cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High strain rate behavior of composite metal foams

Abstract The mechanical properties of Composite Metal Foams (CMFs) under low speed loading conditions have been considered in a number of studies. This paper aims to extend the current knowledge by investigating the compressive behavior of CMF under higher loading rates. Hopkinson bar experiment was conducted on samples processed through powder metallurgy and casting techniques. The effect of loading rate, sample geometry and sphere size on the mechanical properties and energy absorption capacity was studied. The obtained results reveal that increasing the loading rate improves the strength of CMF especially at strain levels below 30%. This strengthening due to high strain rate loading is mostly attributed to the strain rate sensitivity of the parent metals and the pressurization of the entrapped air inside the spheres.
Loss of vacuum in rubber stoppered vials stored in a liquid nitrogen vapor phase freezer.

Abstract A total of 1885 rubber stoppered 3-ml vials (NS-33 and NS-51 glass (expansion sizes), sealed under vacuum, were subjected to the ultracold temperatures of a liquid nitrogen vapor phase (LNVP) freezer for 16.5 hr and tested for vacuum loss after equilibration back to 25 °C. The presence of a vacuum in each vial was checked before and after freezing. Results with two lots of vials per glass expansion size showed positive or no negative pressure rather than a vacuum in 46.25% (NS-33), 98.25% (NS-33), 64.72% (NS-51), and 99.38% (NS-51) of the vials. Apparently, the fit or slight misfit of the stopper into the vial opening and the hardness of the butyl rubber stopper at ultracold temperatures enhance the chances of leakage around the stopper area under extremely cold temperatures. Storage of rubber stoppered vials containing lyophilized products sealed under vacuum in LNVP freezers is not advisable.
Empirical reformulation of the universal soil loss equation for erosion risk assessment in a tropical watershed

Efficient intervention to control soil erosion in rural tropical landscapes requires accurate models for predicting the spatial location and intensity of degradation. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) has commonly been applied for spatial erosion risk assessment in the tropics, but has rarely been validated using ground observations of soil degradation. As with any empirical model, application in new regions requires calibration before results are used for decision support. We evaluated USLE effectiveness for predicting erosion in a small watershed in western Kenya based on 420 georeferenced ground observations of ordinal erosion class (three categories) systematically collected from throughout the basin. Relativized model factors were parameterized using standard remote assessment methods based on interpolated spatial data layers. Inference of degradation status at cultivated sites was estimated by calibration to near infrared diffuse reflectance spectra obtained from sampled soils; diagnostic models based on spectra produced validation accuracies of 78% for three categories. Association between USLE predicted risk and observed erosion, estimated using mixed effects logistic regression to control for within-site variability, correctly classified only 38% of sites into three degradation classes and model sensitivity for delineating regions of severe degradation was only 28%. Graphical modeling was used to identify those USLE risk factors that were conditionally associated with observed degradation, and an ordinal logistic regression model, employing only these factors was developed. This alternative model, which allowed statistical flexibility in estimating effect direction and strength, correctly predicted ordinal degradation class at 54% of field sites, with 55% sensitivity for the severe degradation class. This result suggests a critical need for efficient ground-based sampling schemes to be used in conjunction with flexible statistical models based on USLE factors for future investments in erosion risk assessment in the tropics.
Univalent functions with quasiconformal extensions

By the method of extremal length, three general theorems are proven which find, as corollaries, sharp coefficient bounds for functions univalent in the exterior of the unit disc, with a standard normalization but also assuming a finite number of initial coefficients are zero, which possess a K-quasiconformal extension to a ring subdomain of the unit disc. All extremal functions are exhibited. Similar estimates are found for functions similar to the above but which omit a fixed disc centered at the origin.
Effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline on rat pancreatic phospholipids in vitro Ca2+-sensitive decrease in phosphatidylinositol and cycloheximide-sensitive increase in phosphatidic acid

Abstract We evaluated the effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline on rat pancreatic phospholipid metabolism in vitro. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP decreased mean phosphatidylinositol concentration by 30%, increased phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylglycerol concentrations by 90 and 25%, respectively, and increased [ 32 P]phosphate incorporation into phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol several-fold. Theophylline provoked similar changes in phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol concentrations, and both stimulatory agents enhanced amylase and insulin secretion. Effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP on amylase secretion and phospholipid levels were dependent on Ca 2+ . Cycloheximide blocked induced increases in phosphatidic acid, but did not diminish phosphatidyl-inositol breakdown or amylase secretion. Contrary to previous postulations, the present findings suggest: (a) cyclic AMP provokes large-scale phosphatidylinositol breakdown in the pancreas; (b) this phosphatidylinositol breakdown is dependent on Ca 2+ ; and (c) phosphatidylinositol breakdown may contribute to exocytosis. In addition, it appears that a labile protein is required for synthesis of phosphatidic acid from 1,2-diacylglycerol and ATP.
Computer-aided modeling of heterogeneous, two-dimensional, groundwater system

Abstract An interactive groundwater modeling (IGWM) package has been developed on a dedicated artificial-intelligence computer. The package consists of a graphic interface and groundwater models. The purpose of the graphic interface is to facilitate modeling tasks such as defining the groundwater system and the input stresses, managing the numerical solution, and updating the hydraulic parameters. The package is developed in Symbolics Common LISP language and uses numerical models written in LISP. During the modeling, the numerical grid is projected on the graphic screen to serve as an interface to the two-dimensional (2-D) arrays where the magnitude of the hydraulic parameters are stored. The user of the package recreates the scenario that simulates a natural groundwater system by symbolically manipulating the nodes of the numerical grid, assigning patterns to the nodes, and setting the contents of the 2-D arrays. These steps are accomplished through execution of commands available from the command menu. Layers of patterns containing the information regarding the hydraulic parameters are stored in the computer memory and are redisplayed at the appropriate update sequence by the package automatically. The modeling process is continued until a satisfactory match is obtained between the computed piezometric head and the field-observed piezometric head. The use of the package in modeling heterogeneous groundwater systems is demonstrated by a field application. The numerical solutions obtained using the package were compared with other published results.
Application of Bayesian statistical analysis to illicit substance detection using nondestructive interrogation techniques

Non-destructive interrogation systems designed to locate illicit substances in sealed containers involve decision making when the available objective information is incomplete. The greater the quantity of information, the more reliable is the determination of the unknown content. Therefore, it is important to be able to utilize all possible measured data pertaining to the unknown object. Among the data which can be considered are x-ray measurements, fast-neutron transmission measurements, cargo manifest data and, possibly, information of a physical, chemical or even psychological nature. The Bayesian approach provides a statistical framework for merging diverse information about any object, including a priori knowledge, subjective knowledge and objective knowledge gained from current measurements. This paper outlines the fundamental principles of Bayesian analysis and explores possible applications to the detection of illicit substances.
Estimating subdivision depths for rational curves and surfaces

An algorithm to estimate subdivision depths for rational curves and surfaces is presented. The subdivision depth is not estimated for the given curve/surface directly. The algorithm computes a subdivision depth for the polynomial curve/surface of which the given rational curve/surface is the image under the standard perspective projection. This subdivision depth, however, guarantees the required flatness of the given curve/surface after the subdivision. This work has applications in surface rendering, surface/surface intersection, and mesh generation.
Symbiontic Interrelationships between Microbes and Ambrosia Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). V. Amino Acids as a Source of Nitrogen to the Fungi in the Beetle

The nonprotein amino acids found in adult female Xyleborus ferrugieus (F.) were qualitatively similar to those found in most endopterygotes. Proline, valine, and alanine were the major constituents in the free amino acid pool. The soluble peptide and amide portion contained relatively large quantities of threonine and valine. Glycine was the most abundant amino acid in the protein residue.
Microflora changes in misted and nonmisted broccoli at refrigerated storage temperatures

Plate counts of three groups of microorganisms (aerobic plate count (APC), coliforms (C), and yeast and mold (Y/M)] were determined in misted (M), nonmisted in the same cold room (SNM), and nonmisted in a different cold room (DNM) broccoli stored at 4 ± 1°C for five days. Relative humidity of the cold rooms, moisture content of the broccoli, and microbial quality of the misting water were also determined. Two-way ANOVA indicated significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between M, SNM and DNM treatments. Misting was found to minimize the increase in plate counts of the three microorganism groups monitored. Higher relative humidity in the misted samples compared with the nonmisted samples, the washing effect of the misting water and possible residual chlorine effects due to the use of chlorinated tap water may explain the reduced viable counts observed in the misted samples.
Deep-Tropospheric Gravity Waves Created by Leeside Cold Fronts

Abstract The water vapor channel of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite GOES-8 reveals narrow (30 km wide), elongated (500–1000 km) bands that propagate southward on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains from Colorado to Texas. Two events in which surface and wind profiler observations show that these bands are associated with leeside cold fronts are documented in detail, and several other cases are summarized. The wind profilers observe vertical motions exceeding 1 m s−1 in narrow plumes at the leading edge of the fronts, in broader zones in the upper troposphere, and in the lower stratosphere. These cause vertical displacements of up to 1 km and are responsible for the signature in water vapor images. The bands occur when the Rocky Mountains block either arctic leeside cold fronts coming from the north or northeast or Pacific cold fronts coming from the northwest. The blocking changes the frontal orientation and disrupts geostrophic thermal wind balance near the terrain-modified fron...
Characterization of NO/cGMP-Mediated Responses in Identified Motoneurons

1. Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to play a neuromodulatory role in the nervous system of vertebrate and invertebrate species. In the hornworm Manduca sexta, NO-mediated signaling has been implicated in behavioral and developmental processes, but its exact function in neurons is unknown. In this study, we identify specific neurons in the CNS of Manduca larvae that accumulate cGMP in response to treatment with NO donors in the presence of cGMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Subsets of these neurons were identified as motoneuron-12 (MN12) and intersegmental motoneurons (ISMs), which innervate dorsal oblique muscles of the larvae. 2. To investigate the physiological role of NO-evoked increases in cGMP in these motoneurons we performed intracellular recordings; we found that application of NO donors caused an increase in neuronal excitability that was characterized by an increase in the spontaneous firing frequency. When action potentials and EPSPs were blocked, NO treatment evoked a depolarization of the resting membrane potential and a decrease in the measured input resistance in both MN12 and the ISMs. 3. Additional experiments with MN12 showed that treatment with the cGMP analogue, 8-Br-cGMP mimicked the NO effect on the resting potential and the input resistance. Furthermore, MN12 incubation with the NOS inhibitor, L-NNA, resulted in a small hyperpolarization of the resting potential and an increase in the input resistance, and incubation with the sGC inhibitor, ODQ blocked the NO-evoked depolarization of MN12. Finally, NO treatment during voltage clamping of MN12 evoked an inward positive current. 4. Taken together, these results suggest that NO can act as a “gain control” of neuronal excitability, which might have an important role in insect behavior.
The use of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy in the management of the odontogenic keratocyst.

For centuries, extreme cold has been used cliniproteins complexed with lipids, and vascular stasis cally to destroy cells. Robert Boyle has been credited with reporting more than 300 years ago that freezing could be used to destroy cells [1]. Since that time, cryosurgery has been used extensively for many types of lesions. Several techniques also have been developed to maximize the destructive effects of freezing. The simple application of freezing temperatures to tissue, however, does not immediately translate into tissue destruction. Supercooling can be used to preserve tissues. Fast cooling at approximately 200 C/min to extremely low temperatures allows for the survival of many types of cells [2]. Cryosurgery is not simply the application of freezing temperatures to tissue. The aim of cryosurgery is to kill and destroy cells. This surgical aim involves several cryobiologic effects that depend on controlled freezing and thawing. The purpose of this article is to review the principles of cryosurgery, response of oral tissues to cryosurgery, oral cryosurgical techniques, and the indications for using cryosurgery to manage odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs).
Planetary radar astronomy

Measurements of the time delays and Doppler shifts of radar waves have been used to determine the orbits, radii, and rotation vectors of the inner planets and to improve by almost five orders of magnitude the accuracy of relating the Astronomical Unit to a terrestrial unit of length.
Electrically Active and Electrically Inactive 3 d Transition Metal Centers in Si

Systematic first-principles calculations on transition metal (TM) impurities of the 3d series in Si have been performed. The equilibrium sites, migration energies, electrically-active gap levels, charge and spin states are predicted. While the properties of the isolated interstitials are experimentally well-known, much less experimental information is available about the consequences of their interactions with vacancy-like defects. We discuss here the properties of isolated interstitial Ti, Fe, and Ni, their interactions with vacancies and divacancies, the properties of the resulting substitutional impurities, and of the TM-divacancy {V-TM-V} complexes. In equilibrium, interstitial Ti, Fe, and Ni do not become substitutional, but a number of processing steps commonly used in PV manufacturing introduce highly mobile vacancies into the bulk. These vacancies strongly interact with interstitial TMs. At the substitutional site, Ti, Fe, and Ni have very different electrical properties than at the tetrahedral interstitial site. In particular, the electrical activity (and stable spin state) of Ti and Fe are greatly reduced, suggesting that the passivation by vacancies plays an unrecognized role during a variety of high-temperature processes.
IL-4 and IL-4 Receptor Expression Is Dispensable for the Development and Function of Natural Killer T Cells

CD4 T cells acquire functional properties including cytokine production upon antigenic stimulation through the T cell receptor (TCR) and differentiate into T helper (Th) cells. Th1 cells produce interferon (IFN)-γ and Th2 cells produce interleukin (IL)-4. Th1 and 2 cells utilize IFN-γ and IL-4 for further maturation and maintenance, respectively. Promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF)-expressing invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells develop in the thymus and acquire functional ability to produce IL-4 and IFN-γ in the thymus in the absence of antigenic stimulation. In response to antigenic stimulation, iNKT cells rapidly produce IFN-γ and IL-4. However, it is still unknown as to whether iNKT cells require these cytokines for maturation or survival in vivo. In this study, using IL-4- and IL-4 receptor- (IL-4R) deficient mice, we demonstrate that IL-4 as well as IL-4R expression is dispensable for the development, function and maintenance of iNKT cells.
A Comparison of Skills Necessary for Successful Careers for American and Russian Hospitality Students Upon Graduation

The purpose of this research study was to determine what skills were necessary for career success for hospitality graduates. It compares the assessments of American and Russian hospitality students, faculty, and industry. The respondents included hospitality students, hospitality faculty, and industry representatives in Texas (USA) and St. Petersburg (Russia). The results of this study indicated that respondents in both countries believe that human relations skills are the most important trait hospitality managers need to possess, followed by conceptual skills and technical skills. Respondents in both countries valued the importance of work experience; however, students and faculty members in Russia had much less actual practical experience than American students and faculty members. Russian universities need to offer additional assistance to students and faculty members to support their acquisition of industry practical experience, analyze the hospitality educational experience of such countries as the U...
Center vortex model for the infrared sector of SU(4) Yang-Mills theory: String tensions and deconfinement transition

A random vortex world-surface model for the infrared sector of SU(4) Yang-Mills theory is constructed, focusing on the confinement properties and the behavior at the deconfinement phase transition. Although the corresponding data from lattice Yang-Mills theory can be reproduced, the model requires a more complex action and considerably more tuning than the SU(2) and SU(3) cases studied previously. Its predictive capabilities are accordingly reduced. This behavior has a definite physical origin, which is elucidated in detail in the present work. As the number of colors is raised in Yang-Mills theory, the corresponding infrared effective vortex description cannot indefinitely continue to rely on dynamics determined purely by vortex world-surface characteristics; additional color structures present on the vortices begin to play a role. As evidenced by the modeling effort reported here, definite signatures of this behavior appear in the case of four colors.
Methodological Approaches to the Study of Social Event Perception

The ecological-event-perception view of social knowing differs from the traditional cognitive approach to person perception in some fundamental ways. First, the ecological view holds that veridical information about people and their interactions is available in dynamic, ongoing stimulus events. Second, perception itself is conceptualized as a dynamic process, in which an active perceiver comes to recognize the potential of the environment through exploration and behavior These tenets provide researchers with some unique methodological challenges both when selecting stimuli for study and when assessing subjects' responses to those stimuli. This article describes a number of methodological approaches taken by researchers to deal with these problems. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed.
Exploring the predictability of network metrics in the presence of unreliable wireless links

In designing, analyzing and monitoring wireless sensor networks (WSN), engineers are interested in global performance metrics such as energy consumption, delivery rate, and delay. Such metrics are often variable and stochastic in nature. In traditional broadband networks the variability is primarily due to traffic variations and bandwidth constraints; in WSN there are additional sources of variability including energy, computation constraints, and most significantly, due to the inherently unreliable nature of wireless links. The goal of our study is to understand how link-layer unreliability impacts global performance metrics.
Ideal light source for an optical communication channel

It is shown that, in principle, there exists a light source giving a higher information rate per symbol in an optical communication channel than a single-mode laser. Such a source emits a definite number of photons per symbol. A possible form for this source is suggested, and the corresponding information rates are compared.
Electrical and thermodynamic characterization of water vapour/polymeric film system for humidity sensing

Abstract Polymeric films have been used increasingly in solid state electronics as sensing elements for species concentration measurements in gases. To achieve good linearity and low hysteresis for a sensor, the molecular structure of a gas/polymer system should provide, in equilibrium, a maximum entropy associated with adsorptive and desorptive processes of the gas at a constant temperature and pressure. The electrical and thermodynamic characteristics of water vapour in pvc—styrenesulfonate membranes have been investigated. The membrane is a crosslinked copolymer of styrenesulfonate with polyvinylchloride. Electrical conductance of the thin membrane is measured as a function of temperature at various relative humidities. Using the measured conductivity data, thermodynamic functions of free energy (Δ G ), enthalpy (Δ H ) and entropy (Δ S ) are determined. This method of combined electrical and thermodynamic characterization of a gas/polymer system may be used to provide a means for designing suitable polymeric materials for humidity sensing and may provide a means of modelling improved gas sensor behaviour.
Aquatic insect emergence in two Great Lakes marshes

This study determined total number, biomass, taxa, and seasonal occurrence of adult aquatic insects emerging from four vegetation zones in one diked and one undiked freshwater coastal marsh on hypereutrophic lower Green Bay, Lake Michigan, USA during the summer of 1984. Floating box traps were placed in open water, sparse emergent, dense emergent, and wet meadow vegetation zones in each marsh. Insects were collected during 20 24-hour periods, each four days apart, from June 11 to August 26. Two-way ANOVA was used to test differences in number and biomass of insects between marshes and among vegetation zones. Polynomial regression was used to evaluate seasonal emergence patterns. More insects, insect biomass, and insect taxa were found in the diked marsh, especially during the first half of the sampling period. Damselflies were much more abundant in the diked marsh. Most insects and insect biomass were found in the sparse emergent vegetation zone of both marshes. The emerging insect community in the diked marsh appears enhanced by its separation from the hypereutrophic and turbid waters of lower Green Bay.
A comparison of supermatrix and supertree methods for multilocus phylogenetics using organismal datasets

It has been proposed that supertree approaches should be applied to large multilocus datasets to achieve computational tractability. Large datasets such as those derived from phylogenomics studies can be broken into many locus-specific tree searches and the resulting trees can be stitched together via a supertree method. Using simulated data, workers have reported that they can rapidly construct a supertree that is comparable to the results of heuristic tree search on the entire dataset. To test this assertion with organismal data, we compare tree length under the parsimony criterion and computational time for 20 multilocus datasets using supertree (SuperFine and SuperTriplets) and supermatrix (heuristic search in TNT) approaches. Tree length and computational times were compared among methods using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. Supermatrix searches produced significantly shorter trees than either supertree approach (SuperFine or SuperTriplets; P 0.4, not significant). In conclusion, we show by using real rather than simulated data that there is no basis, either in time tractability or in tree length, for use of supertrees over heuristic tree search using a supermatrix for phylogenomics.
Performance on Original and a Chinese Version of Trail Making Test Part B: A Normative Bilingual Sample

This study examined an equivalent of Trail Making Test Part B for native Chinese speakers. Digit Symbol Coding and Trail Making Test Parts A and B were administered to American and Chinese students from an American university. The Chinese group also took a modified Trails B test where numbers in Chinese characters replaced English letters. Independent-samples t tests showed no difference between American and Chinese groups on the Digit Symbol Coding and Trails A, but a difference on Trails B (p < .05). The Chinese group's modified Trails B performance showed no difference from the American group's original Trails B performance. These findings suggest equivalence of Digit Symbol Coding and Trails A for American and Chinese groups, but a longer Trails B completion time for the Chinese group. This finding indicates a language bias of Trails B for Chinese-English bilinguals. Thus, the Chinese version of Trails B is preferable for native Chinese speakers.
The free amino acids of tubers of potato varieties grown in England and Ireland

The results of 91 analyses of the free amino acids of potato tubers, comprising a total of 31 varieties grown in England and Ireland between the years 1968–1973, are reported. Whilst a discriminant-analysis test on part of these results strongly indicated quantitative differences of amino acids between varieties, there was also evidence of differences due to location and year of growth.
On some general properties of strength criteria

In this paper the concept of strength criteria is analyzed from a fracture mechanics point of view. A potential function is introduced to examine strength criteria using the results of catastrophe (singularity) theory. Although the diversity of failure behavior is enormous, there exist a few generic elements, so that only some standard modes occur in most cases. Four example problems in fracture mechanics with two and three independent loading parameters are studied in detail. These examples are shown to be representative and the set of failure states in the space of loading parameters generally appears to form a certain sub-space (manifold) which has the same dimension and is called failure domain, so that depending on the loading path, a failure can either occur or not occur at the given point of the failure domain. The brittle strength criteria are shown to depend on the loading history in the general case. The classical concept of a failure criterion and the postulate of convexity of the limiting fracture surface in the space of loading parameters are discussed. It is shown that importation of the convexity postulate from the plasticity theory to the theory of strength is not necessarily legitimate. Finally, two failure criteria are suggested; one characterizing a lower bound for some possibilities of a total failure, and the other guaranteeing the total failure. In the intermediate domain between both criteria, total failure can either occur or not, depending on the loading path.
Experimental study of radium partitioning between anorthite and melt at 1 atm

We present the first experimental radium mineral/melt partitioning data, specifically between anorthite and a CMAS melt at atmospheric pressure. ^(226)Ra disequilibria are an important chronometer of recent magmatic activity. Ion microprobe measurement of coexisting anorthite and glass phases produces a molar D_Ra = 0.040 ± 0.006 and D_(Ra)/D_(Ba) = 0.24 ± 0.05 at 1400 °C. Our results indicate that lattice strain partitioning models fit the divalent (Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra) partition coefficient data of this study well, supporting previous work on crustal melting and magma chamber dynamics that has relied on such models to approximate radium partitioning behavior in the absence of experimentally determined values.
Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 3C Putative Repression Domain Mediates Coactivation of the LMP1 Promoter with EBNA-2

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 3C (EBNA-3C) regulates virus and cell genes and is essential for EBV-mediated transformation of primary B lymphocytes. EBNA-3C associates with the cellular DNA sequence-specific transcription factors RBP-Jκ and PU.1 and coactivates the EBV LMP1 promoter with EBNA-2 in BL2 and Raji cells under conditions of restrictive growth. We now find that EBNA-3C is similar to EBNA-LP in coactivating the LMP1 promoter with EBNA-2 in non-EBV-infected Burkitt lymphoma cells under conditions of maximal cell growth, whereas the EBV Cp promoter is repressed under the same conditions. EBNA-3A and EBNA-3B coactivation are at most 40% that of EBNA-3C. The RBP-Jκ binding sites of EBNA-2 and the LMP1 promoter are not required for EBNA-3C coactivation, whereas the PU.1 site in the LMP1 promoter is required for EBNA-2-mediated activation and EBNA-3C coactivation. EBNA-3C amino acids (aa) 365 to 545, including most of the previously identified repression domain (M. Bain, R. J. Watson, P. J. Farrell, and M. J. Allday, J. Virol. 70:2481–2489, 1996), are necessary and sufficient for coactivation with wild-type EBNA-2. EBNA-3C can also coactivate with the EBNA-2 acidic activating domain; this activation does not require aa 343 to 545. These data indicate that there are at least two mechanisms by which EBNA-3C coactivates the LMP1 promoter with EBNA-2. Of the proteins that interact with EBNA-3C in a yeast two-hybrid screen, only the ubiquitin-like proteins SUMO-1 and SUMO-3/hSMT3B map to aa 365 to 545, implicating these molecules in EBNA-3C coactivation. In addition, SUMO-1 associates at a high level with EBNA-3C in lymphoblasts. Promoter coactivation by EBNA-3C is likely to be important in ensuring adequate levels of LMP1, while inhibition of the EBNA-Cp promoter under the same conditions prevents uncontrolled up-regulation of EBNA expression from a positive-feedback loop.
Influence of surface steps on glide of threading dislocations during layer growth

We discuss the relaxation of coherency stresses by glide of threading dislocations in a layer that is growing coherently on a substrate. Glide of threading dislocations becomes energetically favorable when the thickness of the layer exceeds a critical value, hc. Predicted values of hc are often less than indicated by experimental observations. We show that the energy associated with the creation or removal of steps on the surface of a growing layer is important in determining the hc associated with glide of threading dislocations.
Tissue response to microfibers of different polymers: polyester, polyethylene, polylactic acid, and polyurethane

Tissue response to single polymer microfibers of polyester (PET), polyethylene (PE), poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA), and polyurethane (PU) was assessed using a rat subcutaneous model. Fibers of diameters ranging from 1 to 15 microm were aligned parallel to each other on polycarbonate frames and implanted in the subcutaneous dorsum in the subscapular region. After 5 weeks of implantation, fibrous capsule thickness was significantly less for fibers of diameters 1-5 than for those of 11-15 microm for all polymers tested. For PET and PU, 75.0 and 71.4% respectively of the 1-5 microm fibers had no capsule, while for PE and PLA only 45.5 and 56.3% respectively had no capsule. For 1-5 microm fibers, PE had significantly thicker capsules than PET and PU. Reducing fiber diameters from 6-10 to 1-5 microm induced a greater reduction in capsule thickness than changing polymers among PET, PE, and PLA. PU showed the least encapsulation of all polymers, demonstrating significantly thinner capsules than PET, PE, and PLA for 6-10 and 11-15 microm fibers.
Development of fast line scanning imaging algorithm for diseased chicken detection

A hyperspectral line-scan imaging system for automated inspection of wholesome and diseased chickens was developed and demonstrated. The hyperspectral imaging system consisted of an electron-multiplying charge-coupled-device (EMCCD) camera and an imaging spectrograph. The system used a spectrograph to collect spectral measurements across a pixel-wide vertical linear field of view through which moving chicken carcasses passed. After a series of image calibration procedures, the hyperspectral line-scan images were collected for chickens on a laboratory simulated processing line. From spectral analysis, four key wavebands for differentiating between wholesome and systemically diseased chickens were selected: 413 nm, 472 nm, 515 nm, and 546 nm, and a reference waveband, 622 nm. The ratio of relative reflectance between each key wavelength and the reference wavelength was calculated as an image feature. A fuzzy logic-based algorithm utilizing the key wavebands was developed to identify individual pixels on the chicken surface exhibiting symptoms of systemic disease. Two differentiation methods were built to successfully differentiate 72 systemically diseased chickens from 65 wholesome chickens.
Thinking Across the African Past: Interdisciplinarity and Early History

The contents of this special issue of African Archaeological Review stem from a conference convened at Rice University in March, 2011, “Thinking across the African Past: Archaeological, Linguistic and Genetic Research on Precolonial African History,” and reflect a renewed interest in interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Africa’s early past (Blench M Swanepoel et al. 2008; Stahl 2009, 2010; Stahl & LaViolette 2009; Tishkoff et al. 2009; Delius & Schoeman 2010; Mulaudzi et al. 2010; Pakendorf et al. 2011). The conference sought both to showcase new, explicitly interdisciplinary work on African history and to create an opportunity for dialog with scholars working on similar problems in Europe, Asia, and Latin America (see Appendix). Conference invitations charged the participants with two tasks. First, it was hoped that they would engage earlier criticism of attempts at correlating streams of historical data from different methodologies and even propose alternative means of connecting historical records. Yet, such new methodologies needed to respect the production and analysis of each form of evidence within disciplinespecific epistemologies. Second, it was assumed that the range of participants would allow debate to move past disciplinary gridlock by identifying how distinctive, discipline-specific knowledge can contribute to African historiography. Thus, the conference was convened to invigorate discussion of and beyond the confirmation paradigm, in which scholars seek out evidence from other historical disciplines to confirm the when and where of their own conclusions and, as a result of this limited interdisciplinary engagement, confine the interpretive step of historical reconstruction to the evidence from their own discipline (see also Robertshaw 2000). The organization of the conference and composition of the panels were vital to meeting these goals. Prominent scholars in archaeology, linguistics, and genetics opened the conference with a series of comments on the state of research on early Afr Archaeol Rev (2012) 29:75–94 DOI 10.1007/s10437-012-9123-y
Emmanuel Levinas and the face of Terri Schiavo: bioethical and phenomenological reflections on a private tragedy and public spectacle

The controversial case of Terri Schiavo came to a close on March 31, 2005, with her death following the removal of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube. This event followed years of controversy and social upheaval. Voices from across the entire political and cultural spectrums filled the airwaves and op-ed pages of major newspapers. Protests ensued outside of Ms. Schiavo's care facility. Ms. Schiavo's parents published videos of their daughter on the internet in an effort to prove that she was not in a vegetative state and could potentially recover. There is a certain mystery to the entire controversy given the fact that, legally, it was largely a matter of settled law. Precedent cases and legal statutes clearly set out the proper procedures and decisions to be followed in this case. Nonetheless, powerful challenges and virulent opposition to these standards arose. Through an investigation of this case as well as a comparative study of the case of Dax Cowart (in particular, the documentary depictions of Dax Cowart's case) and of a photograph by Joel-Peter Witkin, I plan to investigate the source of these social upheavals and hypothesize that they were largely the result of a phenomenological reaction to the human face.
MR/Har and MNRA/Har Maudsley rat strains: differences in acoustic startle habituation.

Female Maudsley Reactive (MR/Har) and Nonreactive (MNRA/Har) rats were tested for initial acoustic startle reactivity and within-session startle habituation. Subjects were exposed in each of five weekly sessions to 12 acoustic startle noise bursts at a 20-s interstimulus interval, a procedure in which genetically heterogeneous Sprague Dawley rats have been shown to exhibit robust within-session habituation. Although initial startle reactivity was comparable in the two strains, significant differences in withinssession habituation were observed. Specifically, MR/Har rats were observed to exhibit substantial within-session habituation to these acoustic stimuli, while rats of the MNRA/Har strain exhibited little, if any, habituation to these repeated acoustic stimuli. The basis for this dramatic difference in within-session startle habituation in these Maudsley rats is at present unexplained and under investigation.
The effect of Au and Ag additions on the power-law creep behavior of Pb

Abstract The steady-state power-law creep behavior of pure Pb and dilute Pb(Au) and Pb(Ag) alloy wire specimens has been observed in a He(20%) H 2 (80%) reducing environment. Experiments were performed at temperatures between 102 and 219°C and at stresses of 0.52–1.73 MPa. The steady-state creep rates and the creep activation energy measured for pure Pb are in good agreement with the results of other investigators. The creep resistance of Pb(Au) alloys is less than that of Pb for temperatures where the Au is in solid solution; this is reflected by 1. (1) a decrease in the activation energy for creep relative to that of pure Pb, 107.6 kJ/mol, to 94.4 kJ/mol for the Pb(100 ppm Au) alloy and to 88.3 kJ/mol for the 500 ppm Au addition 2. (2) an increase of the steady-state creep rate over that of pure Pb with increasing Au content. These findings are explained in terms of the enhancement of the Pb self-diffusivity by the Au impurity which has been measured by Miller. By contrast, for a 100 at. ppm Ag addition the steady-state creep rate is approximately that of pure Pb at the temperatures investigated while the activation energy for creep is significantly higher than that of pure Pb, about 156 kJ/mol. Under conditions where the Au or Ag impurity is precipitated the power law creep behavior of the alloy returns approximately to that of pure Pb.
Multiple Cross and Inbred Strain Haplotype Mapping of Complex-Trait Candidate Genes

Identifying complex-trait candidate genes after initial low-resolution mapping has proven to be a difficult and labor-intensive undertaking, usually requiring years to develop and analyze congenic strains. As a result, to date, few complex-trait genes have been discovered. Recently it was suggested that SNP haplotype analysis in inbred strains might be useful for mapping of complex traits. In this study, we have combined medium-resolution haplotype mapping with multiple experimental cross-mapping experiments to reduce the number of potential candidate genes in a complex-trait candidate interval. Coincident mapping of a modifier gene in multiple experimental crosses using different inbred strains is consistent with the common inheritance of a modifier allele. A haplotype map was developed in four inbred strains of mice used in our complex-trait mapping crosses across the proximal 10 cM of proximal Chromosome 19 to identify haplotype blocks that segregate appropriately. Only ~23 out of >400 genes met this criteria. This strategy coupled with tissue and expression arrays, as well as our recently described common pathway analysis to reduce the number of high-priority candidates, may provide a rapid, efficient method to identify and prioritize complex-trait candidate genes without requiring construction of congenic mouse strains.
Shape effects on memory for location

The participants were 40 students who were briefly presented 32 dot locations, one at a time, and attempted to reproduce each location after a short delay. Half of the participants completed the task with the surrounding shapes being a circle, a horizontal ellipse, and a vertical ellipse; for the other half, the surrounding shapes were a square, a triangle, and a pentagon. Elongation of the task field along an axis led to exaggerated bias along that axis, but the pattern of bias was fairly constant across the shapes. The data were modeled by assuming that bias in estimation was due to the weighting of spatial category prototypes. Modeling indicated that shape affected spacing of prototypes, but there was no evidence that it affected the number of prototypes. These results were consistent with use of a viewer-based frame of reference, with prototypes reflecting four spatial quadrants generated by left—right and up—down distinctions from the viewer’s perspective.
Integrated pest management of dipteran pests in the New World.

Abstract Although the screwworm eradication program, so successful at ridding much of North America from this pest, was not called an IPM program as such when first initiated, it nevertheless met the current definition of such a program. Considering the enormous success and the unbelievable numbers of insects reared for sterile release, this eradication program is one of the most outstanding entomological feats in history. Similar programs for other livestock pests are not yet assured of the same success. Hypoderma eradication may become a definite reality provided in vitro rearing methods can be developed to provide large numbers of sterile males. This development would not only indicate another possible international control effort but could also provide impetus for a Dermatobia hominis control program in the subtropics of Mexico, Central America and South America. The cost/benefit analysis of a number of the major pests needs to be completed to determine if their control is beneficial to the health of the host or provides a profitable return on the producer's investment. Greater knowledge of the pest biology-ecology, including dispersion, migration, rate of population increases, and behaviour is needed. Pest population models used to simulate the effect of weather, host density and pest density on outbreak situations need to be developed. Insecticide resistance in insect populations now needs to be considered in these models. Even sampling procedures are inadequate for most pests. Also, alternative methods to insecticide control are needed for many of the dipterous pests. Some pests cannot be controlled with current delivery systems. For instance, flies of the family Tabanidae cannot be controlled because of lack of information on their biology-ecology; also, methods of chemical application to effect their control are not available. Much effort has been made to control the dipterous and myiasis-causing pests in the new world. For the most part, chemicals have been effective, and until recently, resistance has not been a problem. Although control has been satisfactory for most pests, the implementation of IPM programs against some pests could make control more permanent and cost effective. Many parts of an IPM program are available for use but need to be put together in a control system and validated. Only after a system has been shown to be cost effective can the technology be transferred to the producer. A few pests of the New World can be controlled within the concept of IPM, but by and large, operational programs remain something to be achieved.
Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Anacacho Limestone, Texas, USA

Abstract The Upper Cretaceous Anacacho Limestone is exposed in outcrops between the cities of San Antonio and Del Rio, Texas. A detailed study of four outcrops (Blanco Creek section, Sabinal River section, Seco Creek section, Hondo Creek section) shows that the Anacacho Limestone rests on the Upson Clay (which contains fauna of early Campanian age) and is overlain by the Corsicana Marl (which contains fauna of early Maastrichtian age). An unconformity within the Anacacho Limestone is used herein to separate the limestone into a lower member and an upper member. The lower Anacacho member contains fauna of early Campanian age, whereas the upper Anacacho member contains fauna of middle Campanian age. The lower Anacacho member consists predominantly of wackestones to packstones, which are overlain by packstones to grainstones capped by the unconformity. This unconformity is interpreted as a marine flooding surface, delineating a transition from carbonate grainstones deposited in shallow water (
Nest characteristics and recruitment behavior of absconding colonies of the african honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata, in Africa

Absconding behavior was investigated in a naturally occurring population of honey bees in the Okavango River Delta, Botswana. Fifty percent of all colonies excavated in the field between October and December had abandoned the nest or were preparing for absconding, suggesting that an “absconding season” began in the Delta in October or November. However, the factors influencing absconding during this period were unclear, and there were no distinct differences in nest characteristics of the absconding and nonabsconding colonies. Waggle dance activity in observation colonies preparing for absconding was not used to preselect a specific nest site prior to departure. However, in two of the three colonies examined recruitment activity indicated the general direction of colony travel. The distances indicated by these dancers ranged between 6 and 16 km. Since these distances were three to four times greater than those communicated by dancers in nonabsconding colonies, workers from absconding colonies may sample potential forage or nest sites well outside their regular foraging range.