cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Passive radio sounding to correct for Europa’s ionospheric distortion of VHF signals

Abstract The dispersive effect of Europa’s ionosphere on radio wave propagation is detrimental to the quality of radar observations for altimetry and geodesy of Europa’s surface, as it creates pulse broadening and signal delay. While using the relative delay between two active radar channels of different center frequencies is a common method to correct for this ionospheric distortion, the High Frequency (HF) active band for a dual-frequency radar sounder like the Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) is susceptible to being dominated by the bursts of Jupiter’s radio emissions when the radar is on the sub-Jovian side. At these times, the HF radar will be severely degraded or unusable alongside the slightly dispersed Very High Frequency (VHF) channel for performing radar sounding as well as reference-based radar corrections of ionospheric distortion for VHF altimetry. To address this, we assess the potential to use Jupiter’s radio emissions to correct for ionospheric distortion with a passive radio sounding approach that has been developed on Earth to estimate the thickness of ice sheets using the Sun. With REASON as an interesting test case for the technique, we discuss in general the abilities and requirements for a dual-frequency radar system using a passive HF radar alongside an active VHF radar to correct for ionospheric distortion, and we compare the passive mode’s performance to that of an active HF radar system. Finally, we show that even in the presence of the maximum expected total electron content (TEC) in Europa’s ionosphere, the passive radar approach, using the REASON HF as a receive-only instrument, not only corrects for dispersion but also performs at a level similar to that of an active HF system in terms of TEC estimation and VHF range error reduction.
“La Voz del Pueblo, una Canción, una Frase Notable, una Rima, lograron sobrevivir”. El nacimiento de la Estética Musical y el momento musicológico global

In this intellectual history of the emergence of modern musical aesthetics globally, I concern myself with the birth of aesthetics as a modern philosophical field and the expansion of music historiography to include the entire world. These global musicological moments are abundantly evident in the earliest writings of Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803), who would channel and sustain their confluence throughout his vast body of publications. The title of the essay comes from Herder, specifically from the seminal volumes he called Volkslieder (Folk Songs, 1778/79), in which he connects his foundational writings on aesthetics, the Kritische Walder (Critical Forests) to the first comprehensive concept of global music aesthetics. The history of Herder reception is itself a critical thread in the intellectual history of musical aesthetics that links the eighteenth to the twenty-first century. I follow this critical thread to eighteenth-century South Asia in search of a foundational modern Indian musical aesthetics, particularly in the South Indian classical genre, kriti, and the vast aesthetic domain of rāga theory, which also took a turn toward the modern at the end of the eighteenth century. The essay concludes by returning to the present with examples of Herder’s aesthetic principles in musical performance in today’s global migration crisis. It is that intellectual history, with the cases from past and present, enlightenments in Europe and South Asia, especially their global dimensions, that shapes the theory of global musicological moments at the heart of this essay.
Complexity Analysis of Design Deliverable Defects on Building Projects

AbstractAs building projects become increasingly complex, project teams find it ever more challenging to produce satisfactory design deliverables. This study examined in-depth the complexity embedd...
Leveraging “big data” in respiratory medicine – data science, causal inference, and precision medicine

Today, it is often said that ‘big data will transform medicine to precision medicine’. However, data alone are meaningless. To be meaningful, data need to be queried, analyzed, and acted upon. The ...
Low Cost Unmanned Surface Vehicle Swarm Formation Control using a Potential Field

This paper discusses the implementation of a potential field algorithm onto a swarm of low-cost unmanned surface vehicles for formation control. The goal of this work is to extend this established approach for ground vehicles [2] to maritime surface vessels. This type of control algorithm allows for formation assembly around a moving point or host vehicle. This formation algorithm can be utilized in many applications including protection of vessels travelling through restricted or high traffic waterways. Previous work by L. Barnes [2] has shown this method to be simple and more computationally efficient which is important keeping hardware cost of the swarm down. The swarm is constructed using off the shelf components, open-source hardware, and open-source software.
Unit Ipos: The Who, When and Why of Warrant Amendment

Although unit initial public offering (IPO) firms reserve the right to amend the original terms of their warrants, only some choose to extend the exercise period, lower the exercise price, or both. We examine the extent of warrant amendment among unit IPOs and find that the decision to amend is related to the need for cash and is generally employed when share prices are closer to the original warrant exercise prices. Futhermore, extension is less likely when the firm is riskier, whereas higher levels of insider ownership significantly reduce the likelihood that a firm will lower the exercise price.
The discounting of death: probability discounting of heroin use by fatal overdose likelihood and drug purity

As fatal overdoses from synthetic opioids continue to rise, we need to understand decision-making processes underlying heroin and synthetic opioid use. This study evaluated the influence of sample impurity and fatal overdose risk on hypothetical heroin use. Individuals who currently use heroin (n = 69) were recruited online. Participants completed two probability-discounting tasks evaluating the likelihood of using a sample of heroin based on the likelihood of sample impurity and likelihood of fatal overdose, where greater discounting represented reduced use likelihood. Prior to completing the probability-discounting tasks, participants were randomized to read one of four prompts varying by the presence of information on heroin effects and active (e.g., fentanyl) or inert impurities. Influence of prompts on discounting processes and associations among probability-discounting measures, opioid use behaviors, and dependence severity were evaluated. Heroin use likelihood decreased with increased impurity or overdose risk and in a generally orderly fashion. Discounting was greater (i.e., reduced heroin use likelihood) when overdose risk, compared to sample impurity, was manipulated. Less discounting was associated with more severe opioid dependence. Discounting did not differ among prompts for either task. Individuals might adjust their heroin-use behavior to reduce harm with risk-related information. Greater discounting elicited by overdose relative to impurity risk suggests that equating adulteration and overdose risk is essential for harm reduction. Expanded access to drug checking services, which inform impurity and overdose risk, can reduce fatal overdoses. Due to fear of legal sanctions for these services, legislation and judicial decisions should explicitly protect these services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Routine high-precision Nd isotope analyses: an optimized chromatographic purification scheme

High-precision Nd isotope measurements provide key constraints on the evolution of the silicate Earth and planetary bodies. As advances in mass-spectrometry and measurement techniques have brought the precision of 142Nd/144Nd measurements down to ±2 ppm (parts-per-million), systematic biases stemming from insufficient sample purification (matrix effects and/or isobaric interferences) or non-quantitative yields are becoming increasingly problematic. One of the most widespread approaches for Nd purification uses cation-exchange column chromatography with α-HIBA (2-methylactic acid) reagent. Despite its popularity, limitations pertaining to the level of purification and yield of the α-HIBA method exist. Here we present an optimized α-HIBA purification protocol that addresses these limitations and achieves the level of purity required for routine high-precision Nd isotope analyses. This protocol builds on existing methodologies and a comprehensive series of tests that we performed, and efficiently minimizes procedural blanks, the number of column passes, and thus the sample processing time, while maximizing recovery yields. We anticipate that this optimized protocol will benefit both established and new users of the α-HIBA column chromatography method.
INOCULUM POTENTIAL OF Gremmeniella abietina IN NEW YORK

In order to determine the combined effects of inoculum density and conditions favorable for infection by Gremmeniella abietina, potted red pine seedlings and spore traps were suspended by ropes and pulleys at various heights from the ground to the upper crown of trees. The seedlings and spore traps set in two red pine stands and a nearby hardwood stand were changed weekly. Spore densities were monitored with petroleum jelly coated microscope slides and a specially developed monofilament spore trap. Spore traps indicated that asexual spores of the pathogen were prevalent from ground level to 12 m in the upper crown in the red pine stands. Greatest spore densities were monitored in May and June and were significantly correlated with periods of high rainfall and 100% relative humidity. The monofilament spore trap was found to be a more efficient method to trap spores of the fungus under these conditions. Airborne conidia were collected at 9 m above the ground and at distances up to 25 m from the inoculum source. Combinations of moist, cool environmental conditions and high spore density in May and June favored the infection of the greatest number of seedlings and the infection of seedlings in the upper canopy of both red pine sites.
Hemolytic interaction of Newcastle disease virus and chicken erythrocytes. 3. Cessation of the reaction as a result of inactivation of hemolytic activity by erythrocytes.

The termination of the hemolytic reaction between Newcastle disease virus and erythrocytes is not the result of the development of resistance to hemolysis among the remaining unlysed erythrocytes as has been previously suggested. Instead, this cessation is due to the loss of the virus's hemolytic activity during interaction with the erythrocytes. Although this loss of activity by the virus is, like the hemolytic reaction itself, temperature dependent, the virus need not participate in a hemolytic reaction in order for it to occur. The most likely explanation for this loss of hemolytic activity is that only a small fraction of complete virus particles are hemolytic and that these particles become irreversibly bound to erythrocytes during appropriate interaction. As a consequence, each hemolytic virus particle can lyse only a limited number of erythrocytes—perhaps only one or two.
Manipulating Natural Product Biosynthetic Pathways via DNA Assembler

DNA assembler is an efficient synthetic biology method for constructing and manipulating biochemical pathways. The rapidly increasing number of sequenced genomes provides a rich source for discovery of gene clusters involved in synthesizing new natural products. However, both discovery and economical production are hampered by our limited knowledge in manipulating most organisms and the corresponding pathways. By taking advantage of yeast in vivo homologous recombination, DNA assembler synthesizes an entire expression vector containing the target biosynthetic pathway and the genetic elements needed for DNA maintenance and replication. Here we use the spectinabilin clusters originated from two hosts as examples to illustrate the guidelines of using DNA assembler for cluster characterization and silent cluster activation. Such strategies offer unprecedented versatility in cluster manipulation, bypass the traditional laborious strategies to elicit pathway expression, and provide a new platform for de novo cluster assembly and genome mining for discovering new natural products.
The Effect of Macroeconomic Changes on the Value Relevance of Accounting Information: The Case of Mexico and the 1995 Financial Crisis

Lev and Zarowin (1999) argue that the there has been a decline in the usefulness of financial information in the U.S. resulting from the inability of the current financial reporting system to contemporaneously capture changes in firms' operations and economic conditions. As a result, it appears that accounting information in the U.S. is not as timely as it could be. Francis and Schipper (1999) suggest that the emphasis on objectivity and verifiability, which constrains the early recognition of certain future economic benefits, is one reason U.S. financial statements lack timeliness. The purpose of this research is to examine the value relevance of accounting information in a setting where changes in general price levels and specific asset prices are recognized periodically in the financial statements. Essentially, we investigate whether accounting is more value relevant when it includes more relevant information. Additionally, we examine whether the market's valuation of earnings and book values in this setting is affected by an economic shock since continuous improvement of historical financial data (i.e., restatement) should improve investors' decisions (Lev and Zarowin 1999). Using a sample of Mexican firms traded on the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa) during the period 1992-1997, we investigate the relation between the firms' stock prices and their book values, earnings, and cash flows, taking into account the effect of the 1995 Mexican financial crisis. In pooled cross-sectional tests, we find that book values retain their significance and explanatory power during the crisis while earnings do not. Additionally, the value relevance of book values does not significantly change during the crisis period while the value relevance and the explanatory power of earnings decline during the crisis period. The decline in the valuation of earnings and its explanatory power, however, is attributable to the presence of negative earnings. We attribute the lack of significant changes in the value relevance and explanatory power of book values to the use of replacement costs and price level accounting in Mexico. Finally, in additional analyses we find that the incremental value relevance of two components of Mexican earnings, monetary gains and losses and exchange gains and losses, does not change during the crisis implying that these features of Mexican accounting contribute to its continued relevance during the crisis.
Restricted STAT5 Activation Dictates Appropriate Thymic B versus T Cell Lineage Commitment

The molecular mechanisms regulating lymphocyte lineage commitment remain poorly characterized. To explore the role of the IL7R in this process, we generated transgenic mice that express a constitutively active form of STAT5 (STAT5b-CA), a key downstream IL7R effector, throughout lymphocyte development. STAT5b-CA mice exhibit a 40-fold increase in pro-B cells in the thymus. As documented by BrdU labeling studies, this increase is not due to enhanced B cell proliferation. Thymic pro-B cells in STAT5b-CA mice show a modest increase in cell survival ( approximately 4-fold), which correlates with bcl-x(L) expression. However, bcl-x(L) transgenic mice do not show increases in thymic B cell numbers. Thus, STAT5-dependent bcl-x(L) up-regulation and enhanced B cell survival are not sufficient to drive the thymic B cell development observed in STAT5b-CA mice. Importantly, thymic pro-B cells in STAT5b-CA mice are derived from early T cell progenitors (ETPs), suggesting that STAT5 acts by altering ETP lineage commitment. Supporting this hypothesis, STAT5 binds to the pax5 promoter in ETPs from STAT5b-CA mice and induces pax5, a master regulator of B cell development. Conversely, STAT5b-CA mice exhibit a decrease in the DN1b subset of ETPs, demonstrating that STAT5 activation inhibits early T cell differentiation or lineage commitment. On the basis of these findings, we propose that the observed expression of the IL-7R on common lymphoid progenitors, but not ETPs, results in differential STAT5 signaling within these distinct progenitor populations and thus helps ensure appropriate development of B cells and T cells in the bone marrow and thymic environments, respectively.
Magnitude-phase relationships for short-time Fourier transforms based on Gaussian analysis windows

The short-time Fourier transform (STFT) formally represents the output of a filter-bank spectrum analyzer as a two-dimensional function of time and frequency. For the case of a Gaussian analysis window, the log magnitude and phase of the STFT are related by a coupled pair of first order linear partial differential equations. Moreover, the log magnitude and phase independently satisfy second order linear partial differential equations. Because not all functions of time and frequency are STFT's, the second order equations provide a test for determining whether a particular magnitude or phase function corresponds to the magnitude or phase of a STFT obtained with a Gaussian analysis window. Furthermore, given a valid magnitude (or phase) function, the pair of first order equations can be integrated to determine the corresponding phase (or magnitude) function.
Efficient mining of traversal patterns

Abstract A new problem of mining traversal patterns from Web access logs is introduced. The traversal patterns are defined to keep duplicates as well as consecutive ordering in the sessions. Then an efficient algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is online, which allows the user to see the incremental results with respect to the scanned part of the database. The algorithm also adapts to large databases through dynamic compressions and effective pruning. Finally the algorithm is evaluated through experiments with real Web logs.
Effects of lithium and of pH on synaptosomal metabolism of noradrenaline.

CURRENT hypotheses about mania and depression are that they correspond to greater or lesser availability of catecholamines at central synapses1, or to changes in electrolyte and water distribution2. The mode of action of lithium salts, which seem to be effective at least in mania, has been related to both hypotheses3. There are several findings regarding catecholamine metabolism. They include a disappearance of brain noradrenaline after inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase which is more rapid following Li+ treatment4; a shift in brain metabolism of noradrenaline from extracellular methylation (by catechol-O-methyl transferase), toward intraneuronal deamination (by monoamine oxidase)5; and a decreased rate of release of 3H-noradrenaline during electrical stimulation of brain slices in vitro6. Evidence regarding effects of Li+ on active uptake of noradrenaline into neurones, a major means of inactivation of catecholamine released at synapses, is somewhat in conflict. One study7 reported enhanced uptake in vitro of 3H-noradrenaline into synaptosomes (“pinched-off nerve endings”) prepared after the administration of large amounts of unneutralized Li2CO3. This finding has not been confirmed, and there is evidence that uptake of 3H-noradrenaline into intact brain5, or brain slices6, may not be altered by prior treatment of rats with LiCl. Thus questions arise as to the effect of carbonate ion or pH on amine uptake. These findings, together, suggest that lithium may tend to keep noradrenaline in a pre-synaptic location, while increasing catabolism, particularly by oxidative deamination. The net effect would be decreased availability of this putative transmitter at central synapses, an interpretation consistent with the antimanic effects of lithium.
Editorial: Software survey section

The purpose of the Software Survey Section in Annals of Biomedical Engineering is to encourage the open exchange of information on software programs unique to our professional field. With the rapid penetration of computers into academic and industrial institutions has come a parallel increase in the number of scientists and researchers designing their own software. The existence of much of this software remains unknown to even those of us who could most benefit from its use. We believe that it is of vital importance to our readers that such information be made available. We believe also that a professional journal is the best place to share such information. Your contribution would be most welcome.
Ordering from Satan's menu: a survey of requirements specification for formal analysis of cryptographic protocols

The application of formal methods to cryptographic protocol analysis has been a growth area recently. Most of the attention has been paid to the design of languages for the specification of cryptographic protocols and algorithms for evaluating their security. However, the ability to specify their desired behavior correctly is also important; indeed many perceived protocol flaws arise out of a misunderstanding of the protocol's requirements. In this paper, we give a survey of research in requirements specification for formal analysis of cryptographic protocols. We start with a brief history of the use of requirements specification for cryptographic protocols. We then outline some of the main current trends and areas of research. We conclude with a discussion of some open problems.
The Effects of Changing Occupancy Sensor Time-out Setting on Energy Savings, Lamp Cycling and Maintenance Costs

(2001). The Effects of Changing Occupancy Sensor Time-out Setting on Energy Savings, Lamp Cycling and Maintenance Costs. Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society: Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 97-110.
Evaluation of a Tube Method for Determining Diffusion Coefficients for Sparingly Soluble Drugs

Abstract Evaluation of a non-steady state method using glass tubes for the determination of diffusion coefficients is the purpose of this study. Unlike capillaries, glass tubes accommodate a larger volume of solution, facilitating assay procedures. Tubes are more susceptible to convection than are capillaries, but this effect is anticipated and accounted for in experimental design and data treatment. Glass tubes, 66 or 90 mm in length and 2 mm outer diameter, were siliconized and then filled with aqueous drug solution and placed in a jacketed flask containing gently stirred solvent at 25°C. Diffusion experiments were run from 140 to 168 hours. At the end of this time period, the tubes were removed from the flask, placed in an ultrasonic vibrator for one minute, and their contents assayed spectrophotometrically. Data collected using potassium chloride as the diffusant showed little tube-to-tube variability, demonstrating the precision of the tube method, while diffusion coefficients determined for benzoic acid and p-aminobenzoic acid using the tube method tested the accuracy of the method by comparing reasonably well with values obtained using standard methods such as the rotating disk, free boundary, and membrane cell. Experiments done with either hydrocortisone or sulfisoxazole as the diffusant demonstrated the appropriateness of the tube method for the study of the diffusion of sparingly soluble pharmaceutical solutes.
Keywords to visual categories: Multiple-instance learning forweakly supervised object categorization

Conventional supervised methods for image categorization rely on manually annotated (labeled) examples to learn good object models, which means their generality and scalability depends heavily on the amount of human effort available to help train them. We propose an unsupervised approach to construct discriminative models for categories specified simply by their names. We show that multiple-instance learning enables the recovery of robust category models from images returned by keyword-based search engines. By incorporating constraints that reflect the expected sparsity of true positive examples into a large-margin objective function, our approach remains accurate even when the available text annotations are imperfect and ambiguous. In addition, we show how to iteratively improve the learned classifier by automatically refining the representation of the ambiguously labeled examples. We demonstrate our method with benchmark datasets, and show that it performs well relative to both state-of-the-art unsupervised approaches and traditional fully supervised techniques.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoscaled Cerium (IV) Oxide via a Solid-State Mechanochemical Method

Solid-state reactions have the potential for direct preparation of ceramic powders and offer a low-temperature and low-cost alternative to conventional techniques for production of oxide powders. This paper describes a simple and effective mechanochemical method based on solid-state reactions during ball milling for synthesis of nanoscaled ceria (CeO2) particles. By using an organic base instead of an inorganic base, metal-ion-free nanoscaled CeO2 can also be made. The effects of annealing temperature on particle sizes and lattice strain are investigated. The results show that the average particle sizes of the particles increases and the average crystal lattice distortion decreases with the annealing temperature. Transmission electron microscopy examinations demonstrate that the CeO2 particles synthesised by this method are near-spherical shaped.
Two-dimensional elastica analysis of equilibrium shapes of single-anchor inflatable dams

Abstract Several types of inflatable dams are considered. These are long, air-inflated, cylindrical structures on a rigid foundation. Sometimes one of the long edges of a sheet is folded back to the other edge, and then the two edges are clamped to the foundation along a single anchoring line. A second configuration can be modeled as two sheets attached along two long edges, with one edge anchored and the other free to lift as air pressure is applied between the sheets. Another device treated here is a hinged spillway gate lifted by an inflatable bladder. The cross section of the dam or bladder is analyzed as an inextensible elastica. The governing equations and boundary conditions are formulated for each case, and shooting methods are utilized to obtain numerical solutions for the equilibrium shapes. The effects of the internal air pressure and the external water height are investigated.
A computation model for semantic control

Application of classical control theoretical methods depends on the availability of well defined models of the plants. In large-scale control problems due to the comple.xity, heterogeneity and time-dependent behavior of the system to be controlled, classical control theory has only limited use. New research directions in intelligent control pursue a different approach and introduce an extended interpretation of the most fundamental concepts of control theory. A conceptual framework for these efforts is formalized in the semantic control theory [l]. Key elements of this theory are the following concepts:
Exploring Fiscal Policy at Zero Interest Rates in Intermediate Macroeconomics.

Since the financial meltdown of 2007, advanced macroeconomic theory has delved more deeply into the question of the appropriate fiscal policy when the nominal interest rate is close to or at zero percent. Such analysis is typically conducted with the aid of New Keynesian Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium models. The policy implications are, in some cases, surprising. Multipliers can change by large magnitudes, and the signs of some tax multipliers are reversed. The authors show how these results can be clearly presented to an intermediate undergraduate audience within the standard IS-MP and AD-AS framework of Jones (2011).
Postshock potential gradients and dispersion of repolarization in cells stimulated with monophasic and biphasic waveforms.

Effects of Monophasic and Biphasic Stimuli. Introduction: Even though the clinical advantage of biphasic defibrillation waveforms is well documented, the mechanisms that underlie this greater efficacy remain incompletely understood. It is established, though, that the response of relatively refractory cells to the shock is important in determining defibrillation success or failure. We used two computer models of an isolated ventricular cell to test the hypothesis that biphasic stimuli cause a more uniform response than the equivalent monophasic shocks, decreasing the likelihood that fibrillation will be reinduced. Methods and Results: Models of reciprocally polarized and uniformly polarized cells were used. Rapid pacing and elevated [K]o were simulated, and either 10-nisec rectangular monophasic or 5-msec/5-msec symmetric biphasic stimuli were delivered in the relative refractory period. The effects of stimulus intensity and coupling interval on response duration and postshock transmembrane potential (Vm) were quantified for each waveform. With reciprocal polarization, biphasic stimuli caused a more uniform response than monophasic stimuli, resulting in fewer large gradients of Vm (only for shock strengths ≤ 1.25× threshold vs ≤ 2.125× threshold) and a smaller dispersion of repolarization (1611 msec2 vs 1835 msec2). The reverse was observed with uniform polarization: monophasic pulses caused a more uniform response than did biphasic stimuli. Conclusion: These results show that the response of relatively refractory cardiac cells to biphasic stimuli is less dependent on the coupling interval and stimulus strength than the response to monophasic stimuli under conditions of reciprocal polarization. Because this may lead to fewer and smaller spatial gradients in Vm, these data support the hypothesis that biphasic defibrillation waveforms will be less likely to reinduce fibrillation. Further, published experimental results correlate to a greater degree with conditions of reciprocal polarization than of uniform polarization, providing indirect evidence that interactions between depolarized and hyper polarized regions play a role in determining the effects of defibrillation shocks on cardiac tissue.
The polysulfonated compound suramin blocks adsorption and lateral difusion of herpes simplex virus type-1 in vero cells.

Several polysulfonate compounds have been shown to have the potential to inhibit the replication of herpesviruses by blocking binding and penetration of the host cell. We analyzed the actions of the polysulfonate compound suramin on the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and compared them with the actions of heparin. We used the expression of a reporter gene (beta-galactosidase) recombined into the latency-associated transcript region of the 17syn+ strain of HSV-1 to quickly evaluate productive cycle activity and have shown that it can be directly correlated with virus replication under the conditions used. We find that suramin, like heparin, blocks the binding of HSV-1 to the cell membrane. Also, suramin efficiently blocks the cell-to-cell spread of the virus; this effect has not been previously reported. Our control experiments demonstrate that heparin also has some effect on intercellular spread of HSV-1 but to a significantly lesser degree than does suramin. We suggest that suramin and related polysulfonate compounds have potential for developing of antiherpes treatments.
Identification and preliminary characterization of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) vitellogenin mRNA

Abstract Vitellogenesis was induced in white sturgeon by administration of estrogen through silastic implants. Vitellogenin mRNA was identified by agarose gel electrophoresis and cell-free translation. A highly abundant 5.7-kb mRNA was induced in the liver of estrogentreated sturgeon. Cell-free translation of poly(A) + mRNA showed the induction of two high-molecular-weight proteins of 180 and 120 kDa. These two proteins, encoded by the 5.7-kb mRNA(s), were immunoprecipitated by antiserum to serum from vitellogenic sturgeon. Immunoprecipitations also showed the presence of four other serum proteins synthesized by the liver of estrogen-treated sturgeon. The induction of vitellogenesis by estrogen in sturgeon, which are a primitive teleost, was found to be similar to induction of vitellogenesis in amphibians, avians, and other teleosts. Estrogen treatment induced a highly abundant vitellogenin mRNA as well as several mRNAs for other serum proteins. However, the presence of two distinct vitellogenin monomers in the cell-free translation assay was significantly different from the results in other species.
Chemical Bloom Thinning Hybrid Grape Cultivars

Abstract Caustic chemicals (Endothall, Wilthin and ammonium thiosulfate) were applied at bloom to French-American hybrid grape cultivars (‘Seyval blanc’, ‘Vidal blanc’, and ‘Chambourcin’) to evaluate their potential as chemical thinners. The chemicals caused phytotoxicity to leaves and clusters resulting in brown, dead spots on leaves and brown areas of the clusters. Injury symptoms increased as concentration of Endothall increased. ‘Vidal blanc’ was the most sensitive cultivar to Endothall and ‘Chambourcin’ was the most sensitive to ammonium thiosulfate (ATS). Hand cluster thinning at bloom consistently increased cluster weight, berry number per cluster, juice soluble solids and pH and decreased cluster number and yield of all cultivars with the exception that yield of ‘Seyval blanc’ was reduced only one year. Generally as concentration of Endothall increased, thinning increased. Endothall at 1.92 ml-L-1 caused reductions in yield and increases in juice soluble solids and pH that were very similar to han...
Effect of diets containing raw and extrusion‐cooked rice bran on growth and efficiency of food utilization of broilers

Abstract 1. Meat strain chicks were fed on diets containing 600 g rice bran/kg for the 7 to 8 week period required to reach broiler weight. 2. Extrusion cooking of rice bran resulted, in improved chick weight gain and food efficiency for the first two weeks of feeding, but this advantage was lost by the end of the feeding period. 3. Addition of 10 g calcium/kg to the stabilised rice bran diet prevented the decline in performance after two weeks of age, and birds fed on this diet continued to gain at an increasing rate until the end of the experiment. 4. Calcium supplementation of stabilised rice bran diets produced significantly greater gains and superior food utilisation compared to stabilised rice bran diets without added calcium. 5. Calcium supplementation did not affect weight gain of chicks fed on diets containing raw rice bran. 6. Taste panel evaluation of meat from birds fed on diets containing raw rice bran, stabilised rice bran, or no rice bran indicated a significant preference in only one combi...
Continuous Spectra of Certain Types of Stars and Nebulæ

THE continuous spectrum of Nova 452.1934 Herculis has been showing a change in the spectral energy distribution which is hard to explain from the point of view of pure temperature radiation. Fig. 1, curve a, presents the continuous spectrum observed on December 31, 1934, by Barbier, Chalonge and Vasy1, and curve b the spectrum on March 6, 1935. Intermediate curves between these extremes will be found in the same publication. (The dotted line has been added by me.) Nova Geminorum 2 showed, during 1912–13, a similar energy distribution curve with one or even two secondary maxima in the early stage, which gradually disappeared2.
An ESD and SIMS study of the composition of platinized, antimony-doped tin oxide films. I

Abstract Secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) have been used to characterize the composition of antimony-doped tin oxide films before and after a caustic treatment and before and after deposition of platinum. The impurities were identified qualitatively using dynamic SIMS and found to be Li, C, N, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, K, Ca, Cr, V, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ti, and Zn. Both SIMS and ESD demonstrated that hydrogen is a major constituent of these films. Evidence is presented that the caustic treatment hydroxylates the surface and that Sb is segregated at the surface. It appears that platinum desorbs by electron stimulation probably in the form of an oxide species. This may prove useful in probing the composition of supported-metal crystallites.
Bilateral nonfistulous congenital coronary arterial aneurysms

A 15 year old boy collapsed and died after participating in a basketball game. Autopsy revealed bilateral congenital coronary arterial aneurysms. The diagnosis was made post mortem but, retrospectively, might have been suspected during life, even before angiography. The clues to the correct diagnosis were chest pain, a systolic and diastolic murmur and a mass on the right heart border in the chest roentgenogram.
Large-scale purification of murine I-Ak and I-Ek antigens and characterization of the purified proteins

Detailed analysis of the role of the structural characteristics of these molecules will require isolation of relatively large amounts of these antigens in serologically active form. We have purified murine Ia antigens on a large scale by affinity chromatography using monoclonal antibodies coupled to Sepharose 4B. Both I-Ak and I-Ek were isolated by sequential passage of cell lysate over columns prepared using specific monoclonal antibodies. Elution of the bound antigens required high pH (11-12) but, nonetheless, the purified material was 50-75% serologically active. Using LPS-stimulated spleen cells or B-lymphocyte tumor cells as starting material, 0.5 mg of each antigen can be readily purified. Based on antigen yields, it can be estimated that normal B-cells have about the same surface density of Class I and Class II MHC antigens. LPS blasts, in contrast, have normal levels of Class I antigen but 3-5 times higher levels of Class II antigens. We have now purified I-Ak and I-Ek from a number of different cell sources and have noted differences in both the mol. wts of the alpha- and beta-chains and in their apparent associations with cytoskeletal components. Proteins having the same apparent mol. wts as actin and myosin co-purify with both I-Ak and I-Ek antigens from various sources. These proteins do not co-purify with H-2K and D molecules obtained by similar methods, suggesting that Ia antigens may specifically interact with cytoskeletal elements.
Cationic Nanoparticles Stabilize Zwitterionic Liposomes Better than Anionic Ones

Building upon the finding that zwitterionic liposomes can be stabilized against fusion up to very high surface coverage by the adsorption to submonolayer (≈25%) surface coverage of nanoparticles (Zhang, L.; Granick, S. Nano Lett. 2006, 6, 694), here we compare the efficacy of cationic and anionic nanoparticles for the stabilization of DLPC, 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. This is rationalized by considering that because the phospholipid zwitterionic headgroup terminates with positive charge, lipids beneath an adsorbed nanoparticle bind more weakly when the nanoparticle charge is cationic. Going beyond the earlier qualitative study, here single-particle tracking using epi-fluorescence imaging is used to quantify the mobility of individual liposomes. The distribution of diffusion coefficients between different liposomes in the sample is quantified. In contrast to the colloid behavior of traditional monodisperse hard-sphere colloids, these soft, flexible, colloidal-sized objects remain fluid at 50...
Compensation of demand response in competitive wholesale markets vs. retail incentives

In 2011 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a landmark ruling, FERC Order 745, standardizing the compensation of demand response (DR) in competitive wholesale markets. According to this order, demand response resources participating in competitive wholesale energy markets must, like generators, be paid full locational marginal price (LMP). Many economists opposed this ruling and argued that the most efficient method is to offer dynamic prices and naturally, demand reductions are rewarded with the avoided cost of the energy not used. One of the main arguments against the order is the fact that by paying LMP for demand reductions, the market collects less in revenue than it must pay out for resources, a phenomenon known as “the billing unit effect” and must therefore, allocate the shortfall. In this paper we compare wholesale DR compensation to retail level incentives. We define demand response as a short-term added cost for the load serving entity (LSE), voluntarily paid in order to save money over the long run. Based on this view of DR, we propose a benefit sharing incentive scheme at the retail level. This scheme involves the use of a publicly broadcast grid state index implemented by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO).
Fabricating highly active mixed phase TiO2 photocatalysts by reactive DC magnetron sputter deposition

Abstract Recent work points out the importance of the solid–solid interface in explaining the high photoactivity of mixed phase TiO2 catalysts. The goal of this research is to probe the structural and functional relationships of the solid–solid interface created by the reactive DC magnetron sputtering of titanium dioxide. We show that sputter deposition provides excellent control of the phase and interface formation. We explored the effects of the process parameters of pressure, oxygen partial pressure, target power, substrate bias (RF), deposition incidence angle, and post annealing treatment on the structural and functional characteristics of the catalysts. We have successfully made pure and mixed phase TiO2 films. These films were characterized with AFM, SEM, TEM, and XRD to determine surface morphology, phase distribution and phase content. The performance as photocatalytic surfaces was measured and compared (normalized for surface area) to mixed phase TiO2 fabricated by other methods, including flame hydrolysis powders, and sol–gel deposited TiO2 films. The sputtered mixed phase materials were far superior to the commercial standard (Degussa P25) and sol–gel TiO2 as measured by the gas phase oxidation of the air pollutant acetaldehyde under UV illumination. These results demonstrate that reactive DC magnetron sputtering is a powerful tool for investigating the role of the solid–solid interface in influencing photocatalytic activity. In addition, our work illustrates the feasibility of reactive DC magnetron sputtering as a practical commercial technique for manufacturing highly active nanostructured TiO2 photocatalysts.
Effects of orchiectomy on spleen cell mitogen response and on the thymus of aged mice.

Abstract Seven weeks after orchiectomy, 19 and 10 month old mice had mean thymic weight increases of 34 and 128%, respectively, compared to sham-operated controls. Peripheral WBC counts were greater (p <.05) in castrates of both age groups. On a cell for cell basis, the mitogen response of castrate spleen cells was not significantly greater than controls, and in some instances was significantly less. Although individual cell function may not be augmented after castration, in vivo immune response may be potentiated due to an increase in absolute number of lymphoid cells.
Increasing Concerns about Corn Earworm Susceptibility to Pyrethroids in the Midwestern USA

Because of growing concern about inconsistent corn earworm (CEW control, particularly in Midwest sweet corn, and the documented migratory behavior of CEW adults, a symposium was organized for the A...
Quantification of Gas and Aerosol-phase Piperazine Emissions by FTIR Under Variable Bench-scale Absorber Conditions☆

Recent pilot-scale CO2 capture plants have found that amine condensation onto seed nuclei results in very high amine emissions which are very difficult to characterize and control using traditional aerosol removal techniques. Modeling and experiments have shown significant potential to efficiently capture high density, submicron particles in packed columns by adjusting contactor operating conditions. This study presents the influence of operating conditions on total (gas and aerosol) emissions of piperazine (PZ) measured by hot-gas Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) from a bench-scale CO2 absorber with RSR-0.3 random packing using 0.9 m PZ. Aerosols were created by vaporizing and quickly condensing 0.5 m PZ and 0.05 vol % sulfuric acid (H2SO4). PZ was inversely proportional to solvent temperature and flowrate, but increased independent of the inlet CO2 with PZ/H2O seed nuclei. PZ emissions were proportional to flowrate and inversely related to inlet CO2 concentration for H2SO4/H2O condensation nuclei.
Are Compulsive Checkers Impaired in Memory? A Meta‐Analytic Review

Researchers have hypothesized that compulsive checkers suffer from impairment in explicit memory (e.g., Sher, Frost, & Otto, 1983), low confidence in explicit memory (e.g., McNally & Kohlbeck, 1993), or both. However, empirical findings have been equivocal, possibly due to variability in effect sizes produced by small samples. Combining data across studies may yield more meaningful conclusions than can be surmised from a narrative review. Following a brief review of the literature on checking and memory, we present meta-analytic results suggesting that checkers are impaired on many types of memory tasks (e.g., verbal free recall, verbal cued recall, and recall of actions) and are less confident in recognition than noncheckers. We discuss implications of these findings, suggestions for future research, and limitations of this analysis.
Memory. A model with good CREdentials.

Abstract The sea snail Aplysia provides a relatively simple model system for studying both short-term and long-term memory; a known transcriptional mechanism is implicated in the establishment of the latter.
Hyperon resonances in the chiral bag model

We calculate the masses of low-lying negative-parity ..lambda../sup */ and ..sigma../sup */ in a chiral bag model with broken SU(2)/direct product/SU(2) realization of chiral symmetry. All relevant one-gluon-exchange and effective quark-quark one-pion-exchange diagrams are evaluated. We show why the spin-flavor contents of the hyperon resonances are different from that of a nonrelativistic quark model. In particular, we find that the ..lambda..(1405) has almost no flavor-singlet component. The prescription used to project out the translational mode of the bag is tested for the simplest case.
Growth Rate, Carcass Trait and Blood Chemistry of Cross-bred Meat Goats Grazing Puna Chicory, Rackmaster Refuge Mix and Sahara Bermudagrass

Abstract Lema, M., Kebe, S. and Opio, R. 2008. Growth rate, carcass trait and blood chemistry of cross-bred meat goats grazing Puna chicory, rackmaster refuge mix and Sahara bermudagrass. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 33: 1–6. A grazing trial was conducted to evaluate Puna chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), Rackmaster Refuge Mix [a blend of chicory, mustard (Sinapis alba), turnips (Brassica rapa), clover (Trifolium repens), kale (Brassica oleracea) and rape (Brassica napus)] and Sahara bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) as summer pasture for meat goats. Puna chicory and Rackmaster refuge were higher in crude protein (CP), net energy lactation (NE1), net energy gain (NEg), total digestible nutrient (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), Ca, P, Mg and K contents and lower (P<0.05) in ADF than Sahara bermudagrass. Puna chicory was higher (P<0.05) in P, K and Mg than Rackmaster refuge. Rackmaster refuge was higher (P<0.05) than Puna Chicory in TDN and RFV. But Puna chicory supported better performance in terms of average daily g...