cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidation and Devolatilization of Nitrogen in Coal Char

Abstract The reactions of organically-bound nitrogen in coal char during combustion have been studied in a laboratory furnace using size-graded char particles prepared by the pyrolysis of a Montana lignite. The time-resolved variations of nitrogen-to-carbon ratio during char oxidation have reveated that there is no selectivity between nitrogen and carbon loss due to oxidation but that the char-nitrogen can undergo devolatilization in parallel with the oxidation. The paper illustrates that the rates of devolatilization of fuel nitrogen can be obtained from oxidation experimentations under conditions where: (1) carbon devolatilization is unimportant, as in the case for char, and (2) the oxidation of nitrogen and carbon is nonselective. The oxidation rate of char-nitrogen can be given by the product of the char oxidation rate and the mole ratio of nitrogen to carbon in the char. The devolatilization rate of char-nitrogen is correlated by a first-order kinetics, showing good agreement with those of previous i...
The WRITE process in magnetic recording

An extension of an earlier model of the WRITE process in saturation recording that accounts for internal fields due to magnetization divergence in the recording medium is presented. It is shown that the initial condition of the medium determines the internal field distribution during WRITE and may lead to appreciable peak shift and WRITE over modulation. The special case of two successive reversals of magnetization for a dc biased recording medium is considered in detail. System design criteria for optimization of the recording medium parameters, the head pole gap, and the WRITE time constant are presented for a system where the remaining parameters are constrained. Calculation for the initial and quiescent magnetization and internal field and the expected signal trace, in addition to experimental data, are presented for an out-of-contact drum system employing a NiZn ferrite WRITE-READ head and a CoNiP plating.
THE INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR SYSTEM AND ITS BIOLOGICAL ACTIONS IN FISH

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system plays an important role in controlling animal development and growth. There are three components to the IGF system: ligands (IGF-I and IGF-II), receptors (type I and type II IGF receptors) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). These members of the IGF system are expressed differentially and their expression patterns implicate them in critical developmental events. Even though IGFs have been proven essential for normal fetal growth through experiments using IGF “knock-out” mice, the precise role of each member of the IGF system is not fully understood. Recent studies suggest that the IGF system has been highly conserved in teleost fish. This paper provides an overview of what is currently known about the IGF system in teleost fish. Several aspects of the IGF system are discussed, including the structural and functional aspects of fish IGFs, the fish IGF receptors and IGFBPs. The biological actions of fish IGFs are described in reference to their roles in growth, development, reproduction and osmoregulation. Finally, some of the unique advantages of using teleost fish as experimental models for defining the developmental role of the IGF system and the underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed
Inviscid Wing-Tip Vortex Behavior Behind Wings in Close Formation Flight

Nomenclature bH = nondimensionalized half-span of the hitchhiker aircraft by the half-span of the hitchhiker aircraft, Eq. (1) bM = half-span of the mothership divided by the half-span of the hitchhiker aircraft dt = time step, s dy = distance between the mothership and the hitchhiker divided by the half-span of the hitchhiker aircraft dz = relative height between the mothership and the hitchhiker divided by the half-span of the hitchhiker aircraft N = total number of elements representing each wing (u, v) H j = induced velocity at a wake vortex j on the hitchhiker aircraft by other vortices on the hitchhiker aircraft (u, v) M j = induced velocity at a wake vortex j on the hitchhiker aircraft by vortices from the mothership aircraft (u, v) H j = induced velocity at a wake vortex j on the mothership aircraft by vortices on the hitchhiker aircraft (u, v) M j = induced velocity at a wake vortex j on the mothership aircraft from other vortices on the mothership aircraft x = downstreamwise distance from a wing’s trailing edge H 0 = maximum circulation on the hitchhiker for an elliptic load distribution M 0 = maximum circulation on the mothership for an elliptic load distribution δ = smoothing factor, 0.1
A TEST-FREE APPROACH TO PREDICTION FOR GUIDANCE

Validities derived from test-free variables were obtained for final grades in ten community college courses. The variables included self-reports of high school performance, self-ratings on four factors presumably related to good grades, and informed self-estimates of future performance in a course. Validities for the same students were also obtained using the Comparative Guidance and Placement test battery and the results compared. For five of the courses the non-test validities were as high as or higher than the test validities, and in the other five the differences were modest. These findings suggest that non-test approaches to prediction are satisfactory alternatives to tests, at least for purposes of guidance. They also suggest that courses hard to predict through tests may be predictable with non-test methods. Benefits of a test-free program to the college, students, and faculty are discussed.
Recent Developments in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Flow Measurements

All instruments used to produce nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) images have a number of common features. A strong, uniform, and stable magnetic field has to be imposed through the subject. This field has to be varied in space and time to define the location of pixels in the image. A radio frequency magnetic field is applied to excite the nuclei. The radiofrequency signal from the nuclei is detected and its strength determines the intensities of the pixels in the image. The imaging process, data acquisition, and display are all controlled by computers. Within this general structure many options exist for collecting the data necessary for image reconstruction. Areas of recent improvement include increased numbers of slices in a given time, finer spatial resolution and sensitivity to blood flow.
Fault tree analysis of computer systems

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a well developed technique for the reliability and safety analysis of complex systems such as nuclear power plants and weapon systems. In this paper, we apply FTA to analyze the reliability and the performance of computer systems. An approach to detect the sequence dependent faults in computer systems is proposed and exemplified. Based on the fault tree analysis, guidelines for up-grading the system can be developed.
What's new on nutrition labeling at the United States Food and Drug Administration?

Abstract The manuscript provides an overview of food labeling activities of the United States (USA) Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Highlights include: • FDA will proceed with final rulemaking on trans fatty acid labeling after review of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Macronutrient Report. • FDA, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Health Canada are funding a 24-month NAS study on Dietary Reference Intakes in Nutrition Labeling to provide information that can be considered in the development of reference values for labeling in the USA and Canada. • In March of 2002, FDA published a rule that proposes to amend the regulations to update the names and nutrition labeling values of the 20 most frequently consumed raw fruits, vegetables, and fish in the USA and to revise the guidelines for the voluntary nutrition labeling of these raw foods. • For over 20 years, FDA has used the Food Label and Package Survey (FLAPS) to monitor the industry response to food label regulations. FLAPS is the only large-scale USA survey that routinely reviews food label information representative of the nation's food supply. • Nutrition labeling databases are collections of nutrient data for specific products or commodities used to support nutrition label values. While selection of the source of the data used to calculate nutrition labeling values is the prerogative of the manufacturer, FDA recommends that the nutrient values for nutrition labeling be based on product composition as determined by laboratory analysis. Restaurants using claims must provide nutrition information relevant to the claim and may determine nutrient levels by nutrient databases, cookbooks, analyses, and by other reasonable bases that provide assurance that the food or meal meets the nutrient requirements for a claim.
Phylogenomics of Reichenowia parasitica, an Alphaproteobacterial Endosymbiont of the Freshwater Leech Placobdella parasitica

Although several commensal alphaproteobacteria form close relationships with plant hosts where they aid in (e.g.,) nitrogen fixation and nodulation, only a few inhabit animal hosts. Among these, Reichenowia picta, R. ornata and R. parasitica, are currently the only known mutualistic, alphaproteobacterial endosymbionts to inhabit leeches. These bacteria are harbored in the epithelial cells of the mycetomal structures of their freshwater leech hosts, Placobdella spp., and these structures have no other obvious function than housing bacterial symbionts. However, the function of the bacterial symbionts has remained unclear. Here, we focused both on exploring the genomic makeup of R. parasitica and on performing a robust phylogenetic analysis, based on more data than previous hypotheses, to test its position among related bacteria. We sequenced a combined pool of host and symbiont DNA from 36 pairs of mycetomes and performed an in silico separation of the different DNA pools through subtractive scaffolding. The bacterial contigs were compared to 50 annotated bacterial genomes and the genome of the freshwater leech Helobdella robusta using a BLASTn protocol. Further, amino acid sequences inferred from the contigs were used as queries against the 50 bacterial genomes to establish orthology. A total of 358 orthologous genes were used for the phylogenetic analyses. In part, results suggest that R. parasitica possesses genes coding for proteins related to nitrogen fixation, iron/vitamin B translocation and plasmid survival. Our results also indicate that R. parasitica interacts with its host in part by transmembrane signaling and that several of its genes show orthology across Rhizobiaceae. The phylogenetic analyses support the nesting of R. parasitica within the Rhizobiaceae, as sister to a group containing Agrobacterium and Rhizobium species.
Measurement of the Zeta Potential of Planar Solid Surfaces by Means of a Rotating Disk

A method for measuring the zeta potential of disks is described. Combining the hydrodynamic properties of a rotating disk, the solution of Laplace's equation for the potential, and the electrokinetic boundary condition, one obtains an equation that relates the zeta potential of the disk to the streaming potential in the disk's vicinity. Theory predicts a dependence of the streaming potential on the rotation rate raised to the 3/2 power. Theory also shows that placement of one reference electrode on the axis of rotation near the disk surface and the other far from the disk is favorable. Measurement of the streaming potential of silicon oxide and indium tin oxide in contact with a solution of potassium chloride demonstrated the expected 3/2 power dependence on rotation rate. The zeta potentials calculated from the combination of the theory and experimental data agreed with published values.
Understanding factors affecting consumer intention to shop in a virtual world.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to understand that factors affecting consumer intention to shop in a virtual world and to analyze the relationships among these factors. Particularly, this study explored consumer innovativeness (consumer novelty seeking, consumer independent judgment making) as an external variable that influences consumer intention indirectly through its effects on consumer experiences with the virtual world application (ease of use, control, concentration, enjoyment). The findings indicated that consumers’ perceived enjoyment and control positively influenced their shopping intentions. While consumer novelty seeking had no significant effect on shopping intention consumer independent judgment making significantly affected consumers’ intention to shop in a virtual world indirectly through its positive effects on perceived control, enjoyment, and ease of use.
Gender Differences in Child Word Learning

In prior work with adults, women were found to outperform men on a paired-associates word-learning task, but only when learning phonologically-familiar novel words. The goal of the present work was to examine whether similar gender differences in word learning would be observed in children. In addition to manipulating phonological familiarity, referent familiarity was also manipulated. Children between the ages of 5 and 7 learned phonologically-familiar or phonologically-unfamiliar novel words in association with pictures of familiar referents (animals) or unfamiliar referents (aliens). Retention was tested via a forced-choice recognition measure administered immediately after the learning phase. Analyses of retention data revealed stronger phonological and referent familiarity effects in girls than in boys. Moreover, girls outperformed boys only when learning phonologically-familiar novel words and when learning novel words in association with familiar referents. These findings are interpreted to suggest that females are more likely than males to recruit native-language phonological and semantic knowledge during novel word learning.
Margin width as a determinant of local control with and without radiation therapy for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast.

In order to assess the utility of margin width in relation to other histopathologic features as a determinant of local control in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast, we retrospectively examined the treatment of 109 breasts treated with (n = 54) or without adjuvant radiotherapy (n = 55). Median follow-up was 49 and 54 months for patients treated with excision alone (E) or excision plus adjuvant radiotherapy (E+XRT), respectively. Cases treated with E+XRT were significantly larger and had a trend towards closer surgical margins than those treated with E alone. For all cases, margin width ≤1 mm and lesion diameter >15 mm were significantly associated with increased local recurrence. Lesion size ≤15 mm was associated with no cases of local failure regardless of treatment arm. For lesions >15 mm in diameter, there was a significant decrease in 5-year local failure with E+XRT compared to E alone (21% vs. 36%, P = 0.03). Tumor margin >1 mm was associated with a low rate of 5-year local failure for either E alone or E+XRT (10.9% vs. 4.6%, P = NS). Tumor margin ≤1 mm had a high rate of local failure that was not significantly decreased by the addition of adjuvant radiotherapy. These results show that large diameter (>15mm) and close surgical margins (≤1 mm) are the dominant risk factors for local recurrence in DCIS. E+XRT significantly decreased local failure risk compared to E alone for large lesions but not for those with close margins. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Metric and ultrametric spaces of resistances

Consider an electrical circuit, each edge e of which is an isotropic conductor with a monomial conductivity function y"e^*=y"e^r/@m"e^s. In this formula, y"e is the potential difference and y"e^* current in e, while @m"e is the resistance of e; furthermore, r and s are two strictly positive real parameters common for all edges. In particular, the case r=s=1 corresponds to the standard Ohm's law. In 1987, Gvishiani and Gurvich [A.D. Gvishiani, V.A. Gurvich, Metric and ultrametric spaces of resistances, in: Communications of the Moscow Mathematical Society, Russian Math. Surveys 42 (6 (258)) (1987) 235-236] proved that, for every two nodes a,b of the circuit, the effective resistance @m"a","b is well-defined and for every three nodes a,b,c the inequality @m"a","b^s^/^r@?@m"a","c^s^/^r+@m"c","b^s^/^r holds. It obviously implies the standard triangle inequality @m"a","b@?@m"a","c+@m"c","b whenever s>=r. For the case s=r=1, these results were rediscovered in the 1990s. Now, after 23 years, I venture to reproduce the proof of the original result for the following reasons: *It is more general than just the case r=s=1 and one can get several interesting metric and ultrametric spaces playing with parameters r and s. In particular, (i) the effective Ohm resistance, (ii) the length of a shortest path, (iii) the inverse width of a bottleneck path, and (iv) the inverse capacity (maximum flow per unit time) between any pair of terminals a and b provide four examples of the resistance distances @m"a","b that can be obtained from the above model by the following limit transitions: (i) r(t)=s(t)=1, (ii) r(t)=s(t)->~, (iii) r(t)=1,s(t)->~, and (iv) r(t)->0,s(t)=1, as t->~. In all four cases the limits @m"a","b=lim"t"->"~@m"a","b(t) exist for all pairs a,b and the metric inequality @m"a","b@?@m"a","c+@m"c","b holds for all triplets a,b,c, since s(t)>=r(t) for any sufficiently large t. Moreover, the stronger ultrametric inequality @m"a","b@?max(@m"a","c,@m"c","b) holds for all triplets a,b,c in examples (iii) and (iv), since in these two cases s(t)/r(t)->~, as t->~. *Communications of the Moscow Math. Soc. in Russ. Math. Surveys were (and still are) strictly limited to two pages; the present paper is much more detailed. Although a translation in English of the Russ. Math. Surveys is available, it is not free in the web and not that easy to find. *The last but not least: priority.
Osteomyleitis and septic arthritis caused by Haemophilus influenzae, type f, in a young girl

A 4-year-old girl with Legg-Calve Perthes' disease and immunoglobin G1 subclass deficiency developed osteomyelitis of the proximal femur and septic arthritis of the hip secondary to Haemophilus influenzae, type f. This microorganism is a rare cause of invasive infections in children, primarily of the central nervous system (CNS) and respiratory track. It has not previously been associated with bone and joint infections.
THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS UNCOUPLERS ON THE RESPIRATION OF APPENDIX TISSUE SLICES OF SAUROMATUM GUTTATUM SCHOTT (ARACEAE) AT VARIOUS STAGES OF ANTHESIS1

SUMMARY In the presence of glucose, the respiration of appendix tissue slices of the arum lily Sauromatum guttatum Schott is markedly stimulated by the uncouplers 2,4-dinitrophenol, Na-azide and pentachlorophenol after the first day of flowering. There is no appreciable effect on the first flowering-day itself, and only a minor stimulation (if any) at younger stages. These results are interpreted on the basis of the hypothesis that, on the first day of flowering, respiration is of the “uncoupled” type. The relative lack of response to the uncouplers in the young flowering-stages is probably due to a rapid turnover of ATP in connection with the spectacular growth of the inflorescence.
Regulatory volume increase in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells is mediated by the 1Na ∶ 1K ∶ 2Cl cotransport system

After swelling in hyposmotic solution, Ehrlich ascites tumor cells shrink towards their original volume. Upon restoration of isosmolality (300 mOsm) the cells initially shrink but subsequently recover volume. This regulatory volume increase (RVI) is completely blocked when [Na+] o or [Cl−] o is reduced by 50% in the presence of normal [K+] o . With normal [NaCl] o but less than 2 mm [K+] o , not only is volume recovery blocked but the cells lose KCl and shrink. When [K+] o is increased to 5 mm there is a rapid net uptake of K+ and Cl− which results in volume recovery. This suggests that the reswelling phase requires the simultaneous presence of Na+, K+, and Cl−. Although ouabain has no effect on volume recovery, bumetanide completely blocks RVI by inhibiting a cotransport pathway that mediates the net uptake of Na+, K+ and Cl− in the ratio of 1Na∶1K∶2Cl. Na+ that accumulates is then replaced by K+ via the Na/K pump.
Expanding Database Keyword Search for Database Exploration

Abstract Database keyword search (DB KWS) has received a lot of attention in database research community. Although much of the research has been motivated by improving performance, recent research has also paid increased attention to its role in database contents exploration or data mining. In this paper we explore aspects related to DB KWS in two steps: First, we expand DB KWS by incorporating ontologies to better capture users’ intention. Furthermore, we examine how KWS or ontology-enriched KWS can offer useful hints for better understanding of the data and in-depth analysis of the data contents, or data mining.
Responses to Projective Material by Pre- and Post-Menarcheal Subjects:

Four cards from The Blacky Pictures (3) were used as stimuli for the evocation of responses of a sexual nature. The cards and the standard inquiry questions which accompany them were administered to 138 female Ss selected from the seventh and eighth grades of two communities having a population of approximately 5000 each. The four cards used were: I(Ora1 Eroticism), IV (Oedipal Intensity), X (Love-object) , and XI (Positive Ego Ideal). We also intended to use Cards 111 (Anal Sadism) and V (Masturbation Guilt), but, since the school authorities objected to the content of the pictures for this age group, these cards were dropped. Each S was given the following preliminary instructions orally: I have four cartoons like you see in the funny papers. I'll show them to you one at a time and you try to use your imagination to answer the questions which I shall ask you. Try to answer all of the questions. Just use your imagination to tell how the dogs in the cartoons feel. By the way, I want you to meet this family. This is Mama, Papa, Tippy, and Blacky. After the four cards and the questions had been presented, S was asked to select the card that she liked best and the one that she liked least. She was asked to tell why she chose each card. All responses were recorded by E in a printed booklet which concained all questions for the Blacky cards. A personal data sheet was completed by each S. This sheet contained ques
A Framework for Conceptualizing Competence to Mentor

Although advertisements for jobs in academe increasingly suggest that mentoring students is a job requirement, and although academic institutions are increasingly prone to consider a faculty member's performance as a mentor at promotion and tenure junctures, there is currently no common approach to conceptualizing or evaluating mentor competence. This article proposes the triangular model of mentor competence as a preliminary framework for conceptualizing specific components of faculty competence in the mentor role. The triangular model includes mentor character virtues and intellectual/emotional abilities, as well as knowledge and skills (competencies) that are seen as expressions of training and experience. The article concludes with discussion of the implications of this model for faculty hiring, training, and evaluation.
Carpal Tunnel Cross-Sectional Area Affected by Soft Tissues Abutting the Carpal Bones

The carpal tunnel accommodates free movement of its contents, and the tunnel's cross-sectional area is a useful morphological parameter for the evaluation of the space available for the carpal tunnel contents and of potential nerve compression in the tunnel. The osseous boundary of the carpal bones at the dorsal border of the carpal tunnel is commonly used to determine the tunnel area, but this boundary contains soft tissues such as numerous intercarpal ligaments and the flexor carpi radialis tendon. The aims of this study were to quantify the thickness of the soft tissues abutting the carpal bones and to investigate how this soft tissue influences the calculation of the carpal tunnel area. Magnetic resonance images were analyzed for eight cadaveric specimens. A medical balloon with a physiological pressure was inserted into an evacuated tunnel to identify the carpal tunnel boundary. The balloon-based (i.e., true carpal tunnel) and osseous-based carpal tunnel boundaries were extracted and divided into regions corresponding to the hamate, capitate, trapezoid, trapezium, and transverse carpal ligament (TCL). From the two boundaries, the overall and regional soft tissue thicknesses and areas were calculated. The soft tissue thickness was significantly greater for the trapezoid (3.1 ± 1.2 mm) and trapezium (3.4 ± 1.0 mm) regions than for the hamate (0.7 ± 0.3 mm) and capitate (1.2 ± 0.5 mm) regions. The carpal tunnel area using the osseous boundary (243.0 ± 40.4 mm2) was significantly larger than the balloon-based area (183.9 ± 29.7 mm2) with a ratio of 1.32. In other words, the carpal tunnel area can be estimated as 76% (= 1/1.32) of the osseous-based area. The abundance of soft tissue in the trapezoid and trapezium regions can be attributed mainly to the capitotrapezial ligament and the flexor carpi radialis tendon. Inclusion of such soft tissue leads to overestimations of the carpal tunnel area. Correct quantification of the carpal tunnel area aids in examining carpal tunnel stenosis as a potential risk factor for median nerve compression.
Adjustment of twin data for the effects of age and sex

For most psychological, physiological, and medical variables there are substantial age and sex effects. In assessing twin similarity for these variables, one can either fail to adjust for the effects of age and sex, adjust for these effects using normative data, or use information in the twin sample to define an age-sex adjustment. It is shown that failing to correct for age and sex effects when they exist will result in overestimation of the twin intraclass correlation. Using normative data to define an age-sex adjustment will also result in overestimation of the twin intraclass correlation, although the magnitude of this overestimation is slight for moderate-sized normative samples and virtually nonexistent for large normative samples. Using a twin-based age-sex adjustment will lead to an underestimation of the twin intraclass correlation, but this underestimation can be corrected for through proper specification of the degrees of freedom for the between-pairs mean square. Illustration of the effects of age-sex adjustment are provided as well as the results of a computer simulation comparison of the various approaches. It is concluded that, even with moderately sized samples, the effects of age and sex can best be adjusted for through a twin-based approach.
Transport of spring floodwater from rivers under ice to the Alaskan Beaufort Sea

[1] Spring floods carry Alaskan river water north to a frozen Beaufort Sea. A plume of water from the Sagavanirktok River (SR) was identified and traced by measuring salinity, δ18O, and dissolved silica in discrete water samples collected beneath landfast ice in the coastal Alaskan Beaufort Sea from late May to early June 2004 during high river flow. An Optimum Multiparameter analysis was used to calculate the fractions of SR water from the measured geochemical parameters. The SR plume followed the northwestward flowing local circulation and moved ∼17 km north and ∼15 km west under ice from the river mouth. The river plume was ∼1–1.5 m thick beneath the ice and flowed above a persistent halocline in the top 2.5 m of the water column. The calculated volume of SR water beneath the ice on 2 June was ∼0.5 km3, approximately 50% of the river discharge during the study period. The volume of water that was not accounted for was assumed to flow above the ice canopy or was not captured during the study. Interactions of SR water with another under-ice plume from the Kuparuk River resulted in increased northward transport of both freshwater discharges.
Population-based reference values for lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT).

Abstract Plasma unesterified cholesterol is converted to cholesteryl ester by the enzyme lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT). Plasma levels of LCAT were measured by a sensitive double antibody radioimmunoassay in a sample from an adult employee population, ages 20–59 years, in the Pacific Northwest. After adjusting for differences in relative body mass, women had significantly higher LCAT levels (5.90 ± 1.06, n=154) than men (5.49 ± 0.89, n=83). For ages 20–59 years, LCAT levels showed a slight association with age: r = 0.13 for men and 0.29 for women. LCAT was positively correlated with relative body mass, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol. Men who smoked cigarettes had significantly lower LCAT mass than men who did not smoke cigarettes. No statistical differences in mean LCAT values were found between drinkers and nondrinkers. The 5th percentile LCAT value was 4.3 μg/ml for both men and women not using hormones. The 95th percentile value was 7.3 μg/ml for men and 7.8 μg/ml for women regardless of hormone use. Subjects phenotypically LCAT-deficient by clinical criteria and by the absence or near absence of LCAT activity had levels of LCAT mass well below the reference values: 0.73 ± 0.70, range 0.10 μg/ml to 2.65 μg/ml, n=20. Parents or children of LCAT-deficient subjects, i.e., obligate heterozygotes for familial LCAT deficiency, had reduced levels: 3.59 ± 0.69, range 2.59–4.61 μg/ml, n=19.
Bivariate step processes and random evolutions

Abstract A random evolution process constructed from regular step processes with a common state space and indexed on an evolution rule space is shown to be a regular step process on the product space. Conversely, it is shown that under mild conditions, any regular step process on a product space is equivalent to a random evolution process. Conditions are given on the cardinality of the spaces and on the parameters of the process that are sufficient for the process to have various recurrence and ergodicity properties. Applications to birth-death processes are given.
Growth-associated Protein-43 (GAP-43) Facilitates Peptide Hormone Secretion in Mouse Anterior Pituitary AtT-20 Cells

The neuronal growth-associated protein (GAP)-43 (neuromodulin, B-50, F1), which is concentrated in the growth cones of elongating axons during neuronal development and in nerve terminals in restricted regions of the adult nervous system, has been implicated in the release of neurotransmitter. To study the role of GAP-43 in evoked secretion, we transfected mouse anterior pituitary AtT-20 cells with the rat GAP-43 cDNA and derived stably transfected cell lines. Depolarization-mediated β-endorphin secretion was greatly enhanced in the GAP-43-expressing AtT-20 cells without a significant change in Ca2+ influx; in contrast, expression of GAP-43 did not alter corticotropin-releasing factor-evoked hormone secretion. The transfected cells also displayed a flattened morphology and extended processes when plated on laminin-coated substrates. These results suggest that AtT-20 cells are a useful model system for further investigations on the precise biological function(s) of GAP-43.
Demography, traits and vulnerability to urbanization: can we make generalizations?

Summary 1. Human-induced land cover change threatens species diversity and ecosystem services. The rapid pace of current change makes predicting species’ declines imperative, but leaves little time for thorough study of all species. One solution is to make generalizations about species’ vulnerability to urbanization based on traits common among studied species in decline. 2. To date, most generalizations about traits associated with species’ declines in response to urbanization are based on presence or abundance, or detailed studies of a few species. If these generalizations broadly reflect responses to urbanization, they should hold across the mechanisms driving patterns of abundance, such as survival or reproduction. 3. Across 68 bird species in the north-eastern USA, we investigated how food preference, nest location, habitat preference, migration distance, number of broods, clutch size, body mass and an interaction between urbanization and these traits affected survival and reproduction. 4. Mass was the strongest predictor of survival, followed by number of broods, migration distance and nest location. Nest location was the strongest predictor of reproduction, followed by migration distance. No interaction between urbanization and species’ traits affected survival; however, differences in response to urbanization among species with different food preferences, migration distances, masses, nest locations and number of broods were important in predicting reproduction. 5. Synthesis and applications. We found that some traits influenced demographic rates even though they were not associated with urbanization; identifying differences in species’ baseline demographic rates, irrespective of urbanization, is needed to guide management objectives. Reproduction, but not survival, was influenced by urbanization, suggesting that management in our region of study should target increasing suitable nest sites and reducing nest predation. Determining traits associated with demographic rates and urbanization across broad geographic extents can provide new insights for species’ management and help guide conservation initiatives.
Racist value judgments as objectively false beliefs: A philosophical and social-psychological analysis

We argue that racist value judgments express beliefs that are objectively false. In our view, racist value judgments have cognitive or descriptive content that is empirically inaccurate and this inaccuracy is, in principle, available to objective, rational assessment. Our position responds to a popular view that, while some value judgments, such as racist judgments, might be abhorrent, values generally are not the sorts of things that are related to the evidence of experience, or if they are so related, it is not available to us to say with any objectivity that the evidence claims are true or false. In more philosophical terms, our position cuts across a number of metaethical debates, contrasting, for example, with what might be called “non-cognitivist” views of racist value judgments, just in case these views deny that such judgments are beliefs that have some relation to empirical content, and with some subjectivist or relativist views, just in case these views deny that any of the content inherent in racist value judgments can be assigned objective truth values. We should note, however, that our position does not straightforwardly chime with any number of metaethical views labeled “cognitivist” or “objectivist.” With backgrounds in epistemology and sociology we intend instead to bring together two areas of research not often addressed in philosophical debates about values generally, or racist values in particular, namely, Donald Davidson’s naturalized, holistic account of meaning and the prominent social-psychological theory of values pioneered by Milton Rokeach. We use this interdisciplinary approach to defend the view that, insofar as racist value judgments are meaningful, then they are beliefs that have empirical content, or must be inferentially linked to beliefs that do; that the truth or falsity of that content can be objectively assigned; and that this assignment is amenable to rational assessment. This is not, of course, to claim that such rational assessment is always practiced, just that, insofar as we believe that this sort of assessment is, in principle, available in the case of more straightforwardly descriptive judgments, so too it is, in principle, available in the case of value judgments. Similarly, any rational assessment regarding the objective truth or falsity of a value judgment is as fallible—that is, as amenable to correction in the light of new evidence—as is the assessment of the truth or falsity of any given descriptive judgment.
Estimating vegetation cover in an urban environment based on Landsat ETM imagery: A case study in Phoenix, USA

Studies of urban ecological systems can be greatly enhanced by combining ecosystem modelling and remote sensing which often requires establishing statistical relationships between field and remote sensing data. At the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAPLTER) site in the south-western USA, we estimated vegetation abundance from Landsat ETM+ acquired at three dates by computing vegetation indices (NDVI and SAVI) and conducting linear spectral mixture analysis (SMA). Our analyses were stratified by three major land use/land covers-urban, agricultural, and desert. SMA, which provides direct measures of vegetation end member fraction for each pixel, was directly compared with field data and with the independent accuracy assessment dataset constructed from air photos. Vegetation index images with highest correlation with field data were used to construct regression models whose predictions were validated with the accuracy assessment dataset. We also investigated alternative regression methods, recognizing the inadequacy of traditional Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) in biophysical remote sensing. Symmetrical regressions-reduced major axis (RMA) and bisector ordinary least squares (OLSbisector)-were evaluated and compared with OLS. Our results indicated that SMA was a more accurate approach to vegetation quantification in urban and agricultural land uses, but had a poor accuracy when applied to desert vegetation. Potential sources of errors and some improvement recommendations are discussed.
Preface to Part II

Amid a vast array of variations in language, culture, and educational traditions, some commonalities pertain to school mathematics across the globe. One is the centrality of textbooks to school mathematics teaching and learning. Mathematics textbooks vary greatly across countries and grade levels in their organization and display of content and the support provided to students or to teachers. Moreover, the historical trajectories of curriculum development reflected in textbooks develop in ways that reflect varying influences across countries (Jones 1970; Stanic and Kilpatrick 1992). Yet their pivotal importance to classroom instruction in almost all settings of compulsory schooling in the world is undeniable. They serve both as teaching/learning tools and as tangible representations of expectations for mathematics instruction in the educational context in which they are used.
The Checking Value in First Amendment Theory

The author examines the sources and premises of the idea that free expression has value in part because of the function it performs in checking the abuse of official power (the “checking value”) and explores how this checking value difyers from those values that have dominated First Amendment analysis since 1919. In addition, the author traces in some detail the uneven influence the checking value has had recently in three areas of First Amendment adjudication: civil actions f o r defamution; disputes arising from efforts by journalists to protect or establish relationships with news sources; and claims b y nonjournalists to a constitutional or statutory right to communicate directly to the public over major print or broadcast outlets. The author argues that the checking value must receive open, systematic consideration if it is to play a consistent part in adjudication and speculates on how such consideration of the checking value might help one think about a wide range of additional First Amendment questions.
AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with Large Angle Implanted Nonalloyed Ohmic Contacts

In this work we report AIGaN/GaN HEMTs with nonalloyed ohmic contacts by large angle ion implantation with a contact resistance to the channel of 0.2 Omegamm.
Conformationally Constrained Analogs of Mescaline II

The syntheses of 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)piperidine, 2-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)piperidine, and 2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)morpholine are described. In addition, preliminary pharmacological data comparing these compounds with mescaline are given.
Reduced free-radical production and extreme longevity in the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) versus two non-flying mammals

The extended longevity of bats, despite their high metabolic rate, may provide insight to patterns and mechanisms of aging. Here I test predictions of the free radical or oxidative stress theory of aging as an explanation for differences in lifespan between the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus (maximum lifespan potential MLSP=34 years), the short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda (MLSP=2 years), and the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus (MLSP=8 years) by comparing whole-organism oxygen consumption, hydrogen peroxide production, and superoxide dismutase activity in heart, kidney, and brain tissue. Mitochondria from M. lucifugus produced half to one-third the amount of hydrogen peroxide per unit of oxygen consumed compared to mitochondria from B. brevicauda and P. leucopus, respectively. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity did not differ among the three species. These results are similar to those found for birds, which like bats have high metabolic rates and extended longevities, and provide support for the free radical theory of aging as an at least partial explanation for the extreme longevity of bats.
CARMA1 Coiled-coil Domain Is Involved in the Oligomerization and Subcellular Localization of CARMA1 and Is Required for T Cell Receptor-induced NF-κB Activation

Abstract T lymphocyte (T cell) activation and proliferation is induced by the activation of multiple signal transduction pathways. Earlier studies indicate that CARMA1, a Caspase Recruitment Domain (CARD) and Membrane-associated GUanylate Kinase domain (MAGUK)-containing scaffold protein, plays an essential role in NF-κB activation induced by the costimulation of T cell receptor (TCR) and CD28 molecules. However, the molecular mechanism by which CARMA1 mediates TCR-CD28 costimulation-induced NF-κB activation is not fully understood. Here we show that CARMA1 is constitutively oligomerized. This oligomerization of CARMA1 is through its Coiled-coil domain. Disruption of the predicted structure of the Coiled-coil domain of CARMA1 impaired its oligomerization and, importantly, abrogated CARMA1-mediated NF-κB activation. Interestingly, disruption of the CC1 domain abrogates CARMA1 localization, whereas disruption of the CC2 domain seems to inhibit CARMA1 self-association. Together, our results demonstrate that the oligomerization of CARMA1 is required for TCR-induced NF-κB activation.
Comparison of Conventional and Computed Radiography: Assessment of Image Quality and Reader Performance in Skeletal Extremity Trauma

Rationale and Objectives. Reader performance and image quality were assessed for standard film, computed film, and computed monitor radiography viewing formats in the evaluation of skeletal extremity trauma. Materials and Methods. Three radiologists and three orthopedic surgeons interpreted 27 skeletal radiographs obtained with equivalent technical parameters. Readers evaluated standard film, computed film, and computer monitor formats randomly for fracture and soft-tissue abnormalities. Sessions were videotaped, and eye motion was recorded. Results. No statistically significant differences were found between image formats for true positive or false-positive findings of trauma indicators. Findings were classified as false-negative based on eye position fixation times. Search errors (lesion not fixated) accounted for 21.7%, 20.6%, and 17.1% of false-negative errors with the computer monitor, computed film, and standard film formats, respectively. Combined recognition errors and decision errors were 78.3%, 79.4%, and 82.9%, respectively. Viewing times were longest for the computer monitor images ( P P = .001). Radiologists had a higher true-positive decision rate than orthopedic surgeons ( P = .03). Conclusion. No statistically significant differences were seen in reader performance among viewing formats. The computed film format received the highest quality rating and workstation viewing times were longest.
ON USING THE t TEST ON RANKS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE WILCOXON TEST

The equivalence of the t test on the ranks of original scores to the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test on original scores was noted. However, this study demonstrated that, unlike the Wilcoxon, the t on ranks is not competitive with the usual t for normally distributed data. The explanation is due to the lack of a correction for ties and continuity most computer statistical packages automatically employ in the Wilcoxon routine.
Error Detection via Online Checking of Cache Coherence with Token Coherence Signatures

To provide high dependability in a multithreaded system despite hardware faults, the system must detect and correct errors in its shared memory system. Recent research has explored dynamic checking of cache coherence as a comprehensive approach to memory system error detection. However, existing coherence checkers are costly to implement, incur high interconnection network traffic overhead, and do not scale well. In this paper, we describe the token coherence signature checker (TCSC), which provides comprehensive, low-cost, scalable coherence checking by maintaining signatures that represent recent histories of coherence events at all nodes (cache and memory controllers). Periodically, these signatures are sent to a verifier to determine if an error occurred. TCSC has a small constant hardware cost per node, independent of cache and memory size and the number of nodes. TCSC's interconnect bandwidth overhead has a constant upper bound and never exceeds 7% in our experiments. TCSC has negligible impact on system performance
In vivo evaluation of multi-echo hybrid PRF/T1 approach for temperature monitoring during breast MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery treatments.

Purpose To evaluate the precision of in vivo temperature measurements in adipose and glandular breast tissue using a multi-echo hybrid PRF/T1 pulse sequence. Methods A high-bandwidth, multi-echo hybrid PRF/T1 sequence was developed for monitoring temperature changes simultaneously in fat- and water-based tissues. The multiple echoes were combined with the optimal weightings for magnitude and phase images, allowing for precise measurement of both T1 and the proton resonance frequency (PRF) shift. The sequence was tested during in vivo imaging of 10 healthy volunteers in a breast-specific MR-guided focused ultrasound system and also during focused ultrasound heating of excised breast adipose tissue. Results The in vivo results indicated that the sequence can measure PRF temperatures with 1.25 × 1.25 × 3.5 mm resolution, 1.9 s temporal resolution, and 1.0°C temperature precision, and can measure T1 values with 3.75 × 3.75 × 3.5 mm resolution, 3.8 s temporal resolution, and 2.5%–4.8% precision. The excised tissue heating experiments demonstrate the sequence's ability to monitor temperature changes simultaneously in water- and fat-based tissues. Conclusion The addition of a high-bandwidth, multi-echo readout to the hybrid PRF/T1 sequence improves the precision of each measurement, providing a sequence that will be beneficial to several MR-guided thermal therapies. Magn Reson Med 72:793–799, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Millimeter-wave Low-Loss Integrated Waveguide on Liquid Crystal Polymer Substrate

In this paper, low loss integrated waveguides implemented in Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) substrate are investigated for the first time as a candidate of choice for millimeter-wave packaging. The proposed Integrated Waveguide (IWG) can be used as a low loss millimeter-wave feed-through transition between the MMIC and the module. As the top face of the integrated waveguide does not have any electro-magnetic effects, a package lid can be attached to provide a hermetic sealing. The measured insertion loss of the integrated waveguide is -0.12 dB/mm and the measured insertion loss of the microstrip line-to-integrated waveguide transition is ?0.28 dB. This low loss integrated waveguide on liquid crystal polymer can easily be used in many millimeter-wave packaging applications.