cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Accuracy and Precision

Volumetric glassware, mechanical pipettes, and balances are used in many analytical laboratories. If the basic skills in the use of this glassware and equipment are mastered, laboratory exercises are easier, more enjoyable, and the results obtained are more accurate and precise. Measures of accuracy and precision can be calculated based on the data generated, given the glassware and equipment used, to evaluate the skill of the user as well as the reliability of the instrument and glassware.
Influenza vaccination of health care personnel: Experiences with the first year of a national data collection effort.

Background The purpose of this project was to evaluate a standardized measure of health care personnel (HCP) influenza vaccination during the first year of implementation. The measure requires acute care hospitals to gather vaccination status data from employees, licensed independent practitioners (LIPs), and adult students/trainees and volunteers. The evaluation included a hospital sampling frame stratified by 4 United States Census Bureau Regions and hospital bed count. The hospitals were selected within strata using simple random sampling and the probability proportional to size method, without replacement. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Two qualitative data analysts independently coded each interview, and data were synthesized using a thematic analysis. This evaluation took place at hospitals reporting HCP influenza vaccination data as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program. Participants included the staff at 46 hospitals who were knowledgeable about data collection to fulfill IQR program requirements. Results Facilitators of data collection included having a small number of HCP, having a data collection system already in place, and providing HCP with advance notice of data collection. Major challenges included the absence of an established tracking process and monitoring HCP not regularly working in the facility, particularly LIPs. More than half of the facilities noted the time- and/or resource-intensive nature of data collection. Most facilities used data collected to meet other reporting requirements beyond the IQR Program. Conclusions Hospitals implemented a range of data collection methods to comply with reporting requirements. Lessons learned from the first year of measure implementation can be used to enhance data collection practices across HCP groups for future influenza seasons.
Increasing a spectrometer's solid angle without loss of resolution

Abstract We have increased the acceptance solid angle of an Enge split-pole spectrometer to 10 msr, maintaining good resolution by measuring θ to correct for the θ-dependent aberrations.
Textural and Physical Properties of Acid–Induced and Potassium–Substituted Low–Sodium Surimi Gels

Textural and physical properties of acetic acid-induced and salt-induced surimi gels were evaluated. The addition of 2 to 3% acetic acid significantly decreased the shrinkage and total expressible fluid and increased fixmness compared to 0.5% acetic acid added. Acid-induced gels without starch were significantly firmer than those with starch and salts. There was no peak in storage modulus with the addition of acid in the temperature range of 32 to 43 °C, suggesting that the acid-induced gelation did not require setting as the salt-induced one. Partial substitution (1%) of KCl for NaCI did not change the storage modulus of the sol during heating and gel firmness. However, KCl and NaCI weakened the firmness of the acid-induced gel. Les proprietes texturales et physiques du surimi dont la gelatinisation a ete induite par l'acide acetique, le NaCl ou le KCl sont etudies. L'addition de 2 a 3% d'acide acetique augmente la fermete du gel par rapport a l'addition de 0,5% d'acide acetique. Les gels a pH acide et sans amidon sont plus fermes que ceux avec amidon et sels. Le chlorure de potasium ou l'acide acetique peuvent remplacer de chlorure de sodium dans la gelatinisation du surimi allege en sel.
Innovación y continuidad en los nombres propios griegos procedentes de Hispania: el caso de Meleponus y Melphone

Meleponus and Melphone are two personal names attested in Latin inscriptions coming from Hispania. Both of them derive, in our opinion, from the adjective μeλίφωνος, -ον ‘honey-voiced’ with the same meaning as μeλίφθογγος, -ον, but much more infrequent. The spellings ≺E≻ instead of ≺I≻ and ≺P≻ instead of ≺PH≻ in Meleponus can be easily explained. Thus, these names, even though similar to μeλίφθογγος, used as personal name in Italy, could reflect some kind of innovation and singularity owing to the fact that they are unattested elsewhere.
Evaluation of a Telerobotic System for Transnasal Surgery of the Larynx and Airways in Cadavers.

ObjectivesMinimally invasive, transnasal endoscopic approaches to the larynx have been utilized but are limited by the precision and accuracy afforded to the surgeon. The objective of this study is to analyze the feasibility of a rapidly deployable telerobotic system for enabling transnasal microsurgery of the larynx and upper airways, specifically injection laryngoplasty.Study DesignThis is a feasibility study.SettingThis study was conducted at a laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University.Subjects and MethodsA feasibility study was conducted in which a telerobotic system was transnasally inserted in both a human intubation trainer mannequin and a cadaver. A flexible needle was passed through an instrumentation port and targeted specific areas of the vocal folds of our models to simulate injection laryngoplasty. The experiments were recorded with both still and video photography. Average forces exerted on surrounding tissue and times of deployment were measured.Results...
Measurement of Neutral Base Lifetime in Neutron-Irradiated Transistors

New data are reported for the neutral bulk lifetime of electrons in neutron-irradiated p-type silicon. The measurements are made in special uniform-base transistors and n+p gated diodes. The resistivity range of 0.2 to 9?-cm is covered. In the higher resistivity samples, injection levels of slightly greater than unity are achieved. A range of neutron fluences from 1013 to 1015 n/cm2 (E > 10 keV) is examined and the lifetime damage constant is found to be fluence independent. The data are compared with previous bulk and solar cell measurements.
Precision measurement of parity nonconservation in cesium

The measurement of parity nonconservation (PNC) in atomic cesium is discussed in detail. With a spin-polarized atomic beam, this experiment achieves a fractional uncertainty of 0.35% in the measurement of the PNC amplitude for the transition between the 6S and 7S states of cesium, the lowest uncertainty of atomic PNC to date. By comparing the PNC amplitude on two hyperfine transitions, we measure for the first time the nuclear-spin-dependent contribution that arises from the nuclear anapole moment. A major portion of this paper describes the characterization and elimination of systematic errors.PACS Nos.: 32.80.Ys, 11.30.Er, 12.15.Ji, 32.10.Dk
An isolated coracoid fracture.

l t d t i A 34-year-old unrestrained female passenger complained of right shoulder pain following a motor vehicle crash. Anteroposterior view of the right shoulder was unremarkable (Fig 1A). Grashey view (45° posterior oblique) suggested a fracture of the distal coracoid (Fig 1B), which was confirmed on an axillary projection (Fig 1C). Coracoid fractures present in 5% of shoulder fractures and 2%-13% of scapular fractures and are the result of direct impact or avulsion. Avulsion fractures may be caused by either the coracoclavicular ligaments during acromioclavicular dislocation or the attached muscles during violent contraction. Coracoid fractures are often overlooked on fronal radiographs of the shoulder, because they are requently non-displaced and difficult to visualize hen projected end on. The axillary radiograph and he anteroposterior cephalic tilt view most reliably how coracoid process fractures. However, even with axillary and other views, coracoid fractures are frequently overlooked, because of satisfaction of search in the setting of multiple shoulder fractures. The coracoid is an essential component of shoulder biomechanics, providing attachment for musculotendinous and ligamentous structures that promote anterosuperior stability of the glenohumeral joint.
Toward a Germanium Laser for Integrated Silicon Photonics

It has been demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that germanium, with proper strain engineering and n-type doping, can be an efficient light emitter and a gain medium at its direct bandgap within the third optical communication window ( ~1520-1620 nm). In this paper, we systematically discuss the effect of strain, doping, and temperature on the direct-gap optical gain in germanium. For electrically pumped devices, properties and design guidelines of Ge/Si heterojunction are also analyzed and compared with the results from fabricated Ge/Si heterojunction LEDs.
Shift toward risk and heterogeneity of groups

Abstract Groups that were homogeneous and heterogeneous in terms of risk preferences were varied orthogonally across conditions of information exchange and discussion. The shift toward risk for heterogeneous group members was significantly larger than for homogeneous group members, who did not differ from a control condition. Further analyses showed that two possible alternative hypotheses, time differentials for discussion and regression toward the mean, were not tenable. The data support (a) the “at least as willing” interpretation of Brown's risk-as-value hypothesis, and (b) the necessity of constituting groups for heterogeneity and homogeneity with great care.
Directional cancellation of acoustic noise for home window applications

Abstract This paper focuses on an active noise cancellation system for a home window using a transparent acoustic transducer. In a traditional active noise cancellation system, direct microphone measurements are used for reference and error signals. In the case of the window application, both external and internal sound would be picked up by such microphones. This leads to adverse effects on the performance of the active noise cancellation system and also to distortion of the internal sound. To address this problem, a wave separation technique is proposed to separate the internal and external components of sound. The wave separation algorithm is based on the use of two microphones and an algorithm that separates components based on their direction of travel. An active noise cancellation system is implemented using wave separation for both the error and reference signal measurements. The performance of the resulting ANC system is experimentally tested in a cabin equipped with a window and results are presented. Experimental results show that the new system is able to accurately preserve desired internal sound while cancelling uncorrelated external noise.
Variance ratio tests of random walk for foreign exchange rates

Abstract The paper presents variance ratio tests of the random walk hypothesis for foreign exchange rates. The data correspond to weekly exchange rates for four foreign currencies: British Pound, German Mark, Japanese Yen, and Swiss Franc. It is found that the series contain large permanent component and small temporary component, which suggests that exchange rates follow a random walk.
Model of the contamination effect in ion-induced electron emission

Abstract Ion-induced electron emission yields from contaminated surfaces are well known to be enhanced relative to the yields from atomically clean surfaces. Under the bombardment of energetic ions, the surfaces become sputter-cleaned with time and the yields from the samples are reduced accordingly. The time dependent reduction of yields observed are shown to be due to various effects such as desorption of contaminant atoms and molecules by incident ions and adsorption of residual gas onto previously clean sites. Experimental results obtained in the present work show the lower, saturated yield (γs) to be a function of residual gas pressure (P) and the fluence (oi) of the ion. We present a dynamic equilibrium model which explains the increase in yields for surface gas contamination, the decrease in yields for contaminant desorption, and the pressure/fluence dependence in the time required to reach γs. The predictions of the model agree well with the observations of γs as a function of the ratio of gas flux to ion flux, and the electron yields of clean and gas covered surfaces.
Carbonate Formation and Stability on a Pt/BaO/γ-Al2O3 NOX Storage/Reduction Catalyst

There has been recent debate regarding the role or influence of BaCO3 species on the performance or operation of Pt/BaO/Al2O3 model NOX storage/reduction (NSR) catalysts. This influence is primarily regarded as negative, but the extent of its impact is not clear. For this reason, the formation and stability of barium carbonate species on a Pt/BaO/Al2O3 model NSR catalyst were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The catalyst sample was exposed to CO2, CO, and CO + O2 at various temperatures, from 300 to >500 K. Bidentate carbonate species readily form under all conditions, while at higher temperatures, unidentate species were also observed and likely formed from bidentate species as a result of a change in their coordination to the oxide surface. Reaction of COX species with residual hydroxide species on the catalyst led to the formation of bicarbonates, and when the sample was exposed to CO at low temperature, formate species were also formed. These formate species decompos...
Prehospital Management of SCI Individuals with Extremity Fractures

The spinal cord-injured individual with extremity fractures requires careful management by prehospital personnel. Fractures should be recognized after a thorough assessment of the individual's airway, breathing, circulation, and neurological status. The fracture itself may greatly contribute to significant hemorrhage, distal limb ischemia, and additional neurological damage. Meticulous extrication and immobilization at the accident scene are required to prevent further extremity trauma to the insensate limb. Time-consuming splinting techniques must be balanced with the need for rapid transport to an appropriate trauma center.
American Physicians’ Earliest Writings about Homosexuals, 1880–1900

The expansion of diagnostic categories in the late nineteenth century to include behaviors not previously interpreted as medical problems raised questions about the validity of defining behaviors as disease and the role of individual responsibility for these behaviors. One instance of this medicalization of behavior was the elaboration of "sexual inversion" as a new disease in American medical writings of the period. In searching for a defining characteristic of diverse cases, clinicians described sexuality as a fundamental aspect of being rather than simply an aspect of behavior, and created an identity for their patients that altered the way they thought about themselves and were viewed by society. Although the medical diagnosis later became a central feature in the social oppression of homosexuals, it offered the possibility of construing behaviors in a new way.
Conformation and Activity of Chymotrypsin: The pH-Dependent, Substrate-Induced Proton Uptake

Hydrogen ion uptake by chymotrypsin during reversible binding of specific substrate is shown to be due to an ionizing group of the enzyme with a pK (apparent) ∼9 in the free enzyme. This pK (apparent) is shifted to higher value in the enzyme-substrate complexes. Previous results indicating an equilibrium, controlled by this ionizing group, between active and inactive conformational forms of chymotrypsin are confirmed.
Body weight and obesity in adults and self-reported abuse in childhood

BACKGROUND: Little is known about childhood factors and adult obesity. A previous study found a strong association between childhood neglect and obesity in young adults. OBJECTIVE: To estimate associations between self-reported abuse in childhood (sexual, verbal, fear of physical abuse and physical) adult body weight, and risk of obesity. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with surveys during 1995–1997. PATIENTS: A total of 13 177 members of California health maintenance organization aged 19–92 y. MEASUREMENTS: Body weight measured during clinical examination, followed by mailed survey to recall experiences during first 18 y of life. Estimates adjusted for adult demographic factors and health practices, and characteristics of the childhood household. RESULTS: Some 66% of participants reported one or more type of abuse. Physical abuse and verbal abuse were most strongly associated with body weight and obesity. Compared with no physical abuse (55%), being ‘often hit and injured’ (2.5%) had a 4.0 kg (95% confidence interval: 2.4–5.6 kg) higher weight and a 1.4 (1.2–1.6) relative risk (RR) of body mass index (BMI)≥30. Compared with no verbal abuse (53%), being ‘often verbally abused’ (9.5%) had an RR of 1.9 (1.3–2.7) for BMI≥40. The abuse associations were not mutually independent, however, because the abuse types strongly co-occurred. Obesity risk increased with number and severity of each type of abuse. The population attributable fraction for ‘any mention’ of abuse (67%) was 8% (3.4–12.3%) for BMI≥30 and 17.3% (−1.0–32.4%) for BMI≥40. CONCLUSIONS: Abuse in childhood is associated with adult obesity. If causal, preventing child abuse may modestly decrease adult obesity. Treatment of obese adults abused as children may benefit from identification of mechanisms that lead to maintenance of adult obesity.
Evidence for magma in the Katmai volcanic range

Several independent observations during the summer of 1965 suggest the presence of magma in the volcanic range of Katmai. A high value of 0.3 for Poisson’s ratio and the screening of predominantly the vertical component of the elastic shear waves have been observed. Narrow negative Bouguer anomalies possibly indicate the presence of low density material at shallow depth. The location of magma reservoirs has been attempted, using the calculated wave path and the screening of the mainly vertically polarized shear wave.
The association between objective and subjective caregiver burden

Major consequences of the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1960s are the objective and subjective burdens for caregivers of individuals with chronic mental illness. The purpose of this report is to describe the association between the objective and subjective caregiver burdens. Objective caregiver burden is comprised of those tasks required to care for the client, whereas subjective caregiver burden indicates the extent to which the caregiver "minds" performing these tasks. The design is a longitudinal, quasi-experimental study over a 3-year period, i.e., three waves of data were collected between 1991 to 1994. Data were collected via a telephone interview schedule. Both quantitative and qualitative data are reported. The association between objective and subjective burdens is complex. Findings show that although there are many tasks required in the taking care of the client, the caregiver accepts these tasks. The problem occurs with the uncooperative nature of the client in allowing the caregiver to carry out the tasks. The caregiver-client conflict involving excessive demands and embarrassment results in increased subjective burden.
Why political power-sharing agreements lead to enduring peaceful resolution of some civil wars, but not others?

This paper develops a bargaining model that explains why political power-sharing agreements lead to peaceful resolution of civil wars between governments and insurgents in some cases, but not others. The model predicts that if the civil war ends in a military stalemate, the government uses its offer of a political power-sharing agreement to the insurgents as a tool to misrepresent private information about its military capacity and defeat the insurgency. This exacerbates commitment problems, increases the degree of support that insurgent leaders receive from their civilian supporters and consequently increases the likelihood of recurrence of civil war. Conversely, the model shows that when the war ends in a decisive military victory for the government or the insurgents, the offer of a political power-sharing agreement reduces the degree of support that insurgent leaders get from their civilian supporters and increases the costs of fighting for the insurgents. Hence, after a decisive military victory insurgents have incentives to accept the political power-sharing agreement and not revert to fighting. Results from Cox Proportional Hazard models estimated on a data set of 111 civil wars (1944–1999) provide robust statistical support for the model's predictions.
Avoidance training and the contiguity principle.

Repetition of the Brogden, Lipman and Culler experiment on the role of incentive in the conditioned avoidance learning of guinea pigs resulted in partial verification of their results, but also in differences which lead to an interpretation consistent with the contiguity theory of learning. Using a
Diffraction of Spherical Scalar and Vector Waves at Axial Points of a Circular Aperture and Disk

The following work treats Kottler's saltus problem of diffraction of electromagnetic waves emitted by a Hertzian oscillator source and the analogous Kirchhoff's scalar problem of waves emitted by a point source. The medium is a homogeneous isotropic dielectric. In the vector case a new exact solution of the basic integrals is presented, at axial points only, (a) behind a circular aperture in a ``black'' screen, and (b) behind its complementary ``black'' disk. The relative time‐averaged intensity of energy flow is plotted for the disk only. It is shown that the scalar theory predicts considerably larger values than the electromagnetic theory for identical geometrical dispositions.
The Ingestion of Dietary Protein as Large Molecular Mass Degradation Products in Adult Rats

Proteins fed orally to adult rats are transported into the circulation in the form of break down products of large molecular mass (b.d.p.). As much as 40% of the fed dose, in the case of bovine IgG, is present in the carcase as tungstic precipitable material after so feeding. Ferritin and $\alpha $-gliadin are treated similarly. Preliminary oral immunization with bovine IgG leads to a reduction of this passage if a test dose is given later, but much is still transported. This is in agreement with the expectation that rats which have been fed a normal cereal containing diet should be immune to $\alpha $-gliadin, yet still show transport of this molecule or its b.d.p. The implications of this finding for the physiology and immunology of ingestion are discussed.
Antidepressant Class and Dosing Among Older Mexican Americans: Application of Geropsychiatric Treatment Guidelines

Objective The objective of this study was to characterize patterns and correlates of antidepressant drugs (AD) among older Mexican Americans (MAs). Methods This study consisted of a cross-sectional, community-based sample from Northern California. AD class and dosing label information were inventoried and compared with Expert Consensus Guidelines for geriatric depression pharmacotherapy. Results Overall, 7.1% had been prescribed an AD, but 4.9% were within starting dose ranges. Fewer ADs (3.9%) were consistent with Consensus class and dose guidelines. Depressive symptoms and diabetes were significant positive predictors of ADs. Recent immigrants had lower odds of AD prescriptions. Conclusions AD prescriptions among older MAs are low. Omitting AD class and dosing information may overestimate pharmacotherapy for geriatric depression.
Vehicle Platoon Control in High-Latency Wireless Communications Environment: Model Predictive Control Method

Recent developments in vehicle onboard computers and vehicle-to-vehicle communications technology allow automatic control of vehicles and the organization of vehicles into platoons with short intraplatoon distances. One of the major issues with platoon control is latency in wireless communications. Latency has a negative impact on safety and disrupts the stability of platoons. A decentralized longitudinal platoon-controlling mechanism that uses a model predictive control approach to control vehicles safely, even in harsh communications environments, is proposed. The sensitivity of this method was analyzed to derive the conditions for this method to work safely. A simulation test bed for this control method was implemented to test effectiveness and safety under two communications latency settings. The results showed that the model predictive control method could safely control the platoon even in harsh communications environments.
The decomposition of dimethyl peroxide and the rate constant for CH3O + O2 → CH2O + HO2

The decomposition of dimethyl peroxide (DMP) was studied in the presence and absence of added NO2 to determine rate constants k1 and k2 in the temperature range of 391–432°K: The results reconcile the studies by Takezaki and Takeuchi, Hanst and Calvert, and Batt and McCulloch, giving log k1(sec−1) = (15.7 ± 0.5) - (37.1 ± 0.9)/2.3 RT and k2 ≈ 5 × 104M−1· sec−1. The disproportionation/recombination ratio k7b/k7a = 0.30 ± 0.05 was also determined: When O2 was added to DMP mixtures containing NO2, relative rate constants k12/k7a were obtained over the temperature range of 396–442°K: A review of literature data produced k7a = 109.8±0.5M−1·sec−1, giving log k12(M−1·sec−1) = (8.5 ± 1.5) - (4.0 ± 2.8)/2.3 RT, where most of the uncertainty is due to the limited temperature range of the experiments.
Bluetooth antenna implementation on an attachment module

Three Bluetooth antenna structures were proposed. These antennas were designed for a small PCB inside an auxiliary attachment. These antennas are simple structures to implement and provide reasonably good performance. Tuning is achieved by adjusting the feeding and the lengths of the structures. The amount of coupling is also characterized. The choice of antenna is determined by the desired matched bandwidth, the amount of coupling tolerable, cost and the availability of board space and volume.
Supercritical fluid extraction of organotins from biological samples and speciation by liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Supercritical fluid extraction is used to extract tributyltin and triphenyltin from biological samples. The extraction conditions with carbon dioxide as supercritical fluid (methanol modifier used) are optimized for the organotins from fish tissue certified reference material. The total extraction time is found to be approximately 15 min. The recovery studies at the optimal conditions shows a recovery of 44% for tributyltin and 23% for triphenyltin. The reproducibilities for both the compounds extracted are within 2% R.S.D. The optimum conditions obtained are also used to extract tributyltin and triphenyltin from tuna fish obtained from a local grocery store.
Preparation and purification of a structural sialofucoglycoprotein from the bovine lens capsule.

Abstract When bovine lens capsules are exhaustively digested with collagenase a protein fraction remains that contains about 10% carbohydrate consisting of hexosamine, hexose, fucose and neuraminic acid. When treated with β-mercaptoethanol most of the carbohydrate goes into solution and remains so after dialysis. A fraction of this material precipitated by 80% acetone shows at pH 4·5 only one sharp band in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, but disintegrates into a more diffuse band with rising pH. The molecular size determination by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows four subunits with the maximum MW of about 35,000. Molecular sieve chromatography at pH 4·5 indicates a MW between 75,000–150,000. The ultracentrifuge sedimentation mobility at pH 4·5, however, indicates a MW of only about 35,000 suggesting a disrupting of the molecule by hydrostatic pressure. The ratio of the concentration of the structural glycoprotein to that of collagen is twice as high in the posterior as in the anterior lens capsule.
Fabrication and evaluation of a single-element Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -based ultrasonic transducer

This paper discusses the fabrication and characterization of a single-element ultrasonic transducer with a lead-free piezoelectric active element. A piezoelectric ceramic with composition of 0.88Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–0.08Bi0.5K0.5TiO3– 0.04Bi0.5Li0.5TiO3 was chosen as the active element of the transducer. This composition exhibited a thickness coupling coefficient (kt) of 0.45, a dielectric constant of 440 (at 1 kHz), and a longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 84 pC?N–1. To make the transducer, the ceramic was sandwiched between an epoxy–tungsten backing layer and a silver epoxy matching layer. An epoxy lens was also incorporated into the transducer?s design to focus the ultrasound beam. The focused transducer with a center frequency of about 23 MHz demonstrated a –6-dB bandwidth of 55% and an insertion loss of –32 dB; the –20-dB pulsed length was measured to be 150 ns. A phantom made of copper wires (30 μm in diameter) was utilized to investigate the imaging capability of the transducer. The results indicated that the fabricated transducer, with a lateral resolution of 260 μm and a relatively high depolarization temperature, could be considered as a candidate for replacement of lead-based ultrasonic transducers.
Relativistic effects on angular distribution of Auger electrons emitted from Be-like ions following electron-impact excitation.

We have calculated the angular distribution functions for Auger electrons emitted from Be-like Mg, Fe, and Mo following 1[ital s]-2[ital p] excitation by electron impact. The calculations were carried out in intermediate coupling with configuration interaction using the relativistic distorted-wave and multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock methods. We found strong angular asymmetry for many transitions. We also found that relativistic effects can completely change the characteristics of the angular distribution for transitions which have many contributing partial waves, even for ions as light as Fe.
Selection and Evolution with a Deck of Cards

Imparting a basic understanding of evolutionary principles to students in an active, engaging fashion can be troublesome because the logistics involved in designing experiments where students pose their own questions and use the data to test alternative hypotheses often outstrip time and financial constraints. In recent years, educators have begun publishing exercises that teach evolution using innovative, in-class experiments. This article adds to this growing forum by describing a classroom exercise that introduces the concept of evolution by natural selection in a hypothesis-driven, experimental fashion, using a deck of cards. Our standard exercise is suitable for upper-level high school and introductory biology students at the college level. In this paper, we discuss the exercise in detail and give several examples that illustrate how our games provide accessible bridges to the primary literature. Finally, we discuss how extensions of our basic exercise can be used to effectively teach advanced evolutionary concepts.
BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF TEMPERATURE-INDUCED CHANGES IN LIPID METABOLISM IN A HIGH OLEIC ACID MUTANT OF BRASSICA RAPA

Abstract We have characterized a Brassica rapa mutant (WR586) that has low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (D. L. Auld et al. , 1992, Crop Sci. 32, 657-662). The mutant lacked oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine desaturase (ODS) activity when assayed in 6-day-old seedlings. To further characterize the mutant, the leaf fatty acid composition and major galactolipids and phospholipids were characterized in mutant (WR586) and control (cultivar "Tobin") plants grown at either 26°C/26°C or 10°C/5°C. Fatty acid profiles show significantly higher 18:1 levels in WR586 throughout 12 days of germination. The amount of saturated fatty acids decreased with a concomitant increase of 18:1. Ratios of 18:1/18:2 revealed that WR586 maintains higher mole percent of 18:1 than Tobin at all times and temperature regimes because of a lack of desaturation to 18:2. Values for monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol 18:1/18:2 ratios indicate a disparity in the concentration of 18:1 between WR586 and Tobin grown in either temperature during early germination. The phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine 18:1/18:2 ratios were higher in WR586 compared to Tobin and remained higher throughout the 12-day period. In WR586, 18:1 always accumulated to higher levels in the cooler temperature. In Tobin, 18:1 concentrations paralleled 18:2 in both temperature regimes. These results indicate that the lesion in the mutant WR586 resides at the ODS locus, 18:1 synthesis is chilling induced, and the microsomal desaturation pathway is the most prominent in early developing Brassica seedlings.
On multivariate higher order von Mises expansions

In this paper we review the von Mises calculations of higher order for statistical functionals of one variable. For the functionals of several variables, the higher order Gâteaux differentials are defined leading to the corresponding multivariate higher order von Mises expansions. These expansions are used to analyze the bias of the corresponding statistical functionals. The second and third order derivatives are computed for M-estimates. Applications of these expansions to study the bias of M-estimates of location and to simultaneous M-estimates of location and scale are also given.
Organic Photonics: Ready for Prime Time

Organic photonics promises to bring both new optical materials and optical systems to the field.
Trust and embedded markets: A multi-method investigation of consumer transactions

Previous work shows that, as the buyer's uncertainty about the quality of some good or service increases, so does the tendency to purchase that good or service via embedded transactions, rather than from strangers. While this previous work explains variation in embedded exchange across different types of purchases, it does not address variation in embedded exchange across persons. Our research integrates the embeddedness and trust literatures to explain variation in within-network exchanges based on an interaction of the purchaser's generalized trust and the level of uncertainty entailed in the purchase (i.e., whether there exists an incentive for the seller to misrepresent the quality of some good or service). For purchases involving uncertainty, low-trusters will tend to forgo risky transactions with strangers, opting instead for the increased certainty of embedded markets. High-trusters, on the other hand, will be more likely to transact with strangers (despite the increased risk), from whom they can often find better deals. We should not expect any differences between high- and low-trusters for products that do not entail uncertainty. Results from two data sources, responses from a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population and behavioral responses in new laboratory experiments, provide support for the arguments.
Phase transition in the Jacobsen-Stevens model of spin-lattice systems

Abstract The thermodynamic properties of the Jacobsen-Stevens model for spins coupled to lattice are considered. It is shown that for a sufficiently large value of the coupling constant between the spins and the phonons, the system exhibits a second-order phase transition at a certain critical temperature. Calculations are also made for averages of phonon number and spin. An estimate of critical temperature is given for the resonant case.
Ceramide accumulation precedes caspase-3 activation during apoptosis of A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells

Ceramide, the basic structural unit of sphingolipids, controls the balance between cell growth and death by inducing apoptosis. We have previously shown that accumulation of ceramide, triggered by ...
On the far-infrared excess of Vega

The Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) has recently detected a compact far-infrared emission source associated with Vega (α Lyrae)1. This flux appears to be thermal emission from dust heated by the visual/UV luminosity of Vega. Although circum-stellar dust is commonly associated with young, early-type stars2, the characteristics of the emission from Vega are quite atypical. The essential difference is the relatively low temperature of the dust for the observed source size. This low temperature implies that the dust grains producing the far-infrared emission must be very efficient 60/100-µm emitters and must, therefore, be much larger than typical interstellar and circumstellar dust grains. To place more limits on the properties of this far-infrared emission region, we observed Vega at 47 and 95 µm with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) on the night of 12–13 August 1983. We report here confirmation of the IRAS results and that the source size may be as large as 46 arc s along some axis.
Depletion of Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 in Bone Marrow–Derived Macrophages Protects against Lung Cancer Progression and Metastasis

Cancer progression and metastasis involves interactions between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). We reported that mice deficient for cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)-KO) are protected against the development of lung tumors. The goal of this study was to examine the role of cPLA(2) in the TME. Mouse lung cancer cells (CMT167 and Lewis lung carcinoma cells) injected directly into lungs of syngeneic mice formed a primary tumor, and then metastasized to other lobes of the lung and to the mediastinal lymph nodes. Identical cells injected into cPLA(2)-KO mice showed a dramatic decrease in the numbers of secondary metastatic tumors. This was associated with decreased macrophage staining surrounding the tumor. Wild-type mice transplanted with cPLA(2)-KO bone marrow had a marked survival advantage after inoculation with tumor cells compared with mice receiving wild-type (WT) bone marrow. In vitro, coculturing CMT167 cells with bone marrow-derived macrophages from WT mice increased production of interleukin 6 (IL-6) by cancer cells. This increase was blocked in cocultures using cPLA(2)-KO macrophages. Correspondingly, IL-6 staining was decreased in tumors grown in cPLA(2)-KO mice. These data suggest that stromal cPLA(2) plays a critical role in tumor progression by altering tumor-macrophage interactions and cytokine production.
Developmental expression of brain β-spectrin isoform messenger RNAs

We have investigated the expression of brain beta SpIIa and beta SpIb (previously referred to as the beta-subunits of brain spectrin (240/235) and brain spectrin (240/235E), respectively) during mouse brain development. The 9 kb transcript which encodes beta SpIIa is present in fetal mouse brain tissue and increases to a maximal level in a 30-day-old mouse. There is a coordinate accumulation of the 7.8 kb alpha SpIIa mRNA (with beta SpIIa) during mouse brain development. The coordinate expression of alpha SpIIa and beta SpIIa at the mRNA and protein level allows formation of (alpha SpIIa/beta SpIIa)2 tetramers (brain spectrin(240/235)) early in premitotic neuronal development; and avoids turnover of unassembled alpha and beta-subunits. An 11 kb transcript which encodes beta SpIb is not produced in embryonic tissue, and is first seen in a 6-day-old mouse. The protein translation products beta SpIIa and beta SpIb have previously been demonstrated by our laboratory to first appear in fetal mouse brain tissue and at postnatal day 6-8, respectively [J. Neurosci., 7 (1987) 864-874]. The expression of beta SpIb mRNA on postnatal day 6-8, and the appearance of brain spectrin(240/235E) in postmitotic and postmigratory neurons of the cerebellum at this same time; suggests that brain spectrin(240/235E) is involved in differentiated functions of the neuron (formation of cell-cell contacts, formation of dendritic processes and postsynaptic contacts). Thus, the data from the present study demonstrates that the expression of these two neuronal beta-spectrin isoforms is regulated at the level of mRNA expression.
Identification of Type 2 Diabetes-associated combination of SNPs using Support Vector Machine

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency, is a complex disease of major public health importance. Its incidence is rapidly increasing in the developed countries. Complex diseases are caused by interactions between multiple genes and environmental factors. Most association studies aim to identify individual susceptibility single markers using a simple disease model. Recent studies are trying to estimate the effects of multiple genes and multi-locus in genome-wide association. However, estimating the effects of association is very difficult. We aim to assess the rules for classifying diseased and normal subjects by evaluating potential gene-gene interactions in the same or distinct biological pathways. We analyzed the importance of gene-gene interactions in T2D susceptibility by investigating 408 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 87 genes involved in major T2D-related pathways in 462 T2D patients and 456 healthy controls from the Korean cohort studies. We evaluated the support vector machine (SVM) method to differentiate between cases and controls using SNP information in a 10-fold cross-validation test. We achieved a 65.3% prediction rate with a combination of 14 SNPs in 12 genes by using the radial basis function (RBF)-kernel SVM. Similarly, we investigated subpopulation data sets of men and women and identified different SNP combinations with the prediction rates of 70.9% and 70.6%, respectively. As the high-throughput technology for genome-wide SNPs improves, it is likely that a much higher prediction rate with biologically more interesting combination of SNPs can be acquired by using this method. Support Vector Machine based feature selection method in this research found novel association between combinations of SNPs and T2D in a Korean population.
“Lying” in the pigeon

Two pigeons were taught to use symbols to communicate information about hidden colors to each other. When reporting red was more generously reinforced than reporting yellow or green, both birds passed through a period in which they "lied" by reporting another color as red.
Countercyclical or procyclical real wages? A disaggregate explanation of aggregate asymmetry

The time-series analysis of disaggregated data for a sample of 28 private industries verifies the prevalence and sources of asymmetry in aggregate data. The evidence indicates that asymmetry in the cyclical behavior of the real wage is widespread across the U.S. economy. The reduction in the real wage during recessions appears pronouncedly larger compared to the increase in the real wage during expansions in many industries. Across industries, price inflation increases faster compared to nominal wage inflation in the face of higher demand variability. Price flexibility moderates the increase in the real wage and output growth during expansions. In contrast, prices appear more downwardly rigid compared to the nominal wage in the face of demand variability. Price rigidity exacerbates the reduction in the real wage and output contraction during recessions. The combined evidence supports the implications of the sticky-price explanation of business cycles.
Analysis of isoprenoid phosphates and oligophosphates by capillary zone electrophoresis

Abstract Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has been used for the first time to analyse water-soluble phosphorylated isoprenoids, key intermediates in the branched pathway of mevalonate metabolism. Following synthesis, isoprenoid phosphates and oligophosphates were isolated by flash chromatography and their purity was established using 31P NMR spectrometry. In developing optimum conditions for CZE, several factors were considered: ionization properties of the solutes, stability of the solutes and maximum signal-to-noise ratio. At pH 8.5 in 0.3 M sodium borate buffer and monitoring UV absorbance at 200 nm, detection of farnesyl diphosphate was linear in the sub-picomol range; the limit of detection was ca. 12 fmol. For a given phosphorylated series (i.e., monophosphates, diphosphates, triphosphates), CZE cleanly resolved isoprenes of different chain length, and plots of relative mobility vs. Mr were curvlinear. Remarkably, neryl phosphate (C10, α-cis-isoprene), geranyl phosphate (C10, α-trans-isoprene) and citronellyl phosphate (C10, α-saturated isoprene) were resolved. In addition, isopentenyl monophosphate (C5,Δ3) and dimethylallyl phosphate (C5,Δ2) exhibited different electrophoretic mobilities. These studies pave the way for future work on determining levels of phosphorylated isoprenoids in various tissues under conditions of altered mevalonate production.
Gene Targeting in Human Cells Without Isogenic DNA

Targeted homologous recombination (gene targeting) is widely used in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells as the method of choice for genetic ablation. Soon after the method became established ([1][1], [2][2]), it was demonstrated that the frequency of homologous recombination was adversely affected by
Diminution of Aflatoxicosis in Growing Chickens by the Dietary Addition of a Hydrated, Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate

The amelioration of aflatoxicosis in broiler and Leghorn chickens was examined by feeding a hydrated, sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) or activated charcoal. In three experiments, HSCAS or activated charcoal at a concentration of .5% of the total diet were incorporated into diets for broiler and Leghorn chicks containing either no added, purified aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), 7.5 mg of AFB1 per kg, or 5 mg of aflatoxin (AF) per kg (produced by Aspergillus parasiticus on rice). Compared to the controls, the AFB1 reduced BW gains at 0 to 3 wk by 21 to 38% in broilers; and the AF reduced BW gains at 0 to 4 wk in Leghorns by 20 percent. The HSCAS significantly diminished the growth-inhibitory effects of AFB1 or of AF on growing chicks by 50 to 67 percent. Feeding 5 mg of AF per kg of diet with or without charcoal to Leghorn chicks caused a significant increase in the relative weights of the liver, kidney, proventriculus, and gizzard as well as significant increases in activity of serum gamma glutamyltransferase; also, significant decreases in the relative bursa weights as well as the concentrations of serum total protein and albumin. With the exception of the relative bursa weights, the toxic effects caused by aflatoxin were prevented or were reduced by adding hydrated, sodium calcium aluminosilicate. These data suggest that HSCAS can modulate the toxicity of AFB1 and AF in the chicken; however, adding activated charcoal to the diet did not appear to have protective properties against the effects of aflatoxin B1 or of aflatoxin.
Effect of antitranspirants on yield of Norgold Russet potatoes under greenhouse and field conditions.

Antitranspirants (AT) were applied to greenhouse, field research plots and commercial plantings of Norgold Russet potato plants. In the greenhouse AT (Folicote and Vapor Gard) reduced water uptake by plants by 20–40%. In field trials at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Halfway, similar concentrations increased yield of Norgold Russet potatoes by 21–45 cwts per acre (2352–5040 kg/ha). In a commercial trial on 20 acres of potatoes, 2% Folicote applied 5 and 3 weeks prior to vine kill increased total yield by 47 cwts per acre (5264 kg/ha) and increased yield of premium grade potatoes by 100%. Gross crop value at harvest was increased $500 per acre ($1125/ha). Significantly higher soil moisture levels existed in soils of treated plots between irrigations.