cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Near-Field Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on Single Silver Nanoparticles

We report the development of a near-field Raman microscope for nanometer-scale vibrational spectroscopy at room temperature. With the use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering and tapered single-mode fiber probes, near-field Raman spectra have been obtained from single Ag colloidal nanoparticles with excitation intensities as low as 10 nW. Far-field confocal studies have also been carried out on spatially isolated, single Ag nanoparticles. A direct comparison of the near-field and confocal results shows that near-field optical excitation does not lead to significantly different selection rules in Raman spectroscopy. This work further demonstrates that single metallic nanoparticles can be attached to the tip of a near-field probe for potential application in surface-enhanced optical microscopy and nanofabrication.
Formation and reactivity of the Os(IV)-azidoimido complex, PPN[OsIV(bpy)(Cl)3(N4)]

Reactions between the Os(VI)−nitrido complexes, [OsVI(L2)(Cl)3(N)] (L2 = 2,2‘-bipyridine (bpy) ([1]), 4,4‘-dimethyl-2,2‘-bipyridine (Me2bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Ph2phen)), and bis-(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium azide (PPNN3) in dry CH3CN at 60 °C under N2 give the corresponding Os(IV)−azidoimido complexes, [OsIV(L2)(Cl)3(NN3)]- (L2 = bpy = [2]-, L2 = Me2bpy = [3]-, L2 = phen = [4]-, and L2 = Ph2phen = [5]-) as their PPN+ salts. The formulation of the N42- ligand has been substantiated by 15N-labeling, IR, and 15N NMR measurements. Hydroxylation of [2]- at Nα with O←NMe3·3H2O occurs to give the Os(IV)−azidohydroxoamido complex, [OsIV(bpy)(Cl)3(N(OH)N3)] ([6]), which, when deprotonated, undergoes dinitrogen elimination to give the Os(II)−dinitrogen oxide complex, [OsII(bpy)(Cl)3(N2O)]- ([7]-). They are the first well-characterized examples of each kind of complex for Os.
DCT-domain image registration techniques for compressed video

An image registration technique for compressed video such as motion JPEG or the I picture of MPEG based on the matching of DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) coefficients is investigated in this research. Several simple features such as the DC value and a couple of low-frequency AC coefficients in the DCT domain are first extracted to indicate the edge strength and orientation inside each block for the image alignment purpose. Next, we conduct a coarse-level image segmentation task to filter out irrelevant regions. Then, for the regions of interest, we perform a more detail analysis to get the edge map. Finally, the alignment parameters are determined based on the information contained by the edge map. It is shown by experimental results that the proposed method reduces the computational cost of image registration dramatically as compared with the pixel domain registration technique while achieving certain quality of composition.
Cancer: do early diagnosis and treatment really help? How do we relate costs to benefit in cancer control?

Abstract Whether “early” diagnosis of cancer does make a difference in outcome and how to look at benefit versus cost of cancer control efforts in early detection, particularly as they affect dentistry, are two basic issues that must be faced. To put these questions in perspective, one must consider the biology and natural histories of cancers as well as the definition of early, as is attempted in this review.
Excitatory and inhibitory responses of neurones of the cerebellar fastigial nucleus

This paper gives an account of the responses of cerebellar fastigial cells to various afferent inputs from ipsilateral forelimb or hindlimb. Most of the preparations (17 out of 25) have been decerebrate and unanesthetized. The remainder were under anesthesia — chloralose, pentothal or surital.
A review of theoretical developments in atomic f-values☆

Abstract Theoretical work on atomic f-values are reviewed with particular emphasis on the relation to recent beam-foil measurements. One-electron models currently in use are reviewed and their limitations and range of applicability are discussed. Many-electron, or multi-configuration, models are also described and their results compared with experiment. Regularities and irregularities along isoelectronic sequences will be discussed, and some current problems will be presented.
Pre-leukemic evolution of hematopoietic stem cells: the importance of early mutations in leukemogenesis

Cancer has been shown to result from the sequential acquisition of genetic alterations in a single lineage of cells. In leukemia, increasing evidence has supported the idea that this accumulation of mutations occurs in self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These HSCs containing some, but not all, leukemia-specific mutations have been termed as pre-leukemic. Multiple recent studies have sought to understand these pre-leukemic HSCs and determine to what extent they contribute to leukemogenesis. These studies have elucidated patterns in mutation acquisition in leukemia, demonstrated resistance of pre-leukemic cells to standard induction chemotherapy and identified these pre-leukemic cells as a putative reservoir for the generation of relapsed disease. When combined with decades of research on clonal evolution in leukemia, mouse models of leukemogenesis, and recent massively parallel sequencing-based studies of primary patient leukemia, studies of pre-leukemic HSCs begin to piece together the evolutionary puzzle of leukemogenesis. These results have broad implications for leukemia treatment, targeted therapies, minimal residual disease monitoring and early detection screening.
Neuronal connections and the function of the corpora pedunculata in the brain of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.)†

The fiber constituents and connections of the calyces — the input-receiving regions — of the corpora pedunculata (“mushroom bodies”) were studied in reduced silver preparations from the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.). In the outer synaptic layer of the calyces five fiber classes were distinguished, the first three of which arise outside the mushroom body. (1) Four highly similar neurons with somata near the optic lobe branch into different parts of the ipsiateral protocerebrum, including both calyces. Their fibers are highly constant in arrangement and position and contain small nucleus-like bodies. (2) The tractus olfactorio-globularis (sensu lato) emits fiber groups which course along the calycal walls as “calycal tracts” before ultimately dissipating into the synaptic layer. Variability within these tracts is described. (3) Fibers of undertermined origin outside the mushroom body radiate from the calycal center outwards through the synaptic layer. (4) From the inner calycal layer of neurites belonging to intrinsic mushroom-body neurons, perpendicular collaterals enter the synaptic layer. (5) Intrinsic-neuron somata near the calycal rim emit fibers which course tangentially within the synaptic layer from calycal rim to center. These fibers form a special peripheral zone in the pedunculus. The predominant presumably afferent calycal fiber class is that derived from the tractus olfactorio-globularis. No evidence was found for tracts from optic lobe to calyces. On this basis, and in light of the experimental and comparative anatomical literature, it is suggested that the corpora pedunculata of P. americana and other pterygotes are fundamentally second-order antennal sensory processing centers. Conflicting observations in earlier reports are critically discussed.
Comparison of literature models for volatile product formation from the pyrolysis of polyisobutylene at mild conditions: Data analysis, free-radical mechanistic considerations, and simulation of initial product-forming pathways

Abstract Two models for formation of volatile n-mers from pyrolysis of polyisobutylene at mild conditions are compared: the random scission model of Lehrle and the back-biting model of Sawaguchi, each having a competitive unzipping component to form monomer. Arguments for preferring the latter are presented. The Lehrle model rationalizes the statistical dependence of the major tBu-terminated olefinic n-mers on n, an observation that is counterintuitive for a back-biting process. However, it implies that selectivity to monomer should decrease with increasing conversion, contrary to observation; it over-predicts the formation of α,ω-dienes; and it does not account for the minor iPr-terminated olefinic n-mers. These latter observations are rationalized by Sawaguchi by an increasing incursion of radical chain reactions emanating from the tert terminal radical (Rt ), in competition with the major reactions emanating from the prim Rp , and by assigning oligomer formation to intramolecular 1,x-shifts with a very modest rate dependence on x, contrary to literature evidence. To resolve these discrepancies, we present a simple simulation of initial product distributions based on ratios of rate constants for transfer (kH), β-scission (kβ), and 1,x-shifts (k1x), as a function of radical type. In contrast to Sawaguchi, we allow only x = 5 for Rp and x = 4 and 6 for Rt but allow for serial shifts along the polymer chain, in competition with transfer and β-scission. Reasonable agreement with data was achieved, within the context of the back-biting, if the following changes were made compared with small-molecule models: a major increase in the kβ:kH ratio and a lesser increase in the k15:kH ratio for Rp , a significant decrease in the rate of expulsion of a prim radical by β-scission from a sec compared with a prim radical, and a significant decrease in the rate of thermoneutral 1,5-shift between sec compared with prim centers; in addition, a kβ(Rt )/kβ(Rp ) ratio less than unity appears necessary. The resulting occurrence of significant serial 1,5-shifts allows the back-biting process to produce tBu-terminated olefinic n-mers whose composition indeed masquerades as statistical. Molecular-mechanics estimates of the perturbations of the thermochemistry of elementary radical steps that are likely to be induced by the sterically crowded structure of polyisobutylene generally support these changes. However, some remaining discrepancies are noted.
Reversible light coalescence phenomena of Si photo-emitters under stressing at low breakdown currents

Abstract The phenomenon of light coalescence in Si light emitter during avalanche breakdown is investigated. DC stressing results in light coalescence for low values of current ( 40 mA) do not show light coalescence. The light coalescence phenomenon can be reversed when emitters are subjected to higher levels of currents. The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference in light coalescence behavior for large and small values of DC excitations and the reversibility of the phenomenon using hydrogen migration model.
Hiccups of psychogenic origin: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract A case of intractable hiccups, with an extensive investigation of the psychogenic origin of the hiccups and their treatment, is presented together with a review of the literature. The hiccups in this case are best characterized as a conversion reaction, representing repressed hostility and guilt over sexual conflicts in the patient and her family constellation. Treatment by hypnotic suggestion, directed at symptom removal, was combined with a slight modification of the interaction between the patient and her family. At ten month follow-up, the patient was functioning in a much more satisfactory level and had had only a few brief episodes of hiccups in the intervening time. It is suggested that the psychogenic mechanisms of hiccups deserve further attention and that individuals with intractable hiccups should have a full psychosocial evaluation as early as possible in the medical management program.
Meadow voles and prairie voles differ in the percentage of conspecific marks they over-mark

Many terrestrial mammals scent mark in areas containing the scent marks of conspecifics, and thus, may deposit their own scent marks on top of those that were deposited previously by conspecifics. This phenomenon, known as over-marking appears to play a role in same-sex competition or mate attraction. The present study determines whether meadow and prairie voles avoid over-marking the scent marks of conspecifics, target the scent marks of conspecifics and over-mark them, or randomly over-mark the scent marks of conspecifics. The data show that meadow and prairie voles adjust the number and location of scent marks that they deposit in areas marked previously by particular conspecifics. Male and female meadow and prairie voles target the scent marks of opposite-sex conspecifics and over-mark them. Female meadow and prairie voles also target the scent marks of female conspecifics. In contrast, male meadow and prairie voles over-mark the scent marks of male conspecifics in a random manner. By differentially over-marking the scent marks of conspecifics, voles may be able to communicate particular information to a variety of conspecifics.
The Disordered Mobile Loop of GroES Folds into a Defined β-Hairpin upon Binding GroEL

Abstract The GroES mobile loop is a stretch of ∼16 amino acids that exhibits a high degree of flexible disorder in the free protein. This loop is responsible for the interaction between GroES and GroEL, and it undergoes a folding transition upon binding to GroEL. Results derived from a combination of transferred nuclear Overhauser effect NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the mobile loop adopts a β-hairpin structure with a Type I, G1 Bulge turn. This structure is distinct from the conformation of the loop in the co-crystal of GroES with GroEL-ADP but identical to the conformation of the bacteriophage-panned “strongly binding peptide” in the co-crystal with GroEL. Analysis of sequence conservation suggests that sequences of the mobile loop and strongly binding peptide were selected for the ability to adopt this hairpin conformation.
Orally Bioavailable Tubulin Antagonists for Paclitaxel-Refractory Cancer

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and oral activity of two promising indoles, (2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-1H-imidazol-4-yl)(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)methanone [compound II] and (2-(1H-indol-5-ylamino)-thiazol-4-yl)(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)methanone [compound IAT], in paclitaxel- and docetaxel-resistant tumor models in vitro and in vivo.
The autopsy: A dying art? A paediatric perspective

The word ‘autopsy’ has a Greek derivation meaning ‘seeing for oneself’ and reflects the earlier practice of the attending physician making an examination of the body after the death of a patient. In those early times physicians ran the risk of excommunication from the church for performing autopsies, and generally had to rely upon soldiers’ battle wounds and the chance finding of partially decomposed corpses to advance their knowledge of human anatomy and disease. How they would envy twentieth-century physicians’ relatively easy access to post mortem material. Yet there have emerged serious doubts and vigorous debates as to the relevance of autopsy examination to contemporary medicine. This is reflected in the world-wide downward trend in hospital autopsy rates. Although usually dealing with adult patient populations, there has been extensive review of the philosophy and purpose of autopsies in the recent literat~re.’-~ Supporters assert that autopsy examination is an essential part of modern hospital practice providing immediate feedback to clinicians in confirming or correcting diagnoses, giving material for teaching and research purposes and providing accurate epidemiological statistics. It is suggested that hospital quality assurance programmes cannot adequately function without this ‘ultimate medical audit’. On the other hand, opponents suggest that with modern investigative techniques autopsies usually fail to reveal anything of significance that was not known before death and that clinicopathological correlations are often poor. The cost is felt to far outweigh any possible benefits and even if a major discrepancy is found between clinical diagnosis and the underlying disease, there is no objective evidence to suggest that this finding has any impact on subsequent patient
Phagocytosis and the sialic acid of the surface of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Treatment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes with sialidase release about one-half of the total sialic acid of the cells. Such treatment affects neither phagocytic ingestion nor glycolysis. These results are in contrast to earlier data in the literature that indicate suppression of both functions mentioned upon desialation of these cells. The presence of an inhibitor of glycolysis that contaminated the crude enzyme previously used is suggested.
Collections and systems: a new organizational paradigm for collection development

AbstractCollection development and the management of access to electronic resources in large academic libraries increasingly requires close cooperation between collection development librarians, public service librarians, and systems librarians and staff. Many libraries, both public and academic, have created new positions or converted existing ones with titles such as ‘electronic resources librarian’ or ‘electronic information coordinator.’ Two years ago, the Washington State University (WSU) Libraries decided to take a different approach to managing these two vital library functions by creating the new position of Assistant Director for Collections and Systems. This paper explores the convergence of collection development and systems in a research library. It sets forth the philosophical underpinnings of that convergence, and it discusses issues encountered in the integration of the two services in the WSU Libraries. Finally, it explores strategic issues for future collection development and management ...
Matrix pseudo-spectroscopy: iterative calculation of matrix eigenvalues and eigenvectors of large matrices using a polynomial expansion of the Dirac delta function

Abstract The method of diagonalizing Hermitian matrices based on a polynomial expansion of the Dirac delta function δ(E − H) is further refined so as to accelerate the convergence. Improved choices of the bases used for subspace diagonalization of the matrix, along with accuracy controls and estimates, are introduced. It is shown that the improved method can accurately deliver eigenvalues and eigenvectors in any region of the spectrum, including cases where the spacings are very small for “interior” eigenvalues. In addition, accurate values can be obtained for as many states as are desired. The method is illustrated for a model problem introduced recently in a study of another type approach.
A finite-volume algorithm for modeling light transport with the time-independent simplified spherical harmonics approximation to the equation of radiative transfer

In this work we introduce the finite volume (FV) approximation to the simplified spherical harmonics (SPN) equations for modeling light propagation in tissue. The SPN equations, with partly reflective boundary conditions, are discretized on unstructured grids. The resulting system of linear equations is solved with a Krylov subspace iterative method called the generalized minimal residual (GMRES) algorithm. The accuracy of the FV-SPN algorithm is validated through numerical simulations of light propagation in a numerical phantom with embedded inhomogeneities. We use a FV implementation of the equation of radiative transfer (ERT) as the benchmark algorithm. Solutions obtained using the FV-SPN (N > 1) algorithm are compared to solutions obtained with the ERT and the diffusion equation (SP1). Compared to the SP1, the SP3 solutions obtained using the FV-SPN algorithm can better approximate ERT solutions near boundary sources and in the vicinity of void-like regions. Solutions using the SP3 algorithm are obtained 9.95 times faster than solutions with the ERT-based algorithm.
ARPA "automatic programming" meeting

A meeting was held by ARPA January 17-18 to discuss the establishment of a research effort in "Automatic Programming" organized along the same lines as the current Speech Recognition activity. The meeting was led by Steve Crocker and was attended by nearly twenty people who are currently doing work that could be called "automatic programming," as well as representatives of other interested government agencies.
Opportunistic alignment of advertisement delivery with cellular basestation overloads

This paper is motivated by two observations: (1) cellular network operators are actively exploring advertisement delivery as a new means of revenue generation, and (2) cellular basestations perceive intermittent overloads at different times of day. Bringing the two observations together, we design and implement Opal, a novel system for opportunistically aligning advertisement delivery with basestation overload. Such alignment improves the overall perception of network availability for users. To achieve the alignment systematically, Opal builds on an analytical framework for tunable unavailability of network service to users during overload. At the same time, if the network is not overloaded enough during a certain period, Opal schedules enough advertisements to satisfy the advertisement delivery contracts. Opal minimizes the amount of state to be maintained to play advertisements to users uniformly and also maximizes the number of viewers for each advertisement. We implement a prototype of Opal on a Picochip based WiMAX testbed, and demonstrate its efficacy using simulations, analysis and prototype evaluation.
The Zoo Connection: A Cooperative Project Between Formal and Informal Educational Institutions

This project was a cooperative effort between university faculty, elementary school teachers, and members of the Education Department at the Indianapolis Zoo. The purpose of this project was to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a set of fourteen K-6 science lessons that could be used in conjunction with field trips to the zoo. These lessons, titled The Zoo Connection, follow the Learning Cycle teaching model. In addition to following the model, the development of the lessons was based on the premise that teachers should focus on a specific science concept or set of related concepts when visiting a zoo. Workshop sessions were conducted to introduce teachers to the materials and to provide them with strategies for implementing the materials in their science instruction. An evaluation was conducted for each workshop session to determine teachers' perceptions of the materials and to determine whether they felt prepared to use them with their students. The materials were also field-tested in several elementary schools to assess their effectiveness for presenting science concepts to elementary school children. Results indicate that teachers felt the workshops adequately prepared them to use the materials and that the materials were effective for presenting science concepts.
The use of a reconstituted collagen foil dura mater substitute in paediatric neurosurgical procedures—Experience in 47 patients

Background. CSF leakage is a common complication of neurosurgical procedures, with defective dural suture thought to be the most frequent cause. We report our experience with a new collagen foil (TissuDura®, Baxter Healthcare SA, Switzerland) utilized as dural substitute in paediatric neurosurgical procedures.Methods. TissuDura® was used in children consecutively operated on at the department of paediatric neurosurgery, Catholic University, Rome, from March 2004 to August 2007. Children underwent surgical procedures in supratentorial, infratentorial and spinal compartments. In supratentorial and spinal procedures, the dural graft was used according to the overlay technique. In the posterior fossa procedures, the underlay technique was used.Results. Forty-seven patients received TissuDura® during surgery. Thirty-one patients underwent surgery for the removal of posterior fossa tumours, nine for supratentorial tumours and seven for spinal dysraphisms. No CSF leakage was observed following the use of TissuDu...
Getting Competition Down to a Science: The Effects of Technological Competition on Firms' Scientific Publications

Prior research about the interaction between private firms and the scientific community has largely viewed firms' articles in scientific publications as a means to improve research and development productivity—by encouraging their researchers to publish scientific papers, firms can maintain linkages with the scientific community, attract talent, and access external knowledge on which they can build to create innovations. This paper, in contrast, emphasizes the role of scientific publications in firms' battles for market dominance and examines how competitive conditions shape firms' propensities to publish scientific articles about their innovations. Focusing on the context of pharmaceutical drugs, we develop propositions about how the competition that one drug faces from similar drugs and potential substitutes influences the innovating firm's inclination to publish articles in the top medical journals about that drug to facilitate its assessment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the medical community. We also propose that scientific articles about competing drugs compel a firm to highlight its own drug in scientific papers to assert the drug's uniqueness and mitigate the threat of substitution. Whereas prior research has elucidated how science contributes to enhancing firms' competence at creating innovations, which is critical to their ability to compete in technology-intensive environments, this paper draws attention to how competition, in turn, permeates into the scientific arena, creating inducements for firms to use scientific publications to position their innovations in the marketplace.
The Role of Representations in Executive Function: Investigating a Developmental Link between Flexibility and Abstraction

Young children often perseverate, engaging in previously correct, but no longer appropriate behaviors. One account posits that such perseveration results from the use of stimulus-specific representations of a situation, which are distinct from abstract, generalizable representations that support flexible behavior. Previous findings supported this account, demonstrating that only children who flexibly switch between rules could generalize their behavior to novel stimuli. However, this link between flexibility and generalization might reflect general cognitive abilities, or depend upon similarities across the measures or their temporal order. The current work examined these issues by testing the specificity and generality of this link. In two experiments with three-year-old children, flexibility was measured in terms of switching between rules in a card-sorting task, while abstraction was measured in terms of selecting which stimulus did not belong in an odd-one-out task. The link between flexibility and abstraction was general across (1) abstraction dimensions similar to or different from those in the card-sorting task and (2) abstraction tasks that preceded or followed the switching task. Good performance on abstraction and flexibility measures did not extend to all cognitive tasks, including an IQ measure, and dissociated from children’s ability to gaze at the correct stimulus in the odd-one-out task, suggesting that the link between flexibility and abstraction is specific to such measures, rather than reflecting general abilities that affect all tasks. We interpret these results in terms of the role that developing prefrontal cortical regions play in processes such as working memory, which can support both flexibility and abstraction.
The Epidermis: Genes On – Genes Off

The epidermal keratinocyte stem cell is distinguished by a relatively undifferentiated phenotype and an ability to proliferate. As part of a carefully orchestrated process, the offspring of these stem cells lose the ability to proliferate and begin a process of morphologic and biochemical transformation that results in their conversion into corneocytes. This process requires the coordinated expression of a host of cellular genes. The mechanisms responsible for regulation of these genes is an area of intense interest. In keratinocytes, as in other cell types, the expression of most genes is regulated at the transcriptional level by a class of proteins called transcription factors. Transcription factors are nuclear proteins that regulate transcription by mediating the final steps in the relay of information from the cell surface to the nucleus and the gene. These factors bind to specific DNA sequence elements located within the target gene. In this brief review we summarize evidence implicating activator protein 1 (AP1), AP2, Sp1, POU domain, CCAAT enhancer binding protein, and several other transcription factors as regulators of expression of keratinocyte genes.
The Mueller-Lyer Illusion Produced by Features in Maps:

Maps consist of lines converging onto line segments. These converging lines resemble elements of the Mueller-Lyer illusion (MLEs) which cause map readers to overestimate the length of a road segment (if the lines go outward from the end of the segment) or underestimate the length (if the lines go inward from the end of the segment) (Gillan, Schmidt, & Hanowski, 1996). The present experiment investigates whether a similar effect occurs when place names converge on a road segment. Subjects estimated road segments framed by outward-going MLEs made up of place names to be significantly longer than road segments framed by inward-going MLEs. The type of characters in the place names (English characters vs. symbols) and requiring subjects to locate the road segment by the names in the MLE had no effect on the degree of misestimation induced. The implications of these findings for a variety of displays are discussed.
Modelling solid-fluid turbulent flows with application to predicting erosive wear

Abstract Numerical modeling of fluid-particulate turbulent flow transport processes, including erosion, cannot substitute (at least for the present) good experimentation. Notwithstanding, the calculation approach offers a viable, relatively inexpensive and complementary alternative for gleaning useful information on the relative dependence of particle transport and erosion on the flow system parameters of relevance. In the present study these parameters include: the particle phase response time, Reynolds number and concentration; the turbulent characteristics of the fluid phase; the channel aspect ratio and curvature. This communication summarizes the main results predicted by means of a numerical procedure for the motion of a dilute suspension of solid particles driven by turbulent flow in curved and straight two-dimensional channels. An exposition of the theoretical development, the numerical model, its testing and application to these configurations of special engineering interest is provided. A simple model is used to illustrate the prediction of erosive wear.
Correlations between carbon isotope ratio and microhabitat in desert plants.

Water is usually considered to be the key limiting factor for growth of desert plants, yet there is little information available of the water-use efficiency of species within a desert community. Leaf carbon isotope ratios, an indicator of long-term intercellular carbon dioxide concentrations and thus of water-use efficiency in C3 plants, were measured on species occurring within a Sonoran Desert community, consisting of wash, transition and slope microhabitats. Along a soil moisture gradient from the relatively wetter wash to the relatively drier slope, leaf carbon isotope ratios increased in all species, indicating that water-use efficiency increased as soil water availability decreased. Leaf carbon isotope ratios of long-lived perennials were substantially more positive than in short-lived perennials, even though plants were growing adjacent to each other. Leaf carbon isotope ratio and leaf duration (evergreen versus deciduous) were not correlated with each other. The results are discussed in terms of how the efficiency of water use may affect community structure and composition.
Assessing computer technology in the criminal justice classroom: A case study

Previous research examining computer-assisted teaching is inconclusive. Some studies find enhanced student performance while others find no difference from traditional-approach pedagogy. This case study compares student performance and course evaluations for computer-assisted and traditional-approach sections in three criminal justice courses: crime theory, criminal courts, and inequality in the justice system. Overall results indicate a significant difference between student performance in computer-assisted and traditional classes. Yet differences are not the same for each course. The theory course shows the least difference while the courts course had the greatest difference. Student evaluation data indicate computer-assisted activities are enjoyed, yet differences from traditional-approach sections are not significant. Questions for future research on the use of technology in teaching are raised.
Direct and indirect effects of urbanization on soil and plant nutrients in desert ecosystems of the Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona (USA)

Desert landscaping has become a dominant land cover type in arid US cities and often includes native plant species. Does replacement of native plant distribution in urban areas also reestablish ecological functioning characteristic of natural deserts? We compared ecological processes in three landscape types that are common to the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona (USA): residential desert yards created from former lawns, Sonoran Desert preserves within the city, and Sonoran Desert preserves outside the city boundaries. Canopy cover, abundance of herbivorous insects, and soil properties (concentration of inorganic nitrogen (N), soil moisture and organic matter content, and water-holding capacity) were higher in residential desert yards than in native desert sites located both within and outside of the city. Furthermore, soil resources in desert yards were not organized around plant canopies, departing from the predictable resource island pattern that is characteristic of natural deserts. Intentional human manipulation and land use history accounts for these differences, while the urban environment contributes only subtly to soil N concentrations beneath plant canopies. While the use of desert landscaping may have important water conservation benefits, it does not help to mitigate the well-documented excess of reactive N within the Phoenix metropolitan area.
An architecture for the development of multi-component software tools for virtual manufacturing

This paper proposes an integrated infrastructure to support the large and growing body of software tools for Computer Aided Manufacturing. The proposed infrastructure is based on an ontology-driven systematization of the CAM component domain, an agent-based communication framework, and algorithmic strategies. Such will allow researchers and other users to combine separately developed models for manufacturing processes, data repositories, optimization routines and geometry analysis tools into more comprehensive simulation software tools for analysis and optimization. An application to optimize hole quality in drilling is used as an example to illustrate the functionality of the proposed infrastructure.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Bed-load transport under waves and currents

Abstract The data from the flume experiments of Kalkanis (1964) and Abou-Seida (1965), giving the rates of accumulation of sand in recessed traps in oscillating sand beds, have been reassessed. In contrast to the work of Madsen and Grant (1976), the accumulation rate is interpreted as a measure of the average concentration of bed-load per unit area during the period of oscillation for which the Shields Number ψ (t) exceeds the threshold Shields Number ψTH. For the experimental runs where the Reynolds Number > 35, the volume concentration of bed-load C∗(t) (cm3 cm−2) was found to be directly proportional to the excess Shields Number ψEX(t) = ψ (t) −ψTH): C ∗ (t)=(0.09±0.03)ψ EX t and the volume transport rate q (t) under instantaneous flow velocity u (t) was therefore: q(t)=0.09±0.03)ψ EX (t)u(t) for ψ(t)>ψTH The rate of transport predicted by this equation was tested against the data of Manohar (1955) and good agreement found, showing a closer match between calculated and observed transport, at high rates, than found by the equation of Madsen and Grant (1976). The form of the transport rate equation proposed here: q(t)∞ [u 2 (t)−u 2 TH ]u(t) is compared with the form of the bedload transport equation for unidirectional flow and is found to have a firmer physical basis than some other wave transport equations presently in use.
Verificationism and a causal account of meaning

Here is an elementary bit of reasoning about meaning. We can communicate with one another inform and be informed because our utterances have the thing called meaning. It is because, e.g., the sentence "s" means that p that from the utterance of it one can learn, gain the knowledge, that p. If it is meaning that accounts for the communicative powers of utterance, then perhaps "meaning" may be defined accordingly. Perhaps a sentence's having meaning is just its being such that its utterance can convey the information that p, and to specify its meaning is to specify the information that one could learn from it.
Phosphorylation and the Cajal body: Modification in search of function

The Cajal body (CB) is a subnuclear domain that contains proteins and factors involved in a diverse range of activities including ribonucleoprotein maturation, histone gene transcription and telomerase assembly. Among these activities, the CBs' role in small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) biogenesis is best characterized. Although CBs are found in plants, flies and mammals, not all cell types contain CBs. Rather, CBs are most prominent in transcriptionally active cells, such as cancer and neuronal cells. Many CB components, including the CB marker protein coilin, are phosphorylated in humans. The functional consequence of phosphorylation on CB assembly, activity and disassembly is largely unknown. Also unknown are the signaling pathways, kinases and phosphatases that act upon proteins which localize in the CB. The goal of this review is to demonstrate the need for a concerted effort towards elucidating the functional consequence of phosphorylation on CB formation and activity.
Study of Air Bubble Formation Process in Aeration System

This paper addresses a study of air bubble creation through an investigation by using CFD (computational fluid dynamic), which were validated to experimental results. Contact angle was also investigated for the air, water interface at a rubber surface to find the contact angle for air exiting diffuser plate. The results show very good comparison with the experimental results.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
An objective procedure for ischemic area evaluation of the stroke intraluminal thread model in the mouse and rat.

Computer-assisted procedures are used to measure infarct areas in animal stroke models, but this approach usually follows the less objective manual tracing of the boundaries of the infarct. Building on previously reported methodology using scanned images of triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC)-stained rat brains in the intraluminal thread model, we developed an objective method to assess ischemic damage in both the mouse and rat brains. The unique addition to our approach is the use of sham-treated animals, which thereby permits the removal of normal brain white matter from the ipsilateral injured brain. All brain sections per animal were scanned simultaneously using a Microtek Scanmaker 4 flatbed scanner. Color segmentation on full color images of 2 mm coronal brain sections was performed. Using Image Pro Plus (4.0) and color segmentation, ischemic and normal white matter areas were measured in the green channel and the entire brain area in the red channel. The percent of unstained tissue was calculated for sham-treated animals and for those with cerebral ischemia. By subtracting the average unstained area of the sham-treated group from the average unstained area from the ischemic group, the ischemic area was calculated. This methodology was validated using mouse and rat permanent and transient, focal ischemia models and MK-801 in the permanent ischemia models. MK-801, dosed at 3 mg/kg i.p. prior to the injury, reduced the injury by 75% in the mouse and 44% in the rat permanent occlusion models. The benefits of this methodology include: objectivity of the analysis of the ischemic injury, use of readily available software so that costs can be contained and removal of normal subcortical white matter from the calculation. This method should allow more consistent evaluation of changes in the infarct size, therefore, resulting in reduced variability and higher productivity.
Reengineering a computer literacy course

Computer Science 101 at Winthrop University is a three credit-hour course that serves as the general education computer literacy requirement for many of the university's degree programs. Approximately 600 students in various majors take the course each year. The course contains both a lecture component and a laboratory component. For the Fall of 2006, the computer science department changed the format of this service course from a single 3 hours of credit, to separate 1.5 hours of credit for the lecture component and .5 credits for each five-week lab component. The objective of this paper is to discuss the rationale and benefits of this change in course structure. Lecture and lab module contents also are described.
TREE HYBRIDIZATION AND GENOTYPIC VARIATION DRIVE CRYPTIC SPECIATION OF A SPECIALIST MITE HERBIVORE

Few studies have investigated the roles that plant hybridization and individual plant genotype play in promoting population divergence within arthropod species. Using nrDNA sequence information and reciprocal transfer experiments, we examined how tree cross type (i.e., pure Populus angustifolia and P. angustifolia × P. fremontii F1 type hybrids) and individual tree genotype influence host race formation in the bud-galling mite Aceria parapopuli. Three main findings emerged: (1) Strong genetic differentiation of mite populations found on pure P. angustifolia and F1 type hybrids indicates that these mites represent morphologically cryptic species. (2) Within the F1 type hybrids, population genetic analyses indicate migration among individual trees; however, (3) transfer experiments show that the mites found on heavily infested F1 type trees perform best on their natal host genotype, suggesting that genetic interactions between mites and their host trees drive population structure, local adaptation, and host race formation. These findings argue that hybridization and genotypic differences in foundation tree species may drive herbivore population structure, and have evolutionary consequences for dependent arthropod species.
Systemic primary carnitine deficiency: an overview of clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management

Systemic primary carnitine deficiency (CDSP) is an autosomal recessive disorder of carnitine transportation. The clinical manifestations of CDSP can vary widely with respect to age of onset, organ involvement, and severity of symptoms, but are typically characterized by episodes of hypoketotic hypoglycemia, hepatomegaly, elevated transaminases, and hyperammonemia in infants; skeletal myopathy, elevated creatine kinase (CK), and cardiomyopathy in childhood; or cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, or fatigability in adulthood. The diagnosis can be suspected on newborn screening, but is established by demonstration of low plasma free carnitine concentration ( T (p.P46S) mutation being the most frequent mutation identified. CDSP should be differentiated from secondary causes of carnitine deficiency such as various organic acidemias and fatty acid oxidation defects. CDSP is an autosomal recessive condition; therefore the recurrence risk in each pregnancy is 25%. Carrier screening for at-risk individuals and family members should be obtained by performing targeted mutation analysis of the SLC22A5 gene since plasma carnitine analysis is not a sufficient methodology for determining carrier status. Antenatal diagnosis for pregnancies at increased risk of CDSP is possible by molecular genetic testing of extracted DNA from chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis if both mutations in SLC22A5 gene are known. Once the diagnosis of CDSP is established in an individual, an echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, CK concentration, liver transaminanses measurement, and pre-prandial blood sugar levels, should be performed for baseline assessment. Primary treatment involves supplementation of oral levocarnitine (L-carnitine) at a dose of 50–400 mg/kg/day divided into three doses. No formal surveillance guidelines for individuals with CDSP have been established to date, however the following screening recommendations are suggested: annual echocardiogram and electrocardiogram, frequent plasma carnitine levels, and CK and liver transaminases measurement can be considered during acute illness. Adult women with CDSP who are planning to or are pregnant should meet with a metabolic or genetic specialist ideally before conception to discuss management of carnitine levels during pregnancy since carnitine levels are typically lower during pregnancy. The prognosis for individuals with CDSP depends on the age, presentation, and severity of symptoms at the time of diagnosis; however the long-term prognosis is favorable as long as individuals remain on carnitine supplementation.
Semi‐Random Two‐Acceptor Polymers: Elucidating Electronic Trends Through Multiple Acceptor Combinations

Four semi-random poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based donor/acceptor copolymers each containing two different acceptor monomers with a total acceptor content of 15% and a constant 1:1 acceptor ratio are synthesized (P3HTT-BTD-DPP, P3HTT-TP-DPP, P3HTT-TP-TPD, and P3HTT-BTD-TPD). All four polymers have considerably broadened absorption spectra compared with P3HT and the shape of the absorption profile and the bandgap of the two-acceptor copolymers can be predicted through a linear combination of absorption profiles of the respective one-acceptor semi-random copolymers. Important properties of P3HT, such as semicrystallinity, high hole mobility, and favorable mixing with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) in solar cells at low fullerene ratios are retained for all of the two-acceptor copolymers. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies of two-acceptor copolymers are, in almost all cases, higher than the lowest measured value for the corresponding “parent” one-acceptor polymers and are in some cases higher than the values for both. The HOMO energies correlate in a generally linear fashion with the Voc measured in solar cells. Efficiencies of up to 3% emphasize the promise of this class of polymers.