cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photo-excitation of long-lived transient intermediates in ultracold reactions

In many chemical reactions, the transformation from reactants to products is mediated by transient intermediate complexes. For gas-phase reactions involving molecules with a few atoms, these complexes typically live on the order of 10 ps or less before dissociating, and are therefore rarely influenced by external processes. Here, we demonstrate that the transient intermediate complex K2Rb2*, formed from collisions between ultracold KRb molecules, undergoes rapid photo-excitation in the presence of a continuous-wave laser source at 1,064 nm, a wavelength commonly used to confine ultracold molecules. These excitations are facilitated by the exceptionally long lifetime of the complex under ultracold conditions. Indeed, by monitoring the change in the complex population after the sudden removal of the excitation light, we directly measure the lifetime of the complex to be 360 ± 30 ns, in agreement with our calculations based on the Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM) statistical theory. Our results shed light on the origin of the two-body loss widely observed in ultracold molecule experiments. Additionally, the long complex lifetime, coupled with the observed photo-excitation pathway, opens up the possibility to spectroscopically probe the structure of the complex with high resolution, thus elucidating the reaction dynamics. A transient intermediate complex in a chemical reaction—formed from collisions between molecules with a few atoms—is observed under ultracold conditions. Its lifetime can be directly measured after suppression of the photo-excitation process.
The multifaceted roles of breast milk antibodies

Neonates are born with an immature immune system and rely on the transfer of immunity from their mothers. Maternal antibodies are transferred via the placenta and breast milk. Although the role of placentally transferred immunoglobulin G (IgG) is established, less is known about the selection of antibodies transferred via breast milk and the mechanisms by which they provide protection against neonatal disease. Evidence suggests that breast milk antibodies play multifaceted roles, preventing infection and supporting the selection of commensals and tolerizing immunity during infancy. Here, we discuss emerging data related to the importance of breast milk antibodies in neonatal immunity and development.
Allocating Stimulus Checks in Times of Crisis

We study the problem of allocating bailouts (stimulus, subsidy allocations) to people participating in a financial network subject to income shocks. We build on the financial clearing framework of Eisenberg and Noe that allows the incorporation of a bailout policy that is based on discrete bailouts motivated by the types of stimulus checks people receive around the world as part of COVID-19 economical relief plans. We show that optimally allocating such bailouts on a financial network in order to maximize a variety of social welfare objectives of this form is a computationally intractable problem. We develop approximation algorithms to optimize these objectives and establish guarantees for their approximation rations. Then, we incorporate multiple fairness constraints in the optimization problems and establish relative bounds on the solutions with versus without these constraints. Finally, we apply our methodology to a variety of data, both in the context of a system of large financial institutions with real-world data, as well as in a realistic societal context with financial interactions between people and businesses for which we use semi-artificial data derived from mobility patterns. Our results suggest that the algorithms we develop and study have reasonable results in practice and outperform other network-based heuristics. We argue that the presented problem through the societal-level lens could assist policymakers in making informed decisions on issuing subsidies.
Bridging the Gap Between Modeling of Tumor Growth and Clinical Imaging

This chapter gives a brief overview of the biological processes involved in vascularized tumor growth, followed by a summary of recent mathematical modeling to simulate the biology of tumor growth and angiogenesis. It provides an overview of medical image analysis and describes recent efforts in the area of coupling such tumor models with imaging data. We do not discuss the research of obtaining tumor-specific information from medical imaging data, for which extensive work has been done in image processing and signal analysis. The chapter concludes with a sample simulation of vascularized tumor growth showing the critical role of vascularization in tumor invasiveness and highlighting the potential of gaining further insight into tumor behavior from a more expansive future integration of 3D tumor models with clinical imaging data.
A computational framework for simulation of biogeochemical tracers in the ocean

[1] A novel computational framework is introduced for the efficient simulation of chemical and biological tracers in ocean models. The framework is based on the “transport matrix” formulation, a scheme for capturing the complex three-dimensional transport of tracers in a general circulation model (GCM) as a sparse matrix, thus reducing the task of simulating tracers to a sequence of simple matrix-vector products. The principal advantages of this formulation are efficiency and convenience. It is many orders of magnitude more efficient than GCMs, allowing us to address problems that are currently either difficult or unaffordable with GCMs. The scheme also allows us to quickly “prototype” new biogeochemical parameterizations or “plug in” existing ones. This paper describes the key features and advantages of the transport matrix method, and illustrates its application to a series of realistic problems in chemical and biological oceanography. The examples range from simulation of a transient tracer (SF6) to adjoint sensitivity of a complex coupled biogeochemical model. Finally, the paper describes an efficient, portable, and freely available implementation of this computational scheme that provides the necessary framework for simulating any biogeochemical tracer.
Cognitive Radio Performance Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter presents several modeling approaches for describing the interactive decision processes that occur in a network of cognitive radios, specifically covering dynamical systems, contraction mappings, standard interference functions, Markov models, games, potential games, and super-modular games. For these game models, the chapter presents analysis insights that can be gleaned by demonstrating that a cognitive radio network satisfies the modeling conditions for one of the models. The steady-state properties, the convergence properties, and the stability properties for each of these models are also summarized. This chapter discussed two different model-independent approaches to determining the desirability of network behavior: Pareto optimality and evaluation of a network objective function. Demonstrating that a network state is Pareto optimal was shown to be of less value than demonstrating that the state maximized a network objective function. Although this chapter describes methodologies suitable for analyzing the cognitive radios of today, analyzing the cognitive radios of the future will continue to be an active area of research and a “remaining hard problem.”
Ultrastructural basis for interactions between central opioids and catecholamines. II. Nuclei of the solitary tracts

Interactions between central opioids and catecholamines are thought to underlie the ability of adrenergic agonists both to lower blood pressure and alleviate certain symptoms of opiate withdrawal. We examined the cellular substrate for interactions between neurons containing enkephalin-like opioid peptides and catecholamines in cardiovascular portions of the medial nuclei of the solitary tracts (m- NTS) of adult rats. Single sections were dually labeled using a double- bridged peroxidase method for the localization of a monoclonal leucine (Leu5)-enkephalin-antibody and immunoautoradiography for the localization of polyclonal antibodies against the catecholamine- synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Light microscopy revealed a few perikarya and numerous varicosities containing Leu5- enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (LE-LI). These were distributed among TH-labeled perikarya and processes throughout the rostrocaudal NTS. Electron microscopy of the m-NTS at the level of the area postrema further established the single as well as dual localization of TH and LE-LI in individual perikarya, dendrites, and axon terminals. Silver grains indicative of TH-labeling were usually distributed throughout the cytoplasm, whereas the peroxidase reaction product for LE-LI was localized principally to large (80–150 nm), dense-core vesicles. Immunoautoradiographic labeling for TH was detected in 118 terminals within a series of sections containing 183 terminals with LE-LI. Of these, 26% of the TH-labeled terminals and 32% of the enkephalin- containing terminals formed symmetric synapses with unlabeled dendrites, while only 7% of each type formed symmetric synapses with TH- labeled dendrites. In favorable planes of sections, the unlabeled as well as TH-labeled dendrites received convergent input from both types of terminals. A few of the remaining terminals that contained either TH or LE-LI formed asymmetric junctions with unlabeled distal dendrites; the others were without recognizable synaptic specializations within the plane of section. Approximately 20% of the TH-labeled terminals and 6% of the terminals containing LE-LI were dually labeled for both antibodies. These were invested with astrocytic processes characterized by bundles of intermediate filaments. We conclude that within cardiovascular portions of the m-NTS, opioid peptides and catecholamines contained within the same or separate terminals modulate the activity of target neurons through direct symmetric, probably inhibitory, synaptic junctions and may additionally modulate the activity of neighboring astrocytes through exocytotic release from large dense-core vesicles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Distortions to Hypersonic Boundary Layers

Destabilization of the boundary layer in hypervelocity flight can significantly increase the surface heat flux. For example, a stretch of concave surface curvature has been found to increase the skin friction by 125 % [1]. Goertler vortices were found to cause fluctuations in heat transfer of 20-30% in a Mach 7.1 flow over a concave compression ramp [2]. Ekoto et al. carried out an extensive study of global (adverse, favorable, and combined pressure gradients) and local (due to surface roughness) distortions in a turbulent hypersonic boundary layer [3]. Building on these works, we experimentally investigate the structure and breakdown of imposed vortex structures in a laminar hypervelocity boundary layer over a flat plate, and linear and curved compression surfaces.
RESPONSE OF TREEFROG LARVAE TO DRYING PONDS: COMPARING TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT POND BREEDERS

Most amphibian species with an aquatic larval stage use one of two types of breeding habitats: ephemeral or permanent water bodies. A common assumption is that, once a minimum developmental threshold has passed, tadpoles of species that use temporary ponds can respond adaptively to a drying larval habitat by hastening development to meta- morphose before the pond dries. We investigated how different pond drying regimes affected the timing of metamorphosis and body size at metamorphosis of two closely related species of hylid treefrogs, one of which commonly breeds in temporary ponds (Hyla gratiosa) and the other in permanent ponds (Hyla cinerea). We experimentally manipulated the water level in cattle-tank communities, exposing tadpoles of each species to a slow drying treat- ment, a fast drying treatment, and a constant water level treatment. There was no direct effect of pond drying on the larval period or body size at metamorphosis of either species. The drying treatments indirectly affected these traits by increasing larval densities, which extended the larval period and produced smaller sizes at metamorphosis. The timing of metamorphosis and body size at metamorphosis of H. gratiosa were more plastic than the corresponding traits in H. cinerea, but this greater plasticity cannot be interpreted as adap- tive. Our results emphasize the utility of the comparative approach in interpreting the potential adaptive responses of species to environmental variation.
High-Throughput VLSI Architecture for FFT Computation

In this brief, multi-path delay commutator structures are utilized to improve the throughput rate of radix-2 and radix-4 FFT computation by a factor of 2 to 4. Latency can also be reduced by a factor of 2 to 3. Compared with previous radix-2 and radix-4 FFT structures, the proposed high-throughput FFT with doubled throughput rate requires similar or even less hardware cost. Although split radix FFT design is more hardware efficient, the regular structure of proposed FFT structures are attractive for high throughput FFT design.
ED patient estimation of blood loss.

Purpose: Emergency department (ED) patients frequently estimate blood loss. How such information should guide evaluation and management, however, is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine ED patient accuracy in estimating blood loss on different surfaces. Methods: A convenience sample of 100 ED patients were asked to estimate the amount of moulage blood present in 4 scenarios: 178 mL spilled in a baking sheet on the floor; 5 mL in 2.5 mL of mucous in a tissue; 119 mL on a t-shirt; and 119 mL in a commode filled with water. Results: The mean percent error for all estimates was 412% with a range of 0% to 1080%. Estimates were within 100% of the actual amount 44% of the time. Eleven percent of assessments were correct and 70% were overestimates. Conclusion: Emergency department patients do not estimate blood loss well in a variety of scenarios, erring on the side of overestimation.
Documentation of Clinical Interventions by Pharmacy Faculty, Residents, and Students

OBJECTIVE:To describe the influence of pharmacy faculty, residents, and students at a community hospital by documenting the number and types of interventions attributable to their involvement in patient-care activities.METHODS:Between September 1, 1997, and May 31, 1999, data were collected using a computerized documentation system to characterize the intervention type, significance, and value of services rendered by an education group composed of pharmacy faculty (n = 2), residents (n = 4), and students (n = 22).RESULTS:The number, nature, and outcome category for all interventions were documented using an existing computerized documentation system. The education group accounted for 13% (n = 2873) of total clinical activities documented (n = 21 817). The most common activities reported were discharge counseling/education (31%), consultation by physicians and therapeutic recommendations (15%), and route conversion (6%). Interventions documented by the education group were classified as medium or high sign...
Temporal SCE and cytotoxicity responses of murine cells following in vivo treatment with MNU or L-PAM.

Abstract Time-dependent SCE responses of bone marrow and cultured spleen lymphocytes of BDF 1 mice to in vivo treatment with MNU or L-PAM were studied. L-PAM was generally more active than MNU in producing elevated SCEs. Increases of 4–5 times control levels were produced in lymphocytes cultured at 1 or 24 h after i.p. injection of 4.95 μmoles/kg of L-PAM whereas an approximately 3-fold increase was produced by an acute injection of 190 μmoles/kg of MNU. Temporal SCE responses of bone marrow cells were carried out with doses of L-PAM (4.95 μmoles/kg) and MNU (131 μmoles/kg) found to be noncytotoxic by analysis of relative percentages of first, second, and third generation cells. The SCE response of second generation bone marrow cells (> 7 time baseline) to MNU was maximum when treatment was at the first cycle and decreased rapidly with increasing time prior to, or after the start of BrdUrd infusion. By contrast nonreciprocal (NR) SCE responses of third generation progeny never exceeded a 2-fold increase over baseline. Dramatic inhibition of cell cycling by MNU was evident as the reciprocal (R) SCEs in third generation cells increased, and exceeded NR SCEs, with increased treatment time intervals after the start of BrdUrd infusion. Similar dramatic cytotoxicity of L-PAM was apparent in time-dependent SCE response studies. An increased BrdUrd infusion time (28 h rather than the usual 26.5 h) was necessary to achieve adequate numbers of third division cells. Maximum SCE responses of the latter cells to L-PAM did not exceed 3 times baseline levels, whereas maximum responses of > 9 times control levels were produced in second generation cells. Comparison of SCE responses of second and third generation progeny of similarly treated cell populations, appears to provide a more sensitive assessment of cytotoxicity than does the conventional method of cell cycle analysis.
Robust detection and spectrum estimation of multiple sources from rotating-prism spectrometer images

We describe a new approach for performing pseudo-imaging of point energy sources from spectral-temporal sensor data collected using a rotating-prism spectrometer. Pseudo-imaging, which involves the automatic localization, spectrum estimation, and identification of energetic sources, can be difficult for dim sources and/or noisy images, or in data containing multiple sources which are closely spaced such that their signatures overlap, or where sources move during data collection. The new approach is specifically designed for these difficult cases. It is developed within an iterative, maximum-entropy, framework which incorporates an efficient optimization over the space of all model parameters and mappings between image pixels and sources, or clutter. The optimized set of parameters is then used for detection, localization, tracking, and identification of the multiple sources in the data. The paper includes results computed from experimental data.
Acceptability of a Non-Woven Device for Vaginal Drug Delivery of Microbicides or Other Active Agents

Vaginal microbicides could reduce incidence of HIV. However, the current method of delivering gel formulations (standard applicator) can result in acceptability concerns/issues. This study evaluated the concept of using a non-woven textile material (modified tampon) for vaginal drug delivery. The study was nested within a Phase I randomized safety trial of lime juice concentrations used intra-vaginally. Of 47 women completing the safety trial, 16 were interviewed about their experiences. Overall, women found the concept of non-woven materials for vaginal drug delivery acceptable for use in delivering yeast medications (13 of 16) and STI/HIV preventives (10 of 16).
Extended-performance 8-cm ion thruster operation

The performance of an 8-cm ion thruster has been extended to 32-mN thrust, 4062-s specific impulse, and 0.033-mN/W thrust-to-power ratio. The design of this thruster is similar to the IAPS (Ion Auxiliary Propulsion System), which has a performance of 5-mN thrust, 3500-s specific impulse, and 0.036-mN/W thrust-to-power ratio. The above level of extended performance has been achieved by increasing the discharge power, ion-beam accelerating voltage, and propellant flowrate, and by modifying the propellant-vapor injection, discharge-chamber magnetic-field strength, high-voltage insulators, and electron baffle. This paper describes results obtained in characterizing the extended-performance operation of both the unmodified thruster (i.e., in an IAPS-like configuration) and the modified thruster. Lifetime-estimating measurements for the modified thruster at extended-performance conditions are also presented.
Foreign Currency Translation Reporting and the Exchange-Rate Exposure Effect

This study further explores a structural break in the relation between stock returns of firms with foreign currency positions and lagged exchange rate changes (exchange rate exposure effect) documented in Bartov and Bodnar (1994). We examine whether changes in the financial accounting reporting of foreign currency positions from SFAS No. 52 might have improved investors' ability to characterize firms' economic exchange rate exposures, and thus the impact of exchange rate movements on firm value. Our findings indicate that only firms reporting using the dollar as the functional currency (i.e., those reporting as if they were still under SFAS No. 8) retain a significant relation between the lagged change in the dollar and firm value in the post-SFAS No. 52 period. For firms reporting using the foreign currency as the functional currency (i.e., those who switched to the new translation method) the significant lagged relation disappears. This is consistent with the use of a foreign currency as the functional currency under SFAS No. 52 facilitating valuation of U.S. firms with foreign operations.
Decline in Oral Perception from 20 to 70 Years

120 adults were given a task to determine whether performance on an oral perception task declines with increasing chronological age. Subjects in their 70's performed significantly worse than those in their 60's and younger. This loss of oral perceptual skills is considered relevant to the remediation and training of older individuals with difficulties in speech articulation.
A comparison of the mechanical properties and microstructures of intermetallic matrix composites fabricated by two different methods

The tensile properties of SCS-6 SiC fiber-reinforced Ti-24Al-11Nb (at. pct) have been measured over the past several years by a number of investigators. These composites have been fabricated by different techniques and tend to exhibit a large amount of scatter in the longitudinal tensile properties. To date, it is not known if one optimized fabrication method provides composites with improved mechanical properties over those produced by other optimized methods, since carefully controlled experiments have not been performed to determine this. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to compare the longitudinal tensile strengths of SCS-6 SiC/ Ti-24Al-11Nb composites that had been fabricated by the powder-cloth method and the lowpressure plasma spray (LPPS) method. In this study, the same lots of matrix powder and reinforcing fiber were used for fabricating the composites. It was determined that the powder-cloth and plasma spray methods produced composites having very similar tensile properties. Both fabrication methods induced damage in a small percentage of fibers, which manifested itself in the form of bimodal Weibull distributions of extracted fiber strengths. It appeared that the particular lot of SCS-6 fiber used in fabricating both types of composites was more susceptible to fabrication damage than those used in previous studies. This article also shows the dramatic effect that different handling and testing techniques can have on measured fiber strengths.
The effects of grouping on the learning and long-term retention of spatial and temporal information

In three experiments, participants learned either the temporal sequence or the spatial arrangement of a list of 18 words, presented 1 at a time, each in a different location within a vertical array. The words were either ungrouped or grouped into 2 sets of 9, with each set divided into 3 subsets. In Experiment 1, grouping aided the learning of spatial arrangement but not temporal sequence. In Experiment 2, learning was made more difficult for half of the participants by increasing the rate of word presentation, but grouping did not affect the learning of temporal order information in either difficulty condition. In Experiment 3, phonological processing was blocked by articulatory suppression for half of the participants, but grouping still did not affect learning temporal order. It is concluded that participants take advantage of grouping to learn spatial but not temporal information, thereby challenging unitary accounts of learning order information.
Increased numbers of annulate lamellae in myocardium of chick embryos incubated at abnormal temperatures.

Annulate lamellae have been observed in the myocardium of 18-day-old chick embryos maintained at the normal temperature of 100°F and at 90°F during the last week of incubation. An increased number of annulate lamellae was observed in heart muscle of embryos incubated at 90°F. This is probably caused by a persistent production of these organelles, since annulate lamellae are present in greater frequency than in 11-day-old embryos incubated at 100°F. In the hypertrophic hearts of 18-day-old embryos incubated at 90°F, the annulate lamellae were associated with a net increase of protein content and an elevated concentration of myocardial glycogen. It is suggested that the increased number of annulate lamellae is a sequela of reduced environmental temperature during incubation.
Connectivity in urbanizing landscapes: The importance of habitat configuration, urban area size, and dispersal

Human activities affect both the amount and configuration of habitat. These changes have important ecological implications that can be measured as changes in landscape connectivity. I investigated how urbanization interacts with the initial amount and aggregation of habitat to change dispersal potential, restoration potential, and the risk of spatially extensive disturbances. I used a factorial set of simulated landscapes and subjected each landscape to habitat loss by overlaying 66 different US urban areas. I used a common connectivity metric, CONNECT, to assess the magnitude and direction of changes for a range of dispersal distances. My results show that the relationship between habitat loss and connectivity loss is non-linear and subject to interactions between the spatial patterns of habitat distribution, urban morphology, and dispersal capabilities. The implications of a given urban form vary widely as a function of habitat distribution and dispersal capabilities. This implies that impact assessments, restoration activities, and conservation planning should consider historical habitat distribution when evaluating observed changes in connectivity. While my results clearly show that more aggregated or continuous habitats are more vulnerable to connectivity loss, this approach can also be used to identify landscapes where restoring connectivity will be particularly effective, for example through placement of stepping stone habitats.
State-of-the-art report: GCL shear strength and its measurement – ten-year update

ABSTRACT: This paper presents an invited update to our 2004 state-of-the-art report and provides a comprehensive source of information on the shear strength and shear strength testing of geosynthet...
Orthogonal RuII(bpy)3 complexes in meso-substituted porphyrins

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of mono- and bis-meso-substituted porphyrins, where the substituents are bipyridine (bpy) groups are described. Treatment of these new porphyrins with an excess of cis-RuCl2(bpy)2 gives rise to their respective mono- and bis-RuII(bpy)3 complexes. These ruthenium porphyrin complexes all exist as a number of structural isomers and this is reflected in both the proton and carbon NMR spectra. The cyclic voltammetry of these redox active systems was examined and is reported herein. The cyclic voltammetry for the ruthenium porphyrins is complex, with the usual two oxidation and two reduction waves of porphyrins mixing with the three reduction waves of the porphyrin bound RuII(bpy)3 and the single oxidation wave seen for the RuII/RuIII couple. In the case of the mono-ruthenium porphyrin, this complex redox chemistry results in the presence of a reversible two-electron reduction, along with the other redox processes. The bis-ruthenium porphyrin has an even more complex redox chemistry. However, the first ligand-based reduction wave in both the mono- and bis-substituted complexes, occur at more negative potentials than those in, simple free, RuII(bpy)3.
The role of Ca2+ signaling in the coordination of mitochondrial ATP production with cardiac work

The heart is capable of balancing the rate of mitochondrial ATP production with utilization continuously over a wide range of activity. This results in a constant phosphorylation potential despite a large change in metabolite turnover. The molecular mechanisms responsible for generating this energy homeostasis are poorly understood. The best candidate for a cytosolic signaling molecule reflecting ATP hydrolysis is Ca2+. Since Ca2+ initiates and powers muscle contraction as well as serves as the primary substrate for SERCA, Ca2+ is an ideal feed-forward signal for priming ATP production. With the sarcoplasmic reticulum to cytosolic Ca2+ gradient near equilibrium with the free energy of ATP, cytosolic Ca2+ release is exquisitely sensitive to the cellular energy state providing a feedback signal. Thus, Ca2+ can serve as a feed-forward and feedback regulator of ATP production. Consistent with this notion is the correlation of cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ with work in numerous preparations as well as the localization of mitochondria near Ca2+ release sites. How cytosolic Ca2+ signaling might regulate oxidative phosphorylation is a focus of this review. The relevant Ca2+ sensitive sites include several dehydrogenases and substrate transporters together with a post-translational modification of F1-FO-ATPase and cytochrome oxidase. Thus, Ca2+ apparently activates both the generation of the mitochondrial membrane potential as well as utilization to produce ATP. This balanced activation extends the energy homeostasis observed in the cytosol into the mitochondria matrix in the never resting heart.
Impacts of conservation buffers and grasslands on total phosphorus loads using hydrological modeling and remote sensing techniques

Abstract To better assess the impacts of conservation buffers and grasslands on water quality at large spatial scales, development and integration of novel approaches are crucial to ensure that these land management practices are functioning properly and meeting their original goals. Recent developments in remote sensing technology have greatly enriched the availability of geospatial data that can be used in hydrological modeling to assess the potential hydrological response of conservation practices over larger areas. A methodology was developed using the object-based image analysis approach with Landsat-5 TM imagery of the year 2005 and thematic layers of streams to quantify conservation buffers and grasslands (OBIA-2005). The OBIA-2005 land cover data was used in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool hydrologic model to assess the impacts of vegetative conservation practices on total phosphorus (TP) loads. The model was calibrated and validated for discharge and TP loads in the Cedar Creek Watershed (CCW) in northeast Indiana. In general model efficiency for streamflow values was within acceptable statistical ranges. While calibration of TP loads was satisfactory for the total contributing area of two nested catchments within the upper CCW. Vegetative buffers of 30.5 m and 61 m combined with conservation grasslands generated from the OBIA-2005 resulted in a large reduction of TP loads as compared to no practices. The results also showed that including conservation grassland alone reduced TP loads by less than 2%. However, the combination of these practices with the width of edge-of-field buffer strips module of the SWAT model achieved the largest TP loads reduction. These findings demonstrate that improved representation of vegetative conservation practices in geospatial land cover data sets are more effective in assessing the impacts of conservation buffers and grasslands on water quality through hydrologic modeling.
The Paradox of Perspectivism

The last twenty years of English-speaking Nietzsche scholarship have been dominated by the paradox of perspectivism. Perspectivism is the view that any claim to knowledge is bound to the perspective formed by the contingent "interests" of the knower. Nearly all existing interpretations fall within one of two categories. On the one hand, this relativity to perspective is thought to underwrite a generalized skepticism: we are irretrievably locked up in a perspective which may distort our apprehension of reality. On the other hand, perspectivism is interpreted as anti-essentialism: there is no independent reality the apprehension of which our perspective might distort; accordingly, our judgments are less a matter of correspondence to objective reality than expression of subjective attitudes. Unsurprisingly, this anti-essentialism is often associated with relativism. On both kinds of interpretation, perspectivism is thought to generate a self-referential paradox: if every view is irretrievably bound to a perspective, how could Nietzsche advocate views in ethics and metaphysics, and indeed how could he consistently advocate perspectivism itself? The paradox is inevitable, it is assumed, because to advocate a view is necessarily to present it as true, that is to say, as making a claim on everyone regardless of their particular perspective. Beyond this, perspectivism itself in Nietzsche seems to depend on the very claims to knowledge it repudiates (e.g., that there are interests constituting the various perspectives). There have seemed to be two basic ways of resolving this paradox. According to the first, which may be called the two-level solution, Nietzsche advocates views in ethics, metaphysics and epistemology, and perspectivism is simply one of these (purportedly true) views; there is no paradox because the sort of limitations on knowledge claims this perspectivism implies somehow do not apply to his central views in ethics, metaphysics and epistemology. However, this two-level solution seems suspiciously ad hoc. It must show why perspectivism, together with its metaphysical underpinnings, does not apply to itself or does not, if it does so apply, generate the worrisome self-referential paradox.
Harmonic Maps to Teichmüller Space

We give sufficient conditions for the existence of equivariant harmonic maps from the universal cover of a Riemann surface B to the Teichmuller space of a genus g ≥ 2 surface Σ. The condition is in terms of the representation of the fundamental group of B to the mapping class group of Σ. The metric on Teichmuller space is chosen to be the Kahler hyperbolic metric. Examples of such representations arise from symplectic Lefschetz fibrations. Date: January 30, 2000 (final revision). 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary: 58E20 ; Secondary: 32G13, 30F60, 57M60. G.D. supported in part by NSF grant DMS-9803606. L.K. supported in part by NSF grant DMS-9700605 and a Sloan Research Fellowship. R.W. supported in part by NSF grant DMS-9971860.
Geographic variation in songs of the Bewick's wren: a search for correlations with avifaunal complexity

Song characteristics of the Bewick's wren (Thryomanes bewickii) are compared from nine localities in the western United States. Character shifts, i.e., a difference in means, are evident for all song characters: Arizona and Colorado songs are especially short and long, respectively (Figs. 1, 2); songs of insular (Santa Cruz Is.) and nearby mainland populations in California are very dissimilar (Table 1); excluding the insular population, the frequency range of song phrases is positively correlated with latitude (Fig. 3). Variance shifts, i.e., a difference in repertoire size or Coefficients of Variation (CV's) of measured song characters, are also present; most notably, Arizona males have exceptionally stereotyped songs, with small song phrase repertoires (Table 2) and low CV's. Population densities and/or habitat structure undoubtedly influence signal design, but correlations reported here suggest that the avifaunal complexity and the corresponding vocal milieu should also be examined rigorously as possibly important influences.
Subset Clustering of Binary Sequences, with an Application to Genomic Abnormality Data

This article develops a model-based approach to clustering multivariate binary data, in which the attributes that distinguish a cluster from the rest of the population may depend on the cluster being considered. The clustering approach is based on a multivariate Dirichlet process mixture model, which allows for the estimation of the number of clusters, the cluster memberships, and the cluster-specific parameters in a unified way. Such a clustering approach has applications in the analysis of genomic abnormality data, in which the development of different types of tumors may depend on the presence of certain abnormalities at subsets of locations along the genome. Additionally, such a mixture model provides a nonparametric estimation scheme for dependent sequences of binary data.
Current clinical trials with authentic recombinant somatropin in Japan.

A total of 25 children with hGH deficiency were treated with recombinant somatropin, 0.5 IU/kg/week i.m. for approximately 12 months in a multicentre study. Sixteen patients were previously untreated with any hGH preparation (naive group) and 9 patients had been treated with pituitary hGH for 4-42 months (previously treated group). The height gain after 12 months with the present treatment was 7.7 +/- 1.8 cm/year in the naive group and 5.8 +/- 1.0 cm/year in the previously treated group. Using the criteria proposed by the Foundation for Growth Science in Japan, recombinant somatropin treatment was effective in 15 of 16 patients (93.8%) of the naive group and in all of the 9 patients (100%) in the switched group. Anti-hGH antibody was observed in none of 9 patients in the previously treated group throughout the study period. It was observed in only 2 of 16 patients after 6 months of treatment and 1 of 16 patients after 12 months of treatment in the naive group. No side-effects or abnormalities in laboratory findings were observed.
Potent, selective pyrimidinetrione-based inhibitors of MMP-13.

Abstract Using SAR from two related series of pyrimidinetrione-based inhibitors, compounds with potent MMP-13 inhibition and >100-fold selectivity against other MMPs have been identified. Despite high molecular weights, c log Ps, and polar surface areas, the compounds are generally well absorbed and have excellent pharmacokinetic (PK) properties when dosed as sodium salts. In a rat fibrosis model, a compound from the series displayed no fibrosis at exposures many fold greater than its MMP-13 IC50.
Relationship of metabolite inhibition of growth to flow-of-carbon patterns in nature

Abstract Various genetic diseases arise from biochemical imbalances that are relatively subtle in the sense that the original mutations are not lethal, that the organism is most vulnerable to damage during certain phases of rapid development, and that in well-managed cases it may be possible to avoid damaging effects through the use of appropriate nutritional manipulations. Analogous imbalances occur in lower organisms. Data obtained with Pseudomonas putida illustrate that susceptibility to metabolic imbalance is conditionally dependent upon the nutritional regimen. Stereoisomers of leucine, isoleucine and valine, except for L-allo-isoleucine, are metabolized as sole sources of carbon and energy by P. putida . Although the cell yields calculated following utilization of D -leucine and L -leucine were similar, the rate of growth on D-leucine was seven-fold faster than on L -leucine. Slower growth on the L -isomer is not explained as 2-ketoisocaproate limitation since 2-ketoisocaproate production from L -leucine appears to occur more readily than from D -leucine. Spontaneous mutants were obtained which grew 2–10 times more rapidly than wild type on L -leucine, L -isoleucine, or L -valine. It is concluded that the true growth potential (rate) of wild type on any of the branched-chain amino acids is masked by a partial, sustained inhibitory effect produced by the corresponding keto acids or their derivative metabolites. Inhibition of growth rate was only found during utilization of branched-chain amino acids as the sole source of carbon and energy, indicating that the metabolite vulnerability is unique to particular flow-of-carbon patterns during growth. The partial and sustained depression of growth rate by branched-chain amino acids in the absence of other carbon sources cannot be attributed to mis-regulation events localized within the biosynthetic pathway. It is concluded that the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids produces a generalized state of metabolic imbalance owing to the existence of abnormally high levels of degradative metabolites such as keto acids of Coenzyme-A derivatives. Such compounds could (1) interfere with keto acid (e.g. pyruvate) metabolism, (ii) cause feed-forward inhibition of rate-limiting steps in the pathways of branched-chain amino acid catabolism, (iii) perturb fatty acid composition or disrupt the biochemical integrity of membrane material, or (iv) react with substrate-ambiguous enzymes, either slowing essential biochemical reactions to rates that are growth-limiting or producing erroneous products having antimetabolite properties. These effects of branched-chain amino acids in P. putida may be quite relevant to the molecular events that characterize maple syrup urine disease in man. Metabolite inhibition is probably more common in nature than is generally appreciated, and an appreciation of the molecular basis for anomalous inhibitions of growth in prokaryotic systems should help supply insight into various molecular diseases in man, many of them yet to be described.
A Defense of McDowell’s Response to the Sceptic

Crispin Wright argues that John McDowell’s use of disjunctivism to respond to the sceptic misses the point of the sceptic’s argument, for disjunctivism is a thesis about the differing metaphysical natures of veridical and nonveridical experiences, whereas the sceptic’s point is that our beliefs are unjustified because veridical and nonveridical experiences can be phenomenally indistinguishable. In this paper, I argue that McDowell is responsive to the sceptic’s focus on phenomenology, for the point of McDowell’s response is that it is the phenomenal character of experience that makes the belief in disjunctivism rational, and thereby also makes rational the anti-sceptical belief that, other things being equal, the world is the way it appears.
AN ANALYSIS OF ABSENTEEISM ARBITRATION CASES: FACTORS USED BY ARBITRATORS IN MAKING DECISIONS

The purpose of this study was to determine if arbitrators use all seven of Dougherty's tests of just cause in cases involving discharge for excessive absenteeism. One hundred and ninety‐five absenteeism cases published by the Bureau of National Affairs and Commerce Clearing House between 1980 and 1990 were analyzed. Four of Dougherty's key tests were found to be critical: Penalty, Equal Treatment, Proof, and Notice. Logistic regression analysis of the data reveals that if these four tests are met by management, there is an almost certain probability that a grievance for excessive absenteeism discharge will be denied. If, however, any one of these tests is not met, the probability is greater than 99 percent that the grievance will be fully sustained or split.
Ciguatera fish poisoning

Ciguatera fish poisoning following consumption of a variety of fishes presents a distinct complex of polymorphous symptoms, including gastrointestinal (abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea), neurological (primarily parasthesia, dysesthesia), and cardiovascular (bradycardia, hypotension, tachycardia). The fishes involved include herbivores (surgeonfish) and carnivores (e.g., snapper, grouper, barracuda, jack, amberjack). Clinical symptoms seem to differ according to whether toxicity is caused by herbivores or carnivores, that is, there seem to be differences between the gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms associated with herbivores, and the gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms following consumption of carnivores. The final structure of ciguatoxin (CTX) from a carnivore species (moray eel livers) has been recognized as a lipid polyether closely related to other polyethers from dinoflagellates (okadaic acid, brevetoxin, maitotoxin, scaritoxin), to sponges (okadaic acid and norhalichondrin A), and to the streptomyces (antibiotics, monocarboxylic polyethers). Pharmacological studies suggest that, like the antibiotic polyether ionophores, ciguatoxin (Na +) and its related polyethers likewise affect cell membrane and electrolyte imbalances. Screening of toxin fishes for ciguatoxin and related polyethers may soon be a reality employing monoclonal antibodies in the stick enzyme immunoassay. Research in human diagnostic tests and treatment of afflicted individuals is presently limited for ciguatera poisoning.
Studies on dietary correction of metabolic abnormalities in hepatorenal glycogenosis.

Extract: This study reports the effects of frequent glucose feeding on the metabolic abnormalities observed in a patient with hepatorenal glycogenosis. Use of this diet resulted in correction of metabolic acidosis and hyperlacticacidemia. External calcium balance became positive secondary to a decrease in the loss of calcium in urine. Long-term use of the diet caused a reduction to normal values of triglyceride and cholesterol levels in serum. Continued use of the diet for nine months resulted in increased growth rate and increased calcification of bone. Evidence based on excretion of epinephrine and 17-hydroxy-corticosteroids in urine did not indicate that an increased excretion of these hormones occurred in response to hypoglycemia. Concentrations of growth hormone were low despite hypoglycemia; however, after nine months of treatment, the patient showed a rapid decline in the levels of blood sugar with an increase in the levels of growth hormone in blood. Speculation: Partially controlled hepatorenal glycogenosis is in some ways similar to juvenile diabetes mellitus since patients with this disease sustain intermittent starvation of the peripheral tissues for glucose. Study of the metabolic sequellae of peripheral glucose deprivation and repletion in some forms of glycogenosis may lead to a better understanding of the complications of juvenile diabetes mellitus.
Integrated Optics/Electronics Using Electro-Optic Polymers

Organic electro-optic materials afford the realization of devices with terahertz bandwidths, providing bandwidths are not limited by resistive losses in metal electrodes. Recent realization of electro-optic coefficients (at telecommunication wavelengths) on the order of 200 pm/V permits construction of devices with operating voltage requirements of 1 volt or less. In like manner, substantial progress has been made in both understanding and improving thermal and photostability suggesting that organic electro-optic materials can meet Telacordia standards. However, one of the most intriguing advances afforded by organic materials is their processability including the ability to be integrated with diverse materials. This communication discusses both the systematic improvement, by theoretically-inspired rational design, of relevant material properties and the development of a variety of new processing methodologies, including soft lithography methods, for the fabrication of stripline, cascaded prism, and ring microresonator devices. The fabrication of flexible devices is also discussed.
Wind response prediction of flexible bridges

Abstract The paper highlights some results of a recent study involving a suspension bridge with an aerodynamically unstable deck sectional form. A finite element analysis of this bridge, of rather a complex geometry, combied with field motion data analysis is presently used in estimating the natural modes. The finite element modeling also indicated that the prior efforts to stiffen the bridge, through a system of ties and bracing, by the original designer may have been very successful in avoiding catastrophic wind response. Analysis of the bridge response and the wind environment data further indicate that the effects of signature turbulence may play a dominant role in exciting the bridge.