cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of orthorhombic TlSr2CuO5

Abstract TlSr 2 CuO 5 has been synthesized in polycrystalline form. Powder X-ray diffraction studies indicate an orthorhombic structure; space group Pmmm ; a = 3.661(2), b = 3.793(1), c = 8.99(3)A. The presence of short Cu O bonds indicates the high formal valence for Cu. TlSr 2 CuO 5 is found to be metallic and no superconductivity could be observed down to 4.2 K.
NEW LIGHT ON TAIWAN HIGHLAND PREHISTORY

Compared to the Western Plains and the East Coast, archaeological research in the central Taiwan Highlands has been very limited. In recent decades, not only most CRM archaeology but also the most active archaeological excavations in Taiwan have been conducted in the lowlands, giving results which have greatly enriched our understanding of Taiwanese prehistory. Nevertheless, archaeological study in the mountainous areas, nowadays mostly inhabited by Austronesian-speaking Formosan people, lapsed after the Japanese colonial period (18951945). Although some excavation and survey projects have been conducted in the highlands since the 1980s (e.g. Chiu and Gao 1988; Tsang and Chang 1995, 1996; Liu and Ho 1998), the limited literature is mostly based on the work of Japanese archaeologists and ethnologists undertaken over sixty years ago. To have a more comprehensive discussion about prehistoric island-wide population movements and cultural interactions, further archaeological work in the interior mountains of Taiwan is necessary. The National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung commissioned a digital museum project on Tsou culture in 2001 and 2002. During this time, the authors conducted archaeological fieldwork in the Ali Shan area of central Taiwan (Fig. 1). Abundant sites and remains were researched during this project and the results are presented here.
A slippery directional slope: Individual differences in using slope as a directional cue

Navigators rely on many different types of cues to build representations of large-scale spaces. Sloped terrain is an important cue that has received recent attention in comparative and human spatial research. However, the studies to date have been unable to determine how directional slope information leads to more accurate spatial representations. Moreover, whereas some studies have shown that the inclusion of slope cues improves performance on spatial tasks across participants (Kelly, 2011; Restat, Steck, Mochnatzki, & Mallot, 2004), other research has suggested individual differences in the benefits of slope cues (Chai & Jacobs, 2010; Nardi, Newcombe, & Shipley, 2011). We sought to clarify the role of sloped terrain in improving the representation of large-scale environments. In Experiment 1, participants learned the layout of buildings in one of two desktop virtual environments: either a directionally sloped terrain or a completely flat one. Participants in the sloped environment outperformed those in the flat environment. However, participants used slope information as an additional cue, rather than as a preferred reference direction. In Experiment 2, the two virtual environments were again either flat or sloped, but we increased the complexity of the relations between the slope and the path. In this experiment, better performance in the sloped environment was only seen for participants with good self-reported senses of direction. Taken together, the studies show that slope provides useful information for building environmental representations in simple cases, but that individual differences emerge in more complex situations. We suggest that good and bad navigators use different navigational strategies.
Effect of pressure stress work and viscous dissipation in some natural convection flows

Abstract A regular two-parameter perturbation analysis is presented here to study the effects of both viscous dissipation and pressure stress on natural convection flows. Four different vertical flows have been analyzed, those adjacent to an isothermal surface and uniform heat flux surface, a plane plume and flow generated from a horizontal line energy source on a vertical adiabatic surface, or wall-plume. For high gravity levels, stress work effects may be important for gases at very low temperatures, and for high Prandtl number liquids. Significant changes in heat transfer and flow quantities are observed even at moderate values of the perturbation parameters. For the entire range of Prandtl number values considered, the viscous dissipation term is seen to inhibit heat transfer from the surface for heated upward flows. The pressure term enhances heat transfer from the surface for lower Prandtl numbers. However, this effect is seen to reverse at Pr = 100, for both the isothermal and uniform flux surfaces. It is observed that viscous dissipation effects on heat transfer are much smaller than those due to the pressure stress, for many practical circumstances.
Undergraduates' Class Standing and Critical Thinking

The outcome of the debate over the generdzability of critical thinking has important implications for educational practice. At one extreme, it would suggcst that critical thinking as an "educational ideal" be discarded and, at the other, that the entue curriculum be unified by training in general thought processes (Norris, 1992). Even in the absence of such training, however, if aspects of skill in thinking are common across domains, the completion of a college curriculum could reasonably be assumed to be associated with the exercise of reasoning and, hence, an increase in ability to think. To test this hypothesis, the knowledge-independent Cornell Critical Thinlung Test (Ennis & Milman, 1985) was administered to freshmen (n = 57), sophomores (n = 46), juniors (n = 29), and seniors (n = 28) enrolled in different "required" psychology courses. Regression analyses showed that class standing accounted for .04 proportion of the variability in critical thinking when applied as che sole predictor (r,,, = .21, p< .01) and for .02 after statistically controlhng for independently obtained American College Test composite score and grade point avernge (GPA) (F,,,,, = 4.31, p<.05). The ACT score accounted for .32 and GPA for .09 proportion of the variabihty in scores on critical thinking (r,,,s = .57 and .30, respectively, ps< .0001). While a number of investigators (e.g., McPeck, 1981) have argued that domain-independent reasoning skills are not generalized co specific domains, the present results provide little evidence chat those acquired in the pursuit of specific domains (as represented by a college curriculum) are meaningfully generalized to domain-independent problems.
Hot-carrier relaxation in quantum well and bulk GaAs at high carrier densities: femtoseconds to nanoseconds

An investigation of hot carrier relaxation in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs multiple quantum wells and bulk GaAs in the high carrier density limit is presented. Two techniques have been employed: luminescence upconversion with < 80 fs temporal resolution has been used to cover the range from 100 fs to 100 ps, and time-correlated single-photon counting to cover the range from 100 ps to 2 ns. Electron temperatures as a function of time were determined from the slope of the high energy tail of the time-resolved photoluminescence spectra. Our results show that hot electron cooling rates in the quantum wells begin to become significantly slower than that in the bulk when the photogenerated carrier density is above a critical value of approximately 2 X 1018 cm-3; the difference in cooling rates increases rapidly with increasing carrier density. The time constant characterizing the power loss of hot carriers is also determined and discussed. A comparison is made with previous publications to resolve the confusion concerning the difference in cooling rates between quasi-2D and 3D systems.
Synthetic Models For the Cysteinate-Ligated Non-Heme Iron Enzyme Superoxide Reductase: Observation and Structural Characterization by XAS of an FeIII-OOH Intermediate

Superoxide reductases (SORs) belong to a new class of metalloenzymes that degrade superoxide by reducing it to hydrogen peroxide. These enzymes contain a catalytic iron site that cycles between the FeII and FeIII states during catalysis. A key step in the reduction of superoxide has been suggested to involve HO2 binding to FeII, followed by innersphere electron transfer to afford an FeIII−OO(H) intermediate. In this paper, the mechanism of the superoxide-induced oxidation of a synthetic ferrous SOR model ([FeII(SMe2N4(tren))]+ (1)) to afford [FeIII(SMe2N4(tren)(solv))]2+ (2-solv) is reported. The XANES spectrum shows that 1 remains five-coordinate in methanolic solution. Upon reaction of 1 with KO2 in MeOH at −90 °C, an intermediate (3) is formed, which is characterized by a LMCT band centered at 452(2780) nm, and a low-spin state (S = 1/2), based on its axial EPR spectrum (g⊥ = 2.14; g∥ = 1.97). Hydrogen peroxide is detected in this reaction, using both 1H NMR spectroscopy and a catalase assay. Intermedi...
Perception and Representation

I oppose the popular view that the phenomenal character of perceptual experience consists in the subject's representing the (putative) perceived object as being so-and-so. The account of perceptual experience I favor instead is a version of the “Theory of Appearing” that takes it to be a matter of the perceived object's appearing to one as so-and-so, where this does not mean that the subject takes or believes it to be so-and-so. This plays no part in my criticisms of Representationalism. I mention it only to be up front as to where I stand. My criticism of the Representationalist position is in sections. (1) There is no sufficient reason for positing a representative function for perceptual experience. It doesn't seem on the face of it to be that, and nothing serves in place of such seeming. (2) Even if it did have such a function, it doesn't have the conceptual resources to represent a state of affairs. (3) Even if it did, it is not suited to represent, e.g., a physical property of color. (4) Finally, even if I am wrong about the first three points, it is still impossible for the phenomenal character of the perceptual experience to consist in it's representing what it does. My central argument for this central claim of the paper is that it is metaphysically, de re possible that one have a certain perceptual experience without it's presenting any state of affairs. And since all identities hold necessarily, this identity claim fails.
Pandemics: avoiding the mistakes of 1918.

As bodies piled up, the United States' response to the 'Spanish flu' was to tell the public that there was no cause for alarm. The authority figures who glossed over the truth lost their credibility, says John M. Barry.
Will the Global Information Infrastructure be the Library of the Future? Central and Eastern Europe as a Case Example

Cet article s'interesse aux problemes techniques et politiques liees au developpement d'une infrastructure internationale pour la diffusion de l'information, en etudiant l'emergence de structures d'information nationale dans six pays post-communistes d'Europe du Centre et de l'Est. L'etude a consiste dans l'interview de plus de 300 directeurs de bibliotheques, de directeurs de reseaux informatises, de responsables administratifs et de divers professionnels. Cette etude a ete realisee en 1993 et 1994 en Croatie, en Republique tcheque, en Hongrie, Pologne, Slovaquie et Slovenie; en 1994, une enquete a ete faite par voie postale aupres des bibliotheques de recherche de ces pays. Apres avair presente les principes adoptes par le G 7 pour collaborer dans la construction d'une infrastructure planetaire de l'information, l'auteur donne des exemples de la maniere dont ces principes pourraient etre presentes dans ces pays.
Holocene stratigraphy and depositional history of the Narragansett Bay System, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

An extensive seismic reflection survey has been used to gain further knowledge of Holocene stratigraphy and depositional history in the Narragansett Bay System (NBS). The early Holocene stream-dissected surface beneath the NBS is interpreted as having been flooded by the Holocene sea in a manner suggested by Oldale & O'Hara's (1980) sea-level-rise curve. The sea initially is believed to have penetrated the pre-NBS East Passage trunk valley about 9000 yr BP and subsequently spread landward via the trunk valley and its branches. The Holocene sediments display stratigraphic relationships that differ spatially. At passage mouths, the basal unconformity is inferred to be covered over with some 3 m of paralic and 5 m of marine sands and silts separated, by a transgressive unconformity. In contrast the interior sequences reveal (a) a valley section up to more than 15 m thick in which the regressional unconformity is overlain by probable lower fluvial and/or estuarine sand-silt facies that commonly grades upward to an estuarine silt-clay facies and (b) an interfluve section in which a basal transgressive unconformity is blanketed by an estuarine nearshore sand-silt facies that locally may change upward to a silt-clay facies. Primarily Holocene silt-clay accretion, produced by sedimentation processes associated with net non-tidal estuarine circulation, infilled the evolving NBS. Depositional bodies, lenticular in shape and comprised of 12 m or more of sediment, developed in lowlands near Gould Island (˜9000 yr BP), in Upper Narragansett Bay (˜7500 yr BP), around Hope Island (˜7500 yr BP) and in Mt Hope Bay (˜6250 yr BP) with an average minimal sedimentation rate of 1.6–2.2 mm yr-1. Silt-clay deposition, commonly gas-bearing, has buried the basal relief in most of the NBS upper and middle portions except for middle East Passage. A comparison of NBS sedimentation with that of Chesapeake, Delaware and Hudson Estuaries shows that the estuaries to the south have accumulated more sediment over a slightly longer period yet, with the exception of the higher rate in the Hudson Estuary, the sedimentation rates appear to be similar.
Velocity field for the trishear model

A general method for the derivation of velocity fields consistent with the basic kinematics of the trishear model of fault-propagation folding is given. We show that the fields can be written as explicit functions of position within the deformation zone. To demonstrate the approach, several different linear and non-linear velocity fields are derived and plotted. We show that the trishear zone need not be symmetric and that the trishear model produces 1/r singular strain rates, consistent with results for cracks in elastic–plastic materials. A continuous formulation of heterogeneous trishear is also presented.
Statistical Evaluation of Alternative Models: Application to Ligand-Protein Binding'

Abstract A new statistical procedure is described which permits the direct, quantitative comparison of alternative physical models for a set of experimental results. Its reliability is demonstrated through a computer simulation study, and its usefulness is illustrated in the analysis of nonlinear van't Hoff and Arrhenius plots for selected cases of steroid-protein binding and enzyme catalysis.
Comparative evaluation of warm mix asphalt containing high percentages of reclaimed asphalt pavement

This paper compared rut resistance, fatigue resistance and moisture susceptibility of plant-produced asphalt mixtures paved in different structural layers, in which the combined effects of warm–mix asphalt (WMA) technologies and high percentages of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) were evaluated through multiple laboratory performance tests. WMA technologies included foaming process and the addition of surfactant based Evotherm additive into asphalt binder. A total of fifteen WMA and control HMA mixtures were evaluated with RAP content ranging from 0% up to 40%. Laboratory performance tests included asphalt pavement analyzer (APA) rutting, Hamburg Wheel-tracking, flow number, tensile strength ratio (TSR), resilient modulus (MR) ratio, dissipated creep strain energy (DCSEf) method from Superpave indirect tension (IDT) tests, 50% stiffness reduction method and plateau value method from beam fatigue tests. The results showed that WMA-high RAP mixtures generally exhibited less rutting and moisture resistance than HMA-high RAP mixtures but better than WMA-low RAP. On the contrary, WMA-high RAP mixtures expressed better fatigue resistance than HMA-high RAP or HMA-low RAP regardless of WMA technology and pavement layer. In summary, rutting might still be a concern for WMA-high RAP mixtures while fatigue concern may not exist, and WMA-high RAP mixtures showed satisfactory moisture resistance with only one exception of foamed base WMA mixture.
Sudden Cardiac Death in the United States, 1989 to 1998

Background Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major clinical and public health problem. Methods and Results United States (US) vital statistics mortality data from 1989 to 1998 were analyzed. SCD is defined as deaths occurring out of the hospital or in the emergency room or as “dead on arrival” with an underlying cause of death reported as a cardiac disease (ICD-9 code 390 to 398, 402, or 404 to 429). Death rates were calculated for residents of the US aged ≥35 years and standardized to the 2000 US population. Of 719 456 cardiac deaths among adults aged ≥35 years in 1998, 456 076 (63%) were defined as SCD. Among decedents aged 35 to 44 years, 74% of cardiac deaths were SCD. Of all SCDs in 1998, coronary heart disease (ICD-9 codes 410 to 414) was the underlying cause on 62% of death certificates. Death rates for SCD increased with age and were higher in men than women, although there was no difference at age ≥85 years. The black population had higher death rates for SCD than white, American Indian/Alaska Nati...
Nucleotide sequence and evolution of a mammalian alpha-tubulin messenger RNA.

Abstract Bacterial clones containing complementary DNA sequences specific for rat brain α-tubulin messenger RNA were constructed. One plasmid, pILαTl, contains >95% of the sequences found in the mRNA: the entire coding sequence as well as extensive 5′ and 3′ untranslated sequences. Comparison of the rat amino acid sequence with the known chicken α-tubulin sequence (Valenzuela et al. , 1981) reveals the extraordinary evolutionary stability of α-tubulin protein. The presence of only two interspecies amino acid differences within analogous 411 amino acid sequences predicts that amino acid substitutions in this protein are fixed with a unit evolutionary period (Wilson et al. , 1977) of 550 million years (i.e. the time required for a 1% difference to arise within a specific protein in two diverging evolutionary lineages). An analysis of the silent nucleotide differences, permissible because of the degeneracy of the genetic code, demonstrates that these might not occur in a random fashion. The high guanine-cytosine bias in silent codon positions within the chicken α-tubulin sequence, previously noted by Valenzuela et al. (1981), is not conserved within the rat sequence. This decrease in guanine-cytosine bias is accompanied by a selective loss of CpG dinucleotides in the rat sequence.
A Basic Monte Carlo Model of Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition Using Kinetic Theory

Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD) is a well-known method for depositing polymers that are used in chemical, biological, and electrical applications. It is a variation of hot filament deposition and can used to produce conformal coatings of polymer films at relatively low reaction temperatures. It is also a solventless technique in which thin polymeric films are deposited by introducing controlled ratios of monomer and initiator gasses into the reaction chamber. Low temperatures in the reaction chamber allow the deposition of polymer films on a wide variety of substrates that include biological substrates. We have simulated the growth of a monolayer of polymer films on two-dimensional surfaces using Monte Carlo simulation. We saw the formation of polymer chains over a time scale on the order of microseconds. We have assumed the substrate to be at room temperature while the reactor pressure close of 800 mTorr. The grid on which we have simulated this polymer growth is represented by a 100×100 matrix, on which a series of specialized functions are executed in each time-step, or iteration. These functions can be divided into three categories: population, translation, and polymerization. The goal of this simulation is to observe the initial growth of the iCVD surface reaction. We have obtained favorable results with the simulation and we are now looking to compare these results with experimental results for initiation growth.
Bifurcation from stability to instability for a free boundary problem modeling tumor growth by Stokes equation

We consider a free boundary problem modeling tumor growth in fluid-like tissue. The model equations include a diffusion equation for the nutrient concentration, and the Stokes equation with a source which represents the proliferation of tumor cells. The proliferation rate μ and the cell-to-cell adhesiveness γ which keeps the tumor intact are two parameters which characterize the “aggressiveness” of the tumor. For any positive radius R there exists a unique radially symmetric stationary solution with radius r = R. For a sequence μ/γ = Mn(R) there exist symmetry-breaking bifurcation branches of solutions with free boundary r = R + eYn,0(θ) + O(e 2 ) (n even 2) for small |e| ,w hereYn,0 is the spherical harmonic of mode (n, 0). Furthermore, the smallest Mn(R) ,s ayMn∗ (R), is such that n∗ = n∗(R) →∞ as R →∞ . In this paper we prove that the radially symmetric stationary solution with R = RS is linearly stable if μ/γ N∗(RS ,γ) ,w hereN∗(RS ,γ) Mn∗ (RS ), and we prove that strict inequality holds if γ is small or if γ is large. The biological implications of these results are discussed at the end of the paper.
HBOC-201 use in traumatic brain injury: case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: The first use of HBOC-201 in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is presented. The use of noninvasive cerebral oximetric devices to follow clinical progress in a patient infused with HBOC-201 is reported and the literature of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) in brain injury is reported. CASE REPORT: A 21-year-old Jehovah's Witness who was hit and dragged by a motor vehicle was admitted to the University of New Mexico Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit with severe TBI and extensive soft tissue loss resulting in profound anemia. The patient received infusion of HBOC-201 with regional and global oximetric monitoring. RESULTS: Chart abstraction was performed to identify clinically relevant physiologic markers of patient progress. We observed a marked increase in brain tissue oxygen saturations, central venous oxygen saturation, and hemodynamic variables after administration of HBOC-201. The patient subsequently suffered massive cerebral edema and died. CONCLUSIONS: Major HBOC trials to date have excluded severe TBI. We report the first use of an HBOC in severe TBI to correct profound anemia. The HBOC-201 rapidly corrected cerebral venous and central venous oxygen saturations. The patient's death may have been due to massive reperfusion injury from delayed repayment of cerebral oxygen debt in a severely ischemic brain.
Vertex operators and quasimodularity of Chern numbers on the Hilbert scheme

Abstract In Carlsson and Okounkov (preprint) [7] , Okounkov and the author defined a family of vertex operators on the equivariant cohomology groups of the Hilbert scheme of points on a smooth quasi-projective surface as a characteristic class of certain canonical bundles on Hilb ⁎ S × Hilb ⁎ S . We then proved a bosonization formula in terms of Nakajimaʼs Heisenberg operators (Nakajima, 1997 [23] ). In this paper we apply this operator in the special case when S = C 2 with a particular action of a torus, and prove that the generating functions of equivariant Chern numbers on Hilb n over n, are quasimodular forms in the generating variable. This property determines the answer up to a finite-dimensional vector space of functions of the generating variable, q. These generating functions can be thought of as the analogous correlation functions to Nekrasovʼs partition function in rank 1. We present a different proof of the bosonization formula which is based on the proof of a more general formula in K-theory given in an upcoming paper by Nekrasov, Okounkov and the author (in preparation) [6] , but specialized to the surface of interest. By altering a certain bundle that appears in Carlsson et al. (in preparation) [6] , and specializing the surface, the proof actually reduces to a much simpler self-contained application of the infinite wedge representation. This picture is consistent with both the original introduction of this operator in Nekrasov and Okounkov (2006) [26] and with Haimanʼs character theory of the Bridgeland, King and Reid isomorphism (Haiman, 2003 [11] ).
Use of Total Cerebral Blood Flow as an Imaging Biomarker of Known Cardiovascular Risks

Background and Purpose—This study examined whether overall cerebral blood flow was associated with known vascular risk factors, including cardiometabolic risk factors that comprise the metabolic syndrome, carotid artery intima-media thickness, and the Framingham risk score. Methods—Three separate samples were available for analysis. Two comparable samples were combined to form a primary sample of middle-aged participants (n=576; 30–55 years of age) that completed both a risk factor assessment and a resting brain scan. Samples were recruited via mailings and advertisements within an urban area. Quantitative measures of cerebral blood flow were derived from arterial spin–labeled MRI in this sample and in a validation/generalization sample (n=76; 30–55 years). Results—Cerebral blood flow was inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk indices, that is, associated with lower waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose, and triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein. Moreover, cerebral blood flow w...
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Oxygen on ZnO and Ultraviolet‐Irradiated MgO

Oxygen interacting with zinc oxide and UV- irradiated magnesium oxide studied, using electron paramagnetic resonance techniques
Process of care and outcomes in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Background We investigated the association of process of care measures with adverse limb and systemic events in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
The regional differences in the mucosal-cell lysosomal proteases within the rat small intestine

Abstract The specific aim of this study is to understand the distribution of lysosomal enzymes along the intestine. The rat was used as the animal model. Intestinal homogenates were prepared from the jejunum, jejunoileal junction, ileum, and caecum. Activities of lysosomal carboxypeptidase A, dipeptidyl peptidase II, prolyl carboxypeptidase, and cathepsin B in homogenates were studied at pH 4.5 using specific substrates. Prolyl carboxypeptidase, cathepsin B, and dipeptidyl peptidase II had the highest activities in the caecum; carboxypeptidase A had the highest activity in the jejunum. The ileum had the lowest activities of these four lysosomal proteases. In summary, except carboxypeptidase A, the distribution profiles of prolyl carboxypeptidase, cathepsin B, and dipeptidyl peptidase II are somewhat close. Carboxypeptidase A, prolyl carboxypeptidase, and dipeptidyl peptidase II are all serine proteases but do not share similar intestinal distribution profiles.
Quantitative Determination of α-Arbutin, β-Arbutin, Kojic Acid, Nicotinamide, Hydroquinone, Resorcinol, 4-Methoxyphenol, 4-Ethoxyphenol, and Ascorbic Acid from Skin Whitening Products by HPLC-UV

An HPLC-UV method was developed for the quantitative analysis of nine skin whitening agents in a single injection. These compounds are α-arbutin, β-arbutin, kojic acid, nicotinamide, resorcinol, ascorbic acid, hydroquinone, 4-methoxyphenol, and 4-ethoxyphenol. The separation was achieved on a reversed-phase C18 column within 30 min. The mobile phase was composed of water and methanol, both containing 0.1% acetic acid (v/v). The stability of the analytes was evaluated at different pH values between 2.3 and 7.6, and the extraction procedure was validated for different types of skin whitening product matrixes, which included two creams, a soap bar, and a capsule. The best solvent system for sample preparation was 20 mM NaH2PO4 containing 10% methanol at pH 2.3. The analytical method was validated for accuracy, precision, LOD, and LOQ. The developed HPLC-UV method was applied for the quantitation of the nine analytes in 59 skin whitening products including creams, lotions, sera, foams, gels, mask sheets, soap bars, tablets, and capsules.
Structural and respiratory effects of melittin (Apis mellifera) on rat liver mitochondria

Abstract A modified method for the purification of melittin from Apis mellifera venom is described. Melittin purified according to this procedure is free of phospholipase A 2 activity. Melittin has two concentration dependent effects on isolated rat liver mitochondria: at low concentrations it prevents phosphate acceptor control; at higher concentrations it blocks mitochondrial respiration. Electron micrographs of treated mitochondria show outer membrane lysis with preservation of inner membrane structure.
The effect of plastic strain relaxation on the morphology of Ge quantum dot superlattices

A series of Ge quantum dot superlattices were prepared to study the relationship of the dot morphology evolution with the number of layers. Strain relaxation was observed in thicker films and the dots transited from broad size distribution to size equalization and eventually to broad size distribution again as a result of the generation of threading dislocations in the quantum dot superlattice films.
Life-history trade-offs under different larval diets in Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Most larval drosophilids eat the microorganisms that develop in rotting fruit, a relatively protein-rich resource. By contrast, the spotted-wing Drosophila suzukii Matsumara (Diptera: Drosophilidae) uniquely develops in ripening fruit, a protein-poor, carbohydrate-rich resource. This shift in larval nutritional niche has led to D. suzukii being a significant agricultural pest in the U.S.A. and Europe. Although occupying a new niche may benefit a species by reducing competition, adaptation in host use may generate trade-offs affecting fitness. To test the hypothesis that fitness trade-offs will change with adaptation to novel larval diets, D. suzukii larval development on either a diet of a fresh, ripe blueberry (a natural host) or standard artificial Drosophila media (protein-rich) is compared and the effect of diet on development time from egg to adult, adult body size and male wing spot area, and female fecundity is assessed. Larval development time differs, with larvae on the blueberry emerging as adults earlier than those on the artificial medium, although other fitness measures do not vary between the two diets. In addition, the faster development time on a blueberry does not trade off with body size as expected, although early fecundity is delayed in females that develop on blueberries. Thus, adaptation to a novel larval diet environment does not come at a cost to the ability to develop in protein-rich resources.
Alternate-day fasting in nonobese subjects: effects on body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism

Background Prolonged dietary restriction increases the life span in rodents. Some evidence suggests that alternate-day fasting may also prolong the life span. Objective Our goal was to determine whether alternate-day fasting is a feasible method of dietary restriction in nonobese humans and whether it improves known biomarkers of longevity. Design Nonobese subjects (8 men and 8 women) fasted every other day for 22 d. Body weight, body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR), respiratory quotient (RQ), temperature, fasting serum glucose, insulin, free fatty acids, and ghrelin were assessed at baseline and after 21 d (12-h fast) and 22 d (36-h fast) of alternate-day fasting. Visual analogue scales were used to assess hunger weekly. Results Subjects lost 2.5 +/- 0.5% of their initial body weight (P or =15 g. Glucose and ghrelin did not change significantly from baseline with alternate-day fasting, whereas fasting insulin decreased 57 +/- 4% (P Conclusions Alternate-day fasting was feasible in nonobese subjects, and fat oxidation increased. However, hunger on fasting days did not decrease, perhaps indicating the unlikelihood of continuing this diet for extended periods of time. Adding one small meal on a fasting day may make this approach to dietary restriction more acceptable.
THE CONCEPT AND ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN THE FORMATION OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENTSIA IN SLAVIC SOCIETIES IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES

This paper is premised on the observation that the processes leading to the emergence of the Slavic national systems and their subsequent institutionalization fit rather weI! into general models in which the sociocultural system is viewed from an evolutionary perspec­ tive. According to Max Weber, an initial interplay of the material interest and charismatic inspirations of the few becomes the 'life-style' of a distinct status group, and in tum eventually becomes the dominant orientation, the 'common value system' of a whole nation or civilization. I It is easy to think of the ethnic intelligentsia in Slavic societies, at the time of their National Revivals, in a charismatic role, transferring their values to the masses and thus pervading them with a common national consciousness. While the linguistic and social gulf between the masses and the status-competing non-Slavic groups explains the failure of the latter to impose its system, the linguistic and social bond between the masses and their own intellectual elites, who were engaged in the building of a new vernacular educational system (wherever such a bond existed 2), explains and justifies the success and ultimate victory of this value system in Slavic societies. Hence the role of language in the formation of national intelligentsia in Slavic societies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The conceptual frame of our discussion is sociocultural and linguistic, more precisely sociolinguistic, i.e., stipulated in terms of an interdependence and interaction between language and society. The time axis of our discussion is represented by the historical movement of the Slavic National revival, somewhat arbitrarily dated between the mid­ eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries, and intellectually representing a Slavic Enlight­ enment and Romanticism where these literary and philosophical movements took root in Slavic society. The model to be presented, a single model from a universe of differentiating variables of the role of language, is that of the evolution of national intelligentsia in Slavic societies. What we propose to show is that from the nexus of sociolinguistic functions of literary languages, i.e., modem standard languages, at least one, the prestige junction, should be added to the parameter of factors predicating the historical role of Slavic intelligentsia during their National Revivals. 2. Attitudes to Slavic Languages 2.0. The intellectual climate in Slavic societies at the beginning of their National Revivals, and the attitudes among their elites toward their native languages, may perhaps be best understood against a typology of general conceptions of the time about Slavic languages, their written traditions and their prospects for the future. There are three types of mental image of this kind which influenced the development of the Slavic written traditions during this period: 3
NASA software tools for high-quality requirements engineering

Extensive research has been conducted on writing quality software requirements in a natural language, resulting in the development of guidelines for writing effective requirements and a tool for evaluating them. Concepts from this application, the Automated Requirements Measurement (ARM) tool, which scans a requirements document for specific key words and phrases that impact the quality of the requirements, were then applied to the area of systems safety, resulting in the creation of the Safety Critical Analysis Tool (SCAT). Current research states that use cases provide a more methodological basis for specifying and managing quality functional requirements than the traditional natural language approach. Therefore, the Requirements Use case Tool (RUT) was developed to provide a template and repository for high-quality use cases. The paper describes the contribution to generating high-quality requirements made by each of these three tools.
TOWARDS A THEORY OF EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION

Most theoretical models in population genetics fail to deal in a realistic manner with the process of mutation. They are consequently not informative about the central evolutionary problem of the origin, progression, and limit of adaptation. Here we present an explicit distribution of phenotypes expected in an ensemble of populations under a mutation-selection-drift model that allows mutations with a distribution of adaptive values to occur randomly in time. The model of mutation is a geometrical model in which the effect of a new mutation is determined by a random angle in n dimensional space and in which the adaptive value (fitness) of an organism decreases as the square of the deviation of its phenotype from an optimum. Each new mutation is subjected to random genetic drift and fixed or lost according to its selective value and the effective population number. Time is measured in number of fixation events, so that, at any point in time, each population is regarded as genetically homogeneous. In this mutation-selection-drift model, among an ensemble of populations, the equilibrium average phenotype coincides with the optimum because the distribution of positive and negative deviations from the optimum is symmetrical. However, at equilibrium, the mean of the absolute value of the deviation from the optimum equals \(\sqrt {n/8Ns)} \), where n is the dimensionality of the trait space, N is the effective population size, and 5 is the selection coefficient against a mutation whose phenotype deviates by one unit from the optimum. Furthermore, at equilibrium, the average fitness across the ensemble of populations equals 1-(n + 1)/8N. When n is sufficiently large, there is a strong mutation pressure toward the fixation of slightly deleterious mutations. This feature relates our model to the nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution.
The results of microneurosurgery of the inferior alveolar and lingual nerve.

Abstract Purpose: The goal was to evaluate the experience of one surgical unit during a 5-year period in the evaluation and management of patients with injuries of the inferior alveolar and lingual nerve with particular reference to indications for and results of microneurosurgery. Patients and methods: This study includes all patients referred with a diagnosis of injury to the inferior alveolar or lingual nerve during 5-year period from January 1, 1994, to January 1, 1999. All patients were evaluated with Frey's hairs for touch and direction sense, 2-point discrimination, and hot and cold water and Minnesota thermal discs for temperature sensation. Patients who fulfilled certain specified criteria were offered microneurosurgery, and the results were evaluated for those who underwent microneurosurgery. Results: The study consisted of 880 consecutive patients; 96 were thought to fulfill the criteria for microneurosurgery. Of these, 51 underwent microneurosurgical exploration and repair. In 5 patients, no injury could be detected at surgery, and no corrective surgery was performed other than decompression. In 26 patients, excision and direct anastomosis were performed, and in an additional 20 patients, nerve gap reconstruction was performed. In 16 of these 20 patients, reconstruction was performed with an autogenous vein graft, and in 2 patients, a Gore-Tex tube graft (W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc, Flagstaff, AZ) was used to bridge the nerve gap. In 2 patients, an autogenous nerve was used. Thirty-four of the repairs were made on the lingual nerve, and 17 were made on the inferior alveolar nerve. With the use of established criteria, 10 patients were considered to have had a good improvement in sensation, 18 patients were considered to have had some improvement in sensation, and 22 patients were considered to have had no improvement in sensation; 1 patient reported an increase in dysesthesia after surgery. The semiobjective assessment of patients did not always correspond with the patients' subjective evaluation. Conclusion: In a relatively small study in selected cases, microneurosurgery can provide a reasonable result in improving sensation in the inferior alveolar and lingual nerve. More than 50% of patients experienced some improvement in sensation, and dysesthesia did not develop after surgery in any patient who did not have it before surgery. © 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:485-489, 2002
Resampling adaptive cloth simulations onto fixed-topology meshes

We describe a method for converting an adaptively remeshed simulation of cloth into an animated mesh with fixed topology. The topology of the mesh may be specified by the user or computed automatically. In the latter case, we present a method for computing the optimal output mesh, that is, a mesh with spatially varying resolution which is fine enough to resolve all the detail present in the animation. This technique allows adaptive simulations to be easily used in applications that expect fixed-topology animated meshes.
Development of a heat-illness screening instrument using the Delphi panel technique.

Abstract Context: Exertional heat illness (EHI) is the third leading cause of death among athletes, but with preparticipation screening, risk factors can be identified, and some EHIs can be prevented. Objective: To establish content validity of the Heat Illness Index Score (HIIS), a 10-item screening instrument designed to identify athletes at risk for EHI during a preparticipation examination. Design: Delphi study. Setting: The Delphi technique included semistructured face-to-face or telephone interviews and included electronic questionnaires administered via e-mail. Patients or Other Participants: Six individuals with extensive research experience and/or clinical expertise in EHI participated as expert panelists. Main Outcome Measure(s): We used a Delphi panel technique (3 rounds) to evaluate the HIIS with the consensus of expert opinions. For round 1, we conducted face-to-face interviews with the panelists. For round 2, we solicited panelists' feedback of the transcribed data to ensure trustworthiness,...
Targeting Gbeta gamma signaling in arterial vascular smooth muscle proliferation: a novel strategy to limit restenosis.

Restenosis continues to be a major problem limiting the effectiveness of revascularization procedures. To date, the roles of heterotrimeric G proteins in the triggering of pathological vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cell proliferation have not been elucidated. βγ subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins (Gβγ) are known to activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases after stimulation of certain G protein-coupled receptors; however, their relevance in VSM mitogenesis in vitro or in vivo is not known. Using adenoviral-mediated transfer of a transgene encoding a peptide inhibitor of Gβγ signaling (βARKct), we evaluated the role of Gβγ in MAP kinase activation and proliferation in response to several mitogens, including serum, in cultured rat VSM cells. Our results include the striking finding that serum-induced proliferation of VSM cells in vitro is mediated largely via Gβγ. Furthermore, we studied the effects of in vivo adenoviral-mediated βARKct gene transfer on VSM intimal hyperplasia in a rat carotid artery restenosis model. Our in vivo results demonstrated that the presence of the βARKct in injured rat carotid arteries significantly reduced VSM intimal hyperplasia by 70%. Thus, Gβγ plays a critical role in physiological VSM proliferation, and targeted Gβγ inhibition represents a novel approach for the treatment of pathological conditions such as restenosis.
Shining a Light or Fumbling in the Dark? The Effects of NCLB's Subgroup-Specific Accountability on Student Achievement.

The theory of action behind the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is that “shining a light” on subgroup performance will increase reading and math test scores for minority and disadvantaged students...
Effects of Lithium on Different Membrane Components of Crayfish Stretch Receptor Neurons

Unlike several other varieties of input membrane, that of the crayfish stretch receptor develops a generator potential in response to stretch when all the Na of the medium is replaced with Li. However, Li depolarizes the receptor neuron, the soma membrane becoming more depolarized than that of the axon. During exposure to Li the cell usually fires spontaneously for a period, and when it becomes quiescent spike electrogenesis fails in the soma but persists in the axon. These effects are seen in the rapidly adapting as well as the slowly adapting cells. The block of spike electrogenesis of the soma membrane is only partly due to the Li-induced depolarization and a significant role must be ascribed to a specific effect of Li.
Caring for Nature: From Fact to Value, from Respect to Reverence

Despite the classical prohibition of moving from fact to value, encounter with the biodiversity and plenitude of being in evolutionary natural history moves us to respect life, even to rever- ence it. Darwinian accounts are value-laden and necessary for un- derstanding life at the same time that Darwinian theory fails to provide sufficient cause for the historically developing diversity and increas- ing complexity on Earth. Earth is a providing ground; matter and energy on Earth support life, but distinctive to life is information coded in the genetic molecules that superintends this matter-energy. Life is generated and regenerated in struggle, persists in its perishing. Such life is also a gift; nature is grace. Biologists and theologians join in celebrating and conserving the genesis on Earth, awed in their encounter with this creativity that characterizes our home planet.
Optimization of Lipase Purification by Rotating Annular Size-exclusion Chromatography

Crude porcine lipase was purified by continuous rotating annular size-exclusion chromatography. Sephadex G-75 was used as the size-exclusion packing material. Initial studies by this group on a similar unit have been reported [Genest et al. (1998) "Continuous purification of porcine lipase by rotating annular size-exclusion chromatography", Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 73, 215-230]. This article presents the results of optimization studies carried out on a modified unit. These modifications resulted in a better performance of the column and a higher throughput. Purification fold values of around 11 were achieved in most runs. The activity recovered was around 99% and the productivity was around 3 mg lipase/mg gel h.
International education: The International Baccalaureate, Montessori and global citizenship

The International Baccalaureate (IB) programs and Montessori education both claim to promote values associated with global citizenship in order to help prepare students for new challenges presented by an increasingly globalized world. While the IB’s secondary programs are widespread in international schools, Montessori programs at that level are comparatively few. This article compares and contrasts IB and Montessori secondary programs with respect to the promotion of global citizenship, and explores the scarcity of secondary Montessori programs in general and in the international schools community in particular.