cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A SEARCH FOR OXYGEN IN THE LOW-DENSITY Lyα FOREST USING THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

We use 2167 Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar spectra to search for low-density oxygen in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Oxygen absorption is detected on a pixel-by-pixel basis by its correlation with Lyα forest absorption. We have developed a novel locally calibrated pixel (LCP) search method that uses adjacent regions of the spectrum to calibrate interlopers and spectral artifacts, which would otherwise limit the measurement of O VI absorption. Despite the challenges presented by searching for weak O VI within the Lyα forest in spectra of moderate resolution and signal-to-noise, we find a highly significant detection of absorption by oxygen at 2.7 < z < 3.2 (the null hypothesis has a χ2 = 80 for nine data points). We interpret our results using synthetic spectra generated from a log-normal density field assuming a mixed quasar-galaxy photoionizing background and that it dominates the ionization fraction of detected O VI. The LCP search data can be fit by a constant metallicity model with [O/H] = –2.15+0.07 –0.09 but also by models in which low-density regions are unenriched and higher density regions have a higher metallicity. The density-dependent enrichment model by Aguirre et al. is also an acceptable fit. All our successful models have similar mass-weighted oxygen abundance, corresponding to [O/HMW] = –2.45 ± 0.06. This result can be used to find the cosmic oxygen density in the Lyα forest, ΩOxy,IGM = 1.4(±0.2) × 10–6 3 × 10–4Ω b . This is the tightest constraint on the mass-weighted mean oxygen abundance and the cosmic oxygen density in the Lyα forest to date and indicates that it contains 16% of the total expected metal production by star formation up to z = 3.
A strain-rate dependent micro-mechanical model with progressive post-failure behavior for predicting impact response of unidirectional composite laminates

Abstract A new micro-mechanical model is developed to predict the behavior of unidirectional polymer matrix composite laminates under impact loading conditions and implemented in the non-linear finite element software LS-DYNA. This model accounts for the progressive post-failure behavior and strain-rate dependency of polymer matrix composites making it suitable for impact simulations. A continuum damage mechanics (CDM) based failure model is used to incorporate the progressive post-failure behavior. A set of Weibull distribution functions are used to quantify damage evolution and corresponding reduction in stiffness in different modes in the fibers. Similar functions based on strains are used for the resin. Fiber breakage is assumed as the only ultimate failure mode. In addition to these micro-failure modes, delamination, which is a macro-level failure, is also incorporated using an approach developed earlier for a ply-level progressive failure model. Strain-rate dependent behavior is incorporated by assuming viscoplastic constitutive relations for the resin. Additionally, the in-plane shear modulus of the fiber is also assumed to be rate dependent. Experimental results available in the literature are used to validate the model’s predictions.
XRD analysis and leachability of solidified phenol-cement mixtures

Abstract The microstructure and leachability of phenol from solidified phenol - Portland cement mixtures cured up to 6 months were investigated. Phenol was solidified with Type I Portland cement at concentrations of 0.5% and 2% by weight of the cement. XRD studies and pore fluid analyses indicate that phenol inhibits cement setting by reacting with the calcium hydroxide produced during the hydration of cement. Phenol leachability was studied using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test recommended by the U.S. EPA. The quantity of phenol leached is dependent on the initial phenol concentration and the curing time and a simple model was been proposed to predict the leachability. Phenol increases the initial and final setting times of cement. The compressive strength of the solidified cement-phenol mixtures decrease with increasing phenol content in the matrix and increase with curing time. The relationship between leaching of phenol and strength of cement-phenol mixtures has been verified.
Benchmarking Bicycle and Motorcycle Equations of Motion

In 2007, Meijaard, et al. [1] presented the canonical linearized equations of motion for the Whipple bicycle model along with test cases for checking alternative formulations of the equations of motion or alternative numerical solutions. This paper describes benchmarking three other implementations of bike equations of motion: the linearized equations for bicycles written by Papadopoulos and Schwab [2] in JBike6, the non-linear equations for bicycles outlined by Schwab [3] and implemented in MATLAB as a Cornell University class project, and the non-linear equations for motorcycles implemented in FastBike from the Motorcycle Dynamics Research Group at the University of Padua. [4] Some implementations are easier to benchmark than others. For example, JBike6 is designed to produce eigenvalues and easily exposes the coefficients of its linearized equations of motion. At the other extreme, the class project non-linear equations were not originally intended to generate eigenvalues and are implemented in a single 48×48 matrix. Finally, while FastBike does generate eigenvalues, its equations of motion incorporate tire and frame compliance, which cannot be completely disabled. Instead, the tire stiffness parameters must be increased, but not so much as to cause convergence errors in FastBike. In the end, all three implementations generate eigenvalues that match the published benchmark values to varying degrees. JBike6 comes the closest, with agreement of 12 digits or more. The class project is second, with agreement of 12 digits for most forward speeds, but with a loss of measurable agreement near the capsize speed due to a peak in the eigenvalue condition number. Unfortunately, FastBike is limited at this time to exporting eigenvalues with no more than two decimal places, and so agreement can only be found to ±0.005.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Scalable segmentation-based malicious circuitry detection and diagnosis

Hardware Trojans (HTs) pose a significant threat to the modern and pending integrated circuit (IC). Several approaches have been proposed to detect HTs, but they are either incapable of detecting HTs under the presence of process variation (PV) or unable to handle very large circuits in the modern IC industry. We develop a scalable HT detection and diagnosis scheme by using segmentation techniques and gate level characterization (GLC). In order to address the scalability issue, we propose a segmentation method which divides the large circuit into small sub-circuits by using input vector control. We propose a segment selection model in terms of properties of segments and their effects on GLC accuracy. The model parameters are calibrated by sampled data from the GLC process. Based on the selected segments we are able to detect and diagnose HTs correctly by tracing gate level leakage power. We evaluate our approach on several ISCAS85/ISCAS89/ITC99 benchmarks. The simulation results show that our approach is capable of detecting and diagnosing HTs accurately on large circuits.
Improved wood–kirkwood detonation chemical kinetics

We report an improved implementation of the Wood–Kirkwood kinetic detonation model based on a multi-species Buckingham exponential-6 equation of state (EOS) and multiple reaction rate laws. The exp-6 EOS allows for treatment of chemical systems at a statistical mechanics level, instead of an atomistic level. Finite global rate laws are used for the slowest chemical reactions. Other reactions are given infinite rates and are kept in constant thermodynamic equilibrium. The global rates do not necessarily correspond to a specific physical process, but rather to the sum total of slow physical processes. We model ideal and non-ideal composite energetic materials. We find that using the exp-6 non-ideal model improves the accuracy. The detonation velocity as a function of charge radius is also correctly reproduced.
Scheduling for Time-Varying Broadcast Channels

To maximize spectral efficiency for multiple users with time-varying broadcast channel, the scheduling order of the users needs to be optimized. The scheduling problem naturally is a combinatorial optimization problem with high complexity, which exponentially increases with the number of users. In this paper, several scheduling algorithms that have small complexities are proposed. Computer simulation results show that the proposed algorithms achieve performance close to the optimal one.
Darwin on man in the Origin of Species: An addendum to the Bajema-Bowler debate

Carl Bajema recently challenged the assertion that Charles Darwin did not discuss man in On the Origin of Species.1 While his claim is essentially correct, Bajema's argument falls short of the mark, as Peter Bowler has demonstrated in his recent article.2 Bowler criticizes Bajema for obscuring the context in which Darwin wrote, and misconstruing his intentions. Darwin meant, Bowler argues, only to leave out mankind as a product of evolutionary processes. He did not intend to ignore the human race altogether. Bowler dismisses Bajema's evidence regarding the cultural evolution of man as irrelevant, and rejects other textual suggestions about the natural selection of humans as either faulty or inadequate. In spite of some accurate criticisms made by Bowler, Bajema's original premise is entirely valid: Darwin did include man in the Origin. He alluded to the biological and cultural evolution of mankind, and referred to the roots of human species in the animal kingdom. An argument in these terms will constitute a proper "myth-busting," as Bowler requires, and will overturn the longstanding misconception about the place of man in the Origin. In the analysis to follow I shall show that despite Darwin's intention to avoid the whole subject, man was so integral to his study of nature and the evolutionary process that he could not help but include references that undeniably pointed to an animal ancestry for human beings. Darwin presented his ideas in the Origin first by defining the
Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric-computer methods in the study of drug metabolism

The computer-assisted interpretation of repetitively scanned mass spectra can be of great value in the analysis of a complex mixture even in the absence of a library of reference spectra. We have written a set of interpretation programs for a PDP11/45 laboratory computer. A file structure is used that combines economy of storage with ease of creation and retrieval. User interaction is by a simple command language implemented by an interpreter. The program structure is such that additional functions can be added easily.
Review of the theoretical underpinnings of loyalty programs

A review of the extant literature reveals that the theoretical underpinnings of the majority of loyalty program research rest on psychological mechanisms from three specific domains—status, habit, and relational. We propose that to understand how loyalty programs actually work, a broader, more holistic research perspective is needed to account for the simultaneous effects across these three theoretical domains as well as both cross-customer and temporal effects. The contribution of this approach is a fresh research agenda advanced in 15 research propositions.
Analysis of traffic congestion costs in a competitive supply chain

Abstract We study a competitive facility location problem with identical suppliers competing in multiple markets subject to distribution network congestion. We first analyze the solution of a symmetric competitive location game and discuss the firms’ facility location and equilibrium market supply decisions. Then, we utilize the model to provide analytical characterization of the effects of traffic congestion costs on equilibrium distribution flows. These analytical results permit qualitative characterization of how changes in congestion levels and costs affect equilibrium location and distribution decisions. The results of extensive numerical studies serve to further illustrate the effects of traffic congestion costs on location, market supply quantity, and distribution decisions.
Ultrastructural characterisation of the host-pathogen interface in white blister-infected Arabidopsis leaves.

In this study transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to examine details of the host–pathogen interface in Arabidopsis thaliana cotyledons infected by Albugo candida, causal agent of white blister. After successful entry through stomatal pores, the pathogen developed a substomatal vesicle and subsequently produced intercellular hyphae. TEM observations revealed that coenocytic intercellular hyphae ramified and spread intercellularly throughout the host tissue forming several haustoria in host mesophyll cells. Intracellular haustoria were spherical and 4.5 μm in diameter. Each haustorium was connected to intercellular hyphae by a narrow, slender haustorium neck. The cytoplasm of the haustorium included the organelles characteristic of the pathogen. No obvious response was observed in host cells following formation of haustoria. Most of the mesophyll cells contained normal haustoria and the host cytoplasm displayed a high degree of structural integrity. Absence of host cell wall alteration and cell death in penetrated host cells suggest that the pathogen exerts considerable control over basic cellular processes and in this respect, response to this biotrophic Oomycete differs considerably from responses to other pathogens such as necrotrophs. Modification of the host plasma membrane (PM) along the cell wall and around the haustoria, was detected by applying the periodic acid-chromic acid-phosphotungstic acid (PACP) staining technique. After staining with PACP, the host PM was found to be intensely electron dense where it was adjacent to the host cell wall and the distal region of the haustorial neck. By contrast, the extrahaustorial membrane, where the host PM surrounded the haustorium, was consistently very lightly stained.
The New Internationalism: Foreign Students and Scholars.

ABSTRACT Foreign students and international study are an increasingly important part of the higher education equation. With more than one million students studying outside of their borders worldwide, their influence is felt in many countries. Most foreign students come from the developing nations of the Third World and the main host nations are industrialised. Foreign students carry knowledge from the industrialised nations to the Third World as they contribute to socio-economic development and also return home with Western values. Most of the world's foreign students are self-funded but many Third World nations provide substantial expenditures for foreign students. Foreign study has also had an impact on Western academic systems and governments have in some cases imposed special fees on foreign students. The issues relating to foreign students and international study are complex and wide-ranging.
Effect of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube on Compression Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy

In this study, a high-intensity ultrasonic liquid processor was used to obtain a homogeneous mixture of epoxy resin and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The CNTs were infused into epon 862 epoxy resin through sonic cavitation and then mixed with W curing agent using a high-speed mechanical agitator. The trapped air and reaction volatiles were removed from the mixture using a high vacuum. Nanophased epoxy with 0.3 wt.% CNT was utilized in a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) set up with carbon fabric to fabricate laminated composites. The effectiveness of CNT addition on matrix dominated properties of composites has been evaluated by compression and open hole compression tests. The compression strength and open hole compression strength were improved by 31% and 39%, respectively, as compared to the neat composite.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Selective attention and serial processing in briefly presented visual displays

Displays of eight capital letters were presented in a circular arrangement around a central fixation point at tachistoscopic durations. Under different experimental conditions, one or two indicators, presented either 250 msec before, simultaneously with, or after the display, designated the letters that S was to report. The arrangement of conditions permitted inferences as to the order in
Nonlinear oscillations in electrochemical growth of Zn dendrites.

Electrochemical deposition can produce interesting patterns ranging from random fractals to orderly dendrites. We have studied the electrical signals due to the deposition of Zn ions in a cell with ${\mathrm{ZnSO}}_{4}$ electrolyte. In the dendritic regime, the current (voltage) exhibits periodic oscillations with constant applied voltage (current). The frequency is proportional to the applied voltage V and the electrolyte concentration n. We relate this behavior to the side-branching nature of the dendrites.
Temporal Extensions of Landscape Ecology Theory and Practice: Examples from the Peruvian Amazon∗

Abstract The growing overlap between geographic information science (GIScience) and landscape ecology for landscape characterization has led to increasingly sophisticated measures of landscape site and situation. Scale, both temporal and spatial, has been injected into methodologies to improve our ability to derive process from pattern with the hope of defining, monitoring, and modeling ecological landscape function. This article addresses an evolving methodology of longitudinal or panel analysis designed to test the relative importance of thematic versus structural landscape configuration as well as interannual versus intra-annual change. Landscape typologies for both temporal signature and dominant structural trajectories are offered as guideposts for rethinking dynamic landscape characterization. A case study from the Peruvian Amazon is provided to illustrate interpretive advances available via panel methods that allow for disentangling inter- and intra-annual shifts as well as separating changes in co...
Learning of spatial and temporal patterns in sequential hand movements

Speed and accuracy in performing a complex movement sequence improve with practice. To examine how the temporal and spatial patterns of movement sequence are learned, the sequence of target locations and the consistency in the timing of target presentation were manipulated independently while subjects produced a series of visually guided hand movements. When the sequence of target locations and the timing of target presentation followed a consistent pattern, performance for a particular movement sequence improved with practice for both temporal and spatial movement parameters. However, when the same temporal and spatial patterns were recombined with a phase shift, there was a small but consistent deficit in performance. These results suggest that whereas spatial and temporal patterns in a learned movement sequence can be recombined flexibly, optimal performance is obtained for a specific spatio-temporal pattern of movement sequence. Whereas subjects were largely aware of the spatial and temporal patterns, they were unaware of the phase-shift, suggesting that learning of a specific spatio-temporal pattern was implicit.
Fully coupled thermoelectroelastic simulations of GaN devices

The continuum equations describing the fully coupled electrical, mechanical and thermal behaviors of GaN devices are presented and illustrated with a variety of examples from RF and power electronics.
Transportable information agents

Transportable agents are autonomous programs. They can move through a heterogeneous network of computers migrating from host to host under their own control. They can sense the state of the network, monitor software conditions, and interact with other agents or resources. The network-sensing tools allow our agents to adapt to the network configuration and to navigate under the control of reactive plans. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a transportable-agent system and focus on navigation tools that give our agents autonomy. We also discuss the intelligent and adaptive behavior of autonomous agents in distributed information-access tasks.
Use of methotrexate to treat isolated Graves ophthalmopathy developing years after thyroidectomy and iodine 131 treatment of papillary thyroid cancer.

Objective: To describe a case of Graves ophthalmopathy developing years after subtotal thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine treatment of papillary thyroid cancer.Methods: We present a case report including clinical and laboratory data. Current relevant literature is reviewed and summarized with regard to Graves ophthalmopathy.Results: In 2001, a 51-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic thyroid nodule. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy results showed Hurthle cells, and the patient had a subtotal thyroidectomy in 2002. Stage 2 follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed. She received radioactive iodine (I 131) therapy (94.8 mCi and 147.2 mCi) in 2003. Thyrotropin was suppressed with levothyroxine. The patient remained asymptomatic and had undetectable thyroglobulin antibodies. In 2007, her eyes became irritated (ie, erythematous, pruritic, watery). Thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies were undetectable, but thyrotropin receptor antibody was elevated to 44% (reference range, <...
Characterization of the caprine estrous cycle using enzyme immunoassay for the determination of whole blood progesterone concentration.

Abstract Eighteen mature female dairy goats were used to determine the feasibility of enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of progesterone in this species. Both quantitative and qualitative enzyme immunoassay kits were used to measure progesterone concentration in unextracted whole blood. Progesterone profiles were similar to those previously reported using either protein-binding or radioimmunoassay as the test. A Pearson's correlation coefficient comparison of our enzyme immunoassay values with radioimmunoassay values gave a correlation coefficient of 0.95. Using the qualitative test, 100% of the samples with high progesterone concentrations had quantitative values greater than 4.00 ng/ml progesterone with a mean of 12.13 ng/ml. Estrus samples had a mean progesterone concentration of 0.70 ng/ml.
DETECTION OF HEMOGLOBIN VARIANTS IN ERYTHROCYTES BY FLOW CYTOMETRY

Background: With the emergence of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F)-stimulating agents as potential treatments for sickle-cell disease and thalassemias, procedures to monitor the effect of these agents on Hb F levels in individuals will be needed. We developed a rapid procedure that detects fetal hemoglobin in erythrocytes (F cells) using a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated monoclonal antibody against Hb F. Methods: Ten microliters of washed blood was fixed in formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde, then permeabilized in a Triton X-100/PBS solution containing a FITC-labeled monoclonal antibody to Hb F. The blood was analyzed by flow cytometry to determine the percentage of F cells. Results: Nearly 200 Hb F-containing samples were analyzed by this protocol and demonstrated good correlation to percent Hb F results determined by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In addition, a number of samples were fixed and permeabilized using this method as well as a previously-described method that uses dimethyl 3,3′-dithiobispropionimadate (DTBP) as a fixative as well as a different anti-Hb F monoclonal. Good correlation (r = 0.96, r2 = 0.93, P < 0.001) was observed between the two protocols. Conclusions: This procedure is easy, reproducible, and gives accurate F cell results. It can be used to measure a wide range of F cell percentages and may also be used to dual-stain Hb F along with other hemoglobin variants and erythrocyte surface antigens. Cytometry 35:242–248, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Migration patterns of leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in an Ohio old field.

This study compared abundances of leafhoppers at three heights above ground level. Aerial suction traps and sticky traps were used. For most species, aerial abundance at 9.14 m exhibited the same pattern as the aerial abundance at 1.83 m, but neither pattern was a simple function of terrestrial abundance at 0.15 m. A common pattern was for pulses of leafhoppers to appear in the air (at both 1.83 and 9.14 m) early in the first adult generation but not at any other time. In some cases, aerial pattern was related to alary polymorphism or to reproductive maturity. Other species were rarely caught in the air, even at 1.83 m above ground level, despite high abundances on the ground. The data were used to discuss the boundary layer and wind-assisted migration, the oogenesis/flight syndrome and the relationship between migration patterns and habitat isolation and durational stability.
Toward molecular auxetics: Main chain liquid crystalline polymers consisting of laterally attached para‐quaterphenyls

Polymers containing para-quaterphenyl rods laterally attached to the polymer main chain have been synthesized. The molecular design choices which led to use of the quaterphenyl rod to achieve auxetic response will be discussed. Preparative chemistry of the monomers will be described along with the details of the polymerization reaction. Both polyethers and polyesters were prepared. The length of the flexible alkyl main chains which link the rods plays an important role in determining whether the resulting polymers will exhibit liquid crystallinity. Polymers with longer alkyl links exhibit nematic liquid crystallinity and the rods appear to have their long axes oriented roughly parallel and along the main chain direction. X-ray scattering experiments were performed on the polymers both in the quiescent (unstretched) and the stretched states. Results from these experiments suggest that, under tensile strain, site connectivity driven rod-reorientation occurs in these materials giving rise to an increase in the interchain distance for these polymers. This increase in the interchain separation is consistent with our concept of a molecular level auxetic mechanism for this type of designed polymer.
Stimulation of adenosine receptors in the nucleus accumbens reverses the expression of cocaine sensitization and cross-sensitization to dopamine D2 receptors in rats

Adenosine receptors co-localize with dopamine receptors on medium spiny nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons where they antagonize dopamine receptor activity. It remains unclear whether adenosine receptor stimulation in the NAc restores cocaine-induced enhancements in dopamine receptor sensitivity. The goal of these studies was to determine whether stimulating A(1) or A(2A) receptors in the NAc reduces the expression of cocaine sensitization. Rats were sensitized with 7 daily treatments of cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.). Following one-week withdrawal, the effects of intra-NAc microinjections of the adenosine kinase inhibitor (ABT-702), the adenosine deaminase inhibitor (deoxycoformycin; DCF), the specific A(1) receptor agonist (CPA) and the specific A(2A) receptor agonist (CGS 21680) were tested on the behavioral expression of cocaine sensitization. The results indicate that intra-NAc pretreatment of ABT-702 and DCF dose-dependently blocked the expression of cocaine sensitization while having no effects on acute cocaine sensitivity, suggesting that upregulation of endogenous adenosine in the accumbens is sufficient to non-selectively stimulate adenosine receptors and reverse the expression of cocaine sensitization. Intra-NAc treatment of CPA significantly inhibited the expression of cocaine sensitization, which was reversed by both A(1) and A(2A) receptor antagonism. Intra-NAc treatment of CGS 21680 also significantly inhibited the expression of cocaine sensitization, which was selectively reversed by A(2A), but not A(1), receptor antagonism. Finally, CGS 21680 also inhibited the expression of quinpirole cross-sensitization. Together, these findings suggest that adenosine receptor stimulation in the NAc is sufficient to reverse the behavioral expression of cocaine sensitization and that A(2A) receptors blunt cocaine-induced sensitization of postsynaptic D(2) receptors.
Use of the Randomized Response Technique with a New Randomizing Device

Abstract This article presents a new randomizing device to obtain discrete quantitative as well as qualitative data on sensitive problems. The total number of balls in the randomizing device and the ratio of the different color balls which represent different sensitive characteristics are shown to affect the efficiency of estimates.
Comparison of properties of joints prepared by ultrasonic welding and other means

This is the third in a series of papers on the work being done at the Fairchild Republic Company to develop and evaluate ultrasonic welding as a means for aluminum sheet metal assembly. This paper covers a large-joint testing program that compares the static and fatigue properties of joints prepared by mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, resistance spotwelding, resistance weldbonding, ultrasonic welding, and ultrasonic weldbonding. Overlap joints 12 in. wide are used for static, monotonic fatigue, and random spectrum fatigue tests. In addition, relative weight and cost factors have been assessed and incorporated into an overall trade study of the various joining methods.
Spatial Skills Training in Introductory Computing

This paper explores the question as to whether there is a relationship between a student's spatial abilities and her achievement in learning to program. After noting that there does seem to be a correlation, the paper explores the impact of trying to improve a student's spatial abilities. The paper reports on a preliminary study involving high school students. The study results suggest a correlation exists between receiving training in spatial skills and improved student performance in introductory computing. While the sample size in the study is small, this improvement appears to occur for students of different races/ethnicities and across different socio-economic statuses.
Detection of microlesions induced by heavy ions using liposomes filled with fluorescent dye

In cells irradiation by heavy ions has been hypothesized to produce microlesions, regions of local damage. In cell membranes this damage is thought to manifest itself in the form of holes. The primary evidence for microlesions comes from morphological studies of cell membranes, but this evidence is still controversial, especially since holes also have been observed in membranes of normal, nonirradiated, cells. However, it is possible that damage not associated with histologically discernable disruptions may still occur. In order to resolve this issue, we developed a system for detecting microlesions based on liposomes filled with fluorescent dye. We hypothesized that if microlesions form in these liposomes as the result of irradiation, then the entrapped dye will leak out into the surrounding medium in a measurable way. Polypropylene vials containing suspensions of vesicles composed of either dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, or a combination of egg phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol were irradiated at the Brookhaven National Laboratory using 56Fe ions at 1 GeV/amu. In several cases we obtained a significant loss of the entrapped dye above the background level. Our results suggest that holes may form in liposomes as the result of heavy ion irradiation, and that these holes are large enough to allow leakage of cell internal contents that are at least as large as a 1 nm diameter calcein molecule.
Sequential machines and the coding of polypeptides

Abstract The polypeptide coding apparatus of a cell seems to be a sequential machine. A sequential machine consists of an input semigroup, an output semigroup, a set of states, a state function and an output function. A biochemical model of such a machine is composed of the input semigroup of polyribonucleotides, the output semigroup of coded polypeptides, and the set of n -tuples of aminoacyl-S-RNAs which are distinguishable by their function in the machine. The state function and the output function together form the coding function of the synthesizing system.
Toward high-resolution homology modeling of antibody Fv regions and application to antibody-antigen docking.

High-resolution homology models are useful in structure-based protein engineering applications, especially when a crystallographic structure is unavailable. Here, we report the development and implementation of RosettaAntibody, a protocol for homology modeling of antibody variable regions. The protocol combines comparative modeling of canonical complementarity determining region (CDR) loop conformations and de novo loop modeling of CDR H3 conformation with simultaneous optimization of VL-VH rigid-body orientation and CDR backbone and side-chain conformations. The protocol was tested on a benchmark of 54 antibody crystal structures. The median root-mean-square-deviation (rmsd) of the antigen binding pocket comprised of all the CDR residues was 1.5 A with 80% of the targets having an rmsd lower than 2.0 A. The median backbone heavy atom global rmsd of the CDR H3 loop prediction was 1.6 A, 1.9 A, 2.4 A, 3.1 A and 6.0 A for very short (4–6 residues), short (7–9), medium (10–11), long (12–14) and very long (17–22) loops respectively. When the set of ten top-scoring antibody homology models are used in local ensemble docking to antigen, a moderate to high accuracy docking prediction was achieved in seven of fifteen targets. This success in computational docking with high-resolution homology models is encouraging, but challenges still remain in modeling antibody structures for sequences with long H3 loops. This first large-scale antibody-antigen docking study using homology models reveals the level of “functional accuracy” of these structural models towards protein engineering applications.
IMPROVEMENT OF MUNICIPAL PURCHASING MANAGEMENT WITH AN AUTOMATED, USER‐COMPATIBLE SYSTEM

The availability of timely, accurate information is vital to effective management decision making. Many of the information processing operations performed by a municipal purchasing department in acquiring materials and services may be performed by a well-designed and user-compatible computer system which integrates the functions of purchasing and inventory management. Additionally, such a system provides for the desirable features of accountability and audit trails. A management overview of the design goals, capabilities and operating procedures of a system installed in a large Texas city are presented. The interactive system has been developed to allow its transfer to other municipalities and use by persons not experienced with computers. Included are extensive error-checking and direction-giving features and several levels of documentation which assist personnel in correct, efficient use of the system. The Purchasing and Inventory Control (PIC) system may significantly increase the ability of purchasing management to acquire materials faster and at lower costs, and to present the city council with more timely, accurate reports, most of which are computer generated.
Metamorphosis of summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus: cell proliferation and differentiation of the gastric mucosa and developmental effects of altered thyroidal status.

Summer flounder, like most marine fishes studied to date, are stomachless at first feeding, and subsequently acquire gastric function during the process of metamorphosis. Stomach formation is controlled largely by thyroxine (T4). In the present work we sought to understand gastric organogenesis in terms of cell proliferation and its relationship to histological differentiation. The objectives of the study were (1) to obtain a developmental pattern of cell proliferation in the gastric mucosa and to relate that pattern to the progress of gastric differentiation; and (2) to understand the regulatory role of T4 on cell proliferation and histological differentiation by altering the thyroidal status of the developing larvae. We observed that (1) in normally developing larvae, cell proliferation increased by early metamorphic climax (MC), remained high until mid-MC, and decreased to basal levels by late MC; concomitantly, the gastric glands appeared and differentiated in the fundic mucosa, and were complete by late MC; (2) T4 accelerated the differentiation of gastric glands and mucus neck cells, while inhibiting the concomitant increase in cell proliferation observed in controls; and (3) the goitrogen thiourea inhibited both cell proliferation and gastric differentiation compared to controls. These results indicate that T(4) is necessary for the three-fold increase in cell proliferation that occurs in early metamorphic climax, but that high T4 levels promote differentiation at the expense of proliferation. The observed effects would be consistent with the normal, metamorphosis-related increase in whole body T4.
Dynamic Behavior of Multiport Power Electronic Interface Under Source/Load Disturbances

This paper presents the dynamic behavior of multiport power electronic interface (MPEI) under load/source disturbances. A cascaded topology for MPEI is considered. This system is capable of power management for local generations, loads, and storage systems. Large-signal and small-signal models for MPEI are developed. These models are combined with corresponding control algorithms. Simulated and experimental transient responses to disturbances on each port are presented. The behavior of MPEI in response to each disturbance is analyzed. Simulation and experimental results are compared in order to verify the model.
Observations of Argos Performance

Abstract An Argos 32-byte message of known content has been transmitted over a 68-day period from a site located at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The statistical analysis agrees with Service Argos. Due to sparse satellite coverage, only 6% of all transmitted messages are received. Of messages acquired, 9% contain at least one bit error. Error characteristics suggest the occurrence of noise bursts, rather than single-bit random errors. The low probability of seeing a satellite requires transmitting over many hours to ensure a single satellite reception. For such a long transmit duration, it is most efficient to send the same message infrequently (i.e., every 10 min), thus minimizing power consumption. This allows many unique messages to be interleaved, optimizing total information received in the smallest time frame.
Laser Beam Combining Through The Nonlinear Response Of A Strongly Driven Atomic Transition

We present the results of an experimental and theoretical study of the gain experienced by a weak probe beam propagating through a sodium vapor in the presence of an intense pump field that is nearly resonant with the 3s→3p atomic transition. This interaction provides a means by which the outputs of two lasers can be combined coherently. The probe transmission spectrum is comprised of three distinct features, two of which result in amplification of the probe wave. The origin of these features can be traced to the modification of the atomic level structure by the ac Stark effect. The experimentally measured spectra are in good agreement with the predictions of a theoretical model based on the solution of the density-matrix equations of motion for a two-level atom and including the effects of Doppler broadening. The dependence of the induced gain on the pressure of a helium buffer gas has been measured and is in good agreement with the predictions of theory. The maximum gain observed in these experiments occurs at one of the Rabi sidebands and leads to a 38-fold increase in the intensity of the probe wave.
Ribosomal Protein L11 Associates with c-Myc at 5 S rRNA and tRNA Genes and Regulates Their Expression

The c-Myc oncoprotein promotes cell growth by enhancing ribosomal biogenesis. Overexpression of c-Myc and aberrant ribosomal biogenesis lead to deregulated cell growth and tumorigenesis. Hence, c-Myc activity and ribosomal biogenesis must be tightly coordinated during normal homeostasis. We previously found that ribosomal protein L11 inhibits c-Myc activity by blocking the recruitment of its co-activator transformation/transcription domain-associated protein (TRRAP) to the promoter regions of c-Myc target genes that are transcribed by RNA polymerases I and II. In this study, we extended the role of L11 to the regulation of c-Myc-driven transcription of the 5 S rRNA and tRNA genes by RNA polymerase III. L11 co-resided with c-Myc at the 5 S rRNA and tRNA genes and significantly inhibited the binding of TRRAP to these genes. Knocking down endogenous L11 enhanced c-Myc-dependent transcription of these genes. Interestingly, in response to ribosomal stress induced by the treatment of cells with a low dose of actinomycin D or serum starvation, L11 binding to these genes was increased, and inversely TRRAP binding to these genes was decreased. Consistently, knockdown of L11 rescued the reduction of the expression of these genes by the two treatments. These results demonstrate that L11 suppresses c-Myc-dependent and RNA polymerase III-catalyzed transcription of 5 S rRNA and tRNA genes in response to ribosomal stress, ensuring a tight coordination between c-Myc activity and ribosomal biogenesis.
Demutualisation, Control and Efficiency in the U.S. Life Insurance Industry

This paper examines the role of corporate governance in the demutualisation wave in the U.S. life insurance industry during the 1990s and 2000s. The efficiency hypothesis suggests a firm should experience improved performance after demutualisation and managers should only gain from superior performance. Alternately, the managerial welfare hypothesis proposes that executives gain independence of company performance. This research suggests that demutualisation is value-enhancing for firms converting through initial public offerings (IPOs), but value-neutral for firms that convert but stay private. Firms converting into public companies experience increased CEO turnover that leads to efficiency improvement. CEOs of these firms receive higher compensation after demutualisation, but most of the gain is due to a jump in incentive compensation. Firms converting but staying private do not have a similar significant increase in CEO compensation. Overall, our results provide evidence that value-enhancement, not private managerial welfare, motivates demutualisation.
Turkey Ham Properties on Processing and Cured Color Formation

Abstract Turkey hams were prepared from boneless thigh meat and evaluated for yields, texture, and color development when processed in the smokehouse to internal temperatures from 37.8 C to 71.1 C. Meat yields at various smokehouse temperatures significantly (P Heme pigment conversion to the nitric oxide heme pigment form showed a dependence on the internal temperature of the product during heating, typical of cured meat products. The Gardner a/b ratio showed the largest zone of color development between 43 C and 49 C. Gardner +a values (for redness) were significantly (P
Microstrip inversion transition

The structure described allows a microstrip top trace and ground plane to exchange roles. Empirical results are presented for the Ka-band (26.5–40.OGHz). Application ideas are discussed.
Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis: Report of a Patient with Severe Anemia and Clubbing

We report a 31-year-oldman in whom initially localized lymphomatoid granulomatosis was diagnosed at left pneumonectomy. He had severe anemia which is rare and dubbing of the fingers and toes, a feature not previously described. Five months following surgery, disease spread to the right lung, and atypical lymphomatous transformation occurred in cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes, leading to a superior vena cava syndrome. Chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and prednisone resulted in significant resolution initially, but ultimately, the patient had progressive axillary node enlargement and succumbed. Clinical and roentgenographic improvement and later deterioration following pneumonectomy and improvement with chemotherapy were mirrored by changes in degree of clubbing, leukocytosis, and elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Analysis of Freeze-Thaw Embolism in Conifers. The Interaction between Cavitation Pressure and Tracheid Size

Ice formation in the xylem sap produces air bubbles that under negative xylem pressures may expand and cause embolism in the xylem conduits. We used the centrifuge method to evaluate the relationship between freeze-thaw embolism and conduit diameter across a range of xylem pressures (P x ) in the conifers Pinus contorta and Juniperus scopulorum. Vulnerability curves showing loss of conductivity (embolism) with P x down to 28 MPa were generated with versus without superimposing a freezethaw treatment. In both species, the freeze-thaw plus water-stress treatment caused more embolism than water stress alone. We estimated the critical conduit diameter (D f ) above which a tracheid will embolize due to freezing and thawing and found that it decreased from 35 m ma t aP x of 20.5 MPa to 6 m ma t28 MPa. Further analysis showed that the proportionality between diameter of the air bubble nucleating the cavitation and the diameter of the conduit (kL) declined with increasingly negative P x . This suggests that the bubbles causing cavitation are smaller in proportion to tracheid diameter in narrow tracheids than in wider ones. A possible reason for this is that the rate of dissolving increases with bubble pressure, which is inversely proportional to bubble diameter (La Place’s law). Hence, smaller bubbles shrink faster than bigger ones. Last, we used the empirical relationship between Px and Df to model the freeze-thaw response in conifer species. Plants living in high latitude or high altitude environments are often subject to freeze-thaw cycles during the winter season. These temperature changes present a unique challenge to the plants’ xylem because ice formation in the sap leads to the creation of air bubbles in the xylem conduits. Under certain conditions, these bubbles nucleate cavitation, leading to a gas-filled (embolized) conduit that impedes water transport (Scholander et al., 1961; Hammel, 1967; Sucoff, 1969; Zimmermann, 1983).
Narrating the Russian revolution: Institutionalism and continuity across regime change

The vigorous revival of institutionalist theories and methods among economists, political scientists, and other social scientists has prompted a broad reconsideration of how political and economic preferences are transformed into social outcomes. In much of the professional literature, this change has stimulated a shift away from behavioral and empirical methods to those that rely on interpretation of the historical evolution of policies in an organizational framework. Focusing on topics as disparate as the implementation of Keynesian economic policies in the 1930s, United States civil service reform at the turn of the twentieth century, or the evolution of property and other rights in early modern England, institutionalist studies by sociologists, political scientists, and economists have, increasingly, addressed problems by using historical narratives.
Newly approved once-daily formulations of medications for the treatment of Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents.

Edited by Marian W. Roman, PhDThe University of Tennessee, College of Nursing, Knoxville, Tennessee, USAThe National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates the prevalence of Attention Deficit ...
The early evolution of life: solution to Darwin's dilemma.

Recent studies of Precambrian fossils indicate that life on Earth originated earlier than assumed, microscopic life was prevalent in the Precambrian Eon, the tempo and mode of evolution during the Precambrian period were different from other periods, and that only the Precambrian fossil record can be used as evidence of early life. Implications for future research include directing the search for the origin of life away from the geological record, modification of hypotheses about molecular change, use of Precambrian microfossils in dating younger geological units, and progress in defining the nature of major events in early evolution.