cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental study of a micro air vehicle with a rotatable tail

An experimental study of a rotatable tail mechanism applied to a small unmanned aerial vehicle was performed using a six-component wind-tunnel balance in the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology low-speed wind tunnel. Attributes of the control and stability characteristics of the original vehicle, which were documented in an earlier study, are compared with those of a unique control methodology, a tail consisting of a single surface, with controllable elevation and rotation. An advantage of this change is a reduction in the storage length of the vehicle. Because there are similarities in the rotatable tail mechanism and the tail of many birds, the rotatable tail reflects a biomimetric feature. Measured force and moment coefficient measurements for the actual vehicle at a typical flight speed indicated that a rotatable tail provides a sufficient yaw moment for turning. For example, yaw moment coefficients C n , ranging from -0.02 to +0.02, which is typical for a rudder, were achievable as long as the absolute value of the tail elevation angle was large. The dependence of the yaw moment coefficient on the elevator angle and angle of attack, in addition to the tail rotation angle, indicates that there would be significant challenges in applying a robust flight control scheme with the current actuator configuration. An additional feature of the tail design is that by deflecting the tail upward, it could also function effectively as an air brake. A more than twofold increase in drag coefficient for constant angle of attack was measured when the tail elevation angle was increased to nearly 70 deg.
Methamphetamine use and infectious disease-related behaviors in men who have sex with men: implications for interventions

Aims Review the current evidence regarding the prevalence of methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men (MSM) and to evaluate the factors that contribute to methamphetamine use and potential for sexual transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases. Methods Databased reports address (1) epidemiology of methamphetamine use in MSM; (2) methamphetamine use and risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections; and (3) interventions. Findings Methamphetamine use is highly prevalent in MSM. Strong associations between methamphetamine use and HIV-related sexual transmission behaviors are noted across studies of MSM and correspond to increased incidence for HIV and syphilis compared to MSM who do not use the drug. Behavioral treatments produce sustained reductions in methamphetamine use and concomitant sexual risk behaviors among methamphetamine-dependent MSM. Conclusions Brief screening of methamphetamine use for MSM who seek physical, mental health and substance abuse services is recommended. Behavioral interventions that address methamphetamine use may range from brief interventions to intensive out-patient treatments.
ASPARTAME INTAKE AND ITS EFFECT ON PHENYLALANINE (PHE) AND PHE METABOLITES

Aspartame a methyl ester L-aspartylphenylalanine, is a widely used sweetener. The intake of aspartame was studied in 51 adults 23 of whom were carriers for phenylketonuria (PKU). The study was divided into a loading test followed by chronic intake for a period of 12 weeks. Two doses of aspartame were used in the loading test 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg. Blood levels of phe were measured hourly and the aromatic acid metabolites of phe and phenylethylamine (PEA) were estimated in the urine. During the chronic intake blood phe and urine metabolites were determined every two weeks. The levels of blood phe rose from 5-10 fold in the carriers for PKU on 100mg/kg load as opposed to 2.5 to 6 fold in the normal controls. On 50mg/kg the carriers response was increased from 2 to 7 times the normal levels and from 2 to 3.5 in the control group (P<.02). During the chronic intake 19 carriers had blood phe ranges of 0.84 to 18.8mg/dl; five of these individuals had levels above 10mg/dl. Among the controls(16) the range of blood phe was 0.8 to 11.1mg/dl. The aromatic acid metabolites 3 and 4 OH phenylacetate and 4 OH phenyllactate were increased more than 10 fold in the carrier group, and were less elevated in the controls but still significantly higher than baseline levels. The urinary levels of PEA were increased in both groups ranging from 5-40 times the normal levels. These data are of concern since blood phe levels are much higher than anticipated from previous published reports.
Measurement of the Wax Appearance Temperature of Gas-to-Liquids Products, Alaska North Slope Crude, and their Blends

As part of a major project on studying the operational challenges in gas-to-liquids (GTL) transportation through the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), the wax appearance temperatures (WAT) of GTL products and the Alaska North Slope Crude (ANSC) and their blends were measured. The WAT measurements of GTL products were based on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D3117 standard, whereas the WAT measurements of ANSC and its blends with the GTL products were measured by the viscometry technique. The reliability of the viscometry technique was ascertained by comparing the WATs of the colorless GTL products measured by the ASTM D 3117 method. The WATs measured by the viscometry technique and the ASTM D3117 method were found to be in excellent agreement.
Learning and perception of oddity problems by lemurs and seven species of monkey

Eight nonhuman primate species were compared in three experiments utilizing the oddity paradigm. The sample included 4 lemurs (Lemur catta), 26 Old World Monkeys (Macaca mulatta, M. nemestrina, M. speciosa, andCercopithecus nictitans) and 21 New World Monkeys (Cebus apella, Lagothrix humboldti andSaimiri sciurea). EveryS was first trained 60 days on “outside oddity” problems. Next,Ss solved “outside” oddity problems constituted from two short and two tall cylinders, and were tested for their perception of oddity withDavis andMcDonald's (1962) technique of varying the height of the centerplaced but nonreinforced stimulus. In the final experiment,Ss were given ambiguous oddity problems that could be solved either for form or color cues, andEs recorded preference. Cebus and woolly monkeys formed oddity learning sets as well as or better than any of the Macaque monkeys, but relatively poor performances were made by squirrel monkeys, spotnose monkeys, and lemurs. Woolly monkeys were outstandingly accurate in their perception of oddity based on changing stimulus height, no other species approaching them in this skill. Old World Monkeys were much more likely than New World Monkeys to use color as a cue.
Efficiency and power issues in Sb-based mid-infrared lasers

Laser efficiency is an important issue for mid-IR Sb-based semiconductor lasers. It has been the key limiting factor in the efforts to develop high power lasers in recent years. This paper reviews the basic aspects of the problem and discusses some recent results. A number of factors affect the efficiency, one of which common to many materials was a high internal loss that increases rapidly versus temperature. A major contribution to this internal loss is the large intervalence band carrier absorption that occurs in all mid- to-low-gap III-V semiconductors. Recent studies of both types of Sb-based laser materials with InAs-like valence band (InAsSb) and GaSb-like valence band (InAs/GaInSb/AlSb type-II quantum wells) have showed such a strong absorption. Coupled with the thermal effects, the internal loss behavior results in an efficiency roll-off that limits the power performance. Issues for the improvement of the efficiency are discussed.
Polydentate N(2)S(2)O and N(2)S(2)O(2) Ligands as Alcoholic Derivatives of (N,N'-Bis(2-mercaptoethyl)-1,5-diazacyclooctane)nickel(II) and (N,N'-Bis(2-mercapto-2-methylpropane)-1,5-diazacyclooctane)nickel(II).

The synthesis, structural characterization, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties of N(2)S(2)-ligated Ni(II) complexes, (N,N'-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)-1,5-diazacyclooctane)nickel(II), (bme-daco)Ni(II), and (N,N'-bis(2-mercapto-2-methylpropane)1,5-diazacyclooctane)nickel(II), (bme-daco)Ni(II), derivatized at S with alcohol-containing alkyl functionalities, are described. Reaction of (bme-daco)Ni(II) with 2-iodoethanol afforded isomers, (N,N'-bis(5-hydroxy-3-thiapentyl)-1,5-diazacyclooctane-O,N,N',S,S')halonickel(II) iodide (halo = chloro or iodo), 1, and (N,N'-bis(5-hydroxy-3-thiapentyl)-1,5-diazacyclooctane-N,N',S,S')nickel(II) iodide, 2, which differ in the utilization of binding sites in a potentially hexadentate N(2)S(2)O(2) ligand. Blue complex 1 contains nickel in an octahedral environment of N(2)S(2)OX donors; X is best modeled as Cl. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with a = 12.580(6) A, b = 12.291(6) A, c = 13.090(7) A, beta = 97.36(4) degrees, and Z = 4. In contrast, red complex 2 binds only the N(2)S(2) donor set forming a square planar nickel complex, leaving both -CH(2)CH(2)OH arms dangling; the iodide ions serve strictly as counterions. 2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pca2(1) with a = 15.822(2) A, b = 13.171(2) A, c = 10.0390(10) A, and Z = 4. Reaction of (bme-daco)Ni(II) with 1,3-dibromo-2-propanol affords another octahedral Ni species with a N(2)S(2)OBr donor set, ((5-hydroxy-3,7-dithianonadiyl)-1,5-diazacyclooctane-O,N,N',S,S')bromonickel(II) bromide, 3. Complex 3 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pca2(1) with a = 15.202(5) A, b = 7.735(2) A, c = 15.443(4) A, and Z = 4. Complex 4.2CH(3)CN was synthesized from the reaction of (bme-daco)Ni(II) with 1,3-dibromo-2-propanol. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2/c with a = 20.348(5) A, b = 6.5120(1) A, c = 20.548(5) A, and Z = 4.
Meteorological controls on particle growth events in Beltsville, MD, USA during July 2011

During summer 2011, particle growth events were investigated in Beltsville, Maryland, USA where anthropogenic and biogenic hydrocarbon emissions heavily influenced the lower atmosphere. Aerosol sampling was made from a 5-m tower during July 2011. Ultrafine particle growth events occurred on 4 of the 25 days sampled. Regional particle growth events occurred after the passage of synoptic cold fronts. During regional particle growth events temperature and relative humidity were 2° Celsius lower and 3 % less than on non-event days and the local wind direction came from the northeast. With average growth rates of 3.5 nm hr−1, regional particle growth events happened around 15:00 Universal Time Coordinated, shortly after increased mixing within the atmospheric boundary layer. Regional particle growth events were associated with cooler, drier, mostly sunny days that had low sulfur dioxide mixing ratio (~0.6 parts per billion by volume). Regional particle growth events occurred when the atmospheric boundary layer was dominated by free convection and had lower sensible heat fluxes compared to short-lived events or non-particle growth event days.
The Effect of Religion-Supported Programs on Health-Related Behaviors in Adolescence

Much research has found a relationship between religion and teens’ health related behaviors. The majority of this research focuses on personal religious beliefs and behaviors. But, many religious organizations also sponsor nonreligious activities. There is reason to think that nonreligious programs sponsored by religious organizations will be more likely than school and community-based extracurricular programs to be associated with healthier behaviors, even for youth who are not personally religious. The current study compares the influence of involvement in nonreligious activities that are supported by religious and other organizations for teen health outcomes. Using two waves of longitudinal data from the National Study of Youth and Religion the current study finds that involvement in religion-supported programs is associated with feelings of well-being, better physical health, less alcohol use, and delayed initiation into first sex. Conversely, involvement in activities sponsored by nonreligious organizations is associated with more alcohol use and initiation into sex.
An Analytical Study of Thermophoretic Particulate Deposition in Turbulent Pipe Flows

The presence of a cold surface in non-isothermal pipe flows conveying submicron particles causes thermophoretic particulate deposition. In this study, an analytical method is developed to estimate thermophoretic particulate deposition efficiency and its effect on overall heat transfer coefficient of pipe flows in transition and turbulent flow regimes. The proposed analytical solution has been validated against experiments conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Exhaust gas carrying submicron soot particles was passed through pipes with a constant wall temperature and various designed boundary conditions to correlate transition and turbulent flow regimes. Prediction of the reduction in heat transfer coefficient and particulate mass deposited has been compared with experiments. The results of the analytical method are in a reasonably good agreement with experiments.
Porous Silicon Oxycarbide Glasses from Organically Modified Silica Gels of High Surface Area

High surface area alkyl-substituted silica aerogels and xerogels were successfully prepared by sol-gel processing and supercritical drying. The gels were further heat treated in inert atmosphere to temperatures as high as 1000°C. Surface areas and pore structure of the gels and gels pyrolyzed at high temperatures were determined by multipoint BET surface area measurement. The aerogels and xerogels exhibited surface areas of about 1100 m2/g. No significant effect of pH was found on the surface areas of gels in the two step sol-gel process, but gels of low pH showed smaller pore diameter and higher density. Xerogels showed smaller surface area, pore size, and pore volume compared to aerogels. Upon pyrolyzing in inert atmosphere, the surface areas of all the gels decreased with temperature as a result of collapse of micropores and shrinkage of mesopores. Unlike pure silica gel, which loses almost all surface area and densifies at 1000°C, the advantage of the alkyl-substituted gels is that they maintained a high surface area of 400 m2/g at 1000°C.
Optical Wave-Front Mapping by Dual Interferometry*

Some advanced methods of wave-front mapping by coupling of two interferometers are described. Moire-like superposition of interferograms eliminates certain inherent interferometer errors. Moire interferometry indicates the direction of the order of interference.The same instrument in different alignment enhances the sharpness of reflection multiple-beam fringes or reverses their contrast for a transmissionlike appearance.
Branched poly(ethylene glycol) linkers

Novel types of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) linkers (U-PEG linkers) have been synthesized. These PEG linkers are linear polymers that attach to bioactive agents via a functional group, derived from a 2° alcohol, located in the center of the polymer chain versus the traditional terminal attachment site. These new types of linkers can be prepared with different functional groups (e.g. active ester, succinimidyl carbonate, and carbazate) for selected point of attachment, including ethylene oxide oligomers to provide “stems” when steric factors need to be addressed. Conversion of p-nitrophenyl carbonates to the more desirable succinimidyl carbonates has also been accomplished by a novel nucleophilic displacement procedure. Modification of proteins with these reagents is easily accomplished and is illustrated by the conjugation of a U-PEG linker with L-asparaginase.
Characterization of pore structure in a nanoporous low-dielectric-constant thin film by neutron porosimetry and X-ray porosimetry.

A small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) porosimetry technique is presented for characterization of pore structure in nanoporous thin films. The technique is applied to characterize a spin-on organosilicate low dielectric constant(low-k) material with a random pore structure. Porosimetry experiments are conducted using a "contrast match" solvent(a mixture of toluene-d 8 and toluene-h 8 ) having the same neutron scattering length density as that of the nanoporous film matrix. The film is exposed to contrast match toluene vapor in a carrier gas (air), and pores fill with liquid by capillary condensation. The partial pressure ofthe solvent vapor is increased stepwise from 0 (pure air) to P 0 (saturated solvent vapor) and then decreased stepwise to 0 (pure air). As the solvent partial pressure increases, pores fill with liquid solvent progressively from smallest to largest. SANS measurements quantify the average size of the empty pores (those not filled with contrast match solvent). Analogous porosimetry experiments using specular X-ray reflectivity (SXR) quantify the volume fraction of solvent adsorbed at each step. Combining SXR and SANS data yields information about the pore size distribution and illustrates the size dependence of the filling process. For comparison, the pore size distribution is also calculated by application of the classical Kelvin equation to the SXR data.
The most-cited scholars in criminal justice textbooks, 1989–1993

Abstract Although numerous citation analysis studies have examined the most-cited scholars in many different types of criminology and criminal justice publications, no study has ever examined who the most-cited scholars are in criminal justice textbooks. This article extends recent citation analysis studies by identifying and ranking the twenty-two most-cited scholars in sixteen introductory criminal justice textbooks published from 1989 to 1993. The list of the most-cited scholars in criminal justice textbooks is then compared to similar lists of the most-cited scholars in criminal justice journals and criminology textbooks. This comparison suggests that there are several avenues to prominence in textbooks and journals for scholars who conduct different types of crime-related research.
Transport of cationic amino acids by the mouse ecotropic retrovirus receptor

SUSCEPTIBILITY of rodent cells to infection by ecotropic murine leukaemia viruses (MuLV) is determined by binding of the virus envelope to a membrane receptor that has multiple membrane-spanning domains1. Cells infected by ecotropic MuLV synthesize envelope protein, gp70, which binds to this receptor, thereby preventing additional infections. The consequences of envelope-MuLV receptor binding for the infected host cell have not been directly determined, partly because the cellular function of the MuLV receptor protein is unknown. Here we report a coincidence in the positions of the first eight putative membrane-spanning domains found in the virus receptor1 and in two related proteins2, the arginine2–4 and histidine2,3,5 permeases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Fig. 1), but not in any other proteins identified by computer-based sequence comparison of the Gen Bank data base1. Xenopus oocytes injected with receptor-encoding messenger RNA show increased uptake of L-arginine, L-lysine and L-ornithine. The transport properties and the expression pattern of the virus receptor behave in ways previously attributed to y+ (refs 6, 7), the principal transporter of cationic L-amino acids in mammalian cells.
Zinc fingers can act as Zn2+ sensors to regulate transcriptional activation domain function

The yeast Zap1 transcription factor controls the expression of genes involved in zinc accumulation and storage. Zap1 is active in zinc-limited cells and repressed in replete cells. Zap1 has two activation domains, AD1 and AD2, which are both regulated by zinc. AD2 function was mapped to a region containing two Cys2His2 zinc fingers, ZF1 and ZF2, that are not involved in DNA binding. More detailed mapping placed AD2 almost precisely within the endpoints of ZF2, suggesting a role for these fingers in regulating activation domain function. Consistent with this hypothesis, ZF1 and ZF2 bound zinc in vitro but less stably than did zinc fingers involved in DNA binding. Furthermore, mutations predicted to disrupt zinc binding to ZF1 and/or ZF2 rendered AD2 constitutively active. Our results also indicate that the repressed form of AD2 requires an intramolecular interaction between ZF1 and ZF2. These studies suggest that these zinc fingers play an unprecedented role as zinc sensors to control activation domain function.
Evolutionary Genomics: Transdomain Gene Transfers

Summary Biologists have until now conceded that bacterial gene transfer to multicellular animals is relatively uncommon in Nature. A new study showing promiscuous insertions of bacterial endosymbiont genes into invertebrate genomes ushers in a shift in this paradigm.
Public views on the dangers and importance of climate change: predicting climate change beliefs in the United States through income moderated by party identification

Previous research has identified the interaction between political orientation and education as an important predictor of climate change beliefs. Using data from the 2010 General Social Survey, this article looks at the moderating effect of party identification on income in predicting climate change beliefs in the U.S. Probing this interaction reveals that increased income predicts a higher probability of dismissing climate dangers among Republican-leaning individuals when compared with Independents and Democrats. Alternatively, increased income predicts a higher probability of ranking climate change as the most important environmental problem facing the United States among Democratic-leaning individuals compared with Republicans. The results indicate that income only predicts climate change beliefs in the presence of certain political orientations, with poorer Republicans less likely to dismiss climate change dangers than their affluent counterparts.
AIDS Therapy, 3rd Edition.

Reviewing and summarizing the treatment of HIV disease and its complications is a daunting task. Writing a textbook incorporating the rapidly evolving treatments and management strategies is even more difficult. In this third edition of AIDS Therapy, the authors have combined the efforts of international experts to fulfill this goal. As with every textbook, references are a little outdated; few references are more recent than 2006. The addition of online access to updates will possibly alleviate this problem, although the online version still lists the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for antiretroviral use from October 2006. Excellent chapters cover the serologic diagnosis of HIV disease, primary care in industrialized and resource-limited countries, strategic use of antiretroviral agents, immune-based therapies, and special clinical settings. Although the management of pregnant HIV-positive patients is discussed, no individual coverage of pediatrics is provided. The text provides comprehensive reviews of each antiretroviral agent, summarizing pharmacology, adverse reactions, and clinical uses, and extensively reviewing major trials for each agent. For some of these agents, this represents a historical review of monotherapy without practical application. For example, a full chapter is devoted to zalcitabine, an agent that was discontinued in June 2006. For antiretroviral agents, the best summary, referred to as “recommendations for use,” is included in the last section of each drug chapter. Individual chapters describe opportunistic infections and malignancies, including their diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of these diseases. Variability in the length of these chapters does not always correlate with the importance of these processes. The inclusion of multiple charts and algorithms provides a useful approach to diagnosis and management. The last major section of the text provides approaches to specific syndromes including the major problems in patient care. These are excellent chapters and will be useful to clinicians evaluating specific syndromes. The lack of color pictures in the dermatologic and oral manifestations sections (even in the online version) is a drawback. The final chapters on drug administration and medications are useful tabulations of drug interactions, dosing, and adverse events. This is an excellent comprehensive source book for AIDS clinicians, although it should not be considered a rapid guide to treatment options. This is a text that will be useful for understanding the basis of our current drug therapy. In contrast, the chapters discussing specific disease processes or syndromes will be extremely useful for the busy clinician looking for a single source for these conditions.
The Decor of Power in Naples, 1747

Abstract For sixteen days of celebration for a royal birth, Naples's Palazzo Reale, the Teatro San Carlo, the Castel Nuovo, and their immediate surroundings were transformed by the temporary architecture of the court scenographer, Vincenzo dal Re. Both his innovative interventions within the palace and the theater and his more conventional ones outdoors advanced the politics of the regime by coordinating the behavior of the three recognized social classes in patterns consistent with Bourbon enlightened absolutism. The architectural thought of Michel Foucault and Georges Bataille helps shed light on dal Re's strategies and their effects.
Creating virtual 3-D outcrop

Because of the high precision of present-day GPS and reflectorless laser technology, geologic information and remotely sensed data (i.e., seismic and GPR grids, wells) can be positioned accurately in 3-D and reconstructed as a virtual image. Hence, we have developed the “virtual outcrop” for applications that require knowledge about the 3-D spatial arrangements of rock types.
Pregnancy and Iron Deficiency: Unresolved Issues

Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are prevalent among pregnant women. The extent to which iron deficiency affects maternal and neonatal health is uncertain. Existing data suggest that maternal iron deficiency anemia may be associated with adverse outcomes, including preterm delivery and higher maternal mortality. Further research is needed on the maternal and neonatal benefits of iron supplementation during pregnancy.
National assessments of forest fragmentation in the US

Abstract Because of the linkages among ecological pattern, function and process, policy makers and land managers have increasingly sought measures of landscape pattern that may be used to quantify and monitor changes in forest cover associated with forest fragmentation at national or multinational scales. In this paper, I provide a brief overview of the processes and initiatives driving interest in national assessments of forest fragmentation (e.g., the Montreal Process) and review the results of recent assessments of landscape pattern (and by proxy, fragmentation) conducted at the US national level. Despite widespread recognition that spatial pattern and continuity of forests is important for biodiversity conservation, many international processes and conventions as well as most national forest assessments still focus solely on the extent of forest loss without concern for its spatial pattern, likely due to greater uncertainty over the ecological effects of fragmentation, questions associated with indicator selection, the ill-defined nature of “fragmentation” as an indicator, and confusion over scale and data issues. I thus conclude with a discussion of how experiences gained from recent US assessments may provide insights useful for addressing most or all of these issues when conducting similar assessments in other countries or globally.
Left ventricular dyssynchrony in patients with end-stage liver disease.

Limited published data suggested that patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) might have “cirrhotic cardiomyopathy,” which could have an earlier stage manifested by mechanical dyssynchrony before left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We studied consecutive patients with ESLD who had a stress-gated Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion imaging between 2008 and 2010 prior to liver transplant. Patients with LVEF 27° (mean + 2 SD of the control group). The phase standard deviations and bandwidth similar in patients with MELD scores of ≤10, 11-18, 19-24, and ≥25 (P = NS for both). There was no correlation between the MELD score and standard deviation or bandwidth (r = −0.044 and −0.068, respectively, P = NS for both). Also, there was no correlation between the QTc and dyssynchrony indices. After 1-year follow-up, 22 patients died (12%). The dyssynchrony indices were similar among those who died and those who survived. Patients with ESLD and normal EF have no evidence for LV dyssynchrony.
FACTORS DETERMINING THE ACCURACY OF CLADOGRAM ESTIMATION: EVALUATION USING COMPUTER SIMULATION.

We developed a simulation model of phylogenesis with which we generated a large number of phylogenies and associated data matrices. We examined the characteristics of these and evaluated the success of three taxonomic methods (Wagner parsimony, character compatibility, and UPGMA clustering) as estimators of phylogeny, paying particular attention to the consequences of changes in certain evolutionary assumptions: relative rate of evolution in three different evolutionary contexts (phyletic, parent lineage, and daughter lineage); relative rate of evolution in different directions (novel forward, convergent forward, or reverse); variation of evolutionary rates; and topology of the phylogenetic tree. Except for variation of evolutionary rates, all the evolutionary parameters that we controlled had significant effects on accuracy of phylogenetic reconstructions. Unexpectedly, the topology of the phylogeny was the most important single factor affecting accuracy; some phylogenies are more readily estimated than others for simply historical reasons. We conclude that none of the three estimation methods is very accurate, that the differences in accuracy among them are rather small, and that historical effects (the branching pattern of a phylogeny) may outweigh biological effects in determining the accuracy with which a phylogeny can be reconstructed.
Values, objectivity, and dialectic; The Sceptical Attack on Ethics: its Methods, Aims, and Success

L'A. donne une analyse precise du scepticisme pyrrhonien, a commencer par ses methodes pour remettre en question toute doctrine morale et parvenir a une suspension du jugement, le doute seul permettant d'echapper au dogmatisme. L'A. se demande egalement si ce scepticisme est vivable, et commente ce qu'en disent Diogene Laerce et Sextus Empiricus
Differential Regulation of Apoptosis by Ischemia-Reperfusion and Ischemic Adaptationa

Ischemia and reperfusion injure the heart, as manifested by myocardial infarction, postischemic ventricular functional dysfunctions, arrhythmias, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Hearts can be adapted to ischemic-reperfusion injury by subjecting them to non-lethal cyclic episodes of short-term ischemia and reperfusion. The adapted myocardium becomes resistant to subsequent lethal ischemic injury. Reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress play crucial roles in the pathophysiology of ischemic-reperfusion injury. The adapted hearts, when subjected to subsequent ischemia and reperfusion, generate a reduced amount of oxygen free radicals compared to the nonadapted hearts. The number of cardiomyocytes undergoing apoptotic cell death is reduced in the adapted hearts subjected to ischemia and reperfusion. In concert, the adapted myocardium is associated with increased antioxidant gene Bcl-2, increased binding activity of the nuclear transcription factor NF kappa B, and reduced binding activity of AP-1 compared to nonadapted hearts. Yet when nonadapted hearts are subjected to ischemia and reperfusion, Bcl-2 is down-regulated while NF kappa B is moderately upregulated and AP-1 is significantly upregulated.
Structure of a Trapped Intermediate of Calmodulin: Calcium Regulation of EF-hand Proteins from a New Perspective

Calmodulin (CaM) is a multifunctional Ca2+-binding protein that regulates the activity of many enzymes in response to changes in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. There are two globular domains in CaM, each containing a pair of helix-loop-helix Ca2+-binding motifs called EF-hands. Ca2+-binding induces the opening of both domains thereby exposing hydrophobic pockets that provide binding sites for the target enzymes. Here, I present a 2.4 A resolution structure of a calmodulin mutant (CaM41/75) in which the N-terminal domain is locked in the closed conformation by a disulfide bond. CaM41/75 crystallized in a tetragonal lattice with the Ca2+ bound in all four EF-hands. In the closed N-terminal domain Ca ions are coordinated by the four protein ligands in positions 1, 3, 5 and 7 of the loop, and by two solvent ligands. The glutamate side-chain in the 12th position of the loop (Glu31 in site I and Glu67 in site II), which in the wild-type protein provides a bidentate Ca2+ ligand, remains in a distal position. Based on a comparison of CaM41/75 with other CaM and troponin C structures a detailed two-step mechanism of the Ca2+-binding process is proposed. Initially, the Ca2+ binds to the N-terminal part of the loop, thus generating a rigid link between the incoming helix (helix A, or helix C) and the central beta structure involving the residues in the sixth, seventh and eighth position of the loop. Then, the exiting helix (helix B or helix D) rotates causing the glutamate ligand in the 12th position to move into the vicinity of the immobilized Ca2+. An adjustment of the phi, psi backbone dihedral angles of the Ile residue in the eighth position is necessary and sufficient for the helix rotation and functions as a hinge. The model allows for a significant independence of the Ca2+-binding sites in a two-EF-hand domain.
Sub-chronic lead exposure alters kidney proteome profiles

The current study examined the impact of sub-chronic lead (Pb)-exposure upon global protein profile in rodent kidney (blood Pb levels ~50 μg/dL; 5 weeks oral Pb-acetate exposure). Utilizing 2D SDS-PAGE for kidney protein separation, greater than 500 protein spots were analyzed by densitometry following background noise removal, spot alignment, and intensity filtering. Approximately 100 protein spots were identified by ESI-MS/MS with mitochondrial, chaperone, antioxidant, and Pb-binding proteins included. Forty-eight protein spots exhibited significant alterations in abundance (18 identified by ESI-MS/MS) including the increased protein abundance of ketohexokinase, enolase, protein disulfide-isomerase, lamda crystallin, lactamase, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Decreased protein abundances were observed for α-2 microglobulin, glutamate cysteine ligase, prohibitin, homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, alpha-ETF, argininosuccinate synthetase and ATP synthase (H+ transporting). These data support the hypothesis that protein profiles in the kidney are altered following sub-chronic physiologically relevant Pb-exposure.
Welfare recipients' involvement with child protective services after welfare reform.

Abstract Objective This study identifies factors associated with child protective services (CPS) involvement among current and former welfare recipients after welfare reform legislation was passed in the US in 1996. Method Data come from the Women's Employment Study, a longitudinal study of randomly selected welfare recipients living in a Michigan city in 1997 ( N = 541). In order to identify risk factors for CPS involvement among current and former welfare recipients, multinomial logit analyses with 29 independent variables were employed on a trichotomous dependent variable: no CPS involvement, investigation only, and supervision by CPS after investigation. Results The relationship between work and involvement with CPS differs by work experience prior to welfare reform. As the percentage of months working after welfare reform increased, the risk of being investigated by CPS declined among those with prior work experience but the risk increased among those without prior work experience. However, work variables were not significant predictors of supervision by CPS after an initial investigation. Further, race, cohabitation, childhood welfare receipt, having a learning disability, having a large number of children, being newly divorced, living in a high problem neighborhood, and being convicted of a crime were associated with one's probability of being either investigated or supervised by CPS. Conclusions These findings suggest that employment could have increased the stress levels of current or former welfare recipients without prior work experience to the point where they were prone to minor child rearing mistakes that resulted in a CPS investigation, but were not severe enough to warrant opening the case for supervision. Supports should be provided to welfare mothers who are prone to involvement with CPS; expansions in the childcare subsidy and a reduction or delay in work requirements might also help these families.
Workplace romance in the public sector: sex differences in reactions to the Clinton-Lewinsky affair.

This study examined reactions of part-time MBA students (n = 199) and undergraduate business students (n = 220) to the affair involving U.S. President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky prior to Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives. Consistent with research on attitudes toward workplace romance in the private sector, women believed that this affair occurring in the public sector represented a more serious problem for the nation and more than men were inclined to prefer that some type of action, e.g., resignation or impeachment, be taken. Implications of the results are discussed.
Down to the foundations

Open Questions in Quantum Physics. Edited by G. Tarozzi and A. van der Merwe. Reidel: 1985. Pp.426. Dfl.160, 59, 40.75.
The Freak Election Bet and the Performance of the Democratic Paradox

The article examines the ritual meaning of the “freak” bet of the late nineteenth century, primarily as this took place in the city of Philadelphia. I propose that an election ritual can be thought of as an embodiment of the so-called “democratic paradox” put forward by Chantal Mouffe. The tension of the ritual lies in the question of whether it is able to satisfy competing demands on the modern polity and the citizens who compose it. I argue that the freak bet was an attempt to “think through,” or publicly communicate, some of the paradoxes of modern liberty. It did not succeed in providing a definitive answer, since, as I suggest at the end, it is in the nature of liberal democracy that such an answer will not be forthcoming.
Genetic and Environment Factors Affecting Size of Body and Body Parts of Turkeys: 1. The Heritability and Interrelationships of Body Weight and Live Body Measurements

Abstract EXTENSIVE studies of growth rate, body size and conformation of turkeys have established that these traits are subject to considerable genetic variation (Jaap, 1938; Asmundson and Lerner, 1940; Asmundson, 1944, 1945, 1948; Asmundson and Pun, 1954a, b). Most of the heritability estimates of body weight of turkeys range from a low of .16 to a high of .62, the majority being from .35 to .50 (Abplanalp and Kosin, 1952; Goodman, Brunson and Godfrey, 1954; Bumgardner and Shaffner, 1954; McCartney, 1955; Kondra and Shoffner, 1956). The variation in these estimates may be due to differences in age or strain of turkey, or, in part, to differences in experimental technique. Heritability of body measurements (shank length, keel length, breast width and breast depth), as reported by Abplanalp and Kosin (1952) for turkeys at 26 weeks of age, ranged from about .13 to .51, while similar estimates presented by Kondra and Shoffner (1956) …
Rôle of nerve and epithelium in the regulation of alkaline phosphatase activity in gustatory papillae

Abstract The loss of alkaline phosphatase activity from the gustatory epithelium of the rat's vallate papilla after glossopharyngeal nerve transection indicates that the enzyme is neurally regulated. The absence of this enzyme from the gustatory epithelium of the fungiform papillae innervated by the chorda tympani nerve suggests that these two nerves may differ in their capacity to regulate this enzyme. Since alkaline phosphatase is present throughout all the folds of the foliate papilla and since this papilla is innervated by glossopharyngeal and chorda tympani nerves, selective nerve sections should answer the question as to whether the chorda tympani nerve is capable of maintaining alkaline phosphatase activity. Two weeks after chorda tympani nerve section alone, taste buds and alkaline phosphatase activity were absent from the anterior folds but present posteriorly, while after glossopharyngeal nerve section alone, buds and enzyme were absent in the posterior folds but present anteriorly. It was only after combined chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerve transection that all taste buds and alkaline phosphatase disappeared. The only additional change 20 weeks after the respective nerve sections was a greater epithelial atrophy of the denervated folds. The results indicate that the regulation of alkaline phosphatase is not gustatory-nerve specific, but is a property common to both chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerves. The relative independence of alkaline phosphatase of the type of gustatory innervation stresses the importance of continued studies of both nerves and epithelium in gustatory function.
Efficient checkpointing of virtual machines using virtual machine introspection

Cloud Computing environments rely heavily on system-level virtualization. This is due to the inherent benefits of virtualization including fault tolerance through checkpoint/restart (C/R) mechanisms. Because clouds are the abstraction of large datacenters and large datacenters have a higher potential for failure, it is imperative that a C/R mechanism for such an environment provide minimal latency as well as a small checkpoint file size. Recently, there has been much research into C/R with respect to virtual machines (VM) providing excellent solutions to reduce either checkpoint latency or checkpoint file size. However, these approaches do not provide both. This paper presents a method of checkpointing VMs by utilizing virtual machine introspection (VMI). Through the usage of VMI, we are able to determine which pages of memory within the guest are used or free and are better able to reduce the amount of pages written to disk during a checkpoint. We have validated this work by using various benchmarks to measure the latency along with the checkpoint size. With respect to checkpoint file size, our approach results in file sizes within 24% or less of the actual used memory within the guest. Additionally, the checkpoint latency of our approach is up to 52% faster than KVM's default method.
The neuronal basis of direction selectivity in lobula plate tangential cells

Using a neuronally based computational model of the fly's visual elementary motion detection (EMD) system, the effects of picrotoxin, a GABA receptor antagonist, were modeled to investigate the role of various GABAergic cells in direction selectivity. By comparing the results of our simulation of an anatomically correct model to previously published electrophysiological results, this study supports the hypothesis that EMD outputs integrated into tangential cells are weakly directional, although the tangential cells themselves respond to moving stimuli in a strongly directional manner.
The feasibility of synthesis of B4C fiber-MgO composites by combustion

A relatively large number of carbide materials have been prepared by the combustion synthesis method. Interest in these materials is motivated, in part, by their refractory nature, high hardness, and relatively low density. In this method, the typical starting reactants consist of a mixture of metal and a carbon powders. When ignited, many of these reactant systems reach combustion temperatures which are higher than the melting point of the metal but lower than melting point of carbon. These conditions give rise to expectations of control of the size and shape of the final carbide particles by the morphology of the carbon component, as observed by Mullins and Riley. In this study, the effect of carbon fiber morphology on the B[sub 4]C phase formed via the Mg-B[sub 2]O[sub 3] thermite-based reaction was investigated. The overall reaction, 6Mg + 2B[sub 2]O[sub 3] + C [yields] 6MgO + B[sub 4]C, involves two steps, the first is a reaction between Mg and B[sub 2]O[sub 3] to form MgO and B, and the second involves the formation of B[sub 4]C. The calculated adiabatic combustion temperature, assuming an initial temperature of 25 C is 2,467 C which is higher than the melting point of boron.
A Variational Principle Associated to Positive Tilt Maps

In this paper we establish a variational principle for positive tilt maps. This implies that the Aubry–Mather set exists for positive tilt maps and most of the theory developed by Mather for twist maps now applies for positive tilt maps.
The Intelligibility of Speech by Hearing Aids on Inductance Loop and Microphone Modes of Signal Reception

A comparative evaluation was done on the speech intelligibility of two hearing aids, one with an inductance loop and the other with a conventional body unit. Each aid received and reproduced 50 mon...
Is it time to jump off the training bandwagon

I recently spent three days and £600 of my study leave allowance, not including expenses, to attend an APLS (advanced paediatric life support) course. This followed an email instructing all consultants at the children's hospital where I work as a consultant anaesthetist that this was now mandatory training. After 13 years as a consultant, I thought it was time to bite the bullet and go for a refresher. I was also interested to see if the reliance placed on APLS courses as a mark of the competent practitioner was well placed. So, after completing the online, compulsory, multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ), I joined the course with 31 other fresh faced but apprehensive young colleagues all eager to pass the course and enter it on to their CVs and thus on to job applications. I was told by many that this course and other such courses were now mandatory for successful career progression. They told me that the course fee almost emptied their annual study leave budget (£600-800 (€880-1170; $1160-1550) a year) and therefore it …
Developmental constraints and patterns: some pertinent distinctions

Abstract This paper remedies some of the conceptual ambiguity in the union of evolution and development by explicating two key concepts in this disciplinary integration: that of a developmental constraint on evolution and of a developmental pattern or form. The phrases “developmental pattern” and “developmental constraint” often mean quite different things to different people in different theoretical contexts. It is intended that this paper will help clarify thinking about evolution and development by distinguishing between historical/ahistorical, local/universal and passive/active senses of these terms and by suggesting some expressions to help stabilize and clarify usage.
Can innuendos in headlines affect perceptions

The effect of innuendos in headlines on the memory and attitudes of 67 male and 81 female college student who read simulated news articles were studied. Analysis indicated no main or interactive effect of headlines containing innuendo on memory, rated responsibility of the accused or victim, or on sentencing. Memory and attitudes were affected by identification and stereotyping.
Predictions of rotation–vibration effects in time-resolved photoelectron angular distributions

We investigate the physical origin of direct reflection of rotation–vibration coupling in time-resolved photoelectron angular distributions. The theory is developed for a general rotation–vibration coupling mechanism in a polyatomic system and applied to the simplest instance of such interaction, namely centrifugal coupling in a diatomic molecule. Our results suggest the possibility of determining coupling strengths from the observed time dependence of the ionization asymmetry parameters.