cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The potential utility of postnatal skeletal developmental patterns in squamate phylogenetics

Postnatal patterns of skeletal development, includingthe sequence of appearance of ossification centres and the distributionof sesamoids, appear to be highly conserved species-level phenomenain squamates. As such, they are a potential source of charactersfor phylogenetic inquiry. These patterns, from 21 species representing14 crown squamate clades, form the basis for two analyses. In thefirst, the sequence of postnatal skeletal events is coded as charactersusing the sequence unit approach. This analysis reveals that thesequence of postnatal skeletal events might be useful for determiningrelationships at or above the level of crown clades, but not amongthem. The second analysis utilizes discrete data from postnatalskeletal development, such as the presence/absence of sesamoidsand the number of secondary centres in epiphyseal cartilages. Thesediscrete data appear capable of recovering the deeper divergenceswithin Squamata, but evolve too slowly to be informative at thelevel of crown clades. Thus, patterns of postnatal skeletal developmenthave the potential to help illuminate relationships throughout thesquamate tree. Further progress in this area will require the examinationof additional squamate species, the exploration of alternative codingschemes for developmental sequences, and comparable postnatal datafor Sphenodon. © 2002 The Linnean Societyof London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 136,277−313.
CHOLESTEROL ESTER FORMATION IN AORTAS OF CHOLESTEROL-FED RABBITS

Summary Intravenous injection of [ 14 C]acetate into cholesterol-fed rabbits from which liver, intestine and kidneys had been removed resulted in a rapid incorporation of 14 C into aortic cholesterol ester fatty acids whereas little or no 14 C was incorporated into the non-saponifiable fraction. Most of the label was found in saturated fatty acids and in monoenes. Incubation of aortic strips in serum labeled with [ 14 C]palmitate and [ 3 H] cholesterol resulted in a much more rapid incorporation of [ 14 C]palmitate than of [ 3 H]cholesterol into the aortic cholesterol ester fraction. A similar result was obtained after injection of [ 14 C]palmitate and [ 14 C]cholesterol into a cholesterol-fed animal. The hypothesis that in cholesterol-fed rabbits serum fatty acids penetrate more rapidly than serum cholesterol to the sites of esterification in the arterial wall is discussed.
Transgenic expression of human MGMT protects against azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci and G to A mutations in the K-ras oncogene of mouse colon.

Transgenic mice over-expressing MGMT, which codes for the human protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase, are protected from methylating agent-induced thymic lymphomas. In this study we evaluated the ability of transgenic overexpression of MGMT in the colon to protect mice from the development of azoxymethane(AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and mutations in K-ras. Colonic alkyltransferase in MGMT+ transgenic mice was > 5-fold higher than in nontransgenics: 10.5 +/- 1.1 vs 2.2 +/- 1.1 fmol/micrograms DNA, P = < 0.0001. Mice received 20 mg AOM/kg i.p. at 6 weeks or 15 mg AOM/kg at 6 and 7 weeks of age, and 8 wks later colons were examined for ACF. A significant protective effect of MGMT was seen in mice given single dose of 20 mg AOM/kg. The incidence of ACF/colon was lower in MGMT+ mice (2.0 +/- 1.2) than in nontransgenic mice (3.9 +/- 1.8, P = 0.02). G to A mutations in codon 12 of K-ras were detected by PCR-RFLP in ACF and in random samples of normal appearing mucosa. The incidence of ACF with mutant K-ras in MGMT transgenic mice (0.6 +/- 0.7/colon) was significantly reduced compared to nontransgenic mice (2.3 +/- 1.7/colon, P = 0.02). We propose that AOM induces at least two overlapping but not identical premalignant lesions (aberrant crypt foci and K-ras mutations) which can be prevented by over-expression of MGMT. Thus, MGMT may protect colonic mucosa from carcinogenesis involving methylating agents such as AOM.
A small RNA that complements mutants in the RNA processing enzyme ribonuclease P

Abstract Four temperature-sensitive RNase P mutants were analyzed for the accumulation of 10 S RNA. In the 10 S region of the polyacrylamide gel two molecules appear, a and b. While the level of 10 Sa seems to be affected in some of the mutants, the 10 Sb molecule was not found in rnpB mutants. A plasmid (pL2), which contains Escherichia coli DNA sequences that complement, at least partially, rnp mutations, directs the synthesis of 10 Sb RNA. The presence of the pL2 plasmid complements the rnpA49, rnpB3187 and the rnpC241 mutations, as revealed by colony formation at “non-permissive” temperatures. However, the complementation of the rnpA49 mutation is much better than that of the other mutations. The complementation can also be measured by the increased level of RNase P activity in extracts. 10 Sa and b RNAs are unique among all RNAs tested thus far, since they are stable during exponential growth at 30 °C and 37 °C. However, at higher temperatures, such as 43 °C, the molecules are somewhat less stable, and they become rather labile when RNA synthesis is blocked by rifampicin. Structural analysis revealed that the 10 Sa and 10 Sb RNA molecules have dissimilar sequences.
Chromosomal localization reveals three kinesin heavy chain genes in mouse.

Kinesin-related proteins constitute a superfamily of microtubule-dependent motors that play important roles in organelle transport and cell division. These molecules share a conserved motor region of approximately 340 amino acids, which is attached to diverse “tail” or cargo-binding domains. The kinesin superfamily was first defined by kinesin heavy chain, which is the principal component of “true” kinesin. Invertebrates appear to possess only a single gene encoding kinesin heavy chain. Mammals appear to have two or more genes encoding kinesin heavy chain, although the precise situation has been unclear. Here we definitively demonstrate that mouse has three kinesin heavy chain genes,Kif5a, Kif5b,andKif5c. Kif5a, Kif5b,andKif5cmap to mouse chromosomes 10, 18, and 2;Kif5aandKif5cappear to be expressed only in neuronal tissues by Northern blot analysis whileKif5bappears to be ubiquitous in its expression.
The reliability and life of impregnated-paper capacitors

Reference is made to present trends in the encasing and hermetic sealing of paper capacitors. After a statement of the main primary causes of breakdown, the problems of impregnated-paper dielectric failure under d.c. and a.c. stress are discussed in the light of knowledge of various breakdown mechanisms gained principally during the last decade. Possible ways of prolonging capacitor life under d.c. stress are considered, and measures to eliminate early failures under both d.c. and a.c. stress are discussed. Achievement of very great reliability is considered a lesser problem with a.c. than with d.c. stress.
Effect of Heat Treatment for Trypsin Inhibitor Inactivation on Physical and Functional Properties of Peanut Protein

Trypsin inhibitor (TI) inactivation in whole peanut kernels exposed to moist heat had a decimal reduction time (D) of 91 min at 100°C and 9.3 min at 120°C. When all processing times were converted to process time at 120°C using Z of 20°C, the composite D at 120°C was 10 min. Solubility decreased with heating to reach a minimum with 98% TI inactivation. Capacities to spontaneously absorb water and to gel were retained better on heating at 120°C than at 100°C for equal TI inactivation. The most functional protein was in kernels heated at 120°C for 10 min. When 20 or 30% meat protein in a meat loaf formulation was replaced with the latter peanut protein, the resulting loaf retained more fat and water and exhibited higher shearing strengths than all meat formulations.
Beam hardening correction via mass attenuation discretization

We develop a beam-hardening correction method for polychromatic x-ray computed tomography (CT) reconstruction based on mass attenuation coefficient discretization. We assume that the inspected object consists of an unknown single material and that the incident x-ray spectrum is unknown. In this case, the standard photon-energy discretization of the Beer's law measurement equation leads to an excessive number of unknown parameters and scaling ambiguity. To obtain a parsimonious measurement model parametrization, we first rewrite the measurement equation in terms of integral expressions of the mass attenuation rather than photon energy. The resulting integrals can be discretized easily thanks to the fact that the range of mass attenuations is bounded and, in practice, fairly narrow. We then develop a constrained least-squares optimization approach for reconstructing the underlying object from log-scale measurements, where we impose the nonnegativity constraint to both the signal and the x-ray spectrum density estimates. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method via a numerical example where we compare it with the standard filtered backprojection (FBP), which ignores the polychromatic nature of the measurements.
Cross validation and Minimum Generation Error for improved model clustering in HMM-based TTS

In HMM-based speech synthesis, context-dependent hidden Markov model (HMM) is widely used for its capability to synthesize highly intelligible and fairly smooth speech. However, to train HMMs of all possible contexts well is difficult, or even impossible, due to the intrinsic, insufficient training data coverage problem. As a result, thus trained models may over fit and their capability in predicting any unseen context in test is highly restricted. Recently cross-validation (CV) has been explored and applied to the decision tree-based clustering with the Maximum-Likelihood (ML) criterion and showed improved robustness in TTS synthesis. In this paper we generalize CV to decision tree clustering but with a different, Minimum Generation Error (MGE), criterion. Experimental results show that the generalization to MGE results in better TTS synthesis performance than that of the baseline systems.
Mitochondrial redox studies of oxidative stress in kidneys from diabetic mice.

Chronic hyperglycemia during diabetes leads to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased oxidative stress (OS). Here we investigated whether changes in the metabolic state can be used as a marker of OS progression in kidneys. We examined redox states of kidneys from diabetic mice, Akita/+ and Akita/+;TSP1–/– mice (Akita mice lacking thrombospondin-1, TSP1) with increasing duration of diabetes. OS as measured by mitochondrial redox ratio (NADH/FAD) was detectable shortly after the onset of diabetes and further increased with the duration of diabetes. Thus, cryo fluorescence redox imaging was used as a quantitative marker of OS progression in kidneys from diabetic mice and demonstrated that alterations in the oxidative state of kidneys occur during the early stages of diabetes.
Assessing online resources for an engineering course in numerical methods

To determine, improve, and refine the quality of the online resources for an engineering course in numerical methods, three assessment instruments were used to gather feedback from (1) the independent instructors of the numerical methods course, (2) the students who use the majority of the resources, and (3) the general students worldwide who use resources on an as-per-need basis. The findings of this study provide strong evidence that the use of the website modules is a valued aide to most students. The availability of information in multiple modes and formats, at any time, for the students provides them with accessible and convenient learning material that enhances traditional methods. In addition, the analyses of the open-ended items by both faculty reviewers and students provided insights into how a website used in a technical course such as Numerical Methods can be effectively organized and implemented to enhance further student learning. Results from the instructor surveys found highest ratings for the perceptions of the degree of helpfulness the modules provided in supplementing student readings and with class presentations, while the results from student surveys found highest ratings in the technological domain. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 20: 426–433, 2012
Middle managers targeted for second language training (Spanish) can be screened and educated more efficiently

Given the continued globalization of industry, second language (L2) training is becoming more important. However, to assume that all managers who need L2 training are equally trainable or that all respond similarly to traditional L2 training techniques, can be costly errors of judgement. Attempts to address these issues using the results of a 1995 pilot NBA Spanish language training course for middle managers. Provides specific recommendations regarding these two important areas.
The impact of targeted Prevention programs for adolescents at high risk for HIV transmission

SUMMARY Although most cases of HIV infection have been detected in men and women in their twenties and thirties, due to thc long incubation period, it is assumed that they acquired the virus during adolescence. Despite the fact that in most geographic areas of the country, HIV transmission has involved homosexual contact, in our inner cities, the spread of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has primarily been through the sharing of contaminated injection drug paraphernalia and sexual contact with infected users, again during the teen-age years. It is clear that early prevention programs which incorporate drug use issues are essential. Adolescent clients, however, present very difficult barriers for prevention programs since they frequently engage in magical thinking, have poor impulse control, either believe they are invincible or suffer from low self-esteem, in addition to abusing drugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded a prevention program in Newark, New Jersey, to targct par...
Links on the Chain: Labor at Century's End

programs including an exhibition of labor photography; films on the life of the worker; and panel discussions on the future of enterprise compacts, European and Latin American labor movements, community organizing, and occupational safety and health. Moreover, the program featured two regional conferences. The University and College Labor Education Asso ciation (UCLEA) held its Eastern Regional conference during the month as did the New England Historical Association (NEHA). This well attended series brought labor leaders, community organizers, members of the Providence community, academics, and students together to discuss various issues facing workers and organizers. The series opened with photographer Earl Dotter's exhibition "Im ages as History: A Worker's Life in Mine and Mill." Dotter's exhibit fo cused on living and working conditions in southern coal and mill towns but also reflected his current interest in child labor and occupational safety and health, especially among health-care workers. Dotter's incisive photo graphs underscored his lifelong commitment to "highlight individuals do ing their best to improve their lot with self-respect and dignity." The UCLEA conference hosted a series of workshops on the theme "In Diversity Strength." The keynote speaker, historian Jacqueline Jones, provided the historical context of organized labor's troubled past on race relations but highlighted its accomplishments and indicated that the union movement remains the single best hope for workplace equality. She pointed to employer manipulation, institutional segregation, and the media's equa tion of class with race as critical factors in perpetuating hostility and preju dice among American workers.
Design Considerations for Complementary Nanoelectromechanical Logic Gates

The operation and performance of complementary nanoelectromechanical (CNEM) logic gates are investigated. NEMS structures featuring dimensions 2 to 3 orders of magnitude smaller than the present MEMS relays are considered. Various metals are benchmarked to silicon as the cantilever beam material. We show that the CNEM inverters featuring laterally actuated beams, 10 nm gap and low density materials such as Si or Al can achieve nanosecond pull-in delay and sub-0.1 fJ switching energy at VDD = 1.5 V while occupying an area as small as 0.03 mum2.
Abstract 2141: Dietary feeding of Kava root extract inhibits prostate carcinogenesis in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model

Kava kava has been traditionally used to prepare beverages and herbal medicines in the Pacific Islands. Men living in Fiji and drinking kava have low incidence of prostate cancer (PCa). However, the PCa incidence among Fijian men who had migrated to Australia, increased by 5.1-fold. To determine the chemopreventive efficacy of kava root extracts, TRAMP mice were fed with commercial kava root extract supplemented food. In the prevention protocol, TRAMP mice were fed with 3 or 6 g (0.3% or 0.6%) kava root extract /kg food starting at 6 weeks of age and ending at 12 weeks of age, resulting in decreased numbers of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas in kava root extract fed mice compared to the mice fed with control food (p 0.9 gram) were also decreased from 86.4% in the control group to 52.2% and 43.5% in 0.3 and 0.6 % kava food groups, respectively. In addition, we showed that kawain, the main component of kava root extracts, inhibited LSD1 enzyme activity, enhanced H3K9 dimethylation and decreased the mRNA expression of androgen receptor target genes, including PSA and TMPRSS2, in LNCaP cells. Taken together, these results suggested that dietary consumption of kava products have the potential to reduce the risk of prostate cancer development. Citation Format: Xuesen Li, Christopher A. Blair, Xiaolin Zi. Dietary feeding of Kava root extract inhibits prostate carcinogenesis in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2141. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2141
Optical emission and mass spectrometric studies of plasma deposition

Abstract Optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry provide complementary information about glow-discharge deposition processes. Emission intensities can be used to determine dependences of electron concentration and energy distribution on discharge parameters. Measurement of concentrations of chemical species in the discharge by mass spectrometry leads to chemical kinetic models of polymerization processes.
Cluster or QSO? Identifying 1RXSJ114720.0-125253

We present results from our analysis of a short Chandra observation of the unidentified X-ray source 1RXSJ114720.0-125253 detected in the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. Our 10 ks Chandra observation established unambiguously that the bulk of the X-ray emission (85%) originates from the 6dF QSO g1147207-125310 (z = 0.496), although diffuse emission from a suspected alternative optical counterpart, the galaxy cluster LCDCS S031 (z = 0.580), is also detected. We measure X-ray luminosities of (8.0 ± 0.8) × 10 44 erg s −1 and (2.7 ± 0.4) × 10 44 for the QSO and the cluster, respectively (0.3−8 keV). Both objects are thus found to be typical representatives of their respective population at the quoted redshifts. Thanks to over 1200 net photons having been detected from the QSO, we were able to characterize its spectrum further, finding a photon index of 1.4 ± 0.1 and no sign of significant self absorption. For the cluster, photon statistics (250 net photons) were too poor to constrain the intra-cluster gas temperature to better than (6.7± 4.4) keV, consistent with the estimate of 3.8 keV from the LX − kT relation. The cluster emission was also found to be significantly elongated and poorly described by a single β model, suggesting an unevolved system or a recent merger event, a hypothesis supported also by the presence of a diffuse radio source about 200 kpc from the cluster core. Prompted by this rare chance alignment of two X-ray luminous extragalactic sources, we discuss the probabilities of QSOs or clusters dominating the X-ray emission from RASS sources with ambiguous optical counterparts and apply the resulting probabilistic argument to the case of H1821+643.
Processing wastewater in zeolite manufacture

The work reported here was aimed at developing a zero-waste technology for processing waste water with this composition. The authors performed experiments to determine the conditions required for the most nearly completely recovery of aluminum from the waste water so as to obtain a solution of practically pure sodium sulfate, for which processing schemes are already available. The waste water processing scheme includes the following: neutralization of excess caustic by acidification with aluminum sulfate to pH 7-8, filtration to remove solid contaminants and the aluminum hydroxide that has been formed, concentration of the filtrate (sodium sulfate solution) to 50-60 g/liter, evaporation of the preconcentrated sodium sulfate solution to a final concentration of 200 g/liter, and spray-drying to obtain commercial sodium sulfate.
The Butterfly in the Garden: Utopia and the Feminine in The Story of the Stone:

With Peach Blossom Spring and other poetical works written by Tao Qian in the 5th century, there was born a vision of utopia that remains forever etched into the Chinese collective imaginary. Thirteen centuries later, Cao Xueqin drew inspiration from it when he gave form to the ‘Grandview Garden’, a universe with fundamentally female characteristics and one of the centres for the plot of The Story of the Stone, a masterpiece of Chinese romantic fiction also known as ‘Dream of the Red Chamber/Mansions’. Reading the two works in parallel, in both the figurative and the literal sense, points up the message of the Daodejing that utopia cannot be planned or imposed. In fact it emerges from a spirit of openness, an attitude of patient waiting, listening with the ear of the other. This intuition leads to reflection on difference, based on Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream.
Thalamocortical synapses involving identified neurons in mouse primary somatosensory cortex: a terminal degeneration and golgi/EM study.

Synapses involving thalamocortical afferents and hitherto unexamined neuron types of the posteromedial barrel subfield (PMBSF) of the mouse have been identified using a combined degeneration and Golgi/EM technique (Peters et al., '77). Degeneration of thalamocortical axon terminals was produced with electrolytic lesions of the nucleus ventralis posterior, pars lateralis thalami, and the nucleus posterior thalami. Four days after receiving lesions, the animals were perfused, and blocks of cortex containing the PMBSF were processed by the Golgi method. The blocks were tissue-chopped at 125 microns and examined with the light microscope. Sections containing neurons of interest were gold-toned and deimpregnated in preparation for electron microscopy (Fairen et al., '77). Portions of selected neurons contained in layers III-IV were serially thin-sectioned and examined with an electron microscope to determine if they were involved in synapses with degenerating thalamocortical axon terminals. Results showed thalamocortical synapses on the apical dendrites of five different sized pyramidal cells whose somata occurred in layers V and VI, and on dendrites of on spiny bitufted neuron and one non-spiny multipolar neuron with somata in layer V. A non-spiny bitufted neuron of layer IV which was not impregnated also received thalamocortical synapses. Although every neuron examined formed at least one thalamocortical synapse, some formed very few, whereas others formed many. Of the pyramidal cells, small layer V and VI pyramidal cells and a large deep layer V pyramidal cell were involved in small numbers of thalamocortical synapses, while a medium superficial layer V pyramidal cell and a large layer VI pyramidal cell each formed many. The spiny bitufted neuron formed a small number of thalamocortical synapses. The findings suggest that, whereas any type of neuron with a dendrite in layer IV likely receives some synaptic input from the thalamus, individual neurons were involved in very different quantities of thalamocortical synapses.
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF COMORBIDITY IN THE OLDER POPULATION

Comorbidity is common in the older population. A variety of assessment techniques have been used for measurement of comorbidity and have demonstrated the association of increased level of comorbidity with a variety of adverse health outcomes. The most basic measure of comorbidity is a sum of the number of conditions present. Two general approaches have been used to incorporate disease severity measures into comorbidity indices: assignment of severity scores to all relevant conditions with summation of these scores, and assignment of comorbidity severity based on the most severe comorbid disease present. Each of these approaches has strengths and limitations. Research focusing on an index condition and associated comorbidity has been valuable in describing the impact of comorbidity in a number of different disease states.
She Stoops to Conquer? How Posture Interacts With Self-Objectification and Status to Impact Women’s Affect and Performance:

Research suggests that posture exerts powerful affective and cognitive influences, although recent studies have indicated that these embodiment effects are moderated by gender. We examined two soci...
Science and Licensing: Let's Get off the Collision Course

Our best possibility for gaining an understanding of the likely future behavior of a high level nuclear waste disposal system is use of the scientific method. However, science has inherent limitations when it comes to making long-term predictions with confidence. This paper examines these limiting factors as well as the criteria for admissibility of scientific evidence in the legal arena, and concludes that the prospects are doubtful for successful licensing of a potential repository under the regulations that were binding until recently. Suggestions are made for remedying this situation.
Control of Seven Grasses with a Mixture of Three Fungal Pathogens with Restricted Host Ranges

Abstract Three fungi indigenous to Florida, Drechslera gigantea, Exserohilum longirostratum, and E. rostratum, were isolated from large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), crowfootgrass (Dactyloctenium aegyptium), and Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), respectively. In greenhouse trials, these pathogens controlled the following seven grasses: crowfootgrass, guineagrass (Panicum maximum), Johnsongrass, large crabgrass, southern sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus), Texas panicum (Panicum texanum), and yellow foxtail (Setaria glauca). Four-week-old seedlings were inoculated with spore suspensions of each pathogen (2 × 105 spores/ml) or a mixture of the three pathogens (1:1:1 by volume; total 2 × 105 spores/ml). The spore suspensions as well as the control (water only) were amended with 0.5% Metamucil and the seedlings were sprayed, incubated in a dew chamber for 12 h at 28°C, and then held in a greenhouse. All seven grasses were susceptible to each of the pathogens and the pathogen mixture, each with 100% disease incidence. Two weeks after inoculation, disease severity ranged from 83 to 100% for the different grasses. In a host-range trial, 52 plant species were tested, and all nontarget plant species were safe from the individual pathogens and the pathogen mixture inoculum amended with 0.5% Metamucil. An emulsion-based inoculum preparation of the pathogen mixture was also not injurious to the crop species tested (21 species). Thus, D. gigantea, E. longirostratum, and E. rostratum and a mixture of these pathogens were nonpathogenic to the crop species tested, including Poaceae members. It is preferable to have more than one or even two pathogens in the grass pathogen mixture to achieve a broad spectrum of weed control and provide insurance against any possible failure of one or even two of the pathogens in any given combination under field conditions. More pathogens (at least three instead of two) with different modes of action and/or sites of action in a combination have a much greater chance of reducing potential risk of development of resistance in weed populations than a single pathogen used repeatedly. The use of a mixture of these pathogens appears to have the potential to be developed further as a bioherbicide system to control weedy grasses.
Religion and Prevention of Illness in Later Life

Summary Research findings indicate that traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and behaviors may be related to adjustment and well-being in later life. This has prompted some investigators to hypothesize that such effects on mental health might further influence both physical health and healthcare utilization. This paper reviews research that has examined the relationship between religion and health in later life, synthesizes the results from a wide range of studies, and discusses the preventive implications of this work.
Spreading phenomena in which growth sites have a distribution of lifetimes

Originally, studies of the growth of fractal objects such as percolation clusters assumed that the growth sites have an infinite lifetime. Recently Bunde, Miyazima and Stanley have studied the effect of a fixed finite lifetime and they have found that the long-time growth evolves toward the kinetic growth walk with self-avoiding walk critical exponents. Here we consider for two dimensions the general case in which each growth site is randomly assigned infinite lifetime (with probability 9) or a finite lifetime (with probability 1 - 9). The phase diagram is similar to that of site-bond percolation, a model used to describe solvent effects in gelation.
Transthoracic Bioimpedance Can Measure Extravascular Lung Water in Acute Lung Injury

We used a porcine endotoxemic model of acute lung injury to compare extravascular lung water (EVLW) measured by right transthoracic bioimpedance to postmortem gravimetric EVLW measurements. Adult pigs were randomized into control (N = 5) or endotoxin groups [150 microgram/kg Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide B for 1 hr followed by 3 hr of resuscitation for a thermodilution cardiac output less than 90% of baseline using either isotonic saline (N = 5) or isooncotic albumin (N = 5)]. Right lung resistance was measured using a novel electrode array and a highly sensitive analyzer and was used to calculate right lung resistivity. At the end of the experiment, animals in the endotoxin-albumin group had higher gravimetric EVLWs than those in the endotoxin-saline or control groups (P < 0.05). Right lung resistivity corrected for body weight significantly correlated with gravimetric EVLW (r2 = 0.49; SEE = 0.96; P = 0.0038). Using multiple regression analysis, a predictive equation for EVLW based on right lung resistivity, body weight, and mean pulmonary artery pressure was generated (r2 = 0.81; SEE = 0.60; P < 0.0001). These results demonstrate that right lung resistivity measurements can provide a noninvasive estimate of EVLW. In addition, crystalloid may be preferable to colloid for fluid resuscitation in noncardiogenic pulmonary edema.
Relocated aftershocks of the March 10, 1988 Trinidad earthquake: Normal faulting, slab detachment and extension at upper mantle depths

Abstract We relocated aftershocks of the March 10, 1988 earthquake off the east coast of Trinidad in order to determine the fault plane for the main shock and to understand this anomalous earthquake series. The March 10 main shock (M W 6.6) was the first significant instrumentally recorded earthquake to occur in the epicentral region east of Trinidad. The reported depth of the main shock, 53 km (by the International Seismological Centre, ISC), is unusual, but is consistent with observations of pP – P times. The main shock Harvard centroid moment tensor (CMT) solution, nearly pure normal faulting on nodal planes striking ENE, is also unusual given the depths of the seisms and the rarity of extensional faulting at these depths. Using P arrival times tabulated by the ISC, we relocated the aftershocks using the joint hypocentral determination method to find new locations relative to the main shock. In map view, the relocated epicenters form a tight elliptical cluster, with major axis trending WNW–ESE and minor axis NNE–SSW. Virtually all the seisms in the earthquake series occurred at depths ranging from 30 to 60 km, deeper than normal crustal earthquakes, in an area previously not considered a locus of subducting lithosphere. The aftershocks define a distinct plane, dipping 34°NW. This dip is consistent with the Harvard CMT focal mechanism of the main shock: one CMT nodal plane dips 38°N and strikes ENE, very close to our estimate of the active fault plane. Thus, the March 10 aftershocks are consistent with slip on the north-dipping plane of the main shock. Because the earthquake series occurred 100 km SE of oceanic South American slab subducting beneath the Caribbean plate, at a depth generally inconsistent with shallow normal faulting outside of slabs, we interpret the main shock as having occurred deep (50 km) in South American lithosphere currently moving NW into the subduction zone. The occurrence of this earthquake indicates an extensional stress applied to the lithosphere of the South American plate, likely related to a combination of slab pull to the NW as the slab subducts beneath the Caribbean plate, and to detachment of the subducting lithosphere from buoyant continental South America.
On resonant tunneling

Abstract Localized electron states in oxides adjacent to metals hybridize with conduction electron states forming interface states, which at the localized site have an amplitude resonantly enhanced over the amplitude of the conduction electron states. The interface states mediate a continuous transition between the metal and the semiconducting or insulating oxide. Resonant tunneling via these interface states to an opposing metal surface can dominate over direct and intermediate-state tunneling. Resonant tunneling is obstructed by the correlation (Coulomb) energy which causes voltage, temperature and time dependencies. The obstruction increases with distance of the localized state from the metal and this increased obstruction causes the transition from resonant to intermediate-state tunneling. This corresponds to a space-wise metal-insulator transition. In oxides, like Nb 2 O 5 , the correlation energy is small and the hybridization is strong and thus resonant tunneling through localized states at the Fermi energy can account for various tunnel anomalies observed in the normal or superconducting state.
High-frequency signal processing using ferromagnetic metals

We present results for tunable microwave band-stop and bandpass filters on a microstrip geometry. These structures, prepared by sputtering on GaAs substrates, are compatible in size and growth process with on-chip high-frequency electronics. For the notch filters, we observed power attenuation up to /spl sim/100 dB/cm and an insertion loss on the order of /spl sim/2-3 dB for both Permalloy- and Fe-based structures. The operational frequency ranges from 5 to 35 GHz for external fields below 5 kOe. We discuss methods to increase operational frequency and reduce device linewidth. Using these techniques we are able, for example, to obtain an operational frequency of 11GHz at zero applied field and to narrow the device linewidth from 3 GHz to 330 MHz. The operational frequency, which can be obtained from the ferromagnetic resonance condition, is set by material properties such as saturation magnetization M/sub s/, anisotropy fields, the gyromagnetic ratio, and the magnitude of an applied field H. Thus, by using different materials and external fields one can create devices which function over a wide range of frequencies.
Generation of submicron metal particles

Abstract A low inductance circuit was designed, built and employed for the evaporation of metal wires with subsequent condensation of the metal vapor into small particles. The metal vapor was produced by the fast transfer of energy stored in a capacitor. A single pulse discharge with current and voltage going to zero simultaneously without the usual oscillation or dwell and restrike, was employed for each measurement of actual energy transferred to the wire (rather than energy stored). Silver, cadmium, and zinc wire were used in ambient atmospheres of air, of helium or of argon. The particles generated were measured by actual count employing enlarged photographs taken from electron microscope pictures of shadowed samples. The particles generated were spherical in shape and in the submicron range (50-1,000 A), with roughly a log normal distribution of diameters. The mean diameter decreased with an increase in the characteristic length for the expansion based on the energy transferred. The kind of ambient gas appears to have at most a minor effect on the particle size generated (when there is no chemical reaction).
PHOTODISINTEGRATION OF THE TRINUCLEON SYSTEM IN A SEPARABLE POTENTIAL MODEL.

Abstract Two- and three-body photodisintegration cross sections of 3 H and 3 He are calculated. The ground state wave function used is an exact solution of the three-body Schrodinger equation with separable potentials of the Yamaguchi type. The final states contain the interactions between nucleon pairs. Results are shown both for the Yamaguchi-Sitenko-Kharchenko set and for the Tabakin set of interaction parameters.
Nuclear RNA and protein metabolism in lethal heterospecific amoeba

In heterospezifischen Zellen, welche durch Transplantation des Zellkerns vonAmoeba amazonas in kernlose Zellen vonAmoeba proteus erhalten wurden (begrenzt lebensfahig und nicht mehr teilungsfahig), nimmt die intranukleare RNS-Synthese im Laufe der Versuchsperiode kontinuierlich ab, wahrend sie in Kerntransplantationsversuchen zwischen Zellen derselben Art konstant bleibt. Diese Unfahigkeit der Hybridenzellen, ihre nukleare RNS-Synthese aufrechtzuerhaltten, ist mit keinem nachweisbaren Effekt auf den Proteinstoffwechsel des Zellkerns verbunden.
Estimation of the theoretical pore sizes of the porcine oral mucosa for permeation of hydrophilic permeants

The oral mucosa is an attractive alternative site for the delivery of macromolecules. However, hydrophilic macromolecules are generally not well absorbed through the oral mucosa because of their hydrophilicity and size. The transport of these molecules across the oral mucosa may occur via the aqueous route. The knowledge about the dimension of this route is essential to understand the permeation of these molecules across the oral mucosa. Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) were used as model hydrophilic permeants in this study to establish the relationship between permeability and molecular weight across the different regions of the oral mucosa. The radius of the pore (r(p)) for the aqueous pathway and the ratio of the area fraction of aqueous pathway to the barrier length of porcine mucosal membrane were calculated using Renkin's equation based on the experimentally determined permeability and theoretical diffusion parameters for PEG molecules. The pore sizes of aqueous pathway for buccal mucosa and sublingual mucosal were estimated as 18-22 and 30-53 A, respectively. Pore size estimation across different regions of oral mucosa indicated the potential of delivering therapeutically important macromolecules via oral mucosa.
Electrolytes and pH Changes in Relation to Hypothermic Ventricular Fibrillation

Coronary arteriovenous electrolyte differences were studied in normo- and hypercapneic dogs at normal temperature and at 24 C. The ions measured were sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride and hydrogen. Coronary arteriovenous electrolyte differences did not change during cooling in 16 dogs which did not suffer ventricular fibrillation. Ten hypercapneic hypothermia dogs exhibited characteristic Ca, K, and H ion changes at 24 C. before succumbing to ventricular fibrillation. The data suggest that ventricular fibrillation at low body temperatures is related to a gain of Ca and a loss of K and H ions by the hypothermia hypercapneic myocardium.
Floquet Experimental Modal Analysis for System Identification of Linear Time-Periodic Systems

A variety of systems can be faithfully modeled as linear with coefficients that vary periodically with time or Linear Time-Periodic (LTP). Examples include anisotropic rotorbearing systems, wind turbines, satellite systems, etc[[ellipsis]] A number of powerful techniques have been presented in the past few decades, so that one might expect to model or control an LTP system with relative ease compared to time varying systems in general. However, few, if any, methods exist for experimentally characterizing LTP systems. This work seeks to produce a set of tools that can be used to characterize LTP systems completely through experiment. While such an approach is commonplace for LTI systems, all current methods for time varying systems require either that the system parameters vary slowly with time or else simply identify a few parameters of a pre-defined model to response data. A previous work presented two methods by which system identification techniques for linear time invariant (LTI) systems could be used to identify a response model for an LTP system from free response data. One of these allows the system’s model order to be determined exactly as if the system were linear time-invariant. This work presents a means whereby the response model identified in the previous work can be used to generate the full state transition matrix and the underlying time varying state matrix from an identified LTP response model and illustrates the entire system-identification process using simulated response data for a Jeffcott rotor in anisotropic bearings.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Monoindenyl titanium alkyl halides. The synthesis and molecular structures of (η5-C9H7)TiBr3, (η5-C9H7)Ti(CH3)Br2, and (η5-C9H7)Ti(CH3)Cl2

Abstract The monoindenyl titanium tribromide (η5-C9H7)TiBr3 (1), has been prepared from the interaction of TiBr4 and Bu3SnC9H7. The monomethyl species (η5-C9H7)Ti(CH3)Br2 (2), and (η5-C9H7)Ti(CH3)Cl2 (3), have been efficiently prepared from the interaction of the trihalides with AlMe3. Complexes 1 and 2 represent rare examples of organotitanium bromides, and all three compounds are likely to be of interest in the context of homogeneous olefin polymerization catalysis. All three complexes have been characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray crystallography. These analyses reveal that the indenyl complexes exhibit a three-legged piano stool geometry in which the indenyl ligands are bound to the metal centers in an η5 fashion. Crystal data for 1: (T=103 K), molecular formula, C9H7TiBr3, crystal system: monoclinic, space group P21/n, with a=7.155(1), b=12.682(1), c=12.216(1) A, β=97.92°, V=1097.97 A3, Z=4; 2: (T=103 K), molecular formula, C10H10TiBr2, crystal system: triclinic, space group P1, with a=7.142(1), b=12.501(1), c=7.117(1) A, α=105.70(1), β=115.81(1), γ=88.21(1)°, V=547.91 A3, Z=2; 3: (T=110 K), molecular formula, C10H10TiCl2, crystal system: orthorhombic, space group Pcab, with a=11.539(3), b=12.593(3), c=14.327(4) A, V=2081.84 A3, Z=8.
Online medical control and initial refusal of care: does it help to talk with the patient?

The use of online medical control (OLMC) for initial refusal of care is time-consuming and has medical—legal risks. Objectives: This study attempted to answer the following: Does physician—patient communication (PPC) increase the rate of transport and at what cost in terms of increased physician time? Do altered mental status (AMS) patients agree to transport more frequently and do they require more physician time? Can senior emergency medicine resident (RES) and emergency medicine faculty (FAC) physicians be equally efficient in handling refusal calls?Methods: The study evaluated a retrospective cohort for six months at a single base station, university hospital. Online medical control audiotapes and written records of radio and telephone communications were reviewed. Results: One hundred forty-seven refusal cases were analyzed, PPC was used 70 times, and 37 patients were transported. Twenty-four of 70 (34%) patients with PPC agreed to be transported, while ten of 77 (13%) patients without PPC agreed to be transported (p = 0.002). Sixteen of 30 (53%) patients with AMS were transported compared with 21 of 117 (18%) patients with normal mental status (p = 0.00007). Call times were longer with PPC utilization [406.3 sec PPC vs 230.1 sec no PPC (p < 0.001)] and with AMS patients [411.2 sec AMS vs 289.1 sec no AMS (p = 0.028)]. The RES and FAC physicians did not differ in transport rates [21% RES vs 26% FAC (p = 0.612)] and call times [329.4 sec RES vs 310.4 sec FAC (p = 0.659)]. Conclusions: Although time-consuming, the use of PPC is associated with more patients' agreeing to be transported. Patients with AMS are transported more frequently and they use more physician time. Emergency medicine RES and FAC physicians have equal efficiency and efficacy in handling these calls.
Complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of menopausal symptoms.

A large number of women will pass through menopause each year. Women in menopausal transition experience a variety of menopausal symptoms. Although hormonal therapy remains the most effective treatment, side effects have been reported by several large studies. An increased number of women seek the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for treating menopausal symptoms. This review analyzes the evidence from systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials and epidemiological studies of using herbal medicine (Black cohosh, Dong quai, St John’s wart, Hops, Wild yam, Ginseng, and evening primrose oil) and acupuncture for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of most CAM for relief of menopausal symptoms are limited. Future larger and better controlled studies testing the effectiveness of these treatments are needed.
The Effect of ceramic reinforcements during spray atomization and codeposition of metal matrix composites: Part II. Solid-state cooling effects

In the present study, the mechanisms governing the evolution of microstructure during spray atomization and codeposition of metal matrix composites (MMCs) were investigated, with particular emphasis on the effects of the ceramic phase on the resulting microstructure during solidstate cooling. The grain size refinement that is commonly observed when a distribution of ceramic particulates is coinjected into a metallic spray during spray atomization and deposition processing was rationalized in terms of three distinct effects: (a) solidification effects, (b) heattransfer effects, and (c) solid-state cooling effects. The solidification and heat-transfer effects were discussed in Part I. [1] Regarding solid-state cooling effects, the present results show that the presence of a dispersion of ceramic particulates in the aluminum matrix effectively reduces the rate of grain growth during solid-state cooling. Experimental support to this suggestion was provided by the results of an investigation on the changes in grain size following isochronal thermal anneals.
Metabolic disease and shift work: Is there an association? An analysis of NHANES data for 2007–2008

Previous epidemiological studies have shown that shift work is associated with higher levels of obesity and diabetes, possibly related to physiological maladaptation as a direct result of sleeping and eating at abnormal circadian times.1 In a previously performed cross-sectional study, shift work was associated with higher levels of triglycerides, lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and higher odds of metabolic syndrome in a multiple logistic regression analysis (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.1 to 5.0).2 We performed an analysis of the cross-sectional NHANES data3 for 2007–2008 and compared the different metabolic parameters between regular daytime workers and shift workers. Shift workers included …