cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast cochlear amplification with slow outer hair cells.

Abstract In mammalian cochleas, outer hair cells (OHCs) produce mechanical amplification over the entire audio-frequency range (up to 100 kHz). Under the ‘somatic electromotility’ theory, mechano-electrical transduction modulates the OHC transmembrane potential, driving an OHC mechanical response which generates cycle-by-cycle mechanical amplification. Yet, though the OHC motor responds up to at least 70 kHz, the OHC membrane RC time constant (in vitro upper limit ∼1000 Hz) reduces the potential driving the motor at high frequencies. Thus, the mechanism for high-frequency amplification with slow OHCs has been a two-decade-long mystery. Previous models fit to experimental data incorporated slow OHCs but did not explain how the OHC time constant limitation is overcome. Our key contribution is showing that negative feedback due to organ-of-Corti functional anatomy with adequate OHC gain significantly extends closed-loop system bandwidth and increases resonant gain. The OHC gain-bandwidth product, not just bandwidth, determines if high-frequency amplification is possible. Due to the cochlea’s collective traveling-wave architecture, a single OHC’s gain need not be great. OHC piezoelectricity increases the effectiveness of negative-feedback but is not essential for amplification. Thus, emergent closed-loop network dynamics differ significantly from open-loop component dynamics, a generally important principle in complex biological systems.
Incorporation of deformation twinning in crystal plasticity models

Abstract A new constitutive framework, together with an efficient time-integration scheme, is presented for incorporating the crystallography of deformation twinning in polycrystal plasticity models. Previous approaches to this problem have required generation of new crystal orientations to reflect the orientations in the twinned regions or implementation of “volume fraction transfer” schemes, both of which require an update of the crystal orientations at the end of each time step in the simulation of the deformation process. In the present formulation, all calculations are performed in a relaxed configuration in which the lattice orientation of the twinned and the untwinned regions are pre-defined based on the initial lattice orientation of the crystal. The validity of the proposed constitutive framework and the time-integration procedures has been demonstrated through comparisons of predicted rolling textures in low stacking fault energy fcc metals and in hcp metals with the corresponding predictions from the earlier approaches as well as through qualitative comparisons with the measurements reported previously.
Leukocyte surface antigens in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract Lymphocytes phenotypes have been measured in 20 normal females, 19 normal males, 3 females with acute exacerbations of MS and 21 females and 17 males with chronic progressive MS. Using a FACS IV, lymphocytes were gated by light scattering properties, and fluorescence was analyzed using a log amplifier. No abnormalities were found in the 3 females with acute exacerbations. In male patients the percentage of OKT8 was significantly reduced, the percentage of OKT4 was significantly increased, and the ratio of OKT4/T8 was increased. In females with chronic progressive disease the percentage of OKT8 was not statistically altered, but the percentage of OKT4 and the OKT4/T8 ratio were elevated. Interpretation of these findings requires more extensive study in control populations.
Cellular immunosenescence in F344 rats: Decline in responsiveness to phytohemagglutini involves changes in both T cells and macrophages

Abstract Spleen cells from F344 male rats showed decreased DNA synthetic responsiveness ([ 3 H]thymidine incorporation) with age to the T cell mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Decreased proliferative responses were associated with decreased production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and could be partially restored by providing exogenous IL-2. Responses of spleen cells from aged rats could also be enhanced by removal of Sephadex G-10 adherent cells. Furthermore, co-culture of adherent cell-containing spleen cells from aged rats with nonadherent spleen cells from young rats resulted in suppression of responses. Purified peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEM) from aged rats showed potent regulatory effects of PHA responses of young and old nonadherent spleen cells resulting in suppression above 2.5% macrophage/nonadherent spleen cell ratios. PEM from young rats enhanced the response of young T cells but failed to affect the response of aged T cells. T cell proliferation in the presence of prostaglandin (PGE 1 ) showed age-dependent differences in regulation such that 10 −6 to 10 −7 M young responses were enhanced and old responses were suppressed. These results suggest that decreased responsiveness of T cells to PHA with age is a complex phenomenon involving changes in both production of regulatory mediators by T cells (IL-2) and macrophages (PGE) as well as changes in T cell responsiveness to these signals.
Toxic amines and alkaloids from acacia rigidula

Abstract Acacia rigidula Benth., blackbrush, is a shrub found growing on rocky ridges in west and southwest Texas and northern Mexico. Consumption of blackbrush and a related species guajillo, Acacia berlandieri Benth., has been associated with a locomotor ataxia known as limber leg. In an effort to identify the mechanism of this toxicity, blackbrush was subjected to rigorous chemical analysis. In addition to the four previously detected amines, N-methyl-β-phenethylamine, tyramine, N-methyltyramine, and hordenine, 40 other alkaloids and amines were isolated and identified by GC-MS. These alkaloids and amines included nicotine, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, mescaline, several tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, and four amphetamines. A significant increase in the number and relative quantities of these compounds was observed in late season foliage.
A Review of School-Based Drug Prevention Program Evaluations in the 1990s

Studies conducted over the past 20 years have found both knowledge models and affective models of drug prevention programs to be ineffective in changing adolescents' drug use. Social-Influence models have dominated school-based drug-prevention programs. This article reviews evaluation studies of programs published in the 1990s to identify significant program features that may influence the success of drug prevention education. Programs employing a social-influence model have not always been found to be effective. The results indicate that such models vary in their effectiveness depending on the substance. Reasons for limited program effectiveness are discussed along with recommendations for future programming and research.
Secure information flow analysis for hardware design: using the right abstraction for the job

Hardware designers need to precisely analyze high-level descriptions for illegal information flows. Language-based information flow analyses can be applied to hardware description languages, but a straight-forward application either conservatively rules out many secure hardware designs, or constrains the designers to work at impractically low levels of abstraction. We demonstrate that choosing the right level of abstraction for the analysis, by working on Finite State Machines instead of the hardware code, allows both precise information flow analysis and high-level programmability.
Useless and Useful Survivals: a Reply To Robert a. Segal

In an earlier issue I published an article comparing the ways in which certain late nineteenth and early twentieth century Western authors, on the one hand, and certain early medieval Chinese authors on the other, employed the concept of "survivals" as a strategy for interpreting opaque cultural behaviors.1 In a reply, Robert A. Segal has correctly pointed out that I dealt with only one branch of Western theory of survivals.2 He errs, however, not only in claiming that I lump different types of survival theory together, but in a few other respects as well. The issues his comments raise are instructive and well worth pursuing, and I would like to thank him at the outset for troubling himself to respond in print to my submission. Segal claims that my comments apply only to "survival of the useless," that is, to behaviors and concepts that now seem bizarre because they have outlasted their original context and lack congruity with contemporary life patterns, and not to "survival of the useful, which in its radical, Darwinian version has meant survival of the fittest" (Segal, 253).
Measurements of Electron-Ion Recombination in a Thermal Cesium Plasma

Recombination was investigated by a previously described technique using a thermal Cs plasma generated by contact ionization of Cs vapor and thermionic emission of electrons. The values obtained agree with values predicted by the theory of collisional-radiative recombination. The conclusion is that recombination by electron-electron-ion collisions predominates for ionizations of 7 to 90% and plasma densities of 10/sup 12/ to 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/, while dssociative recombination is of no importance. The rates of collisionalradiative recombination for Cs/sup +/ and H/sup +/ plasmas appear to be similar as predicted. (D.C.W.)
Genetic relatedness and population structure in the social wasp,Mischocyttarus mexicanus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

In primitively eusocial wasps workers often retain the ability to become queens, so their continued performance in the worker role is partly dependent on elevated genetic relatedness between workers and the brood they rear. In colonies of the social wasp,Mischocyttarus mexicanus, workers were related to female pupae by 0.29±0.12, a value that is significantly below the full sister value of 0.75, but not significantly below 0.50, worker relatedness to daughters. Though individuals often build new nests within meters of their natal nest, there was no genetic population structure discernable among four nest clusters, or inbreeding of any kind.
A within-event analysis of taste-potentiated odor and contextual aversions

A series of experiments was conducted to examine the phenomenon of potentiation. Experiment 1 demonstrated potentiation of odor aversions by taste when morphine served as the unconditioned stimulus (US). Experiment 2 provided evidence that the observed potentiation was due to a within-event association between odor and taste stimuli, rather than reflecting an enhanced odor-morphine association. In Experiment 3, morphine supported place conditioning to contextual cues and aversive conditioning to a taste cue, but potentiation of place conditioning by a taste cue was not obtained. Apparently the absence of potentiation was due to the dual nature of the morphine US, as potentiation of a contextual aversion by taste was obtained in Experiment 4 when a strictly aversive US (lithium) was used. These data suggest that potentiation depends on (1) an initially weak association between the to-be-potentiated conditioned stimulus (CS) element and the US, and (2) the elicitation of qualitatively similar responses by the individual elements of the CS compound. Collectively, these results support an explanation of potentiation based on within-event learning.
Physiological, cognitive and behavioral aspects of social anxiety.

Abstract Fifty-two socially-anxious and non-anxious individuals were assessed for indicators of physiological arousal, type of cognitions, and behavioral indicators of skill and anxiety within the context of a series of interpersonal tasks. These assessments included an unstructured interaction with an opposite-sex confederate, a similar interaction with a same-sex confederate and an impromptu speech. Results indicated that physiological reactivity occurred in most social situations in the socially anxious and to some extent in the non-socially anxious. An additional physiological index by which to differentiate the groups appeared to be latency to habituation. Socially-anxious individuals also have an increased number of negative cognitions and fewer positive cognitions. Situational factors appear to mediate the absolute level of reactivity. The results are discussed in terms of the assessment of the socially anxious, the role of physiological arousal, and the effect of situational context.
Relationship between physical and chemical properties of aluminum-containing adjuvants and immunopotentiation

Aluminum-containing adjuvants are an important component of many vaccines because they safely potentiate the immune response. The structure and properties of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, aluminum phosphate adjuvant and alum-precipitated adjuvants are presented in this review. The major antigen adsorption mechanisms, electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange, are related to the adjuvant structure. The manner by which aluminum-containing adjuvants potentiate the immune response is related to the structure, properties of the adjuvant and adsorption mechanism. Immunopotentiation occurs through the following sequential steps: inflammation and recruitment of antigen-presenting cells, retention of antigen at the injection site, uptake of antigen, dendritic cell maturation, T-cell activation and T-cell differentiation.
Age-related effects of chlorpyrifos on acetylcholine release in rat brain.

Abstract Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an organophosphorus insecticide that elicits toxicity through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Young animals are markedly more sensitive than adults to the acute toxicity of CPF. We evaluated acetylcholine (ACh) release and its muscarinic receptor-mediated regulation (i.e. muscarinic autoreceptor function, MAF) during maturation as a possible contributing factor to age-related differences in sensitivity. Cortical and striatal slices were prelabeled with [ 3 H ]choline chloride, superfused in the presence or absence of the anticholinesterase physostigmine (PHY, 20 μM) and stimulated twice (S1 and S2) with a high concentration of potassium chloride (20 mM). Depolarization-stimulated ACh release (DSAR) was lowest in neonatal, intermediate in juvenile and markedly higher in adult tissues. MAF was not detectable in tissues from neonatal rats but was present in juvenile and adult tissues. ACh release and MAF were studied at 4, 24 and 96 h following oral exposure to CPF (0, 0.5 or 1×LD10). In general, 40–60% and 80–90% maximal AChE inhibition followed exposure to the respective 0.5 and 1×LD10 dosages. DSAR was decreased in neonatal cortex 1 day after LD10 exposure but increased in juvenile striatum 1 day after LD10 treatment. In adults, DSAR was reduced at 4 and 24 h after exposure, but increased 96 h after CPF exposure. In juveniles, MAF was reduced in both brain regions at 24 h after 0.5LD10 exposure and at 24 and 96 h after LD10 exposure in cortex. A later reduction in MAF was noted in adult tissues (i.e. only at 96 h after LD10 treatment). Together, the results suggest that ACh release dynamics in brain vary markedly during postnatal maturation and that acute CPF exposure can alter ACh release in an age-related manner. The functional status of presynaptic processes regulating neurotransmitter release may contribute to age-related neurotoxicity elicited by high-dose exposures to chlorpyrifos.
Quark-lepton unification and rare meson decays.

We study meson decays mediated by the heavy gauge bosons of the Pati-Salam model of quark-lepton unification. We consider the scenarios in which the \ensuremath{\tau} lepton is associated with the third, second, and first generation of quarks. The most sensitive probes, depending on the scenario, are rare K, \ensuremath{\pi}, and B decays.
Metal carbonyl complexes containing group IV trimethylmetalloid substituted methyl isocyanides

Abstract The isocyanides Me3MCH2NC (M = St, Ge, Sn, Pb) were prepared via the lithio species Li[CH2NC] and Me3MX, and were used directly in the synthesis of complexes of molybdenum, Mo(CO) −6x(CNCH2 MMe3)x (X = 1, 2, 3), and chromium, Cr(CO)2 CNCH2MMe3. Infrared data for these complexes were recorded and shifts of ν(CN) and ν(CO) interpreted in terms of the inductive effect of the Me3M− group.
The new supply chain agenda: a synopsis and directions for future research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is first, to summarize the findings from the book The New Supply Chain Agenda (Slone, Dittmann, and Mentzer 2010). Second, it reviews associated academic research, identifies critical knowledge gaps, and suggests areas for future academic research that will aid scholars and managers in improving supply chain management (SCM) performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper summarizes and extends The New Supply Chain Agenda and juxtaposes the major elements of that book with a content review of existing literature in logistics and SCM to align gaps in knowledge with a call for future research.Findings – The findings deepen understanding of the complexities and interrelationships prevalent among the five pillars and help identify new ways to improve the performance impact of SCM initiatives.Research limitations/implications – Major areas for future research within the broad topics of talent management, technology, internal integration, external collaboration, and chang...
Hydrologic transport and partitioning of phosphorus fractions

Summary Phosphorus (P) in rainfall-runoff partitions between dissolved and particulate matter (PM) bound phases. This study investigates the transport and partitioning of P to PM fractions in runoff from a landscaped and biogenically-loaded carpark in Gainesville, FL (GNV). Additionally, partitioning and concentration results are compared to a similarly-sized concrete-paved source area of a similar rainfall depth frequency distribution in Baton Rouge, LA (BTR), where in contrast vehicular traffic represents the main source of pollutants. Results illustrate that concentrations of P fractions (dissolved, suspended, settleable and sediment) for GNV are one to two orders of magnitude higher than BTR. Despite these differences the dissolved fraction ( f d ) and partitioning coefficient ( K d ) distributions are similar, illustrating that P is predominantly bound to PM fractions. Examining PM size fractions, specific capacity for P (PSC) indicates that the P concentration order is suspended > settleable > sediment for GNV, similarly to BTR. For GNV the dominant PM mass fraction is sediment (>75 μm), while the mass of P is distributed predominantly between sediment and suspended (
Narcissism as a Predictor of Facebook Users' Privacy Concern, Vigilance, and Exposure to Risk

A model is developed and tested to explain the relationships among narcissism, privacy concern, vigilance, and exposure to risk on Facebook, with age and gender as controlling variables. Two important constructs are conceptualized and measured in this research. Facebook exposure is defined as the opportunity for privacy and security breaches on Facebook. Facebook vigilance is the extent to which consumers stay focused, attentive, and alert to potential security and privacy risks on Facebook by restricting who can access and post to their Facebook accounts. Data from a survey of 286 adult Facebook users in the U.S. support the hypothesized relationships in the model. Results suggest that narcissism is related to increased Facebook exposure and lower Facebook vigilance, despite greater stated concern for privacy and security. Furthermore, females and younger users have greater risk exposure compared to males and older users. Implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.
An automated component-based performance experiment environment

Performance experiments can involve multiple iterative runs where parameters such as the execution platform, measurement tools, methods of measurement, application parameters, and analysis techniques can vary. In order to manage the layers of complexity involved in setting up and running experiments, data management, and post analysis, a degree of abstraction and automation is necessary for each phase. We present an integrated component-based environment that leverages existing performance measurement and analysis technologies and automates the process of running multiple performance experiments and parameter selection of parallel scientific applications. Our component toolkit will enable application scientists to easily modify the experimental parameters over multiple execution runs and to selectively retrieve the data for analysis and generation of performance models.
K-type doubling of linear triatomic molecules in 3Π electronic states

Abstract Appropriate Hamiltonian matrices have been derived in order that the K -type doubling of linear triatomic molecules in 3 Π electronic states may be calculated. The results have been applied to the b 3 Π state of HCP and they give some support to an earlier vibrational analysis of this state.
GC rich DNA oligonucleotides with narrow minor groove width

Investigation of the width of the minor groove using 500 MHz NMR spectroscopy in three closely related 11-mer B-DNA duplexes shows that the minor groove is narrow in a GC rich oligonucleotide, and that a narrow minor groove is not something endemic to DNAs with persistent repetitions of adenine nucleotides (A-tract DNA). The width of the groove is dictated by local sequence contexts and independent of neighboring A-tract DNA.
Simplifications of the RELIEF flow tagging system for laboratory use

The use of an O2:He stimulated Raman cell to generate the Stokes beam for the Raman vibrational pumping step of the RELIEF (Raman Excitation plus Laser-Induced Electronic Fluorescence) flow tagging method is reported. Use of the Raman cell rather than a dye laser provides pump and Stokes beams which are automatically frequency matched and temporally and spatially overlapped. The Nd:YAG pump laser is operated multilongitudinal mode, which eliminates the need for injection seeding, resulting in decreased operation complexity and improved stability with respect to acoustic noise. Results are presented for 1st Stokes conversion efficiency and stimulated Brillouin backscattering loss and are compared to the case of pure O2. Scanning CARS measurements of the Q-branch lineshape for both pure O2 and the O2:He mixture are also presented.
Approach for extracting complex dielectric function spectra in weakly-absorbing regions

Abstract Ellipsometric spectra have been analyzed using a procedure whereby the complex dielectric function (e = e1 + ie2) is parameterized using different, physically realistic models in isolated regions of a single spectrum while layer thicknesses are kept common. The isolated spectral ranges correspond to regions where the material of interest is either non-absorbing or heavily absorbing and physically realistic models describing e are available. Common structural parameters (thicknesses) obtained by this divided spectral range approach are used to extract e by numerical inversion over the full spectral range. The divided spectral range analysis has been applied to study amorphous hydrogenated silicon, nanocrystalline zinc oxide, and epitaxial bismuth stannate thin films, as well as single crystal bismuth germanate. Layer thicknesses obtained from the divided range analysis are compared to those using continuous, but not necessarily physically supported, parameterizations of e over the full spectral range. The divided spectral range analysis yields inverted spectra in e which are free of discontinuities beyond noise present in experimental data and whose determination does not require any assumption to be made about the line shape of e in weakly absorbing regions.
Asymptotic behavior of area-minimizing currents in hyperbolic space

On etudie le comportement asymptotique des courants localement rectifiables minimisant l'aire dans un espace hyperbolique. On considere l'aspect theorie de la mesure geometrique et l'aspect equation aux derivees partielles
A possible regulatory role of glyoxalase I in cell viability of human prostate cancer.

A role of glyoxalase I (Gly-I), a detoxifying enzyme, in cell viability of prostate cancer was investigated. Cell extracts obtained from 66 prostate tissue specimens and prostatic cancer PC-3 cells were assayed for Gly-I activity using the spectrophotometric method. Gly-I activity was consistently more than eightfold higher in prostate cancer (CAP) specimens (n=37) than in non-cancerous (NCP) specimens (n=29). To understand the importance of such a high Gly-I activity in CAP specimens, the effects of methylglyoxal (MG) on PC-3 cells were examined in vitro. MG, a putative toxic glycolytic metabolite, was capable of inducing severe (>99%) cell death in 24 h, along with a significant reduction in activities of Gly-I as well as glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), a key glycolytic enzyme. However, such severe cell death was effectively (~85%) prevented with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor of reduced glutathione (GSH) that is an essential cofactor for Gly-I, accompanied by the intact Gly-I and G3PDH activities. Therefore, Gly-I may play a critical detoxifying role in glycolysis to maintain cellular activity and viability of prostatic cancer cells.
Acquisition of mitochondrial DNA by a transformation vector for Ustilago violacea

Abstract Plasmid pUCH1 is a 5.2-kb pUC18 construct bearing the hygB gene fused to a promoter from Cochliobolus heterostrophus . Haploid cells of the basidiomycete, Ustilago violacea , were transformed with this plasmid. In addition to multiple integrations of plasmid sequences into U. violacea nuclear DNA, vector sequences independent of the nuclear genome were indicated by Southern-blot analysis using all or part of pUCH1 as a probe. Hybridization also revealed intact pUCH1 and several larger derivatives in satellite bands from CsCl- bis -benzamide gradients of whole cellular DNA and in DNA from purified mitochondria [mitochondrial (mt) DNA preparations] of transformed U. violacea; circular DNAs consistent with the sizes of DNAs in these satellite bands were seen in electron microscope analyses of the same mt DNA preparations as well. The plasmids could be detected in mt DNA preparations even after 30 generations of transformant growth under selective pressure. Transformation of Escherichia coli by these mt DNA preparations produced bacterial transformants bearing intact pUCH1, as well as several pUCH1 derivatives, including pUCH2, an approx. 8.0-kb plasmid. A 2.5-kb Eco RI fragment from pUCH2 showed only weak hybridization with pUCH 1. This unique fragment did hybridize strongly with mt DNA from untransformed U. violacea . This derivative thus appears to have acquired mt sequences from U. violacea .
Cu(II) complexes of cytosine, cytidine and 5′-cytidylic acid

Abstract The synthesis and electronic and magnetic properties of three Cu(II) complexes containing cytosine, its nucleoside and nucleotide, Cu(cytosine)2Cl2, Cu(cytidine) (OH)·5/2H2O and Cu(5′-cytidylic acid) (H2O)6 are reported. Electronic spectra are interpreted in terms of a distorted octahedral model for the coordination geometry about Cu(II). The EPR spectra are consistent with this interpretation, and the cytidine and 5′-cytidylic acid complexes exhibit full-field and half-field bands originating in spin-coupled species. The variable temperature magnetic susceptibilities and room temperature field-dependence data of the cytidine and 5′-cytidylic acid complexes are consistent with ferromagnetic coupling of Cu(II) centers while Curie-Weiss behavior is followed by the cytosine complex down to 12°K. The IR spectra of all the complexes indicate bidentate chelation via C(2)O and N(3); evidence for phosphate coordination is found in the 5′-cytidylic acid complex.
Teaching electronic commerce (panel session)

This panel will discuss various approaches and issues pertaining to the development and implementation of courses in Electronic Commerce — at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. There has never been a better time to be teaching e-commerce. Web applications have evolved to a point where Gilder's “hollowing out the computer” seems almost achievable — as dot-com companies eager to build market share provide essential tools for the price of an eyeball (multiplied by the size of your outlook address book). The same toolbox that is creating an exciting and accessible platform for building e-businesses can be used to build the e-commerce classes that introduce students to such endeavors. This situation makes it possible to augment local school platforms to design rich, portable e-commerce classes that teach students the fundamentals of e-business as well as empower them to stretch the definition of this evolving phenomenon.The panel will explore key issues and options for the design of e-commerce classes, including: the structure of e-commerce classes — types of requirements, amount of hands-on experience, amount of programming required; appropriate content for various types of classes and how to keep it current; textbook options — what's out there, what's coming up, how people have supplemented these texts; platform options — local programs vs. web-based applications, providing students with marketable skills; where to apply technology — in projects, small hands-on exercises, in class management and communications; and managing projects — client relationships, limiting project scope, and team management.
Repair of furcal perforations with mineral trioxide aggregate: Two case reports

Furcal perforation is an unfortunate incident that can occur during root canal therapy or post preparation of multirooted teeth. Studies have shown that the materials currently used to repair these iatrogenic accidents are inadequate. The poor prognosis of furcation perforations is probably due to bacterial leakage or lack of biocompatibility of repair materials. On the basis of the recent physical and biologic property studies of the newly introduced mineral trioxide aggregate, this material may be suitable for closing the communication between the pulp chamber and the underlying periodontal tissues. These case reports support this hypothesis.
Dictyostelids from aerial “canopy soil” microhabitats

Abstract The leaf litter decomposition zone of forest soils is generally considered as the primary microhabitat for dictyostelid cellular slime molds (dictyostelids), but these organisms also occur in other types of soils and are sometimes coprophilous. The occurrence of dictyostelids in aerial microhabitats has received relatively little study. However, they can be surprisingly abundant in the mantle of dead organic matter (literally a “canopy soil”) often found at the bases of epiphytes that grow on the larger branches and trunks of trees in moist temperate and tropical forests. More than 400 samples collected from the canopy soil microhabitat in 11 localities in several different regions of the world yielded at least 37 species of dictyostelids. Some of the species recovered from canopy soil have been described as new to science, and three of these are not yet known from ground soil.
Formation of interfacial area in immiscible liquids by orifice mixers

This paper deals with the dispersion of one immiscible liquid in another (water in kerosene) by means of an orifice mixer. The degree of mixing was determined by measuring the area per unit volume of the dispersed phase. The area was measured with a photoelectric device, which had been calibrated photographically. The interfacial area formed at high Reynolds numbers (10,000 to 45,000, based on the diameter of the orifice) was found to increase with increases in both the volume fraction of water in the water-kerosene mixture and the change in kinetic energy across the orifice. In addition, other aspects such as the rate of coalescence of the dispersed phase downstream from the orifice are treated.
Placental copper transport in the rat: role of low-molecular-weight ligands.

Abstract In this study we investigated whether two low-molecuIar-weight (LMW) ligands with high affinity for copper (Cu) play a role in the transplacental transport of Cu in the rat. Dams on days 20-21 of gestation were anesthetized and injected via the femoral vein with 5 mg/kg (79 μmol/kg) Cu in 0.5 ml, as either the acetate [Cu(AcO)2], as a 1:10 mixture with L-histidine [Cu(His)10], or as the Cu-(glycyl-glycyl-L-histidine)[G-G-H] complex. Controls received saline. After laparotomy, several fetuses and their placentas were removed at 0, 10, 20, 40, and 60 min after injection, simultaneously with dam blood. Peak Cu concentration in dam plasma occurred at 10 min and was highest following Cu(AcO)2 injection. At 10 and 20 min the placentas from the Cu(AcO)2 and the Cu(G-G-H) groups had higher Cu levels than the controls. By 40 min placentas from all rats injected with Cu had similar Cu concentrations. In the Cu(AcO)2 group there was a positive correlation between dam plasma and placental Cu (r = 0.527, P
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MELTING VERTICAL ICE CYLINDERS IN COLD WATER

Short vertical ice cylinders were melted in quiescent ambient cold fresh water to visualize the melting and the resulting convective motions. Melting rates and heat transfer parameters were also determined. The cylinder penetrated the water surface, to model the melting of floating surface ice. Melting experiments over the ambient medium temperature range, t ∞, from 2 to 7°C covered the whole gamut of differing and complicated effects found to be associated with the occurance of a density extremum. At t ∞ = 2°C, simple general upflow is found, at t ∞ = 7°C simple downflow. Between these two limits, three different and much more complicated regimes arose. Buoyancy force reversal arises first, with increasing t ∞, at about 4°C. Then local flow reversal follows, in the range to about 5.3°C. Finally a convective inversion, that is, an average flow reversal, occurs. A tremendous variation of flow pattern occurs over a range of only a few degrees. Melting rates become very low in the region of inversion. This w...
METCRAX 2006 Meteorological Experiments in Arizona's Meteor Crater

Field and numerical studies of the evolution of the atmosphere in the near-ideal, basin-shaped crater have led to an extensive dataset exhibiting many stable boundary layer phenomena and their interactions with background flows.
Reactivity and selectivity in hydrovinylation of strained alkenes.

The scope of Ni(II)-catalyzed hydrovinylation has been extended to strained alkenes such as heterobicyclic [2.2.1]heptanes and cylobutenes. Reactions involving the heterobicyclic compounds are rare examples for this class of compounds where the metal-catalyzed C−C bond-forming reactions proceed without a concomitant ring-opening process. While the enantioselectivity in these systems remains modest, hydrovinylation of endo-5,6--bis-benzyloxymethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene gives excellent yield (>90%) of the product with one of the highest enantioselectivities (95−99% ee) reported for a C−C bond-forming reaction of norbornenes.
An Evaluation of the Quality and Contents of Asthma Education on the World Wide Web

Study objectives: To measure the accessibility and quality of currently available asthma education World Wide Web sites using the following criteria: accessibility by readability, language, and download time; information quality based on inclusion of core educational concepts and compliance with Health On the Net (HON) principles; and utilization of innovative technology. Design: Objective evaluation of 145 Web sites. Measurements and results: Four search engines or directories (Yahoo, HON, Alta Vista, and Healthfinder) were searched for “asthma, patient information.” A maximum of 50 Web sites from each search engine or directory was evaluated. Only 90 of the 145 Web sites actually contained asthma educational material. The mean ( SD) time necessary to open each Web site on a 28.800-bits-per-second modem was 33.6 ( 36.6) s. The mean number of graphics on the Web sites was 24.6 ( 30.2) files per page. The educational material required a mean reading level beyond the 10th grade. Only nine Web sites contained multilingual asthma education material. The mean number of HON principles with which the Web sites conformed was 6.3 ( 1.0) of 8 principles; 14 Web sites conformed to all the HON criteria. The average Web site contained 4.9 ( 2.5) of 8 core asthma educational concepts, and only 20 Web sites contained all 8 educational concepts. Very few Web sites utilized innovative educational technology. Conclusions: While patient asthma education Web sites are common, asthma educational material contains many accessibility barriers, is highly variable in quality and content, and takes little innovative use of technology. Patient educational material currently available on the World Wide Web fails to meet the information needs of patients. (CHEST 2002; 121:1301–1307)
Risk-benefit-cost prioritisation of independent protection layers for a liquefied natural gas terminal

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations and facilities are growing in scale and number in many countries driven by the key role of natural gas for increasing regional and local energy security, particularly for electric power generation. While the industry has achieved remarkably high levels of safety, the reduction of residual risks associated with the unloading, storage and distribution in LNG terminals continues to be a top priority. This paper develops a risk benefit cost framework to support facilities planners in the selection and prioritisation of independent protection layers (IPLs), which are identified by an existing commonly adopted methodology known as layer of protection analysis (LOPA). Six incident scenarios are used to analyse and compare feasible process and equipment configurations that correspond to several IPLs. A benefit and cost comparison of the IPLs is made based on estimates of the potential reductions of the facility unavailability and the annualised costs of implementation. A tutorial example suggests how LNG facility managers would use the developed framework beyond the typical LOPA analysis to select and prioritise IPLs and other risk reduction activities.
Imaging Assessment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Response to Locoregional and Systemic Therapy

OBJECTIVE. This article focuses on imaging techniques and imaging findings after locoregional and systemic therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We discuss currently available locoregional and systemic therapies for HCC, imaging modalities and protocols used to assess HCC response, criteria for assessing HCC response, imaging appearances of treated HCC, and future directions. CONCLUSION. The evaluation of tumor response after systemic and locoregional therapies is essential in directing management for HCC. An understanding of the various therapeutic strategies and of their posttherapy imaging appearances is essential for accurately assessing treatment response. The evaluation of tumor response should include not only anatomic imaging biomarkers, such as reduction in tumor size, but also tumor enhancement and necrosis.
Toward a (De)constructive Psychology of African American Men

Recent psychological theory and research about African American men are overwhelmingly cast in crisis terms. Within such theory and research, the experimental mainstream and Afrocentric psychology seem diametrically opposed to each other with respect to causes and reasons for the crisis as well as strategies for intervention and remediation. The author argues that, such surface differences notwithstanding, both proceed from an unquestioned assumption of an essentialized, endangered, and embattled African American masculinity, the consequence of an epistemological similarity that is deeply implicated in the representational politics and discursive construction of African American men. In response, theau-thor presents an outline of a discursive and cultural psychological alternative to studying and understanding African American men.
Natural Language Programming Using Class Sequential Rules

This paper presents a system for Natural Language Programming using Class Sequential Rules (CSR). The system recognizes a number of procedural primitives and operators. The domain of the system is presently limited to the world of numbers and operations on numbers. We evaluate the effectiveness of CSRs at the task of Natural Language Programming using an annotated corpus of programming instructions in natural language, achieving a precision and recall of 85% and 64% respectively. We also compare the performance of a system trained on annotated data with that of a system using handcrafted rules.
Equation-of-state data and rotational excitations in solid methane and nitrogen

Abstract High temperature isochoric pressure-temperature traces in solid methane and nitrogen are used to evaluate ( ∂ P ∂ T ) v . A corresponding states analysis is presented; deviations from corresponding states are discussed in terms of molecular rotations.
Compliance with the International Code of Marketing of breast-milk substitutes: an observational study of pediatricians' waiting rooms.

Abstract The importance of breastmilk as a primary preventative intervention is widely known and understood by most healthcare providers. The actions or non-actions that heathcare providers take toward promoting and supporting breastfeeding families make a difference in the success and duration of breastfeeding. Recognizing this relationship, the World Health Organization developed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code), which defines best practices in breastfeeding promotion, including physicians' offices. The pediatric practices' waiting rooms are often a family's first experience with pediatric care. The specific aims of this study were to describe (1) Code compliance, (2) the demographic factors affecting the Code compliance, and (3) the amount and type of breastfeeding-supportive materials available in the pediatricians' waiting rooms. An observational cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 163 (82%) of the pediatric practices in Maricopa County, Arizo...
Species of plants and associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi mediate mycorrhizal responses to CO2 enrichment

It has been suggested that enrichment of atmospheric CO2 should alter mycorrhizal function by simultaneously increasing nutrient-uptake benefits and decreasing net C costs for host plants. However, this hypothesis has not been sufficiently tested. We conducted three experiments to examine the impacts of CO2 enrichment on the function of different combinations of plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi grown under high and low soil nutrient availability. Across the three experiments, AM function was measured in 14 plant species, including forbs, C3 and C4 grasses, and plant species that are typically nonmycorrhizal. Five different AM fungal communities were used for inoculum, including mixtures of Glomus spp. and mixtures of Gigasporaceae (i.e. Gigaspora and Scutellospora spp.). Our results do not support the hypothesis that CO2 enrichment should consistently increase plant growth benefits from AM fungi, but rather, we found CO2 enrichment frequently reduced AM benefits. Furthermore, we did not find consistent evidence that enrichment of soil nutrients increases plant growth responses to CO2 enrichment and decreases plant growth responses to AM fungi. Our results show that the strength of AM mutualisms vary significantly among fungal and plant taxa, and that CO2 levels further mediate AM function. In general, when CO2 enrichment interacted with AM fungal taxa to affect host plant dry weight, it increased the beneficial effects of Gigasporaceae and reduced the benefits of Glomus spp. Future studies are necessary to assess the importance of temperature, irradiance, and ambient soil fertility in this response. We conclude that the affects of CO2 enrichment on AM function varies with plant and fungal taxa, and when making predictions about mycorrhizal function, it is unwise to generalize findings based on a narrow range of plant hosts, AM fungi, and environmental conditions.
On the application of robust functionals in regularized image restoration

The authors address aspects of robust estimation in regularized image restoration, with the utilization of nonquadratic objective functions. The structural flexibility of generalized maximum-likelihood functions and M-estimators is exploited to provide accurate representation of a wide class of posterior (noise) distribution functions. The utilization of nonquadratic smoothing functionals for the restoration of sharp edges is addressed. In the context of robust estimation, the authors introduce novel entropic functionals that operate on a high-pass version of the original image and can accurately characterize a wide ensemble of images. The entropic functionals permit large signal deviations and enable the reconstruction of sharp edges. The properties of the robust algorithms are demonstrated through restoration examples in different noise environments. >
Periosteal margin in soft-tissue sarcoma.

BACKGROUND. Soft-tissue sarcomas frequently rest in contact with bone. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the risk of local recurrence for sarcomas adjacent to bone and to determine whether the periosteum provides an adequate margin of resection. METHODS. Fifty patients with soft-tissue sarcomas abutting bone were treated at a single institution between 1990 and 2004. All patients had high-grade, T2 (>5 cm), nonmetastatic disease in the lower extremity. Bone contact was verified by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computed tomography (CT) scans. Forty-three of 50 patients received preoperative radiation with a mean dose of 50 Gy. In 11 cases a composite resection of bone and soft tissue was performed. In 39 cases the excision involved only soft tissue. RESULTS. True bone invasion was verified by histopathologic examination in 3 of 50 cases (6%). Local recurrence in the soft tissues developed in 8 of 50 (16%) patients. In no case did the recurrence involve destruction of cortical bone or erosion into bone. The recurrent tumor resided against the region of previous bone contact in 1 of 8 cases. There was no statistically significant difference in local recurrence between patients who had composite bone resection and patients who had soft-tissue resection only (P = .87). CONCLUSIONS. Relatively few sarcomas are able to penetrate cortical bone. Composite bone and soft-tissue resections are indicated primarily for frank bone invasion. In the absence of this, the periosteum is an adequate surgical margin for sarcomas treated with wide excision and radiation. Cancer 2007;109:598–602. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Naval Stores Extraction in Eastern North Carolina: The Historical Basis of Spatial Inequality within a Core Nation

Within world-systems research there is an overwhelming tendency to treat nation-states as homogenous wholes. With some notable exceptions. this approach downplays the existence and operation of core-periphery relations on the sub-national level and the resultant inequality between different regions of nation-states. This study uses various complementary literatures in an integrative fashion to address this lacuna within the world-systems approach. We argue that uneven geographical development within core nations can at least partially be explained by the historical appropriation of natural capital; a universal process in which site-specific geographic factors and the larger political-economic context of the world-system interact. over time. to produce linked regions of relative accumulation and deprivation. To demonstrate the utility of this approach. we examine eastern North Carolina "s history as the principal producer of naval stores for Great Britain "s navy during Britain "s ascension toward hegemonic status in the world-system during the eighteenth century. We highlight how those initial extractive activities functioned as a "de-generative sector, hindering the region "s overall development. We argue generally for a synthetic approach to development theory and corresponding empirical examinations of modern and historical inequalities.
A Review of “Customer Service in Libraries: Best Practices”

Customer Service in Libraries: Best Practices is an excellent how-to guide on crafting and improving many aspects of public service in libraries. Each chapter is authored by an individual librarian...