cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factoring Polynomials via Relation-Finding

In this paper we describe a new algorithm for fully factoring polynomials defined over the rationals or over number-fields. This algorithm uses as an essential subroutine, any fast relation finding algorithm for vectors of real numbers. Unlike previous algorithms which work on one factor at a time, the new algorithm finds all factors at once. Let P be a polynomial of degree n, height H(P) (=sum of the absolute values of P's coefficients), logarthmic height h(P)=log H(P). If we use the HJLS relation-finding algorithm of Hastad, Just, Lagarias and Schnorr, our algorithm has running time O(n5+Ch(P)) if fast multiplication is used, and O(n6+Ch(P)) if ordinary multiplication is used. This is an improvement by a factor of n over the algorithm of Schonhage, the previously best known.
CREEP DEFLECTION OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS

A procedure is outlined for predicting the time-dependent deflection of statically determinate, singly reinforced concrete beams subjected either to long-term sustained load or to repeated cycles of sustained load. Creep behavior of plain concrete is represented by means of a linear viscoelastic model. Numerical solutions are obtained for the resulting system of equilibrium equations; graphs giving peak values of deflection, neutral axis location, and concrete and steel stresses are presented. The time history of each variable is fitted with an exponential, and nomographs are given to define the values of the exponents. A procedure is presented for using this data to compute the response of beams subjected to cycles of sustained load.
Brewing and brewing research: past, present and future

Whilst remaining largely traditional in approach, malting and brewing have become highly efficient processes through a substantial understanding of their underpinning science. Technological change in the industry is driven by four criteria: cost reduction, quality enhancement, maintenance of safety and wholesomeness and opportunity for enhanced sales. Whilst there are some opportunities for cost reductions by savings on raw materials, the major cost components in brewing involve production and packaging. Hence the focus is on energy reduction, maximising vessel utilisation and use of automated control strategies. There is scope in the future for production of beer by novel approaches, involving downstream establishment of quality parameters, though this is likely to be resisted. Quality of beer embraces both package and product. The shift towards enhanced use of non-returnable green or clear glass has focused attention on eliminating undesirable lightstruck characters from the product as well as the use of oxygen-scavenging crown corks to minimise the development of stale characters due to carbonyl-containing substances. There is an increased understanding of how to control the various species that primarily determine the flavour of fresh beer, including sulphur-containing substances, esters, higher alcohols, vicinal diketones and the bitter resin and oil fractions from hops. The achievement of stable foam on beer is dependent on the presence of foam-stabilising components, principally amphipathic polypeptides, but is determined by the physical behaviour of bubbles, notably the phenomenon of disproportionation. Malt and beer are at risk over a range of safety issues, but all can be avoided through attention to raw material selection and processing conditions. Moderate consumption of beer is now considered to be potentially beneficial. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
Vanadate Facilitates Interferon α-mediated Apoptosis That Is Dependent on the Jak/Stat Pathway

Abstract Type I interferon (IFN)-dependent inhibition of cell growth can occur either in the absence or presence of apoptosis. The mechanisms that determine whether or not cells undergo apoptosis after exposure to IFN-α are not clear. This study shows that a variety of cell lines that display growth inhibition but not apoptosis in response to IFN-α will undergo programmed cell death when low concentrations of the protein-tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor vanadate are added with IFN-α. In contrast, the combination of tumor necrosis factor-α with vanadate did not trigger apoptosis in these cells. Caspase-3 activity was detected only in cells exposed to IFN-α and vanadate but not to IFN-α or vanadate alone. The ability of IFN-α and vanadate to induce apoptosis did not require expression of p53 and was blocked by N-acetyl-l-cysteine. Activation of the Jak/Stat pathway and expression of IFN-inducible genes was not altered by incubation of cells with IFN-α and vanadate compared with IFN-α alone. However, mutant cells lacking Stat1, Stat2, Jak1, or Tyk2, or cells expressing kinase inactive Jak1 or Tyk2 did not undergo apoptosis in the presence of IFN-α and vanadate. These results suggest that IFN-α stimulation of Stat-dependent genes is necessary, but not sufficient, for this cytokine to induce apoptosis. Another signaling cascade that involves the activity of a protein-tyrosine phosphatase and/or the generation of reactive oxygen species may play an important role in promoting IFN-α-induced apoptosis.
Simulated hard-rock motions in Saint Louis, Missouri, from large New Madrid earthquakes (Mw ≧ 6.5)

Abstract We simulated broadband hard-rock ground-motion time histories for the Saint Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area due to three large earthquakes (6.5 ≦ M w ≦ 7.5), each occurring on the largest fault segment of the New Madrid fault zone at a distance of about 200 km. A deterministic procedure was implemented to simulate ground motion for frequencies less than 1 Hz for which the propagation effects were calculated using full-wave theory. For signals above 1 Hz, a semi-empirical simulation approach was used. The fault dimensions were defined in conformity with a constant stress-drop model developed for eastern North America; the fault width was constrained to a maximum depth of 16 km following the occurrence of the natural seismicity. For each event, we simulated broadband time histories for ten randomly generated slip models at eight sites distributed in various locations in the city of Saint Louis. This study shows that the level of peak ground motions at hard-rock sites in Saint Louis is small; the largest average peak horizontal ground-motion acceleration simulated is only 26.45 cm/sec 2 (1.96 cm/sec for the velocity) even for the largest event. To validate the simulation results, we examined regional accelerograms and their peak values and response spectra recorded during the 25 November 1988 Saguenay earthquake ( M w = 5.8) at distances further than 230 km from its epicenter to be consistent with the distance of the city of Saint Louis from the New Madrid earthquake zone. The Saguenay earthquake observations seem consistent with simulation values obtained for the M w = 6.5 New Madrid earthquake. A preliminary equivalent linear analysis by applying these simulated motions at the base of a soil profile suggests that the level of ground motions is too weak to produce damaging effects in Saint Louis even for the largest event on the longest segment.
Design and Evaluation of Network Control Strategies Using the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram

The Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) has been demonstrated to exist on traffic networks. Researchers have proposed using MFDs to monitor the status of a traffic network to inform the design of network-wide traffic control strategies. Since the data needed to construct an MFD is not always readily available, estimating MFDs using a limited number of probe vehicle trajectory data with varied penetration rates is proposed. Subsequently, congestion control strategies are applied to the network and the MFDs are plotted for each control strategy. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to use the MFD estimated using limited probe data as an effective tool to monitor and control a network. The most effective strategy is a network-wide adaptive traffic signal control system, which decreases delays by up to 40%. Average fuel consumption levels decrease by up to 10%. Furthermore, combining control strategies without fully integrating them produces system-wide dis-benefits relative to running each system independently.
Increased levels of hsp70 transcripts induced when cells are exposed to low frequency electromagnetic fields

Abstract Previous experiments have shown that the steady state levels of some RNA transcripts are increased when cells are exposed to extremely low frequency electric or magnetic fields. Experiments have exposed a variety of cell types, including dipteran salivary gland cells, yeast and human HL-60 cells. The range of responsive transcripts includes oncogenes such as c-myc, as well as transcripts associated with growth and development. One hypothesized mechanism of how cells respond to electromagnetic (EM) fields assumes that the response represents or mimics a generalized physiological stress response. RNA from exposed HL-60 cells, previously shown to have increased transcript levels for c-myc, was analyzed for hsp70 transcripts levels. The hsp70 transcripts were found to be elevated in all cases, even though the cells were exposed to various fields at normal growth temperatures. The conditions of maximum induction for hsp70 were coordinate with those of c-myc. In yeast cells, the SSA1 gene (homologous to hsp70) was found to be elevated in cells exposed to EM fields at 0.8−80 μT. In the case of yeast, conditions for maximum induction of SSA1 were coordinate with those for URA3, the gene for uracil metabolism. Thus the model of cell interaction with electric and/or magnetic fields appears to be related to the stress response model for heat shock.
A computational study of the response of Ge and NaI(Tl) detectors to the inner bremstrahlung of 90Y

Abstract The convoluting effects of detector response on a continous photon spectrum was studied in a 30% Ge detector and three NaI(Tl) spectrometers using detailed Monte Carlo calculations. The diameters and length of the cylindrical scintillation crystals were:5.08 × 5.08 cm2, 7.62 cm2, and 12.7 × 12.7 cm2. The internal bremsstrahlung spectrum of 90Y was calculated using the theory of Ford and Martin which include nuclear diagrams. It is clearly shown that recent experimental results, which deviate seriously from theory, are not explained by detector response. A direct comparison to the method of Liden and Starfelt is made in a typical case. The calculations suggest aan experimental geometry which minimizes the distortion due to photons scattering out of the detector.
An optimizing precompiler for finite-difference computations on a vector computer

Abstract This paper is concerned with techniques for translating array expressions, as found in FORTRAN 8X, into very efficient vector expressions on a machine in which long vectors are needed for high performance. It describes the application of these techniques in a precompiler for the CYBER 205 which requires a vector length of 1000 to achieve 90% of the asymptotic speed. The precompiler does not vectorize FORTRAN 77 DO loops, instead it vectorizes and optimizes programs written in the explicit array syntax of the proposed FORTRAN standard (FORTRAN 8X). The optimization of the vector code is intended to be most effective for algorithms commonly used in finite-difference approximations of partial differential equations. Finite-difference schemes frequently evaluate the same expression over the interior of a multidimensional rectangular array. In these computations the precompiler is able to vectorize arithmetic operations over the entire array, rather than over individual dimensions, thus generating relatively long vectors. This vectorization is done, whenever possible, without using expensive gather operations. When gather operations must be used the precompiler attempts to minimize them by making one gather serve for several operands through the use of masks and offsets.
Needs-based analysis of online customer reviews

Needs-based analysis lies at the intersection of product marketing and new product development. It is the study of why consumers purchase and what they do with those purchases. In a world of mass-customization and one-to-one marketing, anticipating the customer's needs is a key competitive advantage. In this paper, we consider a new approach to supplement traditional methods for assessing rapidly changing user needs. We model the knowledgebase of online customer reviews as a matrix of reviews relating customer needs to product attributes. In a hierarchical two-stage process, we first use association rules to cluster related attributes and needs into hyper-edges. In a second application of association rule mining, we search for hyper-rules relating hyperedges. The method is demonstrated on 10,500 customer reviews over two unrelated product domains, digital cameras and vacuum cleaners.
Oral Reading for Language in Aphasia (ORLA): Evaluating the Efficacy of Computer-Delivered Therapy in Chronic Nonfluent Aphasia

AbstractPurpose: This study examined the efficacy of a treatment, Oral Reading for Language in Aphasia (ORLA), delivered by computer to individuals with chronic nonfluent aphasia and compared its efficacy with the same treatment delivered by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Method: With ORLA, the person with aphasia systematically and repeatedly reads aloud sentences, first in unison and then independently. Following a no-treatment period, 25 individuals with chronic nonfluent aphasia were randomly assigned to receive 24 sessions of ORLA, 1–3 times per week, either by computer or by the SLP. Results: For participants receiving computer ORLA, change made on the Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient (WAB-AQ) during the treatment phase was larger than the change made during the no-treatment phase. Positive effect sizes for change during treatment compared with change during the no-treatment phase were obtained and were benchmarked as medium or large for the WAB-AQ and discourse measures. There was no ...
Gaussian optics application in passive fiberoptic components design

Beam out of SMF can be treated approximately as Gaussian beam, and the N.A. of SMF is able to be calculated based on the approximation. By ABCD matrix and q parameter its propagation in the Grin lens is analyzed. The couple loss between Gaussian beam and fiber is analyzed by overlapping integral. The approaches to minimize the couple loss through the optimization of design are described. The principle and approach to tune the filter center wavelength by the incident angle of beam are given with tuning formula.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hand-eye coordination: The role of “motor memory”

Ten Ss attempted to track a visual target, which was moved either by hand (test run) or by a tape recording of the same hand movements (control run). On some test runs, movement of the target lagged behind that of the hand by a fixed amount (.18, .36, .72, or 1.44 sec). The number of saccades occurring on a given test run was divided by the number on the matched control run, and the test/control ratio was studied as a function of the hand-to-target lag time. With lag times of .36 sec or less, the test/control ratios were less than 1. indicating that manual control of the target had a significant effect on oculomotor performance. This effect disappeared at a lag close to .72 sec. The results are discussed in terms of a hypothetical “motor memory.”
Regulation of neuron numbers in Xenopus laevis: effects of hormonal manipulation altering size at metamorphosis.

Xenopus laevis tadpoles reared in a 0.01% solution of 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) are blocked in their development at larval stage 54 out continue to increase in size. When released from the effects of PTU they metamorphose into frogs of sizes significantly larger than those of their untreated siblings. Using this size difference to examine the hypothesis that neuron numbers are matched to the size of their postsynaptic targets during neuronal cell death, we measured the following on stage 66 frogs metamorphosing from PTU-treated and untreated tadpoles: lumbar lateral motor column (L-LMC) motoneuron number and mean nuclear cross-sectional area; thoracic and lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cell number and mean nuclear cross-sectional area; and muscle fiber number in two representative thigh muscles. A few measurements of neuron number and cell size were also made on untreated and PTU-treated stage 54 tadpoles. The most striking correlations observed were not between peripheral size and neuron numbers but between peripheral size and neuron size. Motoneuron numbers were not increased in the PTU-treated animals, perhaps because the increase in peripheral size involved an increase in muscle fiber diameter rather than an increase in muscle fiber number. Thoracic DRG cell number, but not the sum of thoracic and lumbar DRG cell numbers, was increased. In general, our findings do not support the hypothesis that neuron numbers are matched to peripheral size by a process regulating the amount of cell death that occurs during metamorphic stages in Xenopus laevis.
Application of beam sampling mass spectrometry to the kinetics of ozone reactions

A beam sampling mass spectrometer designed for the study of chemical reactions in the gas phase is described. It is a three stage, differentially pumped instrument using a molecular beam chopper and phase sensitive detection. The reactions of ozone with NO2 and some olefins were studied using a temperature controlled stopped-flow reactor in conjunction with the beam sampling mass spectrometer.
An archaeology of abstraction: Ollantaytambo

Abstract This paper examines the deep history of abstraction in the literature of Inca studies. The author wants to hold a lens up to the problem, though not to clarify what pre-contact Inca artworks achieved as cultural discourse in antiquity. Instead, the paper is concerned with examining the ways the interpretative discourse of abstraction emerges from certain conditions and tensions in the West's comprehension of the pre-contact Inca and their visual expression. This essay examines Edward Ranney's Ollantaytambo, a large-format photo in black and white taken in the early 1975; and the work is employed as an optic to address abstraction's deep-historiographic stratigraphy in the literature of the Incas' Western reception.
Localization of zona pellucida binding sites on rabbit spermatozoa and induction of the acrosome reaction by solubilized zonae

The binding of mammalian spermatozoa to the egg's extracellular coat, the zona pellucida, is a complex process which culminates in species-specific penetration of the sperm to the egg plasma membrane. To investigate where on the spermatozoon's surface the zona binding sites are located, whole rabbit zonae were labeled with FITC, heat solubilized and used to observe the surface binding patterns on live spermatozoa. Before the acrosome reaction the zona binding sites are located either over the entire head as well as the middle piece or alternatively in patches along the apical ridge of the head. After the acrosome reaction there is a 29% loss of fluorescence and the zona binding sites are present in the posterior aspect of the acrosomal region, the anterior postacrosomal region and the middle piece. These results demonstrate the presence of zona binding sites after the acrosome reaction which would account for the sperm's ability to remain bound to the zona after the acrosome reaction. Further, we report for the first time that solubilized rabbit zonae pellucidae will induce the acrosome reaction in in vitro capacitated rabbit sperm whereas solubilized pig zonae pellucidae will not. Since rabbit sperm bind pig zonae, the induction and specificity of the physiological acrosome reaction must reside in the affinity of the binding rather than the binding itself.
Response of adaptive rat liver enzymes to acute poisoning by organophosphate insecticides

Summary After acute poisoning of rats by organophosphate insecticides there is an increase in the activities of hepatic alkaline phosphatase and tyrosine-α-ketoglutarate transaminase. These effects are mediated by the adrenals and resemble those produced by injection of glucocorticoids and exposure to toxic irritants. Maximum effects on liver enzymes occur several hours after the maximum cholinesterase depression produced by a single dose of a short-acting organophosphate such as Dipterex. Delnav has a more prolonged anticholinesterase action and also produced a greater and more prolonged elevation of hepatic alkaline phosphatase and tyrosine transaminase activities. The physiological significance of the effect of organophosphates on adaptive liver enzymes is not apparent from this study. However, the findings support the hypothesis that poisoning by chemicals in the environment may produce metabolic alterations that are mediated through the pituitary-adrenal system, and occur in tissues remote from the primary sites of toxic action. It seems possible that these subtle metabolic effects may contribute to the occurrence of signs and symptoms that are not readily explained by the better known mechanisms of action of these substances.
Rational occultism in fin de siécle Germany: Rudolf Steiner's modernism

(1994). Rational occultism in fin de siecle Germany: Rudolf Steiner's modernism. History of European Ideas: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 497-511.
Tritium, Argon 37, and Manganese 54 Radioactivities in a Fragment of Sputnik 4

Tritium, Ar/sup 37/, and Mn/sup 54/ radioactivities were measured in samples from a steel fragment of Sputnik 4. The tritium activity was low compared with the amount expected to be produced by cosmic rays. Some metallurgical evidence suggests the possibility that the lowest tritium content was in the sample that may have experienced the most heating. The amount of manganese 54 radioactivity was approximately 40% of the value obtained in Aroos by others, whereas the amount of Ar/sup 37/ was about 20% of that measured in Aroos and about 30% of that estimated from the Ar/sup 39/ measurements in Aroos, Norfork, Pitts, and Treysa, together with the ratio of production cross sections. (auth)
Chronic Care Model and Shared Care in Diabetes: Randomized Trial of an Electronic Decision Support System

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of a specialist telemedicine intervention for improving diabetes care using the chronic care model (CCM). PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS As part of the CCM, 97 primary care physicians at 6 primary care practices in Rochester, MN, referred 639 patients to an on-site diabetes educator between July 1, 2001, and December 31, 2003. On first referral, physicians were centrally randomized to receive a telemedicine intervention (specialty advice and evidence-based messages regarding medication management for cardiovascular risk) or no intervention, keeping outcome assessors and data analysts blinded to group assignment. After each subsequent clinical encounter, endocrinologists reviewed an abstract from the patient's electronic medical record and provided management recommendations and supporting evidence to intervention physicians via e-mail. Control physicians received e-mail with periodic generic information about cardiovascular risk reduction in diabetes. Outcome measures included diabetes care processes (diabetes test completion), outcomes (metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors, estimated coronary artery disease risk), and patient costs (payer perspective). RESULTS During the intervention, 951 (70%) of the 1361 endocrinology reviews detected performance gaps and resulted in a message; primary care physicians reported using 49% of messages in patient care. With a mean of 21 months' follow-up, the intervention, compared with control, did not significantly enhance metabolic outcomes or reduce estimated risk of coronary artery disease (adjusted mean difference, -1%; 95% confidence interval, -19% to 17%). The intervention group incurred lower costs (P=.02) but not in diabetes-related costs. CONCLUSION Specialty telemedicine did not significantly enhance the value of CCM in primary care. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00421850
Increased Risk of High-Grade Dermatologic Toxicities With Radiation Plus Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor Therapy

BACKGROUND: The addition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors to radiotherapy has produced increased locoregional control and has reduced mortality from various solid tumors with few additional toxicities. Although anecdotal reports have suggested increased radiation dermatitis, the overall effect of these regimens on dermatologic toxicities has not been ascertained. METHODS: Dermatologic toxicity data were analyzed from abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Cochrane Collaboration, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases. Phase 1, 2, and 3 trials that reported on radiation dermatitis, rash, and mucositis were included. Collaborative group, phase 3, randomized radiotherapy and chemoradiation trials served as controls. The summary incidence rate and relative risk were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model, depending on the heterogeneity of included studies. RESULTS: The summary incidence of high-grade radiation dermatitis in patients who received radiation plus EGFR inhibitors was 31.3% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 17.7%-49.1%), rash in 16.1% (95% CI, 12.8%-20.1%), and mucositis occurred in 52.7% (95% CI, 38.1%-66.9%). When the combination of radiotherapy plus EGFR inhibitors was compared with radiation alone, the risk ratio for radiation dermatitis was 2.38 (95% CI, 1.8-3.2; P < .001), rash was 3.01 (95% CI, 2.0-4.6; P < .001), for mucositis it was 1.76 (95% CI, 1.5-2.0; P < .001), suggesting that there was an increased risk of dermatologic toxicities with the combined regimen. CONCLUSIONS: EGFR inhibitors combined with radiation were associated with a significant increase in the risk for high-grade radiation dermatitis, rash, and mucositis. Although increased rash is expected with EGFR inhibitors, in-field dermatitis and mucositis represent new safety concerns. Improved reporting and management strategies are critical for quality of life and the optimization of radiation plus EGFR inhibitor protocols. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
A novel method for polyaniline synthesis with the immobilized horseradish peroxidase enzyme

Abstract A novel method for the synthesis of a water-soluble polyaniline with the immobilized horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme is presented. The enzyme HRP is immobilized on chitosan powder by a simple glutaraldehyde bridge method. The immobilized HRP is an effective catalyst for the oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of hydrogen peroxide at room temperature. The overall reaction is sensitive to solution pH and hydrogen peroxide concentration. The UV–VIS absorption spectra of the products are similar to that of polyaniline obtained with an HRP solution as a catalyst, and they display a distinct absorption peak at 750 nm at pH 4.0. The immobilized HRP is stable and remains active after being stored in pH 6.0 buffer solution at room temperature for more than 72 h.
Strength changes in vanadium and titanium irradiated with 14 MeV neutrons

The flow properties and microstructures of vanadium and titanium have been studied following irradiation at 300/sup 0/K with T(d,n) neutrons. The threshold fluence for observable hardening was about 1 x 10/sup 21/ m/sup -2/ for both materials while at 8 x 10/sup 21/ m/sup -2/ the yield strength in the vanadium was about 1.5 times higher than for the titanium. Neither material showed the low fluence hardening plateau that is commonly observed in bcc metals and attributed to interstitial impurity atoms. Small defect clusters were found in the vanadium irradiated to 8 x 10/sup 21/ m/sup -2/ while this fluence level appeared to be the threshold for observable defect clusters in titanium.
SAR of a series of inhaled A(2A) agonists and comparison of inhaled pharmacokinetics in a preclinical model with clinical pharmacokinetic data.

COPD is a major cause of mortality in the western world. A 2A agonists are postulated to reduce the lung inflammation that causes COPD. The cardiovascular effects of A 2A agonists dictate that a compound needs to be delivered by inhalation to be therapeutically useful. The pharmacological and pharmacokinetic SAR of a series of inhaled A 2A agonists is described leading through to human pharmacokinetic data for a clinical candidate.
Late Castlemainian (Ca 4, Arenig) graptolites from the Ballantrae Complex, SW Scotland

Sirs — Graptolites of Arenig age have been discussed repeatedly from the Ballantrae Complex (Stone & Strachan 1981; Stone & Rushton 1983, 2003; Rushton et al. 1986; Rushton & Stone 1988). The inferred bios-tratigraphic ranges were estimated to be from the basal Arenig Tetragraptus approximatus Biozone to the early Yapeenian. As the exact dating of the graptolite faunas in this sequence has some important implications for the interpretation of the tectonic development of the region, precision is relevant to the question. The discovery of Arenig isograptid faunas in the North Ballaird borehole (Stone & Strachan 1981; Stone & Rushton 2003) thus was of crucial importance for the determination of the timing of the collisional event initiating the Grampian Orogeny. Stone & Rushton (2003) described the fauna in detail and discussed a possible early Yapeenian age, but were not able to exclude a late Castlemainian (Ca 4) age. The fauna represent the best preserved and richest isograptid fauna found so far in Britain. British isograptids in general are poorly known from few scattered records (Jenkins 1982) and their use for a detailed biostratigraphy was limited due to tectonic distortion and ambiguous identifications. Isograptid faunal successions are well established from Australasia (Cooper 1973; Cooper & Ni 1986) and …
Semantic features in fast-mapping: performance of preschoolers with specific language impairment versus preschoolers with normal language.

This study examined the receptive language skills of young children (4–6 years old) with specific language impairment (SLI). Specifically, the authors looked at their ability to fast-map semantic f...
Factorization hypothesis and the non-leptonic decays of heavy hadrons☆

Abstract We apply the formalism of the heavy quark effective theory, in conjunction with the factorization assumption, to the non-leptonic decays of B mesons. While we are more confident that the factorization assumption is valid when one of the decay products is light, we nevertheless apply it to decays containing two heavy mesons in the final state.
Ligand-leakage in affinity chromatography, a mathematical approach

Es wird ein theoretisches Modell beschrieben fur die Abspaltung polyvalent gebundener Liganden von einem, wasserunloslichen Trager. Die Annahme einer konsekutiven Reaktion fuhrt zu einer Abschatzung der zu erwartenden Zeitverzogerung.
Marginal zinc deficiency in older adults: responsiveness of zinc status indicators.

Suspicions that mild zinc deficiency is common among the elderly cannot be confirmed or refuted because definitive indicators of zinc status are lacking. The goal of this study was to document the clinical responsiveness of parameters of zinc status in a group of older adults consuming a carefully controlled diet: first moderately low in zinc (3.97 mg/day for 15 days) and then high in zinc (28.19 mg/day for 6 days).Fifteen older adults (mean age = 66.6 yrs) volunteered to consume a marginally zinc-deficient diet for 15 days followed by 6 days of zinc repletion. Plasma concentrations of erythrocyte metallothionein and the enzyme 5′-nucleotidase, as well as levels of zinc, alkaline phosphatase, copper and ceruloplasmin were measured before and after zinc depletion and repletion.Plasma zinc levels were not altered during the study. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) values did not change in the expected direction, although a small decrease in AP following zinc repletion was statistically significant. Erythrocyte meta...
Kala-azar in a Brazilian child

We report the case of a six-year-old Brazilian girl referred for splenomegaly who first presented with fever, asthenia, and weight loss. Geographical location, clinical exam, and blood laboratories suggested kalaazar. Serology confirmed kala-azar diagnosis, but direct evidence of the parasites was not made. A treatment by meglumine antimoniate is given under hospital surveillance for two weeks. Thereupon, the patient is asymptomatic and all tests are normal.
Cumulative damage of reinforced concrete subjected to repeated impact

Abstract This study was performed to develop methods of measuring the cumulative damage of steel reinforced concrete slabs subjected to repeated impact. Cumulative damage was monitored by measuring the crater depth and the reduction in ultrasonic pulse velocity across the impact region. Crater depth generally increased with increasing number of impacts and therefore was determined to be a reasonable indicator of cumulative damage. The percent reduction in velocity generally increased with increasing number of impacts up to about 40 percent or more of the total number of impacts to failure. Beyond that, interpretation of the ultrasonic results with respect to the failure mechanism appears necessary. The addition of steel fibers to the bar grid reinforcement resulted in substantial increases (about 2 to 7 times or more) in the total number of impacts to failure as compared to specimens with only bar grid or expanded metal placed at the midpoint of the slab thickness.
Organizational Reference Groups: A Missing Perspective on Social Context

This paper introduces and empirically explores the concept of an organizational reference group: the set of people an individual perceives as belonging to his or her work environment that defines the social world of work in which he or she engages. The concept is proposed to fill a gap in studies of social context. Scholars tend only to infer, not identify, the people an individual is aware of at work. This surmise creates no problem in groups or small organizations where everyone knows everyone else. However, it becomes troublesome in large organizations where the set of people one individual discerns may vary considerably from that of another. Social network studies of large organizations examine people an individual perceives, but focus on interpersonal communication through salient relationships. They tend to neglect the many distant others who populate an individual's social context: those known only through company newsletters or office gossip, those with whom the individual never has contact, and those who carry little immediate salience. Data from a large organization are used to explore whether organizational reference groups provide distinct, useful information about individuals' perceptions of their social context at work. The findings replicate those showing individuals' preferences for similar others, but also note previously unobserved systematic differences in the composition of close associations compared to the broader ones of organizational reference groups. Distant associations are considerably more homogeneous than close ones. Moreover, the results show that organizational reference groups illuminate career referent selection and expected achievement beyond what would be learned from a typical social network analysis.
Glucose-6-phosphatase activity in the hypothalamus of the ob ob mouse

The hypothalamus and cortex from ob/ob mice and their lean littermates were sonicated and then incubated with glucose-6-phosphate (glucose-6-P) and glycerol phosphate (glycerol-P). The difference between the rates of hydrolysis of glucose-6-P and glycerol-P was taken as the measure of glucose-6-phosphatase activity. The activity was much higher in the hypothalamus from ob/ob mice versus their lean littermates. Activity was undetected in the cortex. These findings raise the possibility that a defect in the regulation of glucose-6-phosphatase activity in a portion of the hypothalamus may relate to the mechanism underlying obesity in the ob/ob mouse. However, obese gene product administration to ob/ob mice, while reducing the body weight, did not alter the glucose-6-phosphatase activity.
Nucleotide metabolism and nucleic acid synthesis in mouse thymocytes

Abstract Nucleotide pool sizes, DNA polymerizing enzymes, and DNA synthesis were studied in mouse thymocytes over a 24-hr period of culture in Marbrook chambers. The initial rate of cell division was high with an average mitotic index of 1.6%/hr for 12 hr, followed by a decline to 0.14%/hr at 24 hr. The decline in DNA synthesis was not closely correlated with the activities of DNA-dependent DNA polymerases-α or -β or with the activity of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. The amounts of several ribo- and deoxyribonucleotides per thymocyte were measured using high performance liquid chromatography and DNA polymerase. Pool sizes of ATP, GTP, dATP, and dTTP were less than 10% of pool sizes commonly observed in mammalian cells. The rates of DNA and RNA synthesis in thymocytes may be critically affected by minor changes in the availability of nucleotides. Cultures of thymocytes serve as useful experimental systems for investigation of nucleotide and nucleic acid metabolism during lymphoid differentiation.
Addiction and Treatment

For each issue of Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, the editor selects three to five health care sites containing high quality health care information on a given subject. The topic for each issue is very much dependent on the whim of the editor and the consumer questions that have crossed her desk. Sites used within the column are chosen based on the editor's personal experience and usage of the Internet. Each select site has been subjected to rigorous evaluation criteria. Evaluation criteria include: reputation of the producer/publisher of the site; bias; content and scope of information provided (including types of information provided – general overviews or specific conditions, treatments, etc.); intended audience (professionals, adults, teens, or children); currency of site updates; and viability of links. Dead links and changing URLs are a problematic reality of Internet usage. The selected sites have exhibited stability in providing long-term access to quality information. Columns begin wi...
The Archaeology of Native Societies in the Chesapeake: New Investigations and Interpretations

Archaeological studies of Native American societies in the Chesapeake have recently incorporated a broader range of interpretive frames, including those that emphasize historical contingency and social interaction rather than cultural ecology and cultural materialism. New evidence of Woodland-period population movements, persistent places, and cycles of social ranking has prompted historically oriented interpretations that foreground particular configurations of ideology, tradition, ritual, and agency. Contact-period studies have demonstrated that native strategies of the colonial period were rooted in precontact social landscapes. Contemporary American Indians are also reclaiming their pasts in ways that challenge archaeological practices and further broaden perspectives on the Chesapeake past.
Thickness of walls of myocardial arterioles in relation to smoking and age. Findings in men and dogs.

Three studies were made of the thickness of myocardium arteriole walls in relation to smoking and age. One was done on men at autopsy. Two were done on beagle dogs. In men, the thickness of arteriole walls was greater, on the average, in smokers than nonsmokers and increased with age. Thickness of arteriole walls increased with number of cigarettes smoked per day. The thickness was less, on the average, among cigar and pipe smokers than cigarette smokers. In two experiments beagle dogs daily inhaled cigarette smoke through tracheostomae; others were not exposed. The arteriole walls became thicker in smoking dogs than in nonsmoking dogs; thicker in dogs smoking many cigarettes than in dogs smoking fewer cigarettes; thicker in dogs smoking nonfilter cigarettes than in dogs smoking filter-tip cigarettes. The thickness of arteriole walls increased with duration of smoking.
Experimental determination of the solubility constant for magnesium chloride hydroxide hydrate (Mg3Cl(OH)5·4H2O, phase 5) at room temperature, and its importance to nuclear waste isolation in geological repositories in salt formations

Abstract In this study, the solubility constant of magnesium chloride hydroxide hydrate, Mg3Cl(OH)5·4H2O, termed as phase 5, is determined from a series of solubility experiments in MgCl2–NaCl solutions. The solubility constant in logarithmic units at 25 °C for the following reaction, Mg 3 Cl(OH) 5 · 4 H 2 O + 5 H + = 3 Mg 2 + + 9 H 2 O ( l ) + Cl - is calculated as 43.21 ± 0.33 (2σ) based on the specific interaction theory (SIT) model for extrapolation to infinite dilution. The Gibbs free energy and enthalpy of formation for phase 5 at 25 °C are derived as −3384 ± 2 (2σ) kJ mol−1 and −3896 ± 6 (2σ) kJ mol−1, respectively. MgO (bulk, pure MgO corresponding to the mineral periclase) is the only engineered barrier certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for emplacement in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in the US, and an Mg(OH)2-based engineered barrier (bulk, pure Mg(OH)2 corresponding to brucite) is to be employed in the Asse repository in Germany. Phase 5, and its similar phase, phase 3 (Mg2Cl(OH)3·4H2O), could have a significant role in influencing the geochemical conditions in geological repositories for nuclear waste in salt formations where MgO or brucite is employed as engineered barriers. Based on our solubility constant for phase 5 in combination with the literature value for phase 3, we predict that the composition for the invariant point of phase 5 and phase 3 would be mMg = 1.70 and pmH = 8.94 in the Mg–Cl binary system. The recent WIPP Compliance Recertification Application Performance Assessment Baseline Calculations indicate that phase 5, instead of phase 3, is indeed a stable phase when the WIPP Generic Weep Brine (GWB), a Na–Mg–Cl-dominated brine associated with the Salado Formation, equilibrates with actinide-source-term phases, brucite, magnesium carbonates, halite and anhydrite. Therefore, phase 5 is important to the WIPP, and potentially important to other repositories in salt formations.
Preparing Teachers of Students with Severe Disabilities

This article examines the issues related to preparing teachers to instruct students with severe disabilities. The competencies needed by teachers are categorized by topical areas and described. The process of teacher training is discussed with an emphasis on the importance of values-based training, relevant field experience, and modeling by teacher educators.
The association of the serum agglutinators with the feast IgG globulins

Abstract Although anti-Rh antibodies have been shown to be produced as slow IgG globulins, the serum agglutinators (antibodies to IgG Fab fragments) are usually produced as fast IgG globulins, and this is especially true when they are demonstrable in high titer in patients with severe suppurative infection.
An Epizootic of Equine Sarcoid

JACKSON1 first recognized and described equine sarcoids, which are locally aggressive, fibroblastic tumours of equine skin. They are often multiple, frequently recur following surgical excision or radiotherapy, and generally have fibropapillomatous features. Horses, donkeys and mules are susceptible. Neither a seasonal incidence nor an age distribution of equine sarcoids has been detected2. Jackson pointed out that the gross and microscopic appearance of the tumours, the predilection sites, and the pattern of spread to secondary sites on affected animals were suggestive of viral aetiology. Auto- and homo-transplantation have been reported3–6. Voss recently reported that several tumours were produced in horses with centrifuged sarcoid extracts which probably were cell-free although they had not been filtered5. Intrader-mal inoculation of bovine papilloma virus in horses produced localized, fibroblastic growths similar to equine sarcoid which suggests the interesting possibility of a causal relationship to equine sarcoid7. Equine sarcoid has no known relationship to Boeck's sarcoid in man.
Controlling nanometer-scale crystal growth on a model biomaterial with a scanning force microscope

We investigate the consequences of exposing an inorganic single-crystal surface to mechanical stimulation with an atomic force microscope tip in the presence of a supersaturated solution. We show that on the {010} cleavage surfaces of brushite (CaHPO 4 .2H 2 O) layer-by-layer growth at step edges can be induced and controlled with the tip. The growth rates are highly sensitive to the crystallographic orientation of the steps. Experimental evidence is presented that supports a mechanism involving tip-enhanced mass transport of ions to nucleation sites.
Synaptic plasticity at thalamocortical synapses in developing rat somatosensory cortex: LTP, LTD, and silent synapses.

Thalamocortical synaptic transmission in the rat's primary somatosensory (S1) cortex is modified by sensory experience during a critical period early in life. Despite the importance of such plasticity for the maturation of thalamocortical circuits, the synaptic basis of this plasticity is unknown. Here, we review evidence suggesting that long-term potentiation and depression (LTP and LTD) of thalamocortical synaptic transmission may be involved in this plasticity. In an in vitro slice preparation, thalamocortical synaptic responses exhibit N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent LTP and LTD during a developmental period similar to the critical period in vivo. The inability to induce LTP and LTD after the critical period may result in part from a developmental reduction in the duration of NMDA receptor currents. In addition, during the critical period many thalamocortical synapses exhibit NMDA receptor currents but no detectable AMPA receptor currents, and thus may be functionally silent at resting membrane potentials. LTP converts silent synapses to functional ones by causing the rapid appearance of AMPA currents. These observations suggest that thalamocortical synapses may be formed as silent synapses which are subsequently made functional by LTP. LTP and LTD may then regulate the efficacy of these functional synapses and thereby contribute to experience-dependent changes in S1 thalamocortical circuits.
Effects of the Immunostimulant, Levamisole, on Opiate Withdrawal and Levels of Endogenous Opiate Alkaloids and Monoamine Neurotransmitters in Rat Brain

Effects of the Immunostimulant, Levamisole, on Opiate Withdrawal and Levels of Endogenous Opiate Alkaloids and Monoamine Neurotransmitters in Rat Brain
CPACT - The conditional parameter adjustment cache tuner for dual-core architectures

Cache tuning reveals substantial energy savings for single-core architectures, but has yet to be explored for multi-core architectures. In this paper we explore level one (L1) data cache tuning in a heterogeneous dual-core system where each data cache can have a different configuration. We show that L1 data cache tuning in a dual-core system achieves 25% average energy savings, which is comparable to single-core data cache tuning. We present the dual-core tuning heuristic CPACT, which finds cache configurations within 1% of the optimal configuration while searching only 1% of the design space. Finally, we provide valuable insights on core-interactions and data coherence revealed when tuning the multithreaded SPLASH-2 benchmarks.