cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orienting Strategies in Differential Face Recognition

We examined the hypothesis that differential orienting strategies for own -and other-race faces are responsible for the superiority of own-race over other-race face recognition. White and black subjects viewed both white and blackfaces following inferential or superficial judgement or intentional learning instructions. Experimentally inducing a superficial orienting strategy depressed both own -and other-race recognition scores well below those obtained through both inferential and intentional instructions. Recognition performance under these latter two conditions were equivalent for both black and white subjects. The orienting task manipulation influenced recognition performance, but there was no evidence that it was responsible for the differential recognition effect.
Central actions of R15, a putative peptidergic neuron in Aplysia.

We report that the bursting pacemaker neuron R15 has central actions on other identified neurons in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia californica. The follower cells are located on the dorsal surface of the left lower quadrant of the ganglion and include members of the LC cell cluster. A spontaneous burst of impulses in R15 produces a slow, graded, excitatory potential of up to 8 mV in follower cells. The response begins about 2–3 s after the first impulse in an R15 burst, and reaches its speak at about 4–6 s (corresponding approximately to the end of the R15 burst). In some preparations a biphasic response was seen composed of the early depolarization followed by a slower excitatory or inhibitory phase. All the responses were blocked when R15 was hyperpolarized to prevent spiking. The magnitude of the response was reduced in a graded fashion by prematurely terminating the R15 burst with hyperpolarizing current and was increased when depolarizing current was injected into R15 during a burst. Central actions of R15 were observed in only 28% of our preparations, and their presence may depend on unknown physiological factors. The effects are likely to be mediated by R15 neuropeptides. The accessibility of both R15 and its targets in this preparation should facilitate further analysis of this interaction.
Hepatic bipolar radiofrequency ablation creates coagulation zones close to blood vessels: A finite element study

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation has become an important means of treatment of non-resectable primary and metastatic liver tumours. Recurrence of treated tumours is associated with cancer cell survival next to blood vessels. The paper examines the performance of classical monopolar, and two configurations of bipolar, RF ablation using a LeVeen ten-prong catheter. Finite element method models of monopolar and bipolar configurations were created at 5 mm distance from a vessel of the size of a typical portal vein (10 mm diameter). In one bipolar configuration, the probes were oriented in the same axial direction (asymmetric configuration); in the second bipolar configuration, the two probes were facing each other (symmetric configuration). The distribution of temperature and current density was analysed for three different flow conditions: normal flow, reduced flow due to portal hypertension and high flow. For normal flow, the distance between the formed coagulation zone and the blood vessel was 1.8 mm for monopolar, 1 mm for asymmetric bipolar, and 0.2 mm for symmetric bipolar, configurations. Symmetric bipolar RF ablation creates coagulation zones significantly closer to blood vessels compared with monopolar RF ablation. This may reduce tumour cell survival next to blood vessels and reduce recurrence rates.
Investigations on EM field coupling in dielectric resonator

A structure consisting of a dielectric resonator (DR) placed on a substrate with a spacer in between is considered. The axisymmetric mode of coupling is considered. The theoretical expressions for the resonance fields are derived. The coefficient of coupling between the DR and the microstrip line is numerically evaluated for the limiting case where the height of the spacer goes to zero and with the assumption that the fields in the free space region outside the body of the DR and at the top of the substrate is negligibly small. The numerical results show excellent agreement with the experimental results. The effects of the substrate thickness on the coupling coefficient are also examined. >
Exodus-1 (CCL20): evidence for the participation of this chemokine in spontaneous labor at term, preterm labor, and intrauterine infection.

Aim CCL20, also known as MIP-3 alpha, is a chemokine that participates in chemotaxis of immature dendritic cells, effector/memory T-cells, and B-lymphocytes. The objectives of this study were to determine whether CCL20 can be detected in amniotic fluid (AF) and if AF concentration of this chemokine changes with advancing gestational age, parturition (term and preterm), and intra-amniotic infection/inflammation (IAI).
Fuel property quantification of triglyceride blends with an emphasis on industrial oilseeds camelina, carinata, and pennycress

Abstract Industrial oilseeds camelina (Camelina sativa L.), carinata (Brassica carinata), and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) offer great potential as biofuel feedstocks. Their positive agronomic attributes allow for cropping systems and rotations that increase biofuel production on existing lands. The objective of this study was to perform a comprehensive fuel property evaluation of these promising oilseeds and compare them to several traditional oils. Three industrial (camelina, carinata, pennycress) and four conventional (soybean, canola, sunflower, corn) oilseed feedstocks were evaluated and compared. Both crude and refined oils were used in the evaluation to determine refinement’s effect on fuel properties. Straight vegetable oil (SVO), biodiesel (B100), triglyceride blends (TGB), and renewable diesel (R100) fuel pathways were compared to petroleum diesel for the fuel properties that were measured. The paper focuses on TGBs as an on-farm fuel pathway, since the commercial market for these oils is still emerging. The TGB blend percentage of vegetable oil to E10 gasoline was varied to show its effects on fuel properties. For several feedstock and fuel pathway combinations, this paper presents the first published fuel property results. The physical and chemical properties of TGBs were also studied through phase diagrams and NMR spectroscopy. TGBs were found to be both physically and chemically stable over the expected timescale of use. For the TGBs, several fuel properties were improved compared to SVO due to the addition of gasoline, such as viscosity, density, speed of sound, heating value, and cold flow properties. Flash point was reduced due to the volatility of the gasoline component, hence users should treat TGBs with same handling and storage precautions as gasoline. The results were similar for the industrial oils as the traditional oils in the evaluation. The results show TGB may be an ideal fuel pathway for farm-scale fuel production or for other users in remote areas using locally sourced plant oils as feedstock.
Qualification of OMVPE AlGaAs/GaAs HBT structures using nondestructive photoreflectance spectroscopy

Abstract High performance heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) integrated circuits are extremely dependent upon the uniformity and quality of the III–V compound heteroepitaxial materials used in their fabrication. HBT requirements include the need for excellent control over layer thickness, uniformity, alloy composition, and intentional impurity concentration over a wide range of carrier concentrations. We have used the contactless technique of photoreflectance (PR) to evaluate HBT structures of various epitaxial layer design and correlated the measured PR results with transistor performance. PR was performed in the range 1.3–2.0 eV which is ideally suited to probing AlGaAs/GaAs HBT structures. The resulting signals gave information about the gap energy of the material probed (and thus its composition) and the built-in DC electric fields within the various epitaxial layers. Measurement of the spectral energy of the observed Franz-Keldysh oscillation extrema near the GaAs and AlGaAs edges, were used to determine the built-in electric field in the collector and the emitter regions. These measured fields were in good agreement with electric field distribution calculations obtained by solving the Poisson and the continuity equations for an HBT structure. Run-to-run uniformity of HBT structures from a multi-wafer OMVPE reactor were correlated to measured transistor characteristics.
Modification of the release of cellular constituents by irradiated Escherichia coli.

Abstract A release of cellular constituents occurred when x-irradiated (60,000 r) suspensions of Escherichia coli B/r were incubated in a phosphate buffer-glucose solution at 37 °C. ATP accounted for less than 10% of the total 260-mμ absorbing material released by such cells. The other constituents (showing maximum absorption at 260 mμ) lost from the exposed cells were nucleic acid fragments varying in size from free bases to more complex nucleic acid fragments. No release of peptides above that found with unirradiated cells under similar conditions was observed. The release of nucleic acid fragments was inhibited under each of the following conditions: (a) the absence of phosphate in the suspending fluid; (b) the absence of an exogenous metabolite; (c) the presence of arsenate; (d) a low temperature of incubation, i.e., in an ice bath. Ultraviolet-light-exposed cells, suspended in a glucose-phosphate solution at 37 °C., released 260-mμ absorbing material, and this release was dependent on the same conditions as those found for the x-ray exposed cells.
Re-viewing Her Nights: Modes of excess in Indian cinema

This paper analyzes the debates around the regional language film Avalude Ravukal (Her Nights, d. I.V. Sasi, 1978), a controversial film produced by the Kerala film industry credited as being responsible for launching soft-porn cinema as a genre in India. This paper tracks the shifting circuits of Avalude Ravukal and its fractured aesthetic codes to analyze the role of cultural production in configuring the regional public sphere. The intertextual network of Avalude Ravukal and its reception, functions as a live archive of popular memory through which I can track the mutually constitutive relationship between the ‘excesses’ of cinema and moral anxieties within regional publics, especially around the figure of the prostitute. The paper demonstrates that in order to map the non-linear histories of Indian cinema, it is necessary to examine how this medium is enmeshed in vernacular socialities within the heterogeneous space of the nation.
Using compiled species lists to make biodiversity comparisons among regions: A test case using Oregon butterflies

Abstract We explore two methods that correct for differential sampling effort when estimating the true number of species in a region based on samples such as those typically recorded in museum or conservation databases. The two methods are: (1) a phenomenological model that relies on a saturating sampling curve; and (2) a model based on a lognormal distribution of species abundances. We test these methods using a database for the butterflies of Oregon and find that the distribution of high-diversity areas, using the estimated, or “asymptotic”, diversities, is strikingly different from the geographic pattern one would deduce if the raw data were used, without correcting for differential sampling effort. Further, we show that differences in accuracy exist between the two estimation procedures, and that these differences are aggravated at small sample sizes; we argue that estimates based on the lognormal distribution should be preferred because they can offer substantial improvement over analyses based solely on the raw data, generally without risking overestimation. Lastly, using both the database and estimated values of butterfly diversity, we show that the distribution of endangered and numerically rare butterflies rarely coincides with “hotspots” or centers of biodiversity. Thus, protecting regions of Oregon rich in overall butterfly diversity will not normally protect the bulk of rare or endangered butterfly species.
Simultaneous better than sequential for brief presentations

During perceptually intensive tasks such as reading, there is a bottleneck in the information transfer between the large number of alphanumeric characters available and the acquiring of these characters. This is due mainly to the limited number of characters that one can report at a glance (also known as the “magic number 7 ± 2”) [ Psychol. Rev.63, 81 ( 1956)]. To examine where in the perceptual pathway this bottleneck occurred, several investigators tested and compared performance with simultaneous and with sequential target presentations [ J. Exp. Psychol.79, 1 ( 1969); J. Exp. Psychol.93, 72 ( 1972); Percept. Psychophys.14, 231 ( 1973)]. They found that performance was nearly equal in the two cases and concluded that the bottleneck must be due to the limitation of short-term memory. However, these studies were limited either by a long stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA), or time interval between onsets of icon presentations, or by a lack of poststimulus masking. We report on experiments designed to overcome these limitations. We used shorter SOA’s than did previous investigators, and we removed persistence effects by poststimulus masking. Our stimuli were presented either sequentially or simultaneously. For the sequential presentation a numeral ranging from 0 to 9 was displayed at any one of eight positions 1.5 deg from a central fixation cross. The appearance of the next numeral in another part of the display coincided with the masking of the previous numeral. This was done for trials of one to four numerals and SOA’s of 16.7, 33.3, and 50.0 ms. For the simultaneous presentation, similar numbers of numerals and SOA’s were used, but the numerals were presented at the same time, all followed by masks. We found that, in general, performance declined with reduced SOA. Significantly, in contrast to previous findings, performance at all three SOA’s was better for simultaneous than for sequential presentation, especially for larger numbers of numerals. In addition, control experiments with either one or two sequential masks followed by two simultaneous numerals showed that forward masking and apparent motion cannot be the main factors responsible for the poorer sequential performance. Since the manner in which the numerals were presented (either simultaneous or sequential) influenced performance, the bottleneck is most likely due to the properties of the process for transferring information into short-term memory rather than to the limitation of short-term memory itself. In addition, we confirmed the previous finding that it is still possible to report four sequentially presented numerals with acceptable accuracy if temporal order is not required, and we extended the result to show that it can be done at SOA as brief as 16.7 ms/numeral. Further, we found that eccentricity had relatively little influence on performance.
The rings of Saturn: New near-infrared reflectance measurements and a 0.326–4.08 μm summary

A new high-photometric-precision reflectance spectrum of Saturn's rings covering the spectral region 0.65 to 2.5 microns is presented and three previously unreported absorption features at 1.25, 0.85, and probably 1.04 microns are identified. The 1.25- and 1.04 micron absorptions are due to water ice. The 0.85 microns feature may be due to a combination of 0.81- and 0.90 micron ice absorptions but this feature appears too strong relative to the 1.04 micron band to be completely explained by water ice. Another possibility is that the 0.85 micron band is due to Fe(3+)-bearing minerals in an ice-mineral mixture. This explanation could also account for the drop in the visible and ultraviolet reflectance and the rise in reflectance around 3.6 microns. Finally, a composite spectrum from 0.325 to 4.08 is presented which will be useful for future analysis and laboratory studies.
The power of logical clock abstractions

Vector and matrix clocks are extensively used in asynchronous distributed systems. This paper asks, "how does the clock abstraction generalize?" To address this problem, the paper motivates and proposes logical clocks of arbitrary dimensions. It then identifies and explores the conceptual link between such clocks and knowledge. It establishes the necessary and sufficient conditions on the size and dimension of clocks required to attain any specified level of knowledge about the timestamp of the most recent system state for which this is possible without using any messages in the clock protocol. The paper then gives algorithms to determine the time-stamp of the latest system state about which a specified level of knowledge is attainable in a given system state, and to compute the timestamp of the earliest system state in which a specified level of knowledge about a given system state is attainable. The results are applicable to applications that deal with a certain class of properties, identified as monotonic properties.
Assembly systems with non-exponential machines: Throughput and bottlenecks

Manufacturing equipment on the factory floor is typically unreliable and the buffers are finite. This makes production systems stochastic and nonlinear. Numerous studies addressed the performance analysis of production systems and, in particular, assembly systems, assuming that up- and downtimes of the machines are exponentially distributed. Empirical evidence indicates, however, that the coefficients of variation of up- and downtimes are often less than 1 and, hence, the statistics are not exponential. This paper provides methods for throughput analysis and bottleneck identification in assembly systems with non-exponential machines. Since the resulting systems are non-Markovian, analytical investigation is all but impossible. Therefore, a numerical approach is pursued, based on simulations of systems at hand and a subsequent analytical approximation of the results obtained. This leads to a closed formula for the throughput and a practical method for bottleneck identification. c 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Acquisition and Generalization of Conditioned Reward Value

Adult Ss performed a simple spinwheel task to examine 3 questions about effects of associating neutral stimuli with positive or negative events. Data support earlier studies by demonstrating that such associations result in changes in the verbal evaluation of the previously neutral stimulus, as well as changes in Ss' use of those stimuli as cues for solving other problems. More important, however, the effects are not transient and generalize to various kinds of situations. Finally, a discussion concerns the observation that the mere anticipation of an associated positive or negative event is as effective in developing conditioned reward value as is the actual experience of that association.
The Roles of the Speed and Accuracy of Morphological Processing in the Reading Comprehension of Spanish-Speaking Language Minority Learners

This study examines morphological awareness performance in 27 low-SES Spanish-English bilingual students in Grades 4 through 7. Given that 1) reading fluency is a strong predictor of reading comprehension and 2) bilingual students with poor comprehension are often slow, albeit accurate readers, the primary goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which speed of morphological processing contributes to both reading fluency and reading comprehension in bilinguals. First, comparisons of accuracy and response times indicated that monolinguals significantly outperformed bilinguals on every measure. Further, hierarchical regression analyses showed that morphological processing speed makes significant, unique contributions to both text reading fluency and reading comprehension which are at least equal to those made by morphological processing accuracy. These results underscore the important role of morphological processing efficiency in reading comprehension and suggest that interventions targeting the speed of morphological processing may improve reading comprehension skills for bilingual students.
Two Poles and a Compass

Rho GTPases control fundamental aspects of neutrophil chemotaxis: establishment of front and back and orientation toward the chemoattractant. Two reports in this issue show that activated Cdc42 at the leading edge helps orient the cell's axis in a signaling complex with G beta gamma, PAK1, and PIX alpha; while Rho, activated via G alpha 13, mediates formation of the uropod, which then interacts by mutual negative feedback with the front to reinforce polarization (Li et al., 2003 [this issue of Cell]; Xu et al., [this issue of Cell]).
Shear flow over a wall with variable temperature

The Leveque solution for forced convection due to shear flow over a plate is one of the basic solutions of convective heat transfer. The solution is exact if the fluid velocity is linear, such as that generated by the movement of parallel plates. The solution is asymptotic if the thermal boundary layer is much thinner than the velocity boundary layer, such that the local velocity profile is approximately linear. This occurs for developing thermal boundary layers. Although the author discussed the general case, Leveque originally considered shear flow over a plate with a sudden constant temperature change. The problem was subsequently extended to the constant heat flux case by Worsoe-Schmidt. In both instances exact similarity boundary layer solutions are obtained. In this note he considers the variable wall temperature case. Both analytic and numerical methods will be used.
Effect of humidity and temperature on the adhesive strength of pressure sensitive adhesives

This paper reports the effect of humidity and temperature on the adhesive strength of a pressure sensitive adhesive (Flexbond 150) used to bond Mylar films. It has been found that, ill general, the adhesive strength decreases significantly with an increase in temperature. The effect of humidity on the bonding strength, however, was found to be process dependent. The sample preparation conditions, e.g., press weight for the bonding and the press time, are important in determining the humidity effect. The water sorption isotherm A 24°C for the adhesive was also determined. The amount of water sorbed by the adhesive at 95 percent relative pressure was found to be less than one weight percent.
Prevalence and patterns of same-gender sexual contact among men

The prevalence and patterns of same-gender sexual contact among men are key components of models of the spread of HIV infection and AIDS in the U.S. population. Previous estimates by Kinsey et al. from data collected between 1938 and 1948 have been widely criticized for inadequacies of sample design. New lower-bound estimates of prevalence developed from data from a national sample survey conducted in 1970 indicate that minimums of 20.3 percent of adult men in the United States in 1970 had sexual contact to orgasm with another man at some time in life; 6.7 percent had such contact after age 19; and between 1.6 and 2.0 percent had such contact within the previous year. Although these estimates incorporate adjustments for missing data, the likelihood of underreporting suggests that these estimates might be lower bounds on the prevalence of same-gender sex among men. Two sets of alternative estimates are derived to assess the sensitivity of these estimates to the assumptions made in imputing values to missing data. Detailed estimates are presented by frequency of contact, age, education, and marital status; and supporting estimates are derived from a 1988 national survey. Data from both the 1970 and 1988 surveys indicate that never-married men are more likely than other men to have had same-gender sexual contacts within the last year. The 1970 survey also indicates, however, that approximately half the men estimated to have such contacts are found among the more numerous population of currently or previously married men.
The chemotherapy of infectious diarrhea with sulfathiazole

Summary Laboratory data which would suggest that sulfathiazole might be asatisfactory chemotherapeutic agent in infectious diarrhea are presented. Clinical results obtained in seventeen cases of infectious diarrheas treated with sulfathiazole are presented. These are excellent results, when compared to 113 similar cases treated during the preceding decade without chemotherapy. Also presented are sixteen cases of noninfectious diarrhea treated withthe drug with equally good results.
An examination of hypervelocity particle penetration parameters for thin films flown in space

Abstract Many materials and techniques have been developed by the authors to sample the flux of particles in Low Earth Orbit (LEO); and through regular in situ sampling of the flux in LEO, the materials and techniques have produced data which compliment the data now being amassed by Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) research activities. A comparison of the data provided by LDEF studies with data derived from the analysis of other materials which have been exposed to the space environment has been ongoing. In order to augment the amount of material returned in a form which can be analyzed on Earth, the survivability of the experiment as well as the captured particles has been assessed. Using Sandia National Laboratory's hydrodynamic computer code CTH, hypervelocity impacts on the materials which comprise the experiments have been investigated. The progress of these studies will be reported.
Occupational therapy community practice and home assessments: Use of the Home Safety Self-Assessment Tool (HSSAT) to support aging in place

More than 70 million Americans are expected to be 65 years or older by 2030, with 8.7 million 85 or older. Occupational therapists can provide client and population-centered interventions to promote home safety, functional abilities, and quality of life to support older adults' desires for independence and to age in place. This includes the use of assistive technology, home modifications, and rehabilitation principles, to design real life solutions to support the needs of older adults. Using case study methodology this paper focuses on the development and pilot-testing of the Home Safety Self-Assessment Tool (HSSAT), a new home assessment, designed for use by older individuals to promote home safety and aging in place. The results suggest the tool may assist older adults in identifying environmental factors that are related to falls and facilitate their ability to age in place.
Reliable peer-to-peer end system multicasting through replication

A key challenge in peer-to-peer computing system is to provide decentralized and yet reliable services on top of a network of loosely coupled, weakly connected and possibly unreliable peers. This work presents an effective dynamic passive replication scheme designed to provide reliable multicast service in peer-cast, an efficient and self-configurable peer-to-peer end system multicast (ESM) system. We first describe the design of a distributed replication scheme, which enables reliable subscription and multicast dissemination of information in an environment of inherently unreliable peers. Then we present an analytical model to discuss its fault tolerance properties, and report a set of initial experiments, showing the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Strong extension axioms and Shelah’s zero-one law for choiceless polynomial time

This paper developed from Shelah's proof of a zero-one law for the complexity class “choiceless polynomial time,” defined by Shelah and the authors. We present a detailed proof of Shelah's result for graphs, and describe the extent of its generalizability to other sorts of structures. The extension axioms, which form the basis for earlier zero-one laws (for first-order logic, fixed-point logic, and finite-variable infinitary logic) are inadequate in the case of choiceless polynomial time; they must be replaced by what we call the strong extension axioms. We present an extensive discussion of these axioms and their role both in the zero-one law and in general.
A Morphologically Conserved Nonapoptotic Program Promotes Linker Cell Death in Caenorhabditis elegans

Apoptosis, cell death characterized by stereotypical morphological features, requires caspase proteases. Nonapoptotic, caspase-independent cell death pathways have been postulated; however, little is known about their molecular constituents or in vivo functions. Here, we show that death of the Caenorhabditis elegans linker cell during development is independent of the ced-3 caspase and all known cell death genes. The linker cell employs a cell-autonomous death program, and a previously undescribed engulfment program is required for its clearance. Dying linker cells display nonapoptotic features, including nuclear crenellation, absence of chromatin condensation, organelle swelling, and accumulation of cytoplasmic membrane-bound structures. Similar features are seen during developmental death of neurons in the vertebrate spinal cord and ciliary ganglia. Linker cell death is controlled by the microRNA let-7 and Zn-finger protein LIN-29, components of the C. elegans developmental timing pathway. We propose that the program executing linker cell death is conserved and used during vertebrate development.
A Membrane Bending Model of Outer Hair Cell Electromotility

Abstract We propose a new mechanism for outer hair cell electromotility based on electrically induced localized changes in the curvature of the plasma membrane (flexoelectricity). Electromechanical coupling in the cell's lateral wall is modeled in terms of linear constitutive equations for a flexoelectric membrane and then extended to nonlinear coupling based on the Langevin function. The Langevin function, which describes the fraction of dipoles aligned with an applied electric field, is shown to be capable of predicting the electromotility voltage displacement function. We calculate the electrical and mechanical contributions to the force balance and show that the model is consistent with experimentally measured values for electromechanical properties. The model rationalizes several experimental observations associated with outer hair cell electromotility and provides for constant surface area of the plasma membrane. The model accounts for the isometric force generated by the cell and explains the observation that the disruption of spectrin by diamide reduces force generation in the cell. We discuss the relation of this mechanism to other proposed models of outer hair cell electromotility. Our analysis suggests that rotation of membrane dipoles and the accompanying mechanical deformation may be the molecular mechanism of electromotility.
Palaeoecology: Ecosystems, Environments, and Evolution

Palaeoecology: Ecosystems, Environments, and Evolution, P.J. Brenchley and D.A.T. Harper, 1997, Stanley Thornes, Ltd., London, 230 p. (Softcover, $30.00) ISBN: 0-412-43450-4. Textbook authors are faced with a nearly impossible task. They must present an up-to-date summary of the essential elements of their subject. They must discuss topics in enough depth and detail to make sense, yet concisely in order to keep the book at a reasonable length. Finally, they must reach two very different and hard-to-please audiences, teachers and students. Despite this immense challenge, Brenchley and Harper have succeeded in writing a comprehensive and easy-to-read textbook of paleoecology that is welcome in this broad and fast-changing field. The first chapter outlines Brenchley and Harpers' vision for paleoecology. The principal focus of the book is evolutionary paleoecology, that is “changes in the planet's biota and its relationship to environment through geologic time.” Following a brief historical summary of the field and the necessary definitions, the temporal theme emerges with a description of change in Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere over the 4.5 billion years since Earth formed. The chapter ends with the role of the biota in planetary global change presented in the context of the Gaia hypothesis and geophysiology. Whereas I agree with the authors' conceptual approach to evolutionary paleoecology, I am uncomfortable with the reference to geophysiology. Interrelationships and feedbacks between Earth and life can …
Report on new types of intramedullary rods and treatment effectiveness data for selection of intramedullary rodding in osteogenesis imperfecta.

Major advances in the surgical treatment of fractures of long bones in children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (O.I.) have been made in the last several years. The current mainstay of treatment is bracing and active rehabilitation. When this fails surgery is indicated. The type of fixation device used is generally some type of stainless steel rod. The rod stabilizes the fracture as well as accepts the load across the fracture site thus enabling the fracture to heal. However, the current rods in use have complications. One such complication is cortical atrophy felt to be secondary to the removal of stress from the bone. This phenomena is called stress shielding. Stress shielding in the current rods prompted the study of two new types of rods which more closely approximate the modulus of elasticity of bone. The use of such rods should eliminate the problems of stress shielding. The following paper describes the effectiveness of the various intramedullary rods in the treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta fractu...
Can Everyone be Wrong? A Reading of John 11.1–12.8

Reading John 11.1–12.8, focusing upon the roles of Martha, Mary and ‘the Jews’, suggests that widely held positions concerning Martha's expression of faith in 11.27, the function of ‘the Jews’ across the narrative as a whole, and Mary's relationship to Jesus, especially in the light of 11.2, 31–3, 45; 12.1–8, should be questioned. The death and the raising of Lazarus manifest the glory of God and are the means by which the Son will be glorified (11.4, 40). Consequently, the passage summons Johannine readers to transcend understandable sorrow and pain generated by the menacing realm of human mortality (11.19, 21–2, 31, 33, 39) by means of belief in Jesus, the resurrection and the life (11.25–6).
Supporting Multiple Information-Seeking Strategies in a Single System Framework

This study investigates the support of multiple information seeking strategies (ISSs) within a single system, and the relation between varieties of ISSs and system design. It proposes to construct and evaluate an interactive information retrieval system which can adaptively support multiple ISSs, and allow change from one ISS to another within an ISS space. It is conducted in a series of steps: iterative designing -evaluating of several systems supporting different ISSs; specifying an interaction structure for multiple ISSs; and, implementing and evaluating a dynamically adaptive system supporting multiple ISSs. The study aims to make a contribution to interactive information retrieval drawing attention to user interface design, and to HCI, in integration of multiple support techniques within a single system framework.
Impact of a large wildfire on water-soluble organic aerosol in a major urban area: the 2009 Station Fire in Los Angeles County

This study examines the nature of water-soluble organic aerosol measured in Pasadena, CA, under typical conditions and under the influence of a large wildfire (the 2009 Station Fire). During non-fire periods, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) variability was driven by photochemical production processes and sea breeze transport, resulting in an average diurnal cycle with a maximum at 15:00 local time (up to 4.9 μg C m^(−3)). During the Station Fire, primary production was a key formation mechanism for WSOC. High concentrations of WSOC (up to 41 μg C m^(−3)) in smoke plumes advected to the site in the morning hours were tightly correlated with nitrate and chloride, numerous aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) organic mass spectral markers, and total non-refractory organic mass. Processed residual smoke was transported to the measurement site by the sea breeze later in the day, leading to higher afternoon WSOC levels than on non-fire days. Parameters representing higher degrees of oxidation of organics, including the ratios of the organic metrics m/z 44:m/z 57 and m/z 44:m/z 43, were elevated in those air masses. Intercomparisons of relative amounts of WSOC, organics, m/z 44, and m/z 43 show that the fraction of WSOC comprising acid-oxygenates increased as a function of photochemical aging owing to the conversion of aliphatic and non-acid oxygenated organics to more acid-like organics. The contribution of water-soluble organic species to the organic mass budget (10th–90th percentile values) ranged between 27 %–72 % and 27 %–68 % during fire and non-fire periods, respectively. The seasonal incidence of wildfires in the Los Angeles Basin greatly enhances the importance of water-soluble organics, which has implications for the radiative and hygroscopic properties of the regional aerosol.
Rurality and birth outcomes: findings from southern appalachia and the potential role of pregnancy smoking.

Context: Rates of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) vary by region, with disparities particularly evident in the Appalachian region of the South. Community conditions related to rurality likely contribute to adverse birth outcomes in this region. Purpose: This study examined associations between rurality and related community conditions, and newborn outcomes in southern Appalachia, and explored whether pregnancy smoking explained such associations. Methods: Data for all births in a southern Appalachian county over a 2-year period were extracted from hospital records. Findings: Data were available for 4,144 births, with 45 different counties of residence. Babies born to women from completely rural counties, on average, weighed 700 g less, were 1.5 inches shorter, and were born over 3 weeks earlier than less rural infants. In addition, these babies were 4.5 times more likely to be LBW, 4 times more likely to be PTB, and 5 times more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Effects were also found for per capita income, poverty rate, and unemployment rate, all of which were associated with rurality. Some, but not all of the association was explained by elevated rates of pregnancy smoking. Conclusions: Babies born to women residing in rural and economically depressed counties in southern Appalachia are at substantially increased risk for poor birth outcomes. Improving these outcomes in the rural South will likely require addressing access to health services and information, health care provider retention, transportation services, employment opportunities, and availability of public health services including smoking cessation assistance.
Correlates and outcomes of warfarin initiation in kidney transplant recipients newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation

In the kidney transplant population with atrial fibrillation (AF), evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of warfarin treatment is lacking. We used fee-for-service Medicare claims to identify kidney transplant recipients with newly diagnosed AF from the United States Renal Data System. Warfarin use within 30 days of AF diagnosis was ascertained from Medicare Part D prescription claims (2007–11) or using a validated algorithm (1997–2011). The study end points were (i) the composite of death, stroke or gastrointestinal bleed, (ii) death and (iii) death-censored graft failure. Warfarin user and non-user groups were balanced using inverse probability of treatment weighting and hazard ratios were (HRs) estimated using Cox regression. Among 718 subjects with an indication for anticoagulation, 24% initiated warfarin treatment within 30 days of AF diagnosis. Age was the only independent correlate of warfarin use [odds ratio = 1.02 per year; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01–1.04]. In the larger cohort of 6492 patients with AF, warfarin use [(23.5%) versus non-use (76.5%)] was associated with small and non-significant reductions in the composite of death, stroke or gastrointestinal bleed (HR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.83–1.02), death (HR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.82–1.02) and death-censored graft failure (HR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.76–1.08). Our study suggests the need for clinical trials of warfarin use in the kidney transplant population with AF.
Managing brown-headed cowbirds to sustain abundance of black-capped vireos

Brood parasites can appreciably decrease fecundity of susceptible songbird hosts, which can often cause a decrease in host abundance. Wildlife managers use brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) management to reduce parasitism frequency and benefit the conservation of the endangered black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla); however, intensity of management needed to increase vireo abundance is not well-understood. We used sensitivity analyses of population models for black-capped vireos to assess effects on abundance of particular changes in parasitism frequency. Our models suggest that the parasitism frequency vireos can tolerate while maintaining abundance in a particular location is ≤30%. If parasitism frequency is high, trapping cowbirds during ≥1 of every 3 years may be sufficient for reducing parasitism enough to maintain abundance at managed locations. Cowbird management programs may need to be intensive in initial years to increase abundance of vireos being managed if the initial abundance is low. Rotating locations of traps each year among managed locations may be effective for maintaining vireo abundance while decreasing overall trapping effort and making more efficient use of management funds. Increasing and restoring habitat concurrent with cowbird management would likely further increase the likelihood of establishing and maintaining vireo abundance in managed locations. © The Wildlife Society, 2013
Nonextensive statistical mechanics: Applications to high energy physics

Nonextensive statistical mechanics was proposed in 1988 on the basis of the nonadditive entropy S q = k (1− P i p q )/(q− 1) (q2 R ) which generalizes that of Boltzmann-Gibbs S BG = S 1 =−k P i pi ln pi. This theory extends the applicability of standard statistical mechanics in order to also cover a wide class of anomalous systems which violate usual requirements such as ergodicity. Along the last two decades, a variety of applications have emerged in natural, artificial and social systems, including high energy phenomena. A brief review of the latter will be presented here, emphasizing some open issues.
Automatic illustration of 3D geometric models: surfaces

Computer-generated models are becoming increasingly complex in structure, and therefore more difficult to display within single concise images. To better convey to the viewer overall shape information about the model, the advantages of line drawings and shaded surface renderings need to be used cooperatively. A system based on the techniques of traditional illustrators is described for automatically generating illustrations of complex three dimensional models. The system relies upon a richer set of display primitives, which are also outlined. Algorithmic details for emphasizing significant model components are discussed, and some preliminary results are presented.
The chromatin remodelers ISWI and ACF1 directly repress Wingless transcriptional targets

The highly conserved Wingless/Wnt signaling pathway controls many developmental processes by regulating the expression of target genes, most often through members of the TCF family of DNA-binding proteins. In the absence of signaling, many of these targets are silenced, by mechanisms involving TCFs that are not fully understood. Here we report that the chromatin remodeling proteins ISWI and ACF1 are required for basal repression of WG target genes in Drosophila. This regulation is not due to global repression by ISWI and ACF1 and is distinct from their previously reported role in chromatin assembly. While ISWI is localized to the same regions of Wingless target gene chromatin as TCF, we find that ACF1 binds much more broadly to target loci. This broad distribution of ACF1 is dependent on ISWI. ISWI and ACF1 are required for TCF binding to chromatin, while a TCF-independent role of ISWI-ACF1 in repression of Wingless targets is also observed. Finally, we show that Wingless signaling reduces ACF1 binding to WG targets, and ISWI and ACF1 regulate repression by antagonizing histone H4 acetylation. Our results argue that WG signaling activates target gene expression partly by overcoming the chromatin barrier maintained by ISWI and ACF1.
Dual-edge triggered level converting flip-flops

Level converting flip-flops are critical elements in dual-V/sub DD/ design for level conversion at the interface from low supply to high supply regions. Level converting flip-flops also provide energy savings on the clock distribution network by using low-swing clock signals. We propose dual-edge triggered level converting flip-flops that provide data sampling and level converting functions at both rising and falling edges of a low-swing clock. Adding the dual-edge triggering feature to level converting flip-flops, the clock frequency can be reduced by half, resulting in 50% power savings on the clock tree in addition to the savings due to low voltage swing clock. Moreover, the proposed flip-flops outperform the existing level converting flip-flops in terms of performance. The dual-edge triggering capability is achieved by using a dual pulse clock generator that generates short pulses at both rising and falling edges of the clock. Based on simulation results in a 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS technology, the proposed flip-flops exhibit up to 68% delay reduction as compared to existing level converting flip-flops.
Vertical-cavity laser diode polarization switching and control

Summary form only given. It is demonstrated that the polarization characteristics of VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting laser) diodes can be uniquely influenced by the geometric transverse cavity shape. The laser output polarization direction is controlled by intentionally introducing anisotropy in VCSEL diodes using novel transverse cavity shapes. Orthogonal polarization switching of the VCSEL fundamental transverse optical mode is demonstrated. Whereas circular VCSELs can have competing orthogonal polarizations in the fundamental mode, a single polarization in an arbitrary direction can be selected and maintained using a rhombus-shaped cavity. Cross-shaped VCSELs provide a means for modulating the fundamental mode between orthogonal polarizations. >
Interaction of lipopolysaccharide with the Antimicrobial Peptide “Cecropin A”

In our studies of preventing the contamination of plant commodities by the carcinogenic fungal toxin, aflatoxin, we found that growth of the toxigenic fungus, Aspergillus flavus, was strongly inhibited by cecropin A (CA). Cecropins, originally found in insects, are antimicrobial polypeptides inert to eukaryotes but biocidal to prokaryotes (Boman and Hultmark, 1987). Examing the antimicrobial activity of CA further, we found that the activity was inhibited by a bacterial membrane component, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this paper we describe the physicochemical interaction of LPS with CA and the concomitant inhibition of the microbicdal activity of CA.
Dispersion of anomalous azimuthal rotation and circular extinction contrast in dyed K2SO4 crystals

We present measurements of the dispersion of anomalous azimuthal rotation signals from dyed crystals that are at variance with our predictions based on a model of these effects predicated on the predominance of Rayleigh scattering from isolated dye molecules (Kaminsky et al. J Phys Chem A 107:2800-2807, 2003). Here, we extend our scattering model to include the effects of the absorption and refraction of individual dyes that are inclined in a biased manner with respect to the eigenmodes of the medium. Our revised model describes the wavelength dependence of the rotations. It is likely that absorption, refraction, and Rayleigh scattering are all manifest, with absorption and refraction being the leading effects.