cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Making Planning Relevant to Public Agency Management.

Abstract The special considerations of planning in the public area have exercised many minds during the last decade. In this article the author reports on the particular experience of the (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from the initiation of a new planning system in 1972 to 1975. The lessons learned and the conclusions drawn from this experience are described in the article, many of which will have relevance to public sector planning in other environments.
It's All Relative: Different Levels of Relational Similarity Used in Children's Comparisons.

Using a sticker search task, Gentner and Rattermann (Perspectives on thought and language: Interrelations in development (Gelman & Byrnes, Eds.), pp. 225-227, 1991) found that the ability to ignore surface features and match objects in terms of relative size emerged around 5 years of age. However, because spatial position covaried with relative size, it was unclear which of these relations successful children used. To find out, we tested 5-year-olds with the same sticker search task, but manipulated spatial position. Children performed significantly worse, though not randomly, when they were prevented from using spatial position to find the sticker. This finding suggests that children use spatial position when they can, but are capable of using relative size if they must.
ADVANCES IN APPLIED ECOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES A novel mark–recapture technique and its application to monitoring the direction and distance of local movements of rangeland grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the context of pest management

Summary 1. Rangeland grasshopper movement was studied in Wyoming, USA, with respect to the biological and ecological factors (population density, developmental stage and weather) influencing net displacement and directionality. 2. A novel adaptation of the mark–recapture method was developed to monitor grasshopper dispersal. The method used fluorescent powder and resighting marked grasshoppers in the field with ultraviolet light, rather than physical recapturing of individuals. 3. Rangeland grasshoppers exhibited a strong tendency for directional movement. Adult grasshoppers demonstrated a significant tendency for dispersal in a north-westerly direction across a range of population densities (5–8, 10–15 and ≥ 18 grasshoppers m–2). Although not a definitive explanation, weather might have influenced this behaviour, as the grasshoppers consistently moved upwind. 4. The mean displacement of grasshoppers in a 36-h period ranged from 2·3 m in nymphs to 3·7 m in adults, with the distance of displacement being positively correlated with population density. 5. An understanding of grasshopper movement in terms of directionality and displacement has immediate applicability to reduced agent–area treatments for rangeland grasshopper management.
Exclusion of aortic tear in the unstable trauma patient: the utility of transesophageal echocardiography.

Objective : The goal of this study was to investigate the value of biplanar transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as a screening tool for aortic tear in unstable trauma patients. Methods : During a 1-year period, a prospective trial to exclude aortic tear was conducted at a level I trauma center. Ten of 53 patients (19%) sustaining severe blunt thoracic trauma were deemed too unstable to undergo safe transport to aortography and underwent TEE. Mechanism of injury was motor vehicle crash in eight patients and pedestrians struck in two. Patients had a mean Injury Severity Score = 34 (range, 17 to 59) and mean age = 43 years (range, 18 to 77). Indications for aortic tear evaluation were chest x-ray findings in seven and mechanism of injury alone in three. Patients were not transportable because of hemodynamic instability in five individuals, severe unstable head injury in three individuals, and unstable cervical spine fracture in two individuals. Results : Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in the emergency department in one instance, in the operating room in one instance, and in the surgical intensive care unit in the remaining eight instances. Patients underwent the procedure less than 8 hours after admission in seven and more than 48 hours after admission in three. One patient had a complication during TEE (ventricular dysrhythmias). In one of ten patients, TEE was positive. This patient required medical management (β-blockade) for aortic tear until severe hypoxia secondary to pulmonary contusion improved after 36 hours. Repair of aortic tear was then successfully performed. Conclusions : The TEE procedure is valuable in identifying aortic injury in high-risk trauma patients who are too unstable to undergo transport to the aortography suite.
Population genetics of the carinate pillsnail, Euchemotrema hubrichti : genetic structure on a small spatial scale

Euchemotrema hubrichti (Pilsbry HA (1940) Volume 1, Part 2. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 3, I-VI, 2, 575–994, I-IX) is a polygyrid land snail known only from the Larue Pine Hills region of southwestern Illinois, USA. Despite the restricted range of the species, observations in the field suggested that patterns of genetic variation within E. hubrichti might show geographic structure. To assess the dispersal potential of E. hubrichti, a mark-recapture experiment was performed at two sites <100 meters apart. To evaluate the geographic distribution of genetic variation, a region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene was sequenced from 53 snails collected from sites spanning the species range. Mark-recapture experiments suggested that population sizes at two sites were low and migration between sites was not detected. AMOVA and nested clade analysis (NCA) revealed significant genetic structure among sites. Two sites in particular appeared to be isolated from the others based on nested clade analysis. AMOVA also detected significant genetic differentiation among sites, but partitioning the data into two groups (populations 1 and 2) based on the NCA results did not explain a significant amount of genetic variation. Coalescent methods suggested that population sizes and migration rates for populations 1 and 2 are unequal. These patterns are likely due to the low dispersal ability of E. hubrichti and patchiness of preferred E. hubrichti habitat rather than an ancient vicariant event. These preliminary findings have implications both for the conservation of this species and for the population genetics of any spatially restricted endemic species with low dispersal ability.
Krylov Subspace Acceleration of Waveform Relaxation

In this paper we describe and analyze Krylov subspace techniques for accelerating the convergence of waveform relaxation for solving time-dependent problems. A new class of accelerated waveform methods, convolution Krylov subspace methods, is presented. In particular, we give convolution variants of the CG algorithm and the GMRES algorithm and analyze their convergence behavior. We prove that the convolution Krylov subspace algorithms for initial value problems have the same convergence bounds as their linear algebra counterparts. Analytical examples are given to illustrate the operation of convolution Krylov subspace methods. Experimental results are presented which show the convergence behavior of traditional and convolution waveform methods applied to solving a linear initial value problem as well as the convergence behavior of static Krylov subspace methods applied to solving the associated linear algebraic equation.
Effects of kepone and mirex on mitochondrial Mg2+-ATPase activity in rat liver.

Abstract Effects of Kepone and Mirex on the hepatic mitochondrial Mg2+ ATPase (MATPase) activity was determined in vitro using mitochondrial preparations from male rats. In addition, the effect of preexposure of animals to Kepone on MATPase activity was also investigated. Kepone added to the mitochondrial preparations in vitro was an efficacious inhibitor of MATPase activity (I50 = 4.7 × 10−7 m ). Results of the kinetic experiments indicate that Kepone inhibits MATPase in a non-competitive manner. DNP (10−4 m )-stimulated MATPase activity was totally abolished by 10−6 m Kepone and, at higher concentrations (10−5 m ), native MATPase activity was also inhibited (95%). Mirex was without any discernible effect on MATPase activity up to 2 × 10−5 m concentration. Preexposure of animals to 50, 100, and 150 ppm Kepone in the diet for 16 days resulted in a 40% demonstrable decrease in MATPase activity, indicating that Kepone interferes with energy metabolism in vivo. The marked sensitivity of MATPase to Kepone is suggestive of the potential for Kepone to interfere markedly with various energy requiring processes in the body.
Destabilization of the P Site Codon-Anticodon Helix Results from Movement of tRNA into the P/E Hybrid State within the Ribosome

Retention of the reading frame in ribosomal complexes after single-round translocation depends on the acylation state of the tRNA. When tRNA lacking a peptidyl group is translocated to the P site, the mRNA slips to allow re-pairing of the tRNA with a nearby out-of-frame codon. Here, we show that this ribosomal activity results from movement of tRNA into the P/E hybrid state. Slippage of mRNA is suppressed by 3′ truncation of the translocated tRNA, increased MgCl2 concentration, and mutation C2394A of the 50S E site, and each of these conditions inhibits P/E-state formation. Mutation G2252U of the 50S P site stimulates mRNA slippage, suggesting that decreased affinity of tRNA for the P/P state also destabilizes mRNA in the complex. The effects of G2252U are suppressed by C2394A, further implicating the P/E state in mRNA destabilization. This work uncovers a functional attribute of the P/E state crucial for understanding translation.
Expression of IFN-γ-inducible chemokines in inclusion body myositis

Because IFN-gamma-inducible chemokines, Mig (CXCL9), IP-10 (CXCL10), I-TAC (CXCL11) and their receptor, CXCR3, are critical molecules in T cell trafficking and generation of effector T cells, we examined their expression in the muscle biopsies of patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis (s-IBM) and disease controls. The functional role of these molecules was also studied by examining the effect and time kinetics of IFN-gamma in inducing Mig and IP-10 expression in human myotubes in vitro. We found significantly high levels of Mig and IP-10 mRNA expression in s-IBM muscles compared to controls. IFN-gamma upregulated the mRNA expression of Mig and IP-10 by human myotubes in a dose-dependent manner. By double-label immunohistochemistry, Mig was expressed on a subset of CD8(+) cells and the areas of the muscle fiber in contact or contiguous to the T cells; CXCR3 was expressed only on a subset of the autoinvasive CD8(+) T cells but not the myofibers. IP-10 and I-TAC were not detected by immunocytochemistry. The findings indicate that in s-IBM, IFN-gamma is involved in the upregulation and in situ production of proinflammatory chemokines, which, in turn, participate in the recruitment of activated T cells and contribute to the self-sustaining nature of endomysial inflammation.
Can Economic Theory Stop being a Cheerleader for Corporate Capitalism

In the view of the authors, American corporate cap italism has become dominant in the world over the past 50 years. But modem economic growth and the rise of materialism that it engenders has been going on for two and a half centuries, and antedates the emergence of advertising and corporate control of the media. Roman tic movements as far back as those of nineteenth cen tury Great Britain and Germany have decried to no avail the stress on "getting and spending". The authors, in fingering American corporate capitalism as the culprit in the rise of materialism, overlook social mechanisms that have fostered the increasing pursuit of material goals since well before the emergence of American cor porate capitalism-in particular they stress relatively recent features of production to the neglect of fun damental social and psychological characteristics of consumers. Notes
Replacement of Fifty Per Cent of the Lactose Intake by Lactulose Does Not Impair Weight Gain in Piglets

Replacement of Fifty Per Cent of the Lactose Intake by Lactulose Does Not Impair Weight Gain in Piglets
Enhancing students' sense of community in online environments

Thisposter sessionpresentsan information use model on how Wimba and Scond Life can facilitate collaborative platforms for users to build sense of communities in distance learning, and to extend their real life experience into virtual learning environments.
Technical Note Characterization of a Synthetic Foam as a Model for Human Cancellous Bone

Biomechanical testing of orthopaedic implants in cadaver bone has provided valuable information. However, the reliability of these studies is often hampered by the wide variation in the mechanical properties of the substrate.'" Differences between samples have been attributed to vari- ations in location within the bone,',3 age, sex, and pre- existing metabolic condition~.~,~ A material with known consistent mechanical properties similar to those of human cancellous bone would provide an attractive alternative as a test substrate. Trabecular bone is made up of a porous network of connecting rods and plates. The stress-strain curve of trabecular bone under compression also has a similar appearance to that of a cellular f~am.~,~,'~ During the first phase of loading these materials exhibit a linear elastic response as the components of the material elastically compress or bend. At higher loads they begin to yield and the cell walls begin to collapse; under constant load they meet and touch. The resistance to load increases, giving rise to a final increasingly steep portion to the stress-strain curve.2Jo Daro foam (Daro Products, Butler, WI 53007) is a polyurethane foam formed by blending a resin and an isocyanate. It was originally developed to be used as a substitute for trabecular bone in mechanical testing by Hein et a1.l' Prior to polymerization the material can be poured or injected into a mold to form the desired shape and once it hardens it can be machined easily. By varying the ratio of resin to isocyanate the foam can be altered to produce a range of mechanical properties. Although it has been used by a number of other investigators in previous studies as a model for trabecular bone?,8J' the properties and preparation technique for the foams produced have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to report the mechanical properties and preparation technique for two compositions of Daro foam. In this study elastic modulus, yield, and
Hydrodynamic Focusing on a Silicon Chip: Mixing Nanoliters in Microseconds

We describe the formation and control of nanoscale, submerged fluid jets. The focusing process necessary to achieve these small length scales is characterized experimentally and theoretically. Fast mixing is one important application of nanoscale fluid control: We demonstrate this with a continuous-flow mixer capable of mix times of less than $10\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ and sample consumption rates of nanoliters per second. This new technique facilitates the study of fast reaction kinetics on time scales unattainable with conventional mixing technology.
Completeness in generalized ultrametric spaces

We analyze the relationship between four notions of completeness for Γ-ultrametric spaces. The notions we consider include Cauchy completeness, strong Cauchy completeness, spherical completeness and injectivity. In the process we show that the category of Γ-ultrametric spaces is equivalent to the category of flabby separated presheaves on Γ op .
ESR investigations of complexes of niobium(IV) chloride with oxygen donors

Also variation in anion radius and complex cation (thermochemical) radius [7] will cause the lattice energies for the aquo and acido complexes to be strongly dependent on the anion X. We consider that, because of lattice energy contributions to this solid state reaction, AH (observed) may not reflect the energies associated with bond breaking and bond making processes. It is interesting to note in contrast that AHR for the anation reaction in aqueous solution (Table 1) is least favourable for the chloride complex. The enthalpy change for a reaction is a state function and independent of the reaction path. Therefore it is incorrect for the authors to state[l] that the data "appears to favour an SN1 type mechanism". It has been shown previously that thermodynamic data of this kind can be used in the interpretation of mechanisms only when it is added algebraically to the activation enthalpy to give a transition enthalpy[5]; the transition enthalpy relates to the difference between the heat content of the transition state species and the heat content of a common reactant (or product).
A simple broadband stacked quasi-yagi antenna

A novel broadband stacked quasi-yagi antenna using simple feed line is presented. The proposed stacked antenna with the simple parallel feed microstrip lines on the front and the back side of high dielectric substrate provides compact size, wide bandwidth and high gain. The antenna is designed in a wide bandwidth from 7.8 to 12.8 GHz covering the entire X band. The maximum gain is 8.3dBi. The isolation is about 18dB between co-polarization and cross-polarization radiation patterns.
Spontaneous nematic alignment in conjugated-polymer gels

We report observations of optical birefringence indicative of spontaneous, long-range, nematic alignment in gels of polydiacetylene 4BCMU in toluene. The results indicate that an order parameter with magnitude of only \ensuremath{\sim} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ is maintained over macroscopic distances in an otherwise random system.
Intramolecular triplet exciton transfer in some noncoplanar aromatic systems

Abstract The observation by ESR of intramolecular triplet exciton transfer in some noncoplanar aromatic systems is reported. Activation energies for the process, obtained frame lineshape simulations, are given.
Relationships between patient characteristics and unsuccessful substance abuse detoxification.

Abstract Objective: History and laboratory evaluations are common for patients entering substance abuse detoxification programs. We sought to identify if patient history and laboratory characteristics entering a detoxification program were associated with unsuccessful detoxification. Design: Retrospective cohort study of 186 patients of a residential-inpatient short-term medical detoxification facility. Unsuccessful detoxification was defined as leaving for urgent medical referral or against program advice. Results: Patients were predominantly male, middle-aged, minority, unemployed, and poly-substance users. Twenty-four patients (13%) did not complete the detoxification program (4 left for urgent medical referral, 20 left against program advice). Unsuccessful detoxification was associated with nausea and/or vomiting (p = 0.032), Caucasian race (p = 0.002), and opiates as a drug of choice (p = 0.018). Laboratory abnormalities were common but none were associated with unsuccessful detoxification. Conclusio...
A differential equation model for predicting public opinions and behaviors from persuasive information: Application to the index of consumer sentiment

This paper shows that ideodynamics is a differential equation model capable ofpredicting public opinions and behaviors from persuasive information. Statistics are also developed for the model. The methodology is applied to predict the time trend of public opinion about the economy as quantified by the Index of Consumer Sentiment compiled by the University of Michigan. The explanatory variables are derived from news coverage of the economy in positive and negative terms.
NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 8: Summary report to phase 3 faculty and student respondents

Phase 3 of a four part study was undertaken to investigate the use of scientific and technical information (STI) in the academic aerospace community. Three questionnaires that were sent to three groups (i.e., faculty, librarians, and students) in the academic aerospace community were used. Specific attention was paid to the types of STI used and the methods in which academic users acquired STI. The focus is on the responses of two of the three groups: faculty in aerospace departments and students enrolled in the USRA-funded capstone design courses. Respondents in both groups relied heavily upon informal sources of information, although students were less inclined to regard their personal collections of STI as important. Both groups relied upon most formal sources of STI about the same, but students reported more difficulty in using the formal resources.
Using Spatial Point-Pattern Assessment to Understand the Social and Environmental Mechanisms That Drive Avian Habitat Selection

ABSTRACT. Understanding when species distributions should be ascribed to patterns in the physical habitat, rather than to the influence of social cues, is a crucial step in understanding avian habitat selection. To distinguish between these mechanisms, we assessed the point pattern of 213 Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) nests and the spatial autocorrelation of vegetation characteristics at two study sites. Our tests of aggregation at cumulative and discrete distance classes failed to detect any significant nonrandom pattern, which is consistent with the hypothesis that nest placement is random with respect to other nests. When the timing of nesting attempts was taken into account such that only previous or currently active nests were considered, there was still no evidence that females attempted to nest closer to other nests than expected given random site selection. The underlying spatial structure of the vegetation variables was somewhat patchy, but not in a way that was consistent between sit...
Heuristic-systematic information processing and risk judgment

The heuristic-systematic information processing model (HSM) holds that individuals will use one or both of these modes of information processing when attempting to evaluate information in order to arrive at a judgment. Systematic processing is defined by effortful scrutiny and comparison of information, whereas heuristic processing is defined by the use of cues to arrive more easily at a judgment. Antecedents to the two processing modes include information sufficiency, motivation, and self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling is used to examine competing configuration of this model and to evaluate the model as appropriate for predicting risk judgment. The model also is evaluated across three groups that vary with respect to their level of concern. These analyses are executed within a case study involving an epidemiological investigation of a suspected cancer cluster. The analysis confirms the HSM's theoretically proposed structure and shows it to be a useful vehicle for evaluating risk judgment. In the overall analysis, antecedent variables generally function as specified by theory. Systematic processing is predicted by greater motivation. Heuristic processing is predicted by information sufficiency. Self-efficacy is a significant predictor of both processing modes. And heuristic processing is shown to be associated with judgment of less risk. However, when the analysis is contrasted across three groups (those concerned about cancer, not concerned and uncertain) it is shown that the model is significantly more robust for the uncertain group. This finding may have implications for the use of the HSM in risk research specifically, and in field research generally.
Effect of Corticosterone and Prolactin on Fattening in Broiler Chicks

The influence of temporal interaction of corticosterone and prolactin on fattening in broilers was studied in male chicks subjected to continuous illumination. Injections were started at 26 days of age and each experiment continued for 10 days. Corticosterone, injected daily during nine days at a concentration of 300 or 600 microgram/bird/day significantly (P less than .01) decreased weight gain and increased abdominal fat pad size, skin dry matter, relative liver size, and liver fat content. Corticosterone injected at eight 1600 or 1000 hr elicited essentially the same response. Prolactin, injected daily either at 1600 or 1000 hr during nine days at a concentration of 232 microgram/bird/day, did not significantly affect any of the above parameters. The combination of corticosterone (600 microgram/bird/day for nine days) injected at 1600 hr and prolactin (232 microgram/bird/day) injected simultaneously or 18 hr or 42 hr later, caused a further significant (P less than .05) decrease in weight gain in two out of the three experiments. This combination, however, as well as that of 300 microgram corticosterone/bird/day, had no consistent effect on the parameters of fattening. It is concluded that fattening of chicks induced by injections of corticosterone and prolactin is mainly due to the effect of corticosterone.
Advances in displaying uncertain estimates of multiple targets

Both maximum likelihood estimation as well as minimum mean optimal subpattern assignment (MMOSPA) estimation have been shown to provide meaningful estimates in instances of target identity uncertainty when the number of targets present is known. Maximum likelihood measurement to track association (2D assignment) has been widely studied and is reviewed in this paper. However, it is widely believed that approximate MMOSPA estimation can not be performed in real time except when considering a very small number of targets. This paper demonstrates the MMOSPA estimator arises as a special case of a minimum mean Wasserstein metric estimator when the number of targets is unknown. Additionally, it is shown that approximate MMOSPA estimates can be calculated in microseconds to miliseconds without extensive optimization, making MMOSPA estimation a practicable alternative to more traditional estimators.
Experimental and finite element analysis of strains induced by axial tibial compression in young-adult and old female C57Bl/6 mice.

Axial compression of the mouse tibia is used to study strain-adaptive bone (re)modeling. In some studies, comparisons between mice of different ages are of interest. We characterized the tibial deformation and force-strain relationships in female C57Bl/6 mice at 5-, 12- and 22-months age. A three-gauge experimental method was used to determine the strain distribution at the mid-diaphysis, while specimen-specific finite element analysis was used to examine strain distribution along the tibial length. The peak strains in the tibial mid-diaphyseal cross-section are compressive and occur at the postero-lateral apex. The magnitudes of these peak compressive strains are 1.5 to 2 times those on the opposite, antero-medial face (a site often used for strain gauge placement). For example, -10 N force applied to a 5-months old mouse engenders a peak compressive strain of -2800 µe and a tensile strain on the antero-medial face of +1450 µe. The orientation of the neutral axis at the mid-diaphysis did not differ with age (p=0.46), indicating a similar deformation mode in young and old tibiae. On the other hand, from 5- to 22-months there is a 25% reduction in cortical thickness and moment of inertia (p<0.05), resulting in significantly greater tibial strain magnitudes in older mice for equivalent applied force (p<0.05). We conclude that comparisons of tibial loading responses in young-adult and old C57Bl/6 tibiae are facilitated by similar deformation pattern across ages, but that modest adjustment of force levels is required to engender matching peak strains.
Application of a fluorescent histone acetyltransferase assay to probe the substrate specificity of the human p300/CBP-associated factor.

Abstract Histone N -acetyltransferases (HATs) are a group of enzymes which acetylate specific lysine residues in the N-terminal tails of nucleosomal histones to promote transcriptional activation. Recent structural and enzymatic work on the GCN5/PCAF HAT family has elucidated the structure of their catalytic domain and mechanism of histone acetylation. However, the substrate specificity of these enzymes has not been quantitatively investigated. Utilizing a novel microplate fluorescent HAT assay which detects the enzymatic production of coenzyme A (CoA), we have compared the activities of the HAT domains of human PCAF and its GCN5 homologe from yeast and Tetrahymena and found that they have similar kinetic parameters. PCAF was further assayed with a series of different length histone H3 peptide substrates, which revealed that the determinants for substrate recognition lie within a 19-residue sequence. Finally, we evaluated the acetylation of three putative PCAF substrates, histones H3 and H4 and the transcription factor p53, and have determined that histone H3 is significantly preferred over the histone H4 and p53 substrates. Taken together, the fluorescent acetyltransferase assay presented here should be widely applicable to other HAT enzymes, and the results obtained with PCAF demonstrate a strong substrate preference for the N-terminal residues of histone H3.
Lamprophyres, Basanites, and Basalts of the Western Mexican Volcanic Belt: Volatile Contents and a Vein–Wallrock Melting Relationship

We present geochemical data for Quaternary basalts, basanites, and lamprophyres within the Colima and Mascota volcanic fields at the western end of the Mexican Volcanic Belt. On the basis of data for 11 whole-rock samples plus 124 glass inclusions and olivine host crystals, we evaluate a vein-wallrock melting relationship between the lamprophyres (vein-dominated melts) and the mafic calc-alkaline rocks (diluted by partial melting of peridotite wall-rock after exhaustion of phlogopite and other vein minerals). Whole-rock Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ and glass-inclusion %S 6+ indicate relatively high fO 2 in these magmas, up to several log units above the Ni-NiO buffer. The highest concentrations of water and most other volatile elements (7% H 2 O, 1460 ppm CO 2 , ∼2% SO 3 Total , 2400 ppm Cl, and ∼ 1% F) were recorded for a glass inclusion from a Colima minette with 48·2 wt % SiO 2 , 6·0 wt % K 2 O, and 1·2 wt % P 2 O 5 (normalized anhydrous). This sample's volatile composition corresponds to a depth of entrapment of 24 km (calculated pressure of 6660 bars). This inclusion (trapped within olivine with Mg-number 91·5) represents the most primitive melt in this study and has a composition that can be attributed to partial melting of phlogopite-pyroxenite veins in the mantle wedge with minor dilution (possibly as little as ∼25%) by partial melts from the surrounding peridotite wall-rock. However, there are indications that even this inclusion has undergone degassing, suggesting that primary vein melts have even higher H 2 O and CO 2 contents. Further dilution of the vein-dominated lamprophyre melts by wallrock melts yields basanites and ultimately calc-alkaline basalts. Mafic calc-alkaline whole-rock and glass-inclusion compositions are consistent with formation through mixing of ∼ 5% vein melts with ∼ 95% peridotite wallrock melt. Among the calc-alkaline glass inclusions, the Mascota basaltic andesite has the highest concentrations of water and most other volatile elements with 49·6 wt % SiO 2 , 1·0% K 2 O, 0·3% P 2 O 5 (normalized anhydrous), 2·8% H 2 O, 296 ppm CO 2 (1425 bars pressure and 5·2 km depth of entrapment), 0·8% SO 3 Total , 870 ppm Cl, and 720 ppm F. Such mafic calc-alkaline melts are envisioned as parental to the volumetrically dominant andesites of western Mexico.
Extracellular DNA in Single- and Multiple-Species Unsaturated Biofilms

The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of bacterial biofilms form a hydrated barrier between cells and their external environment. Better characterization of EPS could be useful in understanding biofilm physiology. The EPS are chemically complex, changing with both bacterial strain and culture conditions. Previously, we reported that Pseudomonas aeruginosa unsaturated biofilm EPS contains large amounts of extracellular DNA (eDNA) (R. E. Steinberger, A. R. Allen, H. G. Hansma, and P. A. Holden, Microb. Ecol. 43:416-423, 2002). Here, we investigated the compositional similarity of eDNA to cellular DNA, the relative quantity of eDNA, and the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) community profile of eDNA in multiple-species biofilms. By randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, cellular DNA and eDNA appear identical for P. aeruginosa biofilms. Significantly more eDNA was produced in P. aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida biofilms than in Rhodococcus erythropolis or Variovorax paradoxus biofilms. While the amount of eDNA in dual-species biofilms was of the same order of magnitude as that of of single-species biofilms, the amounts were not predictable from single-strain measurements. By the Shannon diversity index and principle components analysis of TRFLP profiles generated from 16S rRNA genes, eDNA of four-species biofilms differed significantly from either cellular or total DNA of the same biofilm. However, total DNA- and cellular DNA-based TRFLP analyses of this biofilm community yielded identical results. We conclude that extracellular DNA production in unsaturated biofilms is species dependent and that the phylogenetic information contained in this DNA pool is quantifiable and distinct from either total or cellular DNA.
Structural inference affects depth perception in the context of potential occlusion

In many domains, humans appear to combine perceptual cues in a near-optimal, probabilistic fashion: two noisy pieces of information tend to be combined linearly with weights proportional to the precision of each cue. Here we present a case where structural information plays an important role. The presence of a background cue gives rise to the possibility of occlusion, and places a soft constraint on the location of a target - in effect propelling it forward. We present an ideal observer model of depth estimation for this situation where structural or ordinal information is important and then fit the model to human data from a stereo-matching task. To test whether subjects are truly using ordinal cues in a probabilistic manner we then vary the uncertainty of the task. We find that the model accurately predicts shifts in subject's behavior. Our results indicate that the nervous system estimates depth ordering in a probabilistic fashion and estimates the structure of the visual scene during depth perception.
A CMOS transconductance amplifier architecture with wide tuning range for very low frequency applications

A pseudodifferential CMOS operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) with wide tuning range and large input voltage swing has been designed for very small G/sub M/'s (of the order of a few nanoamperes per volt). The OTA is based on a modified four-quadrant multiplier architecture with current division. A common-mode feedback circuit structure has been proposed and designed using floating-gate transistors to handle large differential signals. Large on-chip capacitors are emulated through impedance scaling circuits. The circuits, fabricated in a 1.2-/spl mu/m CMOS process, have been used to design a fourth-order bandpass filter and a relaxation oscillator. Experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical results.
Catheter Ablation of an Unusual Decremental Accessory Pathway in the Left Coronary Cusp of the Aortic Valve Mimicking Outflow Tract Ventricular Tachycardia

The anatomic location of atrioventricular (AV) bypass tracts (or accessory pathways) is variable, but these generally traverse the tricuspid or mitral annulus and insert into the atrium and ventricle near the AV ring. There is only 1 case report of an accessory pathway ablated in the left coronary cusp (LCC),1 and this pathway had bidirectional conduction, was not decremental, and was associated with an orthodromic tachycardia. We report here the first case of an antegrade slowly conducting, decremental, accessory pathway that was also successfully ablated in the aortic LCC. This pathway generated antidromic tachycardia having a QRS morphology mimicking those seen in outflow tract ventricular tachycardia. A 42-year-old woman was evaluated for palpitations and presyncope for 2 years. These were commonly associated with shortness of breath and chest heaviness that would resolve spontaneously. Her baseline ECG was normal without ventricular preexcitation. Echocardiogram, coronary angiogram, and thyroid function were also unremarkable. On her third presentation to a hospital, a broad complex tachycardia was captured (representative 12-lead ECG shown in Figure 1). The cycle length was 480 ms, the QRS duration was 150 ms, and a left bundle branch morphology with a right inferior axis was noted. She was referred for ablation of suspected ventricular outflow tract tachycardia. Consent was obtained for mapping and ablation of this tachycardia. During placement of catheters, a spontaneous initiation of tachycardia occurred, which was noted to have 1:1 AV association. A quadripolar catheter was placed at the right ventricular apex and His bundle, with a decapolar catheter in the coronary sinus. During ventricular pacing, retrograde conduction occurred with a long ventriculoatrial interval. Tachycardia was readily initiated with ventricular premature beats showing retrograde decremental conduction (Figure 2). An antegradely conducting accessory pathway was noted during atrial pacing maneuvers. During delivery of premature atrial stimulations, shortening of …
Identification of collected volatile condensable material (CVCM) from ASTM E595 of silicone damper fluid

Polydimethylsiloxane damping fluids used for structural deployment mechanisms are not required to be low outgassing. During normal use, these damping fluids are typically encapsulated; however, an unintentional leak may occur which would cause an undesirable contamination at the leak point and form volatile condensable that could reach contamination-sensitive surfaces, degrading the performance of satellites. The collected volatile condensable material (CVCM) at 25 °C from ASTM E595 of a damping fluid, MeSi-300K, was < 0.10%, when the damping fluid was maintained at 125 °C for 24 hours under 10-6 Torr vacuum. MeSi-300K viscosity is 300,000 cSt, which indicates an average molecular weight (MW) of 204,000. This large MW polymer would contain about 2,756 dimethyl siloxane (DMS) units in the chain. These long chains are not expected to be volatile; however, during manufacture, linear chains and cyclic compounds of a smaller number of DMS units produced are volatile. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify the CVCM. Characterization of these materials revealed that the CVCM contained higher MW siloxanes, straight chain and cyclic, in the range of 682 to 1196 (9 to 16 DMS units), whereas CVCM from spacequalified, silicone-based materials have lower MW, 222 to 542 (3 to 7 DMS units). Consequently, contamination from MeSi-300K material would produce greater amounts of higher-MW siloxanes than space-qualified silicones. These higher-MW species would be harder to remove by evaporation and could remain on sensitive surfaces.
A Quasi-Static Mechanics Analysis of Three-Dimensional Nanoscale Surface Polishing

A quasi-static mechanics analysis of nanoscale surface polishing that provides insight into the surface topography evolution and the removal of material at the asperity level is presented. The analysis is based on a three-dimensional stochastic model that accounts for multiscale (fractal) surface roughness and elastic, elastic-plastic, and fully plastic asperity deformation by hard abrasive nanoparticles embedded in the soft surface layer of a rigid polishing plate. Numerical results of the steady-state roughness of the polished surface, material removal rate, and wear coefficient are presented in terms of the apparent contact pressure, polishing speed, original topography and mechanical properties of the polished surface, average size and density of nanoparticles, and surface roughness of the polishing plate. Simulation trends are associated with elastic-plastic and fully plastic asperity contacts, responsible for irreversible topography changes (roughening effect) and material removal (smoothening effect), respectively. Analytical trends and predictions of the steady-state roughness of the polished surface and material removal rate are shown to be in good agreement with experimental results of nanoscale surface polishing (lapping) of magnetic recording ceramic heads.
A Multiple-Input DC–DC Converter Topology

In this letter, a new multiple-input (MI) hybrid energy conversion topology is presented. The proposed topology is capable of energy diversification among different energy sources with different voltage-current characteristics while achieving low part number and bidirectional operational. Compared to the earlier MI buck-boost converter, the proposed topology provides positive output voltage without any additional transformer, is capable of bidirectional operation, and has the capability of operating in buck, boost, and buck-boost modes separately. A fixed-frequency switching strategy is considered, and analytical analyses, detailed device-level simulation, and experimental results are presented.
On the efficient use of multiple physical channel air cache

In limited and asymmetric bandwidth environments such as wireless networks, push strategy can be used to allow a large number of mobile users to access the shared data. Most of today's solutions assume that the server disseminates data on only one physical channel. In this paper, we focus on the problem of broadcasting data over multiple physical channels that cannot be coalesced into fewer high-bandwidth ones. This introduces new hurdles such as the heterogeneities of channels and data set. We propose a novel broadcast design at the server side, which is aimed at minimizing the response and download times. We also present a caching policy at the client side to further enhance the performance. Theoretical foundations and simulation-based studies are also presented to substantiate the near-optimality and to assess the advantages of the proposed technique.
Clinical characteristics and outcome analysis of pediatric B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Experience with FAB-LMB 96 and UKCCSG B-cell NHL guidelines in a developing country.

Aim: To analyze the clinical characteristics of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients and the therapeutic efficacy of French-American-British Lymphoma Malins de Burkitt 96 and the recent United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group B-cell NHL guidelines in the tertiary care hospital of a developing country. Methods: Patients aged ≤18 years registered at our hospital between January 1995 and December 2006 with histologically proved B-Cell NHL were selected for retrospective analysis. Results: Of the total of 131 patients registered, 122 patients were eligible for evaluation. Of these 95 had Burkitt's lymphoma, 22 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and five had B-cell NHL not otherwise specified. The mean age was 8.4 years. Overall 42 children had a baseline weight less than the 10th centile. A total of 37 had uric acid >10 mg/dl and 55 had a lactate dehydrogenase level >500; 73 had stage III and 31 had stage IV while only four presented at stage I and 14 at stage II. The abdomen was the commonest site of disease. A total of 45 patients died; 28 due to infection, nine due to tumor lysis syndrome and six of uncontrolled disease. All deaths occurred within an average of 35 days from starting treatment. Our 5-year overall survival rate was 68 percent and our event-free survival was 55 percent. Conclusion: Late presentation with advanced disease, poor nutritional status and high risk of exposure to infective agents all contribute to the high mortality in patients treated with intensive protocols in resource-poor countries.
Compensation for Electricity Consumers under a U.S. CO 2 Emissions Cap

Policies to cap emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the U.S. economy could pose significant costs on the electricity sector, which contributes roughly 40 percent of total CO2 emissions in the U.S. Using a detailed simulation model of the electricity sector, we evaluate alternative ways that emission allowances can be allocated. Most previous emissions trading programs have allocated the major portion of allowances for free to incumbent firms. In the electricity sector this approach would lead to changes in electricity price that vary by region primarily based primarily on whether prices are market-based or determined by cost-of-service regulation. Allocation to customers, which could be achieved by allocation to local distribution companies (retail utilities) would recover symmetry in the effect of free allocation and lead to significantly lower overall electricity prices. However, this form of compensation comes with an efficiency cost that will increase the overall cost of climate policy.
The Sixty-First Berlin International Film Festival: Old and New from Almanya

Behind the glitz and rhetoric of the Berlin International Film Festival's (or Berlinale's) A-list internationality one quickly detects the festival's national and regional agenda: to showcase the l...
Choosing letter grade evaluations: The interaction of students' achievement goals and self-efficacy

We examined how achievement (learning and performance) goals and academic self-efficacy predicted three achievement-related outcomes in a college sample. Self-efficacy tended to moderate the effects of (learning and performance) goals on number of courses taken for a letter grade as well as achievement in letter graded and pass/fail courses. Thus, learning goals better predicted choosing letter grades when self-efficacy was high than when it was low. In contrast, performance goals better predicted choosing letter grades when self-efficacy was low than when it was high. Through their prediction of the choice to receive letter grades these interactions predicted achievement in pass/fail courses. In addition, achievement goals and self-efficacy directly predicted achievement in letter graded courses.
HYDROGEN BONDING, INTERFACIAL TENSION AND THE AQUEOUS SOLUBILITY OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Abstract From the interfacial tension of organic compounds with water and their contactable surface areas, the aqueous solubility of such compounds can be quantitatively predicted. Vice-versa. when the interfacial tension with water is known for a given organic compound, as well as its aqueous solubility, its contactable surface area can be obtained. From any two of these three data, and the compound's surface tension, its free energy of hydration can be calculated. However the free energy of hydration is not simply linked to a compound's aqueous solubility. For compounds which are partly apolar and partly polar, the interfacial tensions with water must be separately determined for each part; once these are expressed in kT units, they can be added together, following which the aqueous solubility of the complete compound can be calculated (a procedure which has been used earlier to obtain the critical micelle concentrations of nonionic1 and anionic2 surfactants). From a comparison between the solubilities ...
Colorectal cancer staging and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Colorectal cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Western populations. The standard of care for staging patients with colorectal cancer to determine prognosis and identify patients who will receive adjuvant therapy continues to be histopathology of regional lymph nodes. However, the significant variability in survival within each staging category likely reflects the heterogeneity of detecting micrometastatic disease employing this technique. Novel molecular markers of micrometastases currently in development will permit more accurate staging of patients with colorectal cancer. These advances in staging will distinguish patients who will maximally benefit from adjuvant therapy from those who have an especially good prognosis in whom chemotherapy can be avoided. In addition, new adjuvant chemotherapeutic agents, novel combinations of those agents and creative dosing schedules currently being investigated will offer considerable advantages with respect to ease of administration, safety a...