cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Importance of Carbohydrate Supply in Legume Symbiosis

EXPERIMENTAL evidence, which has been accumulating for a number of years, but especially more recently, emphasises the importance of carbohydrate in nodule development and nitrogen fixation in leguminous plants inoculated with effective bacterial strains. There are, however, certain facts well known to plant physiologists which deserve greater emphasis in this connexion: (a) An abundant supply of nitrogen is conducive to top growth while a wide carbohydrate-nitrogen ratio favours root growth. The carbohydrate-nitrogen relations may be altered by changing the conditions for photosynthesis, by varying the nitrogen additions to the culture medium, and by supplying sugars to the roots. (b) During active photosynthesis a sugar concentration gradient1, decreasing downward, commonly exists between the leaves and roots of higher plants. These synthesised sugars usually2 do not remain long in this form; a considerable portion, 20 per cent or more, is required for respiration, while the remainder is either used for growth or is stored largely as starch.
The effects of wording on the understanding and use of uncertainty information in a threshold forecasting decision

Many believe that information about small chances of severe weather would be useful to the general public for precautionary action. What is the best way to explain this kind of information to a non-expert audience? The studies reported here investigated effects of framing (negative vs. positive), format (frequency vs. probability), likelihood (low vs. high) and compatibility (task-match) on interpretation of verbal expressions of forecast uncertainty and on subsequent forecasting decisions. The crucial factor was the match between the verbal expression and the overall task goal. Errors increased when there was a mismatch between the expression (e.g. winds less than 20 knots) and the task (e.g. post an advisory when winds will exceed 20 knots). However, framing and format had little impact. We conclude that consideration of user expectations arising from the overall task goal is crucial in explaining uncertainty information to a naive audience. Global expectations overpower other potential effects. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GLOBAL BEHAVIOR OF THE CHARGED ISOSCELES THREE-BODY PROBLEM

We study the global bifurcation diagram of the two-parameter family of ODE’s that govern the charged isosceles three-body problem. (The classic isosceles three-body problem and the anisotropic Kepler problem (two bodies) are included in the same family.) There are two major sources of periodic orbits. On the one hand the “Kepler” orbit, a stable orbit exhibiting the generic bifurcations as the multiplier crosses rational values. This orbit turns out to be the continuation of the classical circular Kepler orbit. On the other extreme we have the collision-ejection orbit which exhibits an “infinite-furcation.” Up to a limiting value of the parameter we have finitely many periodic orbits (for each fixed numerator in the rotation number), passed this value there is a sudden birth of an infinite number of them. We find that these two bifurcations are remarkably connected forming the main “skeleton” of the global bifurcation diagram. We conjecture that this type of global connection must be present in related problems such as the classic isosceles three-body problem and the anisotropic Kepler problem.
Influence of the contraction ratio in elongational flow of polymer solutions

Abstract Using upstream chambers and capillary tubes of various diameters D0 and D respectively, it is shown that the excess pressure drop ΔPe, associated with the elastic properties of polymer solutions, varies with the contraction ratio D0/D. This variation is such that ΔPe first increases and then decreases as D0/D increases. The analysis of previous and present results indicates that the polymer solution's flow configuration in the upstream chamber is responsible for the observed dependency.
Global warming and reproductive health

The largest absolute numbers of maternal deaths occur among the 40-50 million women who deliver annually without a skilled birth attendant. Most of these deaths occur in countries with a total fertility rate of greater than 4. The combination of global warming and rapid population growth in the Sahel and parts of the Middle East poses a serious threat to reproductive health and to food security. Poverty, lack of resources, and rapid population growth make it unlikely that most women in these countries will have access to skilled birth attendants or emergency obstetric care in the foreseeable future. Three strategies can be implemented to improve women's health and reproductive rights in high-fertility, low-resource settings: (1) make family planning accessible and remove non-evidenced-based barriers to contraception; (2) scale up community distribution of misoprostol for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage and, where it is legal, for medical abortion; and (3) eliminate child marriage and invest in girls and young women, thereby reducing early childbearing.
Prooxidant Actions of Carotenoids in Biologic Systems

The potential for carotenoids to modulate chronic disease risk is currently under investigation, and renewed interest has been placed on achieving a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of carotenoids in biologic systems. Available data currently show that the antioxidant activity of these compounds may shift into prooxidant activity, depending on the redox potential of the carotenoid molecules as well as on the biologic environment in which they act. The prooxidant potency of these compounds is determined by several factors, including oxygen tension, carotenoid concentration, and interactions with other antioxidants. Prooxidant activity can induce either beneficial or harmful results in biologic systems and influence the development of human chronic diseases.
Effects of dopamine depletion in the medial prefrontal cortex on the stress-induced increase in extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core and shell

In the present study we examined whether depletion of dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex alters the neurochemical activity of mesoaccumbens dopamine neurons and/or their behavioral correlate, motor behavior. Infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine (1 microgram) into the medial prefrontal cortex of rats pretreated with a norepinephrine uptake blocker produced a 70% loss of tissue dopamine, with relative sparing of the norepinephrine content (-23%) in that region. Using in vivo microdialysis, we monitored basal and evoked extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core and shell of control and lesioned rats. The concentration of basal extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core was similar in control and lesioned rats; however, basal dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens shell was approximately 30% higher in lesioned rats than in controls. Lesions did not alter the ability of systemic D-amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.) to increase extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens shell, in contrast, the dopamine depletion in the medial prefrontal cortex attenuated the amphetamine-induced increase in extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core, as well as the amphetamine-induced increase in locomotor activity. Lesions did not significantly alter the effects of tail pressure (30 min) on extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core. However, the depletion of dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex potentiated the stress-induced increase in extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens shell. These data demonstrate that mesocortical dopamine neurons influence (i) amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens core and (ii) stress-evoked dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens shell. It has been proposed that a disruption in the interaction between cortical and subcortical dopamine neurons is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The present data raise the possibility that a disruption in the interaction between mesocortical dopamine neurons and dopamine neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens shell is involved in those symptoms of schizophrenia that are influenced by stress.
Translocation of presynaptic delta opioid receptors in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray after swim stress.

Immunolabeling for the delta opioid receptor (DOR) is localized primarily to axon terminals in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG). However, rather than on the plasma membrane, DOR immunoreactivity is usually located within the cytoplasmic compartment, often associated with dense-core vesicles. In this study, the hypothesis that a behavioral stimulus, a cold water swim stress (3 minutes at 4°C; CWSS), could initiate the translocation of the DOR was tested. The subcellular distribution of DOR was examined using a preembedding immunogold-labeling method and ultrastructural analysis in control rats and in rats that had a CWSS. In both cases, dense-core vesicles associated with DOR labeling were often within 100 nm of the plasma membrane. When the dense-core vesicles were near the plasma membrane, sometimes electron-dense “tethers” appeared between the vesicle and the plasma membrane. However, in rats exposed to CWSS, there was a decrease in immunolabeling associated with dense-core vesicles that were near the plasma membrane and a significant increase in DOR immunoreactivity associated with the plasma membrane. In addition, there was a significant increase in the fraction of DOR immunoreactivity associated with large clear-core vesicles; possibly early endosomes. Moreover, after a CWSS, dense-core vesicles containing DOR immunoreactivity could be visualized fusing with the plasma membrane of synaptic boutons. These data suggest the involvement of DOR in the vlPAG in the behavioral response to CWSS. Furthermore, the results support the hypothesis that the cell surface distribution of presynaptic receptors can be regulated in an activity-dependent manner by virtue of transport via dense-core vesicles. J. Comp. Neurol. 464:197–207, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mapping oxidations of apolipoprotein B-100 in human low-density lipoprotein by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a major cholesterol carrier in blood. Elevated concentration of low-density lipoprotein, especially when oxidized, is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and other cardiac inflammatory diseases. Past research has connected free radical initiated oxidations of LDL with the formation of atherosclerotic lesions and plaque in the arterial wall. The role of LDL protein in the associated diseases is still poorly understood, partially due to a lack of structural information. In this study, LDL was oxidized by hydroxyl radical. The oxidized protein was then delipidated and subjected to trypsin digestion. Peptides derived from trypsin digestion were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Identification of modified peptide sequences was achieved by a database search against apo B-100 protein sequences using the SEQUEST algorithm. At different hydroxyl radical concentrations, oxidation products of tyrosine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, proline, and lysine were identified. Oxidized amino acid residues are likely located on the exterior of the LDL particle in contact with the aqueous environment or directly bound to the free radical permeable lipid layer. These modifications provided insight for understanding the native conformation of apo B-100 in LDL particles. The presence of some natural variants at the protein level was also confirmed in our study.
Study of a Quench Device for the Synthesis and Hydrolysis of Zn Nanoparticles: Modeling and Experiments

The synthesis and hydrolysis of zinc nanoparticles are carried out in a tubular reactor A key component of the reactor is a coaxial jet quench device. Three coaxial and multi-inlet confined jets mix Zn(g), steam, and argon to produce and hydrolyze zinc nanoparticles. The performance of the quench device is assessed with computational fluid dynamics modeling and measurements of hydrogen conversion and particle size and composition. Numerical data elucidate the impact of varying jet flow rates on temperature and velocity distributions within the reactor. Experiments produce hydrogen conversions of 61-79%. Particle deposition on sections of the reactor surface above 650 K favors hydrolysis. Residence time for in-flight particles is less than 1 s and these particles are partially hydroLyzed.
Polybrominated diphenyl ether levels in foodstuffs collected from three locations from the United States

Abstract Objectives The objectives of this study were to provide updated measurements of PBDEs in US food, to estimate possible difference in levels from differing geographical regions, and to provide an improved estimate of current dietary intake. Methods Thirty matched food samples for a total of 90 samples were collected from each of three cities (Los Angeles, California; Dallas, Texas; and Albany, New York) and were analyzed for 13 polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners (BDE 28, 47, 49, 66, 85, 99, 100, 138, 153, 154, 183, 203, and 209). Dietary intake of PBDEs was estimated by food type, age, and sex. Results In this pilot study, we did not note a statistically significant difference in total PBDE levels in food collected from the three locations. The median total PBDE levels (estimating non-detected values as half of the detection limit) in meat, dairy, eggs, and fish were 267 pg/g wet weight (ww) (range 102–3156 pg/g ww), 176 pg/g ww (range 41–954 pg/g ww), 637 pg/g ww (range 193–932 pg/g ww), and 243 pg/g ww (range 36–2161 pg/g ww). PBDE intake from food was estimated to range from 2.7 ng/kg/day for children 2 through 5 years of age to 0.8 ng/kg/day for women aged 60 years and older. This compares closely with our previous study where the intake estimate was 2.7 ng/kg/day for children 2 through 5 years of age and 0.9 ng/kg/day for women aged 60 years and older. Conclusion We did not find a decrease of PBDEs in food since our previous studies which we expected to find due to the declining use of PBDEs in the USA. These findings could be consistent with food contamination from depot sources of PBDEs. A larger, more representative sampling of the US food supply is indicated based on our findings.
Wittgenstein and Nonsense: Psychologism, Kantianism, and the Habitus

This paper is a critical examination of Wittgenstein's view of the limits of intelligibility. In it I criticize standard analytic readings of Wittgenstein as an advocate of transcendental or behaviourist theses in epistemology; and I propose an alternative interpretation of Wittgenstein's view as a social contextualism that transcends the false dichotomy between Kantianism and psychologism. I argue that this social contextualism is strikingly similar to the social account of epistemic practices developed by Pierre Bourdieu. Through a comparison between Wittgenstein's and Bourdieu's view and an analysis of the notion of habitus , I try to show how social contextualism can account for the distinction between sense and nonsense without falling into transcendental constructivism or social behaviourism.
Reproductive potential of Telenomus cristatus and T. podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), two egg parasitoids of pentatomids (Heteroptera).

Aspects of the reproductive biology of Telenomus cristatus Johnson and T. podisi Ashmead were determined in the laboratory using eggs of spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say), as hosts. Neither parasitoid had a preovipositional period, and there were no differences in the time span over which each produced progeny. However, T. podisi produced 2.4 times as many progeny as T. cristatus , and the latter species had a highly female-biased sex ratio and extended postovipositional longevity. T. podisi also was found to have a significantly greater estimated intrinsic rate of increase than T. cristatus .
Robustness of weighted L p –depth and L p –median

L p –norm weighted depth functions are introduced and the local and global robustness of these weighted L p –depth functions and their induced multivariate medians are investigated via influence function and finite sample breakdown point. To study the global robustness of depth functions, a notion of finite sample breakdown point is introduced. The weighted L p –depth functions turn out to have the same low breakdown point as some other popular depth functions. Their influence functions are also unbounded. On the other hand, the weighted L p –depth induced medians are globally robust with the highest possible breakdown point for any reasonable estimator. The weighted L p –medians are also locally robust with bounded influence functions for suitable weight functions. Unlike other existing depth functions and multivariate medians, the weighted L p depth and medians are easy to calculate in high dimensions. The price for this advantage is the lack of affine invariance and equivariance of the weighted L p depth and medians, respectively.
Seasonal patterns of water column particulate organic carbon and fluxes in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Abstract The standing stock of particulate organic carbon (POC) was determined during five cruises in the Ross Sea in 1996 and 1997 and compared with primary production of carbon measured in short-term 14C-incubations and the flux of organic carbon collected in moored sediment traps. POC concentrations were estimated from transmissometer profiles that were calibrated with discrete POC bottle samples from each cruise. The mean standing stock of POC integrated to a depth of 100 m and averaged along a 330 km transect at 76.5°S in mid-October (early spring) was only 240 mmol C m −2 , but more than doubled to 560 mmol C m −2 10 days later. By mid-January (summer) the standing stock had increased by an order of magnitude to ∼5300 mmol C m −2 , but dropped to 3500 mmol C m −2 one week later. By late April (autumn), the standing stock was only 200 mmol C m −2 . The following spring the standing stock increased from 700 mmol C m −2 in late November to 2200 mmol C m −2 in early December. Despite the high standing stock in the photic zone in summer, 1997, little POC was collected in the moored sediment traps until late summer (February–March) when the traps showed an increase in POC and silica flux. A three-fold increase in POC flux occurred in autumn (March–April) dominated by pteropods, but the standing stock of POC in the photic zone at that time was very low. Light-scattering sensor data suggest that, although present in all seasons, aggregates were most abundant in autumn and were distributed throughout the water column. These aggregates may have temporarily stored POC and provided food support for a pteropod population that died and settled into the traps in March–April. Still, the trap POC flux was only 5% of the peak standing stock. Resuspension and lateral advection of recently settled organic matter from a nearby topographic high may explain the larger flux measured in the deep sediment traps, a flux that continued into winter.
Fiber-connectorized multiwavelength 2×2 switch structure using a fiber loop mirror

Abstract A fiber-connectorized multiwavelength 2×2 switch structure is introduced for the first time that deploys a fiber loop mirror (FLM) arrangement with polarization control. Switch operation is achieved via a programmable waveplate effect rather than an optical power consuming long fiber loop length non-linear optical effect. The results from an experimental four-wavelength (i.e., 1546.92 nm, 1548.52 nm, 1550.12 nm, and 1551.72 nm) proof of concept switch using two mechanical fiber-based polarization controllers embedded in a short 7 m fiber loop indicates an average optical coherent crosstalk of −31.2 dB. Presently, optical loss is mainly limited by the WDM devices used in our experimental setup. Hence, without the WDM multiplexers, an average optical loss of 2.22 dB is measured over a 50 nm optical bandwidth. Also, an average 0.08 dB polarization dependent loss is measured for this broadband switch.
The modification of delinquent behaviour through operant conditioning

Abstract The frequent antisocial behaviour of a 13-year-old delinquent boy was hypothesized as resulting from contingencies existing between such behaviour and social reinforcements provided by staff and peers. Systematic use of such operant techniques as time-out from reinforcement, differential reinforcement and discrimination training over a five-month period resulted in a declining rate of anti-social behaviour together with a decrease in seriousness of offences. Five months of operant conditioning was more effective in modifying and controlling his behaviour than the more conventional types of psychotherapy utilized during the previous four years of his institutionalization.
Common bile duct obstruction by granular cell tumor (schwannoma).

A patient with granular cell tumor causing intermittent obstruction of the common bile duct was found for the first time in a male. Surgical management of these lesions includes excision of the tumor, cholecystectomy, and choledochoduodenostomy. A syndrome of intermittent obstructive jaundice without preceding gallbladder symptoms in a young black individual should make one suspect granular cell tumor obstructing the biliary tract. There may be an association with multifocal neurofibromatosis. The source of these unique tumors seems to be the schwannoma cell or the ubiquitous histiocyte.
Exploration of Metastasis-related Proteins as Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck (HN) cancer is a significant health-care problem worldwide. One of the major prognostic factors for squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) is metastasis. Early detection of lymph node metastasis and the identification of key protein targets for the treatment of metastatic HNSCC remain a challenge in current cancer research. Recent developments in molecular analysis technologies, such as DNA microarray and proteomic analyses, have provided powerful tools for the detection of metastatic signatures in primary tumors, opening new avenues toward the molecular diagnosis and prognosis of HN cancers. Evaluation of gene expression profiling identified in metastatic signatures has further facilitated the understanding of HNSCC metastasis at the molecular level. This review will focus on current exploration of metastatic proteins in HNSCC with an emphasis on molecular signatures of metastatic HNSCC in order to understand the functions of metastasis-related proteins involved in adhesion, invasion, dissemination, and survival, and to define appropriate biomarkers and targets for the treatment of this disease.
Highly Diverged U4 and U6 Small Nuclear RNAs Required for Splicing Rare AT-AC Introns

Removal of a rare class of metazoan precursor messenger RNA introns with AU-AC at their termini is catalyzed by a spliceosome that contains U11, U12, and U5 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins. Two previously unidentified, low-abundance human small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), U4atac and U6atac, were characterized as associated with the AT-AC spliceosome and necessary for AT-AC intron splicing. The excision of AT-AC introns therefore requires four snRNAs not found in the major spliceosome. With the use of psoralen crosslinking, a U6atac interaction with U12 was identified that is similar to a U6-U2 helix believed to contribute to the spliceosomal active center. The conservation of only limited U6atac sequences in the neighborhood of this interaction and the potential of U6atac to base pair with the 5' splice site consensus for AT-AC introns provide support for current models of the core of the spliceosome.
The visual indexing vocabulary: Developing a thesaurus for indexing images across diverse domains

This paper reports progress in developing a thesaurus for indexing images from diverse domains using non-specialist terminology. The foundation for the vocabulary is a series of research inquiries into user description of images in relation to different tasks. It discusses problems with current thesauri for indexing visual materials and the evolution of the vocabulary from a class project to a tool for annotation for the purpose of performing ground-truth judgments in a benchmarking system. Methods for adding terminology and structuring the thesaurus are discussed, as are considerations that relate to term specificity, and the size and structure of the thesaurus. Unique aspects of visual indexing include problems of scale in relation to meaning and the unbounded nature of visual ontology, requiring a flexible approach to developing a visual indexing vocabulary (VIV).
Interferon Induction and/or Production and Its Suppression by Influenza A Viruses

Developmentally aged chicken embryo cells which hyperproduce interferon (IFN) when induced were used to quantify IFN production and its suppression by eight strains of type A influenza viruses (AIV). Over 90% of the IFN-inducing or IFN induction-suppressing activity of AIV populations resided in noninfectious particles. The IFN-inducer moiety of AIV appears to preexist in, or be generated by, virions termed IFN-inducing particles (IFP) and was detectable under conditions in which a single molecule of double-stranded RNA introduced into a cell via endocytosis induced IFN, whereas single-stranded RNA did not. Some AIV strains suppressed IFN production, an activity that resided in a noninfectious virion termed an IFN induction-suppressing particle (ISP). The ISP phenotype was dominant over the IFP phenotype. Strains of AIV varied 100-fold in their capacity to induce IFN. AIV genetically compromised in NS1 expression induced about 20 times more IFN than NS1-competent parental strains. UV irradiation further enhanced the IFN-inducing capacity of AIV up to 100-fold, converting ISP into IFP and IFP into more efficient IFP. AIV is known to prevent IFN induction and/or production by expressing NS1 from a small UV target (gene NS). Evidence is presented for an additional downregulator of IFN production, identified as a large UV target postulated to consist of AIV polymerase genes PB1 + PB2 + PA, through the ensuing action of their cap-snatching endonuclease on pre-IFN-mRNA. The products of both the small and large UV targets act in concert to regulate IFN induction and/or production. Knowledge of the IFP/ISP phenotype may be useful in the development of attenuated AIV strains that maximally induce cytokines favorable to the immune response.
Orthotropic panel flutter at arbitrary yaw angles - Experiment and correlation with theory.

Experimental flutter boundaries were obtained for yaw angles between 15 and 90 deg at Mach numbers 2 and 1.6 for panels mounted on a remotely controlled turntable. Good definition of the flutter boundaries was obtained by rotating the panels into and out of flutter. Two types of specimens were tested: a single-sheet corrugated panel having a length-to-width ratio of 5 on clamped supports, and several square doubly-corrugated panels on various flexible supports. Calculated flutter speeds based on quasi-steady aerodynamics are compared to experimental data.
A tensile rheometer for solid polymers containing volatile diluents

A tensile rheometer capable of confining diluent is described. This rheometer makes it possible to characterize solid samples with imbibed diluent. Tensile stress-relaxation data were obtained as a function of temperature for dry glassy semicrystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and as a function of composition for semicrystalline PET imbibed with dimethlformaide (DMF). Data on PET/DMF captures the glass-rubber transition as DMF content is increased. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Anticipatory socialization of graduate students

Most observers in higher education and most faculty agree that more student-oriented teachers are needed; but there is no consensus on how to get them. Options include finding new faculty and/or changing present faculty. The latter seems practically impossible, since most faculty are intransigent, and faculty development is addressed to too few. Graduate education, too, is unlikely to change, as present faculty guide its directions. The alternative is to find students with the “proper” dispositions on entrance to graduate schools. The question addressed herein is whether among current admittees to graduate schools there are sufficient numbers of persons with orientations significantly different from those of current faculty. The article reports on empirical assessments of preferences for 320 discrete tasks in the academic role by accepted graduate school applicants and younger and older faculty.
Evaluation of the economic and environmental feasibility of heat pump systems in residential buildings, with varying qualities of the building envelope

Abstract In this study, the economic and environmental feasibility of air-to-air and geothermal heat pump systems is examined. The significance of the insulation level of the envelope on the economic and environmental feasibility of heat pump systems is demonstrated. The goal of this study is to quantify the extent to which the local climate and the building insulation level influences the economic and environmental feasibility of a geothermal water-to-air heat pump system and an external air-to-air heat pump system. In this study, the seasonal coefficient of performance SCOP is predicted for both heat pump systems for a residential building with varying insulation levels representative locations of the United States. The SCOP of both heat pump systems is calculated in a dynamic calculation process for use in a representative residential building with three different insulation levels of the building envelope. Results show a huge sensibility of SCOP values and feasibility studies towards the insulation level of the building envelope and the location.
A laboratory test of Mach's principle and strong-field relativistic gravity

A laboratory experiment that tests the validity of Mach's principle — the relativity and gravitational induction of inertia — and relativistic gravity in strong-field circumstances is described. It consists of looking for a stationary shift in the apparent weight of an object when a transient mass fluctuation is induced in one of its parts, that part then being subjected to a pulsed thrust. The transient mass fluctuation induced is of the order of a few tens of milligrams, and the stationary weight shift observed is several milligrams. Details of the apparatus used (capable of detecting an effect at the level of about a tenth of a milligram) are presented. Procedural protocols are laid out. The results obtained — signals some 10 to 15 times the standard error in magnitude — confirm to better than order of magnitude that the predicted effect is indeed present. The consequences of this confirmation of Mach's principle and relativistic gravity are briefly addressed. In particular, it is pointed out that in light of these results “radical timelessness” seems to be the correct way to understand reality and, from the practical point-of-view, it may prove possible to make traversable wormholes whenever we choose to devote sufficient resources to that end.
Leukocyte Telomere Length and Coronary Artery Calcium

Patients with histories of myocardial infarction display shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL), but conflicting findings have been reported on the relation between LTL and subclinical coronary artery atherosclerosis, as expressed by coronary artery calcium (CAC). The aim of this study was to examine the relation between LTL, measured by Southern blots, and CAC in 3,169 participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. Participants consisted of 2,556 whites, 613 blacks, 1,790 women, and 1,379 men. The odds of having CAC ≥100 for the shortest LTL tertile versus the longest LTL tertile were 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28 to 3.16) in white men and 1.76 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.45) in white women, after adjusting for multiple covariates of CAC. The corresponding odds ratios for blacks were 1.53 (95% CI 0.67 to 3.50) and 0.87 (95% CI 0.37 to 2.00). Significance levels of tests for trend across LTL tertiles were p = 0.002 in white men, p = 0.006 in white women, p = 0.32 in black men, and p = 0.74 in black women. The associations, or lack of associations, were independent of C-reactive protein levels and other risk factors for CAC. As previously shown in other studies, whites displayed shorter LTLs than blacks (p
Frequency of Tests and General Subject-Area Mastery:

The effect of instruccional methods on students' performance has been a concern of American colleges and universities. One aspect is encompassed within the term "personalized instruction" which often includes giving frequent examinations on relatively small portions of material. The present study was designed to examine the effect of frequency of tests on mastery of general subject-area by 84 students, enrolled in the introductory psychology course at Davidson College. Ss were randomly assigned to three groups (28 Ss each). At the outset each group received a standard test of psychological knowledge ( 2 ) to establish a baseline for their individual knowledge in the area. Throughout the subsequent 10-wk. term, group procedures varied as follows: Group 1 took 6 tests on material in the cextbook (1) ; Group 2 rook 3 tests on that material; and Group 3 (comparison) utilized the same textbook without periodic tests during the term. Groups 1 and 2 had similar classroom experience. Group 3 received equivalent classroom time; another professor taught the course and used the same textbook. At the conclusion of the 10-wk. term, each group received an alternate form of the standard test they had taken initially. With maximum possible score of 100, group means and standard deviations were: Group 1 (pre-term, 44.18 and 5.88; post-term, 65.46 and 6.22), Group 2 (pre-term, 45.39 and 5.88; post-term, 65.32 and 5.06), and Group 3 (pre-term, 44.89 and 7.27; post-term, 59.61 and 11.55). Data were analyzed using a 3 X 2 analysis of variance (conditions, trials). An F test for simple effects indicated no significant difference between the performance of the 6-test and 3-test groups, but these groups differed significantly from the Comparison Group ( F = 5.04, df = 2/81, p < .01). While general mastery seemed unaffected by the frequency of testing, the fact that both tested groups performed significantly higher than the comparison group raised the possibility that periodic testing may have affected mastery. Regular assessment may be more important than the frequency of regular assessment. In effect, established pacing may be more imporcanc than the existence of a final "day of reckoning." The question deserves further systematic research.
Secondary Disulfonamides and Secondary Tetrasulfondiamides as Proposed New Biological Alkylating Agents

Secondary disulfonamides and secondary tetrasulfondiamides were prepared for antineoplastic activity testing. For the disulfonamides, one alkyl series (n-butyl), three aralkyl series (benzyl, phenethyl, and phenpropyl), and one diaralkyl series (diphenpropyl) were prepared. Two series of tetrasulfondiamides were made from diamines, one in which the central methylene chain was varied from four to six and another using the tetrasubstituted sulfonyl derivative of xylylenediamine. Thirteen final compounds were synthesized. Ten of these compounds and four intermediates have not been reported previously. Preliminary screening results for the final compounds are given.
Murray Lecture Tensile Testing at the Micrometer Scale: Opportunities in Experimental Mechanics

The measurement of mechanical properties using specimens whose minimum dimensions are of the order of micrometers is an important new area of experimental solid mechanics. One obvious application is in the area of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) where the final product is on the millimeter or micrometer scale.
Measuring Conceptual Complexity: A Content-Analytic Model Using the Federal Income Tax Laws.

We have extended the measurement of content complexity to a practical level by developing a model for evaluating a particularly complex body of information: the federal income tax laws. United States tax law has been seriously criticized as being overly complex, and the capital gain or loss tax preference significantly contributes to this complexity. By developing and applying a content analysis measurement model, we have determined that over 15% of the tax law's complexity is attributable to the capital gain and loss preference and that this preference affects 65% of all income tax sections. The consequences of this complexity are currently an unresearched area. The findings confirm the hypothesis that the capital gain and loss preference substantially complicates the income tax law in both absolute and relative terms.
The relationship between loss of dopamine nerve terminals, striatal [3H]spiroperidol binding and rotational behavior in unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats.

The relationship between the destruction of dopamine-containing nerve terminals, specific binding of [3H]spiroperidol and contralateral rotation in response tol-DOPA, was studied in rats with unilateral lesions of the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) system, induced by intracerebral injections of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Animals with significant rotational behavior in response tol-DOPA had both a greater amount of specific binding of [3H]spiroperidol in the lesioned striatum compared to the non-lesioned striatum, and at least 90% destruction of DA terminals in the lesioned striatum (less than 10% of control uptake). The non-rotators tol-DOPA had considerably less destruction of DA terminals and no significant increase in specific binding on the lesioned side. The data from this study suggest that beforel-DOPA is effective as an inducer of contralateral rotational behavior, there must be both unilateral damage to the DA terminals greater than 90%, and increased specific binding.
Why Does the Plague of Darkness Last for Three Days? Source Ascription and Literary Motif in Exodus 10:21-23, 27

[Abstract This article addresses the question of source ascription for the plague of darkness in Exod 10:21-23, 27. It argues that attention to the specific content of this episode, and especially its indication of a three-day duration for the darkness, ties it to Exod 6:9-12, Moses’s initial interaction with the Israelites in the pentateuchal Priestly source (P). Beyond style or form, the darkness plague plays an essential role in the Priestly plot and for this reason may be confidently assigned to P., AbstractThis article addresses the question of source ascription for the plague of darkness in Exod 10:21-23, 27. It argues that attention to the specific content of this episode, and especially its indication of a three-day duration for the darkness, ties it to Exod 6:9-12, Moses’s initial interaction with the Israelites in the pentateuchal Priestly source (P). Beyond style or form, the darkness plague plays an essential role in the Priestly plot and for this reason may be confidently assigned to P.]
Exophthalmos-producing substance: Mode of action

Three procedures have been presented for the fractionation and partial purification of exophthalmos-producing substance. When the fractions obtained were assayed by the fish proptosis technique and by the measurement of 35S uptake into the Harderian gland of the guinea-pig, the two activities were seen to parallel each other. Those fractions which stimulated the uptake of 35S into the Harderian gland also tended to stimulate the uptake of 35S into other tissues.
Crack tip displacements of microstructurally small surface cracks in single phase ductile polycrystals

Abstract A planar double slip crystal plasticity model is applied to the evaluation of crack tip opening (CTOD) and sliding (CTSD) displacements for microstructurally small stationary cracks under monotonic loading for a material with nominal stress–strain behavior that is representative of a relatively high strength helicopter rotor hub material. Two-dimensional plane strain finite element calculations are presented for CTSD and CTOD of microstructurally small transgranular surface cracks in a polycrystal subjected to monotonic loading. The effects of crack length relative to grain size, orientation distribution of nearest neighbor grains, stress state and stress level are considered for nominal stress levels below the macroscopic yield strength. The CTOD and CTSD are computed for stationary crystallographic surface cracks with various realizations of crystallographic orientations of surrounding grains. It is found that (i) the opening displacement is dominant for remote tension even for crystallographic cracks oriented along the maximum shear plane in the first surface grain, (ii) there is a strong dependence of the CTOD on the proximity to grain boundaries, but lesser dependence of the CTSD, and (iii) that the elastic solutions for CTOD and CTSD are valid below about 30% of the 0.2% offset-defined yield strength.
Automatic presentation of running programs

This paper presents a technique for automatically generating graphical presentations of a program execution. Viewers can customize the presentation and examine particular aspects of the running computation by creating a specification of the program's entities and properties of interest. We identify three goals for visualizations that display consecutive computation states, known as program visualizations. First, a visualization must present all of the entities and properties described by viewers and no other information. Second, the graphical representations assigned to various program entities must be sufficiently distinctive to permit views to easily recognize entities of different types, despite similarities in graphical characteristics denoting common properties of those entities. Third, to maintain continuity of the animation over time, graphical elements used to present one state of the program must be reserved and subsequently used to represent the same or similar entities or properties in other states. Based on these goals, we have developed an algorithm that assigns graphical objects to each program entity of interest. The algorithm relies on a characterization of the available graphical objects and attributes to determine the graphical elements that best display the data contained in the entities and their properties. For views that have a greater number of properties than the available number of graphical elements, we have developed heuristics for deciding which properties can be depicted by overloading the same graphical attribute. The automatic presentation is flexible and permits viewers to intervene and determine entirely or partly the graphical design of a visualization.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pruned Pareto-optimal sets for the system redundancy allocation problem based on multiple prioritized objectives

In this paper, a new methodology is presented to solve different versions of multi-objective system redundancy allocation problems with prioritized objectives. Multi-objective problems are often solved by modifying them into equivalent single objective problems using pre-defined weights or utility functions. Then, a multi-objective problem is solved similar to a single objective problem returning a single solution. These methods can be problematic because assigning appropriate numerical values (i.e., weights) to an objective function can be challenging for many practitioners. On the other hand, methods such as genetic algorithms and tabu search often yield numerous non-dominated Pareto optimal solutions, which makes the selection of one single best solution very difficult. In this research, a tabu search meta-heuristic approach is used to initially find the entire Pareto-optimal front, and then, Monte-Carlo simulation provides a decision maker with a pruned and prioritized set of Pareto-optimal solutions based on user-defined objective function preferences. The purpose of this study is to create a bridge between Pareto optimality and single solution approaches.
Phenytoin effect on the proliferation of rat oral epithelium is mediated by a hormonal mechanism.

Systemic pretreatment of male rats with phenytoin (PHT) (30 mg/100 g body weight) significantly (P < 0.001) increased mitotic frequency, shortened mitotic duration and renewal time in the basal cells of the oral epithelium. This effect of PHT was abolished by simultaneous s.c. injection of cyproterone acetate (CyA) (50 μg/100 g body weight) or by castration. CyA treatment of intact rats or castration further decreased mitotic frequency, prolonged mitotic duration and turnover time in the oral epithelium. The effect of castration was reversed by the simultaneous s.c. injection of testosterone propionate (Tp) (50 μg/100 g body weight). These results suggest that PHT effect on epithelial proliferation is mediated by a hormonal mechanism.
Quantitative autoradiography of cocaine binding sites in human brain postmortem

Quantitative autoradiography was used to study cocaine binding sites in the human brain postmortem. Tritiated cocaine was applied to brain sections from three drug- and disease-free subjects at a low (10 nM) concentration and at a high (1 microM) concentration, the latter being in the range of brain concentrations of cocaine found in users of the drug. Nonspecific binding was assessed in the presence of 100 microM unlabeled cocaine. At low (10 nM) concentrations of labeled cocaine, the basal ganglia exhibit the highest density of binding sites, with considerably lower densities in thalamus, cortex, and hippocampus. Cocaine binding at high (1 microM) concentrations displayed a different distribution pattern, more homogeneous with some cortical regions exhibiting binding site densities close to those seen in the basal ganglia. Preliminary competition experiments with several drugs indicate that dopamine uptake inhibitors completely block cocaine binding to the basal ganglia, while serotonin uptake inhibitors were more effective in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that cocaine binds to dopamine uptake sites in the human basal ganglia postmortem but that it also interacts with other classes of binding sites, depending on the concentration and brain region examined.
Reliability Issues in SiGe HBTs Fabricated on CMOS-Compatible Thin-Film SOI

A comprehensive investigation of reliability issues in both fully-depleted and partially-depleted SiGe HBTs-on-SOI is presented. The devices were subjected to "mixed-mode" stress at 300 K and at 77 K, and we have analyzed the changes in base current IB, collector resistance RC, M-1, and AC performance. A comparison of mixed-mode stress to conventional reverse EB bias stress is also made, and significant differences are observed. The thermal resistance Rth of the devices is extracted over the 50 K ? 300 K range.
Background Characteristics and Responses to Treatment of Two Types of Institutionalized Delinquent Boys

Two types of institutionalized delinquent boys were identified in a sample of 306 for the purpose of investigating differences in the etiology of their antisocial behavior and in their responses to a group-centered treatment program. The “Buoyant” and “Beset” types, defined by their levels of anxiety and depression, are compared conceptually to types identified in other classification schemes. Two-thirds of the sample showed sufficiently stable anxiety and depression over time to warrant classification. The importance of considering stability in defining the types is underscored by comparisons of the stable with unstable boys. Comparison of the Buoyant and Beset types revealed significant differences in life experiences and style of delinquent behavior prior to their institutionalization, in their behavior and attitudes during incarceration, and in the components of the treatment that affected their behavior and attitudes. The findings are discussed in terms of the validity of the proposed typology, their...