cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ameliorating Reading Disabilities Early: Examining an Effective Encoding and Decoding Prevention Instruction Model

The purpose of this study was to determine whether integrating encoding instruction with reading instruction provides stronger gains for students who struggle with reading than instruction that includes little or no encoding. An instructional design model was investigated to best fit the data of 175 first-grade readers at risk for reading disabilities. Using cross-classified hierarchical linear modeling, variance in students’ posttest scores could adequately be explained by students’ initial encoding and decoding abilities, classroom and intervention encoding instruction time, and the number of supplemental integrated encoding and decoding intervention lessons received. Results indicated that integrating encoding and decoding instruction in first-grade classrooms, as well as supplemental intervention programs, may be the missing link to decreasing and possibly preventing future reading failure for students previously at risk for reading disabilities.
Decoupled evolution of display morphology and display behaviour in phrynosomatid lizards

A widespread trend in animals is the evolution of morphological ornaments and behaviours that are involved in aggressive and courtship displays. These display traits are important from the standpoint of communication, sexual selection, and speciation. Previous authors have suggested that the evolution of display morphology and display behaviour should be closely linked. In this study, I tested for this association with behavioural and morphological data for 59 taxa of phrynosomatid lizards using phylogenetic comparative methods (Maddison's concentrated changes test and Felsenstein's independent contrasts). The results showed little significant association between features of display morphology and behaviour, suggesting that the evolution of these traits is not tightly coupled. This decoupling is particularly evident in the genus Sceloporus, in which several species have lost the display coloration but retain unmodified display behaviour. The results also suggest that display morphology is more evolutionarily labile than display behaviour in this group.
WORLD FOOD SUMMIT PLEDGE: CAN IT BE ACHIEVED IN SOUTHERN AFRICA?

Since 1995, global food security has become a high profile issue as a result of concerns stemming from global market liberalization that has reflected changes in policies of the major food exporting countries. Responding to these concerns at the declaration of the World Food Summit in November 1996, participants pledged “to reduce the number of undernourished people to half their present level no later than 2015” from the estimated 800 million people. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the future food security situation of 9 Southern African counties: Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Baseline food consumption is projected through 2015 and the food gaps to meet minimum nutritional requirements are estimated by country. To examine the options of cutting the nutritional gap of a country by half, a consumption-income relationship was used to estimate food consumption in different income groups. The baseline projections of food consumption by di...
Effects of wet deposition on optical properties of the atmosphere over Bermuda and Barbados

[1] Substantial spatial and temporal variabilities in chemical and physical properties of aerosols complicate attempts to model associated influences on global climate. Although wet deposition is the major mechanism by which most aerosols are removed from the atmosphere, direct effects of precipitation on radiative properties of the atmosphere are not well understood. To address this issue, attenuation coefficients for total insoluble constituents (ACt) and for nonvolatile (at 500°C) insoluble constituents (ACnv; primarily crustal dust) of precipitation at Bermuda and Barbados were measured at six wavelengths between 414 and 859 nm. Coefficients for volatile (at 500°C) insoluble constituents (ACv; primarily carbonaceous species) were calculated by difference. Between April and September, ACt at Bermuda was dominated by mineral constituents transported from North Africa, whereas carbonaceous species from North America were relatively low and exhibited no systematic seasonal variability. ACt and ACnv at Barbados were dominated by mineral dust, especially between April and September. Relative to ACv, ACnv decreased more rapidly with increasing wavelength. The wavelength dependencies of ACs for volatile and nonvolatile constituents at Bermuda were statistically indistinguishable from those at Barbados. The optical and chemical characteristics of precipitation were compared with scattering and absorption by ambient aerosols in associated air parcels to evaluate the influence of scavenging on the radiative properties of air. Although discernible relationships were evident, the small number of cases limited their applicability as reliable empirical predictors. However, these data do provide useful constraints for validating models of aerosol scavenging and wet removal on the optical properties of the troposphere.
Medical Conditions, Level of Care Needs, and Health-Related Outcomes of Persons with Mental Retardation: A Review

A literature review was conducted to analyze existing data on health needs of people with mental retardation and possible barriers to integration in the community. Information was obtained on medical conditions, level of care needed, and health-related outcomes. The type and range of medical care, resources, and support services needed to maintain individuals with medical problems were identified, as were barriers to and recommendations for the provision of community-based medical care. Although there are barriers to the provision of services to people with mental retardation and allied medical conditions, there are people who currently live in the community who have the same type of medical conditions and who require the same level of care needed as those who live in institutions. Medical services are typically, but not always, available to persons with mental retardation who reside in the community. Availability and access to services are addressed. Recommendations for future research and policy implica...
Locomotor adaptation is influenced by the interaction between perturbation and baseline asymmetry after stroke

Abstract Stroke survivors without cerebellar involvement retain the ability to adapt to the split-belt treadmill; however it has been suggested that their rate of adaptation may be slowed compared to those who are neurologically intact. Depending on limb placement, the split-belt treadmill can be configured to either exaggerate baseline asymmetry, or reduce it, which may affect the behavior of adaptation or de-adaptation. The objectives of this study were to characterize the rate and magnitude of locomotor (de)adaptation in chronic stroke survivors compared to healthy matched subjects, and to evaluate whether exaggeration or reduction of baseline asymmetry impact the responses. Seventeen stroke survivors and healthy subjects completed 10 min of split-belt treadmill walking, then 5 min of tied-belt walking. Stroke survivors completed this once with each leg on the fast belt. Magnitude and rate of (de)adaptation were evaluated for step length and limb phase asymmetry. There were no differences between the groups with the exception of the reduced step length asymmetry configuration, in which case there was a significantly reduced magnitude ( p ≤0.000) and rate ( p =0.011) of adaptation when compared to controls. There was a similar trend observed during post-adaptation for the exaggerated asymmetry group. The rate and magnitude of locomotor (de)adaptation is similar between chronic stroke survivors and neurologically intact controls, except when the adaptation or de-adaptation response would take the stroke survivors away from a symmetric step length pattern. This suggests that there may be some benefit to symmetry that is recognized by the system.
Analysis of the probability distribution of the late Pleistocene climatic record implications for model validation

Some statistical properties of the late Pleistocene climatic changes, as inferred from the analysis of the Probability Density Function (PDF) of the deep-sea δ18O record, are discussed. Estimates of the probability distribution of the SPECMAP record seem to reveal a bimodal character over the last 600 000 years BP, with a transition to a unimodal distribution for a longer time interval. Based on knowledge of the accuracy of the measurements, we try to remove the arbitrariness of such estimates, and by employing a number of different estimators we show that the major features observed are not affected by the particular method used. Possible dynamic interpretations are discussed. The abruptness of many transitions between the two modes and their symmetric occurrence seem to be significant features of the past climatic changes, which should be reproduced by climate models. The distribution of this indicator is then used to compare the performances of two climate models. Various statistical tests are employed and it is shown that, for a proper determination of the physical significance of such tests, information about the accuracy and reliability of the data must be included. For example, the comparison of two generalized isotopic curves, independently developed, shows a correlation coefficient of the order of 70%; therefore any account of the variance of any particular target curve beyond this level cannot be considered significant. These types of analyses suggest how the standard data evaluation and model validation techniques can be improved when discussing the essential features of observed and simulated dynamical systems.
Repeated ethanol withdrawal experience increases the severity and duration of subsequent withdrawal seizures in mice

Abstract Repeated ethanol withdrawal experience has been shown to result in an exacerbation of future withdrawal episodes. This sensitization of the withdrawal response has been hypothesized to represent a “kindling” phenomenon. The present study was designed to examine whether a systematic increase in the number of previous ethanol withdrawal experiences increases both the severity and duration of a subsequent withdrawal response. An established model of repeated ethanol intoxication/withdrawal was employed in which adult C3H mice were chronically exposed to ethanol vapor in inhalation chambers. In the first experiment, multiple withdrawal (MW) groups of mice received nine (MW×9), six (MW×6), or three (MW×3) cycles of 16-h ethanol vapor separated by 8-h periods of abstinence prior to testing; a single withdrawal (SW) group was tested following a single bout of 16-h ethanol exposure; and a control (C) group did not receive any ethanol treatment throughout the experiment. In a second experiment, a group of mice (MW1–9) were repeatedly tested over nine cycles of withdrawal. A third experiment was designed to assess the effects of repeated pyrazole administration on the potentiated withdrawal seizure response. Results indicated a positive relationship between the number of previously experienced ethanol withdrawals and the severity and duration of a subsequent withdrawal episode. Blood ethanol levels were similar for all ethanol-exposed groups prior to withdrawal assessment. Further, the intensity of withdrawal seizures (handling-induced convulsions) progressively increased over nine cycles of intoxication/withdrawal and repeated testing did not significantly influence the development of this potentiated response. In addition, repeated administration of pyrazole did not appear to influence this withdrawal sensitization phenomenon. Collectively, these results provide further support for the “kindling” hypothesis of ethanol withdrawal.
The microscopic examination of the apollo-11 and -12 sample and the quest for life forms

Examination of loose sediment and breccia (compacted sediment) returned from Apollo 11 and 12 has been accomplished by light, electron, and scanning electron microscopy. Glassy spheres 0.05 μ to 1 mm in diameter appeared in a heterogeneous distribution. Their shape and structure is consistent with the theory of cooling during free flight. In the laboratory, spheres were produced from the lunar soil itself by heating with the electron beam in the vacuum of the electron microscope. The loose sediment seems the least likely place to discover any preexisting forms of life due to the hostile conditions of soil turnover, vacuum, temperature, and radiation present on the moon. The breccia might provide some protection; however, no organized forms were observed here either. Acid treatment produced a whitish insoluble portion partly explained by surface etching. Removal of radiation darkening is also possible, and it may be that some of the color of the moon is due to radiation effects. Etching with acid failed to reveal any life forms which we could recognize.
New test for spontaneous breakdown of supersymmetry

We propose a new nonperturbative test for supersymmetry breaking. The test is first to break supersymmetry by introducing a lattice and then to study the behavior of the ground-state energy as a function of the lattice spacing a. We assume that as a approaches zero, E/sub 0/approx.ca/sup ..gamma../, where c is a nonzero constant and ..gamma.. is a critical exponent. If ..gamma.. is positive as a..-->..0, the ground-state energy of the continuum theory is zero and the theory is supersymmetric. On the other hand, if ..gamma.. is zero or negative, then supersymmetry is broken. We verify this test in the context of supersymmetric quantum mechanics using a strong-coupling expansion to calculate E/sub 0/ and ..gamma... We find that for the supersymmetric version of g/sup 2/x/sup 6/ quantum mechanics, ..gamma.. = 1.16 +- 0.02, whereas ..gamma.. is consistent with zero when we consider the supersymmetric extension of g/sup 2/x/sup 4/ theory.
A strong and highly significant QTL on chromosome 6 that protects the mouse from age-related retinal degeneration.

PURPOSE. BALB/cByJ (C) albino mice have significantly more retinal degeneration as they age than C57BL/6J-C 21 (B6) albinos. To discover the genetic loci that influence age-related retinal degeneration (ARD), a quantitative genetics study was performed with 8-month-old progeny from an intercross between these two strains. METHODS. The thickness of the outer nuclear layer of the retina was used as the quantitative trait. A genome-wide scan was performed with 86 genetic markers at an average distance of 15.7 cM. Map Manager QTX was used to analyze the data. RESULTS. Three highly significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected on mouse chromosomes (Chrs) 6, 10, and 16. The B6 alleles were protective against ARD in the first two, and the C allele was protective in the third. Several suggestive, weak QTLs were also found, along with a gender-related effect. The strongest and most highly significant QTL on Chr 6 accounted for 30% of the total genetic effect with a LOD score of 13.5. The RPE65/MET450 variant of major influence on constant light-induced retinal degeneration (LRD) in a previous study of these same two mouse strains had no influence on ARD, and only some of the weak, suggestive QTLs influencing ARD were also observed in LRD. CONCLUSIONS. Because none of the ARD QTLs was homologous to human chromosomal loci so far implicated in age-related macular degeneration, each represents a new candidate gene for potential study. The gene represented by the Chr 6 QTL is of particular interest because it has broad influence, very high significance, and a B6 allele that protects against ARD.
Intestinal fistula following pelvic exenterative surgery: predisposing causes and treatment.

An intestinal fistula is a life-threatening complication when associated with the treatment of pelvic cancer. Such fistulae arise in 10% of patients treated by the combination of aggressive surgery and radiation therapy. Nineteen such occurrences developing in 245 patients who had pelvic exenterations are used to demonstrate the need for directing immediate attention toward correcting the physiologic and metabolic abnormalities created by the fistulae. Local control of the fistulae is facilitated by techniques for identifying its cause and precise location.
Zipper: A compact connectivity data structure for triangle meshes

We propose Zipper, a compact representation of incidence and adjacency for manifold triangle meshes with fixed connectivity. Zipper uses on average only 6 bits per triangle, can be constructed in linear space and time, and supports all standard random-access and mesh traversal operators in constant time. Similarly to the previously proposed LR (Laced Ring) approach, the Zipper construction reorders vertices and triangles along a nearly Hamiltonian cycle called the ring. The 4.4x storage reduction of Zipper over LR results from three contributions. (1) For most triangles, Zipper stores a 2-bit delta (plus three additional bits) rather than a full 32-bit reference. (2) Zipper modifies the ring to reduce the number of exceptional triangles. (3) Zipper encodes the remaining exceptional triangles using 2.5x less storage. In spite of these large savings in storage, we show that Zipper offers comparable performance to LR and other data structures in mesh processing applications. Zipper may also serve as a compact indexed format for rendering meshes, and hence is valuable even in applications that do not require adjacency information.
Psychological effects of blood glucose self-monitoring in diabetic patients

Abstract Psychiatric assessments were done on ten insulin dependent diabetic patients who were participating in an eight-month program aimed at achieving strict carbohydrate control of their disease through self-monitoring of blood glucose levels. Both mean depression scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale and mean hemoglobin Aic levels had decreased twofold after eight months (P
Abnormal Striatal Dopaminergic Synapses in National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium Subjects with HIV Encephalitis

People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have neurological problems that overlap with diseases associated with abnormal dopaminergic (DAergic) synaptic transmission, including subcortical dementia, motor slowing, psychosis, and drug addiction. Previous study has suggested that DAergic tone may be decreased in HIV/AIDS, but biochemical confirmation of that tenet is still lacking. To that end, this study addresses the neurochemical interaction between HIV infection and DAergic synaptic transmission in human brain specimens. Protein markers of DAergic synapses were characterized in homogenates of the corpus striatum from individuals with HIV encephalitis (HIVE) and seronegative controls from the autopsy cohort of the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium. Striatal DAergic markers were abnormal in HIVE. Abnormal presynaptic markers included decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein and decreased phosphorylated TH. The presynaptic dopamine reuptake transporter (DAT) was increased reciprocally. Postsynaptic abnormalities included decreased dopamine receptor type 2 (D2R) and increased D3R. There was preferential loss of the alternatively spliced long isoform of D2R relative to the short isoform. Abnormal DAergic synapse proteins were significantly correlated with the HIV Gag mRNA transcripts amplified in striatal extracts. These synaptic changes resemble shifts that occur when DAergic tone is increased experimentally. Increased DAergic tone leads to heightened salience for drugs of abuse, increases behaviors that increase the risk of HIV transmission, and might decrease compliance with antiretroviral medication regimens.
ENRICHMENT CAN STABILIZE POPULATION DYNAMICS: AUTOTOXINS AND DENSITY DEPENDENCE

Simple theories of predator–prey population dynamics predict that enrichment of the prey will reduce population stability and cause complex dynamics such as population cycles. This “paradox of enrichment” has rarely been tested, although it has been observed in laboratory populations of mites and protozoans. In this paper, replicated laboratory microcosms containing planktonic rotifer predators and phytoplankton prey were used to explore the effects of enrichment on predator population dynamics. Prey enrichment was accomplished by increasing the input concentration of prey into predator chemostat flasks, which is equivalent to increasing prey carrying capacity and growth rate. Enrichment stabilized predator dynamics, reducing population variability and reducing the occurrence and strength of population cycles. This is the first experimental demonstration of a reversal of the paradox of enrichment. Rotifers produced an autotoxic compound that reduced population growth rate and individual survival. Since predators were more abundant in the enriched microcosms, dynamics may have been stabilized by a toxin-mediated density-dependent death rate. These results support recent theories suggesting that predator density dependence can result in stabilization by enrichment and may help explain the scarcity of examples of the paradox of enrichment in nature.
Retirement Migration as a Community Development Option

One focus of recent community development efforts has been to attract retirees to rural areas. The feasibility of such a strategy is enhanced if county-level migration patterns of persons 65 years of age and older shift over time and differ from those of the general population, particularly during times of economic recession. Focusing on nonmetropolitan retirement migration in the Pacific Northwest, this paper explores these issues as well as the types of rural counties that are most attractive to retired migrants. It then examines the relative ability of three models–using amenities, service-availability, and cost-of-living factors, respectively–to explain nonmetropolitan retirement migration between 1980 and 1985.
Aberrations of anamorphic optical systems. II. Primary aberration theory for cylindrical anamorphic systems

By applying a new method for aberration derivation to anamorphic systems made from cylindrical surfaces, we obtain a complete set of primary aberration coefficients. This set is in a form similar to the well-known Seidel aberrations for rotationally symmetrical optical systems (RSOS). The aberration coefficients include first-order quantities only. By tracing four nonskew paraxial marginal and chief rays in the two associated RSOS of the anamorphic system, the aberration coefficients can be derived.
Modeling path duration time in dynamic convergecast network

Estimating communication latency is challenging in dynamic settings, e.g mobile applications where the source and/or destination of the communication can move arbitrarily. In this paper, we explore a many-to-one communication pattern, called convergecast, where mobile sensors report their sensed values to one or more servers (data sinks) in a periodic or queried manner. Such ”convergecast” communication is becoming increasingly relevant in sensor monitoring and pervasive sensing applications. An important aspect of enabling accurate collection is to ensure small delays in the collection process. The path duration, i.e time between when a path from sensor to source is established and when it gets disrupted, is a key factor that affects end-to-end delay; much of the existing work on this topic is in the context of MANETs. We propose and evaluate a probabilistic model in convergecast to capture path duration times given models of the network/transmission, the scale of the network and mobility of network elements. We validate our model through simulations and verify that the proposed model can provide a reasonable representation for end-to-end delays in the convergecast network. Pervasive sensor networks of the future are likely to encompass multiple access technologies with varying network properties and transmission characteristics. The ability to model end-to-end network properties (such as path duration) can assist in improved utilization in such pervasive multinetworks.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of the ribosome from Escherichia coli.

Three-dimensional image reconstruction has been applied to electron micrographs of noncrystalline, negatively stained ribosomes obtained from Escherichia coli. Several independent reconstructions all show an overall appearance resembling models that had been derived earlier by direct visual interpretation of electron micrographs. The reconstructed ribosomes show numerous structural details not recognized previously, some of which may be functionally significant. A large elongate cavity (approximately 8-nm long x 5-nm wide x 6-nm [maximal] deep) is present on the surface of the ribosome near the base of its stalk and is identifiable as a portion of a feature termed the interface canyon, which was detected in prior reconstructions of the large ribosomal subunit (Radermacher, M., T. Wagenknecht, A. Verschoor, and J. Frank. 1987. EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J. 6:1107–1114). On the back of the ribosome, near the base of the central protuberance, is a hole leading to the interface canyon, which likely represents an exit site for the elongating polypeptide produced during protein biosynthesis. The exposed portion of the interface canyon appears well suited to bind two tRNA molecules in a configuration that is consistent with biochemical and structural data on the mechanism of peptide bond biosynthesis.
Plectosporium tabacinum, a pathogen of the invasive aquatic weed Hydrilla verticillata in Florida

ABSTRACT Plectosporium tabacinum, the anamorph of Plectosphaerella cucumerina, was isolated in 1996 from Hydrilla verticillata (hydrilla), an invasive aquatic weed in Florida. P. tabacinum, applied...
The Effect of Temperature Modulation on Natural Convection in a Horizontal Layer Heated From Below: High-Rayleigh-Number Experiments

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the effects of wall temperature modulation in a horizontal fluid layer heated from below. A series of 45 transient experiments was performed in which the bottom wall temperature changed periodically with time in a “sawtoothlike” fashion. The amplitude of the bottom wall temperature oscillation varied from 3 to 70 percent of the enclosure’s mean temperature difference, and the period of the temperature swings ranged from 43 seconds to 93 minutes. With water as the fluid in the test cell, the flow was fully turbulent at all times. The Rayleigh number of the experiments (based on the enclosure’s height and on the mean temperature difference) was 0.4 × 108 < Ra < 1.2 × 109 . It was found that for small changes in the bottom wall temperature, the cycle-averaged heat transfer through the layer was unchanged, independent of the period, and was equal in magnitude to the well-established steady-state value when the hot wall is evaluated at the mean temperature. However, this study shows that the cycle-averaged heat transfer increases notably, up to 12 percent as compared to the steady-state value, for the experiments with large temperature modulations. Futhermore, it was observed that the enchancement was a function of the amplitude and period of the oscillation.
High-performance liquid chromatography determination of unsaturated disaccharides produced from chondroitin sulfates by chondroitinases☆

Abstract A relatively fast and sensitive technique for resolution and quantitation of chondroitinase products by anion-exchange hplc was developed. The procedure was used to analyze commercially available chondroitin-sulfate preparations and urinary GAGs from patients with mucopolysaccharidoses. Chondroitin sulfates A and C from two sources were similar containing 70% of the putative structure, 20% of the alternate structure, and 10% chondroitin sulfate B material. Chondroitin sulfate B contained 90% of the expected structure, and 5 and 2% of A and C type material. Data were presented in which it was demonstrated that the technique may be used diagnostically to distinguish between the different mucopolysaccharide-storage disorders.
Vibration Control of Structural Systems using MR dampers and a `Modified' Sliding Mode Control Technique

Magnetorheological (MR) dampers are easily controlled by appropriately regulating the current through an electromagnet producing the necessary magnetic field across the fluid; thus they can be utilized in applying advanced nonlinear control strategies aimed at vibration suppression problems. Since most MR dampers are passive (i.e., they are dissipative and do not produce motion) modern nonlinear control schemes must be significantly modified before they can be employed. This study presents the theoretical development of a modified nonlinear control methodology for MR dampers applied to typical vibration control problems. The methodology is applied to single and multiple DOF systems. The case when only one measurement sensor is used in a quarter-car model is also analyzed using a classical observer design. Simulated and experimental results show the effectiveness of the methodology in controlling the vibration of a general vibratory system.
Observation of Thermopower Oscillations in the Coulomb Blockade Regime in a Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube

We have measured the thermoelectric power (TEP) and Coulomb charging characteristics of an individual p-type semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) in the quantum dot regime. The TEP mea...
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus Measurements in Lake Michigan: Filtration Artifacts

Tests based on variations in vacuum pressure, volume of sample filtered, and filter pore size demonstrate that filtration artifacts seriously bias estimates of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in water from Lake Michigan. Variations in vacuum pressure and filter pore size can bias estimates by approximately 100%, and variations in sample volume alone can produce nearly a twofold difference in SRP values. These biases are caused by differences in the relative amounts of molybdate-reactive PO4–P released from particulate material and by the retention of P-containing “particles” by filters as pores clog with debris, and are partially responsible for method-specific differences in SRP estimation. Vacuum pressures ≤ 300 mm Hg, small sample volumes (≤ 100 mL), and filters of the same type and pore size should be used for routine SRP estimation.
A kinetic model for metal + nonmetal reactions

In attempts to mathematically model the process of gasless self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) of materials, the existing chemical kinetic rate relations are found to be unable to explicitly account for the dependence of the reaction rate on reactant particle size, reactant proportions in the supply mixture, and presence of an inert. A rate expression is developed in this article based on the following mechanism: the metal melts and flows around the nonmetal particle; an intermediate (liquid) complex is formed; the metal ions diffuse from the melt, across the complex, to readily react with the nonmetal at its surface; the product of reaction is the complex itself, which dissolves on the metal-melt side at such a rate that the thickness of the complex is proportional to the instantaneous diameter of the nonmetal particle. As the concentration of the metal in the outer melt decreases with time, the nonmetal particle gradually becomes smaller. Coupling these two temporally varying quantities, a relation is obtained for the instantaneous rate as dependent on temperature, supply particle size, compaction density, reactant proportions, and the inert content.
Countermeasures for night work performance deficits: The effect of napping or caffeine on continuous performance at night

Abstract Napping and caffeine consumption, two common strategies for improving alertness and performance on the night shift, were investigated in two separate studies. Performance was measured with a simulated assembly line task (SALT) during a single night work shift. Both strategies proved beneficial. Performance and subjective alertness were improved following either a 2.3-h evening nap or ingestion of caffeine (4 mg/kg) prior to the work shift. The effects were noted particularly at the trough of circadian alertness. Although neither napping nor caffeine countered the strong circadian influence on performance and alertness in the early morning hours, both strategies attenuated their sharp decline. Further research is required to determine the generalizability of these findings beyond a single night shift and in different populations of workers, such as older age groups, or chronic caffeine users.
Synthesis of 2-thioxo-3-benzothiazolineacetonitrile and related products

Attempts to thermally rearrange 2-benzothiazolylthioacetonitrile (1) to the titled compound 8 failed. The reaction of 3-chloromethyl-2-benzothiazolinethione with potassium cyanide in dimethylformamide (DMF) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at 25-30° afforded 8 in 98% yield. Whereas replacing the DMF or DMSO solvent with acetone furnished the unexpected sulfide 9 in 92% yield. Substituting 3-chloromethyl-2-benzoxazoline-thione as the electrophile in the same reaction gave the sulfide 10 in 95% yield. Possible mechanisms and supporting nmr data are discussed.
Activation times in and adjacent to reentry circuits during entrainment: Implications for mapping ventricular tachycardia

Myocardial infarct scars giving rise to reentrant ventricular tachycardia can contain "bystander" areas of abnormal electrical activity that are difficult to distinguish from reentry circuit sites. Pacing to entrain ventricular tachycardia with analysis of electrograms at the pacing site is useful to identify reentry circuit sites but assumes that electrograms reflect activation times at the recording site. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a similar analysis could be applied to electrograms recorded from sites distant from the pacing site. In computer simulations, activation times at sites in and adjacent to figure-eight reentry circuits were analyzed during entrainment of tachycardia by pacing at various sites. During entrainment, activation at reentry circuit sites activated by the stimulated orthodromic wavefronts maintains the same relation to the QRS complex as that during tachycardia. The return cycle from the last entrained electrogram to the following electrogram equals the tachycardia cycle length. The same findings occur, however, at bystander sites activated by stimulated wavefronts that have propagated orthodromically through the circuit. When a reentry circuit site is activated by stimulated antidromic wavefronts, the electrogram to QRS interval is shorter than that during tachycardia, the return cycle may be less than the tachycardia cycle length, and the site may appear to be dissociated from the tachycardia, despite its location in the circuit. If the entrained electrogram to QRS interval exceeds the tachycardia electrogram to QRS interval and the return cycle length exceeds the tachycardia cycle length, it is likely that both pacing and recording sites are outside the reentry circuit. Thus, during entrainment, failure to dissociate an electrogram from the QRS complex and the return cycle length does not reliably indicate the relation of the recording site to the reentry circuit when the recording and pacing sites are separate.
Where is the AV block

A 63-year-old male with no prior heart disease presents with exertional fatigue for the past few months. His baseline 12 lead ECG is shown (Fig. 1a). His ECG during exercise (treadmill) is shown (Fig. 1b). What is the diagnosis? Where is the abnormality located? What should be done? Fig. 1 12 lead ECG at baseline (1a-left) and 12 lead ECG at peak treadmill exercise (1b-right).
School Board Battles: The Christian Right in Local Politics

School Board Battles: The Christian Right in Local Politics. By Melissa M. Deckman. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2004. 240p. $39.95 cloth, $26.95 paper. Although it is almost conventional wisdom that the Christian Right was born in local political controversies, often over public education, scholars have usually focused on the movement's role in national electoral politics. Melissa Deckman restores some balance with an interesting study of Christian Right activity in school board politics. Although the book provides only a good start in that endeavor, it suggests many avenues for future research.
Theoretical study of the gas-phase Fe(CO)5 catalyzed water gas shift reaction: a new mechanism proposed.

A novel mechanism for the gas-phase Fe(CO)5 and base catalyzed water gas shift reaction has been examined. The reaction pathway described here is predicted at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level to be energetically competitive with the classic mechanism. The reaction path explored here involves the energetically barrierless formation of (CO)4FeCOOH- (the catalyst of the system) decarboxylation induced by the addition of CO to give (CO)4FeCHO, and evolution of H2 upon addition of H2O to the (CO)4FeCHO intermediate. The energetic barriers predicted for the last two steps are 21.2 and 42.0 kcal/mol, respectively, using the B3LYP method.
The phonetics of quantity alternation in Washo

Abstract Stress-sensitive quantity alternation is commonplace in the Uralic languages and many of the Germanic languages in and around the Scandinavia region, but few reports have detailed similar types of alternation in Native American languages. This study offers a quantitative analysis of the complementary length alternation between tonic vowels and post-tonic consonants in two generations of speakers of Washo, a severely moribund Hokan language spoken by approximately 13 elderly speakers near the California–Nevada border southeast of Lake Tahoe. The complementary alternation of vowel and consonant length is argued to be motivated by a previously unnoticed requirement in the language to keep the stressed syllable heavy. This paper reports the results of an acoustic study verifying the phonetic reality of this alternation by comparing the speech of two generations of speakers of Washo based on archival audio recordings made in the 1950s and recent fieldwork materials. The results show that the quantity alternation is much more pervasive in the language than it was first described in the 1960s. It is shown that the current generation of Washo speakers retains subtle phonetic alternations, despite the fact they mostly grew up bilingual, if not English-dominant. Their command of Washo phonetics and phonology does not seem to have undergone severe attrition. However, their realization of post-tonic long consonants was not as long in relative duration as the earlier generation. These results show the value of supplementing transcription with direct measurement, even with small numbers of speakers.
Neuronal and glial elements of fetal neostriatal grafts in the adult neostriatum.

Abstract The cellular components of striatal grafts into the host striatum of rats were studied using [ 3 H]thymidine autoradiography, histochemistry, immunocytochemistry and Golgi-staining. Autoradiography revealed that a layer of glial cells, somas smaller than 8 μm in diameter, stained positive with glial fibrillary acidic protein, and demarcating transplant from host, is derived mainly from the donor. Golgi studies revealed that many neuronal fibers fail to cross the glial layer to reach the host striatum. Migration of transplanted striatal cells into the host milieu was evident. The density of migrated cells decreased linearly as a function of distance from the transplant. Most of the far-migrated cells were glial cells. Neuronal migration was limited. In the transplant, donor cells marked by [ 3 H]thymidine constituted at least 70% of the population. Neurons which stained positively for GABA, substance P, and acetylcholinesterase were identified in the transplant. Fibers of two of these three neuronal types, substance P and acetylcholinesterase, formed patchy patterns in the transplant. Detailed morphology on GABAergic fiber is not available to date, because of the limited antibodies or the method used. GABA is the highest population in the striatal transplant. Two types of GABA-positive cells were clearly distinguishable according to cell size. A majority resembled the medium-sized cell commonly found in striatum, while those of the other type resembled the larger GABA cells usually found in the globus pallidus.
Presynaptic Ca2+ buffers control the strength of a fast post-tetanic hyperpolarization mediated by the α3 Na+/K +-ATPase

Presynaptic Ca 2+ buffers control the strength of a fast post-tetanic hyperpolarization mediated by the α3 Na + /K + -ATPase
On The Computational Solution of Linear Programming Problems Involving Almost-Block-Diagonal Matrices

In this paper we wish to attack a problem which arises from the study of weakly coupled economic systems, or alternatively from the study of multi-stage processes with almost-independent stages. Here the “weakness” of coupling and the “almost-independence” is measured by the number of state variables at one stage which depend on the variables of the preceding stage. By means of the functional equation technique of dynamic programming, we shall show that the computational solution can be reduced to that of the computation of a sequence of functions of one variable, in the particular problem we treat.
Magnetic string fields

Abstract We construct the string field in Witten's open bosonic string field theory which corresponds to a constant magnetic field. We express the answer both in the standard basis of open string modes, and in more natural basis which requires changes in the zero-zero Neumann coefficients of the three-string vertex. We discuss the feasibility of using string field theory to search for new solutions of the classical string equations.
A therapeutic controversy. Thyroid hormone treatment: when and what?

Thyroid hormone preparations have been used in the treatment of hypothyroidism since 1891, when George Murray injected a phenolic extract of sheep thyroid into a myxedematous patient and achieved the first breakthrough in the management of what until then had been an incurable disease that frequently resulted in a fatal outcome (1). Shortly thereafter, Murray observed that the beneficial effects of the injected extract could be duplicated by the ingestion of whole sheep thyroid, a finding that subsequently prompted his discovery of the efficacy of a desiccated glycerin extract of thyroid, a preparation that became the standard agent for hormonal replacement and pituitary TSH suppression. Although synthetic preparations of levothyroxine (L-T4) had been widely available since 1958 and synthetic preparations of liothyronine (L-T& had been available since 1956, desiccated thyroid remained the most popular thyroid preparation until the midseventies. The general acceptance of desiccated thyroid rested at least in part on the assumption that the combination of L-T, and L-T~ in desiccated thyroid offered a distinctive clinical advantage over the exclusive use of either one or the other of the synthesized hormonal constituents. This line of reasoning held sway until the general recognition that 1) T, is converted to T, peripherally (2); 2) about 80% of extrathyroidal T, originates from the tissue conversion of T, (3); and 3) T, serves largely as a prohormone for T,, an iodothyronine that is much more strongly bound to thyroid hormone receptor than is T4 (4). These findings favored the use of L-T, in the treatment of hypothyroidism. Thus, the levels of serum T, and T, are relatively constant after oral administration, given the relative long 6-day half-life of T,, and the comparatively short l-day half-life of T, (5). Stable serum levels of these hormones facilitates titration of the L-T, dose to achieve preassigned ranges of thyroid hormones. Two independently initiated studies showing the usefulness of L-T~ in thyroid hormone replacement followed, one published in 1973 (5) and the other in 1974 (6). In both studies the criterion for establish-
Designing measurement studies under budget constraints: controlling error of measurement and power

When designing measurement studies, one generally needs to consider two statistical issues: power and measurement error. The mean error variance-covariance component is introduced as an estimate th...
Regeneration of Three-Disulfide Mutants of Bovine Pancreatic Ribonuclease A Missing the 65−72 Disulfide Bond: Characterization of a Minor Folding Pathway of Ribonuclease A and Kinetic Roles of Cys65 and Cys72†

The oxidative regeneration pathways of two three-disulfide mutants of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) missing the 65−72 disulfide bond, [C65S,C72S] and [C65A,C72A], have been studied by using oxidized dithiothreitol (DTTox) as an oxidizing agent and 2-aminoethylmethanethiosulfonate (AEMTS) as a thiol-blocking agent at 25 °C and pH 8.0. These mutants are analogues of the des-[65−72] intermediate, which is one of the two major three-disulfide intermediates that follow after the transition states in the regeneration pathways of wild-type RNase A [Rothwarf, D. M., Li, Y.-J., and Scheraga, H. A. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 3760−3766, 3767−3776.]. Both mutants folded through the same pathway but at a rate lower than that of the wild-type protein. The major rate-determining step in the regeneration of these mutants was determined to be the oxidation from the two-disulfide intermediates (2S) to the post-transition-state three-disulfide intermediate (3S*), suggesting the existence of a minor oxidation pathw...
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis: Impact of Recent Genetic Advances and Expansion of the Clinicopathologic Spectrum

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), first clinically described in 1826 and pathologically defined in the 1960s, refers to a group of disorders mostly diagnosed in the childhood years that involve the accumulation of lysosomal storage material with characteristic ultrastructure and prominent neurodegenerative features including vision loss, seizures, motor and cognitive function deterioration, and often times, psychiatric disturbances. All NCL disorders evidence early morbidity and treatment options are limited to symptomatic and palliative care. While distinct genetic forms of NCL have long been recognized, recent genetic advances are considerably widening the NCL genotypic and phenotypic spectrum, highlighting significant overlap with other neurodegenerative diseases. This review will discuss these recent advances and the expanded potential for increased awareness and new research that will ultimately lead to effective treatments for NCL and related disorders.
The pharmacology of immunosuppression.

Objective. To provide students with a comprehensive, integrated presentation on the pharmacology of immuosuppression. Design. Course content on the pharmacology of immunosuppression relating to org...
Coating of optical fibers with a conical shape applicator

Abstract Primary emphasis is placed on the effects of coating parameters such as coating thickness and tip size, the coating thickness variations due to different draw speeds, and induced maximum shear rate in the applicator. However, in this analysis the flow region is divided into two because of the mixed boundary conditions: non-slip condition (region I) and free shear condition along the meniscus (region II). The surface tension at the edge in region II is balanced with the pressure difference, which becomes a constraint for the flow rate.