cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observation of conical electron distributions over Martian crustal magnetic fields

[1] Electron angular distributions similar to bidirectional electron conics (BECs) near Earth's auroral regions have been previously reported at Mars. They are almost always symmetric about 90° pitch angle, having peaks between 35°–70° and 110°–145°. Signatures of Martian BECs are clearly observable from ∼90 eV to ∼640 eV and they are mainly observed in darkness (60% of 150,000 conic events identified globally). Statistical analysis shows that BECs mostly occur on horizontal magnetic field lines over moderate crustal fields (∼15 nT). They are surrounded by regions containing electrons with trapped/mirroring pitch angle distributions, which suggests that BECs form on closed field lines. The energy spectra of the conics exhibit substantial decreases in all energy levels in relation to neighboring regions, which mostly have access to the Martian magnetotail or magnetosheath. Upstream conditions (draped IMF direction, solar wind pressure, and EUV flux) do not affect the observation of the events. Therefore stability inferred from observations of similar BECs over the same geographical locations suggests that the driving conditions resulting in their formation operate on the crustal fields. We propose that conical electron distributions may be generated by merging of neighboring open crustal magnetic field lines resulting in the trapping of the incident plasma they carry initially. Electrons at ∼90° pitch angle may subsequently be pushed into the loss cone by wave-particle interactions, static, or time varying electric fields, resulting in the conics. BECs may also be generated by mirroring of the particles that are streamed to lower altitudes on nearby open field lines, which then diffuse and/or scatter onto inner closed field lines.
[Et3PH][W4O3Cl7(PEt3)3]. A 12-electron tetrahedral tungsten cluster with an interesting arrangement of ligands

From the reaction between W2Cl6(PEt3)2 and H2O in tetrahydrofuran the dark green crystalline compound [Et3PH][W4O3Cl7(PEt3)3] was obtained and characterized by X-ray crystallography. At −155° the cell dimensions werea=b=c=20.392(3) A,Z=8,dcalcd=2.36 g cm−3 in the space group I23. The compound is a triethylphosphonium salt of the [W4O3Cl7(PEt3)3]− anion. The latter contains a tetrahedron of tungsten atoms with W−W=2.61 A (ave) and may be viewed as a W3(μ-Cl)3Cl3(PEt3)3 cluster capped by ad0-[WO3Cl]− unit and this has proved useful in examining the bonding within the cluster by use of the M.O. calculational method of Fenske and Hall. The cluster anion has crystallographically imposed C3v symmetry. Theoxo-groups bridge the tungsten atoms in a notably asymmetric manner W−O=1.87(2) A and 2.04(2) A with the shorter distances being involved with the capping [WO3Cl]− unit. The W−P bonds lie in the W3(μ3-Cl)3 plane and the three terminal W−Cl bonds are trans to theoxo-bridges.
Individuation: This stupidity

The problem of individuation exposes the insuperable stupidity of human being and guarantees the groundlessness and illegitimacy of any systematic understanding of it.
An essential role of DmRad51/SpnA in DNA repair and meiotic checkpoint control

Rad51 is a conserved protein essential for recombinational repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) in somatic cells and during meiosis in germ cells. Yeast Rad51 mutants are viable but show meiosis defects. In the mouse, RAD51 deletions cause early embryonic death, suggesting that in higher eukaryotes Rad51 is required for viability. Here we report the identification of SpnA as the Drosophila Rad51 gene, whose sequence among the five known Drosophila Rad51-like genes is most closely related to the Rad51 homologs of human and yeast. DmRad51/spnA null mutants are viable but oogenesis is disrupted by the activation of a meiotic recombination checkpoint. We show that the meiotic phenotypes result from an inability to effectively repair DSBs. Our study further demonstrates that in Drosophila the Rad51-dependent homologous recombination pathway is not essential for DNA repair in the soma, unless exposed to DNA damaging agents. We therefore propose that under normal conditions a second, Rad51-independent, repair pathway prevents the lethal effects of DNA damage.
Chromatography with dynamically created liquid "stationary" phases: methanol and carbon dioxide.

Liquid films composed of binary mixtures of carbon dioxide and methanol were created in empty capillary columns to produce effective stationary phases for chromatography. Under certain conditions of temperature, pressure, and stoichiometric composition, a binary mobile phase composed of CO2 and an organic liquid, such as methanol, can form two immiscible (gas and liquid) phases within a chromatographic column. The two phases can coexist in dynamic equilibrium with the liquid phase migrating through the column at a slower velocity than the gas phase. The liquid phase, composed of methanol saturated with carbon dioxide, acted as a chromatographic stationary phase while the gas phase, composed of carbon dioxide saturated with methanol, acted as a chromatographic mobile phase. The exact conditions necessary for the formation of two phase systems were determined from three-dimensional (P, T, XY) phase diagrams calculated from the Peng−Robinson cubic equation-of-state using one-parameter mixing rules. Separatio...
Nonequilibrium fluctuation-dissipation theorem of Brownian dynamics.

Studying the Brownian motion of a system driven by an external control from one macroscopic state to another macroscopic state, this paper presents the derivation of a nonlinear fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT). The new FDT relates the nonequilibrium work to the equilibrium free-energy difference in a very simple manner. It is valid wherever the Brownian dynamics is applicable. It recovers the well-known Crooks fluctuation theorem (CFT) within the quasiequilibrium regime where the dissipative work is nearly zero. It will also be shown that the CFT’s fundamental assumption of microscopic reversibility is not obeyed in experiments such as mechanically unfolding biological molecules, in which the external driving forces depend on the system’s coordinates.
Clinical presentations and molecular basis of complement C1r deficiency in a male African–American patient with systemic lupus erythematosus:

Homozygous deficiencies of early components for complement activation are among the strongest genetic risk factors for human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Eleven cases of C1r deficiency are documented but this is the first report on the molecular basis of C1r deficiency. The proband is an African-American male who developed SLE at 3 months of age. He had a discoid lupus rash and diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis. Serum complement analysis of the patient showed zero CH50 activity, undetectable C1r, and reduced levels of C1s, but highly elevated levels of complement C4, C2, and C1-inhibitor. The coding regions of the mutant C1R gene with 11 exons located at chromosome 12p13 were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified and sequenced to completion. DNA sequencing revealed a homozygous C→T mutation at nucleotide-6392 in exon 10 of the C1R gene, resulting in a nonsense mutation from Arg-380 (R380X). The patient's clinically normal mother was heterozygous for this mutation. A sequence-specific primer (SSP) PCR coupled with StuI-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was developed to detect the novel mutation. Screening of 209 African-American SLE patients suggested that the R380X mutation is a rare causal variant. Mutations leading to early complement component deficiencies in SLE are mostly private variants with large effects.
Attacks and countermeasures in system security

Summary form only given. With rapid growth of networking, in particular the Internet, a large variety of information could be accessed by different users all over the world through a number of software systems. However, the development of corresponding security mechanisms does not parallel with the development of the networks and software systems. Many attacks occur and cause big losses. According to ZDNet Security News dated January 2004, "computer virus attacks cost global businesses an estimated $55 billion in damages in 2003, a sum that is expected to increase this year." In this talk, the author discusses different types of attacks and countermeasures in software system security. The author also presents some research result on secure mobile agent model and intrusion detection system
A comparison of functional magnetic resonance imaging findings in children with and without a history of early exposure to general anesthesia.

Summary Background Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to evaluate the long-term consequences of early exposure to neurotoxic agents. fMRI shows that different patterns of brain activation occur in ethanol-exposed subjects performing a go/no-go response inhibition task. Pharmacologically, ethanol and general anesthetics have similar receptor-level activity in the brain. This study utilizes fMRI to examine brain activation patterns in children exposed to general anesthesia and surgery during early brain development. Methods After obtaining Nationwide Children's Hospital IRB approval, a surgical database was utilized to identify children aged 10–17 years with a history of at least 1 h of exposure to general anesthetics and surgery when they were between 0 and 24 months of age. Age- and gender-matched children without anesthesia exposure were recruited as a control group. All subjects were scanned while being presented with a go/no-go response inhibition task. Reaction time and accuracy data were acquired, and the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI signal was measured as a biomarker for regional neuronal activity. Results There were no differences in terms of performance accuracy and response time. The analysis did not reveal any significant activation differences in the primary region of interest (prefrontal cortex and caudate nucleus); however, activation differences were seen in other structures, including the cerebellum, cingulate gyrus, and paracentral lobule. Conclusions Early anesthetic exposure and surgery did not affect accuracy, response time, or activation patterns in the primary region of interest during performance of the task. Intergroup differences in activation patterns in other areas of the brain were observed, and the significance of these findings is unknown. fMRI appears to be a useful tool in evaluating the long-term effects of early exposure to general anesthesia.
Mahout on heterogeneous clusters using HadoopCL

MapReduce is a programming model capable of processing large amounts of data in parallel across hundreds of compute nodes in a cluster. Many applications have leveraged the power of this model, including a number of compute-hungry applications in machine learning. MapReduce can meet the demands of massive data analysis in applications such as web search, digital media selection, and online shopping analytics. The Mahout recommendation system is one of the most popular open source recommendation systems that employs machine learning techniques. Mahout provides us with a parallel computing infrastructure that can be applied to implement a range of applications that work with large datasets. A complementary trend in cluster computing has been the use of GPUs to increase the performance of data-intensive applications. There have been several efforts to utilize GPUs to accelerate the MapReduce framework to improve performance. HadoopCL is a framework that auto-generates OpenCL kernels from Hadoop tasks and can then run them across a heterogeneous cluster. In this paper, we analyze the performance of a Mahout recommendation system running on different cluster platforms, including CPU-only platforms and heterogeneous platforms, where both discrete GPUs and integrated APUs can be evaluated. We propose a cooperative HadoopCL model that improves both GPU/APU programming flexibility and performance.
A Comparison of Torsion Pendulum Type Viscosimeters for Measurement of Viscosity in Dairy Products

Summary Torsion pendulum viscosimeters operated under similar conditions gave satisfactory results in the determination of relative viscosity in dairy products. When tests in a series were to be compared, it was found advisable to use the same standardized instrument for all the tests and to maintain constant conditions with regard to speed of rotation, wire and plunger size, depth of immersion of plunger, temperature, and agitation, stirring or preparation of the sample. Conversion factors were determined for the MacMichael and Mojonnier viscosimeters at 86° F. The factors furnished by the manufacturers of the Brookfield viscosimeter were found satisfactory. A decrease in the wire size and an increase in plunger size or in speed of rotation when applied to a given instrument caused a decrease in the apparent viscosity of various dairy products.
Mutual influence of the stress-strain state and hydrogen concentration in the metal–hydrogen system

For the investigation of the mutual influence of the stress field and the corresponding hydrogen concentration in the elastic body, we propose a system of equations of the gradient-tensor type. As a result of the analysis of this system, we establish the relations connecting the hydrogen concentration with the relative volume expansion (dilatation) of the metal and hydrostatic pressure. The dependence of stresses on the depth of penetration of hydrogen from the surface of its contact with hydrogen-containing media and the dependence of the concentration of hydrogen on the time of hydrogenation are obtained.
Heart sound propagation in the human thorax

Simultaneous quantitative recordings of pressure in the aorta near a prosthetic valve and at two locations externally on the chest provide data on certain aspects of sound propagation in the human thorax. On the basis of the different speeds of propagation, it is possible to distinguish between the longitudinal and transverse vibrations contributing to the external phonocardiographic signal. Digital signal processing was employed to derive transfer functions, correlations and power spectra.
Effect of fumed silica nanoparticles on the proton conductivity of polyimide–phosphoric anhydride membranes

AbstractA series of aromatic polyimide–phosphoric anhydride composite membranes loadedwith fumed silica (FS) nanoparticles were prepared from polyamic acid (PAA). First, theinfluence of the percentage loading of phosphoric anhydride (PA) on the protonconductivity of polyimide (PI) membranes was studied. The PA-PI film containing 45% ofPA showed proton conductivity of 1.31 10 4 S/cm at 80 C, whereas the conductivityof neat PI films was 1.80 10 6 S/cm at room temperature. Next, the effects of the FSnanoparticles on the proton conductivity, the mechanical and thermal properties of theformulated PA-PI membranes were studied. Forty-five percent of the PA-PI membraneloaded with 1% FS (45% PA-PI/1% FS) showed an enhanced conductivity of 2.78 10 4 S/cm at 80 C when compared to the neat 45% PA-PI membrane. The tensile strength ofthe 45% PA-PI/1% FS nanocomposite membrane was comparable to the Nafion protonconductive membranes. The thermal analysis of 45% PA-PI/1% FS nanocompositemembranes showed that these membranes were thermally stable and suitable forhigh-temperature applications.KeywordsPolyimide, proton conductivity, phosphorus pentoxide, fumed silica nanoparticles
The impact of firm's ownership advantages and economic status of destination country on the wealth effects of international joint ventures

Abstract Prior studies provide inconclusive evidence on the wealth effects of international joint ventures (IJVs) on the firm's market value. While some studies document that IJVs benefit shareholders of firms that engage in such activities, others reveal conflicting results. This study provides additional evidence on this issue. On average, shareholders of U.S. multinationals that engage in IJVs benefit from such activities. Specifically, shareholders benefit more from IJVs when their firms possess a higher degree of ownership advantages. This study also finds that higher returns are associated with IJVs with developed countries than with developing countries by U.S. multinationals.
Analysis of alignment in optical interconnection systems

Good alignment of the light beams and devices is necessary for maximum efficiency and reliability of an optical interconnection system. An optical interconnect which is difficult to align will be costly to manufacture and deploy. A measure of the ease with which a single beam of light and a device a basic optical interconnect can be aligned has been developed. This measure the alignability is a function of the beam size the spot size and the overall cost measure associated with the alignment. Practical optical interconnects consisting of several optical beams and devices such as optical crossbar switches can be modeled as series and parallel combinations of basic optical interconnects. The overall alignability can be obtained from the alignabilities of the component interconnects. A set of formulas for calculating component interconnects involving Gaussian and/or uniform beams and devices are derived. Using these formutas the alignability of several optical interconnection schemes and design and packaging guidelines can be developed.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Creating Reality Through Administrative Practice: A Psychoanalytic Reading of Camilla Stivers’ Bureau Men, Settlement Women

Camilla Stivers’book, Bureau Men, Settlement Women, is being misread as a feminist political tract and overlooked as the resource that it is for the field of public administration. A review of the current literature of feminism reveals that Stivers’work, a historical study of the New York Bureau of Municipal Research, cannot be described by any version of feminist theory. Rather, her central concern is how the male-dominated Bureau movement pushed the field away from the model of the city as “home”—which developed in the women’s reform movement—and toward the idea of the city as “business.” A Lacanian psychoanalytic reading reveals a critical implication of her research: The women’s movement carried the potential to bring a balance to public agency discourse, one adequate for the new realities that the social problems of the day required. The administration as business model denies the achievement of this balance.
Quantification of tetrabromo benzoic acid and tetrabromo phthalic acid in rats exposed to the flame retardant Uniplex FPR-45

The first withdrawal of certain polybrominated diphenyl ethers flame retardants from the US market occurred in 2004. Since then, use of brominated non-PBDE compounds such as bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP) and 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB) in commercial formulations has increased. Assessing human exposure to these chemicals requires identifying metabolites that can potentially serve as their biomarkers of exposure. We administered by gavage a dose of 500 mg/Kg bw of Uniplex FRP-45 (>95 % BEH-TEBP) to nine adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. Using authentic standards and mass spectrometry, we positively identified and quantified 2,3,4,5-tetrabromo benzoic acid (TBBA) and 2,3,4,5-tetrabromo phthalic acid (TBPA) in 24-h urine samples collected 1 day after dosing the rats and in serum at necropsy, 2 days post-exposure. Interestingly, TBBA and TBPA concentrations correlated well (R (2) = 0.92). The levels of TBBA, a known metabolite of EH-TBB, were much higher than the levels of TBPA both in urine and serum. Because Uniplex FRP-45 was technical grade and EH-TBB was present in the formulation, TBBA likely resulted from the metabolism of EH-TBB. Taken together, our data suggest that TBBA and TBPA may serve as biomarkers of exposure to non-PBDE brominated flame retardant mixtures. Additional research can provide useful information to better understand the composition and in vivo toxicokinetics of these commercial mixtures.
A WLS-Based Linearized Auto-Localization Algorithm for Local Positioning Systems

The Linearized Auto-Localization (LAL) algorithm estimates the position of beacon nodes in Local Positioning Systems (LPSs) which are based on the transmission of ultrasonic signals and proposed for indoor positioning of mobile robots. In this paper we propose an improved auto-localization algorithm based on weighted least squares (WLS). The improved algorithm depends on the different error estimations which caused by the different relative positions of the beacons and the measurements nodes. Simulation results show that our WLS-based Linearized Auto-Localization Algorithm can provide improved accuracy in both distance estimation and position estimation.
On some path independent integrals and their use in fracture of nonlinear viscoelastic media

In certain cases it is possible to construct work potentials and J-like path-independent integrals for monolithic or composite nonlinear viscoelastic media. In this paper we discuss some situations in which such quantities exist and are useful in the study of quasi-static initiation and continuation of crack growth. The so-called quasi-elastic approximation and a constitutive equation in the form of a single hereditary integral provide the basis for using J or J-like integrals as fracture characterizing parameters during initiation and the early stages of crack growth. It is also shown that in some cases with significant crack growth the instantaneous crack speed can be characterized in terms of a similar path-independent integral. The problem of characterizing growth of large cracks in viscoelastic media with micro-damage is discussed briefly.
Real-time feedback control of flow-induced cavity tones—Part 1: Fixed-gain control ☆

A generalized predictive control (GPC) algorithm was formulated and applied to the cavity flow-tone problem. The control algorithm demonstrated multiple Rossiter-mode suppression at fixed Mach numbers ranging from 0.275 to 0.38. Controller performance was evaluated with a measure of output disturbance rejection and an input sensitivity transfer function. The results suggest that disturbances entering the cavity flow are collocated with the control input at the cavity leading edge. In that case, only tonal components of the cavity wall-pressure fluctuations can be suppressed and arbitrary broadband pressure reduction is not possible with the present sensor/actuator arrangement. In the control-algorithm development, the cavity dynamics were treated as linear and time invariant for a fixed Mach number. The experimental results lend support to that treatment.
Impact of Managed Health Care on the United States: Implications for Universal Health Care System

National public opinion polls conducted from 1991 to 2006 found that Americans believe that the quality of health care in the United States has been critically affected by managed health care. Nearly one third of those surveyed have delayed medical treatment because of the cost, and over 1 out of 10 Americans report that the quality of the care they receive is poor. Managed health care has limited the coverage and choice of medical treatment and decreased consumers' trust and confidence in the system.
The Goldbeter-Koshland switch in the first-order region and its response to dynamic disorder.

In their classical work (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1981, 78:6840–6844), Goldbeter and Koshland mathematically analyzed a reversible covalent modification system which is highly sensitive to the concentration of effectors. Its signal-response curve appears sigmoidal, constituting a biochemical switch. However, the switch behavior only emerges in the ‘zero-order region’, i.e. when the signal molecule concentration is much lower than that of the substrate it modifies. In this work we showed that the switching behavior can also occur under comparable concentrations of signals and substrates, provided that the signal molecules catalyze the modification reaction in cooperation. We also studied the effect of dynamic disorders on the proposed biochemical switch, in which the enzymatic reaction rates, instead of constant, appear as stochastic functions of time. We showed that the system is robust to dynamic disorder at bulk concentration. But if the dynamic disorder is quasi-static, large fluctuations of the switch response behavior may be observed at low concentrations. Such fluctuation is relevant to many biological functions. It can be reduced by either increasing the conformation interconversion rate of the protein, or correlating the enzymatic reaction rates in the network.
Electrical measurements of voltage stressed Al2O3/GaAs MOSFET

Abstract Electrical characteristics of GaAs metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor with atomic layer deposition deposited Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric have been investigated. The IV characteristics were studied after various constant voltage stress (CVS) has been applied. A power law dependence of the gate leakage current ( I g ) on the gate voltage ( V g ) was found to fit the CVS data of the low positive V g range. The percolation model well explains the degradation of I g after a high positive V g stress. A positive threshold voltage ( V th ) shift for both +1.5 V and +2 V CVS was observed. Our data indicated that positive mobile charges may be first removed from the Al 2 O 3 layer during the initial CVS, while the trapping of electrons by existing traps in the Al 2 O 3 layer is responsible for the V th shift during the subsequent CVS.
Interrelated Rotordynamic Effects of Cylindrical and Conical Whirl of Annular Seal Rotors

In the present comprehensive method for annular-seal dynamic coefficients computations, the rotor-excitation effects of the uniform lateral-eccentricity mode and the angular eccentricity are treated as interrelated, by recognizing the fluid-exerted moments resulting from each. The computational procedure is a FEM perturbation model in which the zeroth-order, undisplaced-rotor flow solution in the clearance gap is obtained through a Petrov-Galerkin approach. The full matrix of rotordynamic coefficients is obtained. The computational model is verified against a bulk-flow model for a simple case involving a straight annular seal.
Spectographic Analysis of Vocal Response to Pain Stimuli in Infants with Down's Syndrome

SUMMARY Spectographic analyses of the pain cries of 30 infants with Down's syndrome (all demonstrating trisomy 21–22) show several abnormal acoustic characteristics, thus confirming by an objective method earlier observations on the voices of infants with this syndrome. The abnormal cry parameters (‘stuttering’, long duration, low pitch, flat melody form, nasality) show highly significant differences from the analyses of pain cries from 120 normal infants. Five clinically suspected cases of Down's syndrome had a normal cry spectographically, and the chromosomal analyses confirmed the normality. RESUME Analyse spectographique de la reponse vocale a un stimulus douloureux chez le nourrisson mongolien Les analyses spectographiques des cris douloureux de trente nourrissons mongoliens (trisomie 21–22 confirmee) montrent plusieurs anomalies acoustiques caracteristiques confirmant ainsi de facon objective les observations anterieures portant sur la voix de ces nourrissons. Les parametres anormaux du cri (‘begaiement’, longue duree, tonalite grave, forme melodique aplatie, nasillements) s'eloignent de facon tres hautement significative de ceux tires de l'analyse des cris douloureux de 120 nourrissons normaux. Dans cinq cas de suspicion de mongolisme avec un cri normal a l'analyse spectographique, le cariotype s'est avere normal. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Spectographische Analyse der vokalen Reaktion auf Schmerzreize bei mongoloiden Kindern Die spectographischen Analysen von Schmerzschreien bei 30 mongoloiden Kindern (alle mit der Trisomie 21–22) zeigen abnorme akustische Eigenschaften und bestatigen so durch eine objektive Methode die fruheren Beobachtungen der Stimmen von Kindern mit dieser Erkrankung. Die abnormen Schrei-Parameter (‘Stottern’, lange Dauer, niedrige Tonhohe, flacher Melodieverlauf, Nasaler Charakter) wiesen hoch signifikante Unterschiede zu der Auswertung von Schmerzensschreien von 120 normalen Kindern auf. Funf klinisch verdachtige Falle von Mongolismus hatten spectographisch ein normales Schrei-Muster, und die Chromosomenanalyse bestatigte den Normalbefund. RESUMEN Analisis espectrografico de la respuesta vocal a un estimo doloroso en lacantes con sindrome de Down El analisis espectrografico del llanto por dolor de 30 lactantes con sindrome de Down (todos con trisomia (21–22) muestran una serie de caracteristicas acusticas anormales confirmandose asi las observaciones obtenidas anteriormente en voces de lactantes con este sindrome utilizando un metodo objetivo. Los parametros del llanto anormal (‘tartamudeo’, larga duracion, baja agudeza, forma plana de la melodia, nasalidad) muestran una diferencias altamente significativas, frente a los analisis del llanto por dolor en ciento veinte lactantcs normales. Cinco casos sospechoso clinicamente de padecer un sindrome de Down tenian un llanto espectrografico normal y los estudios cromosomicos confirmaron esta normalidad.
Suicide Attempts in an Adolescent Female Twin Sample

Objective To examine suicide attempts in an epidemiologically and genetically informative youth sample.
The initial macromolecular derivatives of human fibrinogen produced by plasmin.

Abstract The proteolysis of human fibrinogen by human plasmin was studied over the initial period in which fibrinogen clottability by thrombin was lost. Products were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate with and without mercaptoethanol reduction, as well as by their reactivity to thrombin. Clottability was lost upon symmetric cleavage of three pair of peptide bonds located in two of the three pair of polypeptide chains which comprise fibrinogen (362 000 mol. wt). Cleavage of the first pair of bonds produced clottable products. Product I (317 000 mol. wt) lacked the carboxyl-terminal portion (60%) of one α(A)-chain and early product II (271 000) lacked both α(A)-chain carboxyl-terminal fragments. Products of decreased clottability (intermediate product II molecules) were formed next by liberation of NH2-terminal peptides (6000 mol. wt) from the β(B)-chains and subsequently by proteolysis of carboxyl-terminal peptides (1000 mol. wt) from the residual (NH2-terminal) α(A)-chain fragments. These reactions terminated in the formation of non-clottable product II (257 000 mol. wt). Clottable plasmin digest products of fibrinogen had structures which differed from naturally occurring clottable fibrinogen derivatives of normal plasma.
Production of mycelial protein and hydrolytic enzymes from paper mill sludges by cellulolytic fungi

Characterization of lignocellulosic wastes from three paper mills in New York State indicated that a kraft mill sludge contained substantial quantities of utilizable cellulose and hemicellulose. This residue was tested as a carbon source for seven cellulolytic fungi.Trichoderma reesei DAOM 167654 accumulated a product of over 22% crude protein, and caused a conversion of sludge to protein of almost 15% in 3 days growth in shake flasks.T. reesei also produced the highest levels of cellulase, whileT. longibrachiatum produced more xylanase (35 units/ml) than other fungi examined.
CHAOTIC MIXING AND TRANSPORT IN WAVE SYSTEMS AND THE ATMOSPHERE

In this paper, we presented some results on chaotic mixing and transport in dynamical systems, particularly in wave systems and in the atmosphere. In wave systems, we studied chaotic mixing and transport in a perturbed traveling wave and in a perturbed stationary wave. We found that there is a fundamentally difference between the two cases. There can exist invariant KAM tori in perturbed traveling waves, and no such invariant KAM tori can be identified in perturbed stationary waves. The characteristics of mixing and transport in wave systems much depend on the perturbation structure. In some cases for both perturbed traveling waves and perturbed stationary waves, there exist porous barriers preventing rapid mixing and transport. The mechanism of chaotic mixing and transport is stretching and folding, which is shown to be the horseshoe mapping topologically. Global chaotic mixing and transport on the isentropic surface of the atmosphere was also studied. To better understand the generation of fine structure in the smooth velocity field and to gain an insight to chaotic mixing and transport, a color visualization method has been applied. Using different color pallets, we were able to emphasize different parts of the domain and obtained a wealth of information about the process. Several statistical characteristics methods have been introduced, including fractal dimension and the Lyapunov exponent. The probability distribution function and multifractal were also mentioned with application to chaotic mixing and transport. We then turned our attention to dynamically active mixing and transport. We discussed chaotic wave packet mixing and transport, describing two types of wave mixing and transport processes, i.e., dynamically passive wave mixing and dynamically active wave mixing. When the path of the wave packet is chaotic, we have chaotic wave packet mixing and transport. We showed that passive wave mixing and transport is described by the Lagrangian trajectory of the basic flow whereas dynamically active wave mixing and transport is described by the Lagrangian trajectory of wave packet. We found that there are two mechanisms in dynamically active wave mixing and transport. The first is advection by the medium flow; the second is the dispersion process, which is directly related to energy dispersion of the waves. Armed with the concept of dynamically active mixing and transport, we simulated the cloud pattern in the tropospheric atmosphere using an evaporation-transport-condensation model, and found it to be strikingly similar to cloud pictures taken by satellite.
483 ENDEMIC INTESTINAL PROTOZOAN INFECTION IN A CALIFORNIA SEMI-COMMUNAL GROUP

Recently we had the opportunity to study intestinal protozoan infection in children in a semi-communal religious group in Los Angeles. The community is predominantly white, lower middle class, each family lives in a separate apartment, but daily activities are communal. Children ages 2 to 5 attend a group day care facility & older children are divided into small closed-school settings. This prospective study was conducted from February to June 1980 to determine the frequency & distribution of parasites in the commune's children & their adult contacts. After completing a demographic, travel & medical questionnaire, the parent was requested to collect three stool specimens for ova & parasites in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) preservative. Stools were processed utilizing formalin-ether sedimentation concentration technique & trichrome-stained smear. Of 273 enrolled subjects, 220 completed the study (136 children & 84 adults). One hundred fifty-three (69%) of the group (74% of children, 51% of adults) had parasites recovered which included Giardia lamblia, Dientamoeba fragilis & Entamoeba histolytica. Six of 7 infants under two years had no parasite recovered. G.lamblia occurred in preschool children; D.fragilis was more frequent in schoolage children. Most infected adults had D.fragilis (72%) recovered. In 30 (60%) of the 50 infected families, two or more members had similar pathogens. Pathogenic intestinal protozoan infection was common in this communal group & may well present a public health problem.
A Journey Through Justice … Letting Go of the Power

Building on Ball's (2009) model of generative change, we explored how two experienced literacy teachers, after completing a graduate-level multicultural literacy course, enacted the tenets of critical literacy. Ball defined teachers' generative thinking as “connecting their personal and professional knowledge with the knowledge that they gain from their students to produce or originate knowledge that is useful to them in pedagogical problem solving and in meeting the educational needs of their students” (2009, p. 47). We uncovered how teachers' generative thinking progressed over time; how they sanctioned critical literacy practices in their own classrooms; and how they continued to guide their students to question, dispute, and examine power relations. As the teachers' generative thinking grew over the two years, they continued to express tension and doubt, showing that teacher change is never linear or simple, but often situational and complex.
Multicultural education in the United States: reflections

The United States’ civil rights history provided the impetus for changes in schools regarding multicultural education. However, definitions and theoretical perspectives of multicultural education remain convoluted. No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the legislation in place purported to equalize achievement, and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), an accreditation agency which sets standards by which teacher education programs prepare future teachers, have elements which maintain and/or fail to change schooling conditions which leave children in the status quo.
Inhibition of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Signaling in Hepatic Stellate Cells Blocks the Progression of Hepatic Fibrosis

The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) is the primary cell type in the liver responsible for excess collagen deposition during fibrosis. Following a fibrogenic stimulus the cell changes from a quiescent vitamin A–storing cell to an activated cell type associated with increased extracellular matrix synthesis and increased cell proliferation. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway has been shown to regulate several aspects of HSC activation in vitro, including collagen synthesis and cell proliferation. Using a targeted approach to inhibit PI3K signaling specifically in HSCs, we investigated the role of PI3K in HSCs using a rodent model of hepatic fibrosis. An adenovirus expressing a dominant negative form of PI3K under control of the smooth muscle α-actin (αSMA) promoter was generated (Ad-SMAdnPI3K). Transducing HSCs with Ad-SMAdnPI3K resulted in decreased proliferation, migration, collagen expression, and several additional profibrogenic genes, while also promoting cell death. Inhibition of PI3K signaling was also associated with reduced activation of Akt, p70 S6 kinase, and extracellular regulated kinase signaling as well as reduced cyclin D1 expression. Administering Ad-SMAdnPI3K to mice following bile duct ligation resulted in reduced HSC activation and decreased extracellular matrix deposition, including collagen expression. A reduction in profibrogenic mediators, including transforming growth factor beta, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1, and connective tissue growth factor was also noted. However, liver damage, assessed by alanine aminotransferase levels, was not reduced. Conclusion: Inhibition of PI3K signaling in HSCs during active fibrogenesis inhibits extracellular matrix deposition, including synthesis of type I collagen, and reduces expression of profibrogenic factors. These data suggest that targeting PI3K signaling in HSCs may represent an effective therapeutic target for hepatic fibrosis. (Hepatology 2009.)
European Union political conditionality and minority rights: compliance in Bulgaria and Romania

The article examines Bulgaria and Romania's records in compliance with European Union norms and standards in the area of ethnic minority rights. Specifically, it looks at the Turkish and Roma minorities in Bulgaria and the Hungarian and Roma minorities in Romania. It shows that after the two countries became members of the European Union there have not been any substantial improvements in the rights or conditions of their minorities. This is especially true for the Roma minority, despite the attention and funding provided by the European Union. The article argues that in the post-accession period, pressure from the European Commission is not sufficient to exact improvements for the minorities. The Turkish and the Hungarian minorities fare better because they are better organised and have small but politically important representation. The Roma, on the other hand, are poorly organised and not politically well represented, which accounts for their plight.
Muscle and non-muscle cell RNA polymerase activity during the development of myocardial hypertrophy.

Abstract RNA polymerase activity was measured in separated cardiac muscle and non-muscle cell nuclei during the development of acute pressure overload induced myocardial hypertrophy in the rat. Varying concentrations of α-amanitin were used to measure changes in the three major classes of RNA polymerases. Total RNA polymerase activity in both muscle and non-muscle cells began to increase above sham-operative levels by 48 h after aortic constriction, reaching maximal stimulation 72 h after surgery. A similar increase in both cell populations was found in the presence of low concentrations of α-amanitin. In the presence of 1 μg/ml of α-amanitin muscle cell RNA polymerase increased as above but non-muscle cell polymerase remained unchanged. Changes at 72 h after aortic constriction in the activities of RNA polymerase I, II and III were calculated from these data. RNA polymerases II and III increased two-fold in both muscle and non-muscle nuclei. RNA polymerase I activity showed a five-fold increase in muscle nuclei but was unchanged in non-muscle nuclei. These data demonstrate that changes do occur in either the activity or amount of RNA polymerase enzymes in cardiac muscle and non-muscle cells during the development of hypertrophy. However, the delay in the onset of these changes and the lack of enhancement of RNA polymerase I in non-muscle cells suggest that other regulatory mechanism, such as, chromatin template activity, may also be present.
Fatigue Resistance of HPS-485 W (70 W) Welded Butt-Splice Connections Using Narrow Gap Improved Electroslag Welding

The writers investigated the performance of narrow gap improved electroslag weld (NGI-ESW) procedures in welded butt splices using high-performance steel grade HPS-485 W (70 W) through comparison against similar specimens fabricated using submerged arc welding (SAW). Five NGI-ESW and five SAW specimens were tested in fatigue at very high stress ranges, and all achieved run-out at or above 2 million cycles. Two each of the specimens created using SAW and NGI-ESW were tested an additional 3 million cycles; the NGI-ESW specimens did not experience fracture, whereas one SAW specimen failed in the base metal and another completed the additional cycles without failure. All intact specimens were statically tested to failure and results were compared. All 10 specimens performed considerably better than predicted by the AASHTO (2007) fatigue life equation. The NGI-ESW specimens performed at least as well as the SAW specimens under fatigue and static testing, suggesting that inclusion of the NGI-ESW process in AWS D1.5 may be appropriate when used with HPS-485 W (70 W). Additionally, testing supports extension of current code provisions to the use of NGI-ESW in fracture-critical applications.
The fine structure of photoreceptors in a marine flatworm.

The ocelli or eyes of the marine polyclad turbellarian Notoplana acticola are clustered on the paired dorsal nuchal tentacles and in two longitudinal bands lateral to the cerebral ganglion. The ocelli, studied by electron microscopy, were characterized as rhabdomeric and non-ciliary in origin. There are 60 to 80 ocelli per animal each enclosed in a fibrous capsule to which muscle fibers may attach. An ocellus consists of a pigmented eyecup into which 30 to 50 photoreceptor cells send dendritic processes through interruptions in or among pigment cell projections across the eyecup opening. The dendritic processes terminate in numerous long intertwined microvilli which fill the eyecup. The nucleated cell body of each photoreceptor cell lies outside the eyecup and projects an axonal process to the cerebral mass. Within the dendritic processes are observed mitochondria, ribosomes, neurotubules, multivesicular bodies, vesicles and vacuoles. The cell body contains smaller mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, vesicles and prominent Golgi complexes.
R,S-Adenallene 4′-phosphate: Substrate activity and enantioselectivity toward AMP deaminase and 5′-nucleotidase

Abstract R,S-Adenallene 4′-phosphate 1 b + 2 b , a putative metabolite of anti-HIV agent adenallene, is deaminated with AMP deaminase to R,S-hypoxallene 4′-phosphate 3 b + 4 b without detectable enantioselectivity. The dephosphorylation catalyzed by 5′-nucleotidase is slow but enantioselective giving R-adenallene 1a (26% ee) and S-adenallene 4′-phosphate 2b (54% ee).
Who walks? Factors associated with walking behavior in disabled older women with and without self-reported walking difficulty.

OBJECTIVES: To determine how severity of walking difficulty and sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health-related factors influence walking behavior in disabled older women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analyses of baseline data from the Women's Health and Aging Study (WHAS). SETTING: An urban community encompassing 12 contiguous zip code areas in the eastern portion of Baltimore City and part of Baltimore County, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 920 moderately to severely disabled community-resident women, aged 65 years and older, identified from an age-stratified random sample of Medicare beneficiaries. MEASUREMENTS: Walking behavior was defined as minutes walked for exercise and total blocks walked per week. Independent variables included self-reported walking difficulty, sociodemographic factors, psychological status (depression, mastery, anxiety, and cognition), and health-related factors (falls and fear of falling, fatigue, vision and balance problems, weight, smoking, and cane use). RESULTS: Walking at least 8 blocks per week was strongly negatively related to severity of walking difficulty. Independent of difficulty level, older age, black race, fatigue, obesity, and cane use were also negatively associated with walking; living alone and high mastery had a positive association with walking. CONCLUSIONS: Even among functionally limited women, sociocultural, psychological, and health-related factors were independently associated with walking behavior. Thus, programs aimed at improving walking ability need to address these factors in addition to walking difficulties to maximize participation and compliance. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:672–680, 1999.
The association of parental tobacco use and SLI

Studies on specific language impairments (SLI) have demonstrated that SLI aggregate in families. This may be due to the presence of prenatal and postnatal features of a shared environment, such as parental smoking, that has been associated with lowered cognitive and language outcomes in children of smokers. This study explored the relationship between parental smoking and specific language impairments (SLI) in children. Using a case-control design, data on 177 children with SLI and 925 children who were typically developing were collected using a parental questionnaire concerning parental smoking habits. Maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy, during children's development and continuous smoking during pregnancy and development were significantly related to SLI. However, when parental education was controlled for, these significant associations no longer existed. It is suggested that parental smoking, although not independently associated with SLI, may be an indicator of a parenting environment that places children at risk for language impairments.