cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Early Feed Restriction on Broiler Performance

Abstract In an attempt to determine the effect of early feed restriction on broiler performance, nine trials were conducted. Feed restriction was based on previous 24-h feed consumption values of the full-fed control groups. Feed restriction was from either 7 to 14 d of age (Trials 1 to 5) or 8 to 16 d of age (Trials 6 to 9). The treatments for Trials 1 to 5 were 90, 75, and 60% of previous 24-h feed consumption of full-fed controls. The treatments for Trials 6 to 9 were 80 and 60% of previous 24-h feed consumption of full-fed controls. Early feed restriction did not affect abdominal fat. Early feed restriction did improve feed conversion (grams of feed:BW). Males and females equated at 41 d of age for an 8% reduction (90% feed restriction) at 14 d of age when compared with full-fed control broilers. Neither females or males could overcome a 17 or 18% weight reduction (75% feed restriction) at 14 d of age by 41 d of age. At 48 or 49 d of age, both males and females could equate in weight with full-fed control broilers for a weight reduction of 27 and 31% (60% feed restriction) at 16 d of age. Mortality or deformed legs did not differ between any of the comparisons.
Carbon materials from high ash biochar for supercapacitor and improvement of capacitance with HNO3 surface oxidation

Abstract The hierarchical carbon, with high specific surface area (2959 m2 g−1) and high pore volume (1.65 cm3 g−1) was prepared from sustainable feedstock – biochar, which was a waste from a thermochemical process optimized for bio-oil production, using KOH catalytic activation. The hierarchical carbon after HNO3 treatment, as electrode materials, showed improved specific capacitance 260 F g−1 in 6 mol L−1 KOH at a current density of 0.6 A g−1, while the specific capacitance of carbon without oxidation exhibits relative high (200 F g−1) at a higher current density (0.5 A g−1) after 2000 cycles. More importantly, the capacitive performances of the hierarchical carbons are much better than general bio-inspired activated carbons, ordered mesoporous carbons and commercial graphene, thus highlighting the success of preparing high performance supercapacitor electrode material from biochar and potential for improving economic viability of thermochemical biofuel processes by converting biochar to a high value added carbon materials.
Functional in vivo studies of the Neurospora crassa cys‐14 gene upstream region: importance of CYS3‐binding sites for regulated expression

Sulphate transport in Neurospora crassa is achieved by two distinct sulphate permeases, I and II, encoded by the cys-13 and cys-14 genes, respectively. The synthesis of both sulphate permeases is subject to sulphur repression and requires the global positive-acting regulatory protein CYS3, CYS3, a bZIP DNA binding protein, regulates cys-14 expression at the transcriptional level and binds in vitro specifically to three DNA-recognition sites, A, B, and C, in the cys-14 upstream region. In vivo functional analysis of the cys-14 promoter was carried out with 5' deletions and by deletions or mutations of CYS3 DNA-binding sites. The most distal CYS3-binding site, C, located 1.4kb upstream of the transcriptional start site, is necessary and sufficient to mediate strong transcriptional activation by CYS3; moreover, site C was able to function equally well when it was located at variable distances upstream of the cys-14 gene. Site B, located 1 kb upstream, alone is able to support a moderate degree of cys-14 expression. Site A is not required and does not appear to play any functional role in cys-14 expression, even though it is in close proximity to the transcriptional start site. The presence of multiple copies of CYS3-binding elements A or B in the cys-14 promoter results in a parallel increase of regulated gene expression. When a transforming cys-14 gene becomes integrated at ectopic locations in the host genome, it can be expressed in an unregulated fashion, presumably by coming under the control of other promoter elements. Our results also suggested that at least one enzyme in the sulphate catabolic pathway requires a functional CYS3 protein for expression.
Use of Soil Properties to Determine the Historical Extent of Two Western Washington Prairies

Abstract The Pacific Northwest, a region known for mesic coniferous forests, is also home to scattered prairies, which have been maintained by a combination of xeric site conditions and anthropogenic fires. These prairies, which existed for thousands of years, have been reduced to 2–4% of their historical extent over the past two centuries due to urban development, agriculture, and forest encroachment. We used soil properties, including organic matter concentration, black carbon concentration, proportion of large black carbon particles and moist color, to determine the historical location of prairie-forest ecotones at Mima Mounds and American Camp prairies. Based on these parameters, we conclude that Mima prairie historically extended 50 m north and 300 m east of the current ecotone. In contrast, at American Camp all sampled areas that are currently forested appear to have been grassland at some time in the past. Soils can provide an effective means of determining historical prairie boundaries.
SLC-off Landsat-7 ETM+ reflective band radiometric calibration

Since May 31, 2003, when the scan line corrector (SLC) on the Landsat-7 ETM+ failed, the primary foci of Landsat-7 ETM+ analyses have been on understanding and attempting to fix the problem and later on developing composited products to mitigate the problem. In the meantime, the Image Assessment System personnel and vicarious calibration teams have continued to monitor the radiometric performance of the ETM+ reflective bands. The SLC failure produced no measurable change in the radiometric calibration of the ETM+ bands. No trends in the calibration are definitively present over the mission lifetime, and, if present, are less than 0.5% per year. Detector 12 in Band 7 dropped about 0.5% in response relative to the rest of the detectors in the band in May 2004 and recovered back to within 0.1% of its initial relative gain in October 2004.
USING THE CRITERION-PREDICTOR FACTOR MODEL TO COMPUTE THE PROBABILITY OF DETECTING PREDICTION BIAS WITH ORDINARY LEAST SQUARES REGRESSION

The study of prediction bias is important and the last five decades include research studies that examined whether test scores differentially predict academic or employment performance. Previous studies used ordinary least squares (OLS) to assess whether groups differ in intercepts and slopes. This study shows that OLS yields inaccurate inferences for prediction bias hypotheses. This paper builds upon the criterion-predictor factor model by demonstrating the effect of selection, measurement error, and measurement bias on prediction bias studies that use OLS. The range restricted, criterion-predictor factor model is used to compute Type I error and power rates associated with using regression to assess prediction bias hypotheses. In short, OLS is not capable of testing hypotheses about group differences in latent intercepts and slopes. Additionally, a theorem is presented which shows that researchers should not employ hierarchical regression to assess intercept differences with selected samples.
Where will they turn: predicting turn proportions at intersections

Predicting a driver's route would be useful for warning a driver of upcoming road hazards, informing about traffic situations, and serving relevant advertising. There are many clues to a driver's future route, including their past behavior and likely destination. Another clue is the driver's turn choices at a sequence of intersections. Strung together, the turn choices form a route. This paper develops a basic algorithm, and variations, to predict the aggregate turn behavior of drivers at intersections. Given an intersection with a few different turn options, including the option to continue straight ahead, our goal is to infer the proportion of drivers who will take each option. For ground truth, we use raw turn counts gathered for government traffic studies by our local municipality at 40 different intersections. Our basic turn prediction algorithm is based on the assumption that drivers tend to choose roads that offer them more destination options. This matches our intuition that turning onto a short, dead-end road is relatively rare compared to turning onto a highway "on" ramp. The best performing algorithm predicts turn proportions with a median error of 0.142.
Riparian restoration : Current status and the reach to the future

Nine articles in the special issue of Restoration Ecology addressing the subject of site selection for riparian restoration activities were critically examined for this review. The approaches described make significant and original contributions to the field of riparian restoration. All are interdisciplinary to some extent, often combining the fields of hydrology, geomorphology, and biology in the design of restorations. A common component among the articles is that they take a broad view, if not a watershed view, of restoration site selection. The approaches can be generally described as top-down strategic approaches to siting restorations, as opposed to the more methods- and site-driven bottom-up, or tactical, approach. All the articles recognize the importance of developing endpoints related to the ecological function of riparian ecosystems. They succeed in their quest for these indicators of ecological function to varying degrees. The most common indicator used in these papers is riparian vegetation. Several additional elements of scientific investigation, if successfully pursued, could provide vital information and advance our understanding of riparian restoration: developing interdisciplinary approaches more fully; defining endpoints and reference conditions; implementing multiple scale approaches; viewing restorations as experimental ecosystem manipulations; developing a philosophy regarding exotic species; incorporating geographic information systems more often; and integrating science, society, and politics. The foundation provided by the contributions in this issue should provide a strong basis for the rapid advancement of future research in the area of riparian restoration.
On the Acid Dissociation Constants of Bilirubin and Biliverdin pKa VALUES FROM 13C NMR SPECTROSCOPY

Biliverdin and bilirubin are naturally-occurring tetrapyrrolic bile pigments containing two propionic acid side chains. These side chains, and their propensity for ionization, are critical in the biological disposition of the pigments. Surprisingly, accurate dissociation constants for the propionic acid groups of biliverdin are unknown, and a wide range of values, extending over some 4 orders of magnitude, has been suggested for the Ka values of the propionic acid groups of bilirubin in aqueous solutions. Recently, pKa values of 6.7-9.3 have been reported for bilirubin-values much greater than the value of ∼5 typical of propionic acid groups. These curiously high values, currently being used to explain the biological transport and metabolism of bilirubin and related compounds, have been attributed to intramolecular hydrogen bonding. We have determined the pKa values of 99%13C-enriched (13CO2>H) [83,123-13C2>]mesobilirubin-XIIIα, the corresponding biliverdin, and several monopropionic model compounds by 13C NMR spectroscopy. This technique allows direct observation and quantitative measurement of the carboxylic acid and carboxylate anion carbon signals. Analysis of the variation of carboxyl 13C NMR chemical shift with pH gave rubin pKa values of 4.2 and 4.9 and verdin pKa values of 3.9 and 5.3 in aqueous buffers containing only a very small quantity (0.086 mol fraction) of dimethyl sulfoxide. When extrapolated to water, the pKavalues are essentially unchanged. The data provide the first experimentally-determined pKa values for a biliverdin. They indicate that intramolecular hydrogen bonding has little effect on the acid dissociation of bilirubin and suggest that the equilibrium acidity of the bilirubin carboxylic acid groups is not abnormally high but similar to the thermodynamic acidity found in other carboxylic acids, as originally suggested by Overbeek et al. (Overbeek, J. T. G., Vink, C. L. J., and Deenstra, H. (1955) Recl. Trav. Chim. Pays-Bas 74, 81-84).
Inadvertent Swan-Ganz catheter placement in the left pericardiophrenic vein

Placement of flow-directed Swan-Ganz catheters without fluoroscopic guidance occasionally results in placement in positions other than the pulmonary artery. In the case presented, the inadvertent placement of such a catheter into the left pericardiophrenic vein was probably facilitated by distortion of the right heart and systemic venous anatomy.
Fill rate of single-stage general periodic review inventory systems

This paper develops an exact formula for the fill rate of a single-stage inventory system that uses a general periodic-review base-stock policy. For normal demand, we present a fill-rate expression that uses the standard normal PDF and CDF, and develop two approximations for the fill rate.
19F-NMR study of the effect of lead on intracellular free calcium in human platelets

Abstract Lead has been shown to affect calcium homeostasis. However, there is no prior evidence to indicate an effect of low concentrationsof lead in the environment (≈1 μM) on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration in any human tissue. We have investigated the effect of lead on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration of human blood platelets using 19F-NMR and a fluorinated intracellular Ca2+ indicator. We report a basal intracellular free Ca2+ value of 172 ± 8 nM. Treatment with 1, 5, 10 and 25 μM Pb2+ resulted in average increases in intracellular free Ca2+ of 39%, 91%, 135% and 172%, respectively. The percent increase in intracellular free Ca2+ was linearly and positively correlated with the log of Pb2+ concentration. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, a significant increase in total calcium of approx. 10 nmol/mg protein was found in 25 μM Pb2+ treated platelets. This indicates that influx of external Ca2+ contributes to the observed increase in free Ca2+. The results provide an explanation for the previously reported effects of lead on platelet function, and suggest a mechanism for low level lead-induced hypertension.
An Anniversary and a Longer Look Back

The end of the 90th publishing cycle of the Journal is celebrated with a retrospective view of the origins of the Journal and the Division of Chemical Education (our partner and source of guidance), and a reaffirmation of goals, together with a glimpse just over the horizon.
White matter microstructure correlates of inhibition and task-switching in adolescents

Although protracted prefrontal gray matter development is associated with concomitant executive function (EF) development in adolescents, few studies have explored the relationship between white matter and EF. This study examined the relationship between white matter microstructure and two aspects of EF, inhibition and task-switching, in a sample of 84 adolescents using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) were used to examine fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Adolescents completed the Color-Word Interference task from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System, a clinical version of the Stroop task. Inhibition and task-switching performance were group normalized and measured using both reaction time and errors. Performance and the interaction of age and performance were regressed on FA and MD white matter skeletons, controlling for age and IQ, separately for inhibition and task-switching. Follow up analyses examined the relative contributions of axial and radial diffusivities. Greater FA in the anterior corona radiata (ACR) was associated with better inhibition, independent of age. Greater FA in the SCR and precentral gyrus white matter were associated with better task-switching, regardless of age, whereas an association between FA in the ACR and task-switching was dependent on age. There were no significant associations between MD and performance. Results suggest better inhibition and task-switching are associated with greater integrity of white matter microstructure in regions supporting cross-cortical and cortical-subcortical connections stemming from the prefrontal cortex. These findings are consistent with functional studies of cognitive control and models of EF that propose separate, yet related, latent factors.
GLC and TLC analysis of isopropylidene derivatives of isomeric polyhydroxy acids derived from positional and geometrical isomers of unsaturated fatty acids.

Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were used to investigate the isomeric positional geometrical isopropylidene derivatives of nine isomeric dihydroxy esters, four isomeric methyl 9,10-12-trihydroxystearates, and eight isomeric methyl 9,10-12,13-tetrahydroxystearates prepared from unsaturated fatty acids. The isopropylidenes derived fromcis andtrans monounsaturated fatty acids were easily separated on both polar and nonpolar columns. Positional isopropylidenes derived from positional isomers of monounsaturated fatty acids were not separated on either liquid phase but were resolved by TLC.
Microfluidics using the surface tension force in microscale

This review summarizes our on-going effort to establish surface tension as a useful force for MEMS, especially microfluidics. Presented are several examples of using surface tension for microdevices. Droplet ejection mechanism using bubble check valve, pumping with sequential bubbles in microchannel, and electrostatic switching of liquid-metal droplet demonstrate how surface tension attenuates liquid movement so effectively in microscale. Liquid pumping using a bubble (or a droplet) under thermal gradient and electrically driving liquid-metal droplets in microchannel demonstrate that surface tension can even be used an an attractive driving force for microactuation.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The significance of toddler pretend play in child care

This article reviews research on the pretend play of children before age three years and draws implications for play intervention within toddler care programs. The course of play development in the first three years of life is reviewed. Emphasis is given to early object pretense and the emergence of social pretend play. Intervention strategies designed to facilitate this development arethen described. These include provision of developmentally useful play materials and specific caregiver interactions to promote make believe
Does drainage hole size influence adhesion on ventricular catheters

Ventricular catheter drainage holes of shunt systems used to treat hydrocephalus obstruct with tissue commonly comprising monocytes/macrophages, astrocytes, and giant cells. Despite high rates of obstruction, very few studies have manipulated drainage hole orientation, number, position, or diameter. By altering the hole diameter but maintaining a constant hole surface area, we manipulated shear stress through the holes, which we hypothesized would change the degree of macrophage and astrocyte attachment. First, a hole fabrication method was chosen from two fabrication techniques including punched holes in catheter tubing and constructed holes using nanofabrication techniques. Punched holes were chosen to vary hole size from 282 to 975 μm because (1) samples were geometrically similar to commercially available ventricular catheters without significant microscopic differences in roughness values and (2) total macrophage and astrocyte adhesion on the punched holes was not significantly different from adhesion on the commercially available catheters. Overall adhesion from least to most adherent appeared to follow 975 < 754 ≈ 500 < 282-μm hole diameter for macrophages and 975 < 500 < 754 < 282 for astrocytes with an obvious dependency on catheter orientation with respect to the horizontal; a dependency to the proximity of the hole to the catheter tip was not observed. This study suggests that macrophage and astrocyte adhesion generally decreases with increasing hole diameter under flow conditions and underscores the necessity for future work to examine how hole diameter impacts inflammatory-based shunt obstruction.
Congenital lymphedema of the extremities in infants and children

Abstract Congenital lymphedema is an uncommon malformation due to hypoplasia or absence of lymphatic channels, which usually involves the feet and lower legs. The leg swelling usually does not become severe, is not associated with hypertrophic cutaneous changes, and is rarely complicated by lymphangitis. Conservative measures, such as elastic stocking support, dietary restraint, physical activity, and foot hygiene are recommended for most patients. Subcutaneous lymphangiectomy is recommended for cosmesis, inability to wear shoes or ambulate, or recurrent lymphangitis. Nineteen children with congenital lymphedema have been treated at the UCLA Hospital during the past 10 years.
Metric of two spinning charged sources endowed with the Newman-Tamburino-Unti parameter

Following the approach of Israel, Wilson, and Perjes, we give the explicit form of the metric corresponding to two Kerr-Newman sources in equilibrium endowed with opposite values of the Taub--Newman--Tamburino--Unti parameters. The two solutions have equally and oppositely directed spin vectors. The explicit structure of the electromagnetic fields is given for the case where the two sources are separate, and in the limit their separation goes to zero (coalescence). The asymptotic form of the metric is regular for r$Yields$+infinity; and when the separation of the two solutions is not zero, the electromagnetic field asymptotically approaches an electric monopole and a magnetic dipole field. (AIP)
Numerical models of cell death in RF ablation with monopolar and bipolar probes

Radio frequency (RF) is used clinically to treat unresectible tumors. Finite element modeling has proven useful in treatment planning and applicator design. Typically isotherms in the middle 50s °C have been used as the parameter of assessment in these models. We compare and contrast isotherms for multiple known Arrhenius thermal damage predictors including collagen denaturation, vascular disruption, liver coagulation and cell death. Models for RITA probe geometries are included in the study. Comparison to isotherms is sensible when the activation time is held constant, but varies considerably when heating times vary. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of looking at specific processes and keeping track of the methods used to derive the Arrhenius coefficients in order to study the extremely complex cell death processes due to thermal therapies.
Measuring, testing, inventing, and developing: fifty years of dental research at the National Bureau of Standards

During the half century of its existence the National Bureau of Standards has given to the dental profession the high-speed handpiece, a panoramic X-ray machine, a methodology for precisely measuring dental materials, and substantial knowledge on the structure of the human tooth.
Observations of magnetospheric convection from low altitudes

The high-latitude ionosphere is considered as a convenient 'viewing screen' for deducing magnetospheric convection, since the footprints of the immense volume of the magnetospheric flux tubes map to a considerably more manageable surface area. This area is, however, still very large, and an instantaneous measurement of the flow pattern over the entire high latitude region is presently not feasible. Therefore, much effort has been made in synthesizing many passes of polar orbiting spacecraft into convection patterns. The present investigation follows the development of a description of the global convection pattern and its dependence on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The convection pattern is described in terms of the plasma flow speed and direction. Attention is given to the southward interplanetary magnetic field and the northward interplanetary magnetic field.
Origins of normal stress in capillary jets of newtonian and viscoelastic liquids

The individual contributions to the observed normal tensile stress in capillary jets of Newtonian and viscoelastic liquids, measured by means of expansion-contraction experiments described in earlier publications of the authors, is discussed. The surface tension contribution is calculated. The contribution from the relaxing velocity profile is determined empirically for the Newtonian jet; it is estimated for the viscoelastic jet. The internal normal stress, developed in the capillary, and the external normal stress, developed beyond the capillary nozzle exit, are described, but not in a quantitative manner. Because of the complexity of the equations describing the viscoelastic jet, these stresses are not yet able to be separated in the general case. At high ejection velocities, however, the profile relaxation and the external normal stress should be smaller than the internal normal stress if the liquid is highly viscoelastic. One should, however, be fully aware of the approximate nature of the results when expansion-contraction experiments are used to obtain a measure of the normal stress developed during flow in a capillary. Such experiments, unfortunately, are not as useful as one would like them to be.
Crack closure and crack propagation rates in 7050 aluminum

Abstract The effects of crack closure on fatigue crack growth rate in 7050 Al were studied with the aid of small-foil strain gages glued at positions near to the crack plane. The crack closure stress was determined from the change in the slope of the local strain-nominal stress curves. The crack closure stress was found to increase slightly with crack length under a cyclic loading total amplitude of Δσ = 88 MPa and R ratio R = 0.95. The crack closure stress σc was found to increase moderately with increasing R-ratio ( R = σ min σ max ) for th1e same cyclic stress level of 88 MPa. Above a critical R-ratio value of 0.25 the crack closure stress is smaller than the minimum applied stress. The modified crack growth law, which states that crack growth rate ( d a d N ) is proportional to the nth power of the effective stress intensity factor (ΔKeff = Kmax-Kin), cannot account for the dependence in growth rate on the R-ratio. For cyclic loadings with R-ratios less than 0.25 the d a d N vs ΔKeff curves did not emerge as expected from the modified law. For cyclic loadings with R-ratios larger than 0.25 the crack growth rate still increased with R-ratio even though the value of ΔKeff remained the same. The retardation of crack growth rate that occurred after tensile overloads was accompanied by an increase in crack closure stress. A log-log plot of d a d N vs ΔKeff showed that the modified crack growth law was reasonably obeyed. But it was found that after a single overload the minimum value of ΔKeff generally was reached only after the minimum value d a d N had occurred. Cyclic compressive stresses which decreased the retardation effect of tensile overloads were found to depress the crack closure stress to a low value. A large compressive spike also depressed the crack closure stress and increased the crack growth rate after a tensile overload.
Effects of Initial Water Content on Macropore/Matrix Flow and Transport of Surface-Applied Chemicals

Pesticides and fertilizers are often broadcast on no-till fields in the spring when soil water content can be quite variable. Soil water content may influence the contribution of macropores and matrix porosity to water movement and chemical transport in subsequent rainfalls. Therefore, we surface-applied SrBr 2 .6H 2 O, atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine), and alachlor [2-chloro-2',6'-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl) acetanilide] on nine, 30 by 30 by 30 cm, undisturbed soil blocks obtained from a no-till corn (Zea mays L.) field and maintained at three initial moisture levels 1 h before a 30-mm, 0.5-h simulated rain. To distinguish applied water from resident water and assess interaction of the rainwater with the soil matrix, RbCl was added to the simulated rain as a tracer. Sequential percolate samples were collected from the base of the blocks in 10-mL increments using a 64-cell grid lysimeter. Flow-weighted concentrations of Cl - and Rb + , respectively, were 75 and 836% higher in percolate from dry (θ = 0.11 kg kg -1 ) than from wet blocks (θ = 0.21 kg k -1 )) indicating that displacement of resident water and interaction of rainwater with the matrix increased with initial soil water content. As a result, percolate concentrations of the reactive, surface-applied, constituents (Sr 2+ , atrazine, alachlor) decreased with increasing soil water content. High block to block variability precluded detection of significant differences in percolate volume and total chemical transport among moisture levels. The relative contribution of macropores to chemical transport and water movement appears to be greatest when the soil is dry and decreases as the soil becomes wetter.
Family phone therapy in university counseling and psychological service centers: a family systems approach.

Abstract This paper offers family phone therapy as a method for student mental health practitioners to overcome the obstacle of geographic distance between students and their families when family therapy is the treatment of choice. The issues of confidentiality, triangulation, diversionary conversation, and mixed communication, which present unique concerns when engaging in family phone therapy, are introduced and strategies to deal with them are discussed. A case example is presented to demonstrate the utility of family phone therapy in dealing with problems that students who use university mental health services can typically experience. Finally, implications of dealing with students' developmental tasks from an individual or family systems perspective are discussed.
A simple proof for the existence of unstressed tetragonal crystals for arbitrary interatomic interactions

Abstract Based upon the general behavior of uniaxially loaded crystals, a simple, general proof is given that a monatomic collection of atoms with arbitrary interactions admits the existence of a stress free tetragonal crystal lattice.
The status of the Constellation-X mission

The Constellation-X mission will address questions central to the NASA Beyond Einstein Program, using high throughput X-ray spectroscopy to measure the effects of strong gravity close to the event horizon of black holes, study the formation and evolution of clusters of galaxies to precisely determine cosmological parameter values, measure the properties of the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium, and determine the equation of state of neutron stars. Achieving these science goals requires a factor of ~100 increase in sensitivity for high resolution spectroscopy over current X-ray observatories. This paper briefly describes the Constellation-X mission, summarizes its basic performance parameters such as effective area and spectral resolution, and gives a general update on the mission. The details of the updated mission configuration, compatible with a single Atlas-V 551 launch vehicle, are presented.
Incorporating inventory and routing costs in strategic location models

We consider a supply chain design problem where the decision maker needs to decide the number and locations of the distribution centers (DCs). Customers face random demand, and each DC maintains a certain amount of safety stock in order to achieve a certain service level for the customers it serves. The objective is to minimize the total cost that includes location costs and inventory costs at the DCs, and distribution costs in the supply chain. We show that this problem can be formulated as a nonlinear integer programming model, for which we propose a Lagrangian relaxation based solution algorithm. By exploring the structure of the problem, we find a low-order polynomial algorithm for the nonlinear integer programming problem that must be solved in solving the Lagrangian relaxation sub-problems. We present computational results for several instances of the problem with sizes ranging from 40 to 320 customers. Our results show the benefits of having an integrated supply chain design framework that includes location, inventory, and routing decisions in the same optimization model.
Dispositional Knowing from an Ecological Perspective

A direct perception analysis of dispositional knozwng, based on an ecological approach that is grounded in the use of activity to get mind into the world, is presented. It is proposed that social dispositions such as dominance or cooperativeness can be directly perceived, as opposed to inferred, if they are embodied in relational activities that activate the disposition. The choice of the particular activity as a way of turning dispositions into perceivable social affordances is related to an evolutionarily oriented analysis of dispositions as evolved adaptive solutions for solving basic social problems such as mate selection and group formation. Objections to the possibility of direct perception that are based on claims of insufficient or deceptive information are countered by the introduction of event-activity tests, modeled after perturbation and bifurcation processes in dynamic systems formulations. Comparisons are then made between the ecological claims of realism, mutualism, and activity and aspects...
Chemical equilibrium studies on the nickel sulfate-acetate buffer/β-alkyl-8-hydroxy-quinoline-xylene system

A thermodynamic equilibrium model is developed for the distribution of nickel between two phases for the system nickel sulfate-acetate buffer/β-alkyl-8-hydroxy quinoline in xylene. Chemical equilibrium data were obtained for the range of experimental parameters of [Ni]aq,i (0.00435 to 0.01740 mol/dm3), pH (3.90 to 4.95), extractant [HR]org,i (0.02 to 0.06 mol/dm3), and temperature (25 to 50°C). The best fit of the data results with the following equation: $$ \ln \frac{{[\overline {{\text{NiR}}} _2 ][{\text{H}}^{\text{ + }} ]^2 }} {{[{\text{Ni}}^{{\text{ + + }}} ][\overline {{\text{HR}}} ]^2 }} = - 12.73 - 4430\left( {\frac{1} {T} - \frac{1} {{308}}} \right) $$ The above analysis requires specification of the aqueous phase ionic concentrations which are analyzed by considering the pertinent species equilibria. Also, the stoichiometric coefficients of two for hydrogen ion and β-alkyl-8-hydroxy-quinoline are determined for the extraction reaction using aqueous phase modeling and a statistical fit of equilibrium data. The results indicate that the enthalpy of the reaction and the entropy change are 36.8 kJ/mol and 13.8 J/mol-K, respectively.
Comparison of standard and reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the determination of chromium and selenium species by HPLC–ICP–MS

Abstract Elemental speciation is becoming a common analytical procedure for geochemical investigations. The various redox species of environmentally relevant metals can have vastly different biogeochemical properties, including sorption, solubility, bioavailability, and toxicity. The use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to elemental specific detectors, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), has become one of the most important speciation methods employed. This is due to the separation versatility of HPLC and the sensitive and selective detection capabilities of ICP–MS. The current study compares standard mode ICP–MS to recently developed reaction cell (RC) ICP–MS, which has the ability to remove or reduce many common polyatomic interferences that can limit the ability of ICP–MS to quantitate certain analytes in complex matrices. Determination of chromium and selenium redox species is achieved using ion-exchange chromatography with elemental detection by standard and RC–ICP–MS, using various chromium and selenium isotopes. In this study, method performance and detection limits for the various permutations of the method (isotope monitored or ICP–MS detection mode) were found to be comparable and generally less than 1 μg L−1. The method was tested on synthetic laboratory samples, surface water, groundwater, and municipal tap water matrices.
The flote: an instrument for people with limited mobility

The Flote is a wind instrument designed for people with limited mobility. Past work in this area has failed to deliver the musical expressiveness expected of an instrument while maintaining the low cost required for wide adoption. Using only head movement and breath control, both calibrated to match the player's abilities, the Flote is an avenue for creative expression and an enjoyable form of physical therapy. The software is available as a free download at http://www.theflote.com, and the hardware can be easily built by anyone with minimal familiarity with circuits.
ORIGIN OF PLANETARY PRIMORDIAL RARE GAS: THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF ADSORPTION.

The degree of physical adsorption of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe on pulverized samples of the Allende meteorite at 113 K has been measured. The observed pattern of equilibrium enrichment of heavy rare gases over light on the pulverized meteorite surfaces relative to the gas phase is similar to the enrichment pattern exhibited by planetary primordial rare gas when compared with the composition of solar rare gas. Results indicate that, at 113 K, a total nebular pressure of from .01 to .001 atm would be required to explain the Ar, Kr, and Xe abundances in carbonaceous chondrites with an adsorption mechanism. This pressure estimate is compatible with the range of possible nebular pressures suggested by astrophysical arguments. However, the subsequent mechanism by which initially adsorbed gas might have been transferred into the interiors of grains cannot be identified at present.
Chronic cardiac allograft rejection in a rat model disparate for one single class I MHC molecule is associated with indirect recognition by CD4(+) T cells.

Abstract T-cell mediated immune responses play a critical role in chronic allograft dysfunction. The complex nature of allograft rejection, particularly with respect to the vast repertoire of alloantigens and their mode of recognition by T cells, presents a major challenge for the design of well-controlled studies into the immunobiology of chronic rejection. The purpose of this study was to develop a rat model with restricted antigenic specificity that develops chronic rejection without any immunologic manipulation to study the T-cell response. PVG.1U allogeneic hearts disparate for one single class I antigen, RT.1A u , were transplanted into PVG.R8 rat recipients. Grafts from PVG.R8 were used as syngeneic controls. Chronic rejection was studied by histological analysis of the grafted hearts at various time points posttransplantation (20–100 days). Donor specific alloreactive response was studied in a mixed lymphocyte reaction assay. All allografts survived more than 90 days and showed extensive evidence of chronic rejection, which was characterized by interstitial fibrosis, vasculitis, and occlusive myointimal thickening. Chronic rejection was evident by day 20 and most extensive by day 100 posttransplantation. In marked contrast, syngeneic grafts remained free of chronic lesions. Lymphocytes harvested from graft recipients showed a more vigorous proliferative response to allogeneic splenocytes as compared with that of lymphocytes from naive animals. The proliferative response was primarily mediated by CD4 + T cells recognizing the RT1.A a molecule via the indirect pathway. A single class I disparity in this model generates chronic rejection associated with potent CD4 + T-cell responses induced by the indirect recognition pathway. The use of this antigenically restricted model may facilitate the design of well-controlled studies for the characterization of immune mechanisms responsible for chronic rejection.
The Geriatric Depression Scale and Hopelessness Index: longitudinal psychometric data on frail nursing home residents.

We administered the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Hopelessness Index 18 times over a 39-wk. period to an initial sample of 76 old, frail, multiply impaired, and depressed nursing home residents participating in a longitudinal quasi-experimental study on the effects of cognitive group interventions on cognition, depression , hopelessness, and life satisfaction. As no changes over time were observed on the outcome variables of geriatric depression and hopelessness, the stability of the instruments' internal consistency was examined longitudinally. For the Geriatric Depression Scale, Kuder-Richardson KR-20 coefficients ranged from .69 to .88, with a mean of .82 (SD = .05). Coefficients for the Hopelessness Index were between .72 and .86, with a mean of .80 (SD = .04). We conclude that both instruments give reliable measurements of geriatric depression and hopelessness in old, frail, and depressed nursing home residents.
Evaluation of cellular residue in the ThinPrep PreservCyt vial.

The ThinPrep Pap Testtrade mark is a fluid-based method used for the collection and preparation of cervicovaginal samples. The collection device(s) is/are rinsed in Cytyc's ThinPrep PreservCyt medium and a thin-layer slide is prepared using the ThinPrep 2000 automated processor. The purpose of this study was to determine the detection rates for cervical lesions utilizing an additional ThinPrep slide. Fifty-four cervical samples processed by the ThinPrep method were reviewed. An additional thin-layer slide was obtained from the cellular residue for each case utilizing a new filter. Case selection criteria included cases with a few equivocal cells, a few diagnostic cells, or several low-grade dysplastic cells seen on the original ThinPrep slide. The original slides and repeat slides were reviewed by two cytopathologists and two cytopathology fellows. Fifty-four patients were included in the study, mean age 35 years (range: 16-76). The original diagnoses included: 17 negative cases, 22 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 10 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSILs), four high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSILs), and one case of atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS). On the repeat slides the diagnosis remained the same in 42 (77.8%) cases, diagnostic cells were not present in 10 (18.5%) cases, fungal elements consistent with candida were detected on the repeat smear in one case (1.8%), and higher grade dysplastic cells were found in two cases (3.7%). Our study showed that the ThinPrep method provides a representative, diagnostic sample on the slide. Repeat processing adds little to the overall diagnosis.
Molecular hydrogen inelastic electron impact cross sections - A semiclassical method.

Electron impact cross sections for diatomic molecule ionization and excitation from modified Gryzinski theory, discussing results from molecular models
A sweeping preconditioner for Yee’s finite difference approximation of time-harmonic Maxwell’s equations

This paper is concerned with the fast iterative solution of linear systems arising from finite difference discretizations in electromagnetics. The sweeping preconditioner with moving perfectly matched layers previously developed for the Helmholtz equation is adapted for the popular Yee grid scheme for wave propagation in inhomogeneous, anisotropic media. Preliminary numerical results are presented for typical examples.
A time-domain volume-integral equation approach for analyzing scattering from 2-D nonlinear objects under TM illumination

A new algorithm is presented for analyzing scattering from two-dimensional (2-D) nonlinear penetrable objects that are illuminated by transient transverse magnetic (TM) polarized fields. The proposed scheme solves a time-domain volume-integral inequation (TDVIE) using a marching-on-in-time (MOT) technique. Numerical results obtained using this technique and the finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method are in excellent agreement. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 26: 419–423, 2000.
Influence of CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 wash-coating slurries on the steam reforming reaction of methanol

Abstract A micro-channel reactor for methanol steam reforming is a candidate to supply hydrogen on-site to fuel cells. Micro-channel beds wash-coated with poor quality slurry formulations lead to poorer performance than packed beds using pellet catalysts. This study explored the morphology, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectrum, BET surface area and activity of wash-coating catalyst layers from a series of catalyst slurries. All catalyst slurries were prepared from the commercial MDC-3 catalyst. Hydrogen production using wash-coating catalyst layers was performed under packed bed conditions. The results reveal that the solubility level of the MDC-3 catalyst during the slurry preparation process affected the activity of methanol steam reforming. It is difficult to reconstruct the original fine structure, as the MDC-3 catalyst had a higher solubility status after slurry preparation. The volume of the micro-channel catalyst bed was approximately 0.3 cm 3 . It can supply hydrogen to fuel cells that can produce approximately 8 W with 80% H 2 utilization and 60% fuel cell efficiency.
Theoretical investigation of off-plane propagation of electromagnetic waves in two-dimensional photonic crystals

We study the transmission of electromagnetic waves propagating in two-dimensional photonic crystals having triangular structure. The transmission has been calculated using the transfer matrix method. We find that for dielectric constant ratios higher than 12.25, there is a full photonic band gap for both polarizations and for out-of-plane incident angle as high as 85{degree}. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Alpha-amanitin administration results in a temporary inhibition of hepatic enzyme induction by triiodothyronine: further evidence favoring a long-lived mediator of thyroid hormone action.

Alpha-amanitin was shown to inhibit triiodothyronine (T3)-induced increases in mitochondrial alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (α-GPD) and cytoplasmic malic enzyme activity in the livers of male Sprague-Dawley rats. A 3-fold increase in a-GPD observed 24 h after the iv injection of 3 μg T3/100 g BW was completely inhibited by administration of alpha-amanitin at 0 and 8 h. Similarly, alpha-amanitin blocked a two- to four-fold increase in malic enzyme 24 h following iv injection of 3 mg T3/IOO g BW into euthyroid rats. After the initial inhibition of enzyme induction by alphaamanitin was dissipated, however, a delayed but striking increase in enzyme activity occurred. In hypothyroid animals, α-GPD activity rose after the initial 24 h inhibition and reached levels at 72 h equal to those observed in hypothyroid rats treated with T3 only. In euthyroid animals treated with T3 and alpha-amanitin, a delayed increase in malic enzyme activity was observed at 72 h and attained values at 96 h similar to those in e...
Effects of d-amphetamine on behavior maintained by signaled and unsignaled delays to reinforcement

Four pigeons responded under a progressive-delay procedure. In a signaled-delay condition, a chained variable interval (VI) 30-s progressive time (PT) 4-s schedule was arranged; in an unsignaled-delay condition, a tandem VI 30-s PT 4-s schedule was arranged. Two pigeons experienced a signaled-unsignaled-signaled sequence; whereas, two pigeons experienced an unsignaled-signaled-unsignaled sequence. Effects of saline and d-amphetamine were determined under each condition. At intermediate doses (1.0 and 1.78m/kg) delay functions were shallower, area under the curve was increased, and, when possible, break points were increased compared to saline; these effects were not systematically related to signaling conditions. These effects on control by delay often were accompanied by decreased response rates at 0s. These results suggest that stimulus conditions associated with the delay may not play a crucial role in effects of d-amphetamine and other stimulants on behavior controlled by reinforcement delay.