cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Helmsman is expressed in both trachea and photoreceptor development: partial inactivation alters tracheal morphology and visually guided behavior.

We have identified helmsman (hlm), which is expressed in the fruit fly photoreceptor cells during neural network development. Hlm is also expressed in the elongating cells of the embryonic trachea. Both photoreceptor neurons and embryonic trachea cells elongate in precise, targeted growth for cell-to-cell specific recognition. Expression of antisense hlm-interfering RNA during embryogenesis arrests elongation of the developing tracheal cells and blocks maturation. Expression of hlm-interfering RNA during visual system formation results in reduced visual acuity and poor performance in optomotor response, indicative of abnormal neural network development. Hlm is a unique cell surface protein with complement-like protein interaction motifs. We have also cloned hlm from Lucilia cuprina (Australian blowfly), which is approximately 100 million years divergent from Drosophila, and find a remarkable 90% protein identity over the entire 558 amino acid protein. Analysis of the hlm sequence found in other species in...
The DaVinci Project: Multimedia in Art and Chemistry

One of the most important curricular areas that provides a foundation for critical, logical, and creative thinking is chemistry. This statement is also true, if when repeated verbatim, the word art is substituted for the word chemistry (Waltz, 1992).
Soldier Determination in Ants: New Role for Juvenile Hormone

Topical application of juvenile hormone analog induces soldier development in the ant Pheidole bicarinata. Soldier induction takes place if the juvenile hormone analog is present during a period of sensitivity that occurs during the last larval instar. Control of worker dimorphism seems to be accomplished through control of timing of metamorphosis. The smallest size at which metamorphosis can be initiated is shifted upwardfrom 1.2 to 1.7 millimeters by exposure to the juvenile hormone analog during the sensitive period.
Characteristics of Broadband Instrumentation Used to Measure Microwave and Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation in Occupational Settings

Abstract This article will explore the characteristics of various broadband instruments that are available to measure microwave (MW) and radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. Instrument selection depends on both the design of the instrument and the characteristics of the field to be measured, including its frequency, modulation, and pulse width. Of the instrumentation currently available, accurate near-field and far-field measurements can be made if the inherent design strengths and limitations of the various types of instruments are known in advance. All broadband instrumentation consists of three basic components—an antenna, a detector, and a transmission line—although their responses to a particular RF or MW field may be dramatically different. The important characteristics of these instruments include their out-of-band response, isotropy, zero stability, linearity, RF potential sensitivity, and nonsinusoidal response. Calibration of instruments, the various methods of calibration available, and...
Pubic symphysis repair strength in simulated bladder exstrophy using a sheep model

Abstract Objectives. To investigate the mechanical strength of various pubic symphysis suture material in a simulated animal model of neonatal bladder exstrophy. Methods. Neonatal lamb pelves, which are the approximate size of neonatal human pelves, were used. Twenty-four neonatal lamb pelves were divided into four equal groups. A midline symphysotomy was made through the cartilaginous pubic symphysis in three groups and repaired using two figure-of-eight sutures (size 0) placed through the cartilaginous pubis using polypropylene, braided polyester, or polyglactin. The fourth group served as the control. The pelves were then tested to ultimate load in pure tension at a strain rate of 0.25 mm/s until failure. Results. There was a highly significant difference between the intact specimens and the repaired specimens ( P = 0.0008). For the repaired specimens, there was a significant difference in the ultimate load normalized by pubic height between those repaired with polypropylene and polyglactin ( P = 0.025), but not for those repaired with polypropylene and braided polyester ( P = 0.11) or braided polyester and polyglactin ( P = 0.11). Conclusions. Braided resorbable sutures are recommended for pubic symphysis repair, because they have a lower tendency to cut out of the cartilage.
Design, simulation, and fabrication of a MEMs switched superconducting microstrip hairpin filter

Abstract High performance high T c superconductor based series micro electromechanical system (MEMs) switches have been utilized to switch between a bandpass hairpin filter, center frequency f 0 = 2.5 GHz, and BW of 250 MHz, and a through transmission line. This was accomplished with four switches actuated in pairs, one pair at a time. When the first pair is actuated, the through transmission line is capacitively connected between the input and output ports; accordingly, the system behaves as a throughline. When the second pair of switches is actuated, the bandpass filter is coupled to the input and output ports; thus a corresponding bandpass response is obtained. The design is implemented on a YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 thin film deposited on a 15 mm × 15 mm LaAlO 3 substrate by pulsed laser deposition. BaTiO 3 deposited by RF magnetron sputtering is utilized as the insulation layer at the switching points of contact. The advantages and issues of this structure and its fabrication details are discussed along with simulations and experimental data.
COMPARISON OF SELF-CONSISTENT FIELD TREATMENTS OF KINETIC COUPLINGS IN CALCULATIONS ON POLYATOMIC MOLECULES

Abstract The accuracy of the vibrational self-consistent field (VSCF) and time-dependent self-consistent field (TDSCF) approximations for studies of vibrational dynamics of polyatomic systems is investigated for systems in which the most important off-diagonal coupling terms in the Hamiltonian are in the kinetic energy operator. To lowest order, these terms are zero in the VSCF treatment. This leads to large differences between the energies calculated using this approximation, compared to those obtained from a variational calculation. In contrast, the energy levels, obtained using the TDSCF approximation, are in good agreement with variational results. These questions are investigated using a collinear model of HCN in an internal coordinate representation.
Linear partitioning theory applied to the Earth's 410‐km discontinuity

The theory of linear partitioning in binary solutions is here extended to solid-solid equilibria in P-X space at constant T, with general rules for formulating the linear relationship. When the interphase partition coefficient, formulated for the Fe endmember, is linear with the composition of the numerator phase, the exchange coefficient KD is constant, and vice versa. For olivine - wadsleyite in P-X, the four best experimental brackets in the literature give KD = 0.56 ± 0.02 (1-s.d.) at 1600°C. The S-S transition at XFe = 0.1 is 2.8 kb or about 8 km wide for pure olivine. Half the olivine is converted to wadsleyite at 0.6 the P interval. However, a transition zone lid ≤4 km thick is consistent with a multiphase mantle in which the presence of a non-transforming phase (e.g., pyroxene) cuts the effective transformation window in half as recently shown by L. Stixrude.
Petrogenesis of Mylonites of High Metamorphic Grade in the Peninsular Ranges of Southern California

A fairly continuous, narrow belt of mylonite gneisses extends approximately 60 miles across southern California and crops out prominently at Coyote Mountain, near Borrego Springs, San Diego County. At Coyote Mountain, both prebatholithic rocks and igneous rocks lithologically similar to rocks from the nearby southern California batholith have been deformed in the mylonite zone—a deformation that is the last plutonic event recorded in the rocks. Petrographic evidence within these mylonites at Coyote Mountain indicates that sillimamte-K feldspar-muscovite-quartz assemblages remained stable or recrystallized (or both) during mylonitization. In addition, a maximum “set” temperature of 580° C, inferred from the MgCO 3 content of calcite in deformed dolomite marbles, was determined. The physical conditions probable at the metamorphic peak accompanying mylonitization are: P-T conditions inferred from experimentally studied systems, T = 580° to 660° C and Pxotai = PH, O( ? ) = 3.4 to 7.0 kb; high H 2 O activity, as indicated by the continued stability of muscovite at such high temperatures. Mylonitization within this belt may be related to a rise of magma to higher crustal levels from within the southern California batholith.
Exercise and mood: A selective review and synthesis of research employing the profile of mood states

Abstract This paper highlights the use of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) in physical activity research by reviewing and synthesizing literature generated in exercise settings. The results of many studies using the POMS have supported the relationships between exercise and acute mood changes in normal populations and between exercise and chronic mood changes in clinical populations. Based on the multitude of studies utilizing the POMS, Berger and colleagues developed a preliminary taxonomy containing enjoyment, mode, and practice guidelines to help maximize the mood benefits associated with exercise. The POMS also has been employed to identify underlying mechanisms that may promote mood alteration. Unfortunately, there is no conclusive evidence that identifies a single mechanism or group of mechanisms as consistently influencing the exercise-mood relationship. Although knowledge of the relationship between exercise and mood alteration is substantial, much remains to be studied. Promising avenues for fut...
Endotoxin and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient fine particulate matter from Fresno, California initiate human monocyte inflammatory responses mediated by reactive oxygen species

In urban areas, a correlation between exposure to particulate matter (PM) from air pollution and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been observed. Components of PM include bacterial contaminants, transition metals, salts, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and carbonaceous material, which could interact with various cell types to produce systemic responses when inhaled. We examined the effects of PM collected from Fresno, California on activation of human monocytes and their interaction with vascular endothelium, a key event in atherogenesis. PM exposure increased cytokine expression and secretion from monocytes and enhanced monocyte adhesion to human aortic endothelial cells, both of which were attenuated by neutralizing endotoxin. PM also increased monocyte CYP1a1 expression, and inhibition of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor reduced the CYP1a1 and inflammatory responses. PM-treated monocytes accumulated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and antioxidants attenuated inflammatory and xenobiotic responses. Finally, supernatants from PM-treated pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells induced monocyte inflammatory responses that were not a consequence of endotoxin transfer. These results suggest that certain components of urban PM, namely endotoxin and PAH, activate circulating monocytes directly or indirectly by first stimulating other cells such as pulmonary endothelial cells, providing several mechanisms by which PM inhalation could induce pulmonary and/or systemic inflammation.
Functional interpretation of the flash-evoked response in the chiasma of the monkey (Cebus albifrons)

Abstract Cebus albifrons monkeys were used to study the relationship of the chiasmatic response evoked by light stimulation to various parameters of stimulation. The usual pattern of the gross response consisted of an early positive and a later positive-negative component which, to some extent, could be modified independently. Characteristics of these responses sugegst that they reflect respectively faster cone and slower rod modulation of retinal ganglion cell output. The appearance of a second positive wave under certain conditions is hypothesized to represent activity in a ‘slow’ cone-horizontal ganglion cell network. The technique of isolating rod and cone contributions by temporal evaluation of the flash-evoked, optic tract response is emphasized as a potential experimental tool. Responses to monochromatic stimuli of varying wave-length, utilizing this method of analysis as well as the electroretinogram, suggest that the species Cebus albifrons is deuteranopic rather than protanopic as previously reported.
Impact of Membrane Fusion and Proteolysis on SpoIIQ Dynamics and Interaction with SpoIIIAH

The onset of engulfment-dependent gene expression during Bacillus subtilis sporulation requires the forespore membrane protein SpoIIQ, which recruits mother cell proteins involved in late gene expression to the outer forespore membrane. Engulfment activates the late forespore transcription factor σG, which produces high levels of the secreted SpoIVB protease that is required for activation of the late mother cell transcription factor σK. Engulfment also triggers the proteolytic cleavage of SpoIIQ, an event that depends on the SpoIVB protease but not on σG activity. To determine if SpoIVB directly cleaves SpoIIQ and to determine if this event participates in the onset of late gene expression, we purified SpoIVB, SpoIIQ, and SpoIVFA (another SpoIVB substrate). SpoIVB directly cleaved SpoIIQ at the same site in vitro and in vivo and cleaved SpoIVFA in at least three different locations. SpoIIQ cleavage depends on membrane fusion, but not on σG activity, suggesting that the ability of SpoIVB to cleave substrates is regulated by membrane fusion. We isolated SpoIVB-resistant SpoIIQ proteins by random mutagenesis of codons at the cleavage site and demonstrated that SpoIIQ processing is dispensable for spore formation and for activation of late forespore and mother cell gene expression. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis demonstrated that membrane fusion releases SpoIIQ from an immobile complex, an event that could allow SpoIVB to cleave SpoIIQ. We propose that this membrane fusion-dependent reorganization in the complex, rather than SpoIIQ proteolysis itself, is necessary for the onset of late transcription.
Quantum effects in biological systems

Identification of non-trivial quantum mechanical effects in the functioning of biological systems has been a long-standing and elusive goal in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. Recent progress in control and measurement technologies, especially in the optical spectroscopy domain, have made possible the identification of such effects. In particular, electronic coherence was recently shown to survive for relatively long times in photosynthetic light harvesting complexes despite the effects of noisy biomolecular environments. Motivated by this experimental discovery, several recent studies have combined techniques from quantum information, quantum dynamical theory and chemical physics to characterize the extent and nature of quantum dynamics in light harvesting structures. I will review these results and summarize our understanding of the subtle quantum effects in photosynthetic complexes. Then I will outline the remarkable properties of light harvesting complexes that allow quantum effects to be significant at dynamically relevant timescales, despite the decohering biomolecular environment. Finally, I will conclude by discussing the implications of quantum effects in light harvesting complexes, and in biological systems in general.
The role of cohabitation in remarriage: a replication

Previous research has demonstrated that the effects of postdivorce cohabitation on the quality of intimate relationships are similar to those of premarital cohabitation. Thus, like premarital cohabitation in first marriage, postdivorce cohabitation in general and multi-partnered postdivorce cohabitation in particular delay remarriage and diminish relationship quality (i.e. undermine happiness and stability). However, such findings are based on survey data from the 1980s, such as the first wave of the National Survey of Families and Households. Using pooled samples from the National Survey of Family Growth (1995, 2002), the present study determines whether such findings can be replicated with more recent nationally representative data collected from remarried women between the ages of 15 and 44 (n=1915). Multivariate regression analyses reveal two major findings. First, as anticipated, premarital and postdivorce cohabitation, including multi-partnered forms of cohabitation, delay remarriage. Moreover, seri...
An Evaluation of Semiconductor Detectors for Positron Tomography

Positron tomography utilizing conventional detector technology realizes images with a spatial resolution that is from 5 to 15 times worse than the spatial resolution achieved in x-ray computerized tomography (CT). The inherently high contrast of radionuclide images (when compared to CT) is then lost, especially when small lesions are sought. A preliminary evaluation indicates that semiconductor detectors offer the potential to yield high sensitivity, high spatial resolution, fast devices capable of imaging over clinically significant areas.
Quality Assurance for Microbiological Analyses of Water

The establishment of microbiological contaminant limits for water and wastewater and the implementation of enforcement programs which require monitoring of these limits have emphasized the need to develop and practice quality assurance (QA) programs. A broadscope QA program is essential for microbiological determinations. The basic elements of an intralaboraory quality control (QC) program are described, which include controls over personnel, facilities, sampling techniques, laboratory operations, analytical procedures, and data reporting. Formal, written analytical procedures, a QA protocol, and complete QC records are indispensable to a QA program. The laboratory should participate in an interlaboratory QC program established to maintain minimal analytical and operational standards. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification program for analyzing public drinking water supplies is described as an example of a national interlaboratory program. Guidelines provided by the EPA for laboratory QA programs are outlined. 7 references, 6 tables.
Study of hydrogen-bonded and metal-oxide clusters using single photon ionization from a compact soft x-ray laser

We have realized the first demonstration of the use of a soft x-ray laser (26.5 eV photons) as single-photon ionization source in photochemistry experiments. TOF mass spectra of water, methanol, ammonia, and metal-oxide clusters are discussed.
Anesthesia for Heart Transplantation

Although several new surgical therapies hold promise for changing the surgical approach to heart failure, the most effective therapy currently for patients with end- stage congestive heart failure is heart transplantation. The challenges posed to the anesthesiologist caring for these patients are great, and are increasing as a result of a shift toward transplanting medically unstable pa tients. The anesthetic management of patients undergo ing heart transplantation requires a knowledge of the pathophysiology of heart failure, the altered pharmacody namics of anesthetics in the patient with heart failure, treatment of right heart failure, as well as the impact of new surgical therapies on cardiovascular function.
Enhancing Simulation Mode Operation of ospfd

In this paper, we describe our modifications to ospfd, a popular open-source implementation of OSPF routing protocol. The ospfd software can also be run in simulation mode, where processes, representing individual routers, communicate with each other over UDP sockets. Even though ospfd provides a fine-granularity implementation of OSPF protocol, its simulation mode operation leaves a lot to be desired. The main weakness of ospfd’s simulation mode operation is its lack of distinction between the real time and simulated time. The simulated time is represented in terms of ticks and increases at the same rate as the real time, i.e. the duration of an individual tick is fixed (e.g. 50ms). Consequently, the amount of work done by a router process in a given tick depends on how long this process has access to CPU during this tick. In our modifications, we introduced separation between the real time and simulated time by assigning specific (simulated) time durations with individual protocol tasks such as routing calculations and processing of OSPF packets (Hello, LSUpdate etc.). In modified ospfd, a tick gets over only when all router processes have completed the work they are supposed to do during the current tick. Additionally, we introduced several other modifications such as event based advancement of simulated time, script-based specification of topology change events and allowing router processes to run on multiple machines.
The papyrus integrated data server

Summary form only given. The authors focus on the performance of integrated specialized data managers. In particular, they focus on the customizations of parallel executions of data manager operators in a variety of computer configurations. This is done by specifying the glue that connects data manager operators in a way that is independent of the computer configuration; and then providing the ability to transparently target the execution to a variety of computer configurations. Parallelization of data manager operators built using Papyrus services is a challenging problem, but a more challenging problem is the parallelization of data manager operators that are built independently of Papyrus and are therefore black boxes to Papyrus. Papyrus is a set of modules and services that enables the parallelization and integration of specialized data managers into one execution environment. Papyrus programs can be transparently targeted to different hardware configurations and can dynamically adjust at runtime to the number of available resources. A Papyrus System consists of a number of clients interfacing to a Papyrus Server. The Server consists of several integrated data managers executing on a multiprocessor system. >
The Mood Effects of Music: A Comparison of Data from Four Investigators

(1964). The Mood Effects of Music: A Comparison of Data from Four Investigators. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 58, No. 2, pp. 427-438.
Stability of rigid motions and coating films in bicomponent flows of immiscible liquids

We consider the problem of global stability of the rigid rotation of two fluids. The realized interfacial configurations minimize a potential. We derive the most general form of the potential in which the working of the contact line may be expressed as a potential. The resulting variational problem for the interfacial potential is solved when the contact-line conditions are prescribed and for coating flows in which the interface makes a tangent contact with the wetted rod. In the former case, good agreement with experiments is obtained except near lines of contact. This shows that a spinning rod interfacial tensiometer is viable. In the latter case of coating flow, we get good agreement with experiments when the effects of gravity are not too large. The problem of bifurcation of coating flow is discussed qualitatively and some experimental results are given. We show how bifurcating sequences fit well into our qualitative description of the solution which must minimize the interfacial potential as the angular velocity is increased. The last bifurcations lead to pendant drops on a rotating ‘ceiling’ under the influence of centripetal forces which replace gravity. The dynamics of rollers of oil in water, or part in water and part in air, are explained in terms of the wavelength dependence of rotating drops.
Opportunities for collaborative research in further study of continental borders

The regions around the borders of our existing continents are, indeed, areas of especial interest and importance to Earth-science—both because of the major geological problems of these particular areas themselves, and because it is across these thresholds that our explorations of the ocean-basins must be chiefly projected. For example: Do the steeper, outer slopes of the various continental shelves actually mark the margins of definite continental “blocks,” or are they the scarps of great faults, along which “founderings” of the oceanward crustal segments nave occurred? Or are these outer slopes merely the fore-fronts of compound submarine deltas, which are extra loads, resting upon a crust which extends continuously from continental upland to ocean-floor?
Scapular kinematics and subacromial-impingement syndrome: a meta-analysis.

Context: The literature does not present a consistent pattern of altered scapular kinematics in patients with shoulder-impingement syndrome (SIS). Objectives: To perform meta-analyses of published comparative studies to determine the consistent differences in scapular kinematics between subjects with SIS and controls. In addition, the purpose was to analyze factors of the data-collection methods to explain the inconsistencies in reported kinematics. The results of this study will help guide future research and enable our understanding of the relationship between scapular kinematics and SIS. Evidence Acquisition: A search identified 65 studies; 9 papers met inclusion criteria. Sample sizes, means, and SDs of 5 scapular-kinematic variables were extracted or obtained from each paper’s lead author. Standard difference in the mean between SIS and controls was calculated. Moderator variables were plane of arm elevation, level of arm elevation (ARM) and population (POP). Evidence Synthesis: Overall, the SIS grou...
How to Improve Human Performance: Behaviorism in Business and Industry.

The article reviews the book “How to Improve Human Performance: Behaviorism in Business and Industry,” by Thomas K. Connellan.
Comparison of outcomes by gender and for fee-for-service versus managed care A study of nine community programs

During-treatment services and 7-month posttreatment entry outcome of cocaine- or alcohol-dependent men (n = 145) and women (n = 149) Target City patients receiving either standard fee-for-services (n = 183) or managed care treatment funding (n = 111) in nine community outpatient programs were compared. No differences were found in treatment services received by the various subgroups. Regression analyses compared the four described subgroups (Gender x Type of Funding) on their seven Addiction Severity Index composite scores at 7 months postadmission controlling for the respective baseline composite score and several background variables on which the groups differed. Surprisingly few outcome differences were revealed between men and women patients and patients receiving the two forms of treatment funding. The only difference noted was that patients treated via managed care showed more improvement in the drug area. The need for further evaluation of the effects of managed care is emphasized.
Biometric speaker classification

We address the problem of classification of speakers based on measurements of features obtained from their speech. The process is an adaption of biometric methods used to identify people. The process for speech differs since speech is not stationary. We therefore propose the classification of speakers b y the statistical distributions of parameters which may be accurately estimated by modern signal processing techniques. The intent is to develop a speaker clustering algorithm which is dependent of transmission channel and insensitive to language variations, and which may be re-trained, with minimal data, to include a new speaker. We demonstrate effectiveness on the problem of identification of the speakers gender, and present evidence that the methods may be extended to the general problem of speaker identification.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Spontaneous intracellular calcium oscillations in cortical astrocytes from a patient with intractable childhood epilepsy (Rasmussen's Encephalitis)

Many studies have demonstrated that astrocytes respond with fluctuations in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ) and membrane potential following the application of a number of ligands. Moreover, calcium (Ca 2+ ) waves that spread through astrocytic syncitia have been described in numerous reports. We had the rare opportunity to study Ca 2+ responses in astrocytes obtained from a patient diagnosed with Rasmussen's encephalitis, a rare form of intractable epilepsy. Using the ratiometric fluorescent indicator fura-2, we observed large spontaneous [Ca 2+ ] i oscillations. The mean time between initial rise in [Ca 2+ ] i and the return to baseline was 5.1 ± 0.19 minutes (SEM; n = 201) and [Ca 2+ ] i increased to a mean level of 271 ± 8 nM (SEM; n = 201) from a baseline of 136 ± 6 nM (SEM; n = 201). Removal of Ca 2+ from the perfusion solution combined with the addition of the Ca 2+ chelator EGTA (2 mM) completely but reversibly eliminated all oscillations suggesting the fluctuations were dependent on Ca 2+ flux across the membrane. The percentage of cells undergoing spontaneous changes in [Ca 2+ ] i decreased over time in culture. At 10-11 days post-surgery, approximately 70% of the cells were exhibiting this behavior, and by day 23 transients were no longer observed. We did not observe comparable spontaneous [Ca 2+ ] i oscillations in rat cortical astrocytes. The potential that the spontaneous [Ca 2+ ] i oscillations observed may be a unique feature of epileptic tissues is discussed.
Implications of distributed crustal deformation for exhumation in a portion of a transpressional plate boundary, Western Transverse Ranges, Southern California

Abstract Spatial and temporal patterns of exhumation are inextricably linked to patterns of crustal deformation because crustal deformation drives rock uplift. A new interpretation of a segment of the Pacific-North America transpressional plate boundary in southern California is analyzed in the context of crustal shortening, rock uplift, and exhumation. Deformation is partitioned between two structural anticlinoria formed above thrust faults that root into a mid-crustal decollement. The southern anticlinorium began growing after 5 Ma and is characterized by almost no topographic expression, rock uplift of ∼3 km, and exhumation of
Facies sequences of a semi-arid closed basin: the Lower Jurassic East Berlin Formation of the Hartford Basin, New England, U.S.A.

The Lower Jurassic East Berlin Formation exposed in the centre of the Hartford Basin can be divided into six facies: (1) laminated black mudstone is composed of very finely-laminated, organic-bearing clay-stone with common millimetre-scale lenses of dolomitic siltstone; (2) planar laminated mudstone is commonly mudcracked and composed of thickly-laminated, red, green or grey mudstone with common centimetre-scale lenses of sandstones; (3) disrupted mudstone has a complex, desiccation-cracked fabric; (4) planar- and large-scale trough cross-stratified sandstones are composed of moderately well-sorted medium- to coarse-grained arkoses; (5) small-scale, cross-stratified silty sandstones with common climbing-ripple structure; and (6) interbedded sandstones and mudstones which commonly carry desiccation cracks. Mudstone facies are organized into repetitive, metre-scale facies sequences which change gradationally upwards from laminated black mudstones to planar-laminated mudstones to disrupted mudstones. Facies sequences have sharp tops and bottoms and record increasing desiccation upwards. There are 15 such cycles in the upper 100 m of the formation in central Connecticut. They record long periods of dry playa mudflat aggradation punctuated by the rapid expansion and contraction of perennial lakes. The sandy facies occur as single, decimetre-scale sedimentation units or as two or more stacked sedimentation units up to 1 m thick. These record sheet floods across ephemeral floodplains.
Cardioprotective Role of Caveolae in Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Caveolae are flask-like invaginations of the plasma membrane enriched in cholesterol, sphingolipids, the marker protein caveolin and the coat protein cavin. In cardiomyocytes, multiple signaling molecules are concentrated and organized within the caveolae to mediate signaling transduction. Recent studies suggest that caveolae and caveolaeassociated signaling molecules play an important role in protecting the myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion injury. For example, cardiac-specific overexpression of caveolin-3 has been shown to lead to protection that mimics ischemic preconditioning, while the knockout of caveolin-3 abolished ischemic preconditioning. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that are involved in caveolae-mediated cardioprotection, and examine the potential for caveolae as a therapeutic target for pharmaceutical intervention to treat cardiovascular disease.
Stably Extending Two-Dimensional Bipedal Walking to Three Dimensions

In this paper we develop a feedback control law that results in stable walking gaits on flat ground for a three-dimensional bipedal robotic walker given stable walking gaits for a two-dimensional bipedal robotic walker. This is achieved by combining disparate techniques that have been employed in the bipedal robotic community: controlled symmetries, geometric reduction and hybrid zero dynamics. Controlled symmetries are utilized to obtain stable walking gaits for a two-dimensional bipedal robot walking on flat ground. These are related to walking gaits for a three-dimensional (hipless) bipedal robot through the use of geometric reduction. Finally, these walking gaits in three dimensions are made stable through the use of hybrid zero dynamics.
Search for quasiperiodic motion in vibrationally excited formaldehyde formed by S1 → So internal conversion

Abstract A quasi-classical trajectory calculation is performed to simulate formaldehyde decomposition following S 1 → S o internal conversion. No mode specificity is observed in the unimolecular decay rates. Each of the trajectories exhibited chaotic motion. These findings suggest that the S 1 → S o internal conversion step does not prepare long-lived vibrational states in ground-state formaldehyde.
Impacts of global, regional, and sectoral black carbon emission reductions on surface air quality and human mortality

Abstract. As a component of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC) is associated with premature human mortality. BC also affects climate by absorbing solar radiation and reducing planetary albedo. Several studies have examined the climate impacts of BC emissions, but the associated health impacts have been studied less extensively. Here, we examine the surface PM2.5 and premature mortality impacts of halving anthropogenic BC emissions globally and individually from eight world regions and three major economic sectors. We use a global chemical transport model, MOZART-4, to simulate PM2.5 concentrations and a health impact function to calculate premature cardiopulmonary and lung cancer deaths. We estimate that halving global anthropogenic BC emissions reduces outdoor population-weighted average PM2.5 by 542 ng m−3 (1.8 %) and avoids 157 000 (95 % confidence interval, 120 000–194 000) annual premature deaths globally, with the vast majority occurring within the source region. Most of these avoided deaths can be achieved by halving emissions in East Asia (China; 54 %), followed by South Asia (India; 31 %), however South Asian emissions have 50 % greater mortality impacts per unit BC emitted than East Asian emissions. Globally, halving residential, industrial, and transportation emissions contributes 47 %, 35 %, and 15 % to the avoided deaths from halving all anthropogenic BC emissions. These contributions are 1.2, 1.2, and 0.6 times each sector's portion of global BC emissions, owing to the degree of co-location with population globally. We find that reducing BC emissions increases regional SO4 concentrations by up to 28 % of the magnitude of the regional BC concentration reductions, due to reduced absorption of radiation that drives photochemistry. Impacts of residential BC emissions are likely underestimated since indoor PM2.5 exposure is excluded. We estimate ∼8 times more avoided deaths when BC and organic carbon (OC) emissions are halved together, suggesting that these results greatly underestimate the full air pollution-related mortality benefits of BC mitigation strategies which generally decrease both BC and OC. The choice of concentration-response factor and health effect thresholds affects estimated global avoided deaths by as much as 56 % but does not strongly affect the regional distribution. Confidence in our results would be strengthened by reducing uncertainties in emissions, model parameterization of aerosol processes, grid resolution, and PM2.5 concentration-mortality relationships globally.
Impact of a Collective Bargaining Contract

Some five hundred institutions of higher education in the United States currently have unionized faculties. Driving forces for collective bargaining include the impact of inflation on salaries, erosion of faculty control of institutions, desire for additional security in a time of declining enrollments and movement toward collective bargaining in other segments of education. Discussed are the particular reasons for development of a faculty collective bargaining posture at the University of Massachusetts, details of the negotiation process and the resulting contract, early trends in implementation, and some of the initial impacts of faculty unionization. Some of the major impacts within the first year of implementation of faculty collective bargaining at the University of Massachusetts are salary leveling and capping, substantive shifts in the governance of the institution, loss of flexibility, and a strong movement from collegial relationships to adversary procedures.
Sexual Reproduction in Aspergillus flavus Sclerotia: Acquisition of Novel Alleles from Soil Populations and Uniparental Mitochondrial Inheritance

Aspergillus flavus colonizes agricultural commodities worldwide and contaminates them with carcinogenic aflatoxins. The high genetic diversity of A. flavus populations is largely due to sexual reproduction characterized by the formation of ascospore-bearing ascocarps embedded within sclerotia. A. flavus is heterothallic and laboratory crosses between strains of the opposite mating type produce progeny showing genetic recombination. Sclerotia formed in crops are dispersed onto the soil surface at harvest and are predominantly produced by single strains of one mating type. Less commonly, sclerotia may be fertilized during co-infection of crops with sexually compatible strains. In this study, laboratory and field experiments were performed to examine sexual reproduction in single-strain and fertilized sclerotia following exposure of sclerotia to natural fungal populations in soil. Female and male roles and mitochondrial inheritance in A. flavus were also examined through reciprocal crosses between sclerotia and conidia. Single-strain sclerotia produced ascospores on soil and progeny showed biparental inheritance that included novel alleles originating from fertilization by native soil strains. Sclerotia fertilized in the laboratory and applied to soil before ascocarp formation also produced ascospores with evidence of recombination in progeny, but only known parental alleles were detected. In reciprocal crosses, sclerotia and conidia from both strains functioned as female and male, respectively, indicating A. flavus is hermaphroditic, although the degree of fertility depended upon the parental sources of sclerotia and conidia. All progeny showed maternal inheritance of mitochondria from the sclerotia. Compared to A. flavus populations in crops, soil populations would provide a higher likelihood of exposure of sclerotia to sexually compatible strains and a more diverse source of genetic material for outcrossing.
Microscopic origin and macroscopic implications of lane formation in mixtures of oppositely driven particles.

Colloidal particles of two types, driven in opposite directions, can segregate into lanes [Vissers et al., Soft Matter 7, 2352 (2011)1744-683X10.1039/c0sm01343a]. This phenomenon can be reproduced by two-dimensional Brownian dynamics simulations of model particles [Dzubiella et al., Phys. Rev. E 65, 021402 (2002)1063-651X10.1103/PhysRevE.65.021402]. Here we use computer simulation to assess the generality of lane formation with respect to variation of particle type and dynamical protocol. We find that laning results from rectification of diffusion on the scale of a particle diameter: oppositely driven particles must, in the time taken to encounter each other in the direction of the drive, diffuse in the perpendicular direction by about one particle diameter. This geometric constraint implies that the diffusion constant of a particle, in the presence of those of the opposite type, grows approximately linearly with the Peclet number, a prediction confirmed by our numerics over a range of model parameters. Such environment-dependent diffusion is statistically similar to an effective interparticle attraction; consistent with this observation, we find that oppositely driven nonattractive colloids display features characteristic of the simplest model system possessing both interparticle attractions and persistent motion, the driven Ising lattice gas [Katz, Leibowitz, and Spohn, J. Stat. Phys. 34, 497 (1984)JSTPBS0022-471510.1007/BF01018556]. These features include long-ranged correlations in the disordered regime, a critical regime characterized by a change in slope of the particle current with the Peclet number, and fluctuations that grow with system size. By analogy, we suggest that lane formation in the driven colloid system is a phase transition in the macroscopic limit, but that macroscopic phase separation would not occur in finite time upon starting from disordered initial conditions.
Green Soap: An Extraction and Saponification of Avocado Oil

An introductory level green chemistry experiment is described that places a new twist on soap-making in lab. In this experiment, oil is extracted from an avocado, after which the oil is saponified to produce bars of green craft soap. Commonly used extraction solvents, such as petroleum ether, methylene chloride, and hexane, are replaced with safer ethyl acetate to extract the oil. Students find the experiment helpful in discovering the reality of fats and oils in foods, and in becoming aware of the direct relationship between oils in plants and soap. This experiment has been successfully carried out by students of introductory organic chemistry lab classes, but could be used by a general chemistry or an advanced placement high school class.
Guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate as a mediator of inhibition of renin release

The role of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) as an inhibitory mediator of tissue renin release was examined in two different in vitro preparations. In rat superficial cortical slices, renin release stimulated by isoproterenol (10(-5) M) was ablated by atriopeptin III (ANP, 2.1 x 10(-8) M), nitroprusside (NP, 10(-3) M), and 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcGMP, 10(-3) and 10(-6) M). Arachidonic acid (10(-3) M)-stimulated renin release was also inhibited by ANP and 8-BrcGMP (10(-3) and 10(-6) M). Both ANP and NP increased tissue cGMP concentrations significantly (P less than 0.05), but neither had an effect on adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations. When methylene blue (10(-5) M), an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, was added to slices incubated with isoproterenol and ANP, the inhibition of renin release by ANP was abolished. These results were confirmed in a preparation of isolated cultured rat juxtaglomerular cells. In these cells, isoproterenol induced a significant increase (58%, P less than 0.01) in renin release, which was inhibited by the addition of 8-BrcGMP (10(-6) M). These data demonstrate a direct inhibitory effect of ANP on isoproterenol- and arachidonic acid-induced renin release. The results with NP, 8-BrcGMP, and methylene blue suggest that cGMP is an intracellular mediator of this inhibition.
A Study of Fabrication and Characterization of Ultra-Small Polycrystalline Silicon Islands for Advanced Display and Microsensor Applications

Polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) is a key component of integrated circuit technology, micromechanical systems and displays. High-mobility polysilicon thin-film transistors are replacing amorphous-silicon transistors in advanced active-matrix displays, and are also vital to the emerging fields of microsensors and microactuators [1]. In this study, the deposition processes (LPCVD) of polysilicon thin films were carefully studied and the basic kinetics were analyzed. The films were patterned into submicron islands and the relation of the deposition temperature versus the crystallinity of polysilicon islands was observed. A “threshold” deposition temperature for polysilicon crystals larger than 0.35 μm was found. The relationships of polysilicon crystal sizes vs. annealing temperature and vs. annealing duration were also systematically studied. Polysilicon islands of ∼ 0.1 μm lateral dimensions were successfully fabricated by ebeam lithography and several types of annealings were performed to increase micro-crystal size, with the goal of creating single-crystal high-mobility islands. Theoretically, transistors built from such islands should match the performance of state-of-the-art bulk CMOS devices. The crystal size was measured using TEM and AFM analysis. Moreover, EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) measurements at SSRL (Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lab) were employed to study the crystallization processes of polysilicon films and the correlation between the absorption curves, the thin-film electrical properties and the polysilicon grain sizes.
Production Pathways and Separation Procedures for High-Diagnostic-Value Activation Species, Fission Products, and Actinides Required for Preparation of Realistic Synthetic Post-Detonation Nuclear Debris: Status Report and FY16 Project Plan

The objective of this project is to provide a comprehensive study on the production routes and chemical separation requirements for activation products, fission products, and actinides required for the creation of realistic post-detonation surrogate debris. Isotopes that have been prioritized by debris diagnosticians will be examined for their ability to be produced at existing irradiation sources, production rates, and availability of target materials, and chemical separation procedures required to rapidly remove the products from the bulk target matrix for subsequent addition into synthetic debris samples. The characteristics and implications of the irradiation facilities on the isotopes of interest will be addressed in addition to a summary of the isotopes that are already regularly produced. This is a planning document only.