cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation of in vitro bioassays for 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents

Abstract The inducibility of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) in rat hepatoma H-4-II E cells culture has been utilized as a quantitative bioassay for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). There was an excellent linear correlation between the -log EC50 (in vitro enzyme induction) for 16 PCDD and PCDF congeners and their -log ED50 values for in vivo toxicity (body weight loss and thymic atrophy) in the rat. There was also a comparable linear correlation between the in vitro and in vivo AHH/EROD induction activities. Extraction of a fly ash sample with methylene chloride followed by cleanup gave a PCDD/PCDF fraction which contained a complex mixture of isomers and congeners. The total PCDD and PCDF levels were 3.83 and 5.52 ug/g fly ash respectively and 2,3,7,8-TCDD constituted 2–3% of the total tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins. Using the in vitro enzyme induction bioassay procedure, the estimated 2,3,7,8-TCDD (equivalents) in this extract were 105 ng/g fly ash. The doseresponse in vivo induction of AHH was also determined and the estimated 2,3,7,8-TCDD (equivalents) in this extract were 75 ng/kg fly ash and this confirms the excellent correlation between the in vivo and in vitro bioassays.
Articulated skeletons of the aetosaur Typothorax coccinarum Cope (Archosauria: Stagonolepididae) from the Upper Triassic Bull Canyon Formation (Revueltian: early-mid Norian), eastern New Mexico, USA

ABSTRACT We report two nearly complete, articulated skeletons of the crurotarsan archosaur Typothorax coccinarum from the Upper Triassic Bull Canyon Formation of east-central New Mexico. These are the most complete, articulated aetosaurs from North America and provide a wealth of new anatomical and paleobiological data, including articulated presacral armor that confirms the distinctiveness of T. coccinarum from the closely related T. antiquum and from Redondasuchus. Cervical vertebrae are small, but the corresponding reduction in armor is accomplished by a reduced number of cervical osteoderms. The third row of osteoderms includes a thin, elongate, lateral spike. The ventral armor consists of 10 thoracic columns and four caudal columns of osteoderms. Spiked osteoderms near the cloacal vent are the first spikes reported in aetosaurian ventral osteoderms. The forelimb of T. coccinarum was very short, only ∼0.65 the length of the hind limb, possesses some adaptations found in digging taxa, and was held in a...
An Implicit Energy-Conservative 2D Fokker—Planck Algorithm

Energy-conservative implicit integration schemes for the Fokker?Planck transport equation in multidimensional geometries require inverting a dense, non-symmetric matrix (Jacobian), which is very expensive to store and solve using standard solvers. However, these limitations can be overcome with Newton?Krylov iterative techniques, since they can be implemented Jacobian-free (the Jacobian matrix from Newton's algorithm is never formed nor stored to proceed with the iteration), and their convergence can be accelerated by preconditioning the original problem. In this document, the efficient numerical implementation of an implicit energy-conservative scheme for multidimensional Fokker?Planck problems using multigrid-preconditioned Krylov methods is discussed. Results show that multigrid preconditioning is very effective in speeding convergence and decreasing CPU requirements, particularly in fine meshes. The solver is demonstrated on grids up to 128×128 points in a 2D cylindrical velocity space (vr, vp) with implicit time steps of the order of the collisional time scale of the problem, ?. The method preserves particles exactly, and energy conservation is improved over alternative approaches, particularly in coarse meshes. Typical errors in the total energy over a time period of 10? remain below a percent.
A note on functional forms and the urban size distribution

Since Singer’s work [14] to demonstrate the relationship between the rank and size of urban areas, several studies have applied the Pareto distribution to urban sizes in different countries with cross-sectional or time-series analyses. However, the subject of the Pareto distribution of urban sizes is not resolved because previous studies yielded different empirical results and because there may be other methodologies to estimate the Pareto distribution of urban sizes. The Pareto distribution of urban sizes may be expressed as
Hepatitis C virus and the host: An imbalance induced by immunosuppression?

underscor-ingtheprogressivenatureofrecurrenthepatitisC.Altogether,these observations suggest that disease from HCV is moreaggressiveinpatientswhoarechronicallyimmunosuppressedthan in those with an intact immune response. An under-standing of the mechanisms of disease injury in these circum-stances may allow for improved organ allocation and patientmanagement. Unfortunately, the lack of a suitable animalmodel and efﬁcient cell-culture system for HCV remain majorlimitations to further knowledge of hepatitis C pathogenesis.The assessment of variables associated with disease severityand/or disease progression constitutes an indirect way to thisunderstanding. In that sense, the use of the transplant modeloffers some advantages, such as the availability of sequentialserumandliverbiopsyspecimens,andtheknowledgeofexacttime of infection of the graft.In this issue, the study by Pelletier et al. uses this model toelucidate the mechanisms of liver injury and deﬁne the groupof patients with an increased risk of severe disease posttrans-plantation.Theinvestigatorsevaluatedtheintrahepaticrateofviral replication both before and after liver transplantation ina series of HCV-infected patients, using as the marker of rep-licationnegative-strandRNAdetectedbystrand-speciﬁcpoly-merasechainreaction(PCR).Byanalogywithothervirusesofthe genus
A standardized treatment protocol for blood pressure management in transport patients with a reported diagnosis of acute aortic dissection or symptomatic aortic aneurysm.

Reprint no. 74/l/21 0 The use of standardized treatment protocols (SIR) are a common practice in the air medical industry. These proto cols provide nonphysician flight crews with specific guidelines on the medical management of the patients they transport. Although implementation of protocols is widely accepted, evaluating their application and reporting their effectiveness is relatively rare. On June 12, 1995, Stanford Health Services (SHS) Life Flight/Medical Transport programs instituted a compre hensive set of STPs designed to provide medical guidelines for the RN/RN crew that transported patients. One of the more aggressive protocols addressed the blood pressure (BP) management of pa tients with a reported diagnosis of acute aortic dissection or symptomatic aortic aneurysm. Initially, a quality assurance evaluation was performed to ascertain how effective the crews were in applying the protocol. To determine whether ap plication of the protocol had a significant effect on BP outcomes, a second analysis was performed to compare BP manage ment provided by SHS transporting crews versus nonSHS crews that brought inter-facility transfers to SHS. Emergent medical management in aortic dissections focuses on minimizing the aortic forces that can exacerbate the dissection. For symptomatic aneurysms, management is aimed at decreasing aortic wall tension to prevent rupture. Both goals can be achieved through pharmacologic intervention using a fast-acting
SOLICITOR GENERAL, PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT, AND THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN SUPREME COURT DECISION MAKING

This study focuses on the relationship between the Solicitor General and the Supreme Court in cases involving the federal government as a direct party in litigation. Particular attention is given to the impact of presidential appointments on the success of the federal government in litigation. The analyses indicate that there are differences in success rates for the federal government when we control for the effects of different presidential administrations, different solicitors general, issue areas, and changes in the Court's ideological composition over time. Multivariate analysis demonstrates that changes in the Supreme Court brought about by presidential appointment combined with the ideological position taken by the solicitor general in the case has a significant impact on the success of the federal government in litigation.
Effects of surface roughness on surface analysis via soft and ultrasoft X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract A model for calculating surface roughness effect on the intensity of emitted X-rays in the soft and ultrasoft X-ray region is presented and discussed. The results of calculations based on this model are compared to the results obtained experimentally using Al gratings as models for rough surfaces. It is shown that the correspondence between calculated and experimental intensities for Al–K is sufficient to corroborate the use of this model as a means of estimating maximum allowable surface roughness without a significant loss in intensity. It is also shown that this maximum allowable roughness estimate can be calculated with a knowledge of only the sample density and wavelength of the X-ray emission.
Proton distance ratios and order tensor elements for several halobenzenes obtained in a lyotropic potassium laurate mesophase

Proton distance ratios and elements of the order tensor are obtained from nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of chloro-, bromo-, and iodobenzene partially oriented in a potassium laurate lyotropic mesophase. Corrections for harmonic vibrations are applied and it is shown that even for proton distance ratios these corrections are significant. Furthermore, the effects of solvent on the ratios determined are comparable to the effect of the substituent. Particular attention to weighting of the dipolar coupling in the structural analysis is necessary if values are to be judged significant to 1 part in 104. The elements of the order tensor are discussed in terms of the orienting influence of the interface and alkyl chains of the mesophase surfactant.
Brain Changes to Hypocapnia Using Rapidly Interleaved Phosphorus-Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at 4 T

Substantial controversy persists in the literature concerning the physiologic consequences hypocapnia, or low partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2). Invasive animal studies have demonstrated large pH increases (>0.25 U), phosphocreatine (PCr) decreases (>30%), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) decreases (>10%) after hyperventilation (HV) (20 mm Hg PaCO2). However, using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, HV studies in awake humans have demonstrated only small pH changes (0.05 U) and no changes in PCr or ATP. It remains important to ascertain whether this failure to detect PCr changes in human studies reflects a true absence of changes, or a limitation in data fidelity. The present study used a rapidly interleaved phosphorus-proton spectroscopy acquisition from large samples at high magnetic field (4 T), to measure pH, PCr, inorganic phosphate, -ATP, and lactate changes with high temporal and signal sensitivity. Five of six subjects had usable data. During 20 mins HV, PaCO2 reached a minimum at 16 mins (17 mm Hg); however, the maximum pH change (+0.047) peaked earlier (14 mins). Maximal lactate increases were measured at 15 mins. By 10 mins, maximum changes were observed for PCr (-3.4%) and inorganic phosphate (+6.4%). No changes in -ATP were observed. The peak in pH, despite continued decreases in PaCO2, suggests active buffering during HV. These data, and the small magnitude of early PCr and inorganic phosphate changes, do not support substantial energy compromise during HV. Other mitigating factors, such as anesthesia-induced deregulation of the cerebrovasculature, might have contributed to the exaggerated metabolic changes observed in previous animal investigations.
Book Review: Revision Rhinoplasty

Daniel Becker, Stephen Park, editors. Revision Rhinoplasty. Thieme; 2007. ISBN-10: 1588904962, ISBN-13: 978-158890 4966 Revision Rhinoplasty by Drs Becker and Park is a compilation of the vast experience of many surgeons. The book is divided into sections covering all revision rhinoplasty problems, including failure to analyze properly, psychological aspects, and specific treatment modalities for the well-known complications of rhinoplasty (such as nostril stenosis, septal perforation, pinched tip, and crooked nose). Discussions, reviews, and written and video material are sorely needed to help surgeons deal with rhinoplasty, which is arguably the most difficult operation in all of aesthetic surgery. The authors are to be commended for taking on the challenge and none too soon. As a matter of language clarity, however, it would be good to distinguish between revision rhinoplasty and secondary rhinoplasty. Most of us use the term revision to refer to reoperation on our own cases. This distinguishes these procedures from secondary rhinoplasty cases, in which we revise another surgeon’s postoperative result. To the credit of the authors of the “Complications in Rhinoplasty” chapter, I noted that they did not refer to postoperative deformities (eg, pinched tip) as complications of rhinoplasty. An unsatisfactory aesthetic result following rhinoplasty is not necessarily (and not usually) a complication. It is the nature of rhinoplasty that …
Blind identification of distributed antenna systems with multiple carrier frequency offsets

In spatially distributed multiuser antenna systems, the received signal contains multiple carrier-frequency offsets (CFOs) arising from mismatch between the oscillators of transmitters and receivers. This results in a time-varying rotation of the data constellation, which needs to be compensated at the receiver before symbol recovery. In this paper, a new approach for blind CFO estimation and symbol recovery is proposed. The received base-band signal is over-sampled, and its polyphase components are used to formulate a virtual multiple-input multiple-Output (MIMO) problem. By applying blind MIMO system estimation techniques, the system response can be estimated and decoupled versions of the user symbols can be recovered, each one of which contains a distinct CFO. By applying a decision feedback phase lock loop (PLL), the CFO can be mitigated and the transmitted symbols can be recovered. The estimated MIMO system response provides information about the CFOs that can be used to initialize the PLL, speed up its convergence, and avoid ambiguities usually linked with PLL.
Academic amnesia and vestigial assumptions of our forefathers.

Abstract In this exchange of letters, Art Bedeian and Jerry Hunt consider what leadership as a concept actually means and whether what has been published in the relevant literature actually deals with leadership per se. Bedeian notes that leadership has been described as (a) synonymous with holding a supervisory or managerial position, (b) the possession of certain personal qualities, and (c) a category of behavior in which an individual acts in a certain manner, thereby influencing others to follow, and wonders if divergent findings regarding the relationship between leadership and other constructs may simply reflect differences in how leadership is defined. Hunt responds to Bedeian by providing a brief history of the literature's treatment of leadership/management differences and arguing for: (1) a framework that helps focus on the different historical-contextual aspects within which one would specifically be called upon to differentiate between leadership and management, and (2) the assumption that leadership is a subset of management, with both needing to be carried out (though not necessarily by the same person) to ensure organizational success. He concludes by articulating ways for researchers to empirically differentiate between leadership and management.
Pressure dependence of ferromagnetic ordering of (Ce1−x Lax)Rh3B2 compounds

Abstract The a.c. susceptibilities of ferromagnetic (Ce 1− x La x )Rh 3 B 2 compounds ( x ⩽ 0.8) have been measured under pressures up to 16 kbar. For all compositions the Curie temperatures increase with pressure even though the measurements imply that the saturation moments are decreasing. Beyond x =0.4 the nature of the ferromagnetism seems to be changing.
DIRECT RECOVERY OF OFF FLAVORS FROM FOAM-DRIED WHOLE MILK.

Abstract Off-flavor compounds were obtained by a short-path migration at 1 μ pressure to a liquid nitrogen-cooled condenser, from dried milk warmed to 40C or less for 3 hr. Milks reconstituted from stale and oxidized powders, both before and after treatment, and market milk, both with and without the condensed volatiles, were evaluated by a five-man taste panel. The volatile flavors were oxidized, stale, unclean, astringent, and foreign. As with the author's earlier findings with regard to added ketones, the procedure is made more effective by first freeing the fat in the powder. Compounds recovered from a slightly stale dried milk gave a stale flavor to control milk, but their removal did not improve the residual powder. Compounds recovered from a strongly oxidized dried milk gave an oxidized flavor to control milk and their removal definitely improved the flavor of the residual powder. From four experiments with high free-fat oxidized dried milk, the average scores were: powder control—27.2; powder residue (powder control less volatiles)—30.7; milk control—37.8; milk plus volatiles—28.8.
INTERNATIONALIZING 360-DEGREE FEEDBACK: ARE SUBORDINATE RATINGS COMPARABLE?

This study addressed whether 360-degree feedback ratings made by subordinates are equivalent across national cultures (Great Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, U.S.). Employees' ratings of their leaders were collected via a company's existing 360-degree feedback survey. A two-factor baseline model was developed using exploratory factor analysis and tested across cultures utilizing confirmatory factor analysis techniques. Results revealed differences in factor form, suggesting that the constructs underlying the survey and their relationship to the survey items differed across cultures. These results emphasize the need for multinational companies to use caution when transporting human resources practices, such as 360-degree feedback, to international locations.
Posterior interosseus palsy with an incidental Froment–Rauber nerve presenting as a pseudoclaw hand

IntroductionAnatomic variations of peripheral nerves are well recog-nized and reported in literature [4]. It is important tounderstand these variations because they can explainunusual clinical deficits or findings. The Froment–Raubernerve is a distal continuation of the motor branch of theposterior interosseous nerve, which innervates the firstdorsal interosseus muscle. This report discusses a case ofthis rare anomalous connection that initially confused thediagnosis of a posterior interosseus palsy.Case ReportA 17-year-old left-hand dominant baseball pitcher pre-sented with an 8-month history of progressive pain in hisleft proximal forearm and elbow. His symptoms proceededto subjective weakness of the small finger that progressedradially to include the ring and middle fingers withposturing in flexion at the metacarpal−phalangeal andinterphalangeal joints. He was given the presumptivediagnosis of an ulnar palsy. Prior to the onset of handweakness, there were previous episodes of elbow pain thatresolved without sequelae. He was referred to a handsurgeon. Initial physical examination was notable forclawing of the middle, ring, and small digits (Fig. 1) withfull passive mobility. Additionally, he had subtle weaknessof the wrist and extrinsic digit extensors as well as of theextensor pollicis longis and the abductor pollicis longus. Hedenied any sensory changes but slightly decreased protec-tive sensibility was noted in the ulnar nerve distribution bySemmes–Weinstein monofilament testing (3.61), includingthe dorsal ulnar cutaneous nerve. A mildly positive Tinel’ssign over the ulnar nerve at the elbow was detected.Nonoperative treatments of splinting and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents had been attempted and had failed toimprove his symptoms.Electrodiagnostic studies (nerve conduction and electro-myography (EMG)) were consistent with a posteriorinterosseous nerve (PIN) neuropathy. These findings in-cluded denervation in the extensor carpi ulnaris and firstdorsal interosseus with complex repetitive discharges in thelatter. The number of motor units in all muscles innervatedby the posterior interosseus nerve as well as in the firstdorsal interosseus were decreased. Nerve conductionstudies of the median and ulnar nerves were normal,including the amplitude of the thenar and hypothenarcompound action potentials. The amplitude of the extensorindicis proprius compound muscle action potential wassignificantly decreased. Notable is that although no neuro-physiologic evidence of ulnar nerve pathology was found atthe elbow or wrist, evidence of denervation was noted inhis first dorsal interosseus muscle on EMG. A completeneurological evaluation including magnetic resonance im-aging of the brain, cervical spine, elbow, and forearm were
Solar Energetic Particle Composition, Energy Spectra, and Space Weather

Recent progress in measuring the composition and energy spectra of solar energetic particles (SEPs) accelerated by CME-driven shocks is reviewed, including a comparison of the observed charge-to-mass dependence of breaks in SEP spectra with model predictions. Also discussed is a comparison of SEP and CME kinetic energies in seventeen large SEP events, and estimates of the SEP radiation dose that astronauts would be subject to once they venture outside the protective cover of Earth’s magnetosphere.
Cytochrome P450 2B1 mediates oxidant injury in puromycin-induced nephrotic syndrome

Cytochrome P450 2B1 mediates oxidant injury in puromycin-induced nephrotic syndrome. Background Reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) are important mediators of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) induced minimal change nephrotic syndrome (NS) in rats. We have recently shown that cytochrome P450 (CYP) is a significant source of catalytic iron in this model of glomerular injury. The current study was designed to identify the CYP isozyme(s) in the rat glomeruli and explore the role of the specific isozyme(s) in PAN-induced minimal change NS. Methods NS was induced in rats by a single intravenous injection of PAN. Animals were sacrificed at different time points for variety of biochemical assays including Western blot, immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Ultrastructural histochemistry was utilized to study hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) generation in the kidney. Results Several CYP isozymes were tested and CYP2B1 was localized exclusively in the rat glomeruli but not in the tubules. Treatment with PAN resulted in the generation of H 2 O 2 in the glomerular basement membrane with significant loss of CYP2B1 content accompanied by a marked increase in the catalytic iron. CYP2B1 inhibitors cimetidine and piperine significantly reduced H 2 O 2 generation, and prevented the loss of CYP2B1 content and the increase in the catalytic iron. CYP2B1 inhibitors also provided significant protection against PAN induced proteinuria. The induction of heme oxygenase and ferritin also was observed in the glomeruli in PAN-treated rats. Both cimetidine and piperine reduced the up-regulation of these proteins. Conclusion Our data indicate that CYP2B1 plays an important role in PAN induced NS by serving as a site for ROM generation and a significant source of catalytic iron.
Nature of the Angular Unconformity between the Paleozoic Metasedimentary Rocks and the Mesozoic Metavolcanic Rocks in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, California

Two major wall-rock sequences, the Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks and the Mesozoic metavolcanic rocks, in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, are separated by an angular unconformity rather than by a fault as has been proposed by other investigators. The unconformity is parallel to formation contacts in the younger metavolcanic rocks and crosscuts formation contacts in the older metasedimentary rocks. Locally, basal conglomerate with pebbles derived from the older metasedimentary rocks occurs just above the unconformity. The older metasedimentary rocks consist mostly of former marl, chert, and mudstone; they contain three generations of superposed structures. The younger metavolcanic rocks consist mostly of former andesite flows, tuff, and graywacke; these contain only the younger two generations of superposed structures. The sinuous trace of the unconformity is primarily the result of superposed deformations of regional scale which occur in most roof pendants of the eastern Sierra Nevada.
Optofluidic trapping and transport on solid core waveguides within a microfluidic device

In this work we demonstrate an integrated microfluidic/photonic architecture for performing dynamic optofluidic trapping and transport of particles in the evanescent field of solid core waveguides. Our architecture consists of SU-8 polymer waveguides combined with soft lithography defined poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic channels. The forces exerted by the evanescent field result in both the attraction of particles to the waveguide surface and propulsion in the direction of optical propagation both perpendicular and opposite to the direction of pressure-driven flow. Velocities as high as 28 μm/s were achieved for 3 μm diameter polystyrene spheres with an estimated 53.5 mW of guided optical power at the trapping location. The particle-size dependence of the optical forces in such devices is also characterized.
A new polymeric chain in the dihydrogendecavanadate(V)–decavanadate(V) [NH2(CH2)4]5[V10O28H2]0.5[V10O28]0.5 obtained by in situ synthesis of the organic cation

Abstract A new polymeric compound, [NH2(CH2)4]5[V10O28H2]0.5[V10O28]0.5, was obtained by in situ synthesis of the organic cation from an aqueous solution of V2O5–HCl–NH2(CH2)4NH2. The crystal structure was solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. [NH2(CH2)4]5[V10O28H2]0.5[V10O28]0.5 consists of dihydrogendecavanadate(V), [H2V10O28]4−, and decavanadate(V), [V10O28]6−, units assembled in one-dimensional arrays by interanionic hydrogen bonds O–H⋯O and cation-anion N–H⋯O interactions. The latter involve pyrrolidinium cations, which were obtained in the compound instead of the starting butane-1,4-diamine. Pyrrolidinium cations further connect the polymeric chains into a three-dimensional network. The presence of the two types of units, [HnV10O28](6−n)− with n = 0 and n = 2, in one compound was not yet observed and is herein reported for the first time.
Extraction of shape-based properties

A model of an object is an image consisting of features of an object. The input is a gray scale image from which features are computed. In his doctoral thesis, J. L. Chen used a model based approach to object recognition. His method is based on Rosin's work for extraction of parts. Both model and scene features are contour based properties. The scene features are matched to the model features by indexing. The following features are computed: convexity, compactness, roundedness, skewness, and the first moment invariant (all using Rosin's algorithm). In this paper, we extend the feature description to include internal and external parts of an object. We use the interpretation tree approach for matching the scene to model, where constraints such as distances and angles between parts are used to prune the interpretation tree. We compare the efficiency of the interpretation tree approach with the indexing method on the data that was used in previous experiments by J. L. Chen.
Optically controlled photonic crystal nanocavity in silicon

We present experimental demonstration of fast all-optical switching in a one-dimensional photonic crystal nanocavity embedded in a Silicon waveguide. The transmission of the device is tuned by injecting free carriers into the nanocavity region using an optical pump beam. By strongly confining light in the photonic crystal nanocavity the sensitivity of light to small refractive index changes is enhanced. The small cavity volume (~0.1 μm3) and unpassivated sidewalls enable ultra-fast switching speeds with low pulse energies. Using a pulse energy of only 60pJ, a refractive index change of approximately 10-2 is obtained. This small index change, due to the high confinement nature of the cavity structure, leads to a strong change in transmission spectrum. Consequently, the resonance is shifted up to its full-width-at half-maximum (~7.5nm), and the transmission of the device is modulated by 71% with a time response of less than 1.5 ns. Such a device could open the door to the large-scale integration of ultra-fast modulators and switches.
Dynamic viscoelastic properties of liquid polymer films studied by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy is used to investigate the dynamic viscoelastic response of a low-molecular-weight polymer liquid, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), constrained between a flat silicon wafer an...
New Mediated Deliberation: Blog and Press Coverage of the Alito Nomination

This study explores the implications of political weblogs for theories of mediated public deliberation. Guided by contemporary questions surrounding the internet and the public sphere, we examine blog and newspaper coverage of the nomination and confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court of Samuel Alito with an eye toward further development of theories of mass deliberation. Specifically, we pursue questions concerning volume of coverage, ideological polarization, and interactive features in the blogosphere, using newspaper coverage as a point of reference. Data come from content analyses of newspaper stories mentioning Alito in the headline or lead paragraphs from the initial nomination announcement through final confirmation, as well as archival impressions of blog posts featuring hyperlinks to the newspaper stories. Our analysis suggests that blogs may enhance as well as complicate processes of mediated deliberation. We conclude by discussing empirical and conceptual implications of these findings for future research on the role of blogs in the contemporary public sphere.
Origins of the Suez Crisis: Postwar Development Diplomacy and the Struggle over Third World Industrialization (1945–1956)

It is a brave researcher who undertakes to re-examine a well-known story. Indeed, some might think that the origins of the 1956 Suez Crisis are about as familiar now as they can be from available d...
Anaerobic degradation of chloroacetanilide herbicides

Anaerobic microbial transformations of chloroacetanilide herbicides (alachlor, metolachlor, and propachlor) and aniline were investigated. Modest microbial transformations (in most cases 30–60% losses) of chloroacetanilide herbicides were found in agricultural soils incubated under anaerobic conditions for 30 days. Greater anaerobic losses were observed in anaerobic digestor sludge or rumen fluid. Anilines were not substantially transformed in any system within 30 days. The highest anaerobic activities metabolizing alachlor or propachlor occurred in anaerobic sludge. However, this biological activity could only be transferred if autoclaved sludge digestor material was added to the transfer medium, which suggests that the activities involved co-metabolism of the substrates.
The exocytotic fusion pore interface: a model of the site of neurotransmitter release.

infrastructurel techniques have shown that an early event in the exocytotic fusion of a secretory vesicle is the formation of a narrow, water-filled pore spanning both the vesicle and plasma membranes and connecting the lumen of the secretory vesicle to the extracellular environment. Smaller precursors of the exocytotic fusion pore have been detected using electrophysio-logical techniques, which reveal a dynamic fusion pore that quickly expands to the size of the pores seen with electron microscopy. While it is clear that in the latter stages of expansion, when the size of the fusion pore is several orders of magnitude bigger than any known macromolecule, the fusion pore must be mainly made of lipids, the structure of the smaller precursors is unknown. Patch-clamp measurements of the activity of individual fusion pores in mast cells have shown that the fusion pore has some unusual and unexpected properties, namely that there is a large flux of lipid through the pore and the rate of pore closure has a disc...
David Hume's account of luxury

Scholarly discussions of the eighteenth-century luxury controversy invariably acknowledge the important role of David Hume, usually identifying him as one of the first to have made a strong case ag...
Implications of network particle tracking (NPT) for ecological model interpretation

Abstract Network particle tracking (NPT), building on the foundation of network environ analysis (NEA), is a new development in the definition of coherence relations within and between connected systems. This paper evaluates three ecosystem models in a comparison of throughflow- and storage-based NEA and NPT. Compartments in models with high indirect effects and Finn cycling showed low correlation of NEA storage and throughflow with particle repeat visits and numbers of particles in compartments at steady state. Conversely, the correlation between NEA and NPT results was high with two models having lower indirect effects and Finn cycling. Analysis of ecological orientors associated with NEA showed NPT to fully support conventional NEA results when the common conditions of donor control and steady state are satisfied. Particle trajectories are recorded in the new concept of a particle “passport”. Ability to track and record particle in-system histories enables views of multiple scales and opens the possibility of making pathway-dependent modeling decisions. NPT may also enable modeling of time, allowing integration of Newtonian, organismal and stochastic modeling perspectives in a single comprehensive analysis.
Attitudes and Affect in Learning and Instruction

Abstract The theme of this paper is based on the argument that effective learning of an intentional nature, depends on the initial presence of a predisposition to attend and participate in the learning activity and is only truly effective if the results of the learning experience include, in addition to any cognitive, psychomotor or interpersonal objective, an increased predisposition to the valuing of the objective or to its use in the future. Thus, the lower levels of the Krathwohl‐Bloom taxonomy are of importance at the beginning of any learning activity and the higher levels should also be significantly influenced by the end of the experience. This taxonomy gives us a methodology for the measurement and evaluation of affective objectives, as does the concept of ‘approach’ and ‘avoidance’ behaviours (Mager 1968). However, the literature has much less to offer in respect of systematic approaches to the development of affective objectives and to their achievement in the instructional process. There is ev...
Domain decomposition and multigrid solvers for flow simulation in porous media on distributed memory parallel processors

Realistic simulations of fluid flow in oil reservoirs have been proven to be computationally intensive. In this work, techniques for solving large sparse systems of linear equations that arise in simulating these processes are developed for parallel computers such as INTEL hypercubes iPSC/2 and iPSC/860. This solver is based on a combined multigrid and domain decomposition approach. The Algorithm uses line corrections solved using a multigrid method, line Jacobi and block incomplete domain decomposition as an overall preconditioner for a conjugate gradient-like acceleration method, ORTHOMIN (k). This is shown to be a factor of ten times faster on a 32-processor hypercube compared to widely used sequential solvers. Three test problems are used to validate the results which include implicit wells and faults: The first is based on highly heterogeneous two-phase flow, the second on the SPE Third Comparative Solution and the third on real production compositional data.
Sex ratio evolution and adult mortality: A commentary

The author critically analyzes arguments set forth by Barry S. Hewlett concerning the relationship between among demographic structure and child care in preindustrial societies. "Hewlett...demonstrates some rather striking correlations betweeneen biased juvenile sex ratios and certain ecological and economic variables; in the process he makes an intuitive argument about parental investment as compensation for mortality of sons along the lines just sketched. The goal of this commentary is to explain what is wrong with this particular argument...." (EXCERPT)
Assertiveness Training in a Preventive Drug Education Program.

The efficacy of two preventive drug education programs was studied in inner-city elementary schools. Seventh graders were either provided a traditional or an assertiveness drug prevention program. While children in both groups showed significant gains in knowledge, only those in the assertiveness group demonstrated significant changes in drug attitudes. In contrast to these findings, no significant knowledge or attitude changes were observed in youngsters who were not provided either program. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Deriving local relational surface forms from dependency-based entity embeddings for unsupervised spoken language understanding

Recent works showed the trend of leveraging web-scaled structured semantic knowledge resources such as Freebase for open domain spoken language understanding (SLU). Knowledge graphs provide sufficient but ambiguous relations for the same entity, which can be used as statistical background knowledge to infer possible relations for interpretation of user utterances. This paper proposes an approach to capture the relational surface forms by mapping dependency-based contexts of entities from the text domain to the spoken domain. Relational surface forms are learned from dependency-based entity embeddings, which encode the contexts of entities from dependency trees in a deep learning model. The derived surface forms carry functional dependency to the entities and convey the explicit expression of relations. The experiments demonstrate the efficiency of leveraging derived relational surface forms as local cues together with prior background knowledge.
Retention of Micronutrients by Polymer Coatings Used to Fortify Rice

Nutrient deficiency diseases are public health problems in developing nations. Our objective was to design a rice-fortification method using materials approved for use in foods to retain significant quantities of added nutrients during the common practice of boiling rice in excess water and draining it. We accomplished this by applying nutrients to rice in edible polymer coatings. Various starches and cellulosic polymers were evaluated with respect to flexibility, strength, stickiness and nutrient retention. Combining hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and methylcellulose (3:1) gave the best results. Nutrient retentions for 1g of coated rice cooked in 100 ml water and drained were: Vitamin A, 70%; iron, 100%; niacin, 18%; thiamin, 18%, riboflavin, 21%.
Non-dune eolian sand in Indian mounds

Abstract Indian mounds, near Careyville, Florida, about 2.0 m high, are located on hillsides and hilltops 10 to 20 m above the floodplain of the nearest river (Choctawhatchee). Each mound is composed largely of quartz sand, with a scattering of artefacts and stream pebbles (not in layers), but with no visible bedding. Probability plots showed 25 Gaussian distributions, 18 having the ‘dune hump’, three having the ‘surf break’ and nine being doubly-truncated or having other patterns of unknown or uncertain origin. The surf breaks probably were inherited from pre-Pleistocene marine terraces in the area. The pebbles and the sand were not introduced by the same agency. The sand probability plots, taken as a set, indicate an eolian origin. The rough symmetry of the mounds, and the lack of cross-bedding, argue against a migrating dune origin. On a variability plot (showing the variability of the means versus the variability of the standard deviations), one suite of samples fell clearly within the ‘dune’ number field, a second suite in the overlap area between ‘dune’ and ‘beach’, and a third suite, taken immediately adjacent to a creek bed, plotted in the overlap area between ‘beach’ and ‘coastal plain stream’. The pebbles, of common Southern Appalachian types, are attributed to the activities of the inhabitants, perhaps children. The sand is thought to have been carried by the wind, perhaps from nearby river sand bars, or from areas burned either by lightning-set wildfires or as part of “slash-and-burn” agriculture. The mounds are thought to represent clearings (for huts), and hence good trapping devices for wind-borne sand.
Alternative Leadership Strategies in the Prehispanic Southwest

Alternative Leadership Strategies in the Prehispanic Southwest. Barbara J. Mills. ed. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2000. 320 pp.
A theory of mapping from structure to function applied to engineering thermodynamics

This paper presents a theoretical framework for mapping from structure to function in engineering domains. We argue that a generative approach grounded in Qualitative Process Theory produces useful functional explanations. These explanations are articulate, in that they enable the user to explore their theoretical justifications and perform counterfactual reasoning. These explanations stem from a teleological representation based on goals, plans, roles, and views. We show that an ontology based on aggregated processes facilitates the recognition of recurring thermodynamic structures. We describe an implementation of this theory, a system called CARNOT that explains steady-flow thermodynamic cycles ranging in complexity from four to 24 components.
An Etiology of Narcolepsy-Cataplexy and a Proposed Cataplexy Neuromechanism

Narcolepsy-cataplexy is an idiopathic sleep disorder that reflects a complex neuropathology. Surveys and physiological investigations indicate that genetic and stress factors are involved in its onset and that stress is associated with symptomatic fluctuations and exacerbations of its clinical course. This paper summarizes the literature regarding the evolution, characteristics and treatment of the disorder. A comprehensive etiology is advanced, integrating neurophysiological and psychological factors specific to narcolepsy-cataplexy with recent advances in blood pressure regulation. Moreover, a testable neuromechanism of cataplexy is proposed, based on longitudinal effects of chronic drowsiness, the strong hynogenic effect obtained by carotid sinus stimulation, an experimental animal model of narcolepsy-cataplexy, the adaptive characteristics of baroreceptors and, finally, the interconnections between CNS sleep and blood pressure regulators of the brain stem. Through better understanding of the causes an...
Role of trace impurities in the photovoltaic performance of solution processed small-molecule bulk heterojunction solar cells

The final step in the preparation of ppp-DTS(PTTh222)222 involves end capping of the PT-DTS-PT core with 2-hexylbithiophene units via a microwave assisted Stille cross coupling reaction. Methyl transfer (instead of 2-hexylbithiophene transfer) can occur leading to the formation of (MePT)DTS(PTTh22). Although (MePT)DTS(PTTh22) is difficult to separate from the ppp-DTS(PTTh222)222 product via column chromatography, it is readily extracted using hexanes solvent to give absolute ppp-DTS(PTTh222)222. Trace impurities of (MePT)DTS(PTTh22) in BHJ solar cells fabricated from synthesis batches of ppp-DTS(PTTh222)222 significantly influence the photovoltaic properties, causing a ∼50% reduction in efficiency and affecting all of the relevant device parameters (Jsc, Voc and FF). From a broader perspective, despite molecular design, the suitability of a material for efficient devices is often only determined by trial and error in the device processing laboratory. As shown by the data presented in this publication, promising materials found to be unsuitable for device applications may suffer from highly dilute impurities that act to increase carrier recombination.
PRODUCTIVITY AND BEHAVIOR OF SOWS IN LEVEL VS SLOPED FARROWING PENS AND CRATES

Forty crossbred sows were used in 10 blocks to determine the effects of farrowing pen type and degree of slope on sow-litter performance and behavior. The two pen types were a farrowing pen (2.15 m sow area plus 2.15 x 35 m creep area) and a farrowing crate (1.5 x 2.15 m). The two slopes evaluated were level (0% slope) and 8% slope. To collect behavioral data, a sample of litters was videotaped using time-lapse recorders ror 24 h at 10 d of age. An interaction between slope and pen type was detected for number of pigs weaned (P = .02), percentage preweaning mortality (P = .01) and number of pig deaths due to crushing (P = .01). More pigs were crushed and fewer pigs were weaned when pens were level or when crates were sloped. Sows on sloped floors lay on their sternums more often (P = .04) than sows on level floors. Time sows were sitting was correlated with number of pigs crushed (r = .54, P = .05). Providing more room for the sow in a pen did not increase sow activity. The reduced piglet mortality in sloped pens may be attributed to changes in sow resting postures rather than to providing sows more freedom of movement.
Incentivizing Signal and Energy Cooperation in Wireless Networks

We consider a two-hop wireless network where the source(s) in the network have the ability to wirelessly power the relay(s) who also have their own data to send to the destination. Considering the fact that each node in the network aims to maximize its own metric, we adopt a game theoretic approach that foresees offering relaying of the sources’ data in exchange for energy provided to the relays, and simultaneously offering energy to the relays in exchange for their relaying services. We first study a Stackelberg competition with the single relay node as the leader, and investigate the impact of having multiple source nodes in the system. We next study the reciprocal Stackelberg game with the single source as the leader, and investigate the inter-relay competition with multiple relays. We find that in the Stackelberg games, the leader can improve its individual utility by influencing the follower’s decision accordingly, even more so when there are multiple followers. We next formulate a noncooperative game between the source and the relay and show the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium by an appropriate pricing mechanism. The equilibrium maximizes the total utility of the network and allows the destination to choose how much data to receive from each node.