cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of double-helix point-spread functions on 3D imaging in the presence of spherical aberrations

Double Helix point-spread functions (DH-PSFs), the result of PSF engineering, are used for super resolution microscopy. The DH-PSF design features two dominant lobes in the image plane which rotate with the change in axial (z) position of the light point source. The center of the DH-PSF gives the precise XY location of the point source, while the orientation of the lobes gives the axial location. In this paper we investigate the effect of spherical aberrations on the DH-PSF. Physical parameters such as the lens used, the size of the particle, refractive index of medium, and depth i.e., location within the underlying object, contribute to the amount of spherical aberration. DH-PSFs with spherical aberrations are computed for different imaging conditions. Three-dimensional images were generated of computer-generated objects using both space-invariant and depth-variant approach. Different approaches to estimate intensity and location of points from these images were investigated. Our results show that the DH-PSFs are susceptible to spherical aberration leading to an apparent shift in the location of the point source with increasing spherical aberrations which is comparable to the conventional PSF. Estimation algorithms like the depth variant expectation maximization (DVEM) can be used to obtain estimates of the true underlying object from the image obtained with DH-PSFs.
Planning for Housing Recovery? Lessons Learned From Hurricane Andrew

Problem: Housing recovery is key to revitalizing communities following major natural disasters, and yet there is little empirical research on how housing recovery differs across neighborhoods with different sociodemographic characteristics, what happens to housing markets, or property abandonment after disasters. Purpose: We address these gaps by examining single-family housing recovery, housing sales, and property abandonment following Hurricane Andrew in south Miami-Dade County, FL. Methods: We developed panel models predicting single-family housing recovery to examine the effects of home and neighborhood characteristics and hurricane damage on recovery. We analyzed home sales and properties abandoned to assess the extent and duration of the hurricane impacts and conducted correlation analyses to identify neighborhood attributes associated with post-disaster home sales and abandonment. Results and conclusions: Housing recovery trajectories depended on neighborhood demographic, socioeconomic, and housing...
Adaptive multiple description coding and transmission of uncompressed video over 60GHz networks

While many cognitive radio (CR) techniques are developed to better utilize the allocated spectrum, the massive unlicensed bandwidth in the 60GHz band also provides great potential for supporting new bandwidth intensive applications. In this paper, we investigate the problem of streaming uncompressed High Definitio (HD) videos over 60GHz networks. We present an adaptive multiple description (MD) coding (MDC) technique based on Priority Encoding Transmission (PET) that exploits the different significanc of the pixel bits, and an interleaving based transmission scheme to combat the bursty losses due to blockage. A nonlinear integer programming problem is formulated and solved with a heuristic approach for determining the sub-optimal coding and transmission parameters. The proposed scheme is adaptive to the dynamic 60GHz link conditions for enhanced video quality. The performance of the proposed scheme is validated with simulations.
Luminescence and structural comparisons of strong-acid sensor molecules. 2.

Anthraquinone-containing cyclic polyether hosts form 1:1 complexes with hydronium ion, producing large enhancements in luminescence via inversion of nπ* and ππ* exited states. We have characterized the binding of hydronium ion within these host molecules and have synthesized a large variety of analogous hosts that contain different structural and electronic features that allow better understanding of what controls binding and luminescence capacity in this class of fluorescent sensor molecules. X-ray crystallography of an anthraquinone host that contains terminal amine functional groups rather than terminal ether groups is investigated, and complete proton transfer to carbonyl groups is observed in concentrated sulfuric acid media that also produces a previously unobserved luminescence.
Recent books on neo-confucian philosophy of religion

Philip J. Ivanhoe: Translator and commentator: readings from the Lu-Wang school of Neo-Confucianism. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2009, xi and 197 pp. $42.00 (hb), $14.95 (pb). John Makeham, ed.: Dao companion to Neo-Confucian philosophy. Dordrecht: Springer, 2010, xliii and 488 pp. $229.00 (hb). Stephen C. Angle: Sagehood: the contemporary significance of Neo-Confucian philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009, xvi and 293 pp. $74.00 (hb). Steven Burik: The end of comparative philosophy and the task of comparative thinking: Heidegger, Derrida, and Daoism. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2009, vii–230 pp. $70.00 (hb), $24.95 (pb).
Utility of an Occupational Therapy Driving Intervention for a Combat Veteran

Many combat veterans are injured in motor vehicle crashes shortly after returning to civilian life, yet little evidence exists on effective driving interventions. In this single-subject design study, we compared clinical test results and driving errors in a returning combat veteran before and after an occupational therapy driving intervention. A certified driving rehabilitation specialist administered baseline clinical and simulated driving assessments; conducted three intervention sessions that discussed driving errors, retrained visual search skills, and invited commentary on driving; and administered a postintervention evaluation in conditions resembling those at baseline. Clinical test results were similar pre- and postintervention. Baseline versus postintervention driving errors were as follows: lane maintenance, 23 versus 7; vehicle positioning, 5 versus 1; signaling, 2 versus 0; speed regulation, 1 versus 1; visual scanning, 1 versus 0; and gap acceptance, 1 versus 0. Although the intervention appeared efficacious for this participant, threats to validity must be recognized and controlled for in a follow-up study.
Carcinogenic effects of solar radiation and prevention measures

It is well known that exposure to the sun is the major cause of cancer of the skin—the most common type of cancer encountered in this country. Little is known about the wavelengths responsible for this carcinogenic effect except that it is composed of the shortest wavelengths (290 to 320 mμ) of the solar spectrum. More quantitative information is available about wavelengths and energy requirements for induction of erythema by sun exposure. This may be pertinent to the cancer of the skin problem if it is assumed that erythema represents an early injury which ultimately develops into cancer of the skin. Protection of the individual's skin from sun exposure is the most effective preventive measure now available. This includes avoidance of intense mid-day exposure and use of topical sunscreen preparations when prolonged exposure is unavoidable. A protective effect has been demonstrated with some systemically administered agents but their use is not yet practical. Evidence that solar-induced erythema, degeneration and premalignant changes are reversible gives hope that more effective cancer preventive measures may become available for the patient with severe actinic damage.
College Students' Definitions and Images of Enemies

In a study of enemy images, 57 introductory psychology students were individually interviewed and tested in the winter of 1985–1986. For most respondents, a personal enemy was someone who does or intends harm to you or betrays you, while incompatible religious or political views do not hinder friendship. In contrast, other countries were considered enemies of the United States on grounds of opposing values or policies as often as because of perceived threat or danger from them. Over 80% of respondents thought the Soviet Union can harm us and is our enemy, but only 16% believed it intends us harm. Stereotypy of enemy image was defined as the proportion of extreme enemy adjectives attributed to the people of a nation. Only 7% of respondents used a majority of their 5 choices from a list of 20 adjectives to attribute stereotyped enemy characteristics to “the Russians,” whereas stereotypy of enemy image for “Nicaraguans” was significantly greater. Results were interpreted as indicating a change in the meaning of the term enemy with the emergence of a generation having no personal experience of conventional wars.
Impact of light rail on traffic congestion in Denver

Abstract Among the reasons the light rail system in Denver has been built is to reduce traffic congestion. A temporal and spatial analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) data from 1992 to 2008 on the highways in Denver has been conducted to determine if that objective has been fulfilled after the initial light rail service began in 1994. Temporal analysis provides an insight into the changes in the level of highway traffic before and after the opening of three segments (Central, Southwest, and Southeast Corridors) of the light rail system. This part of the analysis also compares the traffic levels of highways affected by light rail with those not affected by light rail. Spatial analysis examines whether the changes have taken place uniformly throughout all the highways, or whether they have been concentrated on particular highways. Results indicate that light rail has reduced level of traffic along some of the adjacent highways for a short period of time. Overall, the three light rail corridors in operation have succeeded in lowering the rate of increase in the level of traffic on highways within the rail transit influence zone as compared to highways outside the influence zone.
Numerical Simulation and Analysis of a Prefrontal Squall Line. Part I: Observations and Basic Simulation Results

Abstract An observational and numerical study of the squall line that occurred on 17–18 June 1978 is presented. This squall line was initially triggered by the strong surface convergence along a cold front and stretched from Illinois to the Texas Panhandle. The squall line was aligned with the surface front during its initial development (at 0000 UTC 18 June 1978), but then propagated faster than the front, resulting in a separation of approximately 200 km by 0300 UTC and 300–400 km by 0600 UTC. The Colorado State University (CSU) Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is used to model the squall-line development and propagation. Results are described from several experiments that tested the sensitivity to the use of the Kuo-type cumulus parameterization scheme and grid-scale microphysical processes. The simulations that included the cumulus parameterization scheme accurately modeled the initial development of the squall line and its subsequent movement away from the front.
DISTORTIONAL LOADS AND BRACE FORCES IN STEEL BOX GIRDERS

Trapezoidal steel box girders are often used in curved bridges due to the large torsional stiffness that results from the closed cross section. However, the torsional loading on the box girders can cause the cross section to distort from its original shape, which results in distortional stresses in the plates of the box section. The distortional stresses are controlled by internal cross frames that restrain the cross section from distortion. Current design specifications do not account for forces in the bracing members due to box girder distortion. This paper presents an analytical study on the distortional behavior of box girders with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. Typical torsional loads on curved box girders are discussed, and the distortional components of these applied torsional loads are studied. The distortional components from different torsional loads on trapezoidal box girders are identified and used to derive expressions for the brace forces in the internal cross frames for quasi-closed box girders. The results from the approximate equations for brace forces due to cross-sectional distortion are verified by three-dimensional finite-element analyses.
Spatial Controls of Pre–Euro-American Wind and Fire Disturbance in Northern Wisconsin (USA) Forest Landscapes

We elucidate spatial controls of wind and fire disturbance across northern Wisconsin (USA), where climatic and topographic gradients are not strong, using data from the original US Public Land Survey (PLS) notes. These records contain information on the location and extent of heavy windthrows and stand-replacing fires prior to Euro-American settlement. The spatial patterns of windthrow and fire were spatially clustered at all scales in this historical environment, with stronger associations at local than regional scales. Logistic regression shows environmental variables to have a strong influence on this pattern. In the case of heavy windthrow, environmental drivers of disturbance pattern are fairly consistent across the region. The effects of climate and vegetation are predominant at all scales, but effects are often indirect, with strong interactions between them. Interactions between these two drivers and soil characteristics are also sometimes present. In contrast, models of stand-replacing fire show simple and direct control within and across fire-prone landscapes of historical northern Wisconsin, with climate and physiography as the main factors explaining the distribution of fire disturbance. This simple and direct control is lost at the regional scale, where climate, physiographic, soil, and vegetation variables, along with interactions between them, are significant factors. Contrary to other regions, the topographic effects are generally not important in predicting either wind or fire disturbance. Our work suggests that, in landscapes that lack strong environmental patterning, climate maintains its role as a primary driver of these natural disturbances, but topography is replaced by interactions and feedbacks with other forms of environmental heterogeneity.
Nanoporous Polyporphyrin as Adsorbent for Hydrogen Storage

Novel polyporphyrins with high surface area over 1500 m2/g have been synthesized, and their hydrogen absorption capacities were measured. Porphyrin functionalized with thiophenyl groups was designed as starting monomer; the porphyrin cores offer coordination sites for metal ions which could potentially enhance the interaction with hydrogen for favorable hydrogen storage while the thiophenyl groups are used for cross-linking the monomers under oxidative coupling conditions to yield highly porous networks. These polyporphyrins adsorb up to 5.0 mass % H2 at 77 K and 65 bar. Compared with metal free polymer, iron(II)-containing polymer shows finite increase in heat of adsorption for hydrogen, suggesting a promising approach for designing high heat of adsorption porous materials.
Easing the Burden on Health Departments: A Cost‐Effective Method for Public Health Nurses to Increase Private Sector Participation in the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program

Federal legislation requires states to increase use of the early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) program. The program provides comprehensive health services to children from low-income families on Medicaid and has been shown to improve health and reduce health care costs. Health departments and public health nurses (PHNs) bear a major burden conducting EPSDT screenings because many private physicians choose not to provide these services. Given scarce resources, health departments alone may be unable to meet the mandate for increased EPSDT services. Thus PHNs concerned about children's access to health care may have to encourage provision of EPSDT through the private sector. This project, phase I of the federally funded Healthy Kids Project to increase EPSDT use in rural areas of North Carolina, established the cost-effectiveness of a mailed intervention to recruit private physicians to do EPSDT screens that exceeded the capacity of health departments. The intervention, consisting of a personal letter, journal article, and pamphlet, was sent to all 73 primary care physicians in six rural counties. Before the mailing, 15 (21%) of the 73 physicians were willing to provide EPSDT screenings; after the mailing the number rose to 25 (34%). The one-time cost to recruit each provider was less than the estimated annual cost savings associated with each child in the EPSDT program.
SIF Evaluation Using XFEM and Line Spring Models Under High Strain Rate Environment for Leadfree Alloys

In this paper, fracture properties of Sn3Ag0.5Cu leadfree high strain-rate solder-copper interface have been evaluated and validated with those from experimental methods. Bi-material Copper-Solder specimen have been tested at strain rates typical of shock and vibration with impact-hammer tensile testing machine. Models for crack initiation and propagation have been developed using Line spring method and extended finite element method (XFEM). Critical stress intensity factor for Sn3Ag0.5Cu solder-copper interface have been extracted from line spring models. Displacements and derivatives of displacements have been measured at crack tip and near interface of bi-material specimen using high speed imaging in conjunction with digital image correlation. Specimens have been tested at strain rates of 20s−1 and 55s−1 and the event is monitored using high speed data acquisition system as well as high speed cameras with frame rates in the neighborhood of 300,000 fps. Previously the authors have applied the technique of XFEM and DIC for predicting failure location and to develop constitutive models in leaded and few leadfree solder alloys [Lall 2010a ]. The measured fracture properties have been applied to prediction of failure in ball-grid arrays subjected to high-g shock loading in the neighborhood of 12500g in JEDEC configuration. Prediction of fracture in board assemblies using explicit finite element full-field models of board assemblies under transient-shock is new. Stress intensity factor at Copper pad and bulk solder interface is also evaluated in ball grid array packages.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Resilience and the course of daily parenting stress in families of young children with intellectual disabilities.

Background Parenting stresses have consistently been found to be higher in parents of children with intellectual disabilities (ID); yet, some families are able to be resilient and thrive in the face of these challenges. Despite the considerable research on stress in families of ID, there is still little known about the stability and compensatory factors associated with everyday parenting stresses. Methods Trajectories of daily parenting stress were studied for both mothers and fathers of children with ID across child ages 36–60 months, as were specific familial risk and resilience factors that affect these trajectories, including psychological well-being of each parent, marital adjustment and positive parent–child relationships. Results Mothers' daily parenting stress significantly increased over time, while fathers' daily parenting stress remained more constant. Decreases in mothers' daily parenting stress trajectory were associated with both mother and father's well-being and perceived marital adjustment, as well as a positive father–child relationship. However, decreases in fathers' daily parenting stress trajectory were only affected by mother's well-being and both parents' perceived marital adjustment. Conclusions Parenting stress processes are not shared entirely across the preschool period in parents of children with ID. Although individual parent characteristics and high-quality dyadic relationships contribute to emerging resilience in parents of children with ID, parents also affect each others' more resilient adaptations in ways that have not been previously considered.
Some atomic absorption hydride generation inter-element interference reduction studies utilizing ion exchange resins

Abstract Ion exchange resins were used to reduce interelement interferences during the hydride generation flame atomic absorption determination of arsenic and selenium. Commercially available resins provided a means to significantly reduce the interferent to analyte ratio for several of the interfering elements. The procedure was successfully applied to highly polluted environmental samples.
Effectiveness of Techniques and Physiological Measures in the Detection of Deception

Control-question (CQ) and guilty-knowledge (GK) techniques for the detection of deception were studied in a mock theft context. Subjects from the local community received $5 for participation, and both guilty and innocent subjects were motivated with a $10 bonus for a truthful outcome on the polygraph examination. They were instructed to deny the theft when they were examined by experimenters who were blind with respect to their guilt or innocence. Eight physiological channels were recorded. Blind numerical field evaluations with an inconclusive zone produced 94% and 83% correct decisions for two different types of CQ tests and 89% correct decisions for GK tests. Control questions were more effective than guilt-complex questions, and exclusive control questions were more effective than nonexclusive control questions. Behavioral observations were relatively ineffective in differentiating guilty and innocent subjects. Quantitative analyses of the CQ and GK data revealed significant discrimination between guilty and innocent subjects with a variety of electrodermal and cardiovascular measures. The results support the conclusion that certain techniques and physiological measures can be very useful for the detection of deception in a laboratory mock-crime context.
A Wear Study of Polyacrylate Radial Lip Oil Seals

A study was conducted to determine the effect of the number of lobes and lobe height on out-of-round shafts, shaft speed, seal lip load, and fluid temperature on the lip wear characteristics of polyacrylate radial lip seals. Seals molded from four compounds formulated with and without graphite in both plain and helical lip configurations were investigated by means of a fractional factorial experiment. Results of the study show lip load, shaft lobe height, and number of lobes to be significant at the I percent level while shaft speed and fluid temperature are significant at the 5 percent level. The addition of graphite and lip design had no significant effect. An analysis of the results suggests that the seals were operating hydrodynamically. Presented at the 31st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 10–13, 1976
Effects of chronic smoke exposure on the cardiovascular responses to acute nicotine infusion in the rat

Abstract Rats were exposed daily to cigarette smoke for 17–22 weeks in order to characterize mean arterial pressure and regional hemodynamic effects of chronic smoke exposure and to determine if cardiovascular reactivity to acute nicotine infusions is altered by chronic smoke exposure. Urethane-anesthetized animals were instrumented with miniaturized pulsed-Doppler flow probes on the iliac and mesenteric vascular beds. Under resting conditions sham-smoked and smoke-exposed animals had similar levels of mean arterial pressure and mesenteric blood flow; however, resting heart rate was lower in the smoke-exposed group, while iliac blood flow was elevated in the smoke-exposed group. Acute nicotine infusion (6.25, 12.5 and 25 μg/kg per min) produced equivalent, dose-dependent pressor effects as well as increases in iliac and mesenteric resistance in sham and smoke-exposed groups. Thus, chronic cigarette smoke-exposure in rats may exert significant cardiovascular effects other than on arterial pressure such as lowered heart rate and elevated blood flow to skeletal muscle beds, while cardiovascular responses to nicotine are not altered by chronic smoke-exposure.
Preparation of crack-free titania-silica gels

ABSTRACT In light of recent models for drying and densifying gels from alkoxide solutions, results to date on titania-silica gels have been reevaluated. In this case, the goal was to prepare crack-free flat disks of densified gel, This goal had been achieved in pure silica some years ago. It was repeated for comparison with the titania-silica composition. Silica gels were prepared from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)-water-isopropanol mixtures and titania-silica gels were prepared with the appropriate amount of titanium isopropoxide. Solvent was removed from reacted solutions prior to casting by attaching a vacuum pump to the flask. Gels were formed in disk-shaped molds, 7 cm in diameter, and then were dried closed, open, and supported on nylon mesh. Samples were characterized for shrinkage, distortion and microstruc-ture. Dried samples were heat treated. There is qualitative agreement for both silica and titania-silica gels with current drying and densification models.
Abstract C191: The effect of the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor PD 0332991 on glioblastoma cells and relationship with p15INK4B/p16INK4A expression

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and highly malignant primary brain tumor in adults with a median survival just over 1 year, and novel therapies are urgently needed. Deregulation of the p16 (INK4A)‐CDK4/6‐pRb pathway are commonly found in human GBM patients and selective inhibitors of CDK4/6 may be specifically useful to suppress proliferation associated with these alterations. PD0332991 is an orally active small molecule that specifically inhibits CDK4 and CDK6. Therefore, the efficacy of PD0332991 was evaluated in the Mayo panel of primary GBM xenograft lines using short‐term explant cultures. We hypothesized that expression of p15 and/or p16, endogenous inhibitors of CDK4/6 activity, would suppress the response of GBM tumors to PD0332991 treatment. To test this hypothesis, 2 GBM xenograft cell lines with wild‐type p16/p15 levels (GBM5 and 28) and 2 lines without detectable p16/p15 levels (GBM22 and 43) were selected for further analysis. Tumor cells were treated with graded concentrations (10 nanoM to1 microM) of PD0332991 for 5 days and subjected to CyQUANT cell proliferation assays. Consistent with our hypothesis, treatment with 1 microM PD0332991 effectively inhibited cell proliferation to 56.6±3.5% (P Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C191.
Environmental equity in air quality management: local and international implications for human health and climate change.

The health burden of environmental exposures, including ambient air pollution and climate-change-related health impacts, is not equally distributed between or within regions and countries. These inequalities are currently receiving increased attention in environmental research as well as enhanced appreciation in environmental policy, where calls for environmental equity are more frequently heard. The World Health Organization (WHO) 2006 Global Update of the Air Quality Guidelines attempted to address the global-scale inequalities in exposures to air pollution and the burden of diseases due to air pollution. The guidelines stop short, however, of addressing explicitly the inequalities in exposure and adverse health effects within countries and urban areas due to differential distribution of sources of air pollution such as motor vehicles and local industry, and differences in susceptibility to the adverse health effects attributed to air pollution. These inequalities, may, however, be addressed in local ai...
Agent-based modeling of policies to improve urban food access for low-income populations

Abstract Despite advances in medical technology and public health practices over the past few decades, there has been a steady increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes among low-income urban residents in the US. For this population, maintaining a diet consisting of nutritious foods is complicated by a number of physical and social barriers. In cities, a coalescence of social, spatial, and economic factors influence the availability of healthy food in any given place. The urban food environment contextualizes the structural and individual-level norms that drive daily decision-making about what to eat. Understanding and acting on the processes that reduce these residents' access to healthy foods will make for a healthier urban landscape. This paper advances the discussion of food deserts by using an agent-based model to simulate the impact of various policy interventions on low-income households' consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Using a simulated population of low-income households in Buffalo, NY, initialized with demographic and geographic data from the US Census and the City of Buffalo, a baseline scenario is established. Four different scenarios are explored in contrast to the baseline, including increasing the frequency that households shop for groceries, increasing the probability convenience stores stock fresh produce, and implementing a mobile market distribution system. The paper concludes by analyzing the effectiveness of the varying strategies, and discussing policy implications.
Attenuation of pituitary polyphosphoinositide metabolism by protein kinase C activation

Abstract Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulates pituitary hormone release by activating protein kinase C (PKC). By doing so, PMA mimics the diacylglycerol (DAG) produced by the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ). The present study demonstrates that PMA and DAG augment prolactin release and attenuate the elevations of inositol phosphates (IP x ) elicited by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), angiotensin II, neurotensin, bombesin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in normal anterior pituitary and prolactin-secreting 7315a tumor cells. 4α-Phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (FDD), an inactive analog of PMA, was found to have no effect on IP x levels; the PKC inhibitor H-7 attenuated the PMA-related inhibition of TRH-induced IP x . To examine whether PMA attenuates IP x generation or increases IP x metabolism, the effects of PMA on the levels of inositol phosphates and phosphoinositides were determined. TRH increased inositol trisphosphate, inositol bisphosphate and inositol monophosphate, and decreased PIP 2 and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate levels. PMA had no effect on basal phosphoinositide or inositol phosphate levels, but atenuated the effects of TRH on these parameters. Thus PMA and DAG, by a mechanism involving PKC-mediated attenuation of secretagogue-induced hydrolysis of PIP 2 , decreases IP x production, and therefore PKC activation may exert negative feedback regulation on anterior pituitary secretory activity.
TOXICITY OF NICOTIAN A GOSSEI DOMIN TO MYZUS PERSICAE (SULZER)1

Resistance in Nicotiana species to the green peach aphid appears to result from the production of a toxic material produced by the aerial parts of the plant. Materials exuded from the leaf hairs which are transferred to glass micro beakers are toxic to several species of aphids. The symptoms of such poisoning resemble those of nicotine poisoning, but resistance does not appear to be correlated with the amount of nicotine in the leaf. Zusammenfassung GIFTWIRKUNG VON NICOTIANA GOSSEI AUF MYZUS PERSICAE (SULZER) Nicotiana-Arten erzeugen einen Stoff, der fur die grune Pfirsichlaus, Myztu persicae und verschiedene andere Blattlausarten giftig ist. Dieser Giftstoff scheint von den Haaren der Pflanzen ausgeschieden zu werden. Er wird von den Blattlausen aufgenommen, wahrend sie uber die Pflanzen laufen, und vermutlich durch die Kutikula absorbiert. Wenn man diese Exsudate mit Kamelhaarpinseln von den Blattern resistenter Pflanzen in Mikrobecher ubertragt, werden die Blattlause verschiedener Art getotet, sobald sie in diese Becher gesetzt werden. Die von N. gossei, einer hoch resistenten Art, ubertragene Substanz blieb in diesen Behaltern wenigstens 28 Tage lang toxisch. Das erste Symptom der Vergiftigung ist eine Lahmung der Hinterbeine. Die beiden anderen Beinpaare werden kurz danach betroffen, sodass sich die Blattlause nicht mehr aufrecht halten konnen. Die Endsymptome bestehen in ziemlich raschen, jedoch nicht heftigen Zuckungen der Beine und Antenne. Es scheint keinerlei Beziehung zwischen der Anfalligkeit der Nicotiana-Arten und der Nicotiana tabacum-Sorten durch die Grune Pfirsichlaus und dem Nikotingehalt der Blatter zu bestehen. Reziproke interspezifische Pfropfungen zwischen resistenten und anfalligen Nicotiatia-Arten verursachen keinerlei Veranderungen in der Resistenz von Unterlagen und Reissem.
Paleomagnetic investigation of the Neoproterozoic Gagwe lavas and Mbozi complex, Tanzania and the assembly of Gondwana

The 810 Ma Gagwe-Kabuye lavas and the 743 Ma Mbozi gabbro-syenite complex of the Congo Craton in East Africa were sampled for paleomagnetic study in an effort to test a variety of tectonic models proposed for Neoproterozoic times. The paleomagnetic pole obtained from the Gagwe-Kabuye lavas falls at 25°S, 273°E (δp = 7°, δm = 12°) and compares favorably to a previously published paleomagnetic pole obtained from these rocks. The Mbozi complex pole yields a paleomagnetic pole at 46°N, 325°E (δp = 5°, δm = 9°) and differs significantly from a previously determined pole for the Mbozi complex. A comparison of these paleomagnetic poles to Laurentian poles of the same age suggests that the Congo Craton may not have constituted part of the Rodinia supercontinent in the configuration proposed by Dalziel (1992). An analysis of reliable paleomagnetic poles from the Gondwana blocks for the interval from 810 to 510 Ma reveals a coherent swathe of poles from 550 to 510 Ma and a scatter of pre-600 Ma poles. Our interpretation of the available paleomagnetic and tectonic data for this interval is consistent with the formation of Gondwana by two distinct orogenic events. This assembly resulted in the East Africa Orogen between 800 and 650 Ma and a younger Kuunga Orogen at 550 Ma outboard of the East Africa Orogen with possible sutures located in Sri Lanka, southern India and Enderby Land (East Antarctic Craton).
Files in an interactive environment

Abstract : A well designed file system can significantly simplify the design of and increase the reliability of interactive programs. A summary of the specifications of a convenient file system that is substantially independent of the host operating system and some experiences using the system are described. (Author)
Protooncogene junB as a Target for Activin Actions

Activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta family of peptides, is implicated in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation in a variety of biological systems. We have sought to identify immediate early genes whose altered expression may provide a common nuclear event involved in activin-regulated phenotypic changes in many cell types. In both human K562 myelogenous leukemia and rat PC12 pheochromocytoma cells, activin treatment caused transient transcription-dependent and protein synthesis-independent increases of junB messenger RNA (mRNA) within 1 h, whereas neither c-jun nor c-fos mRNA were inducible. In K562 cells, this selective junB mRNA induction was synergistically augmented by treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate but not affected by forskolin. Furthermore, in PC12 cells, the up-regulation of junB mRNA by activin was observable even after high-dose treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate for 48 h, indicating that junB mRNA expression by activin is i...
Thermal performance of residential attic insulation

Abstract An understanding of the thermal performance of attics is an essential part of studies related to energy conservation in residential buildings. To obtain a better understanding of attics and attic insulation, a series of experiments has been performed on a residential attic under controlled laboratory conditions. Factors that have been studied are type and level of ceiling insulation, mean temperature and heat flow direction (summer vs. winter), and ventilation rate. A description is given of the experimental setup and of the weather conditions that were simulated. Details are given of the mathematical models of thermal performance that were developed from finite difference analyses of the ceiling-insulation system. Experimental results are then compared with the predictions of these models.
Strength of Green Ceramics with Low Binder Content

Acrylic-based polymers are common binders that impart high green strength (>2 MPa) at low concentrations (<5.0 vol%). Strength at low binder concentrations may be determined by chemical bonding at the ceramic–polymer interface. We have studied the binding mechanisms as a function of ceramic surface chemistry using a cross-linkable binder, which is based on a soluble poly(acrylic acid) (PAA, MW = 60 000) and glycerol. The cross-linked PAA binder system has been integrated into a solid freeform fabrication process, which provides a means of fabricating very reproducible green bodies, including SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, multicomponent oxides, and non-oxides, with uniform density and composition. The ceramic parts contain only 2.5 vol% binder (solids basis), which increases the strength of the ceramic systems by at least a factor of 8 while the strength of Al2O3 components increases by a factor of ∼24 (0.3 to 7.6 MPa). Addition of the binder improves the toughness of the ceramic bodies by an order of magnitude with SiO2 representing the largest relative increase (2.8 × 10−3 to 4.4 × 10−2 MPa·m1/2). The mechanical properties are dictated by two binding mechanisms: binder adsorption and mechanical interlocking. High green strengths result from adsorption of the binder onto the ceramic surface whereas toughness is enhanced by poor adhesion of the binder to the ceramic surface.
A hypothesis test for equality of bayesian network models

Bayesian network models are commonly used to model gene expression data. Some applications require a comparison of the network structure of a set of genes between varying phenotypes. In principle, separately fit models can be directly compared, but it is difficult to assign statistical significance to any observed differences. There would therefore be an advantage to the development of a rigorous hypothesis test for homogeneity of network structure. In this paper, a generalized likelihood ratio test based on Bayesian network models is developed, with significance level estimated using permutation replications. In order to be computationally feasible, a number of algorithms are introduced. First, a method for approximating multivariate distributions due to Chow and Liu (1968) is adapted, permitting the polynomial-time calculation of a maximum likelihood Bayesian network with maximum indegree of one. Second, sequential testing principles are applied to the permutation test, allowing significant reduction of computation time while preserving reported error rates used in multiple testing. The method is applied to gene-set analysis, using two sets of experimental data, and some advantage to a pathway modelling approach to this problem is reported.
Pastiche of My Subjectivity / A Poem

Poem parodying post-modernism and its jargon by way of "Song of Myself"; also published on cover of Exquisite Corpse #35 (1992).
Correlations Between Mapping Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Results and Solar Cell Performance for Evaluations of Nonuniformity in Thin-Film Silicon Photovoltaics

An understanding of the relationship between materials property and thin-film solar cell performance variations over large areas is of interest for evaluating the impact of macroscopic nonuniformities in scale-up from laboratory cells to production modules. In this study, we have spatially correlated the properties of the hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) i- and p-layers—as mapped over a 13 cm×13 cm substrate area—with device performance parameters from an array of a-Si:H based n-i-p dot cells. To evaluate materials and device nonuniformities, a 16 × 16 array of dot cells has been fabricated over the substrate area, and this same area has been mapped by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE).Analysis of the SE data over the full area provides maps of i-layer thickness and band gap, p-layer thickness and band gap, and p-layer surface roughness thickness for the n-i-p solar cell structure. The mapped values adjacent to the devices have been correlated with photovoltaic (PV) device performance parameters. When sufficient nonuniformity exists, these correlations enable optimization based on specific values of the fundamental properties. Alternatively, if the optimum set of properties has been identified, the impact of deviations due to macroscopic uniformities can be evaluated.
On the role of anesthesia on the body/brain temperature differential in rats

Abstract Different anesthetics often produce distinctly different effects on blood flow, oxygen consumption and other physiological parameters in animal studies. We investigated the influence of two common anesthetics—alpha-chloralose and chloral hydrate—on the body-core/brain temperature differential in rats. The results indicate a remarkable difference of 4.34±0.64 °C (mean±SD) in the body-core/brain-cortical temperature differential observed under alpha-chloralose anesthesia compared to a relatively smaller differential of 2.73±0.40 °C under chloral hydrate anesthesia in rats. Temperature gradients within the brain are around 0.3 °C/mm in both cases. Thus, the anesthetic utilized has the potential to markedly influence brain temperature and therefore other important physiological parameters in the brain.
Structural determinants of specificity in the cysteine protease cruzain

The structure of cruzain, an essential protease from the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, was determined by X-ray crystallography bound to two different covalent inhibitors. The cruzain S2 specificity pocket is able to productively bind both arginine and phenylalanine residues. The structures of cruzain bound to benzoyl-Arg-Ala-fluoromethyl ketone and benzoyl-Tyr-Ala-fluoromethyl ketone at 2.2 and 2.1 A, respectively, show a pH-dependent specificity switch. Glu 205 adjusts to restructure the S2 specificity pocket, conferring right binding to both hydrophobic and basic residues. Kinetic analysis of activated peptide substrates shows that substrates placing hydrophobic residues in the specificity pocket are cleaved at a broader pH range than hydrophilic substrates. These results demonstrate how cruzain binds both basic and hydrophobic residues and could be important for in vivo regulation of cruzain activity.
Absence of anemia in the immunoincompetent malarious chicken embryo

Abstract Contrasted with severe anemia followed by compensation by erythroid hyperplasia in neonate chicks infected with Plasmodium gallinaceum , embryonic chickens displayed neither anemia nor significant deviation from normalcy in the blood picture. In view of the fact that no volume changes in erythrocytes were observable it appeared that in these immunoincompetent animals there was destruction of neither uninfected nor infected erythrocytes. A corollary would imply the egress of merozoites from host cells without erythrocyte destruction.
Characteristics of wide-area TCP/IP conversations

In this paper, we characterize wide-area network applications that use the TCP transport protocol. We also describe a new way to model the wide-area traffic generated by a stub network. We believe the traffic model presented here will be useful in studying congestion control, routing algorithms, and other resource management schemes for existing and future networks. Our model is based on trace analysis of TCP/IP widearea internetwork traffic. We collected the TCP/IP packet headers of USC, UCB, and Bellcore networks at the point they connect with their respective regional access networks. We then wrote a handful of programs to analyze the traces. Our model characterizes individual TCP conversations by the distributions of: number of bytes transferred, duration, number of packets transferred, packet size, and packet interarrival time. Our trace analysis shows that both interactive and bulk transfer traffic from all sites reflect a large number of short conversations. Similarly, it shows that a very large percentage of traffic is bidirectional, even for bulk transfer. We observed that interactive applications send significantly different amounts of data in each direction of a conversation, and that interarrival times for interactive applications closely follow a constant plus exponential model. Half of the conversations are directed to a handful of networks, but the other half are directed to hundreds of networks. Many of these observations contradict commonly held beliefs regarding wide-area traffic. This research was supported by an equipment grant from the Charles Lee Powell Foundation. Ramon Caceres was supported by the NSF and DARPA under Cooperative Agreement NCR8919038 with CNRI, by AT&T Bell Laboratories, Hitachi, a University of California MICRO grant, and ICSI.
Is Science Really a Young Man's Game?

It has often been remarked that science is a young man's game. Thomas Kuhn, for example, claims that revolutionary changes in science are almost always initiated by either young scientists or those new to a field. I subject Kuhn's hypothesis to testing. I examine 24 revolutionary scientific figures mentioned in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions to determine if young scientists are more likely to make revolutionary discoveries than older scientists. My analysis suggests that middle-aged scientists are responsible for initiating more scientific revolutions than young scientists, given the proportion of each group in the total population of scientists. I argue that the popular myth about the correlation between youth and scientific discovery fails to take into account the proportion of young scientists in the population of scientists.
Musculoskeletal dysfunction in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome type III: a case-control study.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) type III experience pelvic pain of uncertain etiology. Pain has been attributed to prostatic, bladder and muscular origins. Few studies have documented pelvic and abdominal muscle function in men with CPPS or compared their muscular examination to that of men without pain. We hypothesized that the musculoskeletal examinations of men with CPPS types IIIA and IIIB would show more spasm, tenderness and dysfunction than in men without CPPS.Materials and Methods: A total of 62 men with CPPS and 89 healthy men without pelvic pain underwent a standardized musculoskeletal examination by a licensed physical therapist.Results: Controls and patients with pain showed a significant difference in muscle spasm, increased muscle tone, pain with internal transrectal palpation of the pelvic muscles, and increased tension and pain with palpation of the levator ani and coccygeus muscles (p <0.001). Patients with pain also had significantly greater pain and tension...