares are intense, short-lived brightenings that occur near sunspots on the Sun's surface. Large geomagnetic storms, intense auroral displays, large energetic particle events in interplanetary space, and major shock wave disturbances in the solar wind often occur in close association with large solar flares. Over the years, the common association of these events in near-Earth space with solar flares led to a paradigm of cause and effect in which large solar flares came to be understood as the fundamental cause of these disturbances. Certain aspects of this paradigm were developed in the early 1930s [e.g., Hale, 1931], and by the early 1960s it had become part of the underlying dogma central to the discipline of solar-terrestrial physics. This paradigm still dominates the popular perception of the relationship between solar activity and interplanetary and geomagnetic events and continues to provide much of the pragmatic rationale for the study of the solar flare phenomenon.
Gender and Politics over Time

What can be learned from the broad sweep of history about gender and politics? Are there ways to study gender politics from a more historical perspective that differ from the methods and approaches typically taken by scholars focused on the contemporary political record? Finally, does attentiveness to gender politics over time challenge any of our basic understandings or presumptions about gender politics today, and does it lead us to new questions and research agendas? I begin by exploring the contribution that scholarship within the field of American political development (APD) can make to the study of gender politics over time. The essay then turns to conceptualizing gender, a concept that is defined in a wide variety of ways across the humanities and social sciences. The third section applies some of the conceptual approaches described in the first two parts of this essay to an analysis of three cases in American political history. Finally, I conclude with a call for the inclusion of gender more broadly in the study of politics.
Carbon dioxide sealing capacity: Textural or compositional controls? A case study from the Oklahoma Panhandle*

One of the challenges confronting carbon dioxide capture and sequestration (CCS) in geologic media over extended periods of time is determining the caprock sealing capacity. If the pressure of supercritical carbon dioxide injected in the repository overcomes the caprock sealing capacity, leaking of may enter other porous formations, compromising the storage formation, or even may go back to the atmosphere, and thus the process of sequestration becomes futile. Carbon dioxide sealing capacity is controlled by two groups of parameters: (1) texture (e.g., the pore-throat size, distribution, geometry, and sorting; median grain size, porosity, degree of bioturbation, specific surface area, preferred orientation of matrix clay minerals, orientation, and aspect of ratio of organic particles) and (2) composition (mineralogical content, proportion of soft, deformable mineral grains to rigid grains, organic matter content, carbonate content, silt content, cementation, ductility, compaction, and ash content). The primary goal of this study was to investigate several parameters listed above and to estimate their respective contributions to sealing capacity to better understand its role in shale and carbonates. To assess the effect of textural and compositional properties on maximum retention column height, we collected 30 representative core samples from caprock formations in three counties (Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver) in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The study area was chosen because it hosts three depleted gas fields with a storage capacity of more than 35 million bbl and is situated at a crossroad leading to some significant stationary sources from North Texas, South Kansas, and northern Oklahoma. We used mercury injection porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Sedigraph energy dispersive spectra (EDS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller-specific surface area, and total organic carbon (TOC) measurements to assess textural and compositional properties of collected samples. The range of column height for the samples used in this study is between 0.2 and 1358 m (0.66 and 4455 ft). The average column height is 351 m (1152 ft). The depth interval approximately 1400 m (4593 ft) could reach relatively high values of column height, up to 1200 m (3937 ft). The above-mentioned interval is composed of mainly Cherokee and Morrowan Formations (shale seals). Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to infer the possible relationships between textural and compositional parameters. Generally, composition of our samples (shales vs. carbonates and sandstones) indicates a relatively stronger control on caprock sealing capacity, although individual mineral makeup of shale samples seems not correlated with retention column heights. In the same time, many textural parameters play a significant role in determining the sealing capacity of carbonate caprocks.
Plant Genotype Influences Mycorrhiza Benefits and Susceptibility to a Soil Pathogen

Abstract This study examines the role mycorrhizae may play in protecting host plants from a soil fungal pathogen. Asexual propagules of three Allium vineale genotypes were grown in the presence and absence of mycorrhizae and the pathogen, Sclerotium cepivorum (white rot), with some plants encountering the mycorrhizal fungi first and others encountering the pathogen first. A significant three-way interaction indicates plant genotypes vary in response to the combined effects of mycorrhizae and the pathogen, with the A. vineale genotype most resistant to the pathogen deriving the least growth benefit from mycorrhizae and the genotype most susceptible to the pathogen receiving the highest relative growth benefit from mycorrhizae, despite there being no difference in the level of mycorrhizal colonization among the plant genotypes. No evidence was found that the presence of mycorrhizae reduced the impact of the pathogen for the most susceptible plant genotype (B). These findings support the hypothesis the prima...
The Blood from Abel to Zechariah in the History of Interpretation

The saying in the Gospels about the blood ‘from Abel to Zechariah’ has generated a number of theories regarding the identity of Zechariah and why Jesus specifically mentions these two victims. While a prominent interpretation today regards the names as pointing to the bookends of the Hebrew Bible, the Greek and Latin Fathers had their own peculiar ways of solving the exegetical puzzles connected to the saying. It seems that the invention of the printing press, and the stable sequence of books it created, exerted an influence on the development of the popular modern view.